ADA Title II Compliance FAQs

Start with materials you use every semester. The Accessibility Checklist outlines requirements for Word, PowerPoint, and PDF documents; video captioning options; and alt text best practices for images. Prioritize required readings, videos, and materials used in the first weeks of the course. The checklist also includes detailed instructions for how to address each issue, and video tutorials will be available very soon. 

Yes. Digital course content is to be treated like any other web or mobile app content. This would include digital content such as syllabi, readings and textbooks, recorded lectures and videos, slide decks, Brightspace/Canvas pages, assignments and handouts, images and diagrams, and course websites. 

Prioritize the documents, readings, videos, and images you provide in your course. If you are not already putting it online for your course, you do not need to make it available online. If it is a document you provide online for your course, take the necessary steps to make it accessible for all learners.  

Please refer to the Accessibility Checklist and Innovative Learning Readiness website for more information. The IL Accessibility Readiness website has guidance and resources focused on common types of course materials used across disciplines. 

The University is working toward an integrated Brightspace tool to identify accessibility issues. A system-wide solution is in progress but has not yet been selected or implemented. Please bookmark the Innovative Learning ADA Readiness website for updates.

You are encouraged to apply accessibility practices as you build or revise course pages.

Content created within Brightspace will be accessible as long as general document setup and accessibility guidelines are followed (e.g. heading styles, alternative text for images). Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that general document setup and accessibility guidelines are followed. 

Brightspace also has a built-in Accessibility Checker in the text editor as materials are being created. Here is more information on the Brightspace Accessibility Checker.  

D2L regularly releases their conformance to accessibility and ADA standards for Brightspace for review. As of March 2025, their most up to date conformance reports show that they meet the upcoming standards. 

Even if you use 3^rd party content, it must be accessible. For technology licenses owned by your department such as homework platforms or online textbooks, please work with your department head and procurement office to have discussions with the third-party vendor around making content accessible and compliant with the university guidelines.  

If you plan to continue using equations and handwritten class materials, you will need to convert them into an accessible format, which may require re-creation of those materials. We are exploring automated options to help turn handwritten documents into more accessible formats through our RFP (request for purchase) of an ADA remediation tool to be added into Brightspace. Please visit the IL Accessibility Readiness website for up-to-date details on how you can be involved in this process.    

Ensuring accessibility and equal access to materials does not negatively impact the learning outcomes of your content. Alternative text can be descriptive without giving away the learning outcomes. As an example, let’s consider an image that asks students to identify the parts of a map. The Alt Text can say “this image depicts a map of the United States” while still preserving students identifying where a state might be located.   

For a full listing of what we have available, please visit the resources available on the Innovative Learning ADA Readiness website or attend a hands-on workshop.

For documents, we recommend using the built-in functionality of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (Guides on how-to are provided)

For multimedia content, such as audio and video, the university-recommended solution is to use Kaltura and its built-in automated captioning functionality.

You are responsible for ensuring that the instructional materials that you create, select, and/or utilize in your course are accessible and meet the requirements of the regulations. Several resources are available to help you identify accessibility concerns and remediate those issues. Please continue to follow best practices and guidance from Innovative Learning, use accessibility checkers when available and respond to their feedback, use approved, centrally supported tools, and collaborate with Innovative Learning, the Disability Resource Center, and the Office for Civil Rights when issues are complex or when they arise through the accommodations process. 

Compliance with the law is required, and faculty and staff are expected to act in good faith in making efforts to comply with the new rule. The University’s Office for Civil Rights oversees compliance with ADA and Title II and will monitor progress across the university. Failure to comply may result in significant fines, penalties, and other sanctions. 

To the extent that students are being asked to provide peer grading, peer feedback, discussion boards, etc. as a part of a course, then yes, the rule applies. Instructors should utilize an accessible platform (like Brightspace) for that peer-to-peer interaction that is required as a part of the course and, in the event that a student posts feedback that is inaccessible, be ready to provide that content in an accessible format if needed.