The ADA and EAA: Their Impact on the E-Learning and Translation Industries

So. You’ve got this shiny new e-learning course, or maybe you’re running fancy multilingual webinars with virtual backdrops and breakouts and all that jazz.

Cool.

Now let me ask you something that might sting a little:
Can a blind person use your platform?
Can a Deaf person actually follow what’s going on in their language?
Are your beautifully translated lessons… actually accessible?

If you’re squirming a bit, yeah. Welcome to the new reality.

It’s called compliance, and it’s got two names you really need to get friendly with:
👉 ADA (that’s the Americans with Disabilities Act)
👉 EAA (the European Accessibility Act — Europe’s shiny new version)

Both are coming for your content. And honestly? It’s about time.

ADA & EAA — What’s the Deal for Translation Companies?

Here’s something that trips people up: ADA and EAA both talk about accessibility, but they hit translation companies a little differently.

The ADA (U.S.) doesn’t directly say “You must translate stuff into 9 languages.” But—here’s the catch—it does say your content has to be understandable and usable by people with disabilities. So if someone’s primary language isn’t English and they have a disability, suddenly it’s not just a translation issue… It’s an accessibility one.

Now, enter the EAA (Europe), which basically says:
“Hey, if you’re offering digital services—including anything with language elements—those need to be accessible to everyone across the EU.”

That includes translated documents, real-time interpretation, e-books, and captions, all of it. You can’t just slap French subtitles on a video and call it a day.

And just to make things spicy: if your translation platform isn’t screen-reader compatible? Boom—non-compliant.

Bottom line:

ADA leans more toward equal access, even if you’re only working in English.
EAA demands multilingual access, baked into technical accessibility from day one.

So if you’re a language service provider (hi 👋) or even a global brand with translation needs, you’re now expected to bridge both the language and accessibility gap. And if you mess that up? Legal trouble, lost clients, or both.

Wait—What Are These Laws Again?

Let’s start with the ADA. It’s been around since the early ’90s. Basically says, “Hey, don’t exclude people with disabilities from things everyone else gets to do.” This now includes digital stuff—apps, online training, websites, etc.

And then there’s the EAA. Europe saw what the ADA was doing and said, “We can do that too—but for everything digital.” Starting June 28, 2025, the EAA kicks in, and companies will legally need to make all digital services accessible to people with disabilities.

•  E-books
• Banking apps
• Online courses
• Hybrid events
• Your website.

Everything.

Oh, and you don’t need to be in Europe. If you’ve got users in the EU, you’re on the hook. Geography is not your get-out-of-jail-free card.

How the ADA Is Shaking Up Online Education (And It’s Just Getting Started)

Let’s zoom in on e-learning for a sec. Because this is where the ADA’s shadow looms big.

If you’re offering online courses, certifications, internal training modules, or even just employee onboarding videos—you’re in the ADA’s line of sight.

• And honestly, it’s not even new. Court cases have already happened.
• Harvard and MIT? Got sued for lack of captions.
• Domino’s? Yep, that one too—because their pizza app wasn’t usable for blind customers.

Now think about what that means for education:
If your course isn’t accessible—no captions, no screen-reader compatibility, no keyboard navigation—you’re potentially violating federal law.

• It doesn’t matter if your content is brilliant.
• It doesn’t matter if your platform “works for most people.”
• If it doesn’t work for everyone, you’re in trouble.

And here’s the kicker: education is moving faster than the laws can keep up. Microlearning. Mobile-first courses. Gamified apps. If those aren’t ADA-compliant, you’re basically rolling the dice with every learner who logs in.

But We Translate Stuff! We’re Fine… Right?

Ah, the classic mix-up.

Translation ≠ accessibility. Not even close.

Translating your onboarding module into German doesn’t magically make it usable for someone who can’t hear the audio or see the screen. You’re not done just because the subtitles are in Spanish.

You need things like:

• Live captions that actually make sense
  
• Sign language options (plural — not everyone uses the same one)
  
• Platforms that screen readers don’t cry over
  
• Documents that don’t break when you try to zoom in

Let me put it this way:

If you’re hosting a webinar with 5,000 people, and the captions glitch halfway through, people notice. They tweet about it. Loudly.

The Stuff Most Companies Totally Blow

Let’s call it out. These are the things I see all the time. the. time.

Waiting until two days before launch

It’s like trying to hire a sign language interpreter the morning of a conference.
Spoiler: You probably won’t find one. And if you do? It’ll cost more than your keynote speaker.

Do this instead: Bake accessibility into the plan. From the start. Before you design the course, before you pick a platform. Make it part of your checklist—not the “nice to have if we have time” column.

Relying on auto-captions

Look, I love a good AI tool. But those captions?
They butcher names. Drop words. Invent nonsense. Especially in other languages.

One time, “pain management” turned into “paint banana.”
Different vibes.

Fix it: Hire real humans. Or at least real-time captioners who’ve worked on multilingual events before. They’re out there. Use them.

Only thinking in English

Great, your course is captioned. But only in English.
Meanwhile, your audience speaks Arabic, French, Tagalog, and Hindi.

So… what exactly are they supposed to do?

What works: Multilingual support that doesn’t treat everyone outside the U.S. like an afterthought. Yes, that includes translated captions, transcripts, and audio tracks.

Forgetting the follow-up

• Live event? Check.
• Recording? Uploaded.
• Captions? Uh… we’ll get to it.

Nope. The post-event stuff matters. Probably more than the live version, honestly—because that’s what people go back to.

Make sure your replays are fully captioned. Transcripts downloadable. Slides in accessible formats. It’s not rocket science—it just takes some planning.

But What If We’re Small? — Doesn’t Matter

I get it. You’re not Netflix or Microsoft.
You’ve got a team of 12 and a Google Drive full of training videos.

Guess what? The rules still apply.

Accessibility isn’t just for the Fortune 500s. It’s for anyone reaching a global (or even slightly diverse) audience.

I know startups that got hit with ADA lawsuits because their LMS didn’t work with screen readers. Not because they were evil—just… unprepared.

Want a Quick Checklist?

Here’s a brutally honest self-check. If you say “no” to any of these, it’s probably time to rethink a few things:

• Can your platform handle multiple language audio channels?
  
• Are there live captions in every language offered?
  
• Is there a sign language interpreter option—on screen and visible?
  
• Can a blind attendee navigate your course without a mouse?
  
• Are your recordings transcribed and captioned after the fact?
  
• Do you even have an accessibility statement anywhere?
  

If you’re five “no’s” deep… yeah, we’ve got some work to do.

So, Now What?

Look. The ADA and EAA aren’t just here to ruin your day.

They’re here to force companies to do what we should’ve been doing all along:
Making learning available to everyone. Not just the people with perfect hearing, perfect vision, and perfect English.

And yeah, it’s a lot. Especially if you’re just getting started.

But it’s also totally doable—with the right help.

How TransLinguist Can Help You Stay Compliant—and Inclusive

At TransLinguist, we specialize in making content accessible, inclusive, and compliant with global accessibility standards like the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and EAA (European Accessibility Act).

From accurate subtitles and closed captions to audio descriptions, multilingual translations, and sign language interpretation, we help you reach every learner—no matter their ability or background.

Whether you’re adapting a single training module or scaling an entire platform for global compliance, our team delivers fast, professional, and culturally sensitive solutions that keep you ahead of regulations—and in good standing with your learners.

Want to make accessibility feel less like a burden and more like an opportunity?
Let’s talk.

FAQs