Online course websites often look fairly straightforward—usually clean and engaging. But behind the scenes, as professional accessibility specialists, we're here to tell you that there's actually a lot that needs attention. ;)
Most online course platforms are in fact complex systems containing numerous processes, interactions, registrations, exercises, files, quizzes, certificates, payments, and more. Every action a user takes—from clicking a button to completing an online exam—must be accessible and clear.
That's why making course websites accessible goes beyond simply adjusting colors or adding alt text. It requires thinking broadly about user scenarios, adapting the system itself, and providing personalized support for people with disabilities.
Ready to dive in?
What interactions happen on a course website?
The heart of any course platform is user interaction with its various features.
Beyond watching video lectures, users are asked to complete online exercises—write code, select answers, drag and drop items, or participate in interactive quizzes. Every component like this must work with a keyboard, be clear to screen readers, and function properly without a mouse.
For example, in a programming course, the code editor where students write their code must be accessible—users need to be able to type in it, navigate between lines without a mouse, and understand exactly where they are at each step.
For an online English course, the interface for selecting words and translations must work fairly for everyone and sync well with screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Recommended platforms and accessible LMS systems
Our recommendation is to choose an LMS that supports accessibility from the start, rather than trying to patch it later.
Moodle, for example—an open-source system widely used in academic institutions—comes "out of the box" with a high level of accessibility, both for students and administrators. It supports full keyboard navigation, options for adding image descriptions, accessible forms, and more.
When selecting a Learning Management System (LMS), it's important to check in advance what level of accessibility support it offers.
We recommend avoiding changes to unnecessary settings or modifying defaults that ship with the platform, as doing so can undermine built-in accessibility features.
Don't forget to make downloadable files accessible too
Most course platforms include files for download—whether presentations, Word documents, exercises, or exams. Every file uploaded must be accessible, with clear text, descriptions for images, proper heading hierarchy, and so on. This is relatively manageable for a small site with just a few courses.
But once you're running a large institution like a university or college—with hundreds of courses, dozens of instructors, and thousands of students—oversight becomes impossible. In this case, the recommendation is to provide an accessible infrastructure: a system that supports uploading accessible files and guides instructors on how to do it. That said, you can't monitor every single file.
So let's break this into three categories of course sites and what each one requires.
Closed course with early registration only
A course limited to, say, 500 participants from the start.
In this case, legally, there's no obligation to make every piece of content accessible.
That said, don't rush to skip accessibility altogether. The infrastructure itself must still be accessible—buttons, menus, forms must all work accessibly.
Open course for the general public
A course anyone can enroll in at any time, with no participant limits.
In this case, there's a clear obligation: all content on the site must be accessible, including videos, files, quizzes, and interactive interfaces.
Multi-instructor course systems (such as universities)
Here, you can't oversee the content itself. So the requirement is that the platform be accessible and allow each instructor to upload accessible content if they choose. There's no mandate to make all content accessible.
However, there's an important caveat to keep in mind: if a student with a disability requests accessibility accommodations, you then have a duty to make course materials accessible to them personally.
In summary
Making course websites accessible requires us to prepare ahead and understand interactive scenarios well.
The more complex your course platform, the greater the need to select an appropriate system from the start, build in accessible infrastructure, and have a clear process for individual accommodations.
This article focused mainly on making course websites accessible for Hebrew-speaking audiences in Israel. For transparency: if your courses are also open to European audiences, you must comply with new EU regulations. We have the expertise and knowledge to help with that too.
Have questions or need advice? Get in touch with us and we'll be happy to help. The USER A team.