Perspectives on inclusive content creation: Designing with accessibility in mind from the start
In its simplest form, being inclusive is about ‘not excluding any particular groups of people’ [1], but in content creation, we have the opportunity to go beyond this dictionary definition. At Hopscotch, we think it’s our responsibility to make sure all learners feel actively included and represented to ensure everyone can access and benefit from the education content we’re producing.
We’re always challenging ourselves to think about what more we could do to make sure we engage a range of learners. So, we’ve spoken to a range of experts to find out more about how they create inclusive and accessible content. For blog number three, Stacey and Adam Drake, who work in school and hospital education settings, share the importance of ensuring accessible design isn’t an afterthought.
Did you know there are more than 1 billion people with disabilities in the world?[2]
Imagine being given a piece of text written in a language you are not familiar with; this is what it can be like for someone with impaired accessibility. We are fortunate to be in a world where technology and support is now readily available, meaning there are no excuses for creating inaccessible content.
Just because someone is unable to access material, it doesn’t make them any less entitled to the information. So many successful people have gone way and beyond expectations thanks to assistive technology, making it possible to celebrate differences as strengths.
When creating content, you should ask yourself are you able to present your information visually, via audio or kinaesthetically? For example, can you use assistive technology to read the text aloud, can you embed a video to show something in practice. Basic considerations such as colour, contrast, font and text size can make a huge impact.
When you design with accessibility in mind from the start you ensure you can reach all audiences.
Stacey Drake, Daventry Hill School, Creating Tomorrow Trust and Adam Drake, Northamptonshire Hospital & Outreach Education
One place to start is by learning about all the accessibility features in the products you’re using. At Hopscotch we’ve all undertaken the Microsoft Accessibility Fundamentals e-learning course to learn more about how we can create content that maximises the tools already available to us. From using the accessibility checker to adding alt-text to images, we’re working with our suppliers to make our content as accessible as possible.