Digital Signage for Accessibility: Creating an Inclusive Campus for All Learners

Digital signage for the campus is great for making education accessible. Such features as text-to-speech, closed captioning and multi-language support make sure that the campus is inclusive. Discover how Kitcast allows colleges and universities to create a more accessible environment.

Why does the accessibility on campus matter?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 21 percent of undergraduates and 11 percent of postbaccalaureate students reported having a disability.

Disabilities on campus include “having deafness or serious difficulty hearing; blindness or serious difficulty seeing; serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition; or serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.”

Inclusivity is crucial for educational institutions. Becoming more accessible means providing a better study environment for communities with disabilities.

Digital signage for campus allows colleges and universities to have better inclusivity. 

Another big part of why accessibility should be on top priority for any educational institution is compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is a legal document that sets the inclusivity standards. One of its important parts is making sure that colleges and universities provide an adequate level of accessible communication to students. That’s what the screens are best at. 

Inclusive education means equal opportunities for all. It makes the learning experience better and takes into account diverse student needs. By doing that, it also broadens the student base and supports various campus communities. 

In other words, not only is accessibility a legal requirement, but it is also a vital part of improving the educational experience for every student.

Benefits of accessible digital signage for campus

If you’re a reader of Kitcast Blog you know that we often cover the benefits of digital signage for campus. There’s no better way to interact with students. It’s the ultimate engagement tool that completely transforms the way information is disseminated and helps save costs on print in the process. 

It also should be accessible to serve all the students well. How to be more inclusive on campus? Make digital signage accessible to all. 

Doing so has many benefits. These are: 

– State-of-the-art inclusive communication system 

Screens allow instant spread of information. This includes announcements, emergency alerts, events promotion, schedules, etc. You can make sure that the information reaches everyone by deploying a digital signage accessibility-first system. 

– Better engagement with multilingual digital signage 

Education is international. To make your digital signage more effective, be sure to have multilingual support. 

– Emergency messaging for all

Students and staff with disabilities may have problems interacting with signs. That’s why accessible digital signage for campus makes your institution more prepared in case of extraordinary situations. 

– Better involvement in campus activities

With accessible digital signage on campus, everybody is involved in the creation of content. This nurtures a better campus experience and drives positivity. 

– All-in-one accessibility solution 

Digital signage technology is flexible. It’s one tool that includes many accessibility features meaning you won’t need to spend money and time on other solutions.

Top features of accessible digital signage for campus

As a multifaceted solution, digital signage allows colleges and universities to design the best inclusive experience for students and staff. Several features will help you do that. Here they are.

Text-to-Speech 

Visually impaired persons will benefit from the TTS (or Text-to-Speech) feature of digital signage technology on campus. Every content featuring text can be turned into audio. Screens with speakers paired with digital signage software will make sure that the message is communicated. 

Closed Captioning

Captioning digital signage content is a simple yet very important feature. It ensures accessibility for hearing-impaired students and staff.

Also, it makes the content more understandable for every student bringing clarity and organization. 

Closed captioning is extremely important during emergencies when educational institutions need the full attention of the students and staff. 

Multi-Language Support

Adapting your digital signage content to a multinational environment is a great way to become more inclusive. This helps create a more diverse engagement and include every community. One of the tools of multi-language support is live translation. 

“Less is more” 

We love Indiana University’s approach to designing digital signs. One of the pillars of their content strategy is the “less is more” principle. It requires that everyone who designs text-based signs for campus digital signage reads the content out loud before broadcasting it. If the reading time extends 15 seconds, it’s not accessible enough. 

ADA-compliant contrast

Screen technology allows campuses to create ADA-accessible signs. According to the regulations, “characters must contrast with their background with either light-on-dark or dark-on-light.” You can easily do that in Kitcast digital signage software. 

Clear and consistent wayfinding

Navigation on campus is among the most crucial parts of any college experience. Displays can make it accessible by featuring directions using clear and readable fonts, ADA-compliant contrast as well as text-to-speech functionality.

Kitcast is the ultimate solution for accessible digital signage for campus

Wondering how to launch an inclusive digital signage network? Kitcast is the only software you need. 

We’re leaders in effortless and powerful cloud-based education digital signage. 

Everything you need to start is a screen, an Apple TV device and our software. 

Kitcast Dashboard has tons of accessibility features that will allow you to create a more inclusive educational experience for all. 

Try it now for free!