Reflecting on Seale, 2006 on what is accessibility?

 

1. According to Seale, 2006, all the players in accessible e-learning have their own perspectives and their own stories to tell.
   1. What is your perspective or story?
   2. What events, people or objects have influenced your current perspective regarding accessibility?
   3. How conscious are you of these factors when you are reading and thinking about accessibility issues?

I have been a student all my life and continuously studied since school without a break and therefore, have a lot of first-hand experience of bad course design that is not inclusive or flexible. I am also shocked at the numerous examples you come across daily of bad web design. There are also many tools to help, but people are not aware of them. My current perspective is further reiterated by the issues experienced in the first two weeks of the course H810: Accessible online learning: supporting disabled students by the Open University. Such small, minor things could be done to have such huge impact on accessibility. I am conscious of factors impacting accessibility issues all the time in my work. There are so few good examples and yet it simply does not have to be this way. Websites can be designed to be so much better. Another event that was significant to me, was studying the OU course T183:Design and the Web. This course was teaching how web pages can be well-designed to meet accessibility needs; yet the OU did not practice what they were teaching. Usability issues were not met and two students with learning support needs were forced to leave the course. It was an upsetting experience that two students could not follow their goals for reasons that could have been so easily resolved. The OU reaction appeared to be ‘stop complaining and deal with what you have or leave’. Nobody seemed to listen to valid points being made that in the design of websites that we had to carry out as students as per the instruction of the course – was not being followed by the OU. It was very disappointing.

2. If you were to conduct an analysis at this point in time, of the costs and benefits for you personally as a learner in studying this course online, what would the analysis look like?

• Would there be more costs than benefits?
• Are they evenly matched?
• What factor helped you to decide you could cope with studying this course online?

 

At the present time, the costs outweigh the benefits in terms of time and the financial aspect of paying for the course – however, I am hopeful that in the long term the costs will pay off. I did not feel I had a choice in studying the course online, there was no alternative. I like studying at a distance, but do not like the 100% online mechanism that the OU now follow. I miss the course books that used to be issued. The factor that helped me cope was knowing that I had a printer and a fast broadband speed. Also that I am an experienced web user and can work a computer etc.

 

 

3. Seale uses the imagery of a magic fairy to make the point that many of us are waiting desperately in the hope that we don’t have to take responsibility for accessibility because somehow or other it has ‘miraculously’ been done for us.

1. What metaphor, analogy or imagery would you use to describe your or your co-workers’ current attitude or expectations regarding finding solutions to accessibility ‘problems’?

I think the image that I think of for the majority is that people are lazy

 

and bury their heads in the sand.

 

 

Unless they are directly impacted or know someone close to them with accessibility needs; then this is often not considered.

The image that I would like to use for myself is taken from Morgan’s metaphors (1986) and is the metaphor of an organism – suggesting interactivity with other work and work is interrelated. The structure of the business is networked and encourages learning that is negotiated, inclusive, flexible, self-directed, accessible and participatory.

 

 

 

4  If you attended a conference where the main theme was making online learning accessible, what kind of information or evidence would you wish to hear from the presenters that would help to inform or change your practice?

I would want to see demonstrations and evidence of the impact of tools. I would want to hear from those who have tested the ideas who have individual needs. I would want evidence that those who are talking are making a difference and practice what they communicate.

 

 

5      Thinking about accessibility:

Why do you think some students do not declare their disability to the institutions in which they are studying?

Does it matter if an institution does not know the exact numbers of disabled students registered on its courses and the exact nature of their learning needs?

How necessary do you think this information is, in helping institutions develop accessible learning?

In what way might such information help an institution improve the accessibility of its online learning material?

I think there are a variety of reasons why students do not declare their disability to the institutions they are studying, for example, because it will not impact their study or they do not feel it is relevant for the institution to know; because of the way society and culture makes them feel; because they do not want special attention; because they feel it would not make any difference because the support they need is not provided; because they do not want to made to feel belittled.

I think it does matter the institution does know the exact numbers of disabled students registered on the courses and the exact nature of their learning needs – because they have a duty of care for all their students and making every student’s study experience their best.

The information is very necessary to make improvements and ensure that the needs of students are met. Students are a key stakeholder who can contribute to improvements and testing.

6      In our working lives we are all constantly managing our identities – both public and private.

 

 

• What aspects of your identity do you openly reveal to your work colleagues or students?

Aspects that are relevant, so for example, work experience.

• What aspects do you reveal in a more selective manner (if at all)?

Personal life.

• Are there any aspects of your identity or information about yourself that you would feel uncomfortable revealing to work colleagues or students?

Personal life – though if relevant I do – so for example, at a day school when we are applying real life to business ideas.