Accessibility - Screen Readers and TTS
Hi, I'm currently completing an apprenticeship in Digital Learning Design, and I'm working through some content on accessibility. Previously, all our storyline courses had text-to-speech added on, but the accessibility features such as alt text and focus orders weren't used. Since I've learnt more about screen readers through my apprenticeship, I've been following correct processes and designs for best practice with screen readers. However, as these read out the text on screen, I'm wondering if the text-to-speech I manually add onto all slides is still required? Part of me thinks it might be too much if both the audio on the course and the screen reader are reading the content out loud, but then we might have learners with dyslexia, for example, who might not require a screen reader but still prefer to have the text read aloud. How does everyone else navigate this? Do you use both or one or the other? Thank you!Player Setup Recommendations for 508/WCAG 2.1 AA: Menu, Transcript, Navigation Buttons
Lately, I’ve been seeing an increased focus among organizations and government entities on ensuring Storyline courses meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Section 508 standards. While Storyline 360 offers several ways to create accessible content, I’m looking for general best practices for configuring the Storyline player so that it is straightforward for developers to implement while also providing a seamless experience for screen reader and keyboard users and meeting these requirements. I would love to hear your recommendations on the most effective way to set up the player, whether that means using the built-in player features or developing a custom navigation interface. Specifically: Transcripts & Glossaries: Do you recommend using the built-in player tabs, such as the Notes panel and Glossary tab, or is it better to build custom on-screen versions? If using the built-in player, does the Notes panel function sufficiently to meet accessibility requirements, or would you recommend a different approach for transcripts? If you do use the Notes panel, do you recommend placing it within the menu sidebar or at the top? The Menu: For menus that outline the course structure, do you recommend excluding it to reduce “tab fatigue” for screen reader users, or including it so learners can better track their progress? If a menu is included, do you prefer using the built-in Storyline menu or creating a custom one? If you use the built-in menu, is it best practice for the sidebar to start collapsed to keep the focus on the main content, or expanded for easier access? Also, when using the built-in player menu, do you recommend including subheadings? Navigation Buttons (Next/Prev): Do you recommend using the built-in Next/Previous buttons or adding custom on-screen buttons? While I know the built-in buttons now support accessibility shortcuts, many developers still seem to create their own Next/Previous buttons. I assume this is to provide a more intuitive end-of-slide experience. In any case, I would value your suggestions and would especially appreciate understanding the reasoning behind the recommended setup.Accessible systems training
Hi all, I was wondering what people's thoughts are on best practice of making systems training in Articulate Storyline360 accessible, targeting WCAG 2.2 AA. Presumably the system being recorded itself needs to be accessible to this standard for users. How does the built in screen recording show me/try me type content behave with screen readers and key board navigation? Any experiences from end users that use assistive technologies, that have been through systems training? Thanks in advanceNew Audio Descriptions Resource
We recently published a new article on improving video accessibility with audio descriptions in Storyline 360. If your videos include important visual details, such as on-screen text or charts, audio descriptions help ensure that learners who are blind or have low vision can access key information. In this resource, you’ll learn: When to use audio descriptions Differences between standard and extended descriptions How to add them in Storyline 360 Tips for writing effective descriptions How WCAG guidelines apply Are you using audio descriptions in your courses? Are there other accessibility topics we should cover? We want to hear from you!Accessibility Checker Results Export?
Is there a way to export the full results of the accessibility checker? Our Accessibility office is trying to work with us on changes necessary and they don't have a license to access the software. We want to be able to easily share the results with them. I am also registered for the Yukon Learning Accessibility course in Feb. 2026.Return focus to hyper link from layer
This might be a bit of a niche requirement, but it came up a few weeks ago when testing content for a client. If you use a hyperlink (text with a link on it) to show a layer in Storyline, you cannot return the focus to the hyperlink that showed the layer, when closing the layer. Storyline does not return the the focus automatically like it does with other elements such as buttons, nor is it possible to return the focus to a hyperlink using triggers, as the hyperlink is not exposed as an object that you can send focus to. The result is that the focus is returned to the top of the current slide when closing a layer that has been shown using a hyperlink. Maybe the Storyline engineers can fix this up? The solution is a bit of JavaScript. Firstly, we need to add some JavaScript to the Storyline project, to make a function available throughout the project. The best way to do this is to add the following JavaScript to the "When timeline starts on this slide - Execute JavaScript" to the Slide Master. window.RM_focusToLink = function(index) { const arrindex = Number(index) - 1; setTimeout(function(){ var link = document.querySelectorAll('#slide a')[arrindex]; link.focus(); },100); } Then, within the layer, you need to add the following JavaScript to the button (or any other trigger) that is closing the layer: window.RM_focusToLink(1); The number 1 that is placed within the brackets is the argument that needs to be passed to target a specific link on the slide. In this case, it is link number 1 which just means it's the first link on the slide (with regards to the order it appears in the Document Object Model). I did consider targeting the link using the text within the link, but then considered that could be duplicate links with the same name, and so using the index is the safest. For any programmers out there, I'm starting the index at 1 rather than 0 (zero) to make it more user friendly. I have attached a demo file.In Case You Missed It (ICYMI): Accessibility Updates in Q4 2024
Welcome to 2025! Since my last update, this accessibility group has grown by 61 members, bringing its total to 403 members. The first ICYMI edition was published on October 23, 2024, and established a foundation, but we can keep it short and sweet from now on. Product Updates: Rise 360 New: Immerse all learners in customizable interactive experiences with accessible scenario blocks that offer alternative text, screen reader support, and a visible focus indicator. New: Select the source course language when exporting your training for translation. Enhanced: Select the text of a hyperlink to apply formatting, including changing the color of the text. Enhanced: Line height and letter spacing are now available in the text formatting toolbar. Storyline 360 Enhanced: Expand your reach with a new AI text-to-speech model that supports Hungarian, Norwegian, and Vietnamese in addition to the 29 other languages already supported. Enhanced: You can now add text-to-speech narration and sound effects to markers. Fixed: Text alignment wasn't preserved in existing projects. Upcoming accessibility features: We've released Rise Accessible Drag-and-Drop Questions (Q1 2025, but released before posting this) and added Rise Math Equations. Current accessibility items on our feature roadmap include: Storyline Accessibility Checker Storyline Math Equations Rise Math Equations Updates in articles, documentation, resource center, or training: Refreshed: Storyline 360: Working with Hyperlinks New blog: What Is Section 508? A Quick Guide to Section 508 Compliance Upcoming webinar: Beginner's Guide to NVDA and Storyline for Accessibility Testing New entry in Storyline 360: Our Accessibility Journey - Accessibility Enhancements to Kick Off 2025
