As an instructional designer for asynchronous online courses in higher education, I often incorporate TED Talks videos into learning activities to encourage student engagement and provide real-world examples relevant to course topics. For this activity, I used WCAG guidelines to examine Ruth Chang’s video I recently used for online resource in the course revision process to ensure accessibility.

  • Perceivable – Information and user interface components are presented to users in ways they can perceive. The video includes subtitles in 35 languages, displayed in high contrast for easy readability. Transcripts are also available in multiple languages, with timestamps marking each section. As the video plays, the corresponding transcript text is highlighted and moved in sync with the video, enhancing comprehension and making it easier to follow the presentation.
  • Operable – User interface components and navigation are operable. Users can adjust the playback speed based on their preference and pause or stop the video as needed. The page layout is easy to navigate, with clearly defined headings, section labels, and a well-structured format.
  • Understandable – Information and user interface operations are easy to understand. Icons and buttons are intuitive and predictable. Features are clearly visible and easily accessible.
  • Robust – Content is designed to be interpreted by a wide range of user agents, including assistive technologies. The resource is compatible with various assistive tools and can be accessed across multiple platforms. Additionally, the video is available for download in both video and audio-only formats.

References

Ruth Chang. (2014, May). How to make hard choices. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/ruth_chang_how_to_make_hard_choices?subtitle=en

National Center on Accessible Educational Materials. (2015, March 3). Simply said: Understanding accessibility in digital learning materials. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzE5dj1WTSo

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). (2024, October 3). How to meet WCAG (Quick reference). https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/