The Ultimate Guide

to Accessibility 

in Higher Education
Table of Contents
01 Introduction

02 Impact of Accessibility Initiatives

12 Overcome Challenges and
03 Set Students Up for Success
Obstacles

04 Improve the Student Learning Experience

12 Technology Resistance

06 Ensure Full Compliance

13 Budget Concerns

13 Insufficient Need

07 Teaching Methods and Technology

08 The long-term professor

14 Supportive Services

09 The learning resource instructor or tutor

14 Transcripts

09 The administrator
14 Automated Transcription

15 Captions & Subtitles

10 Improve Access and Learning 15 Premium Service Captions

Outcomes
15 Zoom Live Captions

10 Build an Accessible Learning System

11 Offer Asynchronous Material

16 Conclusion
11 Does Your LMS Support Accessibility?

Introduction
To fulfill the promise and potential of education, all students need equal access to learning
experiences and opportunities to succeed. 


In the past, institutions may have approached accessibility accommodations based on student needs.
But as the accessibility movement and supportive technologies have grown more prevalent in the last
few years, more people are realizing that accommodations like transcription, captioning, and subtitles
can benefit everyone.



With the combination of technological advances and new teaching methods, accessible education is
more possible than ever. The Ultimate Guide to Accessibility in Higher Education will help show colleges
and universities that accessibility accommodations are more than just a box to check for
compliance requirements and can generate positive learning outcomes for all students.

01
Impact of Accessibility Initiatives
At all levels of education, accessibility considerations are inherently valuable to both educators and learners. Accommodations
like captions, subtitles, and transcripts can benefit students across the board, especially those who may be deaf or hard-of-
hearing, or non-English speakers. Educators can boost engagement with captioned content, and reference transcripts for their
own research purposes. Institutions need to show that they have an accessibility focus to support students at school and help
them graduate, all while remaining legally compliant.

02
1. Set Students Up for Success
Transitioning from high school to college is challenging for without disabilities—by helping them feel more confident

many students but statistics show it's even harder for about their potential performance. Resources may include:

students with disabilities. Studies show that 94% of students Notetakers or notetaking alternative
with learning disabilities received accommodations in high Recorded and captioned lecture video
school, but only 17% received accommodations in Tutorin
postsecondary education.1 Assistive technology

That’s why it’s essential that colleges anticipate the needs of Young adults are still changing and growing, so having

learning difficulties for disabled students before enrollment. additional resources could help them understand a

But college is a time of change and stress for nearly every previously hidden need for accommodation. Proactively

student, and many might find themselves struggling in school communicating these supportive resources to potential and

for the first time. Communicating the resources available in current students can help boost their confidence and set

college could help decrease avoidant applicants—with or them on the path to success in their classes.

94% of students with learning disabilities received

accommodations in high school, but only 17% received
accommodations in postsecondary education.

https://www.ncld.org/news/policy-and-advocacy/read-the-yalc-letter-on-access-to-fairer-college-accommodations-now/
03
2. Improve the Student Learning Experience
Beyond just helping students feel supported at the start of their college career, accessibility initiatives have
been shown to positively impact the student learning experience. Accessibility tools can help students stay
more engaged with learning content, boost their comprehension, and improve retention.

Research shows that accessible online learning modules, specifically those with closed captions, transcripts,
and flexibility on due dates, helped students feel supported in their educational goals2a. In fact, in a recent
study, 99% of all students said captions were helpful in class3 and other research shows that while 99% of
all students take notes, they only capture 30-40% of the material.4 



Transcripts of recorded lectures and discussion sessions can help students fill in any holes they might have in
their notes.

99% of students
said captions were
helpful in class.

04
Positive Outcomes of Accessible Online Learning
The rise of online education in recent years has made
educational content more accessible to students all over the
world. Although there are gaps in research around how
accessibility support directly impacts graduation rates, there
have been promising case studies from individual
institutions. At one community college, freshman retention
was 10% higher for the students who took more
accessible online or blended courses, with this same group
17% more likely to graduate than in-person-only peers.5
2. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/548516
3. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1123786
4. https://sites.nd.edu/kaneb/2016/01/23/note-taking-in-the-college-classroom/
5. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/04/12/research-online-courses-associated-with-improved-retention-access.aspx
Another university found that students taking nearly 50% of
their courses digitally were more likely to graduate in 3.9
years compared to their non-online peers, who needed 4.3
years to finish.


