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NCDAE: The National Center on Disability and Access to Education

Joining together to improve the accessibility
of electronically-mediated education

November 2014 Newsletter

From Our Blog

Should TEACH Act Language Appear in the Higher Education Act?

Recently, important conversations of digital accessibility have emerged in U.S. higher education.  They were prompted by the inclusion of language from the bipartisan Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act into the proposed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; known as the Higher Education Affordability Act (HEAA), see Section 931.

As a result, position statements made by the American Council on Education and EDUCAUSE, along with a legal analysis provided for 6 education associations against the inclusion of TEACH language into HEAA, ignited a firestorm. This debate has been seen in news articles, commentary, blogs from groups, blogs from individuals, podcasts, and alternative position statements.

Visit our blog to read more about this important potential legislation, the controversy, and the position of NCDAE and WebAIM.

Featured Resource

Video: Identifying Web Accessibility Issues

There are many accessibility issues that can be easily identified without having a highly technical background. This video offers a few simple techniques you can use to identify some common web accessibility problems.

In the News

Agreement Will Make Student Loan Information Accessible

The NFB (National Federation of the Blind) and the US Department of Education have reached an agreement to ensure websites, forms, and documents related to the department's Direct Loan program are accessible to applicants and borrowers who are blind.

Increasing Accessibility: Using Universal Design Principles to Address Disability Impairments in the Online Learning Environment

This ODJLA (Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration) article highlights the ways in which universal design can help increase accessibility, not only for students with disabilities, but for all students in the online learning environment.

Box at Penn State Delivers Accessible E-textbooks to Students with Disabilities

Penn State is embracing cloud computing to help provide accessible textbooks over the cloud.

MSU Tackles Improving Online Access for Students with Disabilities

Montana State University is working to improve digital accessibility with a new policy, recommendations for faculty training, and an awareness of software purchasing.