Accessibility in Learning Design
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GigaToons Presents

Accessibility in
Learning Design

Designing content that works for everyone — because inclusive design is better design.

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Objectives

What You'll Learn

Why accessibility is essential, not optional
Color contrast and readability requirements
Keyboard navigation and screen reader support
Alt text, captions, and media accessibility
How to audit your content for compliance
Connected people
01
Chapter One

Why
Accessibility?

1 billion people worldwide live with a disability. Accessible design isn't charity — it's good design.

The Reality

Design for One,
Extend to Many

Curb cuts were designed for wheelchairs — now everyone uses them. Captions were for deaf learners — now 80% of viewers use them. When you design for accessibility, you design for everyone. Every accommodation makes the experience better for all users, not just those who need it.

Click to Reveal

Types of Disabilities

Visual

Click to flip

Visual

Includes blindness, low vision, and color blindness. Requires alt text, high contrast, screen reader support, and scalable text.

Auditory

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Auditory

Includes deafness and hard of hearing. Requires captions, transcripts, and visual alternatives to audio cues.

Motor

Click to flip

Motor

Includes limited fine motor skills. Requires keyboard navigation, large click targets, and no time-dependent interactions.

Cognitive

Click to flip

Cognitive

Includes learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism. Requires clear language, consistent layouts, and reduced cognitive load.

Knowledge Check

What percentage of video viewers use captions, regardless of hearing ability?

A
About 20%
B
About 40%
C
About 60%
D
About 80%
Color contrast
02
Chapter Two

Visual
Accessibility

Color contrast, font sizes, and visual clarity — the foundation of readable content.

Eye with light waves
Color Contrast

The 4.5:1 Rule

WCAG requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. This ensures readability for people with low vision and color blindness.

Test every text/background combination
Never rely on color alone to convey information
Minimum body text: 16px (we use 18px+)
Knowledge Check

Using red and green colors to indicate correct and incorrect answers is sufficient for all learners.

True

False

Glowing keyboard
03
Chapter Three

Beyond
Visual

Keyboard navigation, screen readers, alt text, and captions.

Keyboard Navigation

Every Click Must Have
a Keyboard Equivalent

If a learner can't use a mouse, they navigate with Tab, Enter, and arrow keys. Every interactive element — buttons, links, quizzes, flip cards — must be focusable and operable by keyboard alone. If it works with a mouse but not a keyboard, it's broken.

Match the Pairs

Connect Each Accessibility Feature to Its Purpose

Alt Text
Captions
Focus Indicators
ARIA Labels
Shows keyboard users where they are
Describes images for screen readers
Provides context for interactive elements
Makes audio content visible as text
All pairs matched correctly! These are the building blocks of accessible content.
Video

Designed for Everyone

See how accessibility transforms learning — from awareness to implementation.

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Watch to continue
Categorize

Sort these practices into Accessible or Not Accessible:

Accessible

Not Accessible

Tap to place

Alt text on all images
Captions on videos
Color-only error indicators
Keyboard-navigable menus
Auto-playing audio
Focus-visible outlines
Correct! Alt text, captions, keyboard navigation, and focus indicators are accessible. Color-only indicators and auto-playing audio create barriers.
Not quite. Color-only indicators and auto-playing audio are NOT accessible. They create barriers for users with visual and auditory disabilities.
Key Takeaways

Accessibility Is
Better Design

Contrast: 4.5:1 minimum, never color-only
Keyboard: Every click has a key equivalent
Alt text: Every image described for screen readers
Captions: All audio made visible
Universal: Designing for one extends to all
Glass hands inclusion

Course
Complete

Your Score: 0/3

You now understand the principles of accessible design. Build content that works for everyone — because everyone deserves to learn.

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