In this episode of the Learning and Performance Podcast, I speak with Nicole L’Etoile—learning experience designer, accessibility advocate, and founder of L’Etoile Education—about how to design digital learning experiences that are accessible, inclusive, and equitable for all learners.

Nicole brings deep experience as a former educator, LMS administrator, accessibility auditor, and course creator. In our conversation, she shares actionable strategies to help learning designers and organizations create accessible content that supports every learner—not just some.

Whether you’re new to accessibility or a seasoned learning pro looking to go deeper, this episode is packed with practical advice, frameworks, and resources to support your work.

Topics Covered:

In our conversation, we cover a range of topics relevant to learning and performance, including:

What accessibility is and why it matters

The POUR framework: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust

Why accessibility is often overlooked or treated as an afterthought

Common accessibility barriers in online learning and how to avoid them

Myths about accessible learning being "less engaging"

Tools, techniques, and workflows for building accessible content

How to conduct an accessibility audit

Nicole’s own journey—from educator to accessibility advocate

How accessibility work shaped her as a learner, leader, and professional

Advice for learning designers and L&D teams

The future of accessibility and the role of AI
The value of safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environments

Connect with Nicole

🌐 Website: letoile-education.com
📧 Newsletter + Cohorts: Making Online Content Accessible for All
🔗 LinkedIn: Nicole L’Etoile

People Mentioned

Crystal Scott – Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) and designer of Nicole’s website
Taylor Arnt – Accessibility and assistive tech advocate who created WCAG and AT-focused ChatGPT bots

Luke Hobson – Instructional designer and founder of Instructional Design Institute; collaborator with Nicole
Molly Huddle – Former Olympian and coach of Nicole’s racing team

Tools and Tech Mentioned:

Storyline, iSpring – E-learning authoring tool
Amara – Open-source captioning and subtitling tool
Hemingway App – Writing tool for improving readability and plain language

Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test – Tool to assess reading level of content

ChatGPT / Claude / Google Gemini – Used to interpret WCAG guidelines and assist in accessibility practices
WCAG GPT Bot by Taylor Arnt – Available here

Assistive Tech GPT by Taylor Arnt – Chatbot to simulate screen reader experience

Frameworks and Guides:

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) – Quick Reference Guide
POUR Framework – Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) – https://www.w3.org
WebAIM – https://webaim.org
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – CAST Guidelines

Accessibility Shield – https://www.accessibilityshield.com
Organizations and Platforms:

L’Etoile Education – Nicole’s consulting business: https://www.letoile-education.com
Instructional Design Institute by Luke Hobson – Nicole's course is hosted here

Brightspace / D2L – LMS used to deliver Nicole’s flagship accessibility course

Transcript

#20 – Nicole L’Etoile on Designing More Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences