Sometimes, it can be easy to get carried away when designing an L&D course or platform, thinking that every learner has the same capabilities. This assumption can lead L&D professionals to expect that people will understand their methods and materials and that how they present it technically isn’t as important as the content itself. However, this is not the best approach and makes the learning experience less accessible and inclusive.
One in six people globally experiences significant disability. Moreover, 15 percent of the global population has a learning disability, the most common among children.
Yet, a recent study has shown that over 51 million websites have noticeable accessibility errors. For instance, more than 86 percent of home pages have low-contrast text, and 26 percent of images have missing alt text.
These issues impact how learners experience learning and whether they can thrive and meet their objectives. Here’s everything you should know about accessible learning design.
What are the Core Principles of Inclusive Design?
The following values are necessary for accessible and inclusive design.
Flexibility
- Accommodating Diverse Needs: Inclusive design begins with L&D professionals recognizing learners have different learning preferences, abilities, and struggles. Learning materials in diverse formats, such as text, audio, and video, allow them to acknowledge and aid those individualities.
- Adaptive Materials and Activities: Flexibility ensures that L&D professionals can modify lessons to suit various needs. For example, they can use diagrams and charts for visual learners, while leveraging audio explanations and presentations for auditory learners. Having different options at their disposal allows learners to engage in ways that work best for them.
- Multiple Formats: All learners should have access to information presented through various channels. L&D professionals can reinforce the text with audio descriptions, while videos can include transcripts, ensuring everyone, including those with sensory impairments, can understand and access the material.
Simplicity
- Straightforward Materials: Simple, clear content benefits all learners, especially those with cognitive disabilities. Therefore, L&D professionals should use plain language and avoid jargon.
- Reducing Cognitive Load: It’s recommended to break down large lessons and complex info into smaller parts, so learners don’t struggle with processing and understanding the content. Clear headings, bullet points, and concise instructions facilitate comprehension and make texts more readable.
- Organized Layouts and Navigation: In digital platforms, intuitive navigation and well-organized content structures help learners find information quickly. Moreover, consistent layouts and predictable design patterns reduce confusion and improve the learning experience.
Perceptibility
- Clear Information for All: L&D professionals should make sure all learners can perceive information, regardless of their sensory abilities. This includes text descriptions for images and audio cues alongside visual information.
- Text Alternatives and High Contrast: Learners with visual impairments need text alternatives for audio content and high-contrast color schemes, as these adjustments make it easier for them to access and process information.
- Recognizable Symbols and Icons: Consistent and familiar symbols help learners navigate content efficiently. L&D professionals should use icons and symbols with universal meaning to simplify the learning curve associated with new materials and platforms.
Best Practices for Accessible Digital Content
Designing for accessibility is a vital practice for inclusive learning experiences. The following strategies will help L&D professionals ensure that all learners, including those with disabilities, can access and benefit from digital learning materials.
1. Avoid PDFs When Possible
L&D professionals often use PDFs, but they tend to pose accessibility challenges, as screen readers might be unable to navigate them. They can also be difficult to resize for those with visual impairments.
Instead, L&D professionals can use HTML, Google Docs, or accessible Word documents. These formats are more adaptable and generally more compatible with assistive technologies, allowing for easier text-to-speech conversion, screen reader support, and adjustable text sizes.
2. Prioritize Compatibility with Assistive Technologies
Digital content accessibility depends on its compatibility with assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, and speech recognition software. L&D professionals should structure documents with clear headings, lists, and tables, as these steps allow screen readers to navigate the text.
They should also add images with descriptive alt text and videos with captions and transcriptions to ensure no one is excluded from accessing and learning from these materials.
3. Follow Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principles
UDL principles advocate for fair and inclusive educational content design and accessibility, as this is the only way the widest range of learners can receive an exceptional learning experience. This approach emphasizes flexibility in how L&D professionals convey and present information, how learners demonstrate their knowledge, and how they engage with content.
For example, learning materials and content should never be available in only one format but multiple, including audio and video. This way, learners can choose the format that best fits their learning preferences and needs.
4. Design for the Widest Range of Abilities and Learning Styles
L&D professionals must acknowledge that learners have diverse needs, expectations, and learning approaches. This understanding should guide their process of designing inclusive learning experiences.
They must be proactive, which includes planning for accessibility features rather than retrofitting them later. L&D professionals should think about how different learners might interact with the content (including different subjects) and ensure that there are multiple ways to engage with and understand the material. This could include interactive elements, diverse assessment methods, and allowing learners to demonstrate their understanding in different ways.
5. Include Varied Assessment Styles
Traditional assessments like written exams can disadvantage some learners, especially those with disabilities. To prevent this, L&D professionals should always include more than one assessment method (e.g., quizzes, essays, presentations, and projects). This variety supports learners with different strengths and provides a more comprehensive evaluation of their knowledge and skills.
6. Use Clear and Simple Terminology
Language should be simple, clear, and concise to make it accessible to all learners, including those with cognitive disabilities or those who are non-native speakers. L&D professionals can accomplish this by avoiding jargon, idiomatic expressions, and complex sentence structures.
They should use straightforward language and short sentences to help learners spend time only on understanding the content instead of looking for explanations of abstract and overly technical terms.
7. Ensure Proper Contrast and Readability
Learners with visual impairments or color blindness should encounter no obstacles when reading visual content. High contrast between text and background colors can prevent potential issues.
Dark text on a light background is typically easier to read. L&D professionals should also choose legible fonts and avoid unnecessary decorative fonts. Moreover, learners with low vision should be able to resize the text without losing readability.
8. Provide Flexible Navigation
A clear, consistent structure with headings and subheadings allows learners to find information and navigate the course easily. For instance, a table of contents or an index can help them navigate through the material efficiently.
Interactive elements, like hyperlinks and buttons, should have easy-to-understand labels and be accessible via keyboard.
9. Test for Accessibility
Automated tools and manual testing with assistive technologies should help L&D professionals identify and fix accessibility issues before they become major problems. They should also encourage learner feedback to understand whether the learning content and platforms require any tweaks or improvements. However, it’s recommended to identify whether learners like the content even before L&D professionals roll it out.
How to Optimize Physical Learning Spaces
Although advanced technologies that allow remote learning are becoming a part of regular L&D methods, physical spaces should be equally inclusive and optimized. Without this, learners won’t receive an all-encompassing learning experience.
Optimizing and improving physical spaces requires thoughtful planning and implementation. L&D professionals can start by gauging the classroom’s layout.
Classroom Appliances
They should arrange furniture to allow ample space for the movement of every learner, especially those using wheelchairs or mobility aids. This includes clear, wide pathways that facilitate easy access and improve safety.
Seating
Depending on how the classroom or training facility looks, L&D professionals should consider the seating arrangements carefully. Desks and tables should be at appropriate heights for all learners, including those potentially needing adjustable seating options.
Accessible seating should be near entrances and exits to make them more convenient. There should also be multiple seating choices as everyone has different needs; some learners may, for example, need chairs with armrests for better support.
Lighting
Natural light is ideal, but it should come in combination with adjustable artificial lighting to match various visual needs. The lighting should be even and minimize glare on screens and whiteboards. For instance, L&D professionals can install dimmable lights to adjust the brightness according to specific requirements.
Acoustics
Poor acoustics can affect learners with hearing impairments, resulting in a negative learning experience. However, sound-absorbing materials like carpets, curtains, and acoustic panels will reduce background noise and echo.
Assistive listening devices, such as hearing loops, should also be available and function correctly. L&D professionals should position speakers strategically to distribute sound evenly across the room.
Interactive Whiteboards
Technology integration supports physical accessibility, which is why L&D professionals should include interactive whiteboards that learners can reach and adjust. Plus, all technological devices, such as computers and tablets, should be accessible and have adaptive software to help learners with disabilities.
Emergency Exits
L&D professionals should conduct regular drills to ensure everyone can evacuate safely in case an emergency arises.
Conclusion
The learning content is only effective when it meets its educational purpose and accessibility parameters. Learners should encounter no obstacles or issues when accessing these materials, and each detail should facilitate their understanding.Â
Accessible learning design should be the starting point of all learning experiences, whether in universities or corporate training. L&D professionals should embed inclusion into every learning material to enable this accessibility and create an environment where every learner has all the conditions to reach their potential.