Advances in technology have shaped and changed modern-day college coursework. Prestigious universities like Harvard and M.I.T. offer numerous educational materials online, via different platforms (YouTube, iTunesU, etc.). These two universities even teamed up to create edX, which offers massive open online courses for free to students around the globe. The only setback? This content is unavailable to approximately 48 million Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Last month, the National Association of the Deaf filed a lawsuit against Harvard and M.I.T. stating that they are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The group complained about the lack of closed captioning in the universities online content.
Harvard and M.I.T. responded by saying they were committed to following whatever new rules are adopted and that all new course videos would be captioned. This case will most likely bring awareness to a much-needed change in the way that disability law compliance is dealt with at universities across America.
For more information visit: Harvard and M.I.T. Are Sued Over Lack of Closed Captions.
