Exploring the challenges of making digital language learning materials accessible

There is increasing awareness of the importance of the accessibility of digital materials in higher education learning and teaching. The case of teaching languages in higher education settings can present particular challenges since the volume and variety of material required to support language learning as well as the nature of the material itself may be difficult for students to access. In this digital accessibility project, we took the example of degree-level German courses at levels A1 to B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and working together with our University’s Inclusivity Unit and a student intern, we used the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to improve our online offering. We encountered particular barriers to making language learning materials accessible. We found that support from experienced language learners who are proficient in the target language is imperative and that some approaches that we routinely use in producing language learning materials may not be in line with the principles of UDL. We present the issues we encountered, as well as the solutions that we found, in order to support other practitioners who are planning to review their materials for accessibility.