UDL components built in, not as plugin
Universal Design for Learning is not "an accessibility button in the corner" — it is a design principle saying every student deserves an interface that works for them. EduVlaanderen has a component library with 7 aids, available on every page.
What breaks today
Accessibility in Flemish edtech usually means: a dark mode and larger fonts. For students with dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, dyscalculia or dyspraxia, that's insufficient. Aids are often sold as separate apps that don't integrate with the platform.
How EduVlaanderen fixes it
An accessibility toolbar (♿ button bottom-left) opens a panel with 7 aids. Students themselves choose what's on — preferences persist, including in the mobile app.
The 7 components
- OpenDyslexic toggle → switches system font to dyslexia-friendly.
- Text size → A / A+ / A++ (proportionally larger).
- Background colour (Irlen) → cream, blue, green, pink tint — reduces visual stress.
- Reading ruler → horizontal tinted band following cursor — helps line tracking for dyslexia.
- Focus timer → Pomodoro (5/10/15/25 min) with progress ring — ADHD focus aid.
- Reduce motion → respects prefers-reduced-motion automatically, also manual.
- Visual schedule (ASD) → pictogram + label strip with current activity marked.
Not one accessibility, but many
Dyslexia, ADHD and ASD have contradictory needs. What helps a student with dyslexia (OpenDyslexic font, colour overlay) can distract a student with ADHD. What gives an ASD student structure (visual schedule, repeating routine) can cognitively overload a student with dyscalculia. The answer is not an "accessibility mode" but individual control — each student configures what works for them.