Setting the Stage

While discussing the concept of accessibility with some colleagues recently, our conversation morphed into a debate: is creating accessible educational content actually a law? While we didn’t land on a definitive legal answer right then, one troubling truth stood out to all of us: accessibility is still routinely treated as an afterthought, even though it is a fundamental right for all learners.

In recognizing that accessibility tends to fall through the cracks—often because it is misperceived as too daunting, complicated, or “someone else’s responsibility”—let me take this opportunity to officially introduce this new resource: Accessible Accessibility!

Rooted in Community & Collaboration

Efforts to bring accessibility to light in our community began even before Québec’s Digital Action Plan was introduced. Thomas Stenzel, former consultant at LEARN, spearheaded the initial efforts alongside dedicated partners in special needs and inclusion.

These partners were sprinkled across all nine English School Boards and various private institutions across Québec. Two networks in particular played a massive role in assembling these vital stakeholders: ALDI (Advancing Learning in Differentiation and Inclusion) and SNNAP (Special Needs Network of Anglophone Professionals).

This early collaboration resulted in the creation of ADER (A Guide for Accessible Digital Educational Resources), which was closely aligned with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards.

This early collaboration resulted in the creation of a Guide for Accessible Digital Educational Resources, which was closely aligned with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards.

The First Pivot

The initial guide laid the foundation of our journey to demystify accessibility for educators. However, we soon recognized that a comprehensive, technical guide could still feel a bit overwhelming as a starting point for a busy classroom teacher.

To bridge that gap, we focused our next efforts on creating Accessibility 101: An Introduction for Educators, a self-paced Moodle course for educators. This course was designed to help educators comfortably build their competencies and seamlessly integrate accessibility into daily classroom practices, meeting a wide spectrum of learners exactly where they are. Unfortunately, the platform was still not serving as a ‘just-in-time’ reference once teachers left the platform and needed support in their daily practice.

Widening the Network: Synergy

Even with these tools, LEARN and the RÉCIT Anglophone Network noticed a continuing gap: we needed to move accessibility practices beyond a stand-alone course and occasional staffroom conversations.

To find a provincial solution, our groups united as a formal Community of Practice (CoP) to identify ongoing obstacles. The circle of collaborators soon expanded to include Educational Services (ESD) and Assistive Technology (AT) Consultants at both the Riverside School Board (RSB) and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB). I want to send a shout-out to Avi Spector as well as Francois Dupraz for wearing several hats in tying this portion together on behalf of many contributors. The AT and ESD consultants were already working on an internal guide for accessibility practices, and merging our overlapping efforts was a natural fit.

The Final Publications: A Teaser of the Resources

Today, we are thrilled to share the final fruits of this collective journey: the Accessible Practices Guide and the Accessible Accessibility quick-tip video capsules—both publicly available on the LEARN website.

Resource 1: The Accessibility Practices Guide

The guide is a series of practical, one-page documents addressing the most relevant examples of accessible content creation. Each one-pager features a quick “What?“, “Why?“, and “How?” so educators can digest the concept in seconds. You will also find a QR code on each page linking directly to its companion video capsule. The guide is designed for you to take, use, share, and adapt to best fit your school’s context.

The Font Family page from the Accessibility Practices Guide

Click on the image to access the resource “Accessibility Practices Guide”

Resource 2: The Quick-Tips Video Capsules

Time is precious, so each video capsule features a short runtime (roughly 45 seconds), a singular focus, and an actionable takeaway. While you can scan them directly from the Accessibility Practices Guide via QR code, the entire Accessible Accessibility playlist (link opens in a new tab) is publicly available on LEARN’s YouTube channel for easy browsing

Where to Find the Resources

You can dive into these resources right now across our platforms:

  • educators.learnquebec.ca: Click on Topics in the top menu, then scroll down and select Accessibility and Assistive Technology.
  • dca.learnquebec.ca (Digital Competency in Action): Click on Accessibility in the top blue menu, then select Accessible Practices Guide and Quick-Tips.
  • LEARN YouTube Channel: Head straight to our Playlists tab and look for the Accessible Accessibility playlist.

Next Steps & Call to Action

“This project was built by the community for the community”.

This project was truly built by the community, for the community. Please explore these tools, implement them in your classrooms, and share them with your colleagues.

We know the journey isn’t over yet—so please, reach out, share your feedback, and let’s continue to make learning accessible!