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The Department of Justice has revised its final rule (the “2024 Rule”) regulating the implementation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The revision requires that web and mobile app resources used by government entities be accessible to people with disabilities. The original 2026 deadline to meet specific standards has been extended to April 2027 or 2028, depending on the organization’s size.

“This really impacts any public-facing institution or institution that receives public funds, and really specifically focuses on web and mobile app resources, which is probably 99% of what’s in schools today and post-secondary institutions,” said Skip Stahl, a nationally recognized expert in accessible educational materials and Universal Design for Learning, former Co-director of the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM Center), and one of CAST’s five founding staff members.

During the edLeader Panel “Accessibility and UDL as Partners in Inclusion: From Compliance to Belonging,” experts recommended that leaders use this time extension as an opportunity to move beyond compliance and strive for meaningful inclusion. That is, design learning experiences that are accessible by design and inclusive by default.

Accessibility makes learning possible for students in need. “For some of us, we don’t get to show up in the environment if there is not accessibility from the beginning. It’s when we have accessibility that then we can do our best work, right?” said Luis Perez, Senior Director of Disability and Accessibility for CAST.

While most educational leaders strive to make sure all students can thrive, barriers do exist. Perceptions that accommodations are costly in staff and financial resources, and that they support only a small number of students, persist. According to Brian St. Amour, Director of eLearning and Adjunct Professor of Business at Temple College, accessibility has been viewed with apprehension or as a “black box,” often set aside and unexplored until needed. Now, new technology, ongoing momentum for learning equity, and past ADA requirements have helped schools and the developers who make learning programs for schools make transformational changes. But “we’re still getting there,” he said.

Designing for accessibility enhances flexibility, engagement, and learner agency. It ideally is not an add-on to an inclusive framework—it is foundational. It can seem like a big step to make. Still, the panelists argued it can be done by starting small, planning incrementally, and “leading from the middle,” building collaborative momentum rather than aiming for perfection.

Start Small

It can start as small as your department, but then find a way to collaborate, synergize ideas, and set short-term goals.

“Have a 90-, 180-day plan, have a plan going out three, six, nine, 12 months, and so on. And along the way, make sure that it’s attainable for the team, the group, or the individuals to attain those goals,” St. Amour recommended. When enough people support the program or changes, it begins to build momentum, he added.

Be Flexible

Sometimes the rigidity of a schedule or the inertia of how things have always been done closes doors to inclusivity. Accessibility and flexibility go together “like peanut butter and jelly,” said Perez.

Finding multiple ways to make participation accessible can be tiny adjustments that make a huge difference. “Start by adding in multiple means, providing greater flexibility in your friendships, your classrooms, your communities. I like to think of offering a simple, ‘Would you prefer the stairs or the elevator?’ An audiobook, digital book, or physical book—those really, really small steps. But in those ways of offering flexibility, that can make such an impact,” explained Lilly Shaw, a student at the George Washington University and the CAST 2026 UDL Awards Intern.

Be Proactive

In K–12 learning environments, it’s uncommon for people with an understanding of disability needs or special education to be included in procurement processes for educational materials, tools, or learning programs. “If there’s any specific recommendation I could make, it would be when you’re in the process of acquiring new tools, whether it’s mobile devices or web-delivery systems or web content or core instructional materials, bring along someone who has some knowledge about the needs of students with disabilities and accessibility and make them part of that core team from the beginning,” Stahl urged. Retrofitting systems in place to meet the needs of all students afterward can be more time consuming and costly.

Take a Team Approach

The panelists emphasized that meeting requirements must include people from all different disciplines and not be siloed to one person’s responsibility. “Everybody needs to work together. It’s like we’re rowing in a singular direction, but everybody has to provide their own little push,” said Perez.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Accessibility and UDL as Partners in Inclusion: From Compliance to Belonging, sponsored by ReadSpeaker, in Partnership with CAST.

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Article by Suzanne Bell, based on this edLeader Panel