ABSTRACT
Institutions must transform to support digital accessibility for students and faculty members with disabilties, and eLearning leaders must have the operational knowledge and skills to support that transformation. This chapter provides a primer on digital accessibility, including the legal landscape and typical system-change workflow and data regarding the current state of digital accessibility in higher education. It discusses five top challenges: the institution itself, the needs of technical staff, the needs of content creators, the need to attend to cultural adoption and motivation, and, finally, the need to engage in ongoing assessment and continuous improvement. With information on these five issues, eLearning leaders will be ready to help their institution address this challenge. Developing an institutional policy about accessibility, including procurement activities, is routinely included in resolution agreements with Office for Civil Rights related to web accessibility. Cultural adoption will facilitate a motivation to engage and participate in the work of accessibility.
