Accessibility is an absolute must in today's world - also in the digital learning sector to ensure participation for all. It enables all people, regardless of their physical, sensory and cognitive abilities, to use e-learning offerings. It is not only people with disabilities who can benefit from barrier-free measures. Older people and people who are temporarily restricted can also have special needs that can only be addressed with an accessible learning offer. In this way, accessible e-learning also addresses learners who have often been neglected in the past.
Not only are certain measures now mandatory in order to comply with legal requirements such as the BGG and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (e.g. in Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Taking accessibility into account also has advantages for companies, as it promotes compliance with legal requirements and improves their image. In fact, accessible courses are often more accessible for all users and offer an improved learning experience, including through multimedia approaches that convey information on multiple levels. This also makes e-learning more suitable for different types of learners. In addition, companies that use accessible approaches create a more inclusive working environment with more equal opportunities, which makes them more attractive employers.
Although accessibility is such an important topic, it often doesn't get the consideration it deserves. Why?
Many companies understand the benefits of accessibility and yet there are always problems with the actual implementation. They often lack the necessary know-how to design barrier-free approaches. Anyone can use the WCAG standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), but implementing them all in full is difficult, especially if existing processes do not already take this into account. In addition, someone in the development team must be willing to take responsibility, which can be difficult due to a lack of knowledge about the legal framework for accessibility for people with disabilities. After all, it is about the inclusion of other employees.
At the same time, the question often arises as to whether barrier-free measures are not more expensive and time-consuming, and whether such an additional investment is worthwhile. Even if a course is created barrier-free, problems can arise. For example, if later updates no longer take guidelines into account, if additions result in inconsistencies in interaction design and layout, or if no one continues to manage the topic and is available for queries or feedback. FeedbackFeedback is immediate feedback that helps learners to monitor their learning progress. More is responsible.
Overall, the challenges can be summarized as follows:
But accessibility doesn't have to be a complicated issue.
Modern authoring tools can be used to overcome these challenges. They not only simplify the e-learning creation process itself, but also offer tools that make accessibility measures visible and integrable for people with disabilities. Examples of this are the display of missing alt texts for screen readers (software for the visually impaired to read graphic and textual screen content), warnings of weak color contrasts, and other indications of other deficiencies that would not be corrected without outside help. This support lowers the barrier to entry and allows developers without extensive technical know-how to minimize barriers in their courses.
Many authoring tools offer ready-made page layouts and interactions in which content only needs to be inserted and designs selected. The tool itself ensures that the layouts and options support the current WCAG guidelines. For example, screen readers can be used without any problems, modules can be controlled entirely via the keyboard and content can be displayed in a mobile and responsive way.
Behind these authoring tools are motivated teams of developers for whom accessibility is not only important, but a matter of course. They are constantly learning in order to give their tools even more tools with updates. As a result, the authoring tools are getting smarter and smarter and are always up to date.
One of these authoring tools is isEazy Author. It contains a large toolbox of functions aimed at the accessible design of e-learning. Over the past few years, the isEasy Author development team has worked intensively on functions that make e-learning more accessible for everyone and more WCAG-compliant. The result is a user-friendly system that makes it easy to create high-quality e-learnings that are also tailored to people with disabilities or other limitations.
Right from the initial creation of a new course, isEazy Author provides contextual information to ensure accessibility in your e-learning courses. For example, the tool indicates when an image has been inserted without alt text and offers a special view as an accessible mode for learners to promote participation. With isEazy Author, 100% of the WCAG-AA and 80% of the WCAG-AAA criteria can be met. And authors don't need to have any special expertise in accessibility.
isEazy Author offers the following advantages for the implementation of accessible e-learning:
E-learnings created with authoring tools such as isEazy Author not only create legal security and compliance with regulations. They contribute to an inclusive working environment in which everyone has the same opportunities for further training. This promotes employee satisfaction, creates a welcoming and attractive workplace and shows that a company is willing to take responsibility for the inclusion of its workforce.
It should not be forgotten that the dissemination of knowledge in general is also promoted. The more users can use a learning offer, the more knowledge and skills grow within a company. This means that learning objectives are achieved more quickly and the intended effect of e-learning is achieved faster.
In summary, this results in the following added value:
The Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) comes into force on June 28, 2025. This law implements EU Directive 2019/882 (the European Accessibility Act, EEA for short) in Germany. As a result, the topic of accessibility is becoming even more important in the development of certain products and services. The aim is to make offers for end users, such as websites, apps and online stores, more accessible. However, e-learning can also be affected if it is aimed at private individuals. In these cases, it is therefore particularly important to pay attention to the WCAG criteria.
Even with the right tools, it can be difficult to take the first step. First of all, it is important to familiarize yourself with the topic and better understand what digital accessibility involves. The WCAG, for example, which cover various areas, are helpful for this. Someone needs to investigate the topic and take responsibility for it. Authoring tools that recognize barriers can be used to make it easier to get started and build accessible e-learning from now on, which is in line with the Accessibility Enhancement Act.
Don't forget that accessibility will not happen overnight. To begin with, it is important to address the issue and to recognize and define it as a requirement. This requires not only a change in existing processes, but also the sustainable anchoring of the topic in the minds of employees and a sense of responsibility on the part of the developers within your team.
As soon as the first e-learnings have been created, attention must be paid to feedback. Feedback will be elementary for the development of further e-learnings. Especially feedback that comes from people with disabilities. Make sure that it is heeded and taken into account in the next development process. A consultation with experts and a tool from the Federal Accessibility Agency can also help to uncover potential for optimization in practice.
Accessibility in e-learning ensures that everyone has access to training opportunities. Digital accessibility means inclusion, equal opportunities and openness, which have a real impact on the lives of disabled employees. The path to accessibility can include challenges that can be overcome with a modern authoring tool like isEazy Author. Accessibility is not a trendy topic. By addressing it now, you are laying the foundations for future-proof and sustainable learning opportunities that can reach everyone.
Please help us to collect valuable answers on the topic of accessibility in e-learning and turn them into even more accessible online courses for our customers. Your answers to the survey will go directly to our instructional designers and the creative team. Thank you for your participation.
Benefit from over 20 years of experience in the e-learning industry.
