Accessibility/Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
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When it comes to accessibility it's important to note that accessibility doesn't relate solely to disabilities. Accessibility should be universal because every individual has their unique way of learning. Information should be readily available and presented in a variety of formats that are easy for individuals to access and digest. We are all learners and have specific ways we learn content better like some individuals are more hands on learners while others like more visuals. We live in a modern world that brings us so many technological advances which provide a variety of ways to provide accessibility to cater to individual needs of learners. Accessibility in the online learning space can include links to videos, audio descriptions, colorful text, the list goes on. Everyone deserves to be able to equally access information and as instructional designers we should strive to create solutions instead of more hoops for our learners to have to jump through.
The Importance of Accessibility
When it comes to accessibility we need to anticipate the issues users may encounter and how we can create a seamless experience for everyone. There is no one size fits all when it comes to universal design. It's important to test things out multiple times and get different opinions because we may view something as sufficient but we don't all interpret things the same way. Being flexible and understanding that everyone deserves access is crucial in bridging gaps. Making sure that our final product can be easily accessed and understood by people of varying abilities is important to create a successful design that will captivate individuals and their specific needs.
Additional Resources
Firth, Ashley. (2019). Practical Web Inclusion and Accessibility : A Comprehensive Guide to Access Needs (1st ed. 2019.). Apress. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5452-3
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Translated by ContentEngine LLC. (2019). What and what is the importance of accessibility? In CE Noticias Financieras (English ed.). ContentEngine LLC, a Florida limited liability company.