Nikki Henson
Instructional Designer
Designing for Accessibility
Instructional Documents and Explainer Videos
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Tools Used
To create the training materials, I used:
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Adobe InDesign
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Camtasia
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Adobe Premiere
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Adobe After Effects
Project Overview
When I joined GoTo Foods, accessibility efforts were primarily limited to adding captions to videos hosted in the LMS. However, learner feedback indicated that the LMS and many instructional materials were not fully accessible. In response, I led an initiative to improve the accessibility of instructional content across the organization.
This project was especially meaningful to me due to my prior experience working in public schools with students who had diverse learning needs, which informed my approach to inclusive design and reinforced the importance of accessible learning experiences.
To support this initiative, I developed accessibility guides, branded InDesign and Word templates, and checklists for use by the training team when creating job aids and instructional documents. I also facilitated team training during meetings and created on-demand explainer videos to reinforce best practices and support ongoing adoption.
In addition, I created and maintained a centralized resource outlining approved accessible color combinations for each restaurant brand, enabling team members to quickly verify appropriate color contrast across learning materials.
Below are recreated examples of select materials developed as part of this initiative (with proprietary information removed), including an accessibility guide, checklist, and InDesign explainer document.
Designing for Accessibility: Instructional Documents and Job Aids
This guide outlines key principles of accessible content and visual design for instructional documents and job aids. It explains best practices for accessible design and includes real-world examples to illustrate how these principles can be applied in practice.
When developing this resource for the training team, I also incorporated approved accessible color combinations and practical guidance for making branded fonts more accessible, ensuring the document could be readily applied.
Designing for Accessibility: Creating Instructional Documents Checklist
This one-page checklist provides a concise reference for accessible content and visual design standards. It was designed as a quick, practical tool for team members to consult while developing instructional documents and job aids, helping ensure accessibility considerations were consistently applied throughout the design process.
Designing for Accessibility: Creating Instructional Documents in Adobe InDesign
At GoTo Foods, the majority of instructional documents and job aids were created using Adobe InDesign. Because the platform can be challenging for new users, I developed a step-by-step guide to support team members as they created accessible documents. The guide includes links to short instructional videos demonstrating each step, providing multiple ways to engage with the content and offering on-demand resources as needed.