Benevolent Bill

  I find the in-built accessibility features of Microsoft Windows to be very helpful. Font size options; zoom options and magnifier; background colours; filter keys stop accidental key strokes and toggle keys provide a warning sound if the caps lock is on. Feedback options can state audio signals and windows narrator reads things out that [...]

Accessibility and online learning

A reminder of some of the advantages of elearning can be found here: http://h810katharine.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/benefits-that-online-learning-can-provide-for-disabled-students/ One key preventative from the case studies is around actually having the equipment due to delays in receiving the DSA. Downtime and technical issues are also frustrating. The LExDis project resources show how customisation can help students such as language, colour, [...]

Making art history accessible

In my context, the issues in achieving learning objectives are in understanding the needs of disabled students to ensure they have the required assistance and the necessary time to complete their study. Students have access to a person to read to them if appropriate; writing and typing support and proof-reading support. Teaching material is accessible [...]

Considering technology…

If a student declared a disability in my institution the support offered would be individual to that student. There is no one-size fits all and there are a range of options that are discussed with the student and support options are agreed together. This ranges from guidance on online tools; equipment; additional tuition; external guidance [...]

In a sentence…

How would you define ‘accessibility’? Accessibility is all about interactive products being inclusive; flexible; useable;  easy to access and able to be adapted to meet the needs of any user’s special requirements Who do you think is responsible for accessibility? Everybody is responsible for accessibility. What do you understand by accessibility in an educational context? [...]

Issues in improving accessibility

Issue 1: Lack of staff awareness to what accessibility means and obligations JISC TechDis provide excellent advice for staff training and makes it clear that accessibility awareness needs to be increased in all companies and that it is everybody’s responsibility. Staff require different advice, depending on their role and responsibilities. Problems also arise in the [...]

Reflecting on Seale, 2006 on what is accessibility?

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

Why we need to widen accessibility

Roughly one in five of the UK population is disabled – 18% – according to the 2001 census, so widening accessibility to include disabled people could result in a considerable increase in the number of people who can use a particular product. In the UK, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in 1995, made it unlawful [...]

Defining Accessibility

Defining Accessibility Accessibility is all about interactive products being inclusive; flexible; useable;  easy to access and able to be adapted to meet the needs of any user’s special requirements  – for example, increasing the text size; adjusting the screen brightness and text-to-speech options.   Accessibility refers to both physical barriers, such as, navigating web pages [...]

How my situation relates to accessibility

How my situation relates to accessibility My background is working with adults in higher and further education and also vocational learning. I support students with disabilities in my teaching role and also work on technical aspects or online and distance education. I have an interest in accessibility and am continually reviewing how this can be [...]