Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Special Education Technology

Publication Date

2026

Keywords

technology accessibility, teacher education, instructional technology, K-12

Abstract

Accessibility is imperative to providing disabled students a free and appropriate technology-mediated public K-12 education. But according to the literature, teachers often lack the requisite knowledge to ensure the technologies they use are accessible. So, we conducted a study to understand what, if any, asynchronous professional development about technology accessibility was available to teachers and other K-12 professionals. The findings indicate that of the free technology accessibility professional development materials in the sample (a) fewer than 20% are designed for teachers, (b) most provide limited information, and (c) fewer than 9% specifically address science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. These findings are particularly concerning given the fast-approaching 2027 compliance deadline for the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Web and Mobile App Accessibility regulations that schools must meet. We call for more free, comprehensive professional development tailored to teachers, with particular attention to STEM education.

Funding Source

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2334693. This article was published open access thanks to a transformative agreement between Milner Library and Sage Journals.

Comments

First published in Journal of Special Education Technology (2026): https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434261489150

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

DOI

10.1177/01626434261489150

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