Differentiation for the needs of learners is best practice in education and the increseing shift towards online learning presents both benefits and challenges for diverse learners.

US News & World Report reported in 2018 that it is important to consider the needs of learners when considering online learning. Their article: The Pros, Cons of Online Learning for Students with Disabilities, by Holloway and Foley, outlines several benefits. Students with emotional disabilities can now choose the best time and day to learn, those with ADHD will not have to manage the distractions of a typical classroom, technologies like software that allows you to take audio notes or have text read aloud can support different sensory needs, and those with limited mobility will not have to navigate the physical challenges of getting to class. Those are just some examples. However, they also describe the struggles, such as the ereader software may require more bandwith than the student has at home or it requires updates that may have a monetary cost associated. Pop-ups may cause problems for some users with motor neuron disease, or visual stimulation of flashing lights may make learning difficult for students with epilepsy. They also point out that cultural barriers can still exist within online platforms, such as when students means of expression during online chats could still serve to make them feel marginalized or excluded. It is very important for educators to consider the learning goal and also consider how the platform will be used and viewed by their specific learners. 

There are ways to specificially check to ensure a site or learning system is accessible to diverse learners. Stewart Rogers posted a great article called eLearning Accessibility: Best Practices, Tips, and Tricks. Here he provides reasons for providing an accessible site, one of which is the fact that one in five learners has a disability, and ways in which to make a learning platform more accessible for all users. It was through his article that I learned about the Web Accessibility Initiative, which strives to make the web more accessible to those with disabilties. They have a check list that educators can use to evaluate websites and there is listing of over 100 evaluation tools that can be used. The goal of an educator should be to collect feedback from users and continuously work to eliminate barriers to provide a more accessible platform for learning.

I located some great information at the University of Washington, DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, Technology) website and they have a great link for educators who may be moving their traditional course online. Here you can find information about students' civil rights and tips for ensuring that your course is accessible, including tips to make materials and websites more accessible. It even includes advice for making online discussion sessions or meetings more accessible.