Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (External Site), people with disabilities must have an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from state and local governments’ programs, services, and activities. Applying for a business license, using a town playground, participating in a county fair, registering to vote, and attending a public university are some of the public entities’ programs, services, and activities covered by the ADA.

What changes were made to the regulations?

The new Title II ruling (External Site) states that all public colleges, universities, and other state and local government agencies must make their websites, mobile applications, online materials, and any other digital tools or content accessible so people with disabilities can use them. Digital accessibility ensures that technology and digital content can be used by everyone, regardless of their abilities.

The deadline to meet this requirement is April 24, 2026.

Who do these changes impact?

Title II changes impact us all. 

All digital content, whether it is used internally between departments or colleagues, in the classroom setting, online, or on a webpage, must be created to be accessible. This means following WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards (External Site) when creating and sharing digital content.

ADA Title II: A Complete Guide for Public Entities (External Site) helps us understand more about our responsibilities and requirements.

What should I prioritize?

Start with the materials you use most often, especially those used every semester, such as syllabi or documents that are frequently used within your department. Give priority to required readings and content for the first few weeks of class. UMaine has developed an Accessible Syllabus Challenge (External Site) that can help faculty with syllabi.

The Accessibility Checklist (Word Doc) provides additional guidance and resources for a variety of documents and media.

What tools does the University recommend I use?

Documents and presentations:

Multimedia content:

Frequently Asked Questions

Content created in Brightspace can be accessible when general document structure and accessibility best practices are followed, such as using proper heading styles and adding alternative text to images. It is your responsibility to ensure these guidelines are applied.

Brightspace includes Anthology Ally (External Site), a content accessibility checker that helps you identify and fix issues as you develop materials.

For more information about accessibility standards in Brightspace, you can review the accessibility and ADA conformance reports regularly published by D2L (External Site).

Digital course content should be treated like any other public web or mobile app content, meaning accessibility requirements apply to everything you provide to students online. This includes syllabi, readings and textbooks, recorded lectures and videos, slide decks, Canvas or Brightspace pages, assignments, handouts, images, diagrams, and course websites. In practice, you should prioritize making accessible the materials you actually use and share with students—such as required readings, videos, and documents.

While you are not required to post resources online if you do not already do so, any content you choose to host digitally must be made accessible.

If you use third party content, it must be accessible. For technology licenses owned by your department such as homework platforms or online textbooks, please work with your department head and procurement office to have discussions with the third-party vendor around making content accessible and compliant with the university guidelines. 

There are many resources available to help you ensure accessibility. One place to start is with the guides created by the program or platform you are using (for example, Microsoft Word, Kaltura, etc.). For more general guidance, the following resources may be helpful: