Many people who have disabilities can face a variety of challenges when accessing the world wide web, reviewing downloadable documents, and looking at video content. To get a more in-depth look at this issue, Insider online magazine spoke to individuals who have a variety of disabilities and who work in many different industries.
Here is one quote that we frequently look over in the eLearning world as we are creating accessible content for all!
“As learning and development professionals we should realize that special accommodations aren’t an inconvenience, but add value and improve efficiency. It is no different than adding a step stool in your kitchen to help you reach the top shelf. We all need ‘accommodations’ at some point, even the able-bodied.”
Whether you are creating a power point, uploading an image, choosing a text font of your choice, or creating an eLearning course, your content should be designed in such a way that anyone can use it.
This should be everyone’s mantra when you are working in a digital environment. The topmost common accessibility issues to avoid and solve.
| Do | Don’t |
| Use a combination of color, shapes and text to convey meaning | Use color alone to convey meaning |
| Align all text left and use 1.5 line spacing | Justify text or align it center or right |
| Use headings, sub-headings and bullets to break up information | Make complex, cluttered layouts and menus |
| Use heading styles in online text boxes and Microsoft Work docs | Rely on text size and layout for structure |
| Add alternative (alt) text to all images and transcripts for videos | Provide rich media content without a text alternative |
| Use good color contrasts and readable font | Underline words, use italics or write in capitals |
| Write descriptive and meaningful headings and hyperlinks | Write uninformative links and headings |
Watch this OnDemand webinar about the 10 Super Easy Steps to Making Digital Learning Accessible.