For students, accessible classrooms remain a battle–one that will be greatly assisted by the ADA’s overhaul of procedures surrounding online materials. With the deadline set for April 24 of this year, teachers are scrambling to update content new and old. 

For media heavy classes, students with visual and/or hearing limitations will benefit greatly from the new guidelines. In accordance with the deadline, all posted materials must have alt text or captions when applicable. Looking at classes I have had in the past, many lacked the accommodations my peers needed: uncaptioned videos, images with no descriptions and documents with no text-to-voice options.  

Jeffrey Anderson, Ph.D., uses PowerPoints with many visuals in his history lectures.  

“There’s a good side to it… when people overlook them or act like it’s not important, it can have a negative effect on people who could really benefit from it,” Anderson said. “For a face-to-face class, it’s not much… for one of my online classes, it will be more work, and I have certain cases of ‘I don’t know how to deal with it.’” 

 Rules seem to be unclear in certain circumstances. For example, Anderson stated that in his Hoodoo, Voodoo and Conjure class, certain videos contain small amounts of languages that he does not understand. In this case, he was unsure if the video was compliant or not. 

Psychology professor Krista Cummins, M.S, uses charts, text and videos in her slideshows. 

 “The new compliance rules have pushed instructors to think more carefully about accessibility, which is a positive change, but they have also added a noticeable workload,” Cummins said. “Overall, the goal is worth it, but the process would be much smoother if institutions offered more practical support to help instructors make classrooms accessible without sacrificing time or content.” 

Patience and communication to make sure all students have the same access to materials will help educators and students adjust. With the added workload and lack of support, teachers will need an adjustment period. Giving grace on both sides will ensure disabled students will get the support they deserve.