Learning is impossible if information is imperceptible to the learner, and difficult when information is presented in formats that require extraordinary effort or assistance. To reduce barriers to learning, it is important to ensure that key information is equally perceptible to all learners by: 1) providing the same information through different modalities (e.g., through vision, hearing, or touch); 2) providing information in a format that will allow for adjustability by the user (e.g., text that can be enlarged, sounds that can be amplified).
In print materials, the display of information is fixed and permanent. In properly prepared digital materials, the display of the same information is very malleable and customizable. For example, a call-out box of background information may be displayed in a different location, or enlarged, or emphasized by the use of color, or deleted entirely.
| Strategy | |
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| Display information in a flexible format so that perceptual features can be varied. |
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Information conveyed solely through sound is not equally accessible to all learners and is especially inaccessible for learners with hearing disabilities, for learners who need more time to process information, or for learners who have memory difficulties. In addition, listening itself is a complex strategic skill that must be learned. To ensure that all learned have access to learning, options should be available for any information, including emphasis, presented aurally.
| Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Use text equivalents. |
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| Provide written transcripts. |
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| Provide visual diagrams, charts, notations of music or sound. |
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| Provide American Sign Language (ASL) for spoken English. |
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| Use visual analogues to represent emphasis and prosody. | Use emoticons, symbols, or images alongside speech |
| Provide visual or tactile equivalents for sound effects or alerts. |
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| Provide visual and/or emotional description for musical interpretation. | When music is playing, describe the music for those who can’t hear it so that they are able to get a sense of the mood of the piece. This might sound like using visual imagery to describe the music (‘suddenly, the storm lifts’) or describing the emotion of the piece (‘angry horns blaring’) |
Images, graphics, animations, video, or text are often the optimal way to present information, especially when the information is about the relationships between objects, actions, numbers, or events. But such visual representations are not equally accessible to all learners, especially learners with visual disabilities or those who are not familiar with the type of graphic being used. Visual information can be quite dense, particularly with visual art, which can have multiple complex meanings and interpretations depending on contextual factors and the viewer’s knowledge base. To ensure that all learners have equal access to information, it is essential to provide non-visual alternatives.
| Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Provide descriptions (text or spoken) for all images, graphics, video, or animations. |
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| Use touch equivalents (tactile graphics or objects of reference) for key visuals that represent concepts. |
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| Provide physical objects and spatial models to convey perspective or interaction. | Use of Models: Provide a 3D models to represent spatial relationships |
| Provide auditory cues for key concepts and transitions in visual information. | Auditory Cue: Provide a signal for students to understand when to transition (i.e. a chime when it’s time to move from one step to another step or one activity to another activity. |
| Provide text that is easily transformable into audio. |
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