Education Technology Accessibility: What Actually Works
Accessibility of learning platforms, course materials and assessments.
Marcus Adeyemi
Where most projects go wrong
The usual mistakes:
- Accessible versions supplied weeks late
- Inaccessible assessment platforms
- Scanned readings with no text layer
- Procurement without accessibility criteria
What good looks like instead
- Require conformance information when buying platforms
- Caption lecture and course video
- Publish accessible documents by default
- Make assessments accessible and test them
- Train teaching staff on accessible materials
Why it matters
Students with disabilities have legal rights to equal access, and inaccessible course material blocks their studies.
The specs that matter
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Obligations | educational institutions have accessibility obligations |
| Materials | documents, video and assessments all need accessibility |
| Procurement | conformance reports inform purchasing decisions |
| Timeliness | accessible materials must be available when needed, not later |
Knowing when to hand it over
Tip: Bring in help when institutions procure learning platforms.
Where this comes from
- U.S. Department of Education — Policy guidance
- Section508.gov — Buy accessible products and services
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
Working on something like this?
We take on Performance & Accessibility work for teams who want it done once, properly. Tell us what you are building and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right studio for it. Start a project.
Where to go next
Spotted something wrong? Report an error on this page. We correct on the page and say what changed.
