10 Tips for Creating Accessible E-Learning Content 📚💻
Hello, fellow e-learning enthusiasts! It’s great to have you here for a discussion on creating accessible e-learning content. As we all know, e-learning has been around for quite some time, but it’s more important now than ever. With the advent of global digitalization, e-learning has become an essential tool for students, learners, and employees alike. However, e-learning content doesn’t always cater to everyone, especially those with disabilities. As creators of e-learning content, we must ensure that the content we produce is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. In this blog, we’ll discuss ten tips for creating accessible e-learning content.
1. Use an Accessible Learning Management System 💻
The first tip to remember is to utilize an accessible Learning Management System (LMS). An LMS that complies with accessibility guidelines can make a significant difference in the overall accessibility and usability of your e-learning content. Screen readers and other assistive technology can seamlessly integrate with an accessible LMS, which allows disabled people to consume content with ease.
2. Provide Closed Captions and Transcripts 🎥📜
The second tip is to provide closed captions and transcripts for all of your e-learning videos. This is especially helpful for those with hearing impairments, but also for individuals who have a hard time understanding the content. Captions and transcripts help remove any barriers that might hinder comprehension.
3. Choose an Accessible Color Scheme 🎨
An accessible color scheme is crucial for people with color blindness or low vision. Use colors that contrast heavily and ensure the text is easy to read. You could use websites like webAIM Color Contrast Checker to test the contrast ratio of the colors in your content.
4. Use Descriptive ALT Text for Images 📷
The fourth tip is to use descriptive ALT text for all images. ALT Text is read by screen readers to describe the image to the disabled person. Descriptive ALT text is necessary for people with visual impairments because it gives them an idea of what the image is or what the image conveys.
5. Use Simple and Clear Language 🗣️
It’s an excellent practice to use simple and clear language in your e-learning content. Doing this ensures that everyone can understand the content, regardless of their education or background.
6. Ensure Keyboard Navigability 🖥️
Keyboard navigability is a crucial aspect of ensuring accessibility. Many disabled people cannot use a mouse or touchpad, and the keyboard is their only option. It’s essential for your content to be keyboard navigable so that everyone can access it.
7. Organize Your Content Properly 📑
Organizing your e-learning content properly is beneficial to everyone. By proper organization, we mean using headings and subheadings, bullet points, and other formatting elements that help break the content into manageable parts.
8. Use Appropriate Fonts and Font Sizes 🖊️
Use fonts that are easy to read, especially for the content’s main body. Sans-serif fonts or Open Sans are ideal. Similarly, use a font size between 12 to 14 points for the main content.
9. Provide Adequate Time for Exercises and Assignments ⏲️
Some disabled individuals need additional time to complete exercises and assignments. Provide ample time for them to complete their tasks so that they can achieve success on par with their peers.
10. Make User Feedback Mechanisms Accessible 📝
Lastly, it’s important to make your feedback mechanisms accessible to everyone. Use detailed instructions, use clear language that is easy to understand, and allow multiple methods to receive feedback, including email and phone calls.
That’s it! These are the ten tips you need to keep in mind while creating accessible e-learning content. Creating accessible content is a vital aspect of making education equitable and inclusive for everyone. By employing these tips, we can ensure that our e-learning content is accessible to the disabled population and promote access to quality education.
