As education and corporate training evolve, accessibility is becoming a non-negotiable part of how we evaluate learning. In a recent webinar, experts Emily Worthington from ReadSpeaker and Bart Sagaert from Televic Education, explored how digital technology can help create fairer, more inclusive exams. Here’s what you need to know.

Beyond paper exams

Digital assessments aren’t just about replacing paper. They’re just as much about unlocking new possibilities. These include:

• Flexibility: Candidates can take exams anytime, anywhere: at home, in a classroom, or in a test center.
• Accessibility: Building in accessibility from the start responds directly to a more diverse learner population. Offering text-to-speech tools, for example, means a shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to inclusivity and helps ensure a level playing field for all test takers.
• Security: Features like time limits, question randomization, proctoring and audit trails help maintain exam integrity.
• Scalability: Whether for 10 or 10,000 candidates, digital platforms can manage assessments efficiently across formats, both formative or summative.

Why accessibility can’t be an afterthought

Roughly 15 to 20% of the population* has a ‘declared’ physical, visual, auditory, cognitive, or neurological disability. And yet, many learning and assessment environments aren’t designed with these users in mind. This leads to exclusion, not due to lack of ability, but due to a lack of accessible opportunities.

One of the key takeaways from the webinar: accessible design benefits everyone. Based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, and known as the curb cut effect, when accessibility is built in, it improves the experience for all learners, not just those with disabilities. For example, ReadSpeaker’s text-to-speech tools are useful not only for visually impaired users, but also for multitaskers, non-native speakers, or anyone who prefers auditory learning.

What learners and organisations expect today

Today’s learners are looking for:

• Flexible scheduling
• Instant feedback
• Fair, transparent grading

Meanwhile, organisations need:

• Scalable, traceable platforms
• Inclusive tools that accommodate all learners
• Seamless integration with existing systems

Digital exams meet these needs, supporting both formative (learning-focused) and summative (certification-focused) assessments in a consistent way.

A real-world example: improving construction exam results with text to speech

In the construction sector, language diversity and lower literacy levels can make digital exams a real challenge. Constructiv, a training and certification provider for construction workers, found that many candidates struggled with reading-heavy tests—especially in safety training. To make exams more accessible, they enabled ReadSpeaker in their assessmentQ environment, allowing questions and instructions to be read aloud.

As Constructiv explains: “Constructiv organises digital exams via assessmentQ for construction workers who often have enough knowledge, but who get nervous when they can only read the questions on a screen. Because of the possibilities offered by ReadSpeaker, in combination with assessmentQ, people will be able to demonstrate what they have to offer.”

The results were clear. Candidates reported higher confidence levels when taking the tests, and the pass rate for certain modules increased significantly after the introduction of text-to-speech. Trainers also noticed fewer clarification requests, as candidates better understood the questions the first time around. This demonstrates how audio support can directly improve both comprehension and overall performance in assessment scenarios.

By providing a listening option, the company not only increased inclusivity but also ensured that critical safety knowledge was more effectively transferred across a diverse workforce.

Read more about ReadSpeaker Text to Speech used by TP Demain.

Conclusion

Accessibility isn’t a feature. It’s a foundation. Digital assessment platforms, when designed with accessibility in mind, support all learners and ensure no one is left behind. Whether you’re evaluating knowledge in schools, companies, or government settings, making exams inclusive is no longer optional, it’s essential.

*Source: World Health Organisation