Creating Accessible Educational Content
This playbook provides guidance on the development and presentation of educational materials to ensure they are accessible to all students, including individuals with disabilities. It emphasizes inclusivity in educational design.
Step 1: Analyze Needs
Identify the various disabilities that students may have, which could include visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities. Understanding the range of needs is essential for creating content that is accessible.
Step 2: Consult Guidelines
Review established guidelines for accessible content, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), to ensure you meet the necessary standards for accessibility.
Step 3: Choose Tools
Select authoring tools and learning management systems (LMS) that support the creation of accessible content. These tools should provide features like compatibility with assistive technology and the ability to create alternative text for images.
Step 4: Design Content
Create the educational materials using best practices for accessibility:
- Use headings and labels to organize content.
- Provide text descriptions for images and videos.
- Incorporate captions and transcripts for audio and video content.
- Ensure that color is not the only means of conveying information.
- Create content that is navigable by keyboard for users who cannot use a mouse.
Step 5: Test Accessibility
Use both automated tools and manual testing to check the accessibility of your content. This should include testing with actual users who have disabilities to get feedback on the materials' usability.
Step 6: Revise Based on Feedback
Incorporate the feedback received from your testing to improve the educational materials. Re-test as necessary to ensure that all accessibility issues have been addressed.
Step 7: Educate Users
Train educators and students on how to use the accessible materials effectively, which may include instruction on how to operate assistive technologies and take advantage of the accessibility features you have built into the content.
Step 8: Update Regularly
Regularly review and update the educational materials to incorporate new accessibility guidelines and feedback from users to ensure the materials remain up-to-date with best practices in accessible design.
General Notes
Continued Learning
Maintain a commitment to learning about accessibility. Guidelines and technologies are always evolving, and staying informed ensures that materials remain accessible over time.