One lesson, several routes in
A single lesson delivered in a single form works for some learners and fails others. The same content offered in several forms lets each person choose the route that suits them. These versions are called alternative formats, and they are among the most practical accessibility measures an author or teacher can take.
The core rule is equivalence: every version should carry the same information and allow the same learning. An alternative that leaves out half the content is not an alternative; it is a worse lesson.
The common formats
Accessible text. The master version is often a well-structured document or web page: real headings, lists marked up as lists, descriptions for images, and tables that have header rows. From it, other versions can be produced and software can read it aloud or reshape it. Text is the most flexible starting point, which is why many authors begin there.
Audio. Some learners prefer listening, and others need to because reading is difficult or impossible. Audio can be a recording of a person reading the text, or text-to-speech produced by software. Human narration tends to sound more natural, particularly with technical terms; synthetic voices are quick and free to produce but may stumble on specialist vocabulary. Provide a transcript with any audio so deaf and hard-of-hearing learners are not excluded.
Captioned video. Captions give the speech as on-screen text. Include meaningful non-speech sounds where they matter. Check automatically generated captions, which often misspell names and technical words. A separate transcript of a video, including a description of key visual content, helps screen reader users and anyone who prefers reading.
Large print. For readers with low vision, a version with bigger type, strong contrast and generous spacing can be easier to use. Digital text that can be enlarged on screen often serves this need, but a printed large-print copy may still be needed. Exact sizes vary by reader, and guidance commonly suggests asking the person instead of assuming one standard.
Braille and tactile versions. Some learners need braille or raised diagrams. These usually require specialist production, often through a school’s support service or a specialist organization, and the quality of the source text affects how well it converts.
Keeping versions equivalent
Making many versions invites errors. Some habits keep them aligned.
- Maintain one source and generate the others from it, so corrections only need to be made once.
- Label each version clearly and link them together near the top of the page.
- Update all versions when content changes, and note the date.
- Describe images and charts in words that serve the same purpose as the picture, rather than writing “a chart of results”.
For more on this side, the notes on accessible content authoring give a wider workflow.
What an open license adds
If you publish under a license that permits changes, anyone can produce a missing format. A volunteer might record an audio version. A college disability service could convert the text to braille. A teacher could make a large-print copy for one student. With a closed license, only the owner can do that, and often only on request.
Practical points about licenses:
- Some licenses permit adaptation; others, those marked “NoDerivatives”, do not allow changed versions to be shared. Whether a particular accessible format counts as a derivative can be a legal question, and some countries have specific exceptions for accessible copies. Check the terms and, if in doubt, seek advice or ask the rights holder.
- Where adaptations are allowed, keep the credit line and license notice with the new version.
- Check that any images, music or other items inside the resource are also covered, since they sometimes carry different terms.
The general area of copyright and licensing deserves more space than this article can give. The basic message is to read the terms before adapting and to document what you changed.
Which formats to start with
Offering everything for every resource is unrealistic. A sensible priority order, for most courses, is:
- Accessible, structured text as the master version.
- Captions and transcripts for any video or audio.
- An audio version of longer texts, if the need is known.
- Large print or other special formats on request, produced from the master.
If you know the learners, ask them. A format nobody uses is wasted effort, while an unexpected request is easier to handle when the master text is clean.
Common mistakes
- Offering a scanned image as the “text” version. Without recognized text, it is no use to many tools.
- Treating auto-captions as finished.
- Assuming one format suits a whole group; needs differ.
- Hiding alternative formats where nobody will find them.
- Letting versions drift apart as the main version is edited.
A note on dual-purpose benefits
Alternative formats seldom help only the people they were designed for. Transcripts help people who want to search, audio helps those who commute or exercise, and captions help in noisy rooms. This widespread benefit is a good argument for making them routine. It is not a promise that they will improve results for any given learner, and the evidence on specific outcomes is mixed. But as a matter of basic access, offering the same content in several forms is a sound and widely recommended practice.