Schools
Schools — teachers, staff, and students — sit at the front line of accessibility for neurodivergent (ND) learners. Funding for special needs exists in most US districts, but trained staff and accessible resources often do not, leaving ND communities under-served.
Where schools fall short
Most districts have IEP and 504 budgets but few teachers receive practical training in accommodating ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or auditory processing differences day-to-day.
ND adults who learned to work in a neurotypical world have direct, lived knowledge of which accommodations actually help. Schools should reach out to ND communities — local advocacy groups, alumni, and ND-led nonprofits — for guidance, not just consultants.
ND is not a monolith. Accommodations that help an autistic student may not help a student with ADHD, and vice versa. More research, not less, is needed — and that research must include the people affected as co-authors, not just subjects.
How A11y Equitas helps
- Plain-language explainers of WCAG 2.2 AAA criteria that target ND needs (timing, focus, plain language, no flashing).
- Accessible component patterns (accordions, tabs, dropdowns, forms) that teachers can copy into Canvas, Google Classroom, and Schoology assignments.
- Guidance on reasonable accommodations for neurodivergence — applicable to staff as well as students.