Accessibility in learning / eLearning
Accessibility in learning means designing training so that everyone can perceive, navigate and complete it, including people with disabilities. Learn the common barriers, the standards that apply, and the practical steps to take.
What is accessibility in learning?
Accessibility in learning means designing training so that everyone can perceive it, navigate it and complete it, including people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disabilities. If a module can only be finished by someone who sees colour well, hears audio and uses a mouse, it is not accessible.
It is easy to treat this as a niche concern. It is not. A meaningful share of any workforce lives with a disability, and many more people face temporary or situational limits: a broken wrist, a noisy factory floor, a phone screen in bright sunlight.
What gets in people's way
- Video without captions: unusable for deaf learners, and for anyone in a loud or silent environment.
- Images without alt text: a screen reader announces nothing, so the information is simply gone.
- Colour as the only signal: "click the green button" fails for colour blind learners.
- Low contrast text: difficult for many people and impossible for some.
- Mouse only interactions: drag and drop exercises that cannot be completed with a keyboard.
The standards
The reference point is WCAG, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which most legislation builds on. WCAG defines three levels: A, AA and AAA. AA is the level most organizations aim for and the level most regulation points to. In the European Union, the European Accessibility Act extends obligations to many private sector services.
Check what applies to you before you design, not after. Retrofitting accessibility into a finished course library costs far more than building it in from the start.
Practical steps
Caption every video. Write alt text that describes the meaning of an image, not its appearance. Never rely on colour alone to carry information. Test your contrast ratios. Make sure every interaction can be completed with a keyboard. And write in plain language, which helps learners with cognitive disabilities and everyone reading in a second language.
Most of this is far easier when accessible patterns are built into the templates your authors work in, rather than left to each author to remember on every module.
Frequently asked questions
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the international reference standard for digital accessibility. It defines three levels, A, AA and AAA. AA is the level most organizations aim for and the level most legislation points to.
Is accessible eLearning a legal requirement?
It depends on where you operate and what you do. In the European Union the European Accessibility Act extends obligations to many private sector services, so check what applies to your organization before you design.
Does accessibility only help people with disabilities?
No. Captions help anyone in a noisy or silent environment, plain language helps everyone reading in a second language, and good contrast helps on a phone screen in sunlight. What you design for learners with disabilities ends up making training clearer and easier to use for everyone.
.avif)
Are you looking to step up your digital training efforts inside your organization?
Schedule a demo and discover how FLOWSPARKS helps create and deliver engaging e-Learning experiences backed by strong instructional design principles in multiple languages without a hassle.
More interesting reads
.avif)
A Safer and Healthier Workplace with E-Learning
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has declared April 28 as the annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work. On this day, we focus on prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. A topic that certainly deserves some attention. Read this blog for some extra insight in the cause of accidents and find out how e-Learning can contribute to a safer and healthier workplace.
7 Essential Elements for Online Onboarding Software
In the search for talent, good onboarding is crucial. It guarantees a smooth integration process of new employees. As a company, you naturally want well-trained and loyal staff, who really contribute to your corporate mission. That is why companies are putting more and more energy into the onboarding training of their employees. Read this blog to find out the essential elements for a successful online onboarding program.
Why Sharing Knowledge In The Workplace Works
There's nothing new about sharing is caring. We all know how good it feels to make someone happy if we start sharing. Imagine if your employees themselves could share their knowledge with their colleagues. Knowledge that can help others when they encounter problems. Or experiences and examples in specific situations and cases. But how do you facilitate a knowledge sharing culture? Continue reading and get ready for a wave of positivity within your organization!
The Best Training Animation Software
Are you looking for ways to catch the participant's attention while learning? Did you ever consider using animation? We explain the best training animation software to spark up your e-Learning.
Big Summer Cleaning: Update and Organize Your E-Learning Content
Spring is here! A good time to take a close look at all your modules and see which ones could use an update, or which ones can be archived. Because in the craziness of the day you sometimes forget to look back at existing items. A big spring clean will provide an overview and up-to-date content. Perhaps you will even come across forgotten modules that you can revitalize!
Online Training Platform
With an online training platform you can educate your participants in an effective and efficient way. Creating an course does not have to be difficult, expensive or complex. In fact, creating digital modules is often easy to accomplish. At least, if you do it right. How? We are here to help you!
How to build a scalable e-learning ecosystem
A learning ecosystem is the collection of all initiatives that work together to create a complete learning experience in your organization. Do you want to know how to build a scalable learning ecosystem? Read the blog!
The Best Online Training Video Software
People use different stimuli and senses when learning. Some prefer text, others like to watch a video or listen to a podcast. Therefore, it’s good to use different stimuli in an online program. We explain the best training video software out there to help you start creating your online training.
All about SCORM
The chance that you have heard about SCORM is incredibly high if you have come into contact with e-Learning. The chance that you (like many others) find this a mythical beast that holds a lot of mystery is equally high. Let’s take a closer look at SCORM and discuss some real-world implications. See how SCORM software can help you.
Blended Learning
The term blended learning crops up quite often when you are familiar with (online) training. In this blog you read not only what it means, but also where to start.