learning-global-accessibility

name	learning-global-accessibility
description	Validate accessibility across international standards (WCAG, EN 301 549, Section 508), support diverse assistive technologies, address regional accessibility regulations, and design for global ability contexts. Use when ensuring worldwide accessibility. Activates on "global accessibility", "international WCAG", or "worldwide compliance".

Learning Global Accessibility

Ensure educational content meets accessibility standards and supports assistive technologies across international contexts.

When to Use

• Global learning platforms
• International accessibility compliance
• Multi-region course deployment
• Supporting diverse assistive technologies
• Meeting regional accessibility laws

International Standards

Core Standards

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines):

• Level A (minimum)
• Level AA (legally required in many regions)
• Level AAA (enhanced)
• Version: WCAG 2.1 (current), WCAG 2.2 (recent), WCAG 3.0 (future)

EN 301 549 (European Standard):

• Based on WCAG 2.1
• Covers software, documents, hardware
• Required for EU public sector
• Referenced in Web Accessibility Directive

Section 508 (United States):

• US federal accessibility standard
• Now harmonized with WCAG 2.0 AA
• Applies to federal agencies and contractors

Regional Standards

UK: Equality Act 2010, Public Sector Bodies Regulations Canada: AODA (Ontario), Accessible Canada Act Australia: DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) Japan: JIS X 8341 India: GIGW (Guidelines for Indian Government Websites)

Regional Requirements

European Union

Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102):

• WCAG 2.1 AA required
• Public sector websites and apps
• Accessibility statement mandatory
• Monitoring and enforcement

European Accessibility Act (EAA):

• Products and services
• E-commerce, e-books, banking
• Implementation by 2025

United States

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act):

• Applies to places of public accommodation
• Website accessibility increasingly required
• Title II (state/local government)
• Title III (private businesses)

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act):

• K-12 education
• Accessible educational materials
• Assistive technology requirements

Other Regions

Canada:

• AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)
• Accessible Canada Act (federal)

Australia:

• DDA standards
• Education standards

Assistive Technology Support

Screen Readers

Major Screen Readers:

• JAWS (Windows)
• NVDA (Windows, open source)
• VoiceOver (macOS, iOS)
• TalkBack (Android)
• ORCA (Linux)

Requirements:

• Semantic HTML
• ARIA labels and roles
• Logical heading structure
• Alt text for images
• Keyboard navigation

Other Assistive Technologies

Magnification:

• ZoomText
• OS magnifiers
• Responsive text sizing

Voice Control:

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking
• OS voice control

Switch Access:

• Single-switch, multi-switch devices
• Keyboard-only navigation

Global Considerations

Language and Script

RTL Languages:

• Right-to-left navigation
• Screen reader support for Arabic, Hebrew
• Bidirectional text handling

Complex Scripts:

• Screen reader support varies
• Font and rendering requirements

Cultural Context

Disability Models:

• Medical model vs. social model
• Cultural attitudes toward disability
• Access to assistive technology
• Economic factors

Multimedia

Captions and Subtitles:

• SDH (Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
• Language translations
• Cultural caption differences

Audio Descriptions:

• Extended vs. standard descriptions
• Language and cultural context

Testing Protocols

Automated Testing

Tools:

• axe DevTools
• WAVE
• Lighthouse
• Pa11y

Limitations: Catches ~30-40% of issues

Manual Testing

Required Tests:

• Keyboard navigation
• Screen reader testing (multiple readers)
• Color contrast
• Magnification/zoom
• Focus management

User Testing

With People with Disabilities:

• Diverse disability types
• Varied assistive technologies
• Different experience levels
• Cultural contexts

CLI Interface

# Global accessibility validation
/learning.global-accessibility --content "course/" --standards "WCAG-2.1-AA,EN-301-549,Section-508"

# Regional compliance check
/learning.global-accessibility --platform "lms/" --regions "EU,US,Canada,Australia"

# Assistive technology testing
/learning.global-accessibility --content "module/" --test-with "JAWS,NVDA,VoiceOver,TalkBack"

# Multi-language accessibility
/learning.global-accessibility --content "course/" --languages "en,ar,zh,es" --rtl-support

Output

• Global accessibility compliance report
• Regional requirements checklist
• Assistive technology compatibility matrix
• Remediation recommendations
• Testing protocols
• Accessibility statement template

Composition

Input from: /curriculum.review-accessibility, /learning.multi-script-design Works with: /learning.regional-compliance, /learning.multilingual-assessment Output to: Globally accessible learning materials

Exit Codes

• 0: Global accessibility validated
• 1: Critical accessibility violations
• 2: Regional standard not met
• 3: Assistive technology incompatibility