Accessibility Guidelines

online training | eLearning | videos


The University of California acknowledges its responsibility to provide access to training it produces. These instructions serve as guidelines followed by the Risk & Safety Training Center of Excellence when developing online training (eLearning) or videos. We address a variety of impairments (cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or some combination of these) by creating courses where content can be seen, heard, or manipulated ("do"). If you would like to obtain alternate access to UC Risk & Safety Training Center of Excellence online trainings or videos, please fill out our Accessibility Needs Request Form.

See

Hearing-impaired, visual, and English language Learners

For those whom are hearing-impaired or whose native language is not English, we provide visual access to content:

  • Transcript: Add "Script" tab and write out narration for all audio on each slide
  • Slide text: Add words on slides to reinforce transcript using "command" words or verbs
  • Video subtitles: Link to video sharing website that have enabled closed-captioning (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
  • Images: Illustrate ideas as a picture, photo, or videos
  • Contrast: Use color, large font size, and/or state changes to highlight important information on screen
  • Next button: Add "Next"  button to all slides, with the exception of interactions
  • Objectives: Add slide at beginning identifying what people should be able to do by the end of the training, and connect content to objectives [for English Language Learners or cognitively-impaired]
  • Downloadable version: Provide written document with all information that can be accessed by a screen reader [for seeing-impaired] upon request as reasonable accommodation

Hear

Seeing-impaired, mobility-impaired, and auditory learners
  • Narrate: Add audio voiceover for text on all slides and layers
  • Previous button and Player controls: Add "Previous" buttons, Play/Pause/Refresh player controls, and a scrubber or seek bar, to repeat or review information 
  • Auto-advance: Add trigger that jumps to next slide when timeline ends [for those with difficulty seeing "Next" button, or are mobility-impaired (e.g., hand, wrist, or shoulder restriction)]
  • Alternatives to drag-and-drop: Add button that opens a layer with text-based accommodation, or provide keyboard-controlled interactions [for those with difficulty seeing target objects or location, or are mobility-impaired]
  • HTML5: Publish in Articulate Storyline 3 using "HTML5" format (without Flash) to optimize for screen readers

Do

Kinesthetic Learners 
  • Chunk: Create interactions every few slides to break up lecture
  • Engage: Incorporate activities that allow for movement while learning (e.g., scenario or quiz), and are diverse and appropriately challenging (such as multiple choice or response; no True/False or reading directly from slide)
  • Pacing: Allow opportunity to click on any links or buttons before advancing to next slide (adjust timing for auto-advancing slides)
  • Test: Ensure final assessment is available in multiple-choice scenarios

Principles

In addition to the guidelines provided here, Risk & Safety Training strives to provide reasonable accommodation and follow principles of Universal Design for Learning.

  • Reasonable AccommodationWe enable equal opportunity for qualified individuals with disabilities.
  • Universal DesignIn our courses we provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression.
Reference
  1. Articulate. (2017). Storyline 3: How to design an accessible courseRetrieved from www.articulate.com
  2. Articulate (2017, September 11). Articulate Storyline and Section 508 accessibility. Retrieved from www.articulate.com 
  3. Systemwide Training & Education Workgroup (STEW). (2011, July 8). EH&S Training: Best Practices, Standards, and Guidelines. University of California. Retrieved from http://stew.ucdavis.edu
  4. Ducut, J.D. (2016, September 1). ADA Disability and Design. Presentation during STEW meeting (online).
  5. Academic Engagement. (2018, May 16). Universal Design for Learning Resources (UDL Resources). University of California Riverside. Retrieved from http://engage.ucr.edu