New federal accessibility rules for web content and mobile apps will start being enforced as early as this April — but many school districts won’t be ready to comply, recent survey results show.

Only 14% of respondents say their districts have completed or nearly completed updates to ensure digital platforms and their content are accessible as mandated under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a survey conducted by the National School Public Relations Association and Sogolytics, a survey and experience management platform.

Although nearly half of respondents (46%) called digital accessibility a high priority in their district, almost all cited a lack of staff awareness (97%) and staff expertise and training (95%) as barriers to better digital accessibility.

The survey was conducted last August and September and drew 229 NSPRA member respondents.

Mellissa Braham, associate director of NSPRA, said it’s easier for all school stakeholders —  whether they have disabilities or not — to access online information when it’s in accessible formats. Another core reason digital accessibility is critical, Braham said, is because K-12 is a competitive sector.

“We need to think of our families and employees, our potential families and potential employees as customers,” she said. “And this is just a good part of customer service, making sure that our digital content is accessible to all of our stakeholders.”

Progress over perfection

The U.S. Department of Justice’s 2024 Title II rule on web content accessibility requires all state and local government entities, including public school systems and colleges, to verify that their web content is accessible for those with vision, hearing, cognitive and manual dexterity disabilities. This content includes information on mobile apps, social media postings and digital textbooks.

For K-12 schools and colleges in counties or cities with populations of 50,000 or more, compliance is due by April 24, 2026.

School districts or colleges in counties or cities with fewer residents, however, get a year longer to comply.

The DOJ rule requires public entities such as school districts to use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1, Level AA, as the technical standard for compliance. This will ensure websites, mobile apps and digital textbooks contain accessible text, images, sounds, videos, controls, animations and more, the rule said.

The NSPRA report points out that the Title II rule requires districts to anticipate and prevent web accessibility barriers and to ensure digital tools and materials are accessible from the start.

Braham said a sense of urgency has been building in the K-12 community because of the upcoming compliance deadlines. But because schools face many priorities, she said, “progress is more important than perfection” as staff work toward ensuring online accessibility.

Steven Dong, chief product officer for Finalsite, a communications platform that works with 40,000 schools in the U.S. and internationally, said compliance is a big undertaking for some districts. Larger districts, for example, can have websites with thousands or even tens of thousands of pages, he said.

Because the work of bringing those pages into compliance can seem daunting, Dong suggests districts focus first on high-traffic sites like a school’s homepage, calendar and staff directory.

The NSPRA report said districts can make progress toward meeting digital accessibility through coordinated, districtwide actions, such as:

• Embracing digital accessibility as a shared responsibility. This includes getting buy-in from district leaders and having accessibility steering committees with staff from IT, communications, special education, procurement and other departments.
• Buying or renewing technology that meets the Title II standards. This could include requiring purchase documentation that verifies compliance and vendor claims with the same oversight used for financial or security assurances.
• Providing training for all staff. Ongoing training could build consistency in awareness and application of accessibility practices, including for teachers using free apps that may not have been vetted through the district’s procurement process.
• Auditing digital accessibility. An audit can highlight a district’s current compliance and where more work is needed. It also can help districts prioritize areas of greatest impact for upgrades.