Content Audit: Accessibility and Inclusive Content Design (3-min. read)
February 2019 - September 2019 | Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA) | Design Management Fellow
Image of Teach-Out media content from 2023 discussing the War in Ukraine
The Center for Academic Innovation's (CAI) Teach-Out team at the University of Michigan sought to uncover accessibility and inclusive content design pain points in their online learning content to enhance user engagement and ensure compliance with Americans with Disability Act (ADA) recommendations. Additionally, they aimed to develop a flexible training strategy for Teach-Out subject-matter experts (SME) while meeting varied timelines for learning module production.
Approach
This was a two-phase, two week study and the first accessibility and inclusive design study done by the team. First, a literature review was conducted to define accessibility and inclusive content design for Teach-Outs, considering their unique nature as non-assessment-based online learning events. Additionally, relevant heuristics were identified to assess the current Teach-Outs and identify potential accessibility issues and exclusive content in the online learning experience.
Second, in collaboration with CAI’s Accessibility Learning Experience Designer, I oversaw a UX content audit of differently-formatted Teach-Out videos (n=13). We assessed parts of the content that did or did not align with certain standards informed by the frameworks below:
US Federal Gov. PLAIN Language Guidelines
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1)
WebAIM: Web Accessibility In Mind
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines
Process
As the Design Manager, I spearheaded a Content Audit study, establishing research templates, collaborating with cross-functional teams, devising the final framework, and implementing a socialization strategy to disseminate this work. While the Content Audit was about two weeks, the overall process from beginning to end, including the training of SME guest contributors was ongoing over the course of several months
1) Design Thinking Workshops
Led workshops with Teach-Outs Design Managers to comprehend Teach-Outs' inception, formats, and main accessibility concerns pertaining to the Team's SME guest contributors.
2) Shadowing & Observation
Attended scoping and production meetings between Design Managers and SME guest contributors to enhance empathy and identify learning gaps related to inclusive content design and accessibility in online learning.
3) Cross-Functional Collab
Collaborated across 7 cross teams, conducting research to identify accessibility and inclusion pain points to informing strategy and developing training resources
4) Socialization Research
Presented research and strategy to CAI vertical, trained SME guest contributors, and fostered internal and external partnerships with the Teach-Outs team.
Results
We identified 13 accessibility and inclusion-related content pain points that initially fell into five categories but later were iterated on and fell into three categories: conversational language, inclusive language, and descriptive language.
I developed a three-prong strategy for training which entailed two infographics, an instructional video, and a pre-filming workshop. This would allow the Design Managers, at any point, to pull from a toolkit of materials to train SME guest contributors and strategize with them on how to make their online learning event accessible and inclusive. Thus, ultimately improving end-user engagement in the online modules and increasing the degree of ADA compliance.
Below is a gallery of research artifacts that were captured during the study and socialization of findings.
Impact
The Teach-Outs Design Manager expressed how this study will enhance future collaboration with SME guest contributors. The infographic showcases the study's impact on other teams and the number of individuals trained with this strategy
