Press Release
D2L, a global learning technology company, is helping make digital learning more accessible with its content-rich, user-friendly platform for visual learning experiences, D2L Brightspace. Recently, the Irish Deaf Society (IDS), a prominent provider of education in Ireland representing and serving the interests of the Deaf community, chose Brightspace to help reach more learners with education and training opportunities in Irish Sign Language (ISL), Ireland’s official third language.
Using Brightspace, IDS has significantly expanded and enhanced its services by providing a global online learning platform for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Brightspace’s visual learning features support IDS in offering courses in Irish Sign Language, which is the primary or preferred language of many Deaf people. Since the initial pilot in 2022, IDS has broadened its use of Brightspace by adding more teaching staff and enriching the learning content. This expansion has enabled IDS to create a global visual online learning experience that benefits learners in the US, Australia, Spain, the UK, and Canada. The use of Brightspace improves both administrative efficiency and learner accessibility. Today, with over 400 digital language videos and other resources, IDS supports continuous learning both inside and outside the classroom for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, as well as the broader population.
“Now, we’re reaching learners worldwide and can provide an always-on learning experience between lessons. The rapid growth of how we’re using Brightspace with such a small team, is a measure of success,” said Paul Grundy, Digital Education Officer at the IDS.
“At D2L, our mission is to transform learning and transform lives, and we’re dedicated to helping create tools that can help empower learners to achieve their full potential,” said Dr. Sambhavi Chandrashekar, Global Accessibility Lead at D2L. “We’re proud to support customers like the Irish Deaf Society who are helping to meet learners where they are today, with high-quality, engaging education and training.”
D2L continues to promote global inclusivity in education with highly accessible products and tools designed to help learners achieve more than they dreamed possible. Highlights include:
- D2L Creator+ – This set of content creation tools offers accessible hotspots that enhance interactive learning possibilities for learners with vision loss.
- D2L Accessibility Bundle – Launched in July 2024, this bundle features ReadSpeaker’s text-to-speech reader and YuJa Panorama’s digital accessibility platform, designed to support diverse learning needs and ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
- D2L continues its accessibility support to blind and low vision learners by renewing its partnership with Aira until June 2025. Users of the D2L Brightspace can access Aira services to help them complete visual tasks while using the platform.
D2L’s commitment to accessibility is further demonstrated through its recent achievements:
- Dr. Sambhavi Chandrashekar, D2L’s Global Accessibility Lead, was appointed to influential roles in helping shape artificial intelligence accessibility standards and accessibility certification, including Vice Chairperson of Accessibility Standards Canada’s (ASC) Technical Committee for AI Standards, member of the 1EdTech Task Force on AI Data Rubric and Vice Chair of the 2024 Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP).
- D2L published its WCAG 2.2 conformance report, aligning with new accessibility standards and showcasing its dedication to inclusive education through compatible technology, accessible content and equitable pedagogy.
- The Rick Hansen Foundation selected D2L Brightspace as its learning innovation platform for professional development aimed at promoting accessibility and inclusion among K-12 educators.
- Since 2016, D2L has been one of the few educational technology companies included in the National Federation of the Blind’s Strategic Nonvisual Access Partnership program in the United States.
Discover more about D2L’s commitment to accessibility.