As you get ready for a new school year, now is the time to make sure your classroom is welcoming for all students. That includes students with disabilities, students learning English, and anyone who learns in a different way. One great way to start is by making your game-based learning tools more accessible.
Below are four handy resources that offer tips, ideas, and research to help you include every learner in the fun.
A 2025 study looked at 159 different examples of accessible education technology. The results were clear: tools like screen readers, speech-to-text software, and learning games with built-in support can help students stay engaged and learn more.
We shared this study earlier this year because it shows how simple changes – like offering audio instructions or letting students change font size – can make a big impact. In fact, the tools that work best give students options for how they take in and show what they’ve learned.
The U.S. Department of Education recently shared new tips for schools on how to make digital learning tools more accessible. GovTech covered the highlights. One big idea is that schools should start thinking about accessibility from the very beginning – not after students run into problems.
As a result, schools are encouraged to form teams that include teachers, tech staff, special education experts, and even students themselves. These teams can work together to choose the best tools. In addition, using checklists or rubrics can help you spot features like captions, screen reader support, and adjustable difficulty levels.
If you teach students who are learning English, iCivics has a set of civics games designed just for them. Their new “¡Vamos a jugar!” program adds Spanish support to 10 of their most popular games.
Each game includes glossaries, icons to guide decisions, and English voiceovers. There are also extra materials you can use before and after gameplay to help students review what they’ve learned. As a result, the games support both language growth and subject knowledge.
You don’t need new software to make learning games more accessible. Novak Education offers ways to improve games you already use.
For example, you might add visuals to a Bingo card, offer sentence starters for trivia games, or create your own review questions using ChatGPT. These are small changes, but they follow the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model. In addition, they give students more ways to participate and succeed.
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It might not surprise you to learn that we think game-based learning is fun – and it works! These resources show how to make sure all students can take part. Whether you’re trying new tools or just tweaking your favorites, even small updates can open the door for more learners.