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…

An often-overlooked component of a middle school website is the necessity for that website to be accessible to those with disabilities, while following the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act. In support of the belief that support the belief that inclusive education and…

Organizations such as zoos and museums offer educational experiences, along with opportunities for leisure and enjoyment, which should not be denied due to lack of access. In this case study, we present a process through which professionals in disability-related fields collaborated with a local community zoo to improve accessibility and inclusive…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is one of America's most important laws, both in general and with respect to individuals with disabilities. Originally passed in 1990, the ADA recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. While ADA offers protection against discrimination for individuals with disabilities in a broad sense, it also offers…

On January 18th, 2018, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) required all federal aid-receiving institutions of higher education (Title IV) to publish web accessible websites for people with disabilities. To be compliant with federal law, Title IV institutions must now adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 standards at the…

This article argues that business and professional communication practitioners, instructors, and students, besides becoming better informed about the legal context of website accessibility, should also become more aware of the ethical considerations of creating digital communication products that are inherently accessible for people with…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that all Title IV-participating institutions of higher education publish web accessible websites for students with disabilities. This study sought to evaluate the web accessibility of Hispanic-Serving Institutional (HSI) websites (n = 217). Results suggest that the average HSI website landing page…

The results of recent cases indicate that residences and dormitories owned by higher education institutions should be considered "dwellings," and thus subject to the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act (1968) as amended requires that the providers of dwellings accommodate assistance animals, which includes not only service animals,…

Pioneering legislation such as Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997, and the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 have increased attention to the needs of individuals with disabilities. These regulations require that public programs…

Beginning January 18, 2018, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act required all U.S. postsecondary institutions receiving Title IV funds to publish accessible websites, adherent to Level AA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. This case study examines the web accessibility of all postsecondary institutions in Texas immediately after the…

Since passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools are required to educate students with disabilities in the "least restrictive environment" (Hopkins 2005), i.e., to the maximum extent possible with their non-disabled peers (Myhill 2004). School libraries are required to…

The research on students with disabilities has focused primarily on transition programs and the accessibility of information in the classroom environment. There is a dearth of studies that examine the accessibility of disability services information on community college websites for prospective students with disabilities. A researcher-developed…

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities are guaranteed access to all postsecondary programs and services. The purpose of this study, conducted by the Center for Excellence in Disabilities, was to evaluate the current status of a major university's web accessibility. The results indicated that in 2011 only 51% of…

Massive Open Online Courses ("MOOCs") are free online courses offered by institutions of higher education to individuals across the world, without any admissions criteria. Through web-based courses hosted by MOOC platforms, student-participants learn by accessing media, including documents, pictures and uploaded lectures on the course…

The problem addressed by this study is the observed low levels of compliance with federal policy on website accessibility. The study examines the two key federal policies that promote website accessibility, using a side-by-side policy analysis technique. The analysis examines the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 508 of the…