With digital learning becoming the norm, accessibility is no longer a “nice-to-have”—it’s a legal and ethical imperative. In 2024, over 48% of educational institutions across the EU reported that less than half of their digital content met accessibility standards, according to the European Commission’s Digital Education Review. With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) compliance deadline set for June 2025, that gap must be addressed—urgently.
If your organization offers online training, educational resources, or employee learning modules, now is the time to ensure your e-learning content is fully accessible to users with disabilities. Failure to comply could lead not only to legal consequences but also reputational damage and reduced learner engagement.
This blog outlines a practical, step-by-step approach to auditing your existing e-learning content for EAA compliance—and explains how Accessibility Testing Services can help you get there.
Understanding EAA Requirements for E-Learning
The European Accessibility Act (Directive EU 2019/882) mandates that digital services across sectors—including education—must be accessible to all users, regardless of disability. The law is designed to harmonize accessibility rules across EU member states and ensure that people with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments can access and interact with digital content effectively.
For e-learning platforms, this means:
- Adhering to WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines
- Facilitating interaction via assistive tools like screen readers for users with disabilities.
- Offering accessible multimedia formats (captions, transcripts, etc.)
- Creating intuitive, keyboard-navigable user interfaces
Step-by-Step Audit Process for E-Learning Content
1. Inventory All Digital Learning Assets
Start by cataloging all existing learning materials:
- SCORM or xAPI-based modules
- PDF worksheets, handouts, and downloadable content
- Video and audio lectures
- Quizzes, forms, and interactive assessments
- Simulations and animations
An accurate inventory helps prioritize high-impact content and identify key areas needing improvement.
2. Define Accessibility Standards
Use the following as your compliance benchmarks:
- WCAG 2.1 AA for web and multimedia content
- PDF/UA for digital documents
- Apply ARIA specifications to improve accessibility in complex interactive content.
- Compliance with screen reader, braille display, and keyboard navigation standards
Clear criteria ensure consistency in testing and remediation efforts.
3. Use a Hybrid Testing Approach
Accessibility testing should combine automated tools with manual expert testing:
Automated testing detects:
- Missing alt text
- Color contrast issues
- Incorrect heading structures
- Empty form labels or incorrect ARIA roles
Manual testing identifies:
- Screen reader usability issues
- Keyboard-only navigation flaws
- Inappropriate or misleading alternative text
- Logical focus order and reading sequence
Engaging Accessibility Testing Services ensures that both machine-detectable and human-experience barriers are fully uncovered.
4. Evaluate Multimedia Accessibility
Audit all audio and video content for:
- Closed captions and audio transcripts
- Audio descriptions or spoken cues for visuals
- Flashing or fast-moving visuals that could trigger seizures
- Accessible controls (play, pause, volume, etc.)
Multimedia must be perceivable by all learners, including those with hearing or vision impairments.
5. Review Interactive Content Design
Interactive quizzes, activities, and assessments must be:
- Fully navigable via keyboard
- Compatible with screen readers
- Incorporate flexible time limits and the ability to pause or resume activities as needed.
- Ensure user interfaces are simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate for individuals with cognitive or motor impairments.
Accessibility Testing Services can simulate these experiences using real assistive tech environments to verify compliance and usability.
6. Remediate the Issues
Once gaps are identified:
- Add meaningful alt text and ARIA labels
- Adjust color schemes and font sizes for readability
- Caption and transcribe multimedia
- Rebuild inaccessible activities with accessible HTML5 or LMS-native tools
- Organize content using semantic HTML and a clear heading structure
Remediation should follow best practices while preserving the content’s learning objectives and interactivity.
7. Test with Real Users
Include users with disabilities in your testing phase—especially screen reader users, keyboard-only navigators, or users with visual/cognitive impairments. User feedback reveals practical accessibility challenges that machines alone can’t identify.
8. Document the Process and Monitor Ongoing Compliance
Maintain documentation for:
- Audit findings and reports
- Remediation actions and timelines
- Testing tools and environments used
- Final accessibility scorecards
Implement a long-term process to audit new or updated content regularly. Many organizations set up quarterly reviews or integrate accessibility testing into their content publishing workflows.
Why Accessibility Testing Services Are Essential
Auditing and remediating e-learning content is a specialized task that requires expertise in accessibility standards, assistive technologies, and instructional design. This is where professional Accessibility Testing Services play a critical role. These services offer:
- End-to-end content audits using both automated and manual methods
- Remediation support for SCORM modules, PDFs, and video content
- Assistive tech testing with real users and screen reader environments
- Developer training and documentation to build future-ready content
- Compliance reports tailored to EAA and WCAG standards
By partnering with experienced accessibility professionals, your organization can confidently achieve compliance and build an inclusive learning ecosystem for all users.
Final Thoughts
The June 2025 EAA deadline is fast approaching—and your e-learning content must be ready. Conducting a structured accessibility audit now not only ensures legal compliance but also enhances learner engagement and opens your content to a broader audience.
Don’t leave accessibility to chance. Leverage Accessibility Testing Services to streamline your audit process, identify issues, and build a roadmap for full compliance.
Inclusive learning is better learning—for everyone.
