Creating Accessible Courses: 5 Best Practices and Tools

I’ve taught and built enough online courses to know this: accessibility doesn’t start with fancy software. It starts with how your course page looks, how your content is structured, and whether a student can move through it using just a keyboard or a screen reader. If those basics aren’t solid, everything else gets harder for the learners who need it most.

So instead of throwing generic advice at you, I’ll walk through 5 practical best practices (with tools you can actually use) and what to check for each one. I’ll also include a few “what I noticed” moments from testing—because that’s usually where the real gaps show up.

Quick preview of what you’ll get: design choices that help assistive tech, making videos/docs/quizzes usable, a testing workflow (WAVE + screen readers + keyboard checks), a simple plan to keep improving, and ways to build an inclusive course culture.

1. Prioritize Design for Accessibility

Accessibility starts with the “surface” your learners interact with. If your course home page, module pages, and lesson pages are hard to scan or navigate, students will struggle long before they reach your content.

In my experience, the easiest win is getting layout consistency right: use a single-column flow when possible, keep sidebars minimal, and make sure the main content area is obvious. Then focus on the stuff assistive tech depends on:

• Readable typography: aim for at least 16px base font size, and don’t go tight on line spacing. A line-height around 1.4–1.6 usually feels comfortable. If you’re using custom styles, test zoom at 200% to confirm nothing overlaps.
• Color contrast: target WCAG 2.2 AA contrast for text (commonly 4.5:1 for normal text). If your headings are light gray on a white background, it’ll look “fine” on your monitor and still fail for someone with low vision.
• Keyboard-friendly navigation: every link and button should be reachable with Tab, and the focus indicator must be visible (not removed in CSS). I’ve seen courses where focus rings were set to none—instant headache for keyboard users.
• Heading structure: use real headings in order (H1, then H2, then H3). If you fake headings with bold text, screen readers won’t know what’s important.

Here’s a quick example of what I mean by “real” structure. For a lesson page, I’d expect something like:

• H2: Week 2 — Lesson 1
• H3: Learning Objectives
• H3: Key Concepts
• H3: Practice Activity

One more thing: clickable elements should be big enough to tap on mobile. If your “Next” button is a tiny link next to a paragraph, you’ll create problems for everyone—especially learners using touch devices.

And yes, videos matter. Captions aren’t just “helpful”—they’re essential for accessibility. If you use Teachable, check your video captioning workflow in the product settings or editor (menu names vary by account and plan). In general, the best practice is: generate captions, then review them for accuracy—especially for names, technical terms, and any fast-paced sections.

Finally, avoid clutter and long walls of text. When I’m auditing courses, I look for paragraphs that are so long they become unreadable even for people without disabilities. Breaking content into short sections, using bullet lists for steps, and adding “what to do next” makes the course easier for everyone.

2. Make Course Content Accessible

Once the design is solid, the next challenge is the actual learning materials: videos, documents, quizzes, images, and anything students must interact with.

Accessible content means students can reach it and understand it using their preferred assistive tools. That usually comes down to a few repeatable checks.

Videos, audio, and transcripts

For video lessons, captions should be synchronized and readable. For audio-only content (podcasts, recorded lectures), provide transcripts. If your course uses “optional” audio, I still recommend transcripts—because transcripts are often the fastest way for students to review or study later.

Images, charts, and diagrams (alt text that actually helps)

Alt text shouldn’t be a placeholder like “image” or “chart.” It should explain the purpose of the image. Ask yourself: if the image disappeared, what would the student miss?

• If it’s decorative, use empty alt text (so screen readers can skip it).
• If it communicates information, describe the key details and context.
• If it’s part of a step-by-step process, include the steps the learner needs.

Documents and PDFs

PDFs can be accessible, but scanned PDFs are the problem. If your PDF is basically an image, screen readers can’t extract the text. Prefer documents created directly in a word processor, or export from tools that preserve headings, lists, and readable text.

In practice, I look for these PDF basics before uploading:

• Text is selectable (not just images).
• Headings exist (not just large bold text).
• Lists are real lists (not line breaks).
• Color isn’t the only way information is conveyed.

Quizzes and assessments

Assessments need extra care because they’re interactive. The common failure points I see are missing labels, unclear instructions, and form controls that aren’t announced correctly.

