Accessibility is the process of making something (a discrete as a web page or Word document, or as broad as ‘the student experience’) fit for purpose for all potential users. This means producing resources or experiences that each user can interact with appropriately – but it does not mean that all resources must be equally accessible to all users if there are equivalent experiences that are broadly equitable.
For example, a university should have a single website that works for all users, and the technology is readily available to ensure that can be done, provided the website’s designers understand the concept of accessibility as a user-focussed process and do not merely adhere to ‘technical accessibility’ standards. However, it may not be appropriate in the teaching of a particular module that all users experience the same learning materials in the same way (taken to its logical extension such an approach is unworkable and results in the removal of all but basic text documents) and it can be perfectly valid to create a range of ways in which the learning outcomes can be reached and allow students to take the route that best suits their needs or preferences.
Accessibility is not about meeting standards and following guidelines, although these can be of benefit in the process, but about ensuring fitness for purpose, which in education means ensuring all learners, whatever their needs, can achieve the learning outcomes, either via a single pathway that is accessible to all or via a choice of different but equivalent pathways.
TEL has a wealth of expertise in the area of providing accessible resources for students and can advise teaching staff of best practice when creating online materials.
In addition to the expertise of TEL, there are other excellent initiatives and services providing rich sources of information to guide you. JISC’s TechDis is one such service which aims to “support the education sector in achieving greater accessibility and inclusion by stimulating innovation and providing expert advice and guidance on disability and technology”. Their guides for making learning online accessible and inclusive for students are thorough and context based. Particularly useful are the JISC TechDis Accessibility Essentials Series which present advice on making formats like Word documents and presentations more accessible.
The following links are taken from a workshop delivered at Plymouth University in January 2008 by Dr Simon Ball, Senior Advisor JISC TechDis Service
- ‘Everyday techniques to make your practice more accessible‘ – (PowerPoint presentation and notes)
Other useful guides available from TechDis are:
- Web2Access – Evaluating Web2.0 Technologies for Accessibility. This resource aims to help those making decisions about their use of freely available ‘Web 2.0‘ interactive and collaborate e-learning tools.
- UpwardlyMobile – Getting started in Inclusive Mobile Learning. Upwardly Mobile is a companion to the publication GoMobile! Maximising the potential of mobile technologies for learners with disabilities. Taken together, these form a valuable toolkit for every teaching practitioner who wishes to use mobile learning inclusively.
You might also want to look at the ‘Skills For Access‘ website, a comprehensive guide to using accessible multimedia.
If you wish to find out more about accessibility and usability in technology enhanced learning please email the Learning Technologies team at tel@plymouth.ac.uk , call on 01752 587600, or talk to your local faculty based Learning Technologist.