In April of 2025, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This rule requires that all web content, including course materials, mobile apps, and third-party applications, conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level A and AA. More broadly, this rule applies to all web content, which is anything viewable via a web browser and encompasses all course-related materials, including those behind a login, such as Blackboard.
This rule does not just apply to teaching and learning, it also applies to public-facing and employee-facing content.
Start thinking about ways content can be presented in an accessible manner to all. Here are some examples to start with:
Get more information about specific programs for accessible digital materials.
Screen readers read the text in a digital document aloud. Because a scan is an image, screen readers cannot read it. Most screen readers help users skim pages with shortcuts for headings, links, form fields and tables. See how to make several types of digital documents accessible at Accessible Digital Materials.
What screen readers need:
People who use screen readers may:
Videos shown in class or assigned to be viewed outside of class, videos on NIU websites and training videos need to have captions. The Disability Resource Center provides closed captioning services.
Captions are the spoken words in a video as the speaker says them in text on the same screen.
Audio description is a spoken narrative that describes important visual content that isn't conveyed by sound like actions or scene changes.
People who use captions may:
People who use audio descriptions may:
Information conveyed by color needs to be conveyed in an additional way, like an asterisk, a different texture (on a bar graph) or text.
Look for sufficient contrast between elements so the difference between them is perceivable without color.
Make targets like buttons and links large enough that they don't require a high level of accuracy to select.
When a mouse hovers over a link or you tab to a link, it should change color or be outlined so it's easy to see where the mouse focus is.
A person using a wheelchair should be able to fully operate the technology without assistance.
A person with disabilities is able to independently use electronic and information technology to:
In the same time frame as those without disabilities.