The Best Free Tools for Accessible Online Learning

Part of the Accessible Online Course Design Toolkit

How it Works

Tools are grouped by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or Universal Design for Learning (UDL) areas they improve.
Clicking the tool’s name opens the link to its website or landing page in a new browser tab.
Each description gives a quick overview of what the tool does and how it helps.
Ease of use is rated from 1 to 5, with 1 being the hardest to use and 5 being the easiest.
Each tool lists its platforms, such as web, desktop, mobile, or browser extension. Some work on many platforms.
All tools have free options, but some premium features may offer a better experience.

Clear Writing

Grammarly (opens in a new tab)

Fixes grammar and spelling to make your course content easy to understand.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Hemingway Editor (opens in a new tab)

Shows hard-to-read sentences so you can write clearer course content.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Microsoft Immersive Reader (opens in a new tab)

Makes text easier to read and lets you test how your content looks with different settings.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Visual Accessibility

Colorblindly (opens in a new tab)

Shows how your courses look to people who can’t see all colors.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Color Oracle (opens in a new tab)

Lets you see your course how colorblind users see it.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) (opens in a new tab)

Makes sure your PDF files meet basic access standards.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

WebAIM Contrast Checker (opens in a new tab)

Makes sure text colors stand out enough from backgrounds.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) (opens in a new tab)

Checks if your web content follows rules for accessibility.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

NVDA Screen Reader (opens in a new tab)

Free tool that reads text aloud like many students with vision problems use. Windows PC only.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

VoiceOver for Mac (opens in a new tab)

Built-in screen reader to test your course on Apple devices. Mac OS and iOS devices only.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Accessible Media

Loom (opens in a new tab)

Makes videos of your screen with captions for tutorials.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Screencastify (opens in a new tab)

Records quick videos with auto-captions to explain ideas.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

YouTube Caption Editor (opens in a new tab)

Enables you to fix auto-captions to make them more accurate.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Aegisub (opens in a new tab)

Gives you full control over caption timing and format.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Amara (opens in a new tab)

Helps you add and edit subtitles to your videos.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Rev.com Editor (opens in a new tab)

Uses AI to help create accurate captions for your videos.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Interactive Learning

H5P (opens in a new tab)

Creates quizzes and games that all students can use.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Kahoot! (opens in a new tab)

Builds fun quiz games with options to make them more accessible.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Quizizz (opens in a new tab)

Makes fun quiz games that work on phones, tablets, or computers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Quizlet (opens in a new tab)

Makes flashcards and study games that work for all learners.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Genially (opens in a new tab)

Builds slides and graphics that students can click and interact with.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Wooclap (opens in a new tab)

Lets students answer questions in real-time during class.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Google Forms (opens in a new tab)

Creates quizzes and surveys that work with screen readers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

SurveyMonkey (opens in a new tab)

Creates polls and quizzes that work for all users.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Canvas Badges (Badgr) (opens in a new tab)

Gives students digital awards to keep them motivated.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

GamiPress (opens in a new tab)

Adds points and badges to make learning more like a game.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

BranchTrack (opens in a new tab)

Builds scenarios where students make choices and see results.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Twine (opens in a new tab)

Creates choose-your-own-path stories that work with screen readers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Shared Workspaces

Padlet (opens in a new tab)

Gives you digital bulletin boards where everyone can post.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

MindMeister (opens in a new tab)

Makes mind maps that work for keyboard-only users.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Miro (opens in a new tab)

Offers online whiteboards that work with keyboard-only users.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Mural (opens in a new tab)

Creates digital boards where students can share ideas visually.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Hypothes.is (opens in a new tab)

Lets students add notes to websites and documents together.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Perusall (opens in a new tab)

Helps students read and comment on texts as a group.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Course Platforms

Canvas (opens in a new tab)

Runs full courses with built-in tools for all learners.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Google Classroom (opens in a new tab)

Manages assignments and materials with Google’s accessibility features.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

TutorLMS (opens in a new tab)

Creates WordPress courses with quizzes that all students can use.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Hemingway Editor (opens in a new tab)

