Accessibility

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a significant part of civil rights legislation in the United States. It is designed to protect individuals with disabilities against discrimination and ensure they have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

ADA ensures that people with disabilities have access to the same opportunities in areas like employment, education, transportation, and public services (including school districts) as those without disabilities.

Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush  in 1990, ADA represents a major step toward achieving equality and inclusion for individuals with disabilities. 

Title II of ADA ensures that state and local government services, programs, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities.

Under ADA, individuals with disabilities, advocacy groups, and others can lodge formal complaints with federal agencies such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Office of Civil Rights (OCRs), and/or file lawsuits in federal courts if they believe their rights under ADA have been violated.

For additional details on the final rule updating regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please see:

Ruling Fact Sheet

House Bill 21-1110 shapes the landscape of digital accessibility, promotes equity, and sets legal and best practice standards. The bill mandates that all state government websites and digital platforms must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA or higher standards.

The key principles of WCAG are often summarized as POUR:

Information and features on digital platforms must be presented in a way that all users can Perceive. For example, we provide alternative text (alt text) for images, and our content is accessible in multiple formats, such as captions or screen readers, without losing meaning.

User interface components and navigation must be fully Operable. For example, all website functions can be accessed using a keyboard.

Information and the operation of our digital platforms must be clear and easy to Understand. For instance, our web pages are designed to function in predictable ways.

Content must be Robust in order to function properly with current and future mechanisms, such as assistive technology. 

If you have students that have accessibility needs, contact D49's Assistive Technology Department. 

Interested in learning the proper technical methods for implementing WCAG 2.0 accessibility criteria? Take a look at:

WCAG Quick Reference

Yes. 

D49 is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including those with disabilities. Our aim is to provide an inclusive experience for everyone who visits our website.

The district’s website adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA standards, to ensure accessibility for all users. Key features of our website include text alternatives for images, keyboard navigation support, and customizable text size options.

We regularly evaluate our website’s accessibility and strive to enhance user experience. Our team participates in ongoing training to stay informed about best practices.

For any assistance or inquiries, or to provide feedback, please reach out to info@d49.org. 

This accessibility statement is available on the Accessibility page.

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that an equivalent experience must be made for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Because transcripts are not time-coded, it doesn’t allow viewers with hearing loss to follow along with the content in real-time. As such, captions must be provided in order to provide the equitable experience that is legally mandated.

Closed Captions must appear on videos posted to websites, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. 

Captions and transcripts can also help individuals that are limited English proficient. 

 

Web accessibility is about providing equal access to digital content for all users. Integrating language translation into our efforts ensures that digital spaces are truly inclusive, offering equal opportunities for people regardless of their language or background.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on national origin, which has been interpreted to include a person's language.

Schools must communicate information to limited English proficient parents in a language they can understand about programs, services, and activities.

We have a growing number of families in D49 that are limited English proficient.

In 2024 D49 had: 

• 1,573 students with a home language other than English
• 50-plus languages spoken by D49 students
• 281 D49 families have requested communication in a language other than English

Contact District 49’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (CLDE) office for more information or assistance. 

Yes. Schools must communicate information to limited English proficient parents in a language they can understand about any program, service, or activity that is called to the attention of parents who are proficient in English. This includes, but is not limited to, information related to:

• registration and enrollment in school and school programs 
• grievance procedures and notices of nondiscrimination
• language assistance programs 
• parent handbooks
• report cards  
• gifted and talented programs
• student discipline policies and procedures  
• magnet and charter schools
• special education and related services, and meetings to discuss special education 
• requests for parent permission for student participation in school activities
• parent-teacher conferences

Schools must respond to a parent’s request for language assistance and remember that parents can be limited English proficient even if their child is proficient in English.

Schools must provide translation or interpretation from appropriate and competent individuals and may not rely on or ask students, siblings, friends, or untrained school staff to translate or interpret for parents.

