Jotform, a leading global form and no-code automation platform, offers features that can help schools and universities follow the accessibility requirements set out in Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The rule requires state and local government entities, including public educational institutions and private institutions that receive federal funding, to make services offered through their websites and mobile applications accessible to people with disabilities.
While the rule was issued in 2024, enforcement was originally scheduled to begin on 24 April 2026. On 20 April, enforcement was delayed until April 2027 for larger institutions and April 2028 for smaller institutions.
Title II has significant implications for Kâ12 schools, colleges and universities that rely on digital forms to deliver essential services, such as student enrolment, transcript requests, financial aid applications and more.
“Accessibility isn’t just a compliance checkbox, it’s about making sure every student and family can access the services they need,” said Heather Turbeville, Content Director, Jotform. “We’re hearing from education leaders who aren’t sure where to start or are worried about meeting the new requirements in time. Our goal is to remove that uncertainty and make accessibility achievable for every institution.”
However, many online forms fall short of accessibility standards, creating barriers for users who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation or other accommodations.
Though the enforcement deadline has been extended, Jotform is ready to help today by providing accessible forms, apps and workflows that meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria under ADA Title II â the benchmark referenced in the DOJ’s updated rule.
Key ways Jotform supports ADA Title II compliance for education
- Built-in accessibility checks: Automatically scans forms for issues like insufficient colour contrast or missing labels and provides guided fixes.
- Keyboard and screen reader support: Forms are designed to be navigable without a mouse and compatible with assistive technologies.
- Accessibility Enhancer widget: Improves the form-filling experience by modifying how error messages are shown and adding ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes to forms so that they work with screen readers and other assistive tools.
- AI-powered accessibility assistance: Educational professionals can leverage Jotform AI to audit forms for accessibility. Forms created with Jotform AI use accessibility best practices by default.
- Centralised accessibility resources: Jotform’s Accessibility Center provides guidance, templates and best practices for accessibility.
For many institutions, the challenge isn’t awareness. It’s execution. Education administrators often manage multiple systems and tight timelines. At Kâ12 schools, limited IT support is another issue.
“Most school and university administrators aren’t accessibility experts and they shouldn’t have to be,” Turbeville said. “With the right tools, they can create accessible forms in minutes and focus on supporting students and their communities.”
