RESOURCE CENTER

School ADA Website Accessibility 

School website accessibility is about making sure that all of your site visitors can have access to the same information, in a way that works for them. Read on for all the information you need on school website accessibility compliance and best practices.

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What questions can we answer?

Why is accessibility important for school websites_-1
What are the key features of an accessible website_ -1
What is WCAG_ ADA_
How do I know if my schools website is compliant with accessibility guidelines_

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Why is accessibility important for school websites?

You already know that your school buildings need to be accessible to all visitors, whether they use a wheelchair or another assistive device or they don’t. However, you should also be taking steps to make sure your school website is accessible to all site visitors, no matter what types of assistive technology they may use to access it.

If your school website isn’t accessible to all visitors, then a portion of your community misses out on important announcements, calendar updates, and opportunities to engage with your school. 

Digital Equity IconDigital Equity is the Goal

No matter who visits your website, making sure it’s accessible for everyone should be a top priority for your school, because an accessible website lets all users interact with the site in the way that works best for them.

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Click here to download our free Accessibility Ebook

 

Hear from your colleagues:

“Edlio has been a wonderful partner as the school division worked to remove possible barriers on the site for our disabled community.”

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What are the key features of an accessible website? 

An accessible website is one that provides the same information to all visitors, regardless of their access limitations. 

In the end, what this really means is that an accessible website includes provisions so that:

  • The same information is available to everyone.

  • The same interactions are available to everyone.

  • The same services are provided for everyone.

  • Everyone has access to substantially equivalent ease of use.

An accessible website should have:

 Audio and video transcripts for any multimedia elements

 Alt text for images so that visitors with screen readers can get the information contained in photos or graphic elements

  Navigation that supports the use of assistive devices

  Text that is legible in both size and color

   Coding to make the site mobile-responsive, not just mobile-friendly
Click here to watch our free webinar!

 

Hear from your colleagues:

"Recently our District Office completed a new redesign on our website. The result was a perfect fit for Paramount, ADA compliant with an attractive, powerful communication platform for our community."

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What is WCAG? ADA?

The two acronyms you’ll often hear when it comes to website accessibility are WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Meeting the ADA guidelines may be a requirement, but it’s also a gateway to connection with every family you serve.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act all contain multiple laws on the subject of accessibility, but essentially they should be addressed with the same goal in mind: to make your school website accessible to all visitors

The WCAG principles encourage your content to follow the POUR guidelines.

All web content following these principles should be:

P - Perceivable. Can all content on your website be processed by every visitor?
O - Operable. Can all visitors navigate and interact with your website? 
U - Understandable. Is your content and website functionality easily understood?
R - Robust. Is your website compatible with assistive technology?
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Click here to visit the WCAG Resource Center!-1

 

Hear from your colleagues:

"Easy navigation allows parents to browse staff and school information, which allows for swift responses to questions and concerns parents have had. The Edlio website has really been a game changer for our school."

Icon - Compliance-1How do I know if my school's website is compliant with ADA website accessibility guidelines?

Your school website provider should be able to evaluate the accessibility of your website. If they don’t offer that service, you can also run a self-check using the Wave Accessibility Evaluation Tool. If you have multiple pages on your website, you will need to check each one individually.

Click here to learn what to do if you get _Hit_ with an OCR Letter-1

Hear from your colleagues:

“We received notification from the Office of Civil Rights that they would be reviewing our web pages for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. I can't thank the team at Edlio enough for all the time and effort they have devoted to resolving the website issues that were identified."

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Did you know that website accessibility falls under ADA Section 504? All students deserve access to the same information! Get help with your school website accessibility: https://learn.edlio.com/school-website-accessibility-resource-center #WebsiteAccessibility #Section504 @Edlio

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