Leading the Shift to Accessible Digital Learning under ADA Title II
What does it take for education leaders to move from awareness to action on digital accessibility under ADA Title II? In this session, leaders from the Nebraska Department of Education and the Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership share ways to frame digital accessibility requirements for schools. They’ll also explain how cross-department collaboration is helping drive accessible digital learning statewide. Learn how NCADEMI resources informed the development of Nebraska’s own tools and guidance and leave with ideas for engaging leadership and improving accessibility in your system.
Who Should Watch?
Leaders in education at the state and local levels responsible for accessible digital educational materials.
Presenters
- Cynthia Curry, Project Director, National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction
- Jena Fahlbush, Technical Assistance Specialist, National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction
- Dorann Avey, Digital Learning Director, Teaching, Learning and Assessment, Nebraska Department of Education
- Brian Wojcik, Education Program Supervisor & Assistive Technology Specialist, Nebraska Assistive Technology Partnership
Recording & Slides
Resources
- Primer on Title II of the ADA
- ADA Title II Roadmap
- Quality Indicators for Accessible Digital Educational Materials
- Accessibility Basics
- Accessibility Fundamentals Learning Modules
- Accessible Documents Starter Kit
- Procurement Guide
- EdTech Accessibility Directory
Summary of Q&A Discussion
What are some of the best ways to make math and science equations accessible?
Making math and science equations accessible starts with creating them as accessible digital content from the beginning using tools and formats that work with assistive technologies.
For teacher-created content, educators must be trained to embed accessible equations into the materials they create. Using tools that create accessible math and science notation is preferred over using images with alt text. Tools such as LaTex and MathType – Equation Editor can help users create accessible math and science equations. Nonetheless, even well-designed digital content may still need to be provided in alternate formats, such as braille or audio to meet individual student needs.
When purchasing digital math and science curriculum from publishers and vendors, specify the current MathML standard (currently MathML 3.0) in the Request for Proposals (RFP) and contracts. When purchasing print materials, ensure that NIMAS language in purchase orders and contracts directs publishers to markup math and science materials using MathML (see NIMAS sample contract language).
Finally, accessibility checkers can support this work but are not sufficient on their own, especially for complex content like equations, so thoughtful design and human review remain necessary.
Can you address PDF accessibility checkers? We have guidance to use either Adobe Acrobat Pro or PAC, but we are finding they both identify different information.
No matter which accessibility checkers are used to check PDFs or other docs, slides, etc., they should not be relied upon as the sole method for ensuring accessibility. In fact, different accessibility checkers may find different issues, which reflects the complexity of accessibility rather than a flaw in one specific tool. This makes it important to ensure that all staff are trained in document accessibility, so that they can catch errors missed by automated checkers.
To improve your accessibility skills, check out our Accessibility Basics, Accessibility Fundamentals Learning Modules, and Accessible Documents Starter Kit.
Can you recommend guidance on making videos accessible with captions and audio descriptions?
The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) shares guidelines and best practices for captioning and audio description through their Captioning Key and Description Key. Check out our Accessibility Basics on Captions, too.
What strategies can be used to engage leadership and educators who are hesitant to prioritize proactive, system-wide accessibility?
It is important to lead with empathy while building an understanding of the impact of inaccessible materials on students’ ability to participate in learning. In many cases, leaders and staff may not fully recognize how accessibility barriers affect student access to curriculum and supplemental resources. Providing opportunities to experience these barriers firsthand can help illustrate the importance of accessibility and reinforce their responsibility to ensure equitable access. For example, demonstrate how a textbook functions with a screen reader when key elements are missing or improperly structured, or how text-to-speech tools fail when text is provided as an image.
Another approach is to integrate accessibility into existing structures and systems that guide leadership decision-making. For example, at the state or local level, curriculum adoption processes can prioritize vendors that provide accessible products. Similarly, incorporating accessibility into school accreditation criteria can help position it as a core responsibility for educational leaders.