Accessibility and the Future of Learning: How Institutions Can Prepare

Breaking down learning barriers should always be a top priority for higher education institutions, but looming compliance deadlines paired with rapidly evolving digital technologies are once again putting the spotlight on accessibility as a legal and institutional imperative.

With new compliance deadlines approaching under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States, many institutions face a difficult reality: they’re not as prepared as they need to be. The updated ADA Title II regulations place new pressure on public institutions to ensure that their web content and mobile applications are accessible:

• Public entities with a total population of 50,000 or more must comply by April 26, 2027
• Public entities with a total population under 50,000 must comply by April 26, 2028
• Special district governments must also comply by April 26, 2028

Of course, accessibility compliance—or a lack thereof—isn’t an issue that’s unique to U.S. institutions. The need to improve accessibility standards and remove barriers to access is a global concern, as evidenced by an array of similar laws, such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) of 2019. This particular directive applies to the 27 member nations of the European Union and extends beyond higher education institutions to include providers of goods and services such as:

• Computers and operating systems
• ATMs, ticketing, and check-in machines
• Smartphones
• Services related to air, bus, rail, and waterborne passenger transport
• Banking services
• E-books
• E-commerce
• And more

Although the EU Member States had to incorporate the EAA into national law by June 2022, with many of the core requirements applying from June 28, 2025, the wider digital accessibility challenge remains significant. The 2026 WebAIM Million report found more than 95% of homepages of the top one million sites had automatically detected WCAG 2 failures nearly a year later. This matters because WCAG criteria are not only the basis for many of the compliance expectations outlined in the EAA, but are at the core of the updates to Title II and many other similar laws globally.

The statistic is alarming, but according to Brickfield Education Labs CEO and co-founder Gavin Henrick, it’s also not necessarily surprising. “Some institutions have been planning for years,” Henrick explained during a recent conversation with Open LMS. “Others haven’t done enough preparation at all.”

Institutions around the world are being challenged to rethink not only their technology but also their culture, processes, and long-term accessibility strategies. Henrick also noted that many organizations still underestimate the scope of the current wave of accessibility laws.

“It doesn’t say just teaching materials,” he said. “These laws are about providing your service in an accessible way. That means your emails, your documents, your sign-up forms, your feedback, your content—everything.”

This broader definition of accessibility is forcing institutions to confront a difficult truth: accessibility cannot be solved with a single tool or a last-minute audit. It requires organizational transformation.

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Why So Few Institutions Meet WCAG Standards

Despite years of discussion around digital accessibility, compliance rates remain remarkably low. Henrick believes one major reason is that accessibility is still too often viewed as someone else’s responsibility.

“A common issue is that it isn’t seen as everyone’s responsibility in an organization,” he explained. “Where institutions succeed is when accessibility becomes a top-down priority.”

In many institutions, privacy and cybersecurity training are mandatory. Accessibility training, however, is frequently treated as optional, even though it is also a legal requirement.

This disconnect creates significant implementation gaps. Faculty may lack the time or training needed to create accessible course materials. Procurement teams may prioritize functionality over accessibility standards. Leadership teams may understand accessibility conceptually, but fail to allocate sufficient budget or operational support.

As a result, accessibility efforts often remain fragmented and reactive.

Henrick argues that this approach is no longer sustainable.

“This is important enough that it should be part of everyone’s contract,” he said. “Just like not breaking any other laws is inherent in their role.”

Accessibility Is More Than a Technical Challenge

While accessibility discussions often focus on platforms and compliance checklists, Henrick emphasized that the larger challenge is frequently cultural.

Institutions may purchase accessible technologies while continuing to create inaccessible content and workflows internally.

“People think, ‘I’m a teacher. I already know what I’m doing. Accessibility is somebody else’s job.’ But accessibility has to be embedded into the way the entire organization operates.”

This includes:

• Course content
• Internal documentation
• Communication workflows
• Procurement processes
• Marketing materials
• Student services

Without institution-wide accountability, accessibility initiatives struggle to scale. That’s why Henrick believes training is one of the most overlooked aspects of accessibility readiness.

“Accessible materials don’t happen by accident. People need the skills to ensure accessibility.”

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The Procurement Problem

Another major barrier is procurement. Henrick noted that many institutions still purchase technologies that fail to meet accessibility standards, even while enforcing strict requirements in other areas like data privacy and security.

“They wouldn’t buy an LMS that broke FERPA,” he said, referring to the U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. “But they’ll buy a product that isn’t accessible.”

Fortunately, this is beginning to change.

Henrick has seen more institutions requesting Accessibility Conformance Reports often produced using the VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) during procurement and renewal processes, signaling growing awareness around accessibility requirements.

Still, progress remains inconsistent. For institutions hoping to future-proof their digital learning ecosystems, accessibility can no longer be treated as a secondary consideration during vendor evaluation. It must become part of the core decision-making process.

A Practical Framework: Find, Fix, and Future-Proof

For institutions feeling overwhelmed, Henrick recommends starting with Brickfield’s simple but strategic framework:

Find

The first step is identifying barriers. This may involve:

• Accessibility audits
• Automated scanning tools
• External consultants
• Internal reviews of content and workflows

Institutions need visibility into where accessibility gaps exist before they can begin addressing them.

Fix

Once issues are identified, remediation begins. Henrick acknowledged that retrofitting accessibility into existing content takes time, particularly for institutions with years of legacy materials. He cautioned against leaning too heavily into automated solutions that offer quick fixes.

“There are tools that can make it faster,” he explained, “but AI isn’t the solution.”

Why? Because accessibility often involves subjective decisions, context, and human judgment.

Even something as simple as writing image descriptions can vary depending on instructional intent and learner needs.

Future-Proof

The final step is building a sustainable accessibility strategy. According to Henrick, accessibility readiness is not a one-time project. It’s an ongoing institutional commitment that may require a two- or three-year roadmap.

That roadmap should include:

• Ongoing training
• Accessibility governance
• Procurement standards
• Regular audits and remediation
• Clear institutional accountability

Ultimately, the goal is to build accessibility into the organization’s culture—not bolt it on after the fact.

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Accessibility Benefits Everyone

While compliance deadlines are driving urgency, Henrick emphasized that accessibility should not be viewed solely through a legal lens.

Accessible learning environments improve usability, flexibility, and engagement for all learners, not just those with documented disabilities.

Clearer content structures, better navigation, captioned media, and improved readability create stronger digital learning experiences across the board.

And as online and hybrid learning continue to expand globally, those experiences matter more than ever.

The Time to Act Is Now

Successful institutions are rarely those that scramble to meet deadlines at the last minute. It is as critical as ever to recognize accessibility as a long-term investment in learner success, institutional resilience, and digital equity.

The path forward may seem complex, but Henrick believes the starting point is straightforward:

Find the barriers. Fix what you can. Build a plan for the future.