At D49, web accessibility and digital inclusion are essential to ensuring that all students, staff, and families have equal access to the resources, information, and tools provided on our website and digital platforms. 

For our district, these principles also directly represent the strategic priorities outlined in the Big Rocks. 

By removing barriers to education, we ensure that all students have the resources they need to learn and thrive. 

We create an inclusive community where everyone, regardless of disability or language, can fully engage with our content.

Complying with legal requirements enables us to build and sustain enduring trust among our constituents.

For more information on web accessibility—why it matters and how everyone can contribute to creating a more inclusive online world—read on:

Digital Accessibility: What it is and Why it Matters

Accessible web design improves usability for a wide range of users, not just those with permanent disabilities. It provides advantages to people without disabilities, such as:

Individuals using mobile phones or other devices with small screens or varying device capabilities.

Older adults experiencing changes in abilities due to aging.

People with temporary impairments, such as a broken arm or recovering from surgery.

Users facing situational challenges, like being in bright sunlight or noisy environments.

Since D49 is a publicly funded organization subject to federal and state compliance laws, our communications must be accessible, including:

• Websites
• Newsletters
• Emails to families
• Videos
• Social Media
  • Whether you're posting images on Instagram, X, Facebook, or LinkedIn, you can enhance accessibility by adding alt text to your social media images: Adding Alt Text within Social Media Platforms
• Board of Education (BOE) and Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) minutes and agenda documents

Common features of digital content that is non-compliant or inaccessible include:

1. PDFs and text-heavy graphics that can’t be translated or read by an ADA device
   • Examples on non compliant / accessible PDF / text-heavy graphics can be found in this Google folder. 
2. Lack of text alternatives (Alt Text) for images and other non-text elements
3. Videos without closed captioning
4. Content that cannot be easily navigated using a keyboard, such as forms or interactive elements
5. Websites with a confusing or inconsistent structure that makes it difficult for users to understand and navigate
6. Missing or inaccurate captions and transcripts
7. Low color contrast
8. Content that is unable to adapt to different screen sizes or devices (mobile responsive)
9. Websites or digital content that do not work properly with tools like screen readers, voice recognition software, or other assistive technologies.

PDFs and text-heavy graphics (and 'screenshots') often present barriers that hinder individuals with disabilities from fully accessing and engaging with digital content. These items will not translate into other languages which is a barrier for our non-English speaking families. 

Additionally, teacher and class webpages on other platforms are of concern. Printable flyers used as digital content, are usually not ADA-compliant or easily translatable.

If you are creating content for digital platforms or communications (like webpages, newsletters and social media), avoid using the items mentioned above.

Image / photo files like JPEGs and PNGs can be an issue if Alt Text is not used. 

For those using videos on your webpages, in your newsletters or on social media, you must provided closed captioning. 

It is recommended to use Google Docs as an alternative to PDFs. Google Docs are typically more accessible to screen readers, allow text to be easily selected, resized, and reformatted, and can be updated in real time to quickly address accessibility improvements. They are also automatically mobile-responsive and include built-in translation tools. 

You can “share” the Google Doc with a link that allows people to view the document, but not edit it. Contact D49 Communications if you don't already have access to your Google Website Folder. 

For more details on improving the accessibility of your Google Docs, see:
Accessible Google Docs: 5 Best Practices

The simplest way to ensure your content meets accessibility standards is by using the default settings (the regular text options) in platforms like FinalSite, Smore, ClassDojo, Schoology, and ParentLink. These not only comply with ADA requirements but also offer translation options and are mobile-friendly.

Add Alt Text to photos and simple graphics. 

When using videos, YouTube will automatically add closed caption text, but you must select it when using Facebook. 

Remember: Once you add a PDF or text-heavy graphic, or link to a third-party website, the accessibility is compromised. 

Alt text, or alternative text, is a textual description of an image, chart, graph, or other visual element in a digital document or on a web page. ADA Screen Reader uses the Alt Text to identify images, photos and graphics. It is a vital part of web accessibility and helps people with visual impairments or those using assistive technologies understand the content of images.

