Developer Guidelines

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Pearson is committed to accessibility and is taking all possible measures to make the online learning experience accessible for all learners. The Developers Playbook was put together to provide content producers with the guidance required for creating accessible learning experiences and offer buyers courses that are accessible out of the box.

The playbook includes techniques for implementing accessibility across different web page elements, such as headings, lists, images, multimedia, dynamic content, forms, etc. It identifies both techniques that must be adopted, and techniques that should be avoided, from an accessibility perspective. Along with the techniques, the playbook lists tips, and tricks for enhancing accessibility.

The playbook comprises of examples of different Pearson online learning courses and lists possible solutions to help the team implement accessibility. Not only will the playbook serve as a valuable reference, but it can also equip the team to implement accessibility while designing and developing all future Pearson software and content.

INTRODUCTION TO ACCESSIBILITY

Accessibility refers to making a product or service usable for as many people as possible. In the digital space, accessibility ensures that websites, applications, documents, online learning solutions etc. are usable for all users including those with disabilities. Often accessibility is viewed at something that is meant for people with disabilities. However, accessibility benefits each one of us in different situations.

Today digital accessibility has been adopted in most countries across the globe. To make accessibility happen, there are standards, guidelines and specifications that outline ways to make it a reality. Technologies include support for developing accessible solutions and the demand for accessible products is increasing by the day.

In simple terms, accessibility is ensuring that everyone can use a product or service irrespective of their abilities or situation of use. In physical space, we may refer to accessibility as providing ramps to allow people on a wheelchair come in easily similarly in the case of digital accessibility it refers to making the online solutions available for all users including those using assistive technologies.

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility is a practice where websites, online learning courses, web applications, documents etc. are designed, developed, and maintained in a manner that people with disabilities can use them with accessibility features turned on as well as with assistive technologies. Web accessibility makes it possible for people with disabilities to access the content, interact with the functionality, understand the content, and use the content with their assistive technology.

Accessible web content ensures that learners with mobility disabilities can enroll in online learning course without having to go through the hassle of waiting in long queues for their admissions. Accessible web content makes it possible for learners with hearing disabilities to listen to online lectures by following synchronized captions. Similarly, learners with visual impairments can perceive complex images by reading the alternate descriptions with their assistive technologies and those with learning disabilities can access the content by applying custom stylesheets.

Need for Accessibility

Web plays a significant role in our day-to-day life. Most of our daily activities from learning, shopping, banking, recreation, employment, healthcare, and government procedures happen online. Access to web content is therefore essential for all users including for those with disabilities.

Some of the key benefits of accessibility include:

  • Ensures access to essential online activities for all users.
  • Increase in customer base.
  • Helps to conform with accessibility standards and guidelines.
  • Builds brand loyalty.
  • Drives innovation by making solutions that are accessible for wide range of users.
  • Adhere to legal requirements.
  • Contribute towards building an inclusive society.

How people with disabilities use Technology?

Ever thought how someone who cannot see will access online learning simulations? Or how someone who cannot listen will access a video explaining the solar system? How someone with upper limb difficulties will perform a science experiment?  Technology acts as an enabler for people with disabilities and they can enroll to online learning courses, appear in an online exam, read books, participate in discussion forums, shop online, book their travel tickets, apply for credit cards and many more day-to-day activities on the web.

Evolution of the web has made life very easy for all of us and more so for people with disabilities as they can accomplish their tasks independently. People with disabilities use different assistive technologies to access the web either using a computer, tablet, or mobile device.

Let us learn about few of the assistive technologies used by people with disabilities to browse the web:

Visual Disabilities

  • Screen readers: reads out the information displayed on a web page for their users. Users can access the information by listening to the screen reader and using a keyboard to input the data or give commands. Screen readers rely on semantic markup to identify the information for their users. Screen readers also provide their users with option to access web page elements using different keystrokes.
  • Screen magnifiers: enlarges the information displayed on a web page for their users. Users can access the information by either using a mouse or a keyboard. Since users access the information in an enlarged form, not all the information is visible on the screen. This requires users to scroll a lot to access the information. 
  • Refreshable Braille Displayers: is a piece of hardware which can be attached to a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. It works in combination with a screen reader. The information read out by a screen reader is refreshed on the braille displayer and users can touch the braille pins and read the information. Users can read the information using the braille displayer whereas they can input the data using a keyboard. Refreshable braille displayers are used by blind and deaf-blind users.

Hearing Disabilities:

  • Synchronized captions help people with hearing disabilities access videos and text transcripts help them to access audio-only content with ease. They do not require any assistive technology as such to access the web content.

Learning Disabilities:

  • Text to speech synthesizers (TTS): reads out the text displayed on the screen as well as highlights the text. This helps users in understanding the information when it is read out to them. TTS software also provide users with options to view the information using different contrast themes.
  • Word prediction tools: predicts words while users are typing data. These tools are found very helpful by users with learning disabilities especially while filling up online forms as they do not have to memorize spellings.

Mobility Disabilities:

  • Adaptive keyboards: come in different shapes and sizes to meet user’s needs. Split keyboards (where the standard keyboard is split in two parts), one handed keyboard (which are adapted for users who do not have one hand), keyboards used in the bank that have multiple keys with combination of the digit 0 etc. are some of the examples of adaptive keyboards. These keyboards are used by people with mobility disabilities to meet their needs.
  • Sip-n-puff devices: are used by people with severe mobility disabilities, such as those who have issues with upper and lower limbs. With sip-n-puff devices, people can use their breath to click on a button or a link. While typing, people using sip-n-puff devices use the onscreen keyboards (readily available in different operating systems) with their device to fill up the details.
  • Onscreen keyboards: are virtual keyboards that are used by people who find it difficult to press the keys on a hardware keyboard. Onscreen keyboards are often used in combination with other hardware devices, such as eye tracking tools, head mouse etc.
  • Voice recognition systems:are software applications which people can control their computer by giving voice commands. Users can click on links or buttons, dictate their details while filling up forms etc. Adding descriptive and descriptive labels for links and buttons allow users to give accurate voice commands while accessing information on the web.

Pearson Accessibility Guidelines

Accessibility guidelines are available for different technologies, such as web, software, PDF, Videos etc. When it comes to web content the universal guidelines most countries and companies follow are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This is true at Pearson as well. The Pearson Accessibility Guidelines are aligned with WCAG 2.2 at Level AA.

WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 was adopted in October of 2023.  The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) group to help individuals, companies, and governments across the globe to implement accessibility in their web content.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provide directions for making web content more accessible for users with different types of disabilities.

WCAG includes 13 guidelines grouped into 4 principles:

Each guideline has testable success criteria for conformance at Level A, Level AA or Level AAA. In all, there are 78 success criteria that are grouped under the above-mentioned 13 guidelines. Often the questions that come up include: Do we have to comply with all the 78 success criteria? What is acceptable? How much is enough?

Below is a brief explanation of WCAG conformance levels:

  • Level A – Must be done.
  • Level AA – Should be done.
  • Level AAA – Can be done.
  • Across the world, Level AA conformance is what organizations and governments aim to achieve. WCAG 2.0 is approved as an ISO standard: ISO/IEC 40500:2012. WCAG 2.1 is an extension of WCAG 2.0, and it includes all the success criteria’s that were part of WCAG 2.0.