Schools, ensuring ADA Compliance: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued its final ruling under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), requiring state and local governments to make their websites and mobile apps accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Article / EdSurge

In an article published by EdSurge.com, Jarret Cummings, a senior advisor for policy and government relations at Educause highlighted that, “Most public colleges and universities are facing a two-year compliance clock that started ticking a few months ago,” He further emphasized that to meet the new standards before the deadline, institutions will need to enlist the services of corporate providers. While public entities have two years to achieve compliance before potentially being sued by the government, they are still vulnerable to lawsuits from private plaintiffs if their websites are not accessible. Prioritizing website and mobile app accessibility is crucial to comply with regulations and avoid potential litigation.

The question is, will public entities leave their homework until the last minute? Some are working under the mistaken belief that the government will show leniency towards educational institutions. This is a dangerous and entirely unverified assumption.

Although achieving compliance can be a complex process, starting now with the easiest accessibility fixes can yield quick results. Addressing these straightforward issues first allows time to tackle more complex problems later, reducing the risk of lawsuits since ‘drive-by lawyers’ typically target websites with easily identifiable errors.

Common issues that plaintiffs highlight include missing captions (alt text) for images, lack of closed captions for videos, audio content without text transcripts, inadequate keyboard navigation, and poor screen reader support.

Delaying action increases the risk of lawsuits both now and after the two-year compliance period ends. Taking immediate steps to improve accessibility is essential to mitigate this risk. The message is clear: addressing accessibility issues proactively reduces the likelihood of facing legal challenges.

ACT NOW: Get an Independent Assessment of Your Exposure

Visit AAAtraq '/check' (no email or fee required) (opens in a new window) to understand your risk. Simply enter the website URL into the field and receive a detailed breakdown of content issues found on your website that could leave you open to litigation. Using our advanced risk intelligence engine, our program leverages over 3.7 trillion data points to provide a comprehensive and insightful analysis.

Our risk profiling is built on more than 25 years of industry expertise, ensuring high credibility and reliability. With such extensive data and experience, we deliver accurate risk scores and actionable insights to help you achieve ADA compliance effectively.

Don’t leave your homework until the last minute! Use the checker at www.aaatraq.com/check to get started today.

Further Reading:

Full Article // https://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-07-19-are-schools-and-edtech-companies-ready-for-the-digital-accessibility-deadline (opens in a new window)