Accessible eLearning Development
Ensuring Inclusivity for All Learners
Microassist develops custom eLearning that is designed to meet Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA requirements from the storyboard stage. We also audit and remediate existing courses when training does not pass accessibility review.
Whether you need new course development, accessibility review, or remediation, Microassist provides 508-compliant eLearning and WCAG-compliant eLearning services through one experienced team.
The reasons organizations make their training accessible vary. An organizational policy requires it. A customer requires it under contract. A regulation requires it. Some do it because it is the right thing to do. The reason matters less than the outcome. Inaccessible training locks people with disabilities out of the work they were hired to do. A course an employee cannot complete is not a smaller problem than a course that fails an audit. It is the same problem, measured differently.
Accessible eLearning course development
New courses are developed in Articulate Storyline, Rise, Adobe Captivate, or Lectora with accessibility built in from the storyboard stage. Keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, focus order, color contrast, captions, and alt text are planned during design and development, not left for final QA.
By integrating accessibility throughout the development process, Microassist creates courses that are easier to review, easier to maintain, and more likely to work correctly when learners using assistive technology open them for the first time. Courses are built to conform with Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA.
Common project types include single-course builds for compliance training, multi-course curricula for workforce development, microlearning libraries delivered through an LMS, and software simulations that need to work with assistive technology.
Final deliverables typically include a packaged SCORM, xAPI, or AICC course tested in the client’s LMS environment before handoff. At project close, Microassist also transfers the editable source files so the client can maintain and update the course over time.
eLearning course remediation
When clients have existing Storyline, Captivate, Articulate Studio, or converted legacy courses that need to meet Section 508 or WCAG 2.1 AA requirements, Microassist remediates the course source files rather than treating accessibility as a surface-level fix.
Common remediation findings include missing keyboard navigation, inaccessible custom interactions, uncaptioned video, focus order problems, screen reader issues on custom-built slides, missing alt text, and color contrast failures. Remediated courses are tested against the same accessibility checklist used for new accessible eLearning development projects.
Remediation starts with scoping. Some courses can be remediated for less than the cost of rebuilding them. Others cannot. The right approach depends on the condition of the source files, the authoring tool used, the complexity of the interactions, and the level of conformance the client needs.
Microassist reviews the actual course files before estimating remediation work, so the scope reflects the course as built rather than a flat hourly assumption.
Accessibility audit of existing eLearning
For clients who need to understand accessibility issues before deciding whether to remediate or rebuild, Microassist conducts course-level accessibility audits.
The audit deliverable is a finding-by-finding report mapped to WCAG success criteria, with severity ratings and recommended remediation steps for each issue. This helps clients decide which courses are worth remediating and which may be better candidates for rebuild.
The audit report can also support procurement and compliance documentation, including completed VPAT-based Accessibility Conformance Reports, internal accessibility reviews, and vendor response materials.
Accessibility extends to every artifact in the training
Accessible eLearning includes more than the course itself. Learners may also interact with documents, videos, audio, transcripts, job aids, and LMS-delivered resources. Microassist applies accessibility standards across the full learning experience.
Documents. PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint decks, and job aids are created or remediated to support PDF/UA, Section 508, and WCAG requirements. This includes tagged structure, reading order, alt text, accessible tables, headings, links, and form-field labels.
Video and multimedia. Course videos can include closed captions, audio description, accessible transcripts, and accessible player controls. When video is produced for a course, accessibility is addressed during production rather than added as an afterthought.
Audio. Voiceover is developed using clear narration standards. AI-generated narration is also available for clients who need to balance accessibility, cost, and long-term maintainability, since AI audio can make future script updates easier to manage.
VPAT and Accessibility Conformance Report documentation. For clients procuring accessible eLearning through federal, state, higher education, or institutional buyers, Microassist can provide Accessibility Conformance Report documentation based on the VPAT template. These reports document how the course and supporting materials conform to Section 508 and WCAG requirements.
How accessibility is built into Microassist’s eLearning work
Microassist’s accessibility practice is built into the eLearning development process. Accessibility is not treated as a separate review step after the course is finished.
Accessibility specialists are involved from project kickoff. Instructional designers write storyboards with accessibility in mind. Developers build custom interactions that support keyboard navigation and screen reader use. QA testing evaluates both functional performance and accessibility requirements. The same specialists who audit and remediate existing courses also support new course development, which helps keep standards consistent across project types.
This approach is different from vendors that treat accessibility as a post-development checklist. Retrofitting accessibility into a course that was not designed for it often costs more than building it in from the start, and the result can be limited by the original design. Keyboard access may have to be forced into layouts that were not planned for it. Screen reader support may need to be patched onto interactions that lack the right structure. The work beneath the surface is easier to do well during initial design than after the course has already been built.
When organizations need accessible eLearning
Good fit for Microassist’s accessible eLearning development services includes organizations that need training to meet formal accessibility requirements, procurement expectations, or internal accessibility commitments.
Common clients include:
Federal contractors and federally funded programs that must meet Section 508 requirements for training they deliver, sell, or distribute.
State agencies subject to state accessibility standards, procurement requirements, or technology review processes.
Higher education institutions with ADA Title II obligations, accreditation expectations, or accessibility requirements for online learning.
Healthcare and public health organizations delivering patient education, compliance training, or workforce training that needs to be accessible.
Enterprise organizations whose customers require accessible training deliverables by contract, or whose internal accessibility policies apply to employee learning.
Organizations responding to accommodation requests when existing eLearning, LMS content, or training materials do not support learners with disabilities.
What clients receive at handover
Typical deliverables include editable Storyline, Captivate, Rise, or Lectora source files, along with storyboards, scripts, and LMS-ready course packages.
Microassist can also provide accessible supporting documents, videos, captions, transcripts, and related training assets. When requested, documentation may include an Accessibility Conformance Report based on the VPAT template and an accessibility test report showing which WCAG success criteria were evaluated, how they were tested, and whether the course met them.
At project close, source files and documentation are transferred to the client. There is no platform lock-in and no recurring fee to access the training the client paid to have developed.
Talk to us about accessible eLearning
Most engagements begin with a scoping conversation to define the training in scope, the applicable accessibility standard, the project deadline, and the type of work needed: new course development, remediation, or audit.
Microassist then scopes the engagement around the specific deliverables, source materials, accessibility requirements, and client timeline.