How accessible are courses built in the new builder?
What the new builder handles for you, what you control, and what Course Coach checks, so courses work for learners using screen readers and keyboards.
Accessibility is built into how courses are structured rather than left as something to remember. Every screen starts with a heading, tables use real header rows, list content uses real list structures, and you control the order blocks are read in by screen readers, narration and keyboard navigation. Course Coach then checks your course for the things only a person can fix, such as missing alt text and link text that does not say where it goes.
Does it meet WCAG?
The new builder is designed with the same accessibility principles that guided the Classic builder, and courses built in it are made to be accessible to learners. We are working to have the learner experience independently verified against WCAG.
In the meantime, this page describes what is handled structurally, what is checked for you, and what still needs a person, so you can see exactly where courses stand rather than relying on a single claim.
What does the builder handle for me?
These are not settings you can forget to turn on:
- Every screen has a heading, first. A screen needs a heading block as its first block, and the builder enforces this. That heading is the screen title, and it gives assistive technology the document structure it relies on to navigate.
- Tables have real header rows. A table block uses proper table headers, so a screen reader announces each data cell in the context of its column rather than reading a grid of loose values.
- Lists are real lists. Checklists, accordions and process steps carry their structure in the markup, so they are announced as lists rather than as a paragraph that happens to have bullet characters typed into it.
- Video supports captions.
Can I control the order things are read in?
Yes, and this is the control that matters most on a visually arranged screen. You can set the order blocks are read in by screen readers, narration and keyboard navigation, independently of where they sit visually.
That matters because the arrangement that reads best is not always the arrangement that looks best. An image to the right of a paragraph might need to be announced before it, or skipped over. Rather than compromising the visual design, you set the reading order to what makes sense when heard.
How does alt text work?
AI writes alt text for you, in three places:
- When a course is built, the agent writes a description for each image, using any alt text or caption that came with your source document and the content around the image.
- On any image block, there is an alt text tool in the block's toolbar, so you can generate a description for a single image while you are working on it.
- When you apply the Course Coach fix for a missing description, the AI looks at the actual image before describing it, so you get a description of what is in the picture rather than a guess from its surroundings.
You can edit any of it. Generated alt text is a starting point, and you know your content better than the model does.
One deliberate limit. Alt text is never derived from a filename or a screen title. Where no description can be produced, the image is left with empty alt text rather than filled with something meaningless, and Course Coach flags it so a person can write a real one.
That is a considered choice rather than a gap. A screen reader treats an image with empty alt as decorative and moves past it, but reads a filled alt aloud. An image described as "Artboard 1 copy 2", or with the screen title repeated on all three images on a screen, is noisier and less useful to a learner than silence. Leaving it empty also keeps the Course Coach flag firing, so the gap stays visible instead of looking finished.
What does Course Coach check?
The accessibility checks run automatically and are objective, so the same course always produces the same result:
- Images and slideshow slides with no alt text.
- Link text that does not describe its destination, such as "click here" or a bare URL pasted in as a link.
- A screen carrying real body text with no heading on it.
It also flags reading level well above general audience level, which is not strictly an accessibility rule but affects who can actually use your course.
What is not checked for me?
Two things worth knowing if you are doing an accessibility audit:
- Colour contrast between your theme colours and your text is not checked automatically. If you set your own brand colours, check the contrast yourself.
- Whether your video captions are present and accurate is not checked. The block supports captions, but nobody is verifying you added them.
What am I responsible for?
The structural work is handled. What is left is the part that needs a person who knows the content:
- Write alt text for images that carry meaning, and leave it empty for images that are purely decorative.
- Write link text that describes where it goes, rather than "click here".
- Give screens descriptive headings that name the topic, not "Section 1".
- Do not rely on colour alone to carry meaning. If something matters, say it in the text too.
- Add captions to video.
- Check the reading order on any screen where you have arranged blocks side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Can learners use a course without a mouse?
Yes. Learners can move through a course with the keyboard, and the reading order you set is the order keyboard navigation follows.
Does the agent write accessible courses?
Largely, yes. It handles the structural parts, headings, real tables and real lists, and it writes alt text for images as it builds. Where it could not produce a meaningful description, the image arrives with empty alt text and Course Coach lists it, so check that tab before you publish rather than assuming every image is described.
Does it work on a phone?
Courses adapt to smaller screens. You can reorder how blocks stack and hide blocks that do not work on a narrow screen, which is worth doing rather than leaving a wide table to squeeze itself onto a phone.