For those with disabilities especially, having the requests for
assistive services moved to a virtual system (rather than
having to single themselves out in a physical classroom of
their peers) led to a reduced stigma in asking for help2b.
05
3. Ensure Full Compliance
By building a culture of accessibility at your institution, you
will also help ensure you stay compliant with the necessary
laws and regulations while offering an enriching, inclusive
learning environment.

Nearly 70% of
colleges and
Accessibility considerations must be top of mind to remain
compliant with relevant laws and statutes (ie. the Americans
universities saw
with Disabilities Act of 1980, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, an increase in
and the 2008 amendments to the ADA). 

accommodation
But maintaining that compliance can be complex. Nearly 70%
requests when
of colleges and universities saw an increase in they switched to
accommodation requests when they switched to online online learning in
learning in spring 2020.6 As more students ask for
accessibility accommodations, institutions can benefit from
spring 2020.
simple, scalable solutions that help satisfy those requests.



In addition to fulfilling these student requests, accessibility

technologies can actually enhance pedagogy for instructors
in many ways.

6. https://pnpi.org/students-with-disabilities-in-higher-education/
06
Teaching Methods and Technology
Technology supports accessibility best when fully integrated into teaching. The pandemic introduced many students to their first
encounter with digital learning, and it’s something they’ve expressed an interest in continuing. Since the pandemic, 57% of
students feel more positive about online learning, and 68% would like to see more technology used for in-person courses7.

Students can see big performance improvements when their learning environments are customized to meet accessibility needs
while offering the latest in technology.

7. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/04/27/survey-reveals-positive-outlook-online-instruction-post-pandemic

07
Consider how these educators may use
accessible, digital learning methods today:

The long-term professor

This educator can create a richer and more dynamic learning environment by
augmenting their class with technology solutions. For example, if a professor records
their in-class lectures and provides captions and transcripts with those recordings, they
enable students to engage with the material on their own time and in the best way to
suit their learning needs. These accessibility considerations help the professor keep
students engaged whether in-person or online. Plus, the latest online learning platforms
enable educators to track the completion of learning content.

Instructors wishing to supplement their instruction with accessible digital learning

content should reach out to their institution’s digital accessibility office (or equivalent
point of contact). These experts can help make learning content accessible and inclusive
quickly and easily. Just take it from Laura Hamrick, Assistant Director of Digital
Accessibility at the University of Colorado.


“When it comes to course accommodations like captioning lecture video content, we try
to make the process as easy and seamless as possible for our faculty,” she said.

(Click here to learn more about how CU Boulder

benefits from accessibility solutions.) 08
The learning resource instructor 

or tutor

Tracking student goals and outcomes can be challenging,

especially when students can’t receive face-to-face

mentoring. When instructing via video, tools such as live

captions, automatic transcripts, and virtual training delivery

ensure everyone who qualifies for tutoring (no matter their

location) gets it and that resources aren’t limited to on-

campus learners.

The administrator

Accessibility tools don’t just benefit students — faculty and

staff can gain from these tools as well. Administrators can

use accessibility technologies to record, caption, and

transcribe meetings, training, and even team-building

activities; ensuring an inclusive environment for all.

09
 Improve Access and Learning Outcomes
What specific steps can colleges and universities take to bring education to more students than ever before?

Top tactics that make a difference for today’s in-person and online classes include:

Build an Accessible Learning Site

An accessible and inclusive learning environment starts on

the site where students view their lectures or lessons.

Website accessibility is a visible win for professors to start the

education process on the right foot.


From there, professors have multiple tools at their fingertips

to transcribe and caption pre-recorded and even live-

streamed lessons. With the prompts provided by the Web

Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), everything from the

site that houses videos to the lectures themselves must be

updated to meet best practices and remain legally compliant.

