Big Ten Academic Alliance Groups Mobilize to Further Digital Accessibility

Desmond Tutu is credited with saying “There comes a point when we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”

When it comes to ensuring the accessibility of digital content, technology tools, and IT environments, the Big Ten Academic Alliance universities have long been working at all points along the river. Mobilizing their Big Ten Academic Alliance professional peer communities is one way the universities accelerate and elevate this important work. Together, this collaborative community works to raise awareness and deliver accessible educational tools, platforms and resources.

It is no surprise then that when the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice began the process to promulgate new regulations under Title II of the Americans with Disability Act, the Big Ten Academic Alliance accessibility community was paying attention and preparing how to respond to ensure compliance and serve their universities. Through these new regulations, which took effect on June 24, 2024, the “Department establishes technical standards for web content and mobile app accessibility to give public entities greater clarity in exactly how to meet their ADA obligations and to help ensure equal access to government services for individuals with disabilities.” 89 FR 31320

Preparing to respond to the new Title II accessibility regulations, several peer communities banded together to form Big Ten Academic Alliance Accessibility Collaboration. Partnering across the consortium are the IT Accessibility Group, ADA Coordinators, Learning Technology Leaders, the Library Accessibility Group, and others. Their collective action already has taken many forms, from sharing institutional approaches, jointly authoring a letter providing an overview of the new regulations, and developing and offering a webinar series.

The webinar series is intended to raise awareness and support compliance and implementation of the new rule. The first webinar, About the New Rule, was held on June 28^th. Plans are being made for the following webinars:

• Operationalizing the New Rule: (ITAG): date to be announced
• Library: date to be announced
• Learning Technologies: date to be announced
• Question and Answer Panel: date to be announced

As their rich and productive history demonstrates, these groups and their colleagues across the Big Ten Academic Alliance universities will continue to advance the shared commitment to students, staff, faculty and visitors for equal access to the tools and information needed to learn, teach, work and take part of their university communities.