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ADA Title II
In April 2024, the Department of Justice issued its final rule revising the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new regulation adds subpart H to Title II of the ADA and establishes specific requirements, including the adoption of specific technical standards, for making accessible the services, programs, and activities offered by state and local government entities to the public through the web and mobile applications. This includes public colleges and universities.
For good overviews of the new accessibility rules related to higher education, review the ADA’s Fact Sheet.
Web content is defined as the information and sensory experiences meant to be communicated to the user by means of a user agent (e.g., web browser). This includes: text, images, videos, audio, controls, animation, electronic documents (Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, etc), and HTML code.
There are five exceptions from compliance: (1) archived web content that is not currently used, (2) pre-existing conventional electronic documents that are not currently used, (3) third-party content. (4) individual password-protected documents about an individual, and (5) preexisting social media content.
Highlights:
- Almost all digital content hosted by DCTC and Inver Hills will need to be compliant. This includes: content within the Learning Management System (D2L Brightspace), and third-party content (such as textbook publisher content and digital textbooks, YouTube).
- Digital content must meet at least the WCAG 2.1 Level AA (or WCAG 2.2 Level AA) requirements.
- All students should have access to the same accessible content – there should not be an accessible version and an inaccessible version of the same content.
- DCTC and Inver Hills have until April 24, 2026 to comply.
- This revision complements the existing web requirements outlined in Title III.
What does this mean for DCTC and Inver Hills employees?
Employees are responsible for ensuring their shared digital content (flyers, newsletters, emails, digital signage, etc) meets the requirement for Title II.
This rule applies to all content within our learning management system, D2L Brightspace. D2L Brightspace, as a tool, is accessible. However, not all added content may be accessible for all learners. Faculty are responsible for ensuring all content (added files, linked videos, PPTs, PDFs, etc) meets these requirements.
Accessibility Services and the CTL can assist you with the remediation of your content to ensure accessibility – book a consultation.
How can I work towards compliance?
Using Accessible Fonts
- Use san serif fonts (those without the small tails at the tip of letters) for electronic materials; use fonts such as Arial, Aptos, Tahoma, or Lato.
- Use a minimum of 12 point fonts (19px in Brightspace) to ensure readability.
- Also important is the use (or non-use) of color. Color should not be the only means of conveying meaning or information. Rather use bold or a symbol to signify importance.
Understanding accessible fonts and typography (Section508.gov)
Creating Accessible Documents
All Microsoft Office products have a built-in accessibility checker (in the Review menu).
- Create accessible documents (Section508.gov)
- Create an accessible presentation (Section508.gov)
- Create an accessible spreadsheet (Section508.gov)
- Accessibility checker (Microsoft)
- Accessible electronic documents (MN IT Services)
Ensuring HTML Accessibility in D2L Brightspace
D2L Brightspace HTML pages have a built-in accessibility checker.
- How to check the accessibility of my content in Brightspace (Vanderbilt)
- Use the accessibility checker on HTML-authored content (D2L Brightspace)
Writing Descriptive Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks should be written in descriptive text, rather than “click here”
Writing Good Alternative Text for Images
Alternative text should be clear and descriptive.
- Authoring meaningful alternative text (Section508.gov)
- Write helpful alt text to describe images (Harvard)
- Image Accessibility Creator (ASU)
Captioning and Transcripts for Video and Audio
Captions and transcripts are required to be at least 99% accurate.
Mediaspace-generated captions should be reviewed for accuracy.
- Create accessible captions and transcripts (Section508.gov)
- Multimedia accessibility (MN IT Services)
Ensuring Accessible PDF Documents
Ensuring Appropriate Color Contrast
Recent Accessibility Tech Tips from the CTL:
Creating Accessible Content Widget
This Tech tip is to draw attention to the new Creating Accessibility Materials widget on the D2L Homepages. This widget is a collection of that tech tips that are focused on creating accessible content. This widget is searchable and scrollable for ease of use The scroll bar will appear when hovering over the widget. As […]
Avoid Inserting Text Boxes into Slides
This tech tip comes from Academic and Student Affairs at Minnesota State. This tip is part of Digital accessibility that focuses on how to use slide layouts instead of text boxes when creating a PowerPoint presentation. To view this tech tip, please click on the following link: Avoid inserting text boxes into slides Please also […]
Microsoft videos that demonstrate how to improve accessibility in Email, Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, and PowerPoint Presentations
This tech tip features videos by Microsoft that demonstrate how to improve accessibility in Email, Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, and PowerPoint Presentations. Please use the following video links. • Email o Video: Improve email accessibility 5:02 • Word Documents o Video: Check the accessibility 1:10 o Video: Improve accessibility with alt text 2:07 o Video: […]
Ensuring You Supply Your Class with Accessible PDF Documents
Oftentimes, when textbook images are scanned as PDFs, they are saved as “images” instead of “text,” which makes them inaccessible to students using screen-readers or text read aloud options. Follow the steps below to check your PDFs for accessibility and convert them as necessary. Check Your Document for Accessibility The following are a couple of […]
Adjusting the Reading Order of a PowerPoint Presentation
People who use screen readers need to be sure content on slides is read in the correct order. The following demonstrates how to adjust the reading order of a particular slide. 1. Open your PowerPoint presentation in the desktop version. 2. Click the Review tab, then click the Check Accessibility: 3. Click Accessibility the Reading […]
Creating Alt Text Using Copilot
The purpose of this tech tip is to assist you in creating alt text for images you use in your course. Alt text cause images to be accessible to all learners. For this example, we will use an image of a horse running: 1. Open Copilot: 2. With copilot open, ask for alt text for […]
Use unique slide titles in your PowerPoint presentations
This tech tip comes from Academic and Student Affairs at Minnesota State. This tip is part of digital accessibility. To view this tech tip, please click on the following link Use unique slide titles Please also note the Digital Accessibility Tips section on the page.
Using tables for presenting data, not for layout or formatting
This tech tip comes from Academic and Student Affairs at Minnesota State. The tech tip focuses on how to create tables that are digitally accessible To view this tech tip, please click on the following link: Using tables for presenting data, not for layout or formatting Please also focus on the Digital Accessibility Tips section […]