NAD v. Harvard University Case Study

In 2015, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed a landmark lawsuit against Harvard University for failing to caption online educational content. This case helped establish accessibility requirements for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other digital learning platforms.

Accessibility Issues Alleged

• Video Content: Thousands of Harvard videos on platforms like edX lacked accurate captions
• Podcast Audio: No transcripts provided for audio-only educational content
• Auto-Generated Captions: Inaccurate automatic captions with significant errors
• Synchronized Captions: Captions not properly timed with video content
• Archive Content: Historical lectures and recordings inaccessible

Legal Arguments

Claim	Basis
ADA Title III	Harvard's online content as public accommodation
Section 504	Federal funding recipients must provide accessible programs
Massachusetts Law	State anti-discrimination protections

Settlement Outcomes

The 2020 settlement required Harvard to:

• Caption all online videos with at least 99% accuracy
• Provide transcripts for audio content
• Implement accessibility policies for new content
• Train staff on captioning requirements
• Conduct regular accessibility audits

Lessons for Higher Education

• Caption All Videos: Accurate captions are essential for all educational video content
• Audit Existing Content: Review and remediate legacy content for accessibility
• Train Content Creators: Ensure faculty and staff understand accessibility requirements
• Plan for Accessibility: Build accessibility into content creation workflows
• Third-Party Platforms: Verify accessibility of edtech vendors and platforms

Related Resources

• NAD v. MIT Case Study
• Education Sector Accessibility Guide
• Accessible Video Guide
• All Case Studies