Introduction to inclusive design in practice in collaboration with Teach Access
At a glance
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In this learning path, you’ll explore essential concepts of digital accessibility to ensure websites and apps are inclusive for all users. You'll learn guidelines and techniques for designing, developing, and testing digital products that are accessible to people with disabilities, creating a seamless experience that goes beyond compliance. By the end, you’ll be equipped to build digital experiences that are user-friendly, engaging, and accessible for everyone. By the end of this learning path, you'll be able to:
- Apply key techniques to support keyboard accessibility, emphasizing operability, logical focus order, clear visual indicators, and appropriate contrast.
- Develop and test websites and apps with strong screen reader support, ensuring smooth interaction for blind or visually impaired users.
- Assess and implement design principles related to color and contrast to enhance readability and navigation for all users.
- Design and test responsive digital content using best practices to maintain accessibility across different devices and screen sizes.
Disclaimer: The information in these modules reflects the accessibility regulations and practices current at the time of publication (2024). However, accessibility standards and best practices may evolve over time, so please consult the latest resources to ensure compliance. Users are advised to consult their organization’s accessibility requirements for current guidelines.
About Teach Access
This learning path was developed through a collaborative effort between Microsoft and Teach Access, bringing together expertise from both organizations to provide comprehensive and up-to-date accessibility education. Teach Access offers programs and resources to help equip learners with the digital accessibility skills necessary to build an inclusive world.
- Knowledge of the needs of people with disabilities
- Skills in the principles of accessible design and development, such that technology products and services are born accessible
The Teach Access Curriculum Repository (TACR) is a free collection of open educational resources designed to support teaching accessibility across various disciplines, housed in Canvas, and encouraging contributions from educators.
Prerequisites
None
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Modules in this learning path
Keyboard accessibility is crucial because it ensures that users who rely on keyboards, including those with disabilities, can navigate and interact with websites and apps effectively. This broadens the user experience for a wider audience and ensures compliance with legal accessibility requirements.
Screen reader support is essential because it enables individuals who are blind or have low vision to access and interact with websites and apps by converting text and other elements into speech and/or Braille. This ensures equal access to digital content and products, promoting inclusivity and helping meet accessibility standards.
In this module, you learn the importance of creating websites and apps that support screen readers. You'll also cover key principles for designing screen reader support. Finally, you'll recall essential design considerations, apply practical tips, and identify tools and tips to test for screen reader support.
Understanding color and contrast are essential for accessibility in digital products like apps and websites. It ensures that content is readable and navigable for all users, including those with visual impairments, promoting an inclusive online experience. In this module, you learn the importance of color and contrast in digital design for accessibility. You cover key principles and requirements, including contrast ratios and user interface (UI) components. You recall essential considerations, apply practical tips for high-contrast needs, and identify tools for testing color contrast across all control states and themes.
Resize and reflow are important for ensuring that web content remains accessible and usable across different devices, screen sizes, and user preferences. This ensures equal access to digital content and products, promoting inclusivity and meeting accessibility standards. In this module, you will learn why supporting resize and reflow is crucial for creating accessible websites and apps. You'll explore key design principles for implementing resize and reflow effectively. Finally, you'll review essential design considerations, apply practical tips, and discover tools and techniques to ensure your content adapts seamlessly across different devices and screen sizes.
Accessibility annotations are labels or comments included in designs for digital products to outline how elements should be made accessible. They offer directions to developers, designers, and testers to help ensure content is usable by individuals with disabilities. These annotations typically explain how components should function with assistive technologies like screen readers, keyboards, and magnifiers. In this module, you delve into the essential principles of accessibility annotations, specifically focusing on how to effectively annotate keyboard navigation & screen reader support your Figma mockups. Additionally, we are covering the importance of color contrast, High contrast, and reflow. Proper color contrast for text, graphics, and components is vital for readability, especially for users with visual impairments, while reflow ensures that content can be enlarged without increasing line length and without requiring scrolling in two dimensions when using zoom or magnification. By the end of this module, you gain the skills necessary to create inclusive designs that cater to all users, ensuring that your digital content is accessible and user-friendly.