ADA Compliance Professionals
    Education

    Meet accessibility standards across every student-facing digital platform

    VPAT documentation, WCAG audits, and remediation for LMS platforms, admissions portals, assessment tools, and EdTech products. From course content to online exams to parent communication — the scope of what must be accessible is broad and complex.

    Trusted by teams across regulated and public-sector environments

    The Challenge

    Why education can't ignore digital accessibility

    OCR Enforcement Risk

    The Office for Civil Rights has hundreds of pending cases at elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools — a quarter of every discrimination case investigated by the OCR is related to web accessibility. Larger, more established institutions face the highest exposure.

    Funding & Contract Risk

    Funding, contracts, and government programs can be revoked when digital properties aren't accessible. Federal grants increasingly require demonstrated accessibility compliance.

    Student Exclusion

    An estimated 48 million Americans — 19% of the population — have a disability. Inaccessible LMS platforms, course materials, and assessment tools directly prevent equitable access to education.

    Procurement Gatekeeping

    School districts and universities require VPATs before purchasing software. EdTech vendors without procurement-ready documentation are excluded from RFPs and procurement consideration entirely.

    Regulations & Standards

    Which accessibility standards apply to education

    Standard

    Applies

    Section 504

    Prohibits disability discrimination in federally-funded education programs

    ADA Title II

    Public educational institutions must ensure accessible digital services

    Section 508

    Applies to EdTech procured by federal agencies or federally funded institutions

    IDEA

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act — requires accessible educational materials

    WCAG 2.2 AA

    Referenced standard for web-based education platforms and LMS systems

    EN 301 549

    European accessibility standard for EdTech sold internationally

    Common Issues

    Accessibility barriers we frequently find

    LMS Content Accessibility

    Learning management systems with inaccessible course content, quizzes, and discussion forums that exclude students with disabilities.

    Assessment & Testing Tools

    Online testing and assessment platforms that don't provide accessible alternatives or accommodations for students with disabilities.

    Interactive Learning Objects

    Simulations, virtual labs, and interactive content that rely solely on mouse interaction or visual cues without alternatives.

    Document & Form Accessibility

    Syllabi, handouts, and educational materials published as inaccessible PDFs without proper structure or alternative text.

    Admissions & Registration Portals

    Enrollment, registration, and financial aid systems with form controls and workflows that are not keyboard or screen reader accessible.

    Video & Multimedia Content

    Lecture recordings, instructional videos, and multimedia content lacking accurate synchronized captions and audio descriptions.

    Mobile Education Apps

    Native apps for student access that lack proper accessibility labels, touch target sizing, and navigation structure.

    Student Analytics Dashboards

    Student performance dashboards and analytics tools that convey information only through charts and color coding.

    Our Services

    How we help education

    Education Platform Audit

    WCAG 2.2 AA manual and automated testing of LMS platforms, admissions portals, assessment tools, and EdTech applications.

    VPAT 2.4 International Edition

    Procurement-ready VPATs for EdTech vendors selling into school districts, university consortia, and federal education agencies.

    Remediation Support

    Developer-ready guidance for making complex educational interfaces accessible, with specific code patterns and ARIA techniques.

    Training & Capacity Building

    Training for content creators, instructional designers, and developers on building accessible educational experiences from the start.

    Success Story

    EdTech Platform Unlocks University Procurement

    Challenge

    An EdTech company's LMS product was consistently rejected by university procurement teams due to an outdated, self-assessed VPAT that didn't cover their latest features.

    Solution

    ADACP conducted a full platform audit covering all student-facing workflows, produced an evidence-backed VPAT, and provided remediation guidance for critical issues.

    Outcome

    The platform was approved by a consortium of 12 universities and secured a multi-year licensing agreement.

    45

    Workflows tested

    156

    Issues documented

    12

    Universities approved

    $1.8M

    Contract value

    Compliance Checklist

    Accessibility checklist for education

    LMS course content is navigable by keyboard and screen reader

    Assessment tools provide accessible alternatives and accommodations

    Video content includes accurate synchronized captions

    All downloadable documents meet PDF accessibility standards

    Interactive learning objects have keyboard and non-visual alternatives

    Admissions and registration workflows are fully accessible

    Mobile apps meet platform accessibility guidelines

    Data visualizations include text-based alternatives

    Authentication is accessible without relying on visual-only challenges

    Error messages are clearly associated with relevant form fields

    Content supports text resizing without loss of functionality

    VPAT is current and covers all student-facing features

    How We Work

    Our process for education

    01

    Workflow Mapping

    We map critical student workflows, identify testable features, and align scope to procurement and compliance requirements.

    02

    Comprehensive Audit

    Manual and automated testing of all student-facing flows against WCAG 2.2 AA, documenting findings with severity and remediation priority.

    03

    VPAT Production

    Evidence-backed VPAT covering all applicable criteria, formatted for education procurement and consortia review.

    04

    Remediation Guidance

    Developer-ready recommendations with specific code patterns, ARIA techniques, and educational content guidelines.

    05

    Verification & Maintenance

    Re-testing after fixes, VPAT updates, and ongoing support to maintain compliance as the platform evolves.

    Why ADACP

    Why choose ADACP for education

    EdTech Specialization

    We've audited LMS platforms, assessment tools, virtual classrooms, and student information systems. We understand the unique challenges of educational technology.

    Procurement Consortia Expertise

    We're familiar with HECVAT, VPAT review processes used by university consortia, and the specific documentation requirements these groups evaluate.

    Procurement-Ready Documentation

    Our VPATs are formatted and detailed to satisfy university procurement consortia, school district IT reviews, and federal grant requirements.

    Content Accessibility Expertise

    Beyond platform testing, we assess content accessibility — course materials, educational documents, and interactive learning objects — ensuring full coverage.

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    Ready to make your education platform procurement-ready?

    Schedule a consultation to scope your EdTech accessibility engagement. We'll respond within one business day.