The Importance of Accessibility in K12 Education

“Every student can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way” – George Evans

In the growing stages, a child’s brain is more like a lump of clay – you can mold it however you want. During this critical period, children undergo big changes in how they think, interact, and feel. Enter K-12, the most crucial period for shaping children’s developing brains. It not only imparts academic knowledge but also develops critical thinking, social interaction capabilities, and basic life skills. However, not all children are the same. They have different learning capabilities, grasping power, and thinking abilities.

Every child has a unique way of learning and some may experience difficulties due to certain disabilities that affect how they learn. Hence, it becomes necessary to understand each child’s unique needs. This is where accessibility and an inclusive learning environment become important. Still, there seems to be resistance regarding accessibility in K12 education. Approximately 94.7% of students with disabilities attend conventional classrooms to receive their education.

This makes it important for ed-tech companies to prioritize accessibility in K-12 education because it not only fosters relationships with the target audience but can also reach a broader market and demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusivity. In addition to complying with legal obligations and international standards, this commitment fosters fairness, improves learning results, and gives each student a personalized educational path.

Standards and Guidelines for K-12 Accessibility

Ensuring accessibility in K-12 education is essential for providing equal learning opportunities for all students. Below is an overview of key guidelines and standards that shape accessibility requirements.

Guidelines

• WCAG 2.2: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 enhance accessibility for users with touch-screen devices, low vision, cognitive or learning disabilities, and movement impairments. These guidelines set out criteria to ensure that digital content is usable by all individuals.
• WCAG 2.1: Building on WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1 introduces additional criteria to improve accessibility for people with cognitive and learning disabilities and those using mobile devices. It includes specific requirements for touchscreens and readability.

Standards

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): This law ensures that students with disabilities receive free and appropriate public education. It mandates special education services and provides guidelines for the evaluation and identification of students with impairments.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The ADA guarantees equal opportunities and full participation in public life for individuals with disabilities. It impacts areas such as employment, public services, and accessibility, defining how organizations should accommodate individuals with disabilities.
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: This standard prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs or activities receiving federal funding, ensuring equal access to educational and other services supported by government funds.
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: Requires federal agencies and their contractors to ensure that electronic and information technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities. It applies to federal websites, software, and digital content.
• EN 301 549: This European standard ensures equal access to digital content and products. It specifies requirements for application layouts, typography, color contrast, navigation, and multimedia elements, applicable to public and private organizations serving EU citizens.
• European Accessibility Act (EAA): Sets standards for the accessibility of products and services, including personal computers, smartphones, ATM systems, audio-visual media, and transport services. It applies to both EU and non-EU products and services sold in the EU.
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA): This Canadian legislation mandates accessibility standards across various domains, including information and communications, employment, and public transportation, aiming for a fully accessible Ontario by 2025.
• ADA Title II: Covers public services, including education, and requires state and local government programs and services to be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
• PDF/UA (PDF Universal Accessibility): A standard for accessible PDF documents, ensuring that PDFs are readable by assistive technologies and compliant with accessibility requirements.

What Happens When Accessibility Guidelines Aren’t Followed?

Children with special needs have the lowest enrolment rates in schools, often because they are taught using curricula that are not appropriate for them. This causes serious consequences for such students since they don’t feel welcome. These repercussions can include anything from limited access to resources and difficulties in participating fully in classroom activities.

Non-compliance with these guidelines can also result in legal consequences. From a legal standpoint, institutions not adhering to these guidelines might have to go through the hefty process of paying penalty fees, fines, and also serious legal actions. One of the most prominent examples is D.H. ex rel. Harrington v. Poway Unified Sch. Dist, where the school was sued since they failed to provide effective communication to a student with a hearing impairment. The school was charged under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Since then, these rules have become even more strict. Non-compliance with accessibility can also cause moral consequences by making things unfair for people with disabilities, keeping them from being treated equally which can lead to stigma and division and further embed social stigma associated with disabilities.

