The rise of 1:1 programs in K-12 school districts has urgently increased the need for accessibility for students with disabilities.

During the pandemic, schools swiftly moved much of their content online, inviting parents and students to engage with everything from grades, homework, curriculum, and interactive learning content. But is that content accessible to all students?

In states like New Jersey, Maryland, and Illinois, new laws have been passed to improve digital accessibility for the nearly 14% of students with a disability. The NJ law, Act A4856, requires that any website and web service associated with an educational institution in New Jersey comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. 

ACT A4856 went into effect in July 2022; however, many school districts have not yet inventoried their web service providers.

In this video, Todd Vachon, UX/UI Designer at OnCourse, explains what school leaders need to know about WCAG, how it impacts students, and examples of accessibility functionality that districts need to have in their student/parent portals. 

Unsure if your public-facing content is accessible? Download a quick checklist of seven crucial accessibility features your vendors should be supporting.