Margaret Foster

Professor Wolfe

Integrating Technology into Curriculum

October 28 2019

Disabilities & Discrimination: How They Affect Online Education

Discussion 4 ETEC

The Americans with Disabilities Act was created in 1990 and is well-known by its

abbreviation: ADA. This Act prohibits discrimination in a multitude of areas including

transportation, employment, telecommunications, commercial facilities, and in both State and

local government (Williams, 2019). To be considered disabled, one has to have either a physical

or mental impairment that prevents them from easily doing every-day as well as major life

activities. The Americans With Disabilities Act protects those who are themselves disabled or who

have a relationship with the disabled person. There are many laws concerning disabilities and their

accommodations which include the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2006,

Rehabilitation Act, Section 504, Section 508, and the Assistive Technologies Act (Williams,

2019).

These laws were created vaguely so that they would have the ability to adapt to the ever-

changing technology of our growing world (Loftus, 2019). Today, they mean that online courses

must be accessible for students with disabilities. While ADA does not specify exactly what is

required technically, it states a need for auxiliary aids which include captions on videos for those

who are deaf as well as audio descriptions for those who are blind (Loftus, 2019). The

Rehabilitation Act has Section 508 which specifically pertains to “electronic communication and

informational technologies” (Loftus, 2019). Websites, emails, and documents must be accessible

as well as any other technology pertinent to online courses.

Margaret Foster

Professor Wolfe

Integrating Technology into Curriculum

October 28 2019

Disability is determined on a case-by-case basis, and accommodations must be made

accordingly. There are laws in place in order to protect students from harassment and to provide

equal opportunity in terms of education. Online courses are guided by these laws in order to create

an environment where the student can grow regardless of their disability. These academic

adjustments are employed to promote safety and accessibility in the online classroom (2018).
Margaret Foster

Professor Wolfe

Integrating Technology into Curriculum

October 28 2019

References

Loftus, Patrick. Accessibility Laws for Online Learning Content (2019, July). Retrieved October

29 from https://www.3playmedia.com/2018/02/01/accessibility-laws-for-online-

learning-content

Frequently Asked Questions on Disabilities 2018, September). Retrieved October 28 2019 from

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/frontpage/faq/disabilty/html

Williams, Kenneth. Navigating Online Education for Students With Disabilities (2019).

Retrieved October 28 2019 from https://onlineschoolcenter.com/navigating-online-

education-for-students-with-disabilities