How accessibility improves eLearning for all
Considering learners with visual disabilities
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019) at least 2.2 billion people worldwide live with some form of vision-related disability.
Learners with visual disabilities can often face significant barriers when it comes to accessing online content, such as eLearning courses.
Despite advances in technology, many eLearning courses are still inaccessible, leaving learners unable to access valuable content and excluding a significant portion of the population. This is not only frustrating for the learners themselves, but also perpetuates inequity by limiting their opportunities for learning and personal growth. It's more important than ever for instructional designers to prioritize accessibility when creating eLearning content, ensuring that all learners have equal access.
Creating accessible eLearning content for learners with visual disabilities may seem like a daunting task, but here are practical steps that instructional designers can take to ensure that their content is accessible and inclusive.
Color contrast
Ensure that the color contrast ratio meets the minimum requirements of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Avoid using color as the only way to convey important information.
Typography
Use a large enough, readable font that is easy to distinguish from the background, avoid using decorative fonts, italics, or all-caps, as these can make the text difficult to read.
Alternative text (Alt Text)
Use clear and concise descriptions for descriptive images that accurately convey the purpose or content of the image.
Avoid using "image of" or "picture of" as the screen reader will already call out this information.
Audio descriptions
Non-sighted learners or those who have low vision can miss important visual elements in a video. Audio descriptions provide a narrative of the visual elements on a separate track. The best practice is to integrate important visual elements in the main audio track and to not need a separate one but in some situations where that's not possible, audio descriptions should be provided.
Audio control
For any audio that plays for more than 3 seconds there should be a way for the learner to pause or stop the audio, separately from the volume of the rest of the computer.
Audio autoplay
Avoid audio that autoplay as this can often interfere with the screen reader and cause confusion to the learner. The best practice would be to provide learners with a choice at the beginning of the course if they would like the audio to autoplay.
Navigation
Ensure all your content is accessible via a keyboard. A screen reader user will tab through your courses using a keyboard to access the content.
Heading levels
Screen readers read out the content of a page to the learner and rely on heading levels to convey the structure of the content.
By using heading level in a hierarchical manner, screen reader users can navigate the content more easily and understand the relationship between different sections of the content.
Focus order
Ensure that the content is arranged in a logical for it to make sense to screen reader users when tabbing through the content.
Link text
Use descriptive link text that accurately describes the content of the link.
Avoid using generic or vague link text, such as "click here" or "read more".
Ensure a color contrast ratio of 3:1 between links and background and surrounding element
Images of text
Use text instead of images of text unless required in case of graphs and charts provide Alt Text or description of the image.
Time limits
Provide adequate time for learners to read and interact with content. If the content requires time limits, provide a way to extend or turn off the time limits.
eLearning is a popular way for people to learn and acquire new skills especially in this day and age of remote work.
It is up to instructional designers to take the necessary steps to ensure that their content is accessible and inclusive for all learners. By implementing the practical steps outlined above, we can break down barriers and create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment.
In conclusion, accessibility should not be an afterthought when it comes to eLearning design but should be prioritized from the outset, so that all learners can access valuable learning opportunities.
What steps can you take to ensure that your content is accessible to learners with visual disabilities?
Resources:
Download this free eLearning accessibility checklist as a part of your QA process to ensure that your learning is available to all your learners.
Web AIM Contrast and Color Accessibility explains various color contrast tools and their features.
Use Web AIM Contrast and Color Accessibility to create links that meet the right color contrast.
Use the Accessible color palette builder to set up an accessible template.
Alternative Text from WebAIM gives a detailed explanation of when and how Alt Text should be used.
The Ultimate Guide to Audio Description from 3Play Media gives a detailed overview of audio description.
Description Key explain the guidelines and best practices for audio descriptions.
The Audio Description Project has a multitude of resources on audio descriptions.
References:
World Health Organization. (2019). World report on vision from World report on vision (who.int)
WCAG Quick Reference Guide
