Accessibility: timeline with voice over and without.

Mar 20, 2018

Dear all,

I am building an accessible e-learning course with voice over equal to the text on the slide.

Here is my dilemna:

For learners who can hear the VO, the timeline will match with the VO and all text and objects will appear at the same time with the right VO.

But for learners who won't hear the VO (deaf people, no headset, on old computer in remote area in developing country - for NGOs, etc.), they will see all text appear with a feeling of big laps of time between each object or text, as they have to wait the voice over end up before the next text/object appears.

I am actually designing my course matching for "no VO people", with a timeline pace matching for reading, which is much faster than for listening. So the guy with VO will see the text/objects appear faster than the voice.

Any advises about it ?

Thank you so much,

7 Replies
Philippe Donze

Hello Allison,

I know it would be easier without voiceover, but I have to use them.

Accessible for all isn't easy to do. People using keyboard use tab key to go from text box to text box, when the textbox are already in the slide.

People who don't want or can't listen will read the textbox, and people who has view issue will listen the voiceover.

It's more efficient for learning if the voiceover come exactly with the items it describes.

As listening is slower than reading, guys who read may wait long the next items to come in the slide, if the voiceover is still speaking the text of the previous item.

So how to make a good timeline for all type of user ?

Maybe designing several modules depending of disabilities.

My best,

Muhammad Nurul islam

Maybe i can chip in some thoughts, I would have the slide have two layers, one with audio and the slow text and the other one with just the text for the readers. Layers are activated based on the choice that the learner have to make at the start of the course.(using Variables T/F) -  so each slide has 'Show layer Audio if Audio = true' when timeline starts and Show Layer non Audio if Audio equals to false.

but that means any layer interaction have to consider  those two option and its double work for you.

T.J. Barber

I would build every piece of text on a different page and allow a right arrow press or a continue button to click forward if the user is ready to see the next piece of text (on a next page), but that is also set up to automatically continue at the end of the audio. the automatic forward on completion of the audio could appear seemless and identical to your user experience to a long video now but then in the same storyline page you can accommodate both users.

I would strongly recommend against simply duplicating your content for different users, any update or revision will become messy especially if the file is ever handed off to another user.

This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.