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Back-to-School with OTAN 2026: Accessibility in Adult Education (Pt 4)

Posted on 08/20/2026

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Part 4 of the Back-to-School with OTAN 2026 Series

As accessibility requirements evolve, adult educators are being asked to navigate compliance, so OTAN is helping educators by providing practical guidance, training, and resources.

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility is more than a legal requirement. It is a commitment to ensuring that all learners can fully participate in educational opportunities. Adult learners bring a wide range of experiences, abilities, goals, and technology skills to the classroom. Accessible instructional materials help remove barriers and create learning environments where everyone can succeed. Accessibility is simply good teaching.

When educators create accessible content, they improve usability for all learners, including those who:

Use screen readers or other assistive technologies
Have visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities
Access learning on mobile devices
Benefit from clear organization and navigation
Need flexibility in how they engage with content

Accessibility Updates: What Adult Educators Need to Know

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice adopted new accessibility requirements under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), establishing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the standard for digital content provided by state and local government entities. The requirements apply not only to websites, but also to mobile applications and many digital documents made available to the public.

For adult education agencies, this means accessibility should be considered whenever creating:

PDFs and handouts
Word documents
PowerPoint presentations
Websites and web pages
Canvas courses and online learning materials
Videos and multimedia content
Forms and student resources

📌 Accessibility is no longer something to address after content is created, but should be built into the design process from the beginning.

What Does WCAG 2.1 Mean in Practice?

While the term "WCAG 2.1 Level AA" may sound technical, many of the requirements involve practices that improve learning for everyone. WCAG is built around four principles: content should be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.

Examples include:

Providing alternative text for images
Using meaningful headings and document structure
Ensuring sufficient color contrast
Captioning videos
Making content keyboard accessible
Creating accessible tables and forms
Writing descriptive link text
Making PDFs and digital documents screen-reader friendly

How OTAN Can Help

For many educators, accessibility can feel overwhelming. The good news is that you don't have to figure it out alone! OTAN has long been a leader in promoting accessibility in adult education and provides resources, training, and technical assistance designed specifically for California adult educators.

OTAN can help educators:

Understand accessibility requirements
Create accessible documents and presentations
Improve the accessibility of online courses
Caption and remediate videos
Develop accessible websites and digital resources
Learn practical accessibility strategies through workshops and presentations
Build accessibility into everyday instructional practices

OTAN Accessibility Resources

🔗 Visit the OTAN Accessiblity Resources to explore over 50 different resources.

OTAN provides a variety of accessibility resources to help educators create inclusive learning experiences. Whether you're creating a syllabus, designing a presentation, recording a video, or building an online course, OTAN's accessibility resources offer practical guidance that can be implemented immediately.

Some common accessibility practices include: