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How Many Students are Working Harder Just to Access the Lesson?

Ellen Ovenden, MSc | Jun 28, 2026
Ellen Ovenden, MSc | Jun 28 2026

About 1 in 6 people worldwide live with a significant disability.1 

In higher education, accessibility shapes whether students can use the lesson as intended or spend extra time fighting the format instead of learning the content.

In courses built around diagrams, demonstrations, and lab procedures, small challenges can quickly become learning barriers. A missing caption, a platform that is hard to navigate, or key visual information delivered with no audio support can interrupt understanding before the real teaching has even landed.

How Accessible Video Supports Learning

Accessibility is often treated as a technical requirement. In practice, it also affects pacing, confidence, and how fully students can take part in the course. Accessible video design can improve learning in several practical ways: 

  • ▪️ Students get another chance at the explanation.
    A replayable video lets students pause, slow down, and revisit difficult material in their own time. This is important when a concept advances quickly or a first explanation doesn't cut it.
  • ▪️ Visuals are easier to follow.
    Accessibility features help more students benefit from step-by-step visual demonstrations. Captions and audio descriptions for key visual information add support where visuals alone are not enough. In lab-based or highly visual subjects, these features can reduce confusion and help students arrive better prepared.
  • ▪️ Students can quickly personalize the learning experience.
    Pre-set accessibility profiles can help users personalize the experience for needs related to vision, ADHD, dyslexia, epilepsy, and more. Making setup quick and easy helps keep students engaged from the start.

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  • ▪️ More students can use the same resource effectively.
    Accessibility features support students with disabilities, but their value is wider than that. Subtitles help multilingual learners engage with the content more confidently. They also help native speakers reinforce new terminology and key points.
  • ▪️ The course becomes easier to navigate.
    Built-in accessibility adjustments like keyboard navigation and screen reader support reduce friction. Students spend less effort operating the platform and more effort interacting with the material.
  • ▪️ Class and lab time can be used for higher-value work.
    When students can review foundational explanations on their own in the way that suits them best, instructors have more room for discussion, application, and problem-solving instead of repeating basics.

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Key Takeaway

Not only does accessible video help remove barriers, but it can also make teaching clearer, reduce avoidable confusion, and give students more control over how they learn. This is essential in STEM subjects, where understanding depends on seeing a process or following a demonstration.

For instructors and institutions, the question is simple:
Can students use the resource without extra effort that has nothing to do with the learning itself?

When the answer is yes, more of the student’s energy can go into the lesson rather than the platform.

Explore course-ready video content designed to support clearer, more accessible learning.

  1. World Health Organization. (2023). Disability. WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health  

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