Additionally, non-compliance can also lead to loss of market share and customer base. Ed-tech companies risk losing out on contracts and partnerships with educational institutions if they fail to abide by accessibility regulations, which can significantly impact their revenue. This could also lead to a decrease in enrollment and retention as students with disabilities would want to enroll in institutions that provide more accessible resources. Non-compliance could further lead to negative publicity and damaged reputation causing them to miss opportunities for growth and expansion.

What’s the Impact of K-12 Accessibility on Students?

The advantages of K-12 education extend beyond just classrooms. This learning approach gives students the skills and ability to navigate the complexities of the broader world more simply.

Inclusive classrooms allow students, with or without disabilities, an opportunity to learn together which results in improved academic performance. By providing accessible educational resources, ed-tech companies can guarantee students with disabilities to fully participate and interact with the modules in the learning process. Incorporating digital accessibility in K12 education, ed-tech companies can help students develop vital digital literacy skills enabling them to prepare for a technologically driven world.

Additionally, inclusive learning can also assist students with disabilities with developing essential skills and knowledge, enabling them to compete effectively in the job market. By catering to a wide range of students including those with disabilities, ed-tech companies that prioritize K-12 accessibility can increase the size of their market and potential customer base. This in return leads to increased adoption and revenue, as well as a positive reputation for the company.

Accessibility in K-12 education also provides personalized learning opportunities catering to students’ social and emotional needs. This can be done by incorporating features that promote social and emotional learning such as interactive tools for resilience-building exercises, self-reflection tools, and social interaction possibilities. Through this, ed-tech companies can provide a holistic learning experience beyond academic content.

How can Edtech Companies Comply with the Legislation?

Edtech companies can comply with the legislation simply by following a structured approach. This involves auditing products and platforms, remediating them to comply with accessibility norms, designing for accessibility from the start, and testing with actual user groups that include persons with disabilities.

Audit for Accessibility

The first step is to audit your edtech offerings.  Conducting accessibility audits of products and platforms becomes crucial for identifying areas that need improvement to meet the necessary compliance standards and guidelines. This helps ed-tech companies understand the current level of accessibility and determine necessary steps for improvement.

Design for Accessibility

As the name suggests, designing for accessibility from the start refers to ensuring that products and platforms are accessible right from the beginning. This allows edtech companies to integrate accessibility features into their designs during the development phase rather than retrofitting them later.

By using a more user-centric approach, edtech companies can get into the nuances, validate the effectiveness of accessibility features, and ensure their products and platforms are used with ease.

Every student has a unique way of learning. This emphasizes the importance of accessibility in K12 education so that no student is left behind, irrespective of their disabilities. For ed-tech companies, it becomes a mandate to adhere to the different standards and guidelines while creating their products and platforms. Therefore, developing a platform that prioritizes accessibility for all benefits both – the students as well as the company. If you’re an ed-tech company looking to promote accessibility in the education industry, Magic EdTech is your go-to buddy!

Accessibility Remediation

Next, one of the most important steps is to remediate their products and platforms to align with accessibility norms such as EAA, WCAG, or EN 301 549 to ensure accessible educational resources and technology. This means fixing accessibility errors, removing bugs, and ensuring that there are no more gaps in the product or platform.

Testing for Accessibility

Third, testing products with actual user groups would ensure that the accessibility features are effective and user-friendly. Here, edtech companies can involve individuals with disabilities during the testing process to get valuable insights into their user experience, identify barriers, and also make necessary adjustments to enhance accessibility.

Accessibility Conformance

Adhering to these steps helps ensure that edtech companies meet legislative requirements and provide inclusive educational experiences. Embracing a user-centric approach and validating accessibility features are crucial for accessibility in K-12 education. Prioritizing accessibility not only benefits students by accommodating diverse learning needs but also enhances the company’s reputation and market reach. For edtech companies seeking to champion accessibility, Magic EdTech offers comprehensive support to drive compliance and innovation in the education industry.