Description
Higher education institutions are increasingly challenged to ensure equitable access in online learning environments in light of the April 2024 ADA Title II final rule, which mandates that all public-facing digital content conform to WCAG 2.1 AA standards by April 2026. Faculty training, misunderstanding accommodations in online classes, technological and design barriers, and compliance stress and misinformation remain challenges. This leads to frustration for faculty and students, especially those with print-related, cognitive, sensory, or psychological disabilities. These students may feel excluded, and institutions risk both reputational and legal consequences.
Our presenter — a current VP in digital accessibility and an accessibility strategist with over 18 years of campus experience as an ADA and 504 Compliance Officer, Director of Disability Resources offices, and global corporate policy advisor — will reframe accessibility and accommodations as proactive teaching practices, not reactive fixes. Empower faculty and administrators to build access into course design and facilitate accommodations online from the outset.
Bridge the gap between accessibility and accommodations in online learning — two areas often treated separately — while also translating legal language and compliance standards into simple, user-friendly practices faculty can implement immediately.
Topics Covered
Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you:
- Empower participants with practical tools and confidence, rather than overwhelming them with legal jargon or fear-based narratives.
- Use built-in LMS and document accessibility tools to ensure course content supports all learners and can be easily modified for accommodations.
- Design videos and multimedia with captions and transcripts, ensuring students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have auditory processing challenges have full access from day one.
- Provide accessible assessments by ensuring digital quizzes allow for extended time, alternative formats, and accessible navigation without requiring special arrangements each time.
- Design course materials that reduce cognitive overload — using headers, clear structure, and plain language to support students with ADHD, anxiety, or learning disabilities.
- Communicate clearly with students and DSOs about how accommodations will be implemented in your online course, using structured channels and timelines.
- Adopt a proactive access mindset — embed flexible, accessible design principles into course planning to reduce last-minute accommodation requests and better serve all students.
- Emphasize a universal design approach, making accommodations less necessary by defaulting to more inclusive course design.
Presenter
Dr. Ann Knettler currently serves as the Vice President of Consulting for GrackleDocs, a world leader in digital accessibility.
Click here for full bio.
Included When You Purchase
- 90-minute online session with carefully selected expert(s)
- Unlimited access to view session recording for two years
- Materials for your team (handouts, discussion questions, etc.)
- Certificate of completion for each participant
Instructions for access are available immediately upon checkout. You may share this On-Demand Training with any staff members from your campus community. For information about licensing this training for unlimited distribution on your institution’s internal network/server, email info@paper-clip.com.
