I have been working with the Federal Government on creating training courses, and as you would imagine, they must be Section 508 compliant (see image caption). I love this topic because our world is so diverse, and making training available to everyone, only improves the pool of amazing and qualified people available to make the much-needed difference in the world!
Technology plays a big role in accessibility, providing the tools needed to view, interact, consume and engage in information content already available online. If you are looking to scale your business with an online course, you want all your clientele to be able to access it. Regardless of your customer’s abilities, your content should be easy to consume.
Accessibility mostly comes down to the technical side of your digital program, you can research any options that might apply to your audience. But the great news is that you can start now to make it more accessible by applying a few considerations to your courses.
Start by always transcribing your videos and adding subtitles and captions. Subtitles make videos more accessible to a wider audience, including foreign-language speakers, hard-of-hearing individuals, people who consume content slower than average, and anyone who can’t watch a video with sound. They also help improve engagement and boost SEO for content producers.
Also, don’t assume that the color of an object is recognizable to everyone, instead of, “Click the blue-button,” say, “click the button on the right that says Sign Me Up“. Did you know that color blindness affects approximately 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women in the world? Also, try to use good contrast for the text on your screen.
Considerations such as choosing the right font size, colors, transcribing your videos, and/or providing captions can make all the difference.
Your investment of time to incorporate these standards will likely be only a few hours, but for your students, and an eagerly-waiting new and diverse market, that investment represents a high-quality & inclusive learning experience that many will be grateful for.
If you are committed to producing premium content for your online course – reach out and discover how I can help.
How do you make your content accessible?
