Introduction
Starting from July 2020, all of the new functionalities of Docebo Learn meet the accessibility standards outlined in the Docebo Accessibility Statement (opens in a new tab). Docebo focuses on creating a keyboard-only and screen reader-compatible experience and keeps an eye out for future guidelines. Docebo works to implement native accessibility to create functionalities that are accessible by default, uses semantic code – integrated by WAI-ARIA – and does not rely on overlays or plug-ins not compatible with the needs of people with disabilities.
Docebo is not responsible for the content uploaded to your platform (courses, training material, assets uploaded through Discover, Coach & Share, including subtitles) and does not grant that the content available in Docebo Content is accessible. However, we sincerely want to help you create content that can be as inclusive and accessible as possible by providing you with some easy suggestions and guidelines.
Learn more about configuring accessible interfaces.
Accessible Content
Creating content that is accessible to all individuals, regardless of their abilities, is of paramount importance. Accessible content ensures that everyone can engage with information, fostering inclusivity and providing equal opportunities for participation.
When talking about accessibility, content refers both to the text that users can read on the screen (visible text) and to the text used by screen readers (non-visible text).
The visible text includes training material's content, labels, text on buttons, links, and forms. The non-visible text includes descriptions not displayed on the screen, such as the alternative text for images.
Here are some suggestions.
Understand Your Audience and Purpose
Before crafting content, it is crucial you have a clear understanding of your target audience and the purpose of your communication. This awareness helps tailor your content to meet the needs of your readers. Consider any potential challenges your audience might face because of visual impairments, cognitive difficulties, or language barriers.
Use Clear and Concise Language
Simplicity is key when writing accessible content, clear communication benefits everyone and minimizes the risk of misinterpretation.
- Use straightforward language and sentence structures to enhance comprehension.
- Avoid jargon, complex terminology, or colloquialisms that might confuse or exclude certain readers.
- If you use acronyms or abbreviations remember always to consider the learners’ level of knowledge on the subject and provide the expanded version of the acronyms at the beginning of the content.
- Avoid unnecessary sentences or words. Screen readers read out loud every element of the interface, so the shorter the text, the faster users can navigate the area.
Maintain Consistency
Keep consistent language throughout the text so that the terms you use become familiar to learners. Consider writing a glossary of the most commonly used terms.
Write Good Titles
Good titles (for example for courses, learning plans, training material, channels, catalogs, etc.) are particularly important for orientation to help users understand their position on the page, and thus navigate pages and content. Good titles describe the content that they refer to. Try to be concise and put the most important information first.
Use Links Wisely
Write link text so that it describes the content of the target website. Avoid using ambiguous link text, such as Click Here or Read More, and indicate relevant information about the link target. As an example, avoid Click here to download the file and use Download the file as a link instead.
If the link is a download, inform the reader of the file type and size.
Enforce Readability
Some learners may find it difficult to read long texts. Write short, focused sentences and paragraphs. Use headings (and respect their structure) to split your text so that screen readers can jump from one section to the other. Try to keep continuity between sections for fluent navigation.
Avoid Heavy Formatting
- Use formatting (bold, italics, underline) and different font styles only when it is really needed.
- Always align the text to the left, do not center or justify it.
Design Your Content
The way you visually structure content improves readability, if the content is easy on the eyes, then it is also easier to understand. Some suggestions:
- Content structure and headings: Organize your content with a clear hierarchy using headings, subheadings, and bullet points. This structure helps screen reader users navigate the content and readers who may have difficulty processing long paragraphs. Meaningful headings improve the overall readability and flow of the content.
- Blank spaces: Some readers may find it difficult to read long texts. Write short, focused sentences and paragraphs. Use headings and blank space to split your content so everyone will be able to easily jump from one section to the other. Try to keep continuity between sections for fluent navigation
- Colors: Do not rely on colored text, some users may not see them properly or might have set their own colors in the settings of their devices. If you use colors, make sure to take color contrast into consideration.
