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Course 87 · Digital course 12

Design Accessible Digital Content

Make a notice easier to read, understand, and use, including for people who use assistive technology.

Before you start

Prepare an existing editor or paper for the supplied fictional notice.

See everything you’ll need
What you’ll leave with

An improved event notice, useful media alternatives, and a checklist for checking how people can use it.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload the practice worksheetUse the downloadable worksheet or toolkit alongside the lesson instructions.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

Learners age 14 and older, including adults exploring technical work or strengthening school and community projects. No employment or university enrollment is needed.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Prepare an existing editor or paper for the supplied fictional notice.
  • Use the provided chart counts, contrast values and clip storyboard; no images or recording equipment are required.
  • Choose actual local keyboard testing if possible, or complete the fully supplied simulated focus trace.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

Deliver the repaired workshop notice and the review evidence assembled across all six lessons.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • Provide clear event facts, action instructions and meaningful link labels.
  • Show a semantic heading outline and logical reading order.
  • Record image alternatives and a justified contrast decision.
  • Provide timed captions and a descriptive transcript for the sample clip.
  • Attach a keyboard trace, issue statuses and a scoped handoff.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Clarity: essential facts and actions are understandable without visual guessing.
  • Structure: hierarchy and reading order match content relationships.
  • Equivalence: visuals and media have meaningful text support.
  • Evidence: tests and remaining limits are documented honestly.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Preserve meaning

Communicate the information an image, sound or interaction carries.

02

Use real structure

Choose semantic elements before styling their appearance.

03

Check the task

Evaluate whether someone can finish the intended action.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Semantic heading
A structurally marked section heading, not merely large text.
Alternative text
Text that conveys an image’s relevant information or function.
Contrast ratio
A numerical comparison of foreground and background luminance.
Caption
Timed text representing speech and meaningful audio.
Keyboard focus
The currently active interface location for keyboard input.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Make the content task clear

    Rewrite an event notice so the action and necessary facts are easy to find.

  2. 2
    21 min

    Give the document a usable structure

    Apply meaningful heading levels, lists and reading order.

  3. 3
    22 min

    Make visuals understandable

    Check text contrast and provide meaningful alternatives for images.

  4. 4
    24 min

    Prepare captions and a useful transcript

    Write synchronized captions and preserve important visual and audio information.

  5. 5
    26 min

    Check a task with the keyboard

    Record focus order, operation and any keyboard barrier.

  6. 6
    31 min

    Deliver an accessibility improvement packet

    Combine revised content, prepared media and scoped verification evidence.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

W3C WAI — Content Author Modules
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Opened the standards organization’s public educational modules for content authors. Used to verify appropriate subject coverage; this is an original course, not a reproduced W3C syllabus.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

W3C WAI — Writing for Web Accessibility
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Read guidance on headings, meaningful links, text alternatives and clear instructions.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

W3C WAI — Page Structure Tutorial
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Read semantic structure and navigation guidance; page updated April 2026.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

W3C — Understanding Contrast Minimum
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Verified WCAG 2.2 SC 1.4.3 thresholds of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; lesson does not claim full conformance.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

W3C WAI — Making Audio and Video Media Accessible
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Opened guidance distinguishing captions, transcripts, descriptions and accessible media players.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

W3C — Understanding Keyboard
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Read keyboard-interface requirements and exceptions; used a completed task rather than a mouse-only interaction as the test goal.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one