Accessibility in online courses

Online courses are full of things that can shut members out without anyone intending it: videos without captions, slides crowded with small pale text, worksheets that cannot be filled in without a printer, quizzes that rely on color. Each one makes a lesson harder, or impossible, for some of your members to use.

Accessibility in online courses is about removing those barriers. It matters for members with disabilities, and it matters for far more people than that. A member watching on a train with the sound off needs captions. A member learning in their second language benefits from a transcript. A member with tired eyes at the end of a long day appreciates larger text. If you are new to the subject, start with the accessibility basics every site owner should know. This post applies them to course material.

Captions members can rely on

Captions are the on-screen text version of what is said in a video. They are the single most important accessibility feature for video lessons, used by members who are deaf or hard of hearing and by anyone watching without sound.

Automatic captions are a useful starting point, but they make mistakes, and in course content the mistakes often land on exactly the words that matter: technical terms, names and numbers. On a hypothetical art history site, automatic captions might mangle “chiaroscuro” in every lesson that mentions it.

• Review and correct automatic captions before publishing, paying special attention to terminology.
• Show a change of speaker when more than one person talks.
• Include meaningful sounds, such as [music playing] or [audience laughs], where they matter.
• Check that captions stay in sync with the speech.

Clear speech makes all of this easier, which is one more reason to follow simple techniques for recording course videos without a studio. A good microphone and a quiet room help captions as much as they help listeners.

Transcripts, and saying what you show

A transcript is the full text of a lesson, placed beneath the video or offered as a download. Transcripts help members who use screen readers, members who prefer reading, and anyone who wants to search or skim a lesson later.

A transcript only works if the words make sense without the picture. Teachers often say things like “as you can see here,” which tells a member who cannot see the screen nothing at all. Describe what matters as you teach.

• Before: “Look at this corner here, and you'll notice how this changes everything.”
• After: “Look at the lower left corner of the painting, where a single candle lights the faces around it. That one light source creates the strong contrast between light and dark.”

The second version is better teaching for everyone, not only for members who cannot see the image.

Readable slides, documents and worksheets

Written materials need the same care. A few habits cover most problems:

• Use real headings in documents, rather than just bold or large text, so screen reader users can move around.
• Keep text large and high in contrast. Dark text on a plain light background is safest, on slides as well as documents.
• Never rely on color alone. A chart that shows “red for overspending” also needs labels or patterns.
• Describe images. Add short text descriptions to meaningful images and diagrams.
• Make worksheets usable on screen. Offer an editable document alongside any PDF, so members who cannot print or handwrite can still complete it. The same thinking applies to all your worksheets and assignments.
• Write plainly. Short sentences and explained jargon help members with dyslexia, members reading in a second language and everyone in a hurry.

Quizzes and interactive elements

Interactive parts of a course are where barriers most often hide. Check that:

• Every quiz can be completed using a keyboard alone, without a mouse.
• Time limits are avoided or can be extended, since some members need more time to read or respond.
• Right and wrong answers are shown with words, not only with green and red.
• Instructions are clear and come before the task, not after it.
• Drag-and-drop activities have a simpler alternative.

Try completing one of your own quizzes using only the keyboard, and again with your screen zoomed to twice its normal size. Problems tend to show up within minutes.

A lesson accessibility checklist

Here is a checklist you can apply to each lesson. It is a practical starting point rather than a full audit. The WCAG guidelines are the widely used standard if you want to go further.

1. The video has accurate, reviewed captions.
2. A transcript is available, and it makes sense without the video.
3. Visual content is described in words while teaching.
4. Slides and documents use large, high-contrast text and real headings.
5. Meaningful images have text descriptions.
6. Nothing relies on color alone.
7. Worksheets are available in an editable format.
8. Quizzes work with a keyboard and have no unnecessary time limits.

Accessibility can also have legal dimensions, depending on where you and your members are and what kind of organization you run. Check the requirements that apply to you with a qualified professional.

Where to begin

Do not try to fix every course at once. Start with the course most members take, often your first or most popular one, and work through the checklist lesson by lesson. Correct the captions first, since that helps the most people for the least effort. Then add transcripts, fix the worksheets and test the quizzes.

From then on, build the checklist into how you create new lessons. Accessibility costs far less as part of the process than as a repair job afterward. Tell members what you have done, and invite them to tell you about any barrier you have missed. The members who reply will often point you to the most valuable fixes.