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Modify Accessibility guidelines from legacy to Open edX
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jswope00 authored and sarina committed Jan 3, 2025
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* `Internationalization Coding Guidelines`_
* `RTL UI Best Practices`_
* `Accessibility Guidelines`_
* :ref:`Accessibility Guidelines`
* `Analytics Guidelines`_
* `Eventing Design and Review Process`_

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Expand Up @@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ questions or concerns.
`Product Review Process`_
* `Internationalization Coding Guidelines`_
* `RTL UI Best Practices`_
* `Accessibility Guidelines`_
* :ref:`Accessibility Guidelines`
* `Analytics Guidelines`_
* `Eventing Design and Review Process`_

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@@ -1,22 +1,12 @@
.. _edX Accessibility Guidelines:
.. _Accessibility Guidelines:

===============================================================
What Is The edX Accessibility Best Practices Guidance Based On?
===============================================================
#######################################################################
What Is The Open edX® Accessibility Best Practices Guidance Based On?
#######################################################################

.. tags:: educator, concept

.. note:: This content has been migrated from legacy edx.org docs and has not yet been adjusted for the Open edX® Community

edX measures and evaluates accessibility primarily using the World Wide Web Consortium's
`Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 <https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/>`_
(05 June 2018). All features that are merged into edX repositories are
expected to `conform <https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#conformance>`_ to `Level AA
<https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#cc1>`_ of this specification and satisfy the
requirements outlined in the edX `Website Accessibility Policy
<https://www.edx.org/accessibility>`_.

As the edX platform is strongly based on well-accepted `HTML5 markup standards <https://html.spec.whatwg.org/>`_ and `WAI-ARIA <https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/aria/>`_, we expect that learners who require additional accessibility tools such as screen readers and screen magnifiers will enjoy strong compatibility. We test regularly with the most popular accessibility tools.
As the Open edX® platform is strongly based on well-accepted `HTML5 markup standards <https://html.spec.whatwg.org/>`_ and `WAI-ARIA <https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/aria/>`_, we expect that learners who require additional accessibility tools such as screen readers and screen magnifiers will enjoy strong compatibility. We test regularly with the most popular accessibility tools.

In addition, our guidance is based on principles of `universal
design <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_design>`_ (usable by all, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for
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Expand Up @@ -6,23 +6,10 @@ Accessibility Best Practices for Developing Course Content

.. tags:: educator, concept

edX is dedicated to creating a platform that is not only itself accessible, but
The Open edX project is dedicated to creating a platform that is not only itself accessible, but
also enables course content creators to create accessible content. If you
encounter platform issues that you believe might affect your ability to provide
accessible course content, please contact us using one of the following
methods. We welcome any comments and questions.

* Send an email message to [email protected].
* Submit a comment on the edX `Website Accessibility Policy
<http://www.edx.org/accessibility>`_ page.
* Submit a comment on the `Individualized Accessibility Process for Course
Creators <https://studio.edx.org/accessibility>`_ page.

.. Do not modify wording of the following note. Exact wording is from Legal.
.. note:: Use of authoring tools other than those provided by edX might result
in inaccessible course content. However, for clarity, use of edX authoring
tools does not ensure that your course content will be accessible.
accessible course content, please `submit a Github issue <.. _Submit an Open edX Issue>`_ to the Open edX project.

.. contents::
:local:
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -100,7 +87,7 @@ readable, and that there is sufficient contrast between the foreground and
background. Do not use color as the sole means of visually distinguishing an
element or conveying critical information. If you must create images that
contain text, make sure that the text has good contrast with the background. Images of text cannot be scaled or
color corrected as effectively as HTML text. If you choose to override edX platform's default font colors, make sure that the
color corrected as effectively as HTML text. If you choose to override platform's default font colors, make sure that the
foreground and background colors have `sufficient contrast
<https://contrast-ratio.com/>`_.

Expand All @@ -113,7 +100,7 @@ than background sounds.
Make Sure Your Course Content is Understandable
***********************************************

Make sure your course content is readable and understandable. EdX courses have
Make sure your course content is readable and understandable. Online courses often have
a global and diverse audience, including learners whose native language is not
the language in which you created your course, as well as learners who have a
disability that affects reading, such as dyslexia or a visual impairment.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -180,7 +167,7 @@ non-text content.

