The Business Case for Digital Accessibility in Higher Education

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already aware of the importance of digital accessibility in higher education. You might even be one of the few at your institution making efforts to drive it forward. Your awareness is a powerful start. But translating that into unified, campus-wide action can be challenging. It requires culture change, executive buy-in, and a shared sense of ownership across departments.

To lead this transformation, you’ll need to make a compelling business case for digital accessibility. This blog will equip you with key talking points you can use to start meaningful conversations, influence decision-makers, and build lasting momentum at your institution.

Why digital accessibility should be a campus-wide priority

Your students interact with your institution through a network of digital touchpoints—from admissions portals and Learning Management Systems (LMS) to mobile apps and department‑specific tools. Ensuring that these experiences are accessible for all users, regardless of disability, isn’t just an ethical obligation—it’s a business imperative. If any touchpoint excludes users, you risk student disengagement, reputational damage, and even funding hits.

So, how can you help others across your institution understand the critical importance of digital accessibility? Here are five talking points to help you craft a powerful business case.

1. Mitigate legal risk

Digital accessibility is a legal requirement for both public and private higher education institutions.

Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), public institutions are legally obligated to provide equal access to all programs, services, and activities for students with disabilities. This obligation extends to digital access. In fact, a 2024 rule from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) establishes specific web and mobile accessibility requirements for Title II compliance.

Meanwhile, private colleges and universities are subject to Title III of the ADA, which mandates accessibility in “places of public accommodations,” such as businesses open to the public. Courts have consistently ruled that inaccessible digital experiences constitute violations of Title III.

Institutions that fail to comply with the ADA face significant legal risks. Digital accessibility lawsuits are on the rise, with colleges and universities becoming an increasingly common target. Legal action can have significant costs—beyond settlements and attorney’s fees, institutions may experience reputational damage and loss of public trust.

For more information on how the ADA applies to higher education, explore our blog, A Guide to ADA Compliance in Higher Education.

2. Protect enrollment and drive outcomes

In higher education, digital accessibility is more than a legal issue—it’s integral to students’ success. It’s estimated that 20% of college students identify as having a disability. When students encounter barriers to tasks like registering for classes, navigating the LMS, or engaging with course content, they’re more likely to fall behind, disengage, or drop out entirely.

In the context of performance-based funding, where many states allocate resources based on metrics like student retention, graduation rates, and enrollment numbers, such disengagement can have significant financial implications for public colleges and universities. Institutions that do not prioritize digital accessibility risk losing students and jeopardize access to performance-based funding.

In contrast, when organizations commit to digital accessibility, they boost student retention and engagement, positioning themselves for increased funding opportunities. And accessibility doesn’t just improve outcomes for students with disabilities: It supports a wide range of learners, including non-native English speakers, individuals who are neurodivergent, and those learning on mobile devices, like students balancing studies with work or caregiving. to Accessibility doesn’t just improve outcomes for students with disabilities. It also supports a wide range of learners, from non-native English speakers to neurodivergent students, and those learning on mobile devices while balancing work or caregiving responsibilities.

In an environment where every enrollment counts and funding follows outcomes, accessibility is a strategic lever for stability and growth. When students can fully engage with digital systems, they’re more likely to stay on track, succeed academically, and contribute to the performance metrics that sustain your institution.

3. Cut your institution’s tech debt

Technical debt, or tech debt, builds up when short-term decisions are made at the expense of long-term stability. In higher education, it shows up in outdated LMS, inaccessible digital tools, and temporary workarounds that pile up with each new system, integration, or policy change. Left unaddressed, tech debt drains IT resources, inflates maintenance costs, and limits your institution’s ability to scale effectively.

Inaccessible digital assets are one of the most overlooked contributors to tech debt. When accessibility isn’t considered upfront, institutions get locked into a cycle of patching, retrofitting, and reworking—turning quick, reactive fixes into long-term liabilities. This result in delayed course launches, inconsistent student experiences across platforms, an endless queue of help desk tickets, and greater exposure to compliance risks.

Integrating accessibility early in the development lifecycle reduces long-term overhead and avoids costly rework across campus systems. It makes digital platforms—like LMS, student portals, and faculty tools—easier to maintain, simpler to update, and more consistent across departments. In short, it drives operational efficiency.

4. Future-proof procurement

From LMS integrations and mobile apps to financial aid platforms and classroom technologies, colleges and universities increasingly rely on third-party vendors to power their systems. But when accessibility isn’t built into the procurement process, institutions are at risk of adopting inaccessible third-party tools.

If the tools you procure are inaccessible, your institution becomes responsible for the consequences: delayed content launches, costly retrofits, and legal exposure. Many of these issues only surface after a product has been implemented—and your team may not be able to fix bugs in third-party code.

You can avoid these challenges by making accessibility checks a standard part of your vendor selection and procurement workflows. Requiring vendors to provide a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPAT®)—a formal document that outlines how well a product conforms to accessibility standards—allows your institution to assess risk before signing a contract. But VPATs shouldn’t be accepted at face value; they need to be reviewed critically, and wherever possible, verified through testing or documentation.

For insights on what makes a VPAT credible, explore our article, What is a VPAT?

5. Strengthen your institution’s reputation

Reputation isn’t just about rankings—it’s about how your institution is perceived by students, parents, faculty, funders, media, and the wider public. A sustained commitment to digital accessibility is one of the clearest signals your institution can send that you’re investing in the success of all students.

As public accountability grows, digital accessibility is increasingly part of how institutions are evaluated and recognized.

Your reputation is shaped by every student interaction, across all physical and digital touchpoints. Prioritizing digital accessibility will protect the status you’ve earned and strengthens your standing as a leader in equity and innovation.

Invest in success for students and your institution

Prioritizing digital accessibility is critical to fulfilling compliance obligations, upholding institutional values, and positioning your institution for future funding and growth. By helping others in your organization understand the business advantages of accessibility, you can inspire the action needed to drive lasting change.

Of course, even with the backing of stakeholders across your institution, you’ll need the right resources to reach your accessibility goals. Level Access equips higher education institutions with the tools, training, and support required to create accessible, compliant digital experiences.

Our solution is built around the three pillars of effective digital accessibility programs: Audit & Test, Build & Fix, and Governance & Reporting. This framework helps higher education institutions identify accessibility gaps, integrate best practices, and establish long-term accountability—reducing risk, improving efficiency, and supporting an inclusive student experience.

Whether you’re trying to get a clearer picture of where your institution stands on digital accessibility, or you’re ready to start embedding best practices across teams, systems, and content, we’re here to help. Engage with our team today to get started.