A new accessibility tool on Careerforce’s e-learning platform to better support its disabled learners has been given the thumbs up.
For Careerforce, the work-based learning provider for the health and wellbeing sectors, this was just part of taking a proactive approach to improving outcomes for its disabled learners.
A team of staff from across Careerforce, supported by a lived experience advisory group developed a comprehensive Disability Action Plan that sets out a list of actions that will ensure its products and services are accessible and fit for purpose for disabled learners.
One of the key actions is making sure that digital platforms and new technology consider accessibility for disabled staff and learners.
The team managing Careerforce’s e-learning and assessment platform Aka Toi, completed a site accessibility audit to get a better understanding of where they could make improvements and ensure the platform was user friendly for all. As part of this ongoing work, Careerforce introduced the UserWay Accessibility widget on Aka Toi. The widget has a range of tools to help better support users with digital accessibility needs, including easily increasing font sizes, activating dyslexia friendly fonts, adding contrast to the page and more.
Careerforce’s accessibility tool on Aka Toi e-learning platform
In the first month after installing this feature onto Aka Toi, 21,511 users accessed the dyslexia/legible fonts, and 20,733 accessed the ‘Bigger Text’ function.
According to ‘Userway’, most websites are not coded properly for screen readers and other assistive technologies, and people with disabilities will leave a site that is not accessible.
Not everyone thinks of themselves as having a disability, but everyone appreciates being able to customize a site’s font size and pause animations if they are distracting. Putting users in control of how they interact with a website increases the amount of time they spend there.
One piece of feedback says, “I was with a learner who has really struggled with writing and reading content on Aka Toi and has required lots of support. She has dyslexia and has a poor history of school experiences when she was younger (now 21 years). She was so pleased with the widget and is now constantly using it for her learning. It has made a huge difference for her.”
Another reported, “Loving this accessibility tool – I showed it to one of our apprentices today and she has adapted her view to really enhance her experience!”
Careerforce has since installed the widget onto its main Careerforce website. To see how learners can improve their learning experience, people can take a look at the widget on the learning platform, Aka Toi, https://akatoi.careerforce.org.nz/ or on www.careerforce.org.nz.