New Title II ADA Accessibility Regulations: What All Educators Need to Know

Outline

This 60 to 90-minute interactive session will blend essential legal information, national resources, live demonstrations, and participant activities to help educators and administrators understand the new ADA Title II accessibility updates and apply them in their daily work. The session will be designed to emphasize both compliance and inclusion, showing how accessible design supports equitable learning for students, families, and communities. Throughout the session, engagement will be continuous and varied, with opportunities for peer-to-peer discussion, device-based interactive polls, hands-on demonstrations, and collaborative problem-solving. Frequent check-ins and short activities will keep participants actively involved and reinforce learning in each segment. By combining direct instruction with interactive practice, the session ensures that every attendee, whether educator or administrator, leaves with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to implement accessibility in meaningful, sustainable ways.

The session will begin with an introduction to the 2026–2027 ADA Title II updates and their impact on schools, districts, and higher education institutions. The presenter will use real examples of inaccessible and remediated materials to illustrate the importance of compliance and how it affects students and families. Audience members will engage in a brief poll using their devices to share what they currently know about accessibility and what challenges they face.

Participants will then be introduced to the SLIDE and POUR frameworks as practical tools for improving accessibility. The presenter will explain how SLIDE (Styles and headings, Links that are accessible, Images with alt text, Designing for accessibility, and Evaluating for accessibility), can be applied using tools built into Google, Microsoft, Canva, and Adobe platforms. Each element of POUR, Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust, will be explained with simple, real-world examples. To engage the audience, participants will have the opportunity to test accessibility features. The presenter will model how to create a sample document, slide deck, or presentation in various programs, utilizing built-in accessibility checkers. Participants will then use their own devices to try these steps in real time—adding alt text, checking color contrast, and applying proper headings. A brief, interactive challenge such as an “Accessibility Fix-It Race” will encourage participants to identify and correct accessibility issues in sample materials. This activity provides immediate, tangible skill practice with the tools educators and administrators already use.

The session will then shift focus to the leadership perspective, showing how administrators and district leaders can support staff and educators in meeting compliance requirements. The presenter will outline strategies for incorporating accessibility into professional learning, evaluation systems, and technology planning, utilizing resources from NCADEMI, CITES at CAST, and the AEM Center. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss in small groups or pairs ways they can incorporate accessibility goals into existing school or district initiatives, share examples of successful practices, and identify areas that need improvement.

To close, participants will reflect on what they learned and commit to one actionable step they can take to prepare for ADA compliance at an individual or systematic scale. The presenter will share a digital resource toolkit through a Waklet of digital resources that includes accessibility checklists, templates, and links to ADA compliance guides. The session will end with a reminder that accessibility is not just compliance, it’s a mindset of inclusion that benefits every learner, family, and community member.

Throughout the session, engagement will be continuous and varied, with opportunities for peer-to-peer discussion, device-based interactive polls, hands-on demonstrations, and collaborative problem-solving. Frequent check-ins and short activities will keep participants actively involved and reinforce learning in each segment. By combining direct instruction with interactive practice, the session ensures that every attendee, whether educator or administrator, leaves with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to implement accessibility in meaningful, sustainable ways.

Outcomes

Educators. Educators will leave the session with practical skills and ready-to-use tools for creating accessible materials using the SLIDE and POUR frameworks. They will learn to apply SLIDE, which includes the use of Styles and headings to create navigational structures, accessible Links, alt text for Images, Designing for accessibility (i.e, color contrast fonts), and Evaluating for accessibility using built-in checkers in Google, Microsoft, and Adobe products. Accessibility features in Canva will also be highlighted. Through hands-on practice and live modeling, participants will have the opportunity to revise documents, presentations, and media to meet accessibility standards in real time. The POUR principles—Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust—will also be reviewed to guide their work if there is use of social media or classroom websites. For example, content covered and presented will be designed to be Perceivable, using text alternatives, captions, and strong color contrast so all learners can access it; Operable, ensuring it can be navigated with keyboards and assistive tools; Understandable, using clear language and consistent structure; and Robust, ensuring materials work seamlessly across devices and platforms. This hands-on focus directly supports compliance with the new ADA Title II updates, helping educators proactively meet accessibility standards in their classrooms and digital communications. These practices will not only ensure legal compliance but will also benefit students by improving access and engagement, while helping families and community members better understand and interact with educational materials, fostering transparency, inclusion, and stronger school–community connections.

Administrators. Administrators and leaders will gain a structured roadmap, with guidance and support from the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI) and Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) Center at CAST for integrating accessibility into schoolwide and districtwide practices using the SLIDE and POUR frameworks. They will participate in interactive modeling activities to explore how to evaluate accessibility, support staff development, and lead implementation efforts at the LEA or SEA level. The session will demonstrate how to establish or begin to explore policies, provide professional learning, and evaluate for accessibility. Emphasis will be placed on utilizing built-in accessibility features across digital platforms to streamline compliance with the new ADA Title II updates and ensure Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) compliance for third-party contracts. This will help ensure that districts and institutions meet federal standards and uphold equitable access to digital information. Administrators will gain ideas on how to embed accessibility into their publicly accessible information (i.e, school improvement plans, technology policies, and communication systems) to ensure sustainable compliance and accountability. By aligning technology planning, infrastructure development, and professional development with SLIDE and POUR, administrators will be prepared to lead systemic, ongoing change that provides equitable access to high-quality digital learning experiences for all students, their families, and the broader community who may access LEA or SEA content.

Supporting research

Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) Center. (2020). Creating accessible documents. Aem.cast.org; CAST. https://aem.cast.org/create/creating-accessible-documents

Bong, W. K., & Chen, W. (2021). Increasing faculty’s competence in digital accessibility for inclusive education: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1937344

Carsrud, S. (2025, September 7). UNM digital accessibility committee works to support compliance with new title II ADA rule. UNM UCAM Newsroom. https://news.unm.edu/news/unm-digital-accessibility-committee-works-to-support-compliance-with-new-title-ii-ada-rule

Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems. (2024). Integrate accessible educational technology systems. Cast.org; Center on Inclusive Technology and Education Systems. https://cites.cast.org/infrastructure/provide-accessible-educational-materials/Coverdale, A., Lewthwaite, S., & Horton, S. (2024).

Digital accessibility education in context: Expert perspectives on building capacity in academia and the workplace. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing. https://doi.org/10.1145/3649508

Davidson, J. (2024, April 10). AAPD praises Department of Justice for finalizing Title II web accessibility rule. American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). https://www.aapd.com/aapd-praises-title-ii-web-accessibility-rule/

National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction. (2024). Meeting the ADA title II web and mobile accessibility requirements: A roadmap for state and local educational agencies – National Center on accessible digital educational materials & Instruction. Ncademi.org; National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials and Instruction. https://ncademi.org/resources/publications/roadmap/#tieroneNational Center on

Accessible Educational Materials. (2025). AEM center: Designing for accessibility with POUR. Aem.cast.org. https://aem.cast.org/create/designing-accessibility-pourPrado, B. de B., Gobbo Junior,

J. A., & Bezerra, B. S. (2023). Emerging themes for digital accessibility in education. Sustainability, 15(14), 11392. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411392U.S.

Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. (2024, March 8). Fact sheet: New rule on the accessibility of web content and mobile apps provided by state and local governments. ADA.gov; Americans with Disabilities Act. https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/