Fix It at the Source: Check Your Course Template First

One of the things we find in audits is patterns.

When an eLearning course uses the same structure and layout throughout, every module will most likely have the same issues. A heading that’s really just bold text, a button color that doesn’t meet contrast, an interaction that doesn’t work with a keyboard. If it’s in the template, it’s on every screen.

That can make an audit go quickly. We find the main issues, document them, flag them as global, and move on. But it also shows where the work should have started. If accessibility had been checked in the template, those issues would never have been copied into the rest of the course.

Why the template matters

Most accessibility issues get found at Quality Assurance (QA), after the course is built. By then, the designer has a long list of fixes, and the same fix may need to be made on dozens of screens. It’s deflating, and learners who rely on accessible content end up waiting longer.

When you check the template before you build, you fix each issue once. Every module built from that template starts out accessible, and QA is a check, not a rebuild.

What to check

Structure and color

• Headings are real headings, in order, not bold text styled to look like one (1.3.1)
• Body text meets 4.5:1 contrast against its background (1.4.3)
• Buttons, icons, input borders, and focus indicators meet 3:1 contrast (1.4.11)
• The theme or accent color is never the only way to show meaning, such as correct, incorrect, required, or selected (1.4.1)

Images and media

• Every image placeholder has a plan for alt text, and decorative images are marked decorative (1.1.1)
• Banner and header images have no text built into the image (1.4.5)
• Video and audio blocks have captions and a transcript, and nothing autoplays (1.2.2, 1.4.2)

Navigation and interaction

• Buttons and links say where they go, such as “Continue to Module 2,” not “Click here” (2.4.4)
• Every interaction in the template works with Tab, Enter, Space, and arrow keys (2.1.1)
• Keyboard focus is visible on every control (2.4.7)
• Focus order follows the reading order (2.4.3)
• Visible labels match accessible names, so voice control users can say what they see (2.5.3)

Test before you duplicate

Build one screen. Test it with a keyboard and a screen reader. Then copy the template across the course.

Found an issue?

Fix it in the template, then rebuild from it. One fix at the source carries through every module.

Download the checklist

Download the Template Accessibility Checklist (Word)

The checklist works for a template, theme, or master slide in any authoring tool or LMS. Each item lists its WCAG 2.2 success criterion.

Work with us

L’Etoile Education reviews templates and courses and trains L&D teams to build accessibility in from the start. We’re scheduling work for 2027. Get in touch.

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