Helping Every Learner Actually See, Hear, and Understand Content

If you haven’t learn about the Perceivable principle yet, read the previous post on Perceivable. Here are some strategies you can use to make your content more perceivable.

Add useful text alternatives for images and non-text content?

• • When you use images, icons, charts, or other visuals, ask, “What is the purpose of this?”
  • Then reflect that purpose in the text alternative.

Write concise alt text for meaningful images.

• • Focus on what a learner needs to know, not every visual detail.
  • Example:
    • Instead of: “Photo of a bar graph.”
    • Use: “Bar graph showing a 20% increase in reading scores from fall to spring.”

Use longer descriptions for complex visuals.

• • For diagrams, infographics, or organizational charts, pair short alt text with a longer description in the body text, a caption, or a linked document.
    
  • Example:
    • Alt text: “MCIU human resources organizational chart.”
    • Description: A short paragraph that explains the hierarchy and relationships.

Start by updating images in your most-used slide deck or LMS module. Even a few high-impact visuals with clear alternatives will make a difference.

Make multimedia work for all learners

Any media that unfolds over time, like video, audio, or animation, is considered time-based media. Learners cannot skim it the way they skim text, so alternatives are critical.

Turn on and edit captions for videos.

• • Ensure captions are accurate, timed with the audio, and include speaker labels and important sounds when relevant.
  • Avoid relying on auto-captions without review.
  • Provide a transcript.
  • Place the transcript directly below the media or link to it clearly.
  • Include spoken words and important sounds, and add headings or time stamps when the video is long.

Use Structure that Adapts

Perceivable content should still make sense when zoomed, read aloud, or viewed in a simplified layout. This is where structure and semantics matter.

Use true headings instead of manually styled text.

• • Apply Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 in Google Docs, Word, or your LMS rather than just changing font size and weight.
  • This helps screen readers and improves navigation for everyone.
  • Use real list tools, not typed bullets.
  • Use the built-in bulleted or numbered list buttons.
  • Avoid creating lists with spaces, tabs, or characters like * or -.
  • Screen readers announce how many items are in a list and let users move between them. This only works when lists are properly formatted.

These structural choices support not only accessibility but also clarity and consistency for every learner.

Improve color contrast and avoid relying on color alone

Color choices can quietly make content either usable or frustrating. Perceivable design means learners can distinguish important information, even if color vision is limited or the screen quality is poor.

• • Check contrast between text and background.
  • Aim for at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for regular text and 3:1 for large text.
  • Use a contrast checker to test your main colors, especially on buttons, links, and text over images.
  • Do not use color alone to convey meaning.
  • Replace instructions like “Click the green button” or “Complete the items in red” with labels and icons.
  • Add patterns, shapes, labels, or symbols in charts and graphs so meaning is not tied only to color.

A good starting point is to test one module or one frequently used template, then adjust your base colors so future materials are accessible by default.

If you are already working through the POUR framework, Perceivable is a powerful place to start. It makes invisible barriers visible, gives you language to talk about them with colleagues, and offers concrete, repeatable practices you can build into your everyday workflow.