How to Remove Object Visibility for Accessibility Tools in Storyline 360
In this blog post, we’ll cover an important tip on improving accessibility in Storyline 360, particularly around how to handle decorative content so that it doesn’t interfere with the experience for users relying on screen readers.
What is Non-Text Content?
Non-text content includes visual elements such as images, shapes, and backgrounds, which often serve decorative purposes in eLearning courses. While these can enhance the look of a course for sighted learners, they are unnecessary — and sometimes distracting — for users of screen readers. For this reason, it’s important to exclude them from accessibility tools when they don’t contribute to the educational content.
The Problem with Default Settings
By default, Storyline 360 includes all visual elements when publishing content for accessibility, which can cause a screen reader to describe each one, regardless of its importance. For example, a screen reader might read out file names like "asset_2x.png" or "rectangle," which adds no value and disrupts the learning flow. This can cause your content to fail accessibility requirements, such as the WCAG Level A guideline on non-text content.
The Fix: Making Decorative Content Invisible to Screen Readers
To remove decorative objects from the screen reader’s scope, follow these simple steps:
Select the Object: Click on the decorative image, shape, or other non-essential visual element you wish to hide.
Access Size and Position Settings: Use the shortcut
Shift + Ctrl + Enterto open the settings, or right-click the object and select "Size and Position."Go to the Accessibility Tab: In the dialog box that appears, navigate to the "Accessibility" tab.
Turn Off Accessibility Visibility: Uncheck the option labeled "Object is visible to accessibility tools."
By unchecking this option, you make the object invisible to screen readers, ensuring that learners using assistive technologies won’t be distracted by non-relevant content.
Ensuring Consistency Across Slides
If you are using multiple decorative images or shapes across different slides, you can save time by setting one object to be invisible to accessibility tools and then copying or duplicating it. This method keeps the settings intact, so you won’t need to adjust each new object individually.
A Special Note About States
When working with buttons or other objects that have multiple states (such as "normal," "hover," or "selected"), keep in mind that any embedded object within these states will still be visible to accessibility tools unless manually adjusted. Even though these objects might seem integrated into a single visual element, they can be read out by a screen reader unless you turn off their visibility in the same way as described above.
Are You More of a Visual Learner?
Final Thoughts
Ensuring that your e-learning content meets accessibility standards not only enhances the learning experience for users who rely on screen readers, but it also improves the overall quality and usability of your courses. Taking the time to make decorative objects invisible to accessibility tools can prevent unnecessary distractions and make your content more focused and compliant.
If you need help with more accessibility tips for Storyline 360 or have any other questions, feel free to reach out!