Looking at accessibility and inclusion for distance learning

1. Accessibility in the Online Learning
Environment
Kevin Hickey Jisc RSC NW. 8th October 2014

2. Who am I and where can I get these slides?
Kevin Hickey
Jisc RSC NW
@kevhickeyuk
kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Slides available via:
http://goo.gl/rfE2q2

3. Supporting Accessibility for Distance Learners
Why is it Important ?
What are the Barriers?
What are the solutions?

4. Who said …?
“We are the largest
provider of Higher
education for people with
disabilities :
More than 22,000 people
with disabilities studies
with us in 2012/13”.

5. Why might someone with a disability prefer distance
learning?
Study at their own pace
Control of the environment
Fewer Barriers

6. What are the barriers to providing support to distance
learners with disabilities?
Can’t provide technology
Unknown disabilities
Variety of technologies

7. How can we overcome these barriers and support
distance learners with disabilities?
Inclusive content design
Remote support
Let learners know, what
is freely available

8. http://www2.open.ac.uk/students/skillsforstudy/recording-your-notes.php

9. https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/ls/it-help/helpful-software/

10. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/fordisabledusers/technology/software.html

11. Packages of free support software
MyStudyBar
http://eduapps.org/
Remote support
Access Tools
https://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk/projects/access-tools

12. Any Questions?

13. Images used under Creative Commons Licence
‘Michelle at Cafe Mozart’ by larkspurlazuli via
https://flic.kr/p/68puBc
‘School Of Open Workshop’ WMDE / Elly Köpf / CC BY-SA
via http://creativecommons.org/tag/online-course