Studying ADA accessibility at library websites of top universities selected from the "U.S. News and World Report," the authors used WAVE and AChecker to assess data in compliance with WCAG 2.0 standards. Almost 8 out of 10 public university academic libraries reported accessibility errors as one of the major findings. Low color contrast…

By law, colleges and universities must provide people with disabilities with access to their digital activities, services, and programs. The problem is that when software development teams build digital educational products and services that support higher education institutions inaccessibly, they may exclude students with certain types of…

Accessibility of electronic resources is an increasingly important topic. The University of Tennessee (UT) Libraries began gathering Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) in 2019 to demonstrate compliance with federal and state laws and university policy. This analysis seeks to identify trends in VPAT creation over time, as well as how…

As schools strive to function as communities, the inclusion of all stakeholders is paramount to establishing and maintaining an important sense of interdependency, equity, and access. In the effort to disseminate information as quickly as possible, however, U.S. high schools often neglect to ensure that their websites are accessible to those with…

As the number of students with disabilities pursuing postsecondary opportunities continues to grow, along with an increase in digital educational content and technology, the issue of digital accessibility becomes increasingly urgent - both as a matter of equity and access for disabled students and as a matter of social and fiscal responsibility…

Although more than 1.38 million students receive accommodations and supports accorded by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, many teachers report not knowing about their responsibilities under Section 504. The purpose of this article is to educate teachers about Section 504. Specifically, teachers will learn about ways to evaluate and…

Service animals can play an integral role in the lives and education of students with disabilities. In addition to assisting with physical tasks, service animals can improve confidence, independence and quality of life for students, as well as help them to meet their educational goals. Teachers, coaches and administrators should have the knowledge…

With their increased autonomy and flexibility, charter schools can be a promising educational option for students with disabilities. However, during the inception of the charter movement, very few people were focused on ensuring that charter school policies addressed the needs of students with disabilities. Since its creation in 2013, the Center…

Over the last twenty years, governments and a range of disability rights organizations have advocated for increased accessibility to educational materials and school documents for people with disabilities. Recently, several studies have shown that accessibility is still lacking among educational organizations and other government agencies. This…

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as the RTE Act, 2009) came into effect since 1st April 2010, pursuant to the 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India (2002), which promises elementary education as a fundamental right. It makes legally binding on the State to ensure free and compulsory…

Online and digital learning is becoming more widespread in a post-pandemic world. The rapid expansion of online education has introduced many accessibility concerns that may go unnoticed by inexperienced observers. With the number of students disclosing disabilities, and accommodation requests growing across the country, digital accessibility has…

This study employs legal research methods to explore how federal protections for individuals with disabilities apply in the context of postsecondary extended reality (XR) learning, such as for classes taught in virtual reality. Other examples include the use of 360 degree, interactive videos in online courses and activities that leverage digital,…

Developing empathy skills is crucial for software developers to create user-centric solutions and design exceptional user experiences addressing the diverse needs of customers. This paper presents the findings of a quasi-experimental study that aimed to enhance empathy among computer science students through the exposure of two interventions…

Physical accessibility at colleges and universities is a perennial and challenging issue. Some campuses have made efforts to address these challenges through a variety of advocacy initiatives, while others have used disability simulations to bring greater awareness of physical accessibility to campus communities. An alternative approach to…

College students with disabilities face institutional challenges related to pursuing their education. In addition to the developmental changes that occur during young adulthood, these students also must overcome obstacles involving inaccessible environments, programs, services, and instructional approaches. Colleges and other service providers are…