Following new statewide accessibility mandates, Nicholls State University is in the process of overhauling its Learning Management System, Canvas, to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities.
Though it has been mandatory for state agencies in Louisiana to meet the accessibility requirements listed in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992 since the law’s inception, recent updates have been made to include web-based accessibility.
As per the Louisiana Division of Administration’s Policy and Procedure Memorandum 74, all state agencies must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards by April 24, 2026.
Among these standards are accommodations for students with disabilities, such as low vision, deafness and limited mobility.
As a result of the recent mandate, both students and faculty have access to Panorama, an accessibility checker available through Canvas. Faculty can adjust documents to meet accessibility standards prior to uploading, while students can access alternative formats of their assignments that accommodate their needs.
“Some professors post recorded lectures or videos for us to watch and the new ADA compliance on Canvas lets me easily access captions for those videos,” says Jacey Almaraz, a secondary education major with hearing loss.
“It feels really encouraging that others with disabilities will have access to any support that they may need.”
The effort to make web-based learning accessible is ongoing and not without a few hiccups, according to I.T. specialist Nicole Cotten. Still, Nicholls is committed to making the process as streamlined as possible.
“How do you make math accessible online? Chemistry? Those things are a little bit more difficult. When you get into the different departments, each department has different challenges on making their stuff accessible, so we’re trying to address those things right now,” says Cotten.
“We’re trying to make things accessible for students before a student gets into a class and reaches a barrier.”
Students encountering accessibility issues with digital content can work towards solutions with on-campus resources such as the Student Access Center and the Dyslexia Center.
