Why Accessibility Matters
1 in 4 Americans has a disability that can make it difficult to access online content. Every family in your school community deserves to feel included and empowered to participate in their child’s education. Following web accessibility guidelines ensures nobody is left out.
Title II of the ADA requires all public schools and districts to meet accessibility standards. Failure to comply can result in federal audits and fines from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The good news: Edlio provides built-in tools that make compliance achievable for every school.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Accessible Content
Use this quick-reference table whenever you’re creating or editing pages, news items, or any other content on your Edlio site.
Images
✓ DO | ✗ DON’T |
Add descriptive alt text to every image that conveys meaning | Leave alt text fields blank or use generic text like “image” |
Mark purely decorative images with empty alt text | Add alt text to decorative images (screen readers will read it unnecessarily) |
If an image is a link, describe both the image and the link destination in the alt text | Use an image as a link without describing where it goes |
Use actual text on the page instead of images of text | Rely on screenshots, images or PDFs saved as JPEGs with embedded text as your only content |
Links
✓ DO | ✗ DON’T |
Use descriptive link text (e.g., “View the Homecoming Dance details”) | Use vague link text like “click here,” “more,” or “continue” |
Make links visually distinct with underlines or clear styling | Rely only on color to distinguish links from regular text |
Link to a video rather than embedding it directly | Embed videos without a fallback text link |
Text and Formatting
✓ DO | ✗ DON’T |
Use heading levels (H1, H2, H3) to organize content in logical order | Skip heading levels or use bold text as a substitute for headings |
Write in plain, simple language | Use jargon, acronyms, or complex sentences without explanation |
Use sentence case or title case for readability | Write in ALL CAPS for emphasis (screen readers may spell it letter-by-letter) |
Keep font size at least 11pt or larger | Use tiny font sizes that are difficult to read |
Color and Contrast
✓ DO | ✗ DON’T |
Choose text and background colors that provide high contrast | Use low-contrast color combinations (e.g., light gray text on white) |
Use color plus another indicator (bold, icons, patterns) to convey information | Rely on color alone to communicate meaning |
Test your color choices with a contrast checker tool | Assume your color choices are accessible without verifying |
Documents and Files
✓ DO | ✗ DON’T |
Add content from PDFs and presentations directly onto the page as text | Upload PDFs or documents as the only way to access information |
Ensure uploaded PDFs are tagged and accessible | Upload scanned, image-only PDFs without OCR or tagging |
Give files descriptive, well-defined filenames | Use filenames like “Document1.pdf” or “Untitled.docx” |
Tables
✓ DO | ✗ DON’T |
Use tables only for data, with clear column and row headers | Use tables for visual layout purposes |
Keep table structures simple and easy to navigate | Create complex, nested, or merged-cell tables |
Add a caption or summary describing the table’s purpose | Leave tables without any context about what data they contain |
Multimedia
✓ DO | ✗ DON’T |
Provide captions or transcripts for all video and audio content | Upload video or audio without captions or a text alternative |
Include a link to third-party accessibility statements near embedded content | Embed third-party content without noting its accessibility limitations |
Avoid auto-playing media or flashing/strobing content | Use auto-play videos or rapidly flashing animations |
Quick Wins: Accessibility Tools Built Into Edlio
You don’t have to tackle accessibility alone. Edlio provides powerful built-in tools to help you identify, understand, and fix accessibility issues across your website.
Use the Accessibility Report Panel
Every time you create or edit a Page or News item, Edlio’s built-in Accessibility Report automatically scans your content for compliance issues. Here’s how to make the most of it:
How It Works
When you generate an accessibility report, the report panel opens automatically if any issues need attention. The report is organized into three tabs:
Issues Tab: Displays important accessibility issues that should be addressed right away. These are the highest-priority items.
Notices Tab: Shows detected accessibility notes for your review. These are less critical than Issues but still worth addressing to improve overall compliance.
Dismissed Tab: Contains items you’ve acknowledged but chosen not to address at this time. You can always return to these later.
Each tile in the report includes specific actions you can take, such as links to resources, suggestions for code changes, or instructions for fixing the issue directly within the panel.
→ Read the full guide: Understanding the Accessibility Report Panel
Let Edlio AI Fix It for You
Don’t have time to fix every issue manually? Edlio’s all-new AI-powered Accessibility tool can review your content and automatically correct accessibility errors with a single click. It’s the first-of-its-kind proprietary tool built directly into a school CMS.
What Edlio AI Fixes Automatically
Alt Text: Creates or updates descriptive alt text for all images on the page.
Color Contrast: Adjusts text and background colors to meet WCAG contrast ratios.
Text Links: Corrects missing or overly generic link text (goodbye, “click here”).
Tab Navigation: Aligns heading structure within your content for proper keyboard and screen reader navigation.
Tables: Corrects headings, columns, and overall structure, simplifying complex tables for assistive technology.
→ See Edlio Accessibility in action: Watch the Demo
→ Learn more about Edlio’s accessibility solutions: School ADA Compliance with Edlio
Run Ongoing Health Checks with Accessibility Reports
Beyond the initial review and cleanup, Edlio Accessibility can perform health checks across your entire website to ensure that new updates and additional content continue to meet compliance standards. The built-in report lets you easily review all of your pages and news items at a glance.
💡 Pro Tip Make accessibility part of your regular workflow, not a one-time project. Each time you publish a new page or news item, take 30 seconds to review the Accessibility Report panel before hitting publish. Over time, you’ll learn the patterns, your error count will shrink, and creating accessible content will become second nature. |
The Legal Landscape: ADA Title II
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all public schools and districts to meet web accessibility standards. Key facts to keep in mind:
Public schools receiving federal funding must ensure their websites are accessible to people with disabilities.
The deadline for compliance is 2026 — and it can take over a year to audit and remediate all existing content.
Non-compliance fines can reach $10,000 per school site or page, and an OCR audit can be triggered by anyone — a parent, community member, or even someone outside your district.
Maintaining compliance is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time fix.
The good news: with Edlio’s built-in tools and AI-powered remediation, your staff can perform like digital ADA experts — no specialized training required.
Additional Resources
Understanding the Accessibility Report Panel — Full walkthrough of the three-tab report and how to take action on issues.
ADA Compliance for Schools with Edlio — Overview of Edlio’s accessibility solutions, client testimonials, and AI-powered remediation details.
Edlio Accessibility Demo — Schedule a live walkthrough to see Edlio’s AI-powered accessibility tool in action.
Accessibility Tips for Website Administrators — Quick-reference checklist for web admins on the Edlio Help Center.
Accessibility Tips for Teachers — A companion guide for teacher-level users managing their own pages.
WebAIM: Learn about Visual Disabilities — External resource covering blindness, low vision, and color-blindness.
Need Help? Click the red Edlio circle on your dashboard to access the Knowledge Base, ask Eddy (Edlio’s AI assistant), or submit a support ticket. You can also reach us at 877-623-7200. |