By Lucy Wyndham
Improving online accessibility has become an important issue now that people are increasingly reliant on technology. Many people now turn to the web to access a huge range of resources and services, from online training and education to healthcare and employment. Because there are so many people now using online resources for training and education it is important that websites are made accessible for everyone. This article will look at how to make online Learning resources accessible.
Defining accessibility
Making a website accessible means ensuring hat it can be accessed by a range of individuals irrespective of disability, age, injury or even internet speed. Once you are fully aware of what the barriers are, you can then start to create Learning Resources that cater for everyone. The most common needs and disabilities are audio-visual, cognitive and motor learning. It is important to cater also for learning and developmental disabilities such as ADHD, ADD and dyslexia.
Being compatible with screen readers
Many learners with visual impairments will use websites that have high-contrast web browsers with assistive technology such as a screen readers which substitute CSS styles with a set of rules designed to remove any visual barriers. With this in mind, it is important to ensure that all essential information is available separately from CSS files. It is also important to provide alternative text for all images and icons so those with visual impairments can ‘read’ any visual information.
Providing alternative input and output methods to cater for all
All important content and information on a website or learning resource should be available in a format that is suitable for reaching everyone. For example, the visually impaired will rely more on audio information to access content, whereas the hearing impaired will rely on text and transcripts.
Providing a link to a text only version of your website is a comprehensive way to cater for those with hearing impairments. Certain functions on the website should be configured so as to allow varied types of input both typed and audio based. Closed captions or subtitles should be provided also on all videos.
Improving accessibility for those with learning difficulties
On the contrary, online learners with learning disabilities such as dyslexia may struggle to engage with text-based learning material. To cater for this, audio-based learning material should be made available with written descriptions to help improve comprehension.
Microsoft has created free online tools which are helping students learn online. Some of the features available include being able to change font size and word spacing, break words down into syllables and to focus the display on screen to one section to avoid information overload. Students can also hover over a word to see a picture of the word and hear it read out loud, which is a fantastic function for those with learning difficulties or for whom English is a second language
Distraction free learning environments
Online learners with ADD or ADHD will more than likely struggle with concentration and attention span. In this case online learning material should be made downloadable in order to limit the distraction that may be brought about through completing online learning on the internet. They should then be able to complete online learning in their own time free from distractions.
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