April Newsletter: Accessibility in Focus
OER and Accessibility
The Department of Justice has extended this month's ADA Title II compliance deadline for digital accessibility by one year. Much of the talk leading up to the original deadline has focused on compliance. Now is a time to refocus on a larger truth: that students need accessible materials now, regardless of any deadline.
As experts discussed in our recent webinar, OER offer specific advantages that can help shift the mindset from reactive accommodation to proactive accessibility. A few key points:
Accessibility is an institutional responsibility, and standards are a starting point, not an endpoint. Any material (open or closed, compliant or not) may need adaptations to meet the needs of individual students.
The advantage of OER is that the open license freely permits adaptation, reformatting, and distribution without extra hoops to jump through.
Unlike commercial materials, accessibility improvements to OER become features every student can benefit from, and the work can be shared rather than repeated.
OER creators and platforms increasingly build materials with accessibility as a priority from the start.
Regional Social Hours
The Open Education Association is partnering with the U.S. regional higher education compacts to host virtual social hours, one for each region. Drop in to meet colleagues in your region, share what you've been working on, and close out the semester in good company. These events are open to all, so bring a friend.
🏔️ Open Education in the West with WICHE - Thu, April 30
🌻 Open Education in the South with SREB - Mon, May 4
🦞 Open Education in the Northeast with NEBHE - Tue, May 5
🌽 Open Education in the Midwest with MHEC - Wed, May 6
Policy Spotlight: Workforce Pell
The Workforce Pell Grant program created by Congress last year extends Pell eligibility to short-term workforce training for the first time. Institutions across the country are developing eligible programs now, and many are selecting course materials for the first time — a rare opening to build programs around open materials from the start rather than getting locked into commercial licenses. OER are already available in many fields these programs serve, with collections available through SkillsCommons and projects like Washington Open ProfTech and WisTechOpen. The choices institutions make now will shape student costs for years to come.
This work connects to broader conversations about the future of short-term credentials in higher education, which we'll explore at our June 16 webinar, Open Education and Microcredentials: Getting a Seat at the Table. The Open Education Association also submitted a public comment this month in the Workforce Pell rulemaking, urging the Department of Education to clarify how course material costs factor into the accountability framework and to recommend OER in the implementation guidance.
Resource Highlight
We offer a range of popular, field-wide resources. Check out our latest addition.
Open Education Conference List
A curated list to help you find upcoming conferences where you can learn, share, and connect about open education. Use this resource to track upcoming calls for proposals and plan your professional development.
Member Profiles
Each month we’ll highlight Open Education Association members and what drives their work. Want to be featured? Share your story.
JoAn Kivlehan
When JoAn noticed fewer nursing students buying their textbooks each semester, she decided to do something about it. After piloting an open textbook, she now makes the case that OER models the very values nursing is built on. Read More
Judith Sebesta
When two students told Judith they couldn't have taken her course without OER, she was hooked. Now she makes the case that open is a driver of equity and innovation, not just a workaround for expensive textbooks. Read More
Upcoming Events
In addition to our list of upcoming events, check our conference list and webinar calendar for more offered by the community.
OpenEd26 CFP: Deadline April 3rd
Registration will open soon for OpenEd26. Save the date for October 27-29 online to explore our theme, “The Space Between.”
Open Education Regional Social Hours
West - Thu, April 30, 2026 3:00 PM MT / 2:00 PM PT (with WICHE)
South - Mon, May 4, 2026 1:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT (with SREB)
Northeast - Tue, May 5, 2026 1:00 PM ET (with NEBHE)
Midwest - Wed, May 6, 2026 2:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT (with MHEC)
Peer Reviewer Training for the Journal of Open Educational Resources in Higher Education (JOERHE)
📋 Thu, May 7, 2026 3:00 PM ET • Public
Information Session: Open Education Association
💬 Wed, May 13, 2026 1:00 PM ET • Public
Open Education and Microcredentials: Getting a Seat at the Table
🎥 Tue, June 16, 2026 1:00 PM ET • Public
Beyond Echo Chambers: Bringing Open Education to New Audiences
🎥 Recording Posted
Thanks for reading. We’ll be back next month with more updates and opportunities.
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