Introduction to the Best Practices in this Guide

On This Page

• Key Takeaways
• Overview
• What is Accessibility?
• What is Universal Design for Learning?
• What is Transparency in Learning and Teaching?
• How do these Best Practices Help?
• Where to Go From Here
• References

Key Takeaways

• Everyone can benefit from accessible, inclusive content.

Overview

The goal of this guide is to provide best practices that support the following:

• Building content accessibility from the beginning
• Remediating existing content to fix accessibility errors
• Removing hidden barriers and writing down unwritten rules
• Creating inclusive, welcoming learning environments

The contents of this Pressbook are aligned with principles of accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT). The following page provides a brief introduction to these frameworks and lists how the best practices in this guide are aligned with each framework. The final section describes how these best practices support diverse learners and content users.

What Is Accessibility?

Accessibility refers to making content available to people with disabilities. Online courses, documents, and web resources must be designed with accessibility in mind so people with disabilities can access and understand them.

Accessibility can be as simple as using built-in tools to format text, or it can be as complicated as applying HTML code to web pages. Whatever the method, solutions must be applied deliberately. Accessibility doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a set of best practices and habits that are used every day.

When course materials aren’t accessible, learners with disabilities must make accommodation requests to receive the materials in a format that is accessible to them. This process takes a lot of time and effort. If the request is made at or after the beginning of the course, a learner will often receive materials late and may fall behind their peers. In addition, the process can be expensive, and only benefits the single student making the accommodation request.

When general content is inaccessible, people with disabilities may be unable to access or understand the information. They may be unable to use the features of a website or follow instructions in a document. This can create a significant barrier, to the point that a person with a specific disability may be unable to access information, use a service, or participate in daily activities.

The goal of these best practices is to build accessibility directly into general content design. While it’s impossible to make all content fully accessible to everyone, planning for the most common accessibility needs can improve access for all and reduce the number of accommodation requests that must be made for courses. This allows learners with disabilities to begin their learning immediately, at the same time as their peers. It also reduces last-minute work for the instructor(s) and support staff. The resulting materials can often be reused or made available to everyone, and can be useful for a wide range of learners, including people with or without disabilities.

You can learn more about accessibility on the IU Knowledge Base.

Seven Simple Steps

This guide follows the seven simple steps for accessible design identified by the IU Assistive Technology and Accessibility Centers (ATAC). The steps are:

1. Headings: Structure documents and web pages using built-in headings based on the organizational hierarchy of the document.
2. Images: Describe the purpose or content conveyed by an image using alternative text, imagining what text you’d have used if not using the image.
3. Links: Use link text that describes the link’s destination or function. Instead of “click here” or “read more” use “read more about Psychology 101”.
4. Color: Use text colors that strongly contrast with the background. Don’t use color as the only way to identify something.
5. Lists: Format numbered or bulleted lists using built-in list formats.
6. Tables: Use the built-in table tool only for formatting tabular data (not for page layout), and include meaningful column and/or row headers to describe the data.
7. Video/Audio: Ensure all videos are accurately captioned and provide transcripts for audio-only files.

Additional in-depth best practices are also included where they have been identified, including for specific tools and technologies, advanced HTML features, and domain-specific accessibility considerations.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The World Wide Web Consortium – a group that determines coding standards for the internet – has identified a set of accessibility best practices called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This resource outlines best practices aligned with WCAG version 2.1 AA standards.

The WCAG 2.1 standards are detailed and not all apply to general content creation. As a summary, this resource aligns with the following general topic guidelines:

• Provide text alternatives to non-text content.
• Provide captions for videos.
• Avoid the use of color to communicate information.
• Use appropriate color contrast.
• Allow reflow of page content.
• Use keyboard-accessible tools or provide alternatives.
• Avoid flashing lights.
• Provide links with unique, meaningful names.
• Format section headings appropriately.
• Tag text on pages with the appropriate language.
• Define unusual words and abbreviations.
• Organize content in a consistent manner.

What Is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that applies educational research data to the design of course materials. UDL is implemented using the UDL Guidelines (2018), a set of recommendations that “can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities”.

Every learner has varying needs, and UDL seeks to support these needs by reducing or eliminating barriers in the learning environment (“The UDL Guidelines”, 2018). UDL includes principles of accessibility, equity and inclusion, instructional design, and user experience design.

The core principles of UDL are to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression. More recently, the UDL framework is being revised to include equity and inclusion, with the goal to reduce any systemic barriers that exist in the framework.

• Engagement relates to how courses motivate learners. It includes the use of clear learning objectives, choice in assignments, clear feedback, and social learning.
• Representation relates to the way course content is presented to learners. This includes the type of media used, organization of content, and opportunities for learners to organize their knowledge.
• Action & Expression relates to learner interaction with course content. It includes assignment submissions, software and tools used, supports for executive functioning, and options for personal expression.

For a brief checklist of UDL techniques, see the eDS UDL Menu. You can also learn more about UDL on the CAST website.

Accessibility and UDL can’t fix all access problems with digital materials, but they can solve common problems, make courses easier to run, and reduce work needed for accommodation requests.

UDL Guidelines

The following table lists UDL guidelines that are currently included as best practices in this resource. The second column lists the specific recommendations that align with each guideline. Additional guidelines may be met by future updates to this resource.

What is Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT)?

Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) is a set of methods promoted by the Transparency in Learning and Teaching Project, which “aims to advance equitable teaching and learning practices that reduce systemic inequities in higher education” (TILT Higher Ed).

