11 digital accessibility mistakes to avoid in online learning

Key points:

• Digital accessibility can be a competitive advantage in online learning programs
• A strategic approach to meet the 2026 digital accessibility mandate
• Accessibility in education: Strategies for compliance with ADA Title II updates
• For more news on accessibility, visit eCN’s Teaching & Learning hub

Online learning has become a central component of professional development, upskilling, and higher education, with 51 percent of professionals preferring part-time or online certifications for career changes. Yet, many online education programs still fail to meet basic accessibility standards, leaving many learners at a significant disadvantage.

That’s why digital accessibility is an absolute necessity in 2025. One in four U.S. adults live with a disability, making accessible online learning experiences essential for inclusivity and compliance. Education leaders are responsible for ensuring that every learner of every ability can fully engage with course materials.

This requires more than a single accessibility champion within an organization. Leaders must empower their marketing, technology, and content teams with the knowledge and tools to build accessibility into everything they create. Harvard Business School Online has embedded accessibility into the DNA of its courses, ensuring that learners worldwide can access content equitably. HBS Online’s accessibility program has audited and improved thousands of pages, videos, and teaching elements to meet the highest standards.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set the global standard, and regulations like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) are constantly evolving, making accessibility a legal and ethical imperative. Yet, many organizations still struggle to get it right. 

Below are some common mistakes to avoid to create functional and accessible online learning experiences.

Mistake #1: Expecting accessibility champions to do it all 

Supporting internal accessibility advocates is important, but don’t leave them to fend for themselves. 

You should identify and empower champions in each department and equip them with the knowledge and tools to integrate accessibility into their work. They know more about what their department does than you do, so your role isn’t to make accessible materials yourself. It’s to support them in doing it.

For example, in education marketing, one way to support accessibility efforts is by sharing tips like color contrast best practices to ensure ads and promotional materials are readable for all users. Tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker can help teams easily evaluate and adjust color choices. Providing these resources and hands-on training can make accessibility a natural part of content creation.

Mistake #2: Blurring the line between accessibility consultation and creative input 

WCAG conformance is not a choice; it’s a requirement, and people need clear guidance on how to comply. But be aware that compliance is often a leadership mandate, which gives your input significant weight. If accessibility isn’t your only responsibility, it’s important to clearly distinguish between accessibility guidance and your creative input so people know how to respond.

If your only responsibility is accessibility, don’t express an opinion outside your domain. You’ll be invited to a lot of meetings that way.

Mistake #3: Deferring remediation because everything can’t be fixed at once 

Don’t let great be the enemy of good. If you can’t remediate everything in the current cycle, address what you can. Accessibility improvements build momentum over time, helping to reduce technical debt and ensure progress.

Mistake #4: Forgetting to watch Europe and the European Accessibility Act 

Europe was an early supporter of WCAG, and this hasn’t changed. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) of 2025 broadens the scope of materials that must be accessible and includes enforcement mechanisms to ensure conformance. 

For online education leaders, this is important if you’re attempting to reach a global audience. For international students or course offerings beyond the U.S., understanding and aligning with changing global accessibility regulations allows learning materials to remain compliant and accessible to all learners, regardless of location.

Mistake #5: Accepting the status quo regarding audio descriptions

Audio descriptions are the accessibility world’s Rodney Dangerfield. They get no respect. But they are helpful for the vision impaired. It’s frustrating to hear two speakers discussing an onscreen visual without explaining it.

Yet, audio descriptions lack flexibility. They’re great for describing a simple formula or identifying a specific product. But what about lengthier content, like a spreadsheet or financial statement? No one wants to listen to three minutes of seemingly endless columns and numbers.

Another concern is video player support. Many off-the-shelf players don’t natively support audio descriptions, requiring content creators to modify them. Of the players that support them, none can seem to agree on implementation. Do we pause the video while the description plays? Do we have two versions of the video: one with audio descriptions and one without? These differences aren’t visible to the user, but the lack of consistency complicates things for creators and makes content less portable.

If audio descriptions are an organizational hurdle, get involved. Let the appropriate standards body know you need clarity and a path forward for situations where the current strategy isn’t useful.

Mistake #6: Neglecting mobile device testing 

Mobile accessibility is often overlooked, yet many users with disabilities rely on mobile devices for daily activities, including learning and engaging with educational marketing materials, such as your website. 

Testing mobile accessibility can be challenging due to gestures and built-in assistive technologies, but it’s essential to ensure usability across all devices.

Mistake #7: Creating an accessibility mode instead of making the original platform and content accessible 

It can seem like a quick fix to create an accessibility mode, but this has significant downsides. Rather than building a separate accessibility mode, make it the primary experience. Accessibility is about access to the content everyone uses, not an equivalent. It’s also an effort multiplier as you consider revising the problematic content or functionality in later versions. 

HBS Online exemplifies this by ensuring that accessibility is integrated from the start. As part of its accessibility program, the team audited and improved course elements–from captions and text descriptions to keyboard navigation–ensuring that every student has an equitable experience. For example, HBS Online introduced a caption creation tool that allows learners to add captions to their videos in real time, removing barriers to participation.

Mistake #8: Treating accessibility feedback as a burden rather than an opportunity

Communication from users is valuable feedback. The best approach is to get as many details as possible. Where’s the issue? What assistive technology is being used? What exactly happens? Once you recreate the problem, the communication can become more collaborative. Try to identify a workaround and loop in other teams if a fix is needed.

Mistake #9: Patting the dogs

Avoid having the answer to the question, “How did Bob do at the CSUN conference?” be, “It didn’t go well. He patted the dogs.” Seeing Eye dogs are working dogs. As challenging as it is, you have to pretend they’re not there. 

Pro tip: “Patting the dogs” is a euphemism to describe people new to accessibility who committed a major gaffe. 

Mistake #10: Not understanding the complexities of presenting world language content 

Online learning continues to expand globally, so accessibility across multiple languages is critical. Languages vary in alphabets, text direction, and captioning needs, impacting accessibility. Screen readers that claim to be English-only are often surprisingly effective at reading other languages, but relying on that alone isn’t enough. 

Mistake #11: Missing opportunities to spend time with your target audience 

Seeing how people use technology and navigate digital experiences to accomplish their goals is enlightening. Users access content in many different ways, depending on their needs and assistive technologies. The only way to truly understand these perspectives is to engage directly with individuals who rely on accessible materials.

Digital accessibility is an ongoing commitment to create an inclusive digital world for everyone. By avoiding these common mistakes as an educational leader, organizations can make meaningful progress, improve user experiences, and meet regulatory requirements. As digital learning expands globally, accessibility can be a competitive advantage, setting the standard for the future of online education.