Introduction

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires state and local governments to make sure that their services, programs, or activities are accessible to people with disabilities. Providing accessible content is a legal requirement under Section 504 of the ADA. In April 2024, the Department of Justice published a rule that sets technical requirements for state and local governments to follow to make sure that their websites and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities. These requirements apply to us as a community college district. Accessibility is an institution-wide responsibility that requires commitment and involvement from all members of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) community. The deadline for complying with the rule is April 24, 2026. We are required to continue compliance after the deadline.

Requirement

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA is the technical standard for state and local governments’ web content and mobile apps.

Creating course content that complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 is essential for ensuring that all learners, including those with disabilities, can fully engage with and benefit from your materials. WCAG 2.1 provides internationally recognized standards for making web content more perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for everyone, regardless of ability, device, or environment.

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessible content removes barriers to learning, allowing all students, including those with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, or other disabilities, to access information, participate in activities, and demonstrate their learning. Beyond compliance, accessibility fosters equity, inclusion, and a better learning experience for everyone.

When accessibility is not considered, learners may face unnecessary obstacles, such as unreadable text, non-captioned videos, or materials incompatible with assistive technologies, that hinder their ability to succeed. Ensuring accessibility is both a legal responsibility and an ethical commitment to providing equal opportunities to all our students.

Key Definitions

• Accessibility: The practice of designing content, tools, and environments so that they can be used by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. In digital learning, this often means ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, voice input), providing alternatives for non-text content, and structuring content for ease of navigation.
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): An educational framework focused on creating flexible learning environments that proactively meet the needs of all learners. UDL emphasizes multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression, benefiting all students, not just those with disabilities.
• Assistive Technology: Devices, software, or tools that help individuals with disabilities interact with digital content (e.g., screen readers, alternative keyboards, text-to-speech tools).
• WCAG: A set of internationally recognized guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure web content is accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 builds on earlier versions by adding guidance for mobile access, low vision, and cognitive disabilities.

Accessibility vs. Universal Design for Learning

While accessibility ensures that barriers to participation are removed so all learners can access content, UDL goes further by proactively designing instruction to support variability in learning preferences, abilities, and contexts. In other words:

• Accessibility is about removing barriers so people can get in the door.
• UDL is about making sure the space inside works well for everyone once they’re in.

By aligning your course content with WCAG 2.1 and incorporating UDL principles, you create an inclusive learning environment that supports both compliance and best practices in teaching and learning.

Watch this video below on the importance of accessibility. This video focuses on people with disabilities specifically; however, when we update and create content to make it more accessible, we are doing so to remove all barriers for the benefit of all learners!

Duration 4:02 | Click the CC icon to display closed captions.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Identify key attributes that make text accessible.
2. Develop the ability to detect and rectify accessibility barriers across various types of digital content.
3. Identify tools like color contrast checkers to ensure that color choices do not hinder comprehension or navigation.
4. Identify accessible data tables that are navigable and understandable.
5. Assess the effectiveness of alternative text and other descriptive methods for image-based content.
6. Explain the distinctions between closed captions, audio descriptions, and transcripts.
7. Become familiar with a range of assistive technologies.
8. Utilize native accessibility checkers to systematically review documents for compliance with accessibility standards.