Including Everyone by Design
Inclusion is a part of our organizational culture. Accessibility is an integral component of our development cycle. Designing with empathy is the hallmark of our user experience teams. By aligning our processes with global accessibility standards, we make our products usable by people with disabilities and interoperable with assistive technologies.
We openly report our compliance through our VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Checklist) 2.0 AA checklists.
Leading by Practice
Shaping local education accessibility standards
D2L is a member of the Ontario government’s Post-secondary Education Accessibility Standards Development Committee
Reviewing international accessibility certification competencies
D2L is on the Competencies Development and Review Committee of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals
Framing global next-gen accessibility guidelines
D2L is a part of the W3C Silver Community Group formulating a new version of Accessibility Guidelines
Over the two-year period, we observed an improvement in student satisfaction thanks to the addition of open captioning on video-based content. And in my mind, even if one or two students are more successful because they have a video that is captioned and addresses all cognitive learning styles, then that is indeed a success.
– Sandra Connelly, Assistant Professor of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology
What really matters is that the company you are partnering with is going in the same direction that you are. D2L deserves full credit for its commitment to accessibility. They are excited about what they do, and we are eager to make accessibility pervasive.
– Andy Freed, Manager of Technology & Support, Portland Community College
You have to think about the student’s experience and imagine what they face, and you can tell D2L does that by the way the page is laid out. Nothing is too small or bunched together so that if a person has difficulty manipulating a mouse they won’t accidentally hit the wrong button. They’ve thought everything through.
– Janet Kamps, Coordinator, Distance Education, Stephen F. Austin State University
Accessible learning is fundamental to ensuring inclusivity. Brightspace is key to our success as it provides an accessible learning platform for us to create an engaging and enriching environment for all.
– Cornelia Schumacher & Aamer Khan, CNIB Foundation
One company that has made a lasting commitment to accessibility is D2L (Desire2Learn). D2L serves as an example of what can be done by a company that makes accessibility one of its ground rules. In 2013, D2L was honored with a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award, the highest award presented by the National Federation of the Blind to organizations and individuals whose innovations have enhanced the lives of blind people.
– National Federation of the Blind
Inspired by you
The Accessibility Interest Group is a forum on our Brightspace Community with monthly meetings and a mailing list to share information of interest related to accessibility. Please sign up to join our AIG. We would love to hear your suggestions for accessibility features at our Product Idea Exchange (PIE). We are a long-standing member of the the National Federation of the Blind’s Strategic Nonvisual Access Partnership (SNAP) program.
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Want more on accessibility?
Today, two decades later, we like to say that our goal is nothing less than changing the way the world learns.
These principles offer a step forward in the conversation amongst educators and between schools and their vendors.
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We've integrated an accessibility checker into Brightspace. Sandra Earl, our technical product manager takes you through how it works.
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