This paper examines the research question: What is the level of awareness of Thai university staff regarding web accessibility and accessible online materials for students with disabilities?

1. Accessible online materials in
Thai universities:
awareness, attitudes and barriers
to effective development
Rattanavalee Maisak
Justin Brown
Nattakant Utakrit

2. Introduction
 Given the necessity of equitable access to
educational opportunities, the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (UNCRPD).
 the Thai government has supported the
CRPD framework in creating legislation and
policies to embrace the rights and dignity of
all Thai citizens under the Rehabilitation of
Disabled Persons Act 1991.
 However, research has found that Thai
institutions are taking little or no action about
the educational provisions and facilities for
students with disabilities.

3. Research Question
What is the level of awareness of Thai
university staff regarding web
accessibility and accessible online
materials for students with disabilities?

4. Literature Review
 Accessible online resources and
special needs
 Web accessibility and related work
 Assistive technologies

5. Research Design
 Web questionnaires and face to face
interviews
 Three participant's groups: lecturer,
senior manager and web administrator

6. Perceptions of Thai university staff
towards accessible e-learning
development
94 100
85
6 0
15
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Lecturers Web administrators Senior managers
% of Respondents
Yes No

7. Awareness of developing accessible
online materials for students with
disabilities
Lecturers Web administrators Senior managers
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes 10 20 5
Not sure 20 10 40
No 70 70 55
% of Respondents

8. Familiarity with assistive
technologies
45
25
50
55
75
50
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Lecturers Web administrators Senior managers
% of Respondents
Yes No

9. Awareness of web accessibility
concepts
50
60 65
50
40 35
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Lecturers Web administrators Senior managers
% of Respondents
Yes No

10. Perception of Thai accessibility
policies and laws
28
40
25
72
60
75
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Lecturers Web administrators Senior managers
% of Respondents
Yes No

11. Perception of the university web
accessibility policy
Lecturers
Web
administrators
Senior managers
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Not Sure 53 85 25
No 16 0 55
Yes 31 15 20
% of Respondents

12. RANK AND MEAN SCORES OF THE BARRIERS TO
ACCESSIBLE ONLINE MATERIALS ON THAI
UNIVERSITY WEBSITES
Barriers Rank Mean ( )
Lack of knowledge of the needs of students with
1 8.46
disabilities
Lack of knowledge of technologies to create
accessible online materials
2 7.58
Lack of knowledge of Assistive Technologies (AT) 3 6.84
Lack of accessibility training and awareness 4 5.48
Lack of assistive technology equipment and
5 5.44
software
Lack of financial support from a university 6 5.14
Lack of time 7 4.52
Lack of demand for accessible resources 8 4.06
Lack of commitment to accessible design
9 3.92
standards and resources
Lack of supporting network 10 3.56

13. Future strategies to integrate accessible
online materials and web accessibility
on university websites

14. Conclusions
 The lack of awareness of accessibility
policies and knowledge of people with
disabilities is highly problematic in
Thailand.
 Training is the best way to enhance and
put into practice their knowledge and
awareness as apparent in other
institutions.
 It is recommended that accessibility
should be one of the Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) in educational quality
assessment.