Case study: Creating accessible eLearning for the Strathcona Regional District
The client
Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is the government body that serves over 48,000 residents within north central Vancouver Island, Discovery Islands and mainland area inlets, representing four electoral areas, a treaty First Nation, and five member municipalities.
Services include:
- Water and sewage systems
- Fire protection
- Land use planning
- Parks
- Bylaw enforcement
- Recreation
- Broadband
- Emergency planning and response
The challenge
The SRD took a leading role in supporting regional compliance with the Accessible BC Act. They established a regional accessibility committee and partners working group. They also led the development of a regional accessibility plan.
To support the success and regional adoption of these efforts, the SRD wanted to develop an on-demand training that would:
- Educate staff and elected officials on key accessibility concepts, including the Accessible BC Act (the Act)
- Introduce the region’s approach to complying with the Act
- Socialize the region’s accessibility committee and plan
The training would also address a key finding from preliminary barrier identification work done by the accessibility committee – that most barriers experienced by disabled Strathcona community members are attitudinal in nature.
Our approach
The Untapped team used an instructional design process to develop Accessibility Foundations: From Legislation to Action. This is an on-demand eLearning that covers a range of accessibility content tailored to the SRD context. The course includes professional videos showing Strathcona community members with disabilities sharing their lived experience of barriers and visions for the future.
With reflection and application activities throughout, the course is designed to meet learners where they are on their accessibility journey. The content is also written to be highly practical – focusing on both the why and how of accessibility. The goal is to help all learners understand what they can do to advance accessibility, no matter their role.
With a focus on storytelling, the course also supports learners to envision what an accessible future looks like. For example, the last module covers the upcoming accessibility standards, which are the next phase of the Accessible BC Act. Because these standards have yet to be developed, the module uses fictional case studies to showcase what the standards are likely to accomplish. This content is a unique and engaging approach to help learners mentally prepare for the accessibility work that’s coming with the release of the standards.
The course was also designed with accessibility in mind. Course navigation was tested by accessibility consultants using screen readers, keyboard navigation, and speech recognition software. Their feedback helped us proactively identify and address course navigation barriers. Content is also written in plain language to support clarity and comprehension.
Impact
The resulting course offers a highly practical introduction to accessibility for all staff and elected officials. It provides a foundational starting point for anyone who’s involved in advancing accessibility work across the Strathcona region.
The course also addresses attitudinal barriers within the SRD by broadening learner awareness of disability and what it’s like to live in the Strathcona region as a disabled person.