Accessible Virtual Training: 11 Quick Tips to Accommodate Learners

Making Accessible Virtual Training Is More than Just Adding Closed Captioning and Increasing the Font Size

With the explosion of virtual classroom instruction comes increased concern about ensuring that our work is accessible to all who want to learn. Yet still people often come to accessibility conversations with exasperation and belief that it’s just more work.

In those times I invite them to think of these scenarios:

• a middle-aged friend suddenly needing a “longer arm” to read a pill bottle,
• a dad with slipping hearing turning on closed captions for everyday TV viewing,
• or a grandmother struggling to use a new TV remote.

Lots of us wear glasses, or contact lenses, or have had surgery to correct vision. Many of us prefer a font larger than the defaults on our devices. In thinking about ways of creating accessible virtual training for those who may have specific needs, it’s important to remember that doing so will make things better for all our learners.

What to Know about Your Learners

Here are a few factors—that you may or may not know will come into play—to keep in mind about your learners.

Disability Disclosure

Unless they are asking for accommodation, workers do not have to disclose whether they have a disability or are using any assistive devices or other support. In my experience they often will—for instance, saying they need or will be using an interpreter—but watch your assumptions about the people in your events.

Limitations with Closed Captioning

While closed captions are valuable and product captioning software gets better all the time, the matter of trying to view a presentation and keep up with captions at the same time can be daunting.

Try to slow down and add some pauses.

Realize that individuals with hearing impairments can’t always tell when you’ve switched speakers, especially if the screen is displaying just a slide or image: Let them know when a new voice is presenting.

Here's a wish-list item of mine for future versions of products: Captioning in different colors associated with different speakers.

Multiple Screens

Many deaf users prefer working with a live interpreter, and often choose to use two devices or monitors (or even platforms) during a session:

one for the actual learning experience,

another for a full view of the interpreter rather than a small thumbnail or gallery headshot.

So be aware that they may be watching two screens—with information in different formats—at once.

Vision Challenge Strategies and Limitations

Learners with vision challenges may be using screen magnifiers, enlarging the screen view, or zooming in on items on the screen. These strategies can push content out of view that they’ll then have to scroll to see.

11 Quick Tips on How to Help Your Learners

Here are some tips meant to help you start thinking about virtual classroom accessibility:

1. Begin with the End in Mind

Building for accessibility upfront is far easier than trying to retrofit later. Design materials and slides with an eye toward accessibility.

Do activities require special instructions for people who can’t see? Are quizzes and other items accessible to those with mobility challenges? 

Include notes about accommodations or alternate ways of running activities in facilitator guides.

2. Consider the Learner's Journey

How much work is it for them just to learn about, sign up for, and log into your classes?

3. If Possible, Send Slide Decks and Other Materials in Advance

Especially do so if material and terminology are likely to be unfamiliar.

4. Watch Your Language

Be careful of phrases like “as you can see from this photo…”. Describe what they should be seeing.

5. Pay Attention to Color

Issues seeing with low contrast are a common complaint. Be careful not to rely on color as a cue—for instance, use X's and checkmarks, not red and green dots, to indicate yes/no, good/bad, right/wrong, etc.

6. S l o w  D o w n

It's a simple step that can work miracles.

7. Help Learners with the Platforms

If they can control whether captions are visible, make sure they know how to do that. If the screen can be enlarged, tell them how. Same with enlarging the size of fonts in chat and captions. Let them know about recording highlights and search features.

8. Check the Websites of the Products You're Using

For instance, both Webex and Zoom offer overviews of accessibility features and tips for making experiences more inclusive.

9. Consider What Needs to Happen to Execute Seemingly Simple Tasks

For instance, a person working with an interpreter may want to ask a question. Doing so requires time to convey the question to the interpreter, time for the interpreter to ask and get the answer, then time for the interpreter to give the answer back to the learner with the question. Add a few extra beats for all that.

10. Get Educated

If you produce a lot of materials like participant workbooks, learn about making Word documents and PDFs accessible—there are classes on this to help you.

11. If You Have Access to Learners, Find Out What They Struggle With

If you can, watch them as they engage in sessions similar to yours.

Parting Thoughts

Remember that making accessible virtual training for only the few who need it actually makes it better for us all.

This is just a quick dip. Please see these additional resources:

Resources

Bozarth, J. It’s not just about compliance. Learning Solutions Magazine, July 2015.

Stories of Web Users: How people with disabilities use the web. 

Susi Miller, Designing Accessible Learning Content: A practical guide to applying best-practice accessibility standards to L&D resources (2021: Kogan Page)