You can use Storyline to create eLearning lessons that are accessible to learners who have visual, hearing, mobility, or other types of disabilities. If you publish Flash content (SWF), the content can be made compliant. However, HTML5 and Articulate Mobile Player output isn't currently compliant.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) publishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a document that specifies what developers should do to their content to make it accessible. Today, many countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and countries in Europe, have adopted accessibility standards based on those developed by the W3C.
In the United States, the law that governs accessibility is commonly known as Section 508. Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 requires that federal agencies, and federally funded organizations such as colleges and universities, develop or use information technology that is accessible to people with disabilities.
Generally speaking, eLearning is considered accessible if it can be used by a learner who does not have to rely on a single sense or ability. Learners should be able to move through lessons using only a keyboard or a mouse. In addition, the lessons should include visual and auditory elements to support both hearing and visually impaired learners.
Your published Storyline lessons can be read by a screen reader. Screen readers are programs that use auditory feedback to read screen information to a learner. In addition, the screen reader acts as a mouse pointer, providing navigation via keyboard commands.
The most widely used screen readers are JAWS from Freedom Scientific, Window-Eyes from GW Micro, Dolphin Supernova by Dolphin, System Access from Serotek, and ZoomText Magnifier/Reader from AiSquared.
The following Storyline elements can be made accessible:
Here's how you can make a Storyline image accessible
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) publishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a document that specifies what developers should do to their content to make it accessible. Today, many countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and countries in Europe, have adopted accessibility standards based on those developed by the W3C.
In the United States, the law that governs accessibility is commonly known as Section 508. Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 requires that federal agencies, and federally funded organizations such as colleges and universities, develop or use information technology that is accessible to people with disabilities.
Generally speaking, eLearning is considered accessible if it can be used by a learner who does not have to rely on a single sense or ability. Learners should be able to move through lessons using only a keyboard or a mouse. In addition, the lessons should include visual and auditory elements to support both hearing and visually impaired learners.
Your published Storyline lessons can be read by a screen reader. Screen readers are programs that use auditory feedback to read screen information to a learner. In addition, the screen reader acts as a mouse pointer, providing navigation via keyboard commands.
The most widely used screen readers are JAWS from Freedom Scientific, Window-Eyes from GW Micro, Dolphin Supernova by Dolphin, System Access from Serotek, and ZoomText Magnifier/Reader from AiSquared.
The following Storyline elements can be made accessible:
- Images
- Slide text
- Slide names
- Buttons
- Playback controls (The function of each button is read by screen readers.)
- Slide transcripts using the Notes tab
- Question slides (Some Question slides are not considered accessible. Multiple choice and true/false are the easiest for a visually impaired learner to navigate.)
Here's how you can make a Storyline image accessible
Select an image and then, on the far right of the Ribbon's Format tab, click the Size drop-down menu to open the Size and Position dialog box open.
From the left of the dialog box, select Alt Text. In the Alternate text field, type some text and then click the Close button.
When an assistive device comes across an object with Alternative Text, the assistive device will read the text aloud for the learner. To hear the Alternative Text, the learner would first have to enable the accessibility features of their computer.
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