Learning Platform Accessibility Improvements

Juan Burgos

Edited March 27, 2026 18:44

In September, ClearCompany Learning released a series of accessibility improvements to the Legacy Learning Platform. These updates include improvements to semantic headings, navigation, search, landmarks, and image alt text. Collectively, these changes help the platform better align with WCAG standards and ensure a more inclusive experience for a wider range of users. This article provides an overview of the updates and their impact.

Improvements:
Accessibility Improvements Overview
Headings & Navigation
Search & Landmarks
Links & Images

Our Commitment to Accessibility

At ClearCompany, accessibility is a core value that shapes how we design and build our products. While our platform continues to evolve, we are committed to making ongoing improvements that serve all users -including those with disabilities.

Our Head of UX and Accessibility is currently leading a comprehensive redesign initiative aimed at achieving full compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA standards. This effort goes beyond supporting keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility. We are also focused on simplifying layouts, improving clarity, streamlining navigation, and using plain language so that users with cognitive disabilities can more easily engage with our products.

Accessibility Improvements Overview

The recent updates include:

All navigation menus are keyboard accessible.
New aria labels, alt-text, semantic headings, and keyboard navigation standards.
Improved structure of headers, navigation, links, images, and landmarks.
Simplified long or complex text and enhanced reading flow.
Consistent focus indicators and contrast improvements to increase readability.
Added page titles and clearer labeling for user orientation.

These improvements enhance usability for screen reader users, keyboard-only users, and anyone who benefits from clearer structure and improved readability.

Understanding WCAG 2

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are internationally recognized standards created through the W3C process. They provide a shared framework for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities—including those with visual, auditory, motor, speech, cognitive, and neurological conditions.

WCAG offers guidance that applies across devices and platforms. Following these guidelines not only improves accessibility but also often increases usability for all users.

To learn more, refer to this external source: WCAG 2 Overview.

Headings & Navigation

Semantic Headings

To improve clarity and machine readability:

All pages now follow a logical heading structure, beginning with a single h1, followed by h2, h3, and so on.
Decorative or styling-only heading tags were removed.
Missing headings were added to ensure proper structure.
Page structure was corrected so that assistive technologies can read content in the intended order.
Text boxes and input fields now include clear and consistent labels.

Navigation

Enhancements to navigation include:

All menus are now fully accessible using a keyboard.
Navigation regions include descriptive aria-label values.
Skip-to-content links are available for efficient navigation.
Focus indicators on interactive elements have been improved for greater visibility.
Text and background contrast have been enhanced.
Missing page titles have been added for better orientation.
Buttons and menus now respond more reliably when activated via keyboard or assistive technologies.

Search & Landmarks

Search

Search fields are clearly labeled and accessible.
Instructions for using the search functionality have been clarified.

Landmarks

ARIA landmarks such as role="main" and role="navigation" are now used properly.
Each page includes a single main landmark to support screen reader navigation.
Duplicate landmark roles have been removed.
Focus indicators were refined for greater visibility and ease of tracking.

Links & Images

To improve clarity for all users, especially those using screen readers:

All images now include meaningful alt text.
Decorative images use empty alt="" attributes as appropriate.
Images of text have been replaced or avoided.
Icons, form inputs, and other interactive elements now include descriptive labels.
Embedded content—such as videos and dashboards—is labeled to ensure screen readers can identify and announce it correctly.

These enhancements represent an important step toward a more inclusive and user-friendly learning experience. We will continue improving accessibility across the platform and welcome feedback as we work toward full WCAG 2.2 AA alignment.