The Brickfield Accessibility Hierarchy of Needs
A framework for delivering inclusive content for learning.
The aspirational peak — content designed from the start with multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. Not just removing barriers but proactively designing for learner diversity and choice.
Content that can be transformed and personalised. Learners have agency over how they interact with material — adjusting display, annotating, converting formats, and using assistive tools of their choice.
Beyond technical accessibility, content must be cognitively accessible. This means plain language, sensible font choices, logical information flow, chunked content, and visual hierarchy that guides the reader. Avoiding walls of uppercase text and ensuring an appropriate reading level for the audience.
Content must be perceivable and operable by everyone. This is the WCAG-aligned structural and technical foundation — ensuring content works with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies through proper semantic markup and design choices.
The most fundamental need — content must actually be reachable by all learners. This means offering multiple formats, mobile-friendly delivery, reliable LMS integration, stable URLs, and timely release of materials. If students cannot access the content, nothing else matters.
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