In recent years, the importance of accessibility in education has become increasingly recognized. Providing accessible educational and eLearning materials to all students is not only essential for promoting inclusivity, but it also enhances the learning experience for everyone.
With the rise of digital education, universities, learning platforms, and eLearning companies have a greater responsibility to ensure that their content is within reach of all students.
The Importance of Accessibility in Education & eLearning
Accessibility is a crucial aspect of education that ensures equal access to learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their abilities, background, or language. The benefits of accessible education are far-reaching, from improving student outcomes to promoting diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
In recent years, American universities have seen a surge in the number of international students, with an average of 1.1 million international students enrolled across the country in 2019. This makes it important for universities to cater to the needs of students who speak different languages. Additionally, in America, there are over 25 million people who are blind, deaf, or hard of hearing, and more than 1 in 6 individuals are neurodiverse, highlighting the need for accessible education.
So, what language solutions can educational institutes and training companies offer to students to boost inclusivity?
Multilingual Subtitles
Subtitles have become a popular feature for video content, with most people using them even if they do not have hearing difficulties. Subtitles are an effective tool for making video content more accessible to a wider audience, including students who speak a different language, those who are hard of hearing, and those who have different learning preferences. Subtitles also benefit students with attention deficits or those who learn better by reading.
Bear in mind that there are different styles of subtitles, including live captions and SDH subtitles.
Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, SDH subtitles provide a way to access audio content. Subtitles can be generated through automatic speech recognition technology or manually added to the video content. This enables students to follow lectures, presentations, and discussions that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Educational Transcriptions
Transcriptions are another form of accessibility that provides a written record of spoken content. Transcriptions can be used for pre-recorded or live video content and provide an effective tool for students who prefer to read, for those who are hard of hearing, and for students who may be unable to listen to audio content.
Transcriptions are also perfect for students who simply missed a seminar or conference.
Audio Description
Audio description is an additional form of accessibility that provides an audio track describing the visual content of a video. This is particularly important for students who are blind or have low vision, allowing them to access video content that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Multilingual Voiceovers
Voiceovers are an effective tool for making video content accessible to students who speak a different language. Voiceovers involve recording a different language over the original audio content, providing students with an alternative way to access educational content, in Spanish, Cantonese, German, and more.
eLearning voiceovers can also be used to bring content to life and improve retention and engagement.
American Sign Language
For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, sign language interpretation provides a way to access spoken content. Universities can hire sign language interpreters to provide interpreting services for live lectures and events or use video content with sign language interpretation.
The Rise of E-Learning and Digital Education
The rise of e-learning and digital education has brought about greater accessibility in education.
With online learning platforms and digital educational materials, students can access educational content from anywhere, at any time, and on any device.
Accessibility in education is crucial to provide equal opportunities for all students. Language solutions such as subtitles, live captions, transcriptions, translations, audio descriptions, voiceovers, and sign language are essential tools to enhance learning and promote inclusivity.
By utilizing the power of e-learning and digital education, it is easier than ever to provide accessible education to an international audience.
Interested in learning more? Inquire today to get a free consultation.
Wolfestone Group has a dedicated team of translators, linguists, voiceover artists, DTP experts, and project managers that can make your eLearning and educational content available to students across the globe, in 220+ languages.
