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“What changes can I apply to my D2L course that will benefit screen reader users?”
D2L puts a high priority on designing an accessible learning management system and user experience for learners using assistive technology. There are several design features that you can incorporate into your D2L course that benefit screen reader users.
Alternative Text
When uploading images, D2L prompts for you to either type in Alternative Text or check “This image is decorative”. Alternative Text should be specific, contain few words, describe the image, and should not start with “Image of …” or “Picture of …”.
Hyperlinks should be unique, start with keywords, stand out visually, and be descriptive. Poor hyperlinks hurt screen reader usability and accessibility.
D2L User Account Settings
Learners can alter tool settings to suit their preference. Learners can set their font size, video settings, Discussion views, etc.
Headings
If you have a page full of content, headings are a great way to divide content into smaller chunks. Screen readers look for heading markup codes (<h1> and </h1>). Screen readers can easily navigate content and know what is between each heading section.
Lists
If you indent a line and use your own symbols or numbers for lists, this causes screen reader users not to be able to understand that it is a list. When creating bulleted or numbered lists, it is best to use the List menu options available.
HTML Templates
When you create content files as HTML web pages in D2L, there are pre-built templates available. Templates make content accessible for screen reader users.
Accessibility Checker
When you create content files as HTML web pages in D2L, you can use the Check Accessibility 
and the Preview 
features. These features check to make sure your HTML page is accessible and that it looks correct before you save the document and make it available to learners.