If you’re using an LMS like Teachable or another platform, check whether your editor has an accessibility checker for quizzes, or at least validation for labels and required fields. If you use Blackboard or Moodle, you can often run built-in accessibility checks on content you author (the exact location depends on version, but it’s usually in the editor or tools menu). The key is to test the quiz with keyboard navigation and a screen reader—not just the checker.

If you want a solid lesson structure that helps accessibility too, this is a useful starting point: how to create a course outline step-by-step.

3. Test Accessibility with the Right Tools

I’ll be blunt: automated tools can catch a lot, but they can’t replace testing with assistive tech. When I test a course, I run a quick “tool pass” first, then I do a keyboard + screen reader pass. That’s where the real problems show up.

Step 1: Automated checks (fast, but not perfect)

Start with WAVE (WebAIM). It’s great for catching common issues like missing alt text, structural problems with headings, and contrast warnings. Use it on key pages: course home, one lesson page, and any page with quizzes or downloads.

Also consider running browser-based checks like Lighthouse or axe-style scanners. But don’t treat “green” results as a guarantee. I’ve seen courses pass automated checks and still fail when navigating with only a keyboard.

Step 2: Keyboard-only navigation (my non-negotiable test)

Turn your mouse off (or just don’t use it). Then try to:

• Move through headings and links with Tab/Shift+Tab
• Open and close menus
• Reach “Start lesson,” “Next,” or “Submit quiz” buttons
• Confirm you can tell where your focus is at all times

If you can’t figure out where you are on the page, that’s a fail—no matter what the automated checker says.

Step 3: Screen reader testing (JAWS/NVDA)

Use a screen reader to experience the course the way many learners do. JAWS is common on Windows, and NVDA is a popular free option. The goal isn’t to “learn everything about screen readers.” It’s to catch obvious issues like:

• Headings being read in the wrong order
• Buttons announced without labels
• Form fields missing descriptive text
• Links that say “click here” instead of describing where they go

Step 4: Real feedback (when possible)

If you can, recruit a few testers with different needs. Even 3–5 students who try to complete a lesson end-to-end can uncover issues no tool will catch—like confusing instructions, unexpected focus jumps, or unclear error messages during quiz submission.

One last note about outcomes: I don’t use flashy claims like “X% retention boost” without solid sourcing. What I can say from testing is that accessible courses are usually easier to understand, easier to navigate, and less frustrating—so students spend more time learning and less time figuring out how to use the platform.

4. Plan for Continuous Accessibility Improvement

Is accessibility a one-time task? I used to think it could be. Then I watched what happens when course templates change, quizzes get updated, or a video is uploaded without captions checked.

Accessibility is more like maintaining a car than painting a wall. You don’t do it once—you keep it running.

• Set a schedule: do a quick audit monthly and a deeper review quarterly (or after big content releases).
• Audit after updates: whenever you change your LMS theme, plugin, or course template, run the keyboard + screen reader checks again.
• Watch for new media: every new video should go through the same captioning workflow and QA pass.
• Document what you fixed: keep a simple log (issue type → page/module → fix → date).

If you’re building quizzes often, you’ll probably find this helpful too: how to make a quiz for students.

Also, if you’re exploring AI tools for accessibility, treat them like a first draft—not the final answer. For example, AI can help generate transcripts or captions, but you still want to review for accuracy (names, acronyms, and technical wording are where errors hide). If a platform like Teachable provides subtitle or transcript generation features, confirm exactly where those options are in your workflow and test the output before publishing.

And please don’t skip the feedback loop. Ask students what felt confusing, what was hard to navigate, and what they needed to complete lessons. Then actually fix what you learn.

5. Create an Inclusive Learning Environment

Accessibility is the “can you use it?” part. Inclusion is the “do you feel like you belong here?” part. Both matter.

I like to start with communication. Set expectations early: tell students you welcome feedback, and explain how they can request accommodations or support.

Here are a few things that work well in real courses:

• Warm-up activity: a “getting to know you” thread where students can share what helps them learn (and what doesn’t).
• Clear participation options: allow multiple ways to engage—discussion posts, short audio replies, or even structured alternatives if someone can’t comfortably type.
• Clear guidelines: outline expectations for respectful communication and what happens if someone is disruptive.
• Flexible channels: forums for asynchronous questions, email for private concerns, and video/live sessions when possible (with recordings or transcripts when they happen).

If you want more ideas for keeping students engaged, this can help: student engagement techniques.

When students feel safe and supported, they participate more. And honestly, that’s when course accessibility starts to show up as better learning—not just compliance.

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