The text alternative for an image depends on the image's context and purpose,
and might not be a simple description of the image's visual characteristics.
In general, for every image, edX recommends that you provide a text
In general, for every image, it is recommended that you provide a text
alternative that provides the equivalent information that a sighted learner
would obtain from viewing the image. If the image contains words that are
important for understanding the content, include the words in the text
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -337,7 +324,7 @@ that requires color perception or a diagram with tiny labels and annotations
will likely be difficult to comprehend for learners with color blindness or low
vision. All images present a barrier to learners who are blind.

edX recommends that you follow these best practices for making information
It is recommended that you follow these best practices for making information
graphics accessible to visually impaired learners.

* Avoid using only color to distinguish important features of an image. For
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -394,7 +381,7 @@ making them available through your course.
Carefully consider the document format you choose for publishing your course
materials, because some formats support accessibility better than others.
Whenever possible, create course materials in HTML format, using the tools
available to you in edX Studio. When you make digital textbooks (ebooks)
available to you in Studio. When you make digital textbooks (ebooks)
available within your course, ask digital book publishers for books in `EPUB 3
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPUB#Version_3.0.1>`_
format. This digital book format includes unparalleled
Expand All @@ -411,7 +398,7 @@ parties, it helps to ask the right questions about accessibility.
headings, and bookmarks?

Natively accessible formats like those mentioned above might not always be
available options. Other popular document formats included in edX courses
available options. Other popular document formats included in online courses
include PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Many of the same
accessibility techniques and principles that apply to authoring web content
apply to these document formats as well.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -511,7 +498,7 @@ Best Practices for Authoring Accessible PDF Documents
Evaluating PDF Files for Accessibility
**************************************

EdX highly recommends using the tools available in Adobe Acrobat Pro (for
It is highly recommended that you use the tools available in Adobe Acrobat Pro (for
example, "Accessibility Checker") to evaluate your PDF files for accessibility.
Adobe Acrobat Pro also includes tools (for example, "Make Accessible") for
fixing most common accessibility issues.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -573,7 +560,7 @@ Accessible Microsoft Word Resources
===================================
Creating Accessible Excel Documents
===================================

Many of the same accessibility techniques and principles that apply to
authoring data tables in HTML also apply to creating Excel spreadsheets.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -676,16 +663,16 @@ accessible to people with vision impairments. Non-scalable images of
mathematical content cannot be sufficiently enlarged or navigated by low-vision
users and are not accessible to blind users at all.

edX uses `MathJax <https://www.mathjax.org>`_ to render math content in a
The Open edX® platform uses `MathJax <https://www.mathjax.org>`_ to render math content in a
format that is clear, readable, and accessible to people who use screen
readers. MathJax works together with math notation such as LaTeX and MathML to
render mathematical equations as text instead of images. edX recommends that
render mathematical equations as text instead of images. It is recommended that
you use MathML to author your math content. MathJax renders MathML in a variety
of formats on the client side, offering the end user the ability to consume
math content in their preferred format.

edX Studio also supports authoring math directly in LaTeX using the `LaTeX Source Compiler
<https://edx.readthedocs.io/projects/edx-partner-course-staff/en/latest/course_components/create_html_component.html#import-latex-code>`_ to transform LaTeX into MathML.
Studio also supports authoring math directly in LaTeX using the :ref:`LaTeX Source Compiler
<import latex code>` to transform LaTeX into MathML.


=========================================
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -807,7 +794,7 @@ Third-Party Content
===================

If you include links to third-party content in your course, be mindful of the
accessibility of such resources. edX recommends that you evaluate third-party
accessibility of such resources. It is recommended that you evaluate third-party
content prior to sharing it with learners.

You can use the eReader tool or :ref:`Add Files to a Course <Add Files to a Course>` to incorporate
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -839,9 +826,7 @@ Create Accessible Media
***********************

Media-based course materials help to convey concepts and can bring course
information to life. We require all videos in edX courses to include timed text
captions in `SubRip (SRT) format
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SubRip>`_. The edX media
information to life. The Open edX® platform media
player displays caption files in an interactive sidebar that benefits a variety
of learners, including learners who are hard of hearing or whose native
language differs from the primary language of the media. This built-in
Expand All @@ -860,7 +845,7 @@ loss affects about 10% of the population to some degree. It causes disability
in 5% (360 to 538 million) and moderate to severe disability in 124 million
people. Timed text captions also be helpful for learners whose native
languages are languages other than the primary language of the media or who
have cognitive conditions that benefit from visual. The edX media player
have cognitive conditions that benefit from visual. The media player
displays timed text captions as links in an interactive area adjacent to the
video, which allows all learners to navigate to a specific section of the video
by selecting some location within the caption text.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -945,10 +930,10 @@ and adaptable across browsers and devices. Also, the information in HTML
markup helps assistive technologies, such as screen reader software, to
provide information and functionality to people with vision impairments.

