Accessibility & Inclusion

Established an Inclusive Learning Framework and Embedded Accessibility Across the Learning Ecosystem

Accessibility · WCAG · Inclusive Design

Overview

The Learning & Development (L&D) team had no formal accessibility practices in place. Accessibility was absent, and content was routinely produced without consideration for learners with disabilities. This gap created inequitable learning experiences and prevented the organization from delivering on its promise to create the best, most inclusive home for Team Members.

I led a multi-year, enterprise-level initiative to bring accessibility to life across the learning ecosystem, transforming accessibility from an afterthought into a standard operating practice.

The Challenge

Accessibility was not part of the learning development process
No standards, governance, or review cycles existed
Vendors delivered content with unknown accessibility maturity
Program owners lacked awareness and skills to design inclusive learning
Existing content had usability barriers for learners with disabilities
No accommodations processes existed for instructor‑led training
The current LMS created barriers for learners using accessibility tools

Accessibility needed to be introduced, operationalized, and sustained across every part of the learning ecosystem.

Approach

My approach focused on four pillars: education, new content, existing content, and learning experience delivery. I built a multi-year strategy, created processes, trained teams, conducted accessibility reviews, and partnered across the team to embed accessibility into every workflow.

Built the Multi-Year Inclusive Learning Strategy

Created the organization’s inclusive learning strategy and maturity model, defining the path from absent → awareness → adopting → structured → rooted. This model became the roadmap for embedding accessibility practices throughout all our work.

Raised Awareness & Upskilled the Team

Built an internal accessibility training site and created a “Getting Started Toolkit.” Formed a champion group to drive adoption and strengthened partnership with the Digital Accessibility Team. Hosted a national accessible eLearning expert to educate the team. These efforts built foundational knowledge and shifted team culture.

Established Accessibility Standards & Vendor Accountability

Worked with the Project Management Office (PMO) to conduct a vendor accessibility maturity review and upskill vendor partners on our accessibility requirements. Incorporated accessibility requirements in the vendor agreements. Documented content standards to improve consistency, usability, and accessibility across all our products. Created inclusive learning guidelines and checklists for the teams and vendors to follow.

Reviewed & Remediated Content at Scale

Reviewed 200+ pieces of new content for inclusivity and usability, providing actionable improvements to program owners. Prioritized existing content based on impact and refresh cycles. This significantly improved the learner experience across programs.

Integrated Accessibility into Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

Launched the organization’s first inclusive ILT program and created a comprehensive ILT inclusivity playbook to guide other teams on how to make their programs inclusive and accessible. Added an accommodations request field in the LMS so learners could submit requests.

Modernized the Learning Management System to Support Accessibility

Partnered with the Digital Accessibility Team to review the new LMS for adherence to WCAG 2.1 AA and communicated issues to the LMS vendor for remediation, resulting in an LMS upgrade that supports WCAG 2.1 AA.

Results

Accessibility moved from absent to a structured operating practice across L&D
200+ pieces of content were improved for inclusivity and usability
Vendors were held accountable for accessible deliverables
A playbook was developed to instruct program owners on how to make instructor-led programs inclusive and support accommodations
The LMS was upgraded to support WCAG 2.1 AA and screen reader users
Team Members gained equitable access to learning
L&D became a knowledgeable advocate for inclusive learning

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