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

• 🌐 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

• 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

• 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