10
Offer Asynchronous Material Does Your LMS Support

Asynchronous learning allows students to learn on their own

Accessibility?
time and at their own pace via pre-recorded lectures and

online materials. This flexibility can level the playing field and Proactively choosing a Learning Management System (LMS)

greatly benefit all students, especially those who are that easily integrates with the top accessibility tools can help

managing disabilities or illnesses preventing them from make huge volumes of content accessible and compliant in

attending class. an instant. If your current LMS doesn’t have those

capabilities, it may be time to evaluate a new solution with

your key accessibility stakeholders.

11
 Overcome Challenges and Obstacles
Building a culture of accessibility requires buy-in from key stakeholders, which is rarely easy in
the higher education space. When championing accessibility for all, you may meet resistance on
the way. Let’s look at how to overcome some of the biggest speed bumps.

Technology Resistance
Online learning has skyrocketed in popularity, much to the
chagrin of some educators. But these new learning
environments have unique benefits for students—
flexibility, accessible content, and more. Additionally,
faculty can benefit from accessibility technologies in their
own way. A searchable and quotable transcript can
drastically decrease the time academics need to publish
another paper or provide sources for a book.

12
Budget Concerns Insufficient Need
Cost might be a concern when it comes to providing Many who downplay the need for accessibility cite a
accessible learning environments. But with the right lack of requests. But those doubters need to
accessibility partner, institutions and educators can remember two key points: first, not every student
improve the quality of their offerings, make needing accommodations asks. College students are
workflows more efficient, and realize cost savings. still learning to advocate for themselves in a new
Take the case of Mississippi State University; its environment. Second, these accommodations can
University Television Center (UTC) needed to have help learning outcomes for all students. Making
broadcast-compliant captions, so they sought out an accessibility a foundation of education sooner rather
accessibility provider. 

than later will help even more students than you
think.
UTC Director David Garraway said, “At the end of the
day, we’re probably seeing five-figure savings by
using Rev for captions, rather than doing them in-
house.” (Click here to read more about how
Mississippi State solved its broadcast caption
needs.) Hiring outside accessibility experts helps you
deliver the accuracy and timeliness that students
deserve without breaking the budget.

13
Supportive Services
Accessibility partners like Rev can offer accurate, fast, and affordable solutions to enhance your learning content. 

As the world’s leading speech-to-text provider, Rev offers transcripts, captions, and subtitles generated by both AI and a
marketplace of 72,000+ trained human professionals. Our academic services enable learning institutions to create a better,
more engaging experience for every student—and give all learners a chance to succeed. These services include:

Transcripts
Rev’s fast and affordable transcription services are 99% accurate, which means they
can handle all sorts of complex academic terminology. Students can stay more engaged
with lectures knowing they have an accurate transcript to reference later. A transcript
can also function as a study guide with accurately captured technical terms and jargon.

Automated Transcription
Transcripts can be incredibly helpful study aids, but students often need those study
materials fast. Rev’s automated transcription is ideal for these or these instances
because it's low-cost, the output is 90% accurate, and the turnaround time is nearly
instantaneous.

14
Captions & Subtitles
From 10-minute lectures to documentaries, you can capture every word — and not just
in English. Learners connect with visual text cues in a variety of ways. Captions or global
subtitles from Rev make virtual learning easier for viewers who may be hard-of-
hearing, non-English speakers, or have different learning styles.

Premium Service Captions

When precision matters, choose Premium Service Captions to help your videos reach
every learner. As schools need greater accuracy to ensure student academic success
while complying with ever-changing accessibility regulations, Rev’s Premium Service
Captions aim to solve both challenges. Premium Service Captions are generated by the
top 5% of Rev’s freelance marketplace and meet all major compliance standards.

Zoom Live Captions

Zoom school may still be in session, at least for a little while. Even as students have
largely returned to the classroom, Zoom will be a valuable option for hybrid teaching
environments, virtual tutoring, teacher-student meetings, and impromptu live-
streamed sessions.

15
Conclusion
The importance of accessibility initiatives has only grown more
apparent in the last few years, and institutions should be focused on
how they can best support their students and faculty. Accessibility
accommodations are something that everyone can benefit from,
especially when it's made a foundational aspect of the educational
process.


We hope this guide can help you understand the opportunities for
supporting students. All students deserve the chance to learn and
achieve their full potential. With clear goals and a supportive
accessibility partner like Rev, you can help students do great things.

Visit Rev.com to get started today.