Add Alt Text to all images and simple graphics you use on the website, newsletters and emails. 

• Should only describe the nature of an image 
• Not the exact content
• Name the person in the photo is possible
• Think short “photo caption”
• Use the same text from a simple graphic, but not a text-heavy graphic
• Most screen readers will cut it off after 125 characters

• Whether you're posting images on Instagram, X, Facebook, or LinkedIn, you can enhance accessibility by adding alt text to your social media images: Adding Alt Text within Social Media Platforms

No, under WCAG standards (updated in 2024), you cannot have both an ADA-compliant and non-compliant document on the same webpage. If a page contains any non-compliant elements, the entire page is considered non-compliant and does not meet the WCAG Level AA requirements.

For more details, refer to "Use of Conforming Alternate Versions" on the Title II Ruling Fact Sheet

Links, Screen Readers, and Accessibility

When adding text-based links within a webpage, email or newsletter, carefully choose which words to hyperlink. The general rule of thumb is to always link keywords. Linking keywords will:

• help improve search engine optimization
• give more details to users with functioning vision who are scanning your webpage

• provide context to individuals without functioning vision who may be using a screen reader or other assistive technology

Linked text should make sense out of context.

This is because screen readers often navigate from link to link, skipping the surrounding text. They will read each link out loud, in sequential order.

For example, if your link text is "District 49," then the screen reader will say "link District 49" and the user will know that the webpage being linked to is likely about District 49. If instead, your link text is "click here," the screen reader will say link click here and the user will have no idea what the linked webpage may be about.

Tips for Writing Link Text

Use the following tips to ensure that link text is accessible:

• Avoid using a URL as your link text; especially if it is long or complicated
  • URLs may not be easily readable by humans or screen readers
• Keep linked phrases as short as possible, while still being meaningful out of context. This will save screen reader users time, as less will need to be spoken. For example,
  • "make a gift" is preferable to "to make a gift online please click here"
  • "contact us" is preferable to "you can contact us by"
• Link at least one full word. Two words is commonly better.
  • A link that is only a letter or a symbol will be difficult to click on and will not provide context
• If you must add action prompts to your link, put them at the end. For example,
  • "Contact us (opens popup)" is to "Link opens popup: contact us"
• Do not add the word "link" to your text
• Try to ensure that each unique link on your webpage uses unique link text
  • If you have two different staff listing links that go to the same page, that is alright. If they go to different pages, that should be different, such as "digital services staff" and "print services staff"
  • If you used "read more" frequently, imagine how frustrating it would be for a screen reader user to hear "read more" spoken over and over again with no context
• Never include empty links, using href=""

Linking Images

For some webpages, it may be appropriate to link an image to a webpage instead of linking text. In these instances, the screen reader will read the image's alternative text (ALT tag) as the link text. The ALT tag must include both the content and function of the image. If the image is decorative, then only function is necessary.

 

Yes, as long as the external websites or digital resources, such as flyers, are ADA-compliant. If you're unsure, it's best to contact the creator for verification.

Even though you are sharing content from a third party, you and D49 are responsible for its accessibility, this includes social media. 

For more details, refer to "Summary of the Exceptions, #3" on the Title II Ruling Fact Sheet 

The simple answer is to use a simple text graphic, like a top banner.

A creative and colorful top banner with limited words will draw attention and provide a descriptive element to your content. 

Below the banner, use the program's (web, Smore, etc.) default or regular text options to provide the logistical and informational content. Include the wording in the graphic in the text content.

And don't forget to add Alt Text to the banner. 

See this Google Folder for some Banner examples.

 

Yes, you must add Closed Captions to your videos you share on social media, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

The good news, Closed Captions are auto generated on these platforms. You just have to select that option when you add the videos.

A Guide to Facebook Closed Captioning for Accessibility

YouTube Closed Captioning for Accessibility

How to Automatically Add Captions to Instagram Stories