On GAAD, New Survey from Anthology Reveals Faculty Support Accessibility, but Lack Tools to Deliver It

As the world observes Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), a new report underscores the persistent challenges faculty in higher education face in making digital content accessible to all students.

According to findings released Thursday by education technology company Anthology, only 11% of U.S. faculty say they have the tools and training necessary to create accessible course content. That’s despite 76% of respondents agreeing that accessible content positively impacts student outcomes.

The data comes from Anthology’s 2025 Faculty Survey, which gathered responses from 2,508 instructors at two- and four-year institutions across the United States.

“This data sends a clear message: Faculty care about accessibility, but they need help,” said Dr. Amy Lomellini, Director of Accessibility at Anthology. “The findings reveal a powerful opportunity for institutions to support their faculty and improve learning experiences for their students. All learners benefit from content designed following accessibility best practices.”

Legal Requirements Widely Misunderstood

While most faculty acknowledge the benefits of accessibility, relatively few consistently apply it. Only 22% reported regularly considering accessibility when designing course materials.

A large majority (81%) said they need more information about the ADA Title II requirement for digital content to meet WCAG 2.1 standards. Of those surveyed, 36% said they were not aware of the requirement at all, and another 45% said they were aware but unclear on the specifics.

The top barriers to creating accessible content included:

• Lack of training (29%)
• Lack of time (28%)
• Limited knowledge of available tools (27%)

The report also noted that communication about accessibility tools is inconsistent. Just 18% of faculty said they proactively inform students about available tools to access course materials in different formats. Thirty percent don’t share this information, and 17% said they are unaware of what tools their own institutions provide.

Newer Faculty Least Equipped

Instructors with fewer than two years of experience were the least confident in their ability to design accessible content. According to the survey:

• 33% said they rarely or never consider accessibility when creating materials
• 74% do not use accessible design elements such as captions or structured formatting
• Only 10% proactively inform students about accessibility tools
• 30% cited training as their top need to improve content accessibility
• Just 14% reported being fully aware of ADA Title II requirements regarding WCAG 2.1

What Faculty Say They Need Most

When asked what would help them better support accessibility in their digital materials, faculty pointed to several needs:

• More training on accessibility best practices (26%)
• Time to update and review course content (23%)
• Content audits to identify accessibility issues (22%)
• Clearer institution-wide policies and standards (20%)

“The release of this data, coinciding with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, is a timely reminder for institutions to continually promote the accessibility tools, resources, and programs available to support both their faculty and students,” said Lomellini.