Accessibility in education isn’t a feature—it’s a necessity. As classrooms and learning environments grow increasingly diverse, institutions are under greater pressure to ensure that all students—regardless of physical, sensory, cognitive, or learning disabilities—have equal opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge. One critical area of focus is assessment: how students are evaluated can either reinforce barriers or actively remove them.
Crowdmark is built with accessibility and inclusivity at its core. From flexible assessment formats to assistive technology compatibility, Crowdmark supports equitable learning by design—not as an afterthought. This post explores how Crowdmark helps institutions meet their accessibility goals while delivering a better assessment experience for all students.
The Need for Accessible Assessments
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.3 billion people—or 1 in 6 globally—experience significant disability. In higher education, the numbers are just as compelling. A 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights noted a steady rise in the number of students requesting disability accommodations on campus, including for extended test time, alternative formats, and distraction-reduced environments.
Despite these needs, many tools and workflows remain difficult to access. Static PDFs, timed-only exams, and platforms incompatible with screen readers can severely hinder students’ ability to participate equitably.
This is where digital assessment tools—when built intentionally—can make a major impact.
How Crowdmark Supports Accessibility
1. Flexible Assessment Design
Crowdmark supports both paper-based and online assessments, allowing instructors to choose the format that best fits their students’ needs. For students who benefit from in-person proctoring, tactile writing tools, or additional writing time, the platform’s support for scanned paper assessments is a valuable alternative.
Online assessments, meanwhile, can include a range of file types (images, PDFs, LaTeX, typed responses), giving students options to demonstrate knowledge in diverse ways. Instructors can easily adjust time windows for individual students, a common accommodation request for those with learning disabilities or anxiety.
Assessment flexibility is one of the most important steps in removing barriers for students, notes CAST, the organization behind the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.
2. Time Accommodations and Accessibility Features
Crowdmark allows instructors and administrators to set time extensions for specific students—crucial for meeting documented disability accommodations. Whether a student needs 1.5x or 2x time, the platform ensures that assessment fairness doesn’t come at the expense of accessibility.
Additionally, Crowdmark’s platform is built to align with key standards from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, including keyboard navigation. These guidelines provide instructions for improving web content accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
3. Simplified Feedback and Navigation
A common challenge for neurodiverse students is navigating cluttered platforms or parsing complex feedback. Crowdmark’s simple interface and clear, annotated feedback help reduce cognitive load. Instructors can use pre-written and uploaded comments to provide timely, meaningful feedback in a consistent way.
This kind of structured, repeatable feedback supports students that struggle to interpret nuanced instructor notes or scattered grading formats.
4. Institution-Level Integration with Accessibility Offices
Crowdmark works seamlessly within institutional ecosystems, integrating with learning management systems (LMSs) like Canvas, Brightspace, Moodle, and Blackboard. This ensures that accessibility accommodations coordinated by campus resource centers can be supported across platforms.
Instructors using Crowdmark can also collaborate with teaching assistants and accessibility offices to apply student-specific adjustments directly in the assessment setup process—avoiding last-minute workarounds or emails that could lead to inequity.
Why Accessibility Must Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Many accessibility improvements in education happen reactively—after a student experiences difficulty or files a formal accommodation request. But universal design means thinking proactively. The Center for Universal Design in Education (CUDE) recommends building accessibility into the design of all learning materials and assessments, not just modifying them when challenges arise.
By supporting a range of needs out of the box, Crowdmark reduces the administrative burden on instructors while protecting the dignity and independence of students who require accommodations.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Inclusive Assessment
The shift to hybrid and remote learning brought digital assessments into the spotlight, but the lessons learned during the pandemic are even more critical today. Students expect—and deserve—tools that are flexible, inclusive, and fair.
Crowdmark is continuing to evolve in response to this demand, with features that not only streamline grading for instructors but make assessments more accessible to every learner.
As educators, administrators, and technology providers, we share a responsibility to break down barriers in education. Choosing platforms like Crowdmark, designed with accessibility in mind, is a powerful step in that direction.