Embedding accessibility by design

TAFE SA’s Digital Toolkit: Designing for every learner

At TAFE SA, the Teaching and Learning team and the Principal Lecturer Network co-designed the Digital Toolkit to help educators plan, design and deliver inclusive, technology-enhanced learning and assessment material for students.

The Digital Toolkit is a collection of resources, guidance and advice that supports staff to design high-quality, technology-enhanced learning experiences with learner variability in mind from the start.

The Toolkit takes educators through the end-to-end process of learning design. Its Learning Design Planner provides a framework for developing student-centred learning materials, supported by style guides, templates, reference guides and checklists that make the process simple to follow and grounded in sound andragogy principles.

This good-practice story highlights the value of an organisation-wide, strategic approach to accessibility and shows how action-based staff development can enable real change in practice.

What challenge or opportunity led to the development of this practice?

The initial driver was to make the courses delivered via our learning management system (LMS) better, more consistent and well structured – design informed by andragogy. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a rapid shift to using our LMS (which we call LEARN), creating inconsistencies in our approach and a varied experience for our learners.

What were the main drivers for change?

TAFE SA adopted LEARN around 2010 but had not implemented a strategic approach to using it. This resulted in varying quality of course design and delivery. Student feedback reflected issues with differences across course layouts and difficulty navigating the system.

How was the practice designed and implemented, and who was involved?

The Teaching and Learning team facilitate regular Digital Toolkit bootcamps. The bootcamp is an intensive professional development activity that is project-based learning, designed with experiential learning theory in mind. Participants use the Learning Design Planner process to:

• explore fundamental instructional design concepts and key frameworks to develop impactful, engaging and inclusive learning experiences
• apply the principles, methods and strategies of backward design and course alignment
• develop a full suite of resources for a unit of competency learning journey (i.e. content and activities, including a LEARN course) as the model exemplar for the workgroup
• populate a LEARN course to support a blended model of delivery.

Each participant has regular coaching sessions with one of the facilitating Teaching and Learning staff throughout the bootcamp. Participants also join a community of practice after they complete the bootcamp.

Were students with disability involved in co-design or feedback?

TAFE SA has a Student Voice Group comprising student representatives. This group works in partnership with staff to provide input on topics that are important to students, including services, facilities, activities and academic matters. Teaching and Learning staff meet with this group to gain insight into their experiences and gather feedback on the LMS template design.

How does the practice apply Universal Design or accessibility principles?

The LMS template, TED (technology-enhanced delivery) levels for LEARN, and system-mandated requirements within the LMS intentionally embed both accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles throughout courses. Examples include:

Multiple options for engagement

• Use of instructional detail explains the purpose, function and operation of the resource and/or activity; provides “signposts” to guide the learner through the journey; and articulates context, connections and expectations.
• Unit and assessment outlines, study schedules and discussion forums are all standard requirements to provide support and scaffolding.

Multiple options for representation

• The various TED levels promote the use of multiple tools within the LMS (video, audio, multimedia, presentations, H5P, recordings, virtual environments, whiteboards, polls) or tools to provide vocabulary support and background knowledge, such as glossaries, databases or wikis.
• The video content management software (CMS) used as part of the Digital Toolkit automatically generates closed captions and transcripts. Integration of video from the CMS to the LMS makes it easy for developers and educators to embed video content into their course. Chapters can be added to videos, giving learners greater flexibility to navigate content and access the sections most relevant to their needs. Additional features – such as automatically generated word clouds – highlight key terms and concepts from the video, helping learners focus on essential information and supporting understanding and retention.
• Refinement of the Digital Toolkit is ongoing. Enhancements have included:
  • an integrated tool in the LMS, which allows students to transform the course content into alternative formats such as text, audio, immersive reader, braille, or a language other than English
  • a widget to enable TAFE SA to enhance digital inclusion and accessibility across LEARN, allowing users to easily control the user interface, design and readability with a simple toggle. This tool offers customisable features for learners, including adjustments for motor impairments, dyslexia, cognitive learning, colour blindness, visual impairments, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and seizure or epileptic conditions. Additionally, users can fine-tune content appearance – adjusting spacing, alignment, font, and even hiding images or pausing animations – independently of the selected profile.

Multiple means of expression

• The LMS template has various tools that allow learners and educators to check/support progress, such as completion progress, progress bars, timely feedback and self-check activities.
• Templates guide educators to embed practices to support executive functioning, such as adding assessment due dates to the LMS course, which not only prominently displays for the learner but also automatically populates into their LMS calendar and sends reminders.

Within the Digital Toolkit, activities encourage educators to reflect on how they can embed UDL principles into their course design and teaching practice.

How does this practice remove barriers rather than requiring additional adjustments?

• By following the step-by-step process, staff design courses with learner diversity and variability in mind.
• The alternative format tool and widget allows students to personalise their learning and offers choice in how they engage.

