Here at D2L, we are committed to meeting the needs and accessibility standards in education for learners. That is why our D2L Course Publishing team designed the D2L Ontario Elementary digital resources with accessibility top of mind.
By focusing on accessibility, we are able to provide additional tools and functionality to all students that are available in each resource in D2L Brightspace. Aligning the D2L Ontario Elementary digital resources with global accessibility standards, we have made each one of our digital resources more usable by people of all abilities and compatible with assistive technologies.
Tools to Make Your Classes More Accessible
In this blog, discover the various tools and functionalities that help provide students with a more accessible learning experience that can give them the support they need throughout their educational journey.
Videos
Videos are closed-captioned and available to students through a custom video player. In addition, all videos are equipped with interactive transcripts for students to follow along with, if desired. Descriptive audio is also offered for videos where visuals and content are not clearly identified in the dialogue or the text of the surrounding lesson.
Keyboard Accessibility
D2L Ontario Elementary digital resources are built with the goal of being keyboard accessible. This means that a student who is unable to use a mouse can navigate through the page and interactive page elements using a keyboard.
Screen Reader Compatibility
D2L Ontario Elementary digital resources are developed with the goal of being compatible with a screen reader. Through the use of semantic mark up, important elements of pages, images, and text can be read aloud to students who benefit from accessing the content in different modalities. This includes any PDF files used within or referenced by the course.
Contrast Considerations
Graphic design elements, animations, and motion graphics in each digital resource are reviewed for proper colour contrast. This can help students with low vision to better can access the course content. Filmed footage and photography are also reviewed for contrast and accessibility. The only exception is when real-life scenarios are portrayed and are key parts of a lesson or concept. In these cases, we support the content by making it accessible as text within the lesson page.
Seizure Regulation Alignment
Video content can be set to help minimize the risk of seizures to individuals with photosensitive epilepsy. Animated GIF’s (short video content that automatically loops) typically are not used. Short looping videos, when needed, are displayed through a special multi-media player that gives the student the ability to stop, pause, and play content.
As we continue to develop additional resources, we openly report our conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AAA standards and our compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1973. Our WCAG Checklist and Section 508 VPAT are published on our accessibility compliance page.
Inspire Young Minds with D2L Digital Curriculum
Using the right resources and educational philosophy, we can exceed the needs of students with exceptionalities and inspire them throughout their education. D2L’s curriculum-aligned digital resources will help offer teachers and students create valuable learning experiences that work in harmony with D2L Brightspace.
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