Since early March 2020, roughly 50% of in-person learning has been postponed or canceled in North America. With a large number of employees working virtually, employers need a greater number of eLearning courses. Client utilization of Meridian LMS was up more than 100% in early April 2020 compared to April 2019. Utilization numbers continue to remain high.
With the increase in demand for online learning, Meridian also saw an influx of new organizations seeking to improve their current learning platforms. While many training solutions focus mainly on content and platform features, many fail to factor in usability -or the user experience- as the key component to drive LMS utilization. A significant portion of the user experience is tied to accessibility. If a workforce population cannot view, comprehend, access, and interact with your solution, you will never get the most from your learning investment.
In 2018, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that 4% of the U.S. workforce has a disability. While that is not a large percentage, a poor user experience can leave you open to liability and risks if your workforce cannot successfully take or comprehend the required training.
Accessibility is important to our organization. While Meridian is 508 compliant, there are myriad layers and depths for the various standards that fall under the accessibility umbrella. To ensure we have an accessible product, Meridian utilizes a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), which is an internal evaluation of Meridian product conformance with the accessibility standards under Act World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) Level A and AA standards.
Our certified staff regularly audits our software to ensure quality expectations are met and maintained. This assessment pertains to a core path of Meridian LMS functionality, including learner, manager, and instructor functionality. Administrator functionality is not included in this VPAT. The Meridian LMS is also tested against federal Section 508 standards.