What ADA Title II Regulations Mean for Your School: A Quick Guide for 2026

Deadlines for ADA Title II compliance began on April 24th, 2026 for public entities in areas with populations over 50,000. That includes public schools. For public entities in areas with populations under 50,000, deadlines are on April 26, 2027.

What exactly is ADA Title II, and why should schools be concerned?

ADA Title II is the American Disabilities Act protecting people with vision and hearing disabilities’ right to web and mobile content, among other things. Its regulations are based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the global standard for online accessibility around the world covering everything from website navigation to images and videos published online.

It’s important to schools because public schools qualify as public institutions and thus must comply with ADA regulations.  And while only public schools are covered for now, it’s likely to set a precedent for public schools and online learning management systems (LMS).

So what exactly do these ADA TItle II regulations mean for your institution?

It ultimately comes down to making sure that every piece of content your institution publishes online is accessible to people with vision and hearing disabilities — whether on your website or through an online e-learning platform.

For example, a lecture video uploaded to an e-learning platform should be easily understood by a hard of hearing student as well as a student with low vision. That means adding closed captions, as well as audio description if your video can’t be understood by listening alone.

The three most important things to take note of to make ADA-compliant video content are closed captions, audio description, and sign language interpretation.

• Closed captions ensure videos are accessible to deaf and hard of hearing audiences. High-quality captions are accurate, meaningful, and professionally formatted.

• Audio descriptions are narrated versions of a video for blind and low-vision audiences. They primarily apply to videos that feature more visuals than narration; for instance, films and documentaries that can’t be understood by listening alone. 

• American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation features a professional ASL interpreter in live broadcast content) to reach hard of hearing audiences.

Finally, for major school events like end-of-year commencements, also consider live captioning and live ASL interpretation, whether done remotely or in-person.

How can I ensure if my school’s content complies with ADA Title II regulations?

Our advice: prioritize new, important video content before archival videos. Consider any upcoming events as well, especially major ones like graduations and commencement ceremonies.

If your institution offers online courses and video lectures — anything educational in nature that will be viewed by a wide audience — prioritize making those videos accessible first. At the most basic level, all videos should have closed captions available.

Then, do a “listening test” to check if audio description is also necessary: close your eyes and test if the video can be understood comprehensively by listening alone. If not, consider adding audio description to make them accessible to low-vision audiences.

Aside from adding closed captions and audio description to video content, other ways to adapt accessibility into your institution are by making transcripts readily available for videos, adding ALT text to images to ensure content is screen-reader friendly, and training school staff on basic accessibility support.

And importantly, keep in mind accessibility isn’t a one-and-done solution, but an ongoing learning process.

How can I get started on our school’s ADA compliance?

Get in touch with us! If you’re not sure where to start, our media accessibility experts can help run an accessibility audit of your current videos and recommend the best steps towards ADA compliance. We specialize in custom solutions because no two schools are the same — each accessibility journey is different.

Schedule a quick, no-obligations call with us today on our calendar and we’ll reach out to you to discuss the best solution for your needs!