The accessibility challenge at BSI
BSI is the UK’s National Standards Body and a global standards organisation. It helps organisations improve quality, safety and performance through standards, assurance, certification and training. Accessibility is closely connected to this wider commitment to quality, inclusion and recognised good practice. Internal learning needs to give colleagues equitable access to development opportunities while reflecting the same attention to standards that BSI promotes through its wider work.
A small team of L&D professionals is responsible for creating eLearning for colleagues across the organisation. The team wanted to improve the accessibility of its content but needed a clearer understanding of how design and development decisions affected people with different access needs.
BSI had developed an Articulate Storyline module to train the team in how to create accessible learning content. This provided an important opportunity to review both the guidance being taught and the accessibility of the learning experience itself. The team needed detailed, practical feedback that would identify barriers, explain their impact and help developers make better-informed decisions in future projects.
What BSI needed
BSI needed a connected package of support that would help the development team:
- review the accuracy and usefulness of the accessible learning guidance in the Storyline module
- assess how closely the module conformed to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.2 requirements in line with Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations.
identify barriers and practical improvements - gain a better understanding of how the course worked with screen readers and other assistive technology
- develop broader capability in accessible learning design
- apply lessons from the audit to future eLearning projects.
The accessibility audit, DALC Programme and consultancy solution
eLaHub provided a package combining a detailed eLearning accessibility audit, access to the Designing Accessible Learning Content Programme and consultancy support. The audit examined the Storyline module from two connected perspectives.
First, it reviewed the course content to assess the guidance provided to developers about creating accessible learning. This considered whether the module communicated accessibility principles clearly and gave the team useful information they could apply in practice.
Second, the audit assessed the accessibility of the module itself against WCAG standards. This included reviewing its structure, navigation, interactions and overall usability for people with different access needs.
Taking both perspectives allowed BSI to consider whether the course modelled the accessible practices it was teaching.
The audit findings were supported by practical examples and screenshots showing screen reader output. This allowed the team to assess the module against accessibility requirements and consider the overall quality of the user experience. It also helped them recognise that accessible design can lead to clearer, more effective learning for everyone.
The DALC Programme provided the wider knowledge behind the recommendations. It helped the team understand how accessibility standards applied to digital learning and how decisions about content, interactions, multimedia, navigation and testing could create or remove barriers.
Consultancy support allowed BSI to explore individual audit findings in more detail and develop a clear roadmap focused on making their learning more effective for everyone.
Turning audit findings into practical development knowledge
The audit was designed to support improvement as well as identify issues.
The development team worked through each piece of feedback, considering what needed to change and why. This turned the audit into a practical development activity, with every finding providing an example that could inform future work.
Reviewing the training content alongside the accessibility of the module also helped the team identify where the course successfully demonstrated good practice and where greater consistency was needed.
The screen reader evidence was especially useful because it showed the relationship between what developers created in Storyline and what a learner using assistive technology encountered.
The DALC Programme helped the team place these course-specific findings within a broader accessibility framework. Developers could connect individual issues with wider principles and consider how the same learning should influence future decisions.
Key outcomes and impact
eLaHub’s combined support package helped BSI improve the accessibility of its Storyline module and better understand how design decisions affected the learner experience. It also developed broader accessibility capability across the team, supporting a more consistent approach to creating equitable and effective learning at BSI.
The audit provided a detailed picture of the barriers within the course and highlighted where the accessibility guidance itself could be refined. It also showed how closely the module reflected the standards and practices it was designed to teach.
The DALC Programme provided structured development in accessible learning, while the consultancy session helped the team discuss priorities and consider how to continue improving its approach.
Together, the support gave BSI:
- a clearer understanding of accessibility barriers in its Storyline module
- an evaluation of both the training content and the accessibility of the course
- practical evidence from screen reader testing
- direct insight from a tester with lived experience of disability
- greater knowledge to inform future design and development decisions
- a structured route for developing accessible learning capability
- expert support when considering next steps.
Combining auditing with capability development
BSI’s experience demonstrates the value of combining an accessibility audit with structured professional development.
The audit identified issues within a specific module and provided detailed recommendations for improvement. The DALC Programme helped developers understand the principles behind those recommendations and apply them beyond one project.
Consultancy support connected the two elements by giving the team space to ask questions, explore implementation and consider future priorities.
For a small development team, this joined-up approach provided both immediate and longer-term value. It supported improvements to existing content while building the knowledge needed to make accessibility part of future design and development work.
Key results
The main outcomes achieved through the accessibility audit, DALC Programme and consultancy support included:
- practical lessons that could be applied to future eLearning projects.
- a detailed review of an Articulate Storyline module
- assessment of the accessible learning guidance contained within the course
- evaluation of the module against relevant WCAG requirements
- clear identification of accessibility barriers and areas for improvement
- insight from a screen reader tester with lived experience of disability
- greater understanding of how development decisions affect learners using assistive technology
- increased developer knowledge through detailed audit feedback
- structured capability development through the DALC Programme
- a clear roadmap of priorities to improve accessibility and create more equitable and effective learning.