Transparent Best Practices

Transparent methods that are included as best practices in this resource are listed in the table below. The second column lists the specific recommendations that align with each method.

How do these Best Practices Help?

Removing Barriers

Barriers are features of content that prevent users from accessing, perceiving, or understanding it. In educational environments, barriers can prevent learners from reaching their full potential or, in extreme cases, prevent them from learning or participating at all. Removing barriers aims to increase access to content while maintaining instructional rigor.

Some examples of removing unnecessary barriers include:

• Removing flashing lights that could trigger seizures in individuals with photosensitive epilepsy.
• Removing features that distract from course content.
• Providing multiple ways of accessing the content to support learners with different abilities and needs.
• Providing alternatives when main content is inaccessible for some learners.

Supporting Executive Functioning

According to Understood.org (2021):

Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control….

Executive function is responsible for many skills, including:

• Paying attention
• Organizing, planning, and prioritizing
• Starting tasks and staying focused on them to completion
• Understanding different points of view
• Regulating emotions
• Self-monitoring (keeping track of what you’re doing)

These skills are essential for successfully performing many daily activities, including in an educational environment. Instructors can support executive functioning through deliberate content design, with positive effects for learners with and without disabilities (“Executive Functioning in Online Environments”, n.d.).

Optimizing Cognitive Load

Cognitive load is the amount of working memory needed to complete a task. According to the principle of cognitive load, the brain can only process a limited amount of information at any time (Sweller 2011, Chapter 5). There are two main types of cognitive load:

• Memory required for understanding content is called intrinsic cognitive load.
• Memory required to process how the content is presented is called extraneous cognitive load.

Since working memory is limited, it’s important to maximize its use to get the most out of a learning experience. Content design can do this by:

• reducing extraneous cognitive load through removing unnecessary barriers, and
• increasing intrinsic load by using design best practices.

Making Content Available to Everyone

Not everyone can access and interact with content in the same way. Providing multiple options for accessing and interacting with content can improve access by allowing users to choose which methods work the best for them.

According to the World Wide Web Consortium (2016), the main questions to ask when looking for accessibility barriers are:

• Is the content perceivable?
• Is the content operable?
• Is the content understandable?

Is the Content Perceivable?

Can users access all of the content that they need? If the content is only provided using one method, such as an image, then some learners won’t be able to access it (such as people who are blind or have low vision, or people with unreliable internet access). Supplementing your materials with choices between text, videos, images, and interactives allows users to pick the option that best suits their abilities and needs.

Is the Content Operable?

Can users interact with the content to get what they need? This is especially a concern with videos and interactive activities, which have their own settings for how they are controlled by the user.

At IU, we use the Kaltura media player for all videos because it is a standard interface that supports both mouse control and keyboard commands. This supports users with mobility issues that can only use the keyboard.

For interactive activities, make sure your activities can be controlled using only the keyboard. If the activity isn’t keyboard accessible, provide an alternative activity or create an accommodation plan.

For more information, see:

• Interactivity Basics (COMING SOON)
• Accommodation plans (COMING SOON)

Is the Content Understandable?

Can users understand the content and how to interact with it? This means that all content and user interfaces should be consistent and clear. Use a consistent format for your web pages and documents. Use built-in styles such as headings, lists, or tables to structure pages. Make your links descriptive so users know where the links take them. Let users know the relevance of each portion of content with introductions or purpose statements. Provide instructions for assignments and interactive activities.

Providing Options and Alternatives

As described previously, learners come from a variety of backgrounds and have different needs. Providing opportunities for choice and self-expression increases engagement and allows learners to connect their learning to their personal goals. Providing options to all learners can also provide built-in accessibility to learners who need it (“Use multiple media”, 2018).

There may be occasions when even a well-designed course can’t meet every learner’s needs. In these cases, alternative assignments or content can be provided to learners requesting accommodations. For the most common types of disabilities, you can plan ahead and create an accommodation plan that lists known limitations of the content and possible alternative activities.

For more information, see:

• Accommodation Plans (COMING SOON)

Where to Go From Here

If you have not encountered coding on the web before, it may be helpful to review Introduction to HTML, which explains the basics of how to access and use HTML tags on websites like Canvas, edX, and Pressbooks. These concepts are used in the Basics section.

When you are ready, begin with the Basics section. The Basics section describes accessibility best practices that apply to all content. It also describes how to identify and fix existing accessibility errors.

References

Fry, R. (2021, May 18). First-Generation College Graduates Lag Behind Their Peers on Key Economic Outcomes. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2021/05/18/first-generation-college-graduates-lag-behind-their-peers-on-key-economic-outcomes/

Fry, R., & Cilluffo, A. (2019, May 22). A Rising Share of Undergraduates Are From Poor Families, Especially at Less Selective Colleges. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/05/22/a-rising-share-of-undergraduates-are-from-poor-families-especially-at-less-selective-colleges/

Sweller, J., Ayres, P. & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Cognitive Load Theory. Springer. http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/31186/1/125.John%20Sweller.pdf

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

CAST (2018). Use multiple media for communication. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/action-expression/expression-communication/use-multimedia

CAST. Executive Functioning in Online Environments. http://udloncampus.cast.org/page/teach_executive#ref7

TILT Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://tilthighered.com/

Understood Team. What is executive function? Understood for All Inc. September 20, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/articles/en/what-is-executive-function

World Wide Web Consortium. (2016). Introduction to Understanding WCAG 2.0. https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/intro.html