The role of digital technology in postsecondary education has expanded significantly over the last ten years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities had already established a robust online presence, and the pandemic only hastened the development of alternatives to classroom-based learning. As the demand for online learning continues to grow, it’s only becoming more important that digital experiences are accessible to learners with disabilities. Let’s explore what digital accessibility means and the role it will play in the future of higher education.
The term “digital accessibility” refers to practices that make websites, mobile apps, and other digital content easier to use for people with disabilities. In the field of higher education, digital accessibility is critical to ensuring that every student can access and understand learning content. Teams across an education institution–from web developers, instructional designers, and infrastructure architects to compliance officers and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) departments–can contribute to providing accessible experiences for both internal and external audiences.
To understand whether an experience is accessible, most teams start by referencing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the established global standard for digital accessibility. These guidelines outline specific requirements for many aspects of accessibility, including color contrast, image alt text, closed captions, audio transcriptions, and keyboard navigability. WCAG has been adopted into many international laws, including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S.
Digital technology has helped democratize postsecondary education, with the number of schools offering massively open online courses rising in recent years. Improvements in these courses’ accessibility have allowed even more learners, including students with disabilities, to benefit from classes and certifications. Advancements in digital accessibility have also helped make traditional in-person courses more equitable for all students.
As the digital accessibility landscape, and the digital landscape more broadly, continue to shift, higher education institutions can anticipate even more changes ahead. Here are some of the digital accessibility trends that will impact higher education in coming years.
Digital accessibility regulations are growing stricter–including those that apply to postsecondary institutions. The U.S. Department of Justice recently released a final rule under Title II of the ADA, requiring state and local government entities–including many public colleges and universities–to ensure their digital experiences conform with WCAG version 2.1. This rulemaking has already spurred many higher education institutions to more closely examine their digital accessibility practices.
To date, no specific technical digital accessibility standard has been provided for ADA Title III, which covers private institutions. However, it is widely anticipated that Title III requirements similar to those for Title II will be implemented. Were this change to take place, private colleges and universities would also face increased regulatory pressure to prioritize digital accessibility.
Education professionals today understand that different students learn in different ways. Some find reading text effective, while others prefer watching or listening to recorded lectures. To better serve all students, many educators already provide the same learning content in multiple formats–and as schools and universities increasingly prioritize digital accessibility, they will also have to ensure these formats are accessible. That includes verifying that text that is compatible with screen readers, video have closed captions, and audio content is accompanied by a transcription. Additionally, digital content should be compatible with different input devices, such as keyboard navigation and dictation software.
College websites serve a diverse audience, encompassing students, faculty, alumni, researchers, and members of the general public. And these users may have a broad range of accessibility needs. Advancements in user personalization technology allow website and app owners to provide visitors with the option to tailor their experiences to their unique preferences, for example, by adjusting color contrast and changing text font and size. As adoption of user personalization technology continues to grow among organizations of all types, it’s likely more postsecondary institutions will begin offering personalized web and app experiences.
Higher education is in a state of constant flux. Institutions that evolve with emerging technologies and changing learner preferences will survive and thrive in this dynamic landscape–and prioritizing digital accessibility is key to keeping pace with this evolution. And beyond benefiting organizations, digital accessibility is a force that will change people’s lives for the better, both inside and outside the classroom.