Test Your Content
Make sure your content is as expected by testing it on your platform. Navigate to the areas where your content will be visible to your learners and try to emphasize it. Is the content auto-evident? Is the text clear and expansive? Are the links clear or you have used something like click here?
Consider Labels
Use the same suggestions listed for texts when customizing the labels shown in the user interface via the Localization Tool.
Review Content Regularly
The digital landscape evolves, and accessibility standards improve over time. Regularly review and update your content to align with the latest accessibility guidelines. This commitment to ongoing improvement ensures that your content remains inclusive and user-friendly.
Accessible Training Material
Make sure that all content that you create for courses (training materials) is accessible. Use the training material description to provide meaningful additional information about the content.
When configuring the number of views for training materials or the number of attempts for courses, keep in mind that some users may not be able to successfully complete a task on their first attempt. Reviewing content can be crucial for the effectiveness of the learning process. If such limitations are required, be aware that the effectiveness of the training might be affected based on the learner's abilities and usage conditions.
Also, don’t forget to add alternative text within the training material content.
Videos
Allow users to move through the video by dragging the item in the playhead and changing the playback speed.
Tests
When configuring tests, minimize the content that requires timed interaction. This enables people with blindness, low vision, cognitive limitations, or motor impairments to interact with content. Many users who have disabilities need more time to complete tasks than other users: they might take longer to respond or read, and they might be accessing content through an assistive technology that requires more time.
If it is necessary to apply a time limitation, make sure to provide enough time for tasks for all of your learners.
Alternative Text for Images
Images enhance content and provide visual context, but they can pose challenges for those who rely on screen readers. Always include descriptive alternative text (alt text) for images.
The alternative text is a short description of an image, which makes sense of that image when it can't be viewed for some reason ensuring that users with visual impairments can comprehend the context.
Here are some useful links to help you in creating good alternative text:
- WebAIM: Alternative Text (opens in a new tab)
- What’s the alternative? How to write good alt text - Design102 (opens in a new tab)
Some suggestions:
- When the image is only decorative and adds no value to the content, you can leave the alternative text blank. Then the image is skipped by screen readers.
- The screen reader itself adds the word ”image”, so you don’t have to include that information in the alternative text.
- To help you decide which alt text is the best and most suitable, the W3C published a useful tool: the so-called Alt decision tree (opens in a new tab).
Please Note! Thumbnails and header images are decorative elements implemented as background, making them invisible from screen readers. For this reason, you don't need to add alternative text for them.
Alternative Text for Images in Course Descriptions
When adding images to the course description, you can enter an alternative text by clicking on the image and then on Alternative Text.
Alternative Text for Images in Learning Plan Description
When adding images to the learning plan description, you can enter an alternative text when uploading images, in the Image Description field.
Alternative Text for Images in Training Material Description
When adding images to the description of training materials, you can enter an alternative text when uploading images, in the Image Description field.
Remember to provide alternative texts for the images included in the content of training materials. Docebo is not responsible for the content uploaded to your platform.
Subtitles and Transcripts
When working with multimedia content, like videos or audios, providing accurate subtitles makes sure that the content is accessible to individuals who may be unable to hear or understand spoken language.
Also consider that the more languages you support, the more content is accessible. By offering content in multiple languages, you open the door for individuals who may face challenges when engaging with a second language. You extend a helping hand to individuals who might find it challenging to understand complex concepts in a language other than their own. Multilingual content ensures that your message reaches a wider audience, breaking down language barriers and fostering a more inclusive digital environment.
Subtitles are available for video training materials and must be in VTT format and UTF-8 charset.
In addition, you can also offer transcripts, a textual rendition of spoken content that aids individuals with hearing impairments, as:
- downloadable files in the file repository area widget
- HTML content within the course
In either cases, remember to assign meaningful names to the resources.
References
Here are some useful links that may help you in creating accessible content: