How to Write Accessible E-Learning Content That Engages All Learners

Creating eLearning content that is accessible is essential for an inclusive learning environment. Whether you're designing training for employees or catering to learners in diverse situations or noisy environments, accessibility ensures your content is easy to understand, navigate, and enjoy for everyone, including those with disabilities. Whether you’re designing text-based lessons, videos, or interactive quizzes, this type of content helps engage a broader audience and keeps learners invested.

In this blog, we’ll explore practical tips for making your eLearning materials — text, videos, and quizzes — more accessible, motivational, and effective for every learner.

Craft Clear and Simple Text Content

Text content is the backbone of eLearning platforms, and making it accessible starts with clarity. Writing in a way that’s easy to understand benefits all learners, but it’s especially helpful for individuals with cognitive or learning disabilities.

Here’s how to keep your text clear and accessible:

Use simple, concise language

Avoid jargon or complex terminology unless absolutely necessary. If you do need to use specific terms, include a brief explanation or link to a glossary.

Break up large blocks of text

Long paragraphs can be overwhelming for any learner. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and headings to break content into digestible chunks.

Consistent structure

Maintain a predictable layout with consistent headings and subheadings. This makes it easier for learners to navigate your content.

Readable fonts

Choose fonts that are easy to read (sans-serif fonts like Arial or Verdana work well) and make sure the text size is adjustable.

Ensure Videos Are Accessible to All Learners

Videos are powerful tools for delivering eLearning content, but they must be accessible to engage all learners effectively. For those with visual or hearing impairments, video content can pose challenges if not designed with accessibility in mind.

Add captions and transcripts

Ensure that all videos have captions and transcripts. Captions are helpful for learners with hearing impairments, while transcripts provide a full-text version of the spoken content for review.

Audio descriptions

For visually impaired learners, provide audio descriptions that narrate what’s happening on the screen. This helps convey information that’s otherwise lost to those who can’t see the visuals.

Accessible video players

Use video players that support keyboard navigation. Learners with motor disabilities or those using assistive devices should be able to control playback without relying on a mouse.

You should always test your videos with screen readers and assistive technologies to make sure all learners can interact with and benefit from the content.

Create Engaging and Accessible Quizzes

Interactive quizzes are a staple of eLearning platforms, offering an engaging way for learners to test their knowledge. However, accessibility must be a top priority in quiz design to ensure every learner can participate.

For example, inclusive language must be used in questions and scenarios in order to ensure that the learners feel represented and engaged when interacting with the content.

Consider these best practices for accessible quizzes:

Keyboard navigation

Make sure your quiz can be navigated using only the keyboard. Learners with motor disabilities should be able to move between questions and select answers without relying on a mouse.

Alt text for visual elements

If your quizzes include images or diagrams, provide descriptive alt text so that visually impaired learners can understand the content.

Clear feedback

After each question, provide clear and concise feedback. Avoid using only colour to indicate correct or incorrect answers, as this can be difficult for colourblind learners.

Instead, use both text and icons (e.g. a green tick or red cross).

Timed quizzes

If your quizzes are timed, offer flexibility by allowing learners to request additional time or offering untimed options.

Design with Visual Accessibility in Mind

Visual accessibility is crucial for learners with visual impairments or colour blindness when designing eLearning content. When deciding on visual content, one of the best ways to determine what works or does not is to conduct an accessibility audit, either by having a disabled accessibility tester help or by using online tools like the WAVE Accessibility Checker.

Here are some practical tips for improving visual accessibility:

High-contrast colour schemes

Use high-contrast colours between text and background to make reading easier. For example, black text on a white background is more accessible than light grey text on a white background.

Scalable content

Ensure that text and other visual elements can be resized without losing clarity or layout structure.

Avoid relying on colour alone

Don’t use colour as the only way to convey information. For example, rather than using red to indicate incorrect answers, also include a label or icon to ensure clarity for colourblind learners.

Provide Multiple Formats for Learning

Learners have different preferences for how they absorb information, and offering multiple formats allows everyone to engage in the best way for them. To ensure this, you should test your eLearning platform on multiple devices to ensure it is effective on desktops, tablets, and phones — especially when your content is being accessed on different platforms.

To ensure compatibility on most devices, there are a number of elements to consider, for example:

Text summaries

For video or audio lessons, provide text-based summaries or notes that highlight the key takeaways.

Interactive content

In addition to text and video, incorporate interactive elements like clickable diagrams or drag-and-drop activities to cater to different learning styles.

Flexible pacing

Allow learners to progress at their own speed by offering content that can be paused, revisited, or consumed offline.

Conclusion

Writing accessible eLearning content is about more than meeting accessibility standards — it’s about engaging learners of all abilities. By crafting clear text, making videos and quizzes accessible, and designing with visual accessibility in mind, you can create an inclusive learning environment that ensures no one is left behind.