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Re: How To Test Your E-Learning Course with a Screen Reader

LisaSpirko-3976's avatar
LisaSpirko-3976
Community Member
8 years ago
Apologies for my bluntness, but why bother mentioning NVDA in this article? This implies that Storyline supports NVDA, when it certainly does not (https://articulate.com/support/article/Articulate-Storyline-and-Section-508-Accessibility). This lack of support is a serious problem because, despite JAWS being the "industry standard" screen reader, the reality is that most learners with vision problems probably use a free or low cost screen reader like NVDA.

Because of the continual 508-related problems we have with Storyline, whether coupled with NVDA or not, we are unable to legally claim that we produce 508-compliant courses that meet the requirements of our contractual obligations. I know that I am not the only Storyline user who has complained about this. Articulate really needs to stop pretending that they offer features in Storyline that can help course authors produce 508-compliant courses, when nothing could be further from the truth. We have absolutely zero control over what screen readers our learners use, and therefore, Storyline needs to support as many of them as possible, not just the most expensive industry standard.
Published 8 years ago
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5 Comments

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  • NicoleLegault1's avatar
    NicoleLegault1
    Staff
    8 years ago
    Hi Lisa! Thank you for your comment; we always welcome feedback from our customers.

    Accessibility is something that has been, and will continue to be something we take seriously. This article is the first in a series on accessibility that I'll be writing because it's such an important topic. We have made some tangible improvements to Storyline over the past year or so with the introduction of closed captions, tables, the improved player experience, and other specific fixes.

    We’re continuously evaluating what features to tackle next and support for a broader range of screen readers is definitely on the discussion list.

    Rest assured that accessibility is something we take seriously as we continue to work to meet the needs of all learners.
    • LisaSpirko-3976's avatar
      LisaSpirko-3976
      Community Member
      8 years ago
      Thank you, Nicole. We appreciate that Articulate is looking at ways to improve accessibility, and we hope that you guys will resolve these issues soon.

      Unfortunately, because the issues we're encountering on my team impact screen reader users and keyboard navigation users, we have decided that we can only work toward 508 compliance in our Storyline-developed courses for other disability groups, like learners who are hearing impaired, have cognitive disabilities, have low vision but use screen enlargers (not screen readers), and limited motor skills and use an adaptive mouse (not keyboards). We will need to be sure we have other 508-compliant deliverables in place for learners who use screen readers or navigate only with a keyboard until Articulate resolves these issues or until we find another course authoring tool that is better equipped to handle all aspects of 508 compliance.

      Thanks,
      Lisa
      • ThiemeBittick's avatar
        ThiemeBittick
        Community Member
        8 years ago
        Lisa, we are in the same boat. I would be interested in knowing how you are handling the courseware for those users needing 508 and WCAG compliance for whom the Articulate products do not work.