Most of the problem type templates in edX Studio conform to our recommended
Most of the problem type templates in Studio conform to our recommended
best practices in terms of good HTML markup. You can manually add appropriate
HTML tagging even if it does not exist in the component template. Depending on
the type of component you are adding to your course in edX Studio, the raw
the type of component you are adding to your course in Studio, the raw
HTML data is available either automatically or by selecting the "Advanced
Editor" or "HTML" views.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1047,7 +1032,7 @@ guidelines.
there is a justification, communicate these requirements to prospective
learners in the course description and establish a plan for responding to
learners who encounter barriers. If there is no justification for the
requirements, edX recommends that you redesign the learning activities to be
requirements, it is recommended that you redesign the learning activities to be
more flexible and broadly accessible.

=======================================
Expand All @@ -1059,7 +1044,7 @@ Universal Design for Learning Resources
.. seealso::
:class: dropdown

:ref:`edX Accessibility Guidelines` (concept)
:ref:`Accessibility Guidelines` (concept)

:ref:`Designing for Mobile` (concept)

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Expand Up @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ For information about accessibility best practices, see :ref:`Accessibility
Index <Accessibility Index>`.

The percentage of learners who access MOOCs using smartphones is increasing
every day. Most courses on edx.org can be viewed on smartphones using the edX
every day. Courses on your instance may be viewed on smartphones using the
Android and iPhone apps, although we still recommend that learners complete
graded assignments on a desktop computer, depending on the type of assessments
that their courses include. For information on which exercises and tools are
Expand All @@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ To make the course experience for mobile learners as rewarding as it is for
learners using desktop computers, keep the following best practices in mind as
you design, test, and run your course.

* Course updates that you make might take longer to appear in the edX mobile
apps than on the edX site. In particular, newly published content can take up
* Course updates that you make might take longer to appear in the mobile
apps than on your course site. In particular, newly published content can take up
to an hour to update on the Android app.

* Display names are critical for navigating through courses on smartphones. As
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ you design, test, and run your course.
* Learners might be viewing your course materials on screens as large as a
high-resolution Mac Thunderbolt display, or as small as a 5 inch smartphone
screen, so it is difficult to size an image so that it displays well at all
resolutions. In general, edX recommends keeping most images under 0.5MB in
resolutions. In general, it is recommended to keep most images under 0.5MB in
size so that learners who have low Internet bandwidth will not have trouble
downloading the images. If you have a large image that requires zooming to
view the full detail, in addition to providing an image that can be easily
Expand All @@ -69,44 +69,44 @@ you design, test, and run your course.
ready assessment types. If you use assessment types that are not supported on
smartphones, notify learners in the body of your course that they will not be
able to complete assignments that contain unsupported assessment types using
the edX iPhone and Android mobile apps.
the iPhone and Android mobile apps.

* Timed and proctored exams cannot be completed using the mobile app.

* When learners access your course using the edX Android and iPhone apps, they
* When learners access your course using the Android and iPhone apps, they
progress from component to component by swiping through them. It might seem
useful to include a Text component in a unit for the purpose of providing a
demarcation point or guiding learners to the next unit, but having to swipe
through too many "markers" with no real course content is not a good
experience for mobile users.

* Make sure your JavaScript and CSS are compliant. You should verify that all
components render correctly in the edX Android and iPhone apps as well as
components render correctly in the Android and iPhone apps as well as
directly in the LMS.

**************************************
Testing Your Course For Mobile Devices
**************************************

If you have included some of the more complex problem types, or have highly
customized the way course content displays, edX recommends that you test your
customized the way course content displays, it is recommended that you test your
course for multiple devices and displays.

To test the mobile experience of your course, sign in to your course using the
edX Android or iPhone app, and view each course unit to make sure that it
Android or iPhone app, and view each course unit to make sure that it
renders as you expect it to.

.. note:: Keep in mind that course updates that you make might not be
immediately reflected in the edX mobile apps. In particular, newly
immediately reflected in the mobile apps. In particular, newly
published content can take up to an hour to update on the Android app.

.. seealso::
:class: dropdown

:ref:`Accessibility Best Practices for Course Content Development` (concept)

:ref:`edX Accessibility Guidelines` (concept)
:ref:`Accessibility Guidelines` (concept)

:ref:`Supporting Learners with Diverse Needs` (concept)

:ref:`Accessibility Checker` (reference)
:ref:`Accessibility Checker` (reference)
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