Build it in, not on
Accessibility is much cheaper to include while you build a course than to add at the end. A video recorded without a script needs a transcript made later. A page assembled from bold text instead of real headings has to be rebuilt. Deciding on a few habits at the start avoids most of this.
Accessible design helps people with disabilities, but also many others: someone watching on a train with the sound off, a person with a broken wrist who is using only the keyboard, an older learner who finds small gray text hard to read. This is general information, not legal or compliance advice. If you work for an institution, check which rules apply to you and who is responsible for them.
Captions and transcripts
Captions show the spoken words as text on the video, and should include important sounds. They help learners who are deaf or hard of hearing, people in noisy or quiet settings, and those learning in a second language.
Transcripts are separate text versions of audio or video. They also help people who prefer to read, those on slow connections, and anyone who wants to search for a term.
Practical tips:
- Write a script or outline before recording. It improves the lesson and gives you text to caption from.
- If you use automatic captions, check and correct them. Names, technical terms and accents are common failure points.
- Name speakers where more than one person talks.
- Describe important visual information aloud, such as “the graph shows a steady rise”, so the explanation does not depend on seeing the screen.
Headings and structure
Headings are not decoration. People using screen readers often move through a page by jumping from heading to heading, much as sighted readers skim.
- Use the heading styles in your editor rather than bigger bold text.
- Keep the order logical: one main title, then second-level headings, then third-level headings beneath them, without skipping levels.
- Write headings that make sense alone, such as “Calculating the average” rather than “Next”.
- Use real lists for lists and real tables for data, with header rows marked. Avoid tables used only for layout.
- Write link text that explains the destination. “Read the safety checklist” is better than “click here”.
Images and non-text content
Every meaningful image needs a short text alternative, usually called alt text, that conveys its purpose. A chart might get a one-sentence summary of the key pattern, with the data also given in a table nearby. Purely decorative images should be marked so assistive tools can ignore them. Avoid putting important text inside images, as it can’t be resized or read aloud.
Diagrams and equations deserve particular care. Where possible, supply text explanations and use formats designed for mathematics rather than screenshots.
Color and contrast
Check that text stands out clearly from its background. Pale gray on white may look elegant but is hard to read for many people, particularly on small screens. Web accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, give specific minimum contrast ratios and are a good reference to consult directly.
Two further habits:
- Never use color alone to carry meaning. If correct answers are green and wrong ones red, add a symbol or word, since some people can’t distinguish those colors.
- Allow text to be enlarged. Pages should still work when a learner increases the size or zooms in.
Keyboard use
Some learners can’t use a mouse. Everything that can be done with a mouse should also be possible with the keyboard alone, in a sensible order, with a visible indicator showing where focus is.
A simple test takes two minutes. Put the mouse aside and use the Tab key to move through one of your pages. Ask yourself:
- Can I reach every link, button and form field?
- Can I always see where I am?
- Does the order make sense?
- Can I get out of any pop-up or embedded item?
If you get stuck, so will some of your learners. Be cautious with custom widgets, such as drag-and-drop exercises, unless you also provide an alternative way to complete them.
Time, motion and sound
Avoid unnecessary time limits, avoid rapidly flashing content, which can be dangerous for some people, let learners pause moving content, and do not start audio automatically.
Documents and downloads
Slides and PDFs are common in courses and often poorly structured. If you offer them, use the headings and list features of your software, add alt text to images, and consider offering an editable version. Offering alternative formats, such as a text version alongside a slide deck, lets learners choose what works for them. Open licensing helps here too: if others may adapt your material, they can produce versions in the formats they need.
Language and layout
Plain language is an accessibility feature. Short sentences, familiar words and explained jargon help many people, including second-language learners and those with dyslexia support needs. Use generous spacing, left-aligned text and a clear, simple layout. Keep instructions consistent from lesson to lesson.
Test with real people where you can
Automated checkers catch some problems, such as missing alt text or low contrast, but cannot judge whether a page makes sense. Combine them with manual checks: the keyboard test, reading the transcript, and zooming the page. Where possible, invite learners who use assistive technology to try the course and tell you what they find. Treat the results as a way to improve, not a verdict.
Invite feedback in the course itself with a simple way to report a barrier, and respond to it. No course is perfect for everyone, and ongoing fixes are better than a one-time audit followed by silence.
Building these habits in from the first lesson will usually cost far less than repairing a finished course.