Overview
When will Accessibility+ be available in Brightspace?
Users
Environment
Details
D2L has confirmed they will not meet the planned delivery timeline for Accessibility+ in Brightspace. Minnesota State is now assessing whether to pursue an alternative accessibility‑auditing solution or accept a revised timeline from D2L. In the meantime, Accessibility+ will be disabled to ensure faculty have access only to reliable, dependable tools.
We will provide an update to your implementation teams no later than April 15.
Available Accessibility Tools
Although Accessibility+ is unavailable, several automated accessibility checks remain accessible:
While accessible PDFs can be generated from M365 applications, tools for evaluating and remediating existing PDFs are limited and typically require specialized software (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Pro, CommonLook), which is not widely available across Minnstate campuses.
Moving Forward
Accessibility+ has increased awareness of digital accessibility at a critical time, as the Title II ADA compliance deadline approaches. Creating accessible materials can feel daunting, but progress should not be delayed. Accessibility is an ongoing practice: focus on basic fundamentals of accessibility now while planning for more complex remediation over time. This reflects a shift from responding only to accommodation requests toward proactively removing barriers so digital content is accessible from the start.
More Information