Achieving Educational Fairness with a Web Accessibility Consultant: Hurix Digital’s Approach
Summary
This article highlights Hurix Digital’s services in enhancing web accessibility in education, ensuring inclusivity for disabled students through expert auditing and content remediation.
Can you believe that approximately 16% of the world’s population is living with a disability of some sort? That means more than a billion people can be excluded from getting a proper online education. In our digital age, this statistic underscores a critical question: Is it really easy for all your learners to have access to your educational content?
However, one cannot help but observe a lack of inclusiveness when it comes to learning in the digital environment. Some students with disabilities complain of being left out of simple educational resources. This is not a question of convenience at all—this is a matter of fairness and equality.
Enter web accessibility consulting. It’s not only a service but a stepping stone to education for all children with disabilities. That is why, at Hurix Digital, we want to make this bridge solid and stable and ensure everyone can cross it.
Table of Contents:
- The Importance of Web Accessibility for Education
- Hurix Digital’s Web Accessibility Consulting Services
- How Does Hurix Digital Enhance EdTech Accessibility?
- Benefits of Partnering with Hurix Digital
- Case Study: Transforming Education Through Accessibility
- Conclusion
The Importance of Web Accessibility for Education
Accessibility in the context of web applications is a must-have when it comes to education rather than being a luxury. It makes certain that none of the children falls behind the rest because of incompetence, disability, or learning difficulties. But why is it so desirable?
Firstly, it’s about inclusivity. When the content is available, students with disabilities related to visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments have opportunities. This empowers them to learn along with fellow students who are in their class without even having to interact with them.
Secondly, it’s about compliance. It is pertinent that in the U.S., educational institutions follow ADA regulations. Various legal consequences may arise from the inability to deliver accessible information and operations to clients, and none of the businesses would want to suffer from a negative impact on their reputation.
Lastly, accessible content often benefits all users. Features like clear navigation, well-structured content, and alternative text for images improve the overall user experience for everyone.
Also Read: Is Borderless Education Changing the Dynamic of Higher Education?
Hurix Digital’s Web Accessibility Consulting Services
Our web accessibility consulting services are diverse and specific to our clients in the education sector at Hurix Digital. The goal of our team of specialists is to develop a paradigm of digital learning environments for all individuals.
Our services include:
- Accessibility Audits: We thoroughly assess your digital content, identifying areas that need improvement.
- Content Remediation: We fix existing content to meet accessibility standards.
- Accessible Content Creation: We assist you in creating new content that is, from the very beginning, friendly for screen readers.
- Training and Workshops: We build the knowledge of your team about accessibility standards.
- Ongoing Support: We provide continuous assistance to maintain accessibility.
We base our process on Artificial Intelligence and integrate every aspect to deliver optimal results. For example, our AI solution, EqualSense, creates alt-texts for images that can be beneficial for visually impaired persons.
How Does Hurix Digital Enhance EdTech Accessibility?
Our accessible edTech solutions cover all aspects of digital learning:
- Learning Management Systems (LMS): We ensure your LMS is navigable by keyboard and compatible with screen readers.
- Digital Textbooks: We create accessible eBooks with features like text-to-speech compatibility and adjustable font sizes.
- Assessment Platforms: Student-friendly quiz and exam designs are provided so that no student will be unfairly disadvantageed when being assessed.
- Video Content: We include closed captions, audio descriptions, and transcripts to ensure that videos are fully accessible.
Our EdTech accessibility consulting addresses various disabilities:
- Visual Impairments: We implement screen reader compatibility and provide text alternatives for visual content.
- Hearing Impairments: We ensure all audio content has text alternatives or captions.
- Motor Impairments: We design interfaces that can be navigated without a mouse.
- Cognitive Impairments: We create clear, consistent layouts and offer options to adjust text complexity.
Benefits of Partnering with Hurix Digital
Choosing Hurix Digital as your web accessibility consultant offers numerous advantages:
- Expertise: Members of our team ensure that they are familiar with the current web accessibility standards and advancements in technology.
- Comprehensive Approach: We consider accessibility in terms of content and terms of the user interface to digital solutions.
- Customized Solutions: Our services are individually designed to meet your requirements and at a price range that fits your budget.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Our solutions help you manage to avoid expensive legal problems and achieve maximum exposure.
- Improved User Experience: Accessible content often leads to better engagement for all users.
Our digital accessibility services do not stop at the level of compliance. Our goal is to come up with fun and effective learning methods that impact the learning abilities of every student positively.
Case Study: Transforming Education Through Accessibility
Recently, Hurix Digital worked with a large U.S. community college serving over 100,000 students. Many of these students had disabilities, and the college needed to ensure its online courses were fully accessible.
Challenge: As a result, the college had to ensure that its whole digital environment—as the LMS, the curricular content, and the assessment tools—became accessible.
Solution: We provided the following comprehensive accessibility solutions for education:
- Conducted a thorough accessibility audit of all digital assets.
- Implemented our AI-powered accessibility tools, including EqualSense, for alt-text generation.
- Added closed captions and transcripts to all video content.
- Improved keyboard navigation across the Learning Management Systems and course materials.
- Trained faculty on creating accessible content and using accessibility features.
Results: The college now meets the highest accessibility standards. All students, regardless of their abilities, can fully engage with course materials. This has led to improved learning outcomes, increased student retention, and a more inclusive learning environment.
Check out EXCLUSIVE: Hurix Digital Enhances Accessibility for Over 100,000 Students for a US-Based Community College
Conclusion
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that web accessibility in education is not simply desirable but necessary in the growing and heavily tech-based society. It is about fairness, diversity, and making sure that no student is discriminated against or marginalized.
Hurix Digital is your trusted partner in this journey towards accessible education. Our web accessibility consultant combines expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a deep commitment to inclusivity.
Are you willing to bring the qualities of your educational content to the masses? Contact us today. Together, let’s help to build a fair environment with the use of digital tools that support students in need of special accommodations.
Associate VP of Technology, leads the design and development of innovative and accessible web solutions for publishing and eLearning clients. With over 20 years of experience in the ITES industry and a strong background in project management, automation, quality assurance, and offshore collaboration.