As instructional designers, if we are to move past the rhetoric of DEI buzzwords and make true systemic change, we must first examine and challenge our biases. What is tricky about designing asynchronous learning is that we are often unaware of the needs of our learners, so it is important to admit that we make assumptions about who accesses our online content without ever knowing them. Our assumptions are often faulty and sometimes based on the belief that people with disabilities are unable to perform the job functions for which we train.
Moving away from the medical model
Early in my career, I was trained as an educator in an "accommodate special needs" system, one that sees the needs of a single learner with a disability and seeks to meet their needs separately from other learners. For example, if a learner had a learning disability, they would get extra time or support to complete a task beyond what is given to other students. Or worse, all individuals with a specific diagnosis would be grouped together and a list of accommodations that must be made for them without considering their whole identity. For example, all students with the diagnosis of ADHD would be given the same set of accommodations regardless of their individual needs. These practices are rooted in the medical model of disability, which views disability as a problem to be fixed.
While at the time of my early training the accommodation approach was a move towards inclusive education practice, Universal Design and Deep Accessibility practices suggest that meeting a broad spectrum of learner needs within an initial design is a more inclusive approach. This is because Universal Design and Deep Accessibility principles seek to welcome the learners as they are and account for their needs within the design offered to everyone. Specifically, in Ford's (2013) initial writing on Deep Accessibility, they note that a system that relies on accommodations either lowers expectations for or provides special privileges to people with disabilities. This philosophy represents a move towards the social model of disability, which asserts people with disabilities are more disabled by the society in which they live than by their bodies and diagnoses.
Designing for deep accessibility
I argue that it is our ethical responsibility as instructional designers to continue to explore how we can make our courses as inclusive as possible in the initial design without the need for individual accommodations. This mindset is particularly important for anyone who designs asynchronous learning for a broad, unknown audience. We must acknowledge that eLearning is still relatively new when compared to other types of training and education delivery, and there are many barriers to overcome when designing eLearning content. Further, as technology evolves over time some barriers will be addressed while new ones are created.
While Ford’s Deep Accessibility framework was originally created for individuals on the autism spectrum, the framework has implications for design considerations that could benefit all learners. The five levels, and their applications to eLearning, are outlined in the table below. Using the deep accessibility framework and existing guidance for Instructional Designers, I created a series of actionable steps that IDs can take to improve the accessibility of eLearning and discover new best practices that work for their learners. It is important to keep in mind that this is neither a definitive list, nor one that will remain static over time.
| Ford’s Framework Level | Application to eLearning | Actions for IDs, when possible: |
| Movement refers to getting to and moving around the learning environment. | Assure that learners with a variety of needs can access and navigate the learning management system (LMS) and course content. | Seek out feedback from individuals in your target audience. Perform testing of the LMS and courses with different navigation methods to discover points of improvement. |
| Sense refers to existing in the learning space and being able to focus on what is required for learning. | Make design choices that allow the learner to engage in the content without being distracted or overstimulated. | Avoid loud/bold colors and noises. Avoid elements that loop, flash, or have complex color patterns or designs. Meet 508 compliance guidelines, including but not limited to: alt text, closed captions, and color contrast. |
| Architecture refers to organization and movement through the learning experience. | Make design choices that welcome the learner into the space and help them move through it without getting confused or feeling unsafe. | Create designs that have a logical structure and are tagged for focus order. Include visual cues for navigation. Use flexible navigation options so learners can move forward and backward through content and revisit main menus when branching or using layers. |
| Communication refers to the learner's ability to understand and be understood in the learning environment. | Challenge assumptions about learner prior knowledge, experience, and reading level. | Follow plain language guidelines including:
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| Agency refers to the learner’s level of control in the learning environment. | Examine program and power dynamics; empower the learners to experience content in a way that best suits their needs. | Give learners the ability to complete the course in their own way, on their own time. Use diverse imagery that is representative of the learner population. Use gender-neutral language. Extend solutions to all learners. |
Positionality
I believe that it is important to acknowledge my positionality as an author. I am a cisgender white female who holds a PhD; all of this to say, I am aware of my privilege. While I do have diagnoses of scoliosis, chronic migraines, anxiety and vertigo, I live in an environment which accommodates my diagnoses. I work-from-home so I can take breaks as needed and can arrange my schedule to make medical appointments. I also can adjust my physical environment and work schedule to meet my needs. As a result of my diagnoses, however, I am aware of assumptions about my ability. I also have an appreciation for how inclusive practices impact my quality of life and ability to achieve my full potential. I acknowledge that my decisions as an instructional designer can limit access to the content I design in ways of which I am unaware. As a result, I encourage ongoing dialog among instructional designers and learners with disabilities to most accurately capture design choice nuances that empower learners of varying abilities and needs to meet their training and education goals.
Learn more from Heather at her session, Deep Accessibility: Applying Universal Design Principles Throughout the ID Process, taking place at DevLearn in November 2024.