Large District Websites Have 'Extensive Accessibility Issues'

Large District Websites Have 'Extensive Accessibility Issues'

The Bureau of Internet Accessibility (BoIA) recently shared the results of automated tests it ran to check the accessibility of a handful of school websites and found that those tested had "extensive" issues related to accessibility.

In a blog post about the tests, BoIA pointed to the fact that about 13 percent of all public school students receive special education services and nearly 500 investigations have started by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to look into the accessibility of school, district and college websites.

To see how school sites measure up against accessibility standards, the company used its automated website scanning tool to evaluate eight different district websites. The company chose districts with more than 150,000 students and noted that, "Although automation can only detect up to 30 percent of actual accessibility issues, it does provide directional insight into the overall accessibility of a given website," according to the blog post. "Using this method, BoIA concluded that these sites do in fact, have extensive accessibility issues."

The districts tested, with links to their results, include:

Los Angeles Unified School District returned the best results, according to BoIA, but the district's site still failed on 10 out of 25 checkpoints, according to the results. In their favor, they did have an accessibility statement on their homepage and contact information for a dedicated Americans with Disabilities Act compliance manager.

Common problems among the sites scanned were the inability to resize text and issues with keyboard-only site navigation.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Personalize AI

    Microsoft has introduced a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.