This article was written in collaboration with:
Michele Kelmer, MS Ed.
Director of Faculty Engagement and Outreach
UITS Learning Technologies
Michael Mace, MS Ed.
Manager
UITS Assistive Technology and Accessibility Centers
Cara Reader, PhD
University ADA Coordinator
Director of Compliance, Training, and ADA
Indiana University – Office of Civil Rights Compliance
As technological advancements reshape education, faculty in computing, engineering, data science, and information technology sit at the intersection of innovation and inclusion. But with this influence comes a responsibility: ensuring the digital environments we create are accessible for all learners.
This is more than compliance—it’s about shaping a future where every student, regardless of ability or background, can thrive. Two federal statutes—Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title II of the Higher Education Act (HEA)—along with recent executive orders provide a powerful framework for technology faculty to lead transformative change in education.
Why Accessibility? Because There Are Students in Your Classes with Disabilities.
The data makes this clear:
According to 2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 28% of the US public reports having one or more disabilities, including physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. This includes 23.8% of individuals ages 18-44 and 34% of military veterans.
In a 2019-2020 survey of college students by the National Center for Education Statistics, 21% of undergraduates and 11% of graduate students reported having a disability. These percentages were similar for traditional and adult students and across disciplines of study, and they increase each year.
There are four main reasons why you may not know who your students with disabilities are:
Most disabilities are invisible. You can’t always look at someone and know they have a mental health, learning, chronic health, physical, hearing, vision, or neurological disability.
Students don’t disclose. Less than 50% of students report their physical disabilities, and less than 30% report mental health, learning, or neurological disabilities. Most students who do not disclose cite the fear of stigma from peers, pushback on accommodation requests by instructors, and the general hassle of documentation.
Students may have a disability but don’t have documentation. They may not have been formally diagnosed due to the cost of testing, lack of adequate health care, or cultural norms. ADHD and autism, for example, can be diagnosed later in life.
Students with new acute or chronic health conditions or injuries may not consider themselves as having a disability, even if it impairs their learning for a semester or more. Being diagnosed and treated for conditions like cancer, multiple sclerosis, or major injuries can significantly impact a student’s ability to manage coursework.
Based on 2024 data, any given 100 college students could include:
30% diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression
20% with sleep difficulties like insomnia or sleep apnea
12% attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
10% who experience migraines or other severe headaches
4% with specific learning disabilities including dyslexia and dyscalculia
4% with autism
2% who are blind or have low vision
2% with a trauma-related disability including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
2% who are Deaf or hard of hearing
It’s common for people to have overlapping disabilities, so while this isn’t to say everyone has a disability, the point is that it’s extremely unlikely that no one in your classes has a disability.
Understanding Title II: ADA + HEA
Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do for your students; digital accessibility, like physical accessibility provided by ramps and curb cuts, is now the law.
Title II of the ADA (1990, updated 2024): Prohibits discrimination by public entities, including public colleges and universities. In April 2024, the Department of Justice released new rules requiring digital content and services to be accessible to people with disabilities. This includes:
Course content in Canvas (your Learning Management System (LMS))
Department websites and internal platforms
Educational technologies used in class
Videos, documents, and simulations
Social Media Posts
Key Deadline:
April 2026 for institutions serving >50,000
The purpose of this update is to help ensure that people with any of a wide range of disabilities can easily access the same web content and online services provided by state and local government and public educational institutions that those without a disability can. Your online courses and anything you put within your LMS are considered web content.
This web content must meet the new accessibility standards if:
students or the public can access it online,
it’s currently being used (not archival content), and
it’s part of the work you do for your institution.
For something to be considered accessible, it must be:
Equally integrated: provided at the same time and not separate.
Equally effective: provides equal opportunity or outcome.
Substantially equivalent in ease of use: should not be more difficult.
According to the Title II update, content in Spring 2026 courses and beyond must be accessible, whether or not you have a student with an accommodation request. There will no longer be an option to wait for an accommodation request to make your course site meet basic accessible guidelines. Accommodations apply when the basics of accessibility are insufficient to meet the specific need of the student. You will still receive accommodation requests for extended time on assessments or specialized accommodations such as a sign language interpreter, a Braille textbook, or tactile graphics as needed.
Title II of the HEA: Requires teacher preparation programs (and increasingly, faculty across disciplines) to use evidence-based pedagogical practices and report on outcomes like teaching effectiveness and alignment with workforce demands.
What Tech Faculty Can Do: Inclusive Teaching in Action
Here’s how you can align your pedagogy with Title II ADA, Title II HEA, and federal priorities—with real-world examples to guide you.
Design Digitally Accessible Content from the Start
Example: In a software engineering course, use: “UML diagram showing user login process, including ‘Enter Credentials’, ‘Verify’, and ‘Authenticate’.” This applies to images embedded in presentations, documents, and web pages.
Example: A data structures professor records weekly screencasts with auto-captioning, edited for accuracy and posted with transcripts on Canvas. For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, this is essential. Providing a full transcript also benefits students who prefer to read or who need to quickly search for specific information within the content.
Structure documents for readability and navigation: When creating lecture notes, assignments, or syllabi in Word, PowerPoint, or PDF, use proper heading structures (e.g., H1, H2, H3), bullet points, and numbered lists—not just bold or color. This allows screen readers to navigate the document logically and helps all students process information more easily. Avoid using color alone to convey meaning (e.g., “red text indicates a critical warning”) as this can be inaccessible to color-blind individuals.
Use accessibility checkers in Word, Adobe Acrobat, or Google Docs. IU recommends this practice across all digital materials.
Evaluate the Accessibility of Tools and Platforms
Example: Before adopting a new online code editor, the faculty requests a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) and only proceeds after reviewing it with IT accessibility staff. If a vendor cannot provide evidence of compliance, consider alternative solutions or work with your institution to ensure reasonable accommodations can be made.
Example: When uploading a new module to Canvas, a professor runs the accessibility checker to identify any images without alt-text or poorly contrasted text, rectifying these issues before publishing.
Implement Inclusive Pedagogical Practices (Title II HEA + ADA)
Use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to offer multiple means of engagement and representation: Provide information in various formats (e.g., video, text, simulation) and allow students to demonstrate their learning in diverse ways (e.g., flexible assessment like a prototype + presentation or GitHub repo + write-up).
Example: In an IoT capstone project, students can present via slide deck, interactive demo, or video walkthrough—with guidelines for accessibility built into the rubric. This accommodates different learning styles and abilities.
Track Outcomes and Improve with Data
Align assignments to real-world certifications (e.g., AWS, CompTIA, Python Institute), and track student success to inform redesigns.
Use learning analytics in GitHub, Jupyter Notebooks, or Canvas to see where engagement or comprehension gaps occur.
Moving Forward: Build a Culture of Accessibility
Implementing Title II effectively isn’t a one-time project; it’s an ongoing commitment that requires a cultural shift towards proactive accessibility. For technological faculty, this means:
Continuous Improvement: Regularly audit your courses with accessibility in mind each semester. Ask students for anonymous feedback on digital barriers.
Collaborate: Partner with your institution’s accessibility services office and instructional designers. Join or form a cross-departmental working group on inclusive STEM teaching.
Educate Yourself and Others: Complete self-paced training or attend workshops on accessibility and UDL. Share accessible templates with your colleagues.
Tech Faculty: You Are Equity Catalysts
By aligning your teaching with Title II of the ADA and HEA, you’re doing more than following the law. You’re building a future where every student—regardless of disability, background, or learning style—can succeed in STEM and computing fields.
Additional resources:
IU Knowledgebase documents:
IU Expand Training Courses
Web resources