Access and Accessibility A panel discussion at the OCWC Global 2009 conference Ahrash Bissell, Creative Commons

Building a global learning commons Legal considerations regarding global access and accessibility.

Building a global learning commons The technical landscape is changing – new sustainability and educational models are both necessary and desired.

Building a global learning commons The growth of OER promises to revolutionize the opportunities for educational access, especially for historically disadvantaged populations.

Building a global learning commons But just because the resources exist , does not mean that they are accessible . There are many legal, technical, and social barriers to OER access and accessibility.

Building a global learning commons It is worth also briefly reflecting on the possible distinctions among rights to access versus rights to share/republish .

Building a global learning commons Considering just the legal issues, there are some key considerations to keep foremost in mind...

Building a global learning commons 1) We need to consider legal and business decisions independently . They obviously affect each other, but old business models can hamper adoption of the best-fitting legal tools.

Building a global learning commons 2) Accessibility is a multivariate construct, and key issues differ from place to place. OER, by definition, are amenable to different solutions, engineered by whomever has the appropriate expertise. Thus, OER reduces the burden on any one person to design OER that are accessible for everyone and all situations.

Building a global learning commons 3) Global public licenses, such as Creative Commons licenses, are necessary. These licenses cannot segregate allowable actions by users , only by uses .

Building a global learning commons I would advocate for solutions that recognize that people other than yourself are likely to add value to your resources, including increasing their accessibility. We need to make sure they have the rights to act in this manner.