What outcomes or improvements have you seen from this practice?

Feedback from bootcamp participants:

Attending the bootcamp deepened my understanding of TAFE SA’s quality process by emphasising the student journey and the importance of clarity in course design. The project highlighted how Universal Design for Learning principles ensure accessibility and engagement for all learners, reinforcing the need for inclusive, student-centred approaches in delivering quality education.

I was motivated by a desire to deepen my understanding of how to make learning more accessible and meaningful for all students, particularly those in the SEE program who often face complex barriers to education. These professional learning opportunities offered a chance to explore inclusive design through a practical lens, grounded in real-world teaching contexts. The experience has really shifted my thinking – from seeing accessibility as a set of accommodations to understanding it as a proactive design approach that benefits everyone. UDL has helped me reframe my practice around flexibility, engagement and learner agency.

I’ve started redesigning units using TED Level 1 templates that incorporate UDL principles. It’s already led to more meaningful learner engagement, and higher satisfaction for delivery and students. The response from these new units has been extremely positive.

I was motivated by the need to rethink how we deliver education to better support the increasingly diverse needs of our learners – particularly those in regional and remote areas across the state. To do this, it was imperative that our LEARN resources are updated to accommodate learner needs. These professional learning opportunities … offered both the strategic frameworks and practical tools to shift toward a more blended, learner-centred model. They’ve helped me see the power of flexible design, not just in making content more engaging but in truly enabling access and success for all students, no matter where they are.

I’ve started embedding UDL principles into the design of SEE program learning materials – particularly around offering multiple means of engagement and representation. For example, I’ve introduced more visual and audio supports, flexible assessment options, and clearer navigation in our online content. Colleagues have noticed the shift too – we’re having more conversations about inclusive design and sharing strategies across teams. For students, the early feedback has been encouraging; they’re engaging more confidently and independently and have even commented on how the changes make them feel “seen” in the learning space.

I truly believe every TAFE lecturer should be involved in with this course. For me personally, it opened my eyes to help teach the unit and fully understand the content I am delivering at its fullest. As for my students, being able to show and educate them on the features LEARN has to offer is life changing. Following development, I noticed a number of students had changed the background of their monitors. Curiously, I asked about their learning and the screen, to which the response was I/we are dyslexic. I demonstrated the purple man icon in the corner and showed them the options. Their smiles were so bright it was contagious. They said it is unreal. I can read the page – this will make my learning so much easier. I would have never known of the tool or the process without this course and for that I am grateful.

What evidence do you use to show this practice is effective?

• The LMS template has a standardised tool to capture student feedback. Initial feedback from learners in courses designed using the Digital Toolkit framework has been very positive.
• Our last two internal quality learner engagement surveys show a notable increase in overall satisfaction for students who self-identified as engaging in online learning.
• An external vocational education and training (VET) consultant has recently commented that the inbuilt features for accessibility and the design process for TAFE SA’s LMS are the most impressive they have seen nationally.

What feedback have you received from learners with disability?

• TAFE SA is continuing to explore ways to capture the voices of specific learner cohorts.

Were there any unexpected benefits or wider impacts?

• From a Digital Toolkit bootcamp participant:

The Digital Toolkit didn’t just support accessibility; it improved the experience for all learners. For example, in nursing, one of the units used the Digital Toolkit as a framework to create an engaging, well-structured, and easy to navigate online course. The unit was developed for a cohort that includes regional and blended delivery students who rely heavily on online learning materials. The engagement data has been encouraging with many students actively working through the online content. What we’ve found is that accessibility features also benefit students who are balancing work, family and study commitments. This reinforces the idea that inclusive design supports all learners, not just those with identified support needs.

Could this practice be adapted for other VET providers?

• The principles behind the Digital Toolkit are transferable to any VET provider. The focus is on designing learning that is accessible, consistent and learner centred.

What challenges did you face and how did you address them?

• Time remains a key challenge, particularly in allowing people the capacity to implement change. We are exploring ways to capture the value of smaller, incremental changes that require minimal time and effort, while also measuring the benefits they deliver.

What would you do differently if starting again?

• Have multiple different options for staff training.
• Put the framework into policy and procedure rather than just guidance.

What advice would you give to others in the VET sector?

• Start small and focus on designing for learner variability from the beginning. You don’t need to redesign everything at once. Simple changes such as providing captions and transcripts, having clear navigation, and explaining the purpose of learning activities can make a significant difference. Most importantly, listen to learner feedback and continually improve.

How is this practice sustained over time?

• Regular offering of the Digital Toolkit bootcamp
• Communities of practice

How is the practice supported at an organisational level?

• Professional development opportunities
• Close working relationships with the internal ICT department

What are the next steps?

• Strengthening the student voice and better understanding the impacts from the learner perspective
• Data on impacts

Mapping: National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Outcome Standards for Registered Training Organisations) Instrument 2025