What’s the Rule?
Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all public universities—including IU South Bend—must ensure that digital content is accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes course materials, websites, videos, documents, and third-party tools used in instruction.
Who Does This Apply To?
All faculty—whether full-time, part-time, adjunct, or visiting—who create, select, or distribute digital materials for teaching. If you upload it to Canvas, email it to students, or link to it in your syllabus, it counts.
What Are My Responsibilities?
Faculty are responsible for:
- Ensuring course materials (documents, videos, slides, etc.) are accessible.
- Checking third-party tools and publisher content for accessibility.
- Using IU-supported tools like Ally, Adobe Acrobat, and Kaltura to improve accessibility.
What’s the Timeline?
- Now: Begin reviewing and improving your course materials.
- January 12, 2026: Recommended target for Spring courses to be compliant.
- April 24, 2026: Federal compliance deadline.
Why Is This a Good Thing?
This isn’t about checking boxes or meeting mandates—it’s about creating a learning environment where every student can thrive. Accessibility is something we get to do, not something we have to do. Accessibility is good pedagogy. It’s a shift toward universal design, not just legal compliance.
Need Help?
- UCET: Training, consultations, and practical support – ucet@iu.edu
- ATAC: Technical help and accessibility reviews – atac@iu.edu
- AES (IU South Bend): On campus experts –sbaes@iu.edu