A Practical Approach to Accessibility (without the panic)
- Jan 31
- 3 min read
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April 24 is coming up fast. For some folks, that date is starting to feel a little panic-inducing, especially if they are worried about meeting WCAG 2.1 requirements by then. If you are not sure what that means or why people are suddenly stressed about accessibility deadlines, read this article on ADA Title II compliance requirements.
Even if your institution is not affected by the upcoming deadline, it is still worth working toward making our content more accessible. Don't you want everyone to be able to access the absolutely amazing content you all create? I thought so.
Recently, I was asked to facilitate a virtual workshop and create some just-in-time accessibility resources for my alma mater, Bowling Green State University. As part of that project, I have been creating a series of short videos designed to help the learning community gently dip their toes into sustainable accessibility practices. Very gently. No pressure, no shaming, and no expectation that anyone has this all figured out already.
I strongly believe people learn best in low-stress, low-judgment environments. Especially with accessibility, fear and overwhelm can shut people down fast. So these videos start with the basics. The goal is to help people feel confident taking small, realistic, and sustainable steps right away, not to make anyone feel like they have already failed before they begin.
While creating this series, I have learned a lot. Including that I still have a lot to learn.
I am currently deep in accessibility work. I am taking Dr. Nicole L’Étoile’s “Making Online Content Accessible for All” course, working through Deque University’s CPACC (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies) exam prep course, and reading along with Accessibility Club, which I am also helping co-manage this month. I am also creating video explainers for a nonprofit I care deeply about, where accessibility is central to the work. It is a lot, in the best way.
As I refine my own skills, I keep catching myself using language that is not as clear or accessible as I thought. Recording these videos has made one thing very obvious: scripting matters. A lot. Sticking to the script matters even more. Turns out “I’ll just wing it” is not an accessibility strategy. I'm very used to and comfortable with public speaking and "going with the flow" when things go wrong, so I have a tendency to go "off script" in the moment. This project has really helped me learn to write and stick to a clear script when I have the luxury of doing so.
I have also been more intentional about verbally describing what is happening on screen. Those descriptions are reflected in the transcripts too, so learners can access the same information in multiple ways.
One challenge has been deciding what not to include. I could easily spend an hour talking about color contrast alone. Instead, I turned it into a five-minute video. There will be more videos in the future, but the goal of this series is to help beginners start now. Too much information can be just as unhelpful as not enough.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much there is still to learn. Honestly, I love that part. I have really enjoyed auditing my own materials and making improvements along the way. My only complaint is not having enough time. I want to fix everything immediately, and that is just not how reality works.
What matters most is that every new thing I learn gets built into my practice moving forward. Older materials can be updated gradually. Progress beats perfection every time.
If you are new to accessibility, I hope you will follow along. I will be sharing this full video series on my YouTube channel over time, along with reflections and lessons learned here on the blog.
For now, enjoy this five-minute video that walks through using the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Word to check color contrast. And if there is something specific you want to see covered next, let me know.
(Open video in YouTube for full transcript and time stamps).
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