Education Department Webinars Offer Website Accessibility Assistance to Higher Education Institutions
May 21, 2018

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will offer three webinars during May and June providing technical assistance to colleges, universities, and other educational entities in making their websites and online programs accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The webinars, which are being offered on May 29 and June 5 and 12, are aimed at information technology professionals. Institutions also are encouraged to invite their IT vendors to register.

Those interested in participating in any of the three webinars can send a request to OCRWebAccessTA@ed.gov; include your name, preferred webinar and contact information. For more information, click here.

Understanding the needs of students with disabilities and building learning environments that support them is a key priority for ACE and our member institutions. For more information and links to resources and promising practices on higher education accessibility issues, expand the section below.

NEW: Digital Accessibility Law and Regulation: Current Status and What to Do About It​ (EDUCAUSE Review, Jan. 23, 2019)​

The HEATH Resource Center at the George Washington University is an online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities.

The University of Washington maintains a number of resources (including accessibility standards, example policies and resolution agreements) for institutions looking to develop or enhance their own accessibility policies.

Georgia Tech’s accessibility website houses a number of tools and resources, as well as greater information about their R&D work in this area.

Penn State University provides a number of helpful resources on accessibility, including an introductory tutorial. 

The Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students With Disabilities produced a substantial list of resources covering a range of topics.

More broadly, the Department of Justice provides a wealth of information and technical guidance on the legal provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act at www.ada.gov.