4 Ways to Meet ADA Requirements in the Online Classroom

By Dani Babb PhD

As an educational institution committed to providing equal access and opportunities to all students, colleges and universities must meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the online classroom. Here are some of the ways we ensure that the online courses we deliver are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities:

Use accessible technology

We use technology that is accessible to students with disabilities, such as screen readers built into the LMS, captioning, and assistive technology. A online learning management system and other online tools are designed to meet accessibility standards, and we regularly review and update our technology to ensure that it remains accessible. We encourage our university partners to review their standards and accessibility.
Provide accessible course materials

We ensure that course materials are accessible, including videos with closed captioning, images with alt tags, and documents in accessible formats such as HTML or PDF. Our instructional designers and curriculum developers are trained on how to create accessible materials, and we provide resources and support to help them meet accessibility requirements.
Design accessible online courses

Our online courses are designed using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, which provide multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement to support different learning styles and abilities. Courses we work on with college partners are designed to be accessible to all students.
Train faculty and staff

We provide training for faculty and staff on how to make online courses accessible to students with disabilities. Our training covers accessibility requirements, best practices for creating accessible materials, and the use of assistive technology. We do this via webinar format with experts to train your team.

By taking these steps, we ensure that our partner’s online courses are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. We are committed to providing equal access and opportunities to all students, and we will continue to review and improve our accessibility efforts to ensure that we meet the requirements of the ADA and provide the best possible learning experience for all students.

Contact us to learn more about how we may help your instructional Designer’s with additional support or your faculty members with additional training!

Dani Babb PhD

CEO and Founder of Babb Education! Dani Babb’s initial goal in 2005 was to help professors get teaching jobs in the new world of online higher education. From there, she expanded the mandate to guide and provide resources to colleges and universities looking for help with new programs, student retention and expertly designed curriculum. In 2005, she created The Babb Group, and now runs and owns Babb Education.

Dr. Babb has been working in the online education field as both an educator and administrator since its inception. She, along with her team at Babb Education, do everything possible to create an incredible experience with our team of expert instructional designers, curriculum developers, unbundled services so colleges and universities only pay for exactly what they need, subject matter expert (SME) and faculty recruitment, and professional development webinars and seminars that are engaging and interesting for faculty! She blends her strong reach in the faculty world, knowledge of issues college administrators face and student needs to create forward thinking, budget-conscious and high quality services. She is steeply entrenched in higher education and has focused her career there since the early 2000's.

Prior to starting Babb Education, Dani was a market commentator for many news networks, including Fox News, CNBC, NBC, MSNBC and CNN. Prior to that position, she owned and ran a small technology company, where her love for the integration of tech and education began. She started her career as a computer repair technician and rose through the ranks to become a VP of IT in Fortune 500 companies. Her passion is in education, helping students master course objectives, persist in their programs and for colleges to offer the most possible to help students in their profession!