As a learning management system (LMS) administrator in CAMH Education, I ensure we deliver online courses that are accessible to our audience (e.g., learners and facilitators). By making accessibility an essential part of course development, we can support and enhance the learning experience.
Web accessibility goes hand-in-hand with usability and responsive design, and should be at the forefront of building an online course. Meeting web accessibility requirements might seem overwhelming, but through planning, understanding the laws and collaborating with your course project team and experts, the process can become efficient and sustainable. I’ll provide a brief walk-through of some of the ways an LMS administrator involves web accessibility at the different phases of course development.
Preliminary planning and design phase
This phase aims to choose the delivery method of a new course. An online or blended (i.e., both online and face-to-face) course may require an LMS and other applications (e.g., authoring tools, such as Articulate Storyline, or webinar software, such as Adobe Connect). Selecting the right applications should include an understanding of their compliance with web accessibility standards. These details usually appear on a product’s website and documentation.
I’ll also customize and test the accessibility of a particular application according to any organization- and course-specific requirements. Within an LMS, the customizable sections cover site and course administration:
Examples of site administration:
• User roles and permissions
• Plugins
• Reports
• Privacy settings
Examples of course administration:
• Theme
• Navigation
• Content page structure
• Learning activity tools
