What Does the Biden Administration Mean for School Website Accessibility?
School website accessibility has been a priority for the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for a number of years. Can we expect the Biden administration to continue this focus on digital equity? All signs point to yes.
A Commitment to Website Accessibility, Starting at the Top
While the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and economic recovery plan are likely to take the lion’s share of attention for the new administration, Biden and Harris have both expressed a strong commitment to education, equity and disability rights. One clue is right on the White House website: a strengthened website accessibility statement for whitehouse.gov. It reads in part:
This commitment to accessibility for all begins with this site and our efforts to ensure all functionality and all content is accessible to all Americans. Our ongoing accessibility effort works towards conforming to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, level AA criteria. These guidelines not only help make web content accessible to users with sensory, cognitive and mobility disabilities, but ultimately to all users, regardless of ability.
These are the same standards (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) that schools are expected to follow to ensure that information posted to the website is accessible to everyone, regardless of disability.
Advocating for Students with Disabilities
The new administration has also signaled that educational equity and support for students with disabilities will be a priority. Biden has pledged to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and make civil rights a pillar of his education policy.
Biden’s pick for Secretary of Education, current Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona, also suggests that educational equity will be a focus area for the administration. If confirmed, Cardona will be the first Secretary of Education to be a former English Language Learner (ELL) student. Over his career, he has consistently advocated for the rights of students from marginalized communities and for students with disabilities. A letter signed by representatives of several disability rights organizations expresses appreciation for the consideration given by the Biden administration in Cardona’s selection. While not an official endorsement, disability rights advocates have spoken optimistically about Cardona’s track record and the support they expect from him in the future.
In particular, Cardona has expressed concern about digital access and inclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has forced many schools to move to hybrid or fully remote learning models. The sudden shift has put a spotlight on digital equity. Students and family members with disabilities have been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic due to accessibility barriers in online learning materials and information posted to school and district websites. That’s why OCR has continued to investigate website accessibility complaints and enforce accessibility requirements throughout the pandemic.
Looking to the Future of School Website Accessibility
We’ll continue to monitor information coming from the Biden administration and Department of Education related to website accessibility and digital inclusion, and we’ll keep you updated as we know more. For now, schools and districts should expect that website accessibility will continue to be a focus area and OCR will continue—if not increase—enforcement activities.
At eChalk, we’ve made website accessibility a cornerstone of our platform development. We even talked to the OCR about ways to make our accessible website platform even better. If you have questions about website accessibility or need help transitioning to an accessible website platform, contact us to learn more.