At Elucidat, we believe that learning should be accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. It is important that the content created through our platform is inclusive, user-friendly, and meets the highest possible accessibility standards. We recognize that individuals with disabilities must have the same opportunities to learn and grow as anyone else. This is not just an ethical obligation but a legal requirement, as per Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the United States and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, which are internationally recognized standards.
Our commitment to accessibility
We’re committed to enabling our customers to create elearning that fully satisfies Section 508 in the US, and the Equality Act in the UK.
Elucidat is made from good, semantic HTML (HyperText Markup Language) that is easily understood by whichever assistive technologies you and your learners choose to use. We offer a huge step forward from the old Flash based tools and are an accessibility leader amongst HTML5 tools. We also continuously improve and refine our product to maintain accessibility compliance.
Some of our headline accessibility features include:
- Full support for JAWS screen reader and OS X Voiceover
- Full support for keyboard navigation
- Visible highlighting to show learners using keyboard navigation where they are
- Well crafted semantic HTML5 to help learners understand the structure of all pages
- Forms and interactions designed to be easy to use by screen readers
See our Accessibility Conformance Report for more information.
Your role in creating accessible learning
Elucidat allows an unprecedented level of control for authors, and so, as you create learning, you have an important role in making courses that are fully accessible.
Creating accessible content doesn't just mean ensuring it can be read by screen readers. It also means that is easily digestible and navigable by all types of people. By building your content to be accessible from the ground up, you're ensuring that your learning can be accessed by as wide an audience as possible.
Supporting accessibility queries
The wide range of possibilities that Elucidat allows for creation means that you, the author, has a high level of control and freedom when it comes to how your courses are built and presented.
In order to provide the best possible starting point, Elucidat offers parts, page types and interactions which are built to meet modern accessibility standards. However, accessibility also relies heavily on the author ensuring that the content they build, write, and style also adheres to accessibility best practices.
While our Support team are experts in the Elucidat platform and how it works, this flexibility means we are not able to support accessibility queries or issues that don‘t stem directly from a fault or issue in the platform itself.
We are not able to authoritatively advise on accessibility best practices, nor are we able to perform accessibility audits of your content and provide specific suggestions on how to build your courses to meet modern accessibility standards.
We do provide some general advice in our Help Center but we would also advise to seek out answers to more specific accessibility queries from other sources.
The W3C WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) website is a valuable and highly regarded accessibility resource and the Design and Develop section in particular has some useful information which can apply to building content in Elucidat.
Features for creating accessible content with Elucidat
Some of the ways Elucidat supports the creation of accessible elearning content:
- Customizable Color Contrast: Select from various color palettes or create your own to ensure a sufficient contrast ratio between text and background, making the content more readable for individuals with visual impairments.
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Keyboard Navigation: Enable keyboard tabbing so users can navigate the course using only the keyboard. This is especially important for individuals unable to use a mouse or a touch screen.
Alternative Text for Images: Easily add alternative text to non-decorative images so that screen readers can convey the information in the images to those with visual impairments. - Screen Reader Compatibility: Our authoring tool is compatible with screen readers, ensuring that visually impaired users can have the content read aloud to them coherently.
- Readable Fonts: Choose from a range of visually appealing fonts that are easy to read, enhancing the experience for users with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
- Logical Content Structure: Employ hierarchical headings and a logical content structure, which helps screen readers interpret the content and provide a more effective reading experience.
- Accessible Page Types: Choose from our library of clearly identified accessible Page Types so you know the pages you add to your course will meet accessibility guidelines.
At Elucidat, we are passionate about making elearning accessible for all. Our ongoing commitment to accessibility is embedded in the fabric of our product and our company culture. Through innovation and dedication, we will continue to ensure that Elucidat remains a platform that supports creators to develop inclusive and accessible elearning content.