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Difficulty:

Platforms:

Hemingway Editor (opens in a new tab)

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Difficulty:

Platforms:

Hemingway Editor (opens in a new tab)

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Difficulty:

Platforms:

Clear Writing

Grammarly (opens in a new tab)

Fixes grammar and spelling to make your course content easy to understand.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Hemingway Editor (opens in a new tab)

Shows hard-to-read sentences so you can write clearer course content.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Microsoft Immersive Reader (opens in a new tab)

Makes text easier to read and lets you test how your content looks with different settings.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Visual Accessibility

Colorblindly (opens in a new tab)

Shows how your courses look to people who can’t see all colors.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Color Oracle (opens in a new tab)

Lets you see your course how colorblind users see it.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) (opens in a new tab)

Makes sure your PDF files meet basic access standards.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

WebAIM Contrast Checker (opens in a new tab)

Makes sure text colors stand out enough from backgrounds.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) (opens in a new tab)

Checks if your web content follows rules for accessibility.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

NVDA Screen Reader (opens in a new tab)

Free tool that reads text aloud like many students with vision problems use. Windows PC only.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

VoiceOver for Mac (opens in a new tab)

Built-in screen reader to test your course on Apple devices. Mac OS and iOS devices only.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Accessible Media

Loom (opens in a new tab)

Makes videos of your screen with captions for tutorials.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Screencastify (opens in a new tab)

Records quick videos with auto-captions to explain ideas.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

YouTube Caption Editor (opens in a new tab)

Enables you to fix auto-captions to make them more accurate.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Aegisub (opens in a new tab)

Gives you full control over caption timing and format.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Amara (opens in a new tab)

Helps you add and edit subtitles to your videos.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Rev.com Editor (opens in a new tab)

Uses AI to help create accurate captions for your videos.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Interactive Learning

H5P (opens in a new tab)

Creates quizzes and games that all students can use.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Kahoot! (opens in a new tab)

Builds fun quiz games with options to make them more accessible.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Quizizz (opens in a new tab)

Makes fun quiz games that work on phones, tablets, or computers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Quizlet (opens in a new tab)

Makes flashcards and study games that work for all learners.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Genially (opens in a new tab)

Builds slides and graphics that students can click and interact with.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Wooclap (opens in a new tab)

Lets students answer questions in real-time during class.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Google Forms (opens in a new tab)

Creates quizzes and surveys that work with screen readers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

SurveyMonkey (opens in a new tab)

Creates polls and quizzes that work for all users.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Canvas Badges (Badgr) (opens in a new tab)

Gives students digital awards to keep them motivated.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

GamiPress (opens in a new tab)

Adds points and badges to make learning more like a game.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

BranchTrack (opens in a new tab)

Builds scenarios where students make choices and see results.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Twine (opens in a new tab)

Creates choose-your-own-path stories that work with screen readers.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Shared Workspaces

Padlet (opens in a new tab)

Gives you digital bulletin boards where everyone can post.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

MindMeister (opens in a new tab)

Makes mind maps that work for keyboard-only users.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Miro (opens in a new tab)

Offers online whiteboards that work with keyboard-only users.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Mural (opens in a new tab)

Creates digital boards where students can share ideas visually.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Hypothes.is (opens in a new tab)

Lets students add notes to websites and documents together.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Perusall (opens in a new tab)

Helps students read and comment on texts as a group.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Course Platforms

Canvas (opens in a new tab)

Runs full courses with built-in tools for all learners.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

Google Classroom (opens in a new tab)

Manages assignments and materials with Google’s accessibility features.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

TutorLMS (opens in a new tab)

Creates WordPress courses with quizzes that all students can use.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Ease of Use:

Platforms:

The Best Free Tools for Accessible Online Learning

Part of the Accessible Online Course Design Toolkit

How it Works

Clear Writing

Visual Accessibility

Accessible Media

Interactive Learning

Shared Workspaces

Course Platforms

Clear Writing

Visual Accessibility

Accessible Media

Interactive Learning

Shared Workspaces

Course Platforms

Ready to build better online courses?