Top Ten Tips for Accessible Teaching
This page presents ten practical, high-impact actions to make teaching more inclusive and accessible for all learners. Each section uses clear headings, concise guidance, and readable lists.
🎨 1. Course Design
Accessibility considered from the get-go.
Utilise the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
🏗️ 2. Structure
A clear structure and layout is a help to all learners. Think about:
Headings
Bullet points
Predictable navigation
Alternative text to images
📦 3. Provide Content / Resources Ahead of Time
This helps all learners prepare in advance, particularly:
Neurodiverse learners
International students
Students using assistive technologies
Students with caring responsibilities
🎬 4. Caption Video Recordings
Captions help:
Deaf and hard-of-hearing students
Better comprehension in noisy environments
Retention of knowledge
Students for whom English is an additional language
🖥️ 5. Prevent Slide Overload
Instead consider:
Minimal text
High contrast
Simple visuals
Clear explanations
🙋 6. Ways to Participate
Be flexible and allow participation via:
Polls
Discussion forums
Small groups
Verbal contributions
📝 7. Plain English
Communicate as clearly as possible and explain any specialist terminology.
✅ 8. Assessments Built with Accessibility
Consider varied forms of assessment to avoid inadvertently disadvantaging students who are better able to demonstrate their learning in different formats.
🔎 9. Student Feedback
Students bring critical insights and can identify accessibility barriers.
📚 10. Continue Professional Development
Ongoing training enhances competence as well as aiding compliance as accessibility standards and technologies continue to evolve.
Emoji key (text alternatives)
This section provides text descriptions of the emojis used in each heading above. This ensures that users of screen readers, assistive technologies, or devices that may not display emojis correctly can still understand the visual icons used throughout this page.
🎨 — Artist palette (course design)
🏗️ — Building construction (structure)
📦 — Package/box (resources ahead of time)
🎬 — Film clapper board (video captions)
🖥️ — Computer monitor (slides)
🙋 — Person raising hand (ways to participate)
📝 — Memo (plain English)
✅ — Check mark (accessible assessments)
🔎 — Magnifying glass (student feedback)
📚 — Books (professional development)
Our suggested Top Ten Tips for Accessible Teaching also display in this infographic:
