Impression
I always knew there were certain accommodations made for people with disabilities when it came to learning and the use of technology, but it wasn’t until I started this program that I truly began to consider things from their perspective. This course took me from a basic understanding of accessibility and inclusive design—whether in website design or any type of content development for eLearning—to a much deeper appreciation of these principles. My main goal in LDT 508 was to become a voice for change within my organization. What I have learned is that accessibility and inclusive design are essential for developing eLearning, ensuring compliance and removing specific barriers, while also fostering a welcoming and equitable digital environment for everyone.
Design
When I think about the biggest design challenge I faced in the development of my website, which I called “Beyond the Screen: A Look into Crafting Inclusive Digital Learning with Multimedia,” it was creating transcripts for my audio and video content and selecting images that followed color contrast guidelines. When I first created my transcripts using the YouTube transcript creator, I noticed that the format was time stamped but not in a user-friendly format when I copied and pasted it. So, I utilized the AI tool Perplexity and gave it this prompt: “Reformat the following transcription, keeping the time stamp to make it more readable, and add a summary statement at the beginning for accessibility.” Using AI to recreate the transcript not only saved me time but also ensured the same format for all six transcripts I needed to create.
I sourced images for my website from Freepik using their free license, which offers excellent quality. However, it wasn’t until I used a contrast checker and AI tools that I realized not all of these high-quality images are accessible to people with vision impairments, such as color blindness. Another great use of AI, specifically ChatGPT, was that I could upload a graphic and ask for an assessment from a color blindness perspective. Not only did it provide a thorough analysis, but it also created a simulator to show how the graphic appears under different types of color blindness (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Tritanopia)
Principles and Framework
Learning about the POUR guidelines, along with gaining a deeper understanding of the UDL framework, helped me create an instructional website that is accessible, flexible, and welcoming for all learners, supporting both equity and engagement throughout the learning experience. I found myself revisiting my original design and making adjustments along the way to meet these accessibility standards as I conducted each week’s accessibility audit. This audit proved to be a significant learning opportunity for me, especially when I initially failed the audit. It allowed me to go back and improve the design so that it would pass the audit.
One of the most eye-opening opportunities we all participated in was the empathy challenges, which allowed each of us to step into someone else’s shoes and experience—even if only in a small way—the challenges that can easily go unnoticed by those of us who navigate the world with ease. I found the dyslexia challenge to be the one I could relate to most, as I have struggled with dyslexia since I was a child, and it has impacted the way I have learned throughout both my childhood and adulthood. The color blindness challenge was the most frustrating; I tried to navigate the DC Metro system while experiencing a simulation of red-green color blindness. I left that challenge feeling frustrated, yes, but also more knowledgeable and passionate about ensuring that design, in whatever form, is accessible to anyone who might experience color blindness.
Artificial intelligence
I have a love-hate relationship with AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Grok. The more I use them, the more I wonder whether the power of these amazing tools might make us “dumber” or “lazier.” I’m not sure I have the answer right now, but only time will tell. For instructional designers, however, integrating generative AI tools into the course creation process leads to more accessible, inclusive, and effective learning environments. Using AI to create more accessible transcripts or to verify whether an image is accessible to all users is an incredible application of the technology that benefits everyone
This course has provided me with valuable insight into why my organization has implemented certain design structures, such as the use of visual images, clear text formatting, and strong color contrast, to make training more inclusive. I now recognize areas where my organization can improve its accessibility features—for example, by providing transcripts that are time-stamped and using plain language that is more easily understood by a wider range of learners.
Evaluation
Having the opportunity to evaluate a peer’s site was very enlightening, as I was able to see how my peers applied what they learned from this course in ways I might have overlooked. I was able to gather new ideas; for example, I really enjoyed how my peer’s site featured a menu bar across the top, compared to my own drop-down menu. The top menu bar appeared more accessible and easier to navigate than mine.
When it comes to receiving feedback, I always appreciate hearing different perspectives, seeing what I may have missed, and discovering ways to improve. For instance, I valued constructive suggestions for further improvement, such as adjusting button and audio player sizes for better zooming, maintaining consistent headings and subheadings, and ensuring transcript accuracy. Even though these suggestions involve minor changes, they can have a significant impact on the learning experience by making it easier to access and engage with the materials.
Reflection
When reflecting on accessibility and inclusivity in learning development, I believe it is essential to integrate both the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) frameworks from the very beginning of the design process.
Based on my experience within my organization and through my own learning journey, I have observed a common tendency: we often create educational materials first and only later question whether they are truly accessible to everyone. This reactive mindset can result in missed opportunities to address the diverse needs of learners from the outset. By prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity from the start, we not only comply with best practices but also foster a more equitable and engaging learning environment for all participants.
Ultimately, making accessibility and inclusivity foundational elements of our design process benefits everyone.
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