Key accessibility requirements for online learning
Following are ways that good online learning can support people with disabilities.
| Text | Font: Use simple, easy-to-read, sans-serif fonts. Font formatting: For better readability, avoid italicized text if possible. Contrast: Dark text on a light background is always easier to read than light text on a dark background. For color-blind computer users, it is important that the contrast on the screen is sharp enough. For example, font colors that are too pale and barely stand out against the background pose a problem for them. Table: Table structures cause problems for screen readers: Elements are read aloud in sequence, but are often taken out of context. Orientation: It is important to have a clear, concise structure of the content, for example, a clear structure of texts using headings and paragraphs. Links: Links must be titled in a meaningful way. A “Here”, “More” or “Next” is not enough for blind people to find their way around. Easy language: It is helpful to provide texts in the so-called easy language: The sentences are short and simply formulated. There are guidelines for this. (You can read more about the use of easy language here: https://bik-fuer-alle.de/was-bedeutet-leichte-sprache.html). – please localize Screen reader support: Visually impaired people can have the texts read to them. |
| Images | Talking pictures: Visual information such as images or graphics must be made accessible to blind people via the word – consequently, they must be stored in the form of meaningful alternative texts that can be read aloud by a screen reader. If this does not happen, only the file name is read aloud, which is usually not very informative. |
| Video | Subtitles: To make things easier for people with hearing disabilities, e-learning offers the option of adding subtitles to videos to make them easier to understand. In addition, text presented with graphics and animations achieves a sustainable effect. This helps to retain what is learned in the long term. They help not only hearing impaired people, but also non-native speakers who don’t understand everything right away – or train-riding smartphone users without headphones who don’t want to inconvenience their fellow passengers. Audio description: An audio description is an additional sound track that explains the content of the video, which is reproduced purely visually. If a video contains dialogue, only the pauses in speech can be used for explanations. A simple alternative to audio description: when shooting your video, you can already remember to name all the important info and details. For example, if you’re holding a family photo up to the camera, just say briefly: “This is a picture of my family at Grandma’s birthday. Uncle Herbert was once again wearing his ugly, ochre sweater with a bunny motif.” |
| Audio | Transcription: To be accessible to people with hearing disabilities, audio files require transcription. For a hearing-impaired transcription, the spoken word and all other important audio information is provided in text form. Background sounds are placed in brackets. If different speakers are active, this must also be conveyed. |