National Organizations Unveil New, Updated Tools to Improve Digital Accessibility in Education

Washington, DC – New and updated tools released today will help school leaders ensure their digital resources are accessible to all students, parents, and guardians.

Developed by the Center on Technology and Disability and CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking), the resources include an updated accessibility toolkit, a district-level case study and planning rubric spotlighting the practices of Indiana’s Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, as well as a state-level digital accessibility case study of the Utah Board of Education.

“Technology has opened the door to incredible, personalized learning opportunities. However, accessibility of digital content and resources is now an essential requirement, as highlighted in the most recent National Education Technology Plan. Education leaders must ensure that their content and materials are accessible to ALL students or else our increasingly digital education will lead to more inequality,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN.

“The legal requirements are clear that ALL students have a right to accessible materials that are designed or enhanced in a way that they are usable to meet the needs of the largest number of students. We now have the resources, tools, and strategies to make accessibility an integral part of the educational experience to foster academic success and increase student and parental engagement,” said Tracy Gray, Managing Director, American Institutes for Research, and Lead for State and District Technical Assistance, Center on Technology and Disability.

Produced in 2016, the Digital Accessibility Toolkit: What Education Leaders Need to Know defines accessibility, underscores why the issue is important, explains how to procure accessible technology, identifies the legal requirements, and describes the benefits of digital accessibility. The kit has been updated with key information concerning the new requirements for information and communication technologies covered under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as well as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. Aligned with the WCAG 2.0, the new requirements place U.S. standards on par with international standards for accessibility.

The organizations also developed case studies to demonstrate the effective accessibility efforts on the local and state levels. The district spotlight shows how Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation implemented a unified approach to leverage best practices and meet the needs of students with disabilities and their peers. The case study is accompanied by the rubric Bartholomew used to closely evaluate their classroom resources. The state-level case study details how the Utah Board of Education strengthened its state education agency infrastructure to support the delivery of accessible digital materials for all students and stakeholders.

To learn more and explore the new resources, please visit: cosn.org/accessibility.

Featured

  • Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Image courtesy of MiEN Company

    6 Ways to Pull Off a Major District Construction Project

    Designing and building a large-scale project on a K–12 campus is a monumental undertaking that requires the right blend of ideas, funding, design and execution to get it right. The process also relies on multiple partners, each of which has to handle its respective aspect of the project while also keeping the district’s broader mission and goals in mind.

  • Allegion US Partners with Two Colleges for Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US recently announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campus-wide, according to a news release. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

Digital Edition