Accessibility in eLearning: Designing for Everyone, Everywhere

Creating accessible learning content isn’t just about compliance—it’s about inclusion, innovation, and putting the learner first.

When we design learning experiences with accessibility in mind, we acknowledge the diversity of our learners and audience and ensure that everyone—regardless of circumstance or ability—can access, engage with, and benefit from your content. The best part? Accessibility doesn’t limit creativity; it sparks innovation.

We were recently joined by accessibility expert, Susi Miller, for a webinar on Creative Accessible and Inclusive Learning Content. In this blog, we’ll share what we learned, including actionable tips for creating learning content that’s accessible, inclusive, and effective for all learners.

Why Accessibility Matters in eLearning

One of the biggest misconceptions about accessibility is that it stifles creativity. In reality, it sparks innovation. Accessible learning content challenges us to think differently, prioritize clarity, and create experiences that are flexible, inclusive, and impactful.

Think about this: up to 80% of people have a disability that is nonvisible. Here are a few examples of how that impacts their learning: 

• A learner with permanent vision loss relies on screen readers to access your course.
• A professional recovering from an injury needs keyboard navigation (the ability to navigate or interact with your content without requiring a mouse or pointing device) to progress through content.
• A busy learner trying to focus in a noisy office benefits from captions on videos.

These are diverse needs, but they all point to a common truth: barriers to learning can happen to anyone, at any time. Creating accessible content ensures you meet learners where they are—regardless of ability, environment, or situation.

3 Practical Tips for Accessible Learning Content

Accessibility doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are simple, impactful ways to improve your content:

1. Follow WCAG Guidelines

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set global standards for accessible digital content. Focus on the most common pitfalls:

Color Contrast 

This is the measure of the difference in perceived brightness between two colors. Using tools like this contrast checker can help you determine if the difference in brightness has a ratio of 4.5:1. 

Color Alone 

This refers to using color as the sole means of conveying or differentiating information or providing responsive feedback. For example, if you make a required field on a form in red text, without any other indicator, users who cannot perceive the color red will not recognize that the field is mandatory. Therefore, it’s important to use text or icons to support and distinguish the details of the content being displayed. Below is an example of how you can make required fields accessible: 

Captions 

Videos need descriptive, synchronized captions that include tone and speaker identification—transcripts alone aren’t enough. Consider that there are different types of captions: 

• Closed Captions: These can be toggled on or off by the user, offering flexibility based on individual needs.
• Open Captions: These are permanently embedded in the video and cannot be turned off, ensuring that all viewers see the captions.

Interactive or Moving Content 

Ensure all interactivity can be navigated via a keyboard—not just a mouse. For example, many drag and drop activities rely on a mouse. Offer alternative formats like multiple-choice questions or ensure the drag and drop is keyboard accessible. If your learning content has a moving object, ensure that there’s a pause button that gives the learner control over what they’re seeing. 

2. Design for Assistive Technologies

Learners using assistive tools like screen readers or adaptive keyboards will rely on your content having:

• Alternative Text (Alt Text): This is a written description of an image of graphic. It provides context or information for learners using a screen reader. If you’re looking for some help writing your alt text, check out this AI alt text assistant. 

• Keyboard Accessibility: This means that users have the option to navigate or interact with your content without requiring a mouse or pointing device. To know if your content meets this criteria, test to see if all content (including buttons, quizzes, and navigation) is accessible via keyboard or assistive tools.

3. Consider Cognitive Accessibility

For learners who are managing distractions, processing information at their own pace, or simply navigating a busy learning environment, the key is to focus on clarity and control:

• Avoid moving content that learners can’t control. If animations or auto-advancing slides are needed, add a pause button.
• Use clear, concise language with plain text and consistent formatting.
• Give learners time to process information—avoid timed interactions unless absolutely necessary.

Putting It Into Practice

This information may be new to you, and that’s okay. The key is to take your first step towards identifying how and where you can make changes to your content to ensure a seamless experience for all of your learners. Here are a few first steps to consider:

1. Audit your current content for accessibility gaps (e.g., contrast issues, missing alt text, or inaccessible interactions).
2. Use tools like contrast checkers, keyboard navigators, and screen readers to test your work.
3. Train your team on WCAG principles and accessible design practices.
4. Adopt accessible authoring tools that support keyboard navigation, alt text, and proper captions.

Design for Everyone, Benefit Everyone

The bottom line? Accessibility makes learning better—for everyone.

When we design with accessibility in mind, we empower all learners to succeed, regardless of their abilities, environments, or circumstances.

Start small. Test often. And remember: Creating accessible content isn’t just good design, it’s the right design.