Talk given at BCS Digital Accessibility in Higher and Further Education conference, London, 7th April 2016. As accessibility consultants, we experience many recurring issues in our work. What accessibility knowledge and skills do these issues tell us we need to teach digital creators and decision-makers?

1. What to teach and how. A consultant’s
perspective on accessibility education
David Sloan @sloandr
BCS Digital Accessibility in HE and FE, London, April 7th
2016

2. An accessibility consultant’s typical
view of accessibility?

3. Example of accessibility audit
spreadsheet
Organisations pay us for bad news.

4. Key problems: technical view
• Lack of basic web development skills
– using HTML appropriately
• Keyboard operation and focus management
• Accessibility information of the user interface
• Use of colour
• Media accessibility

5. Key problems: organisational view
• Accessibility isn’t connected to good user experience
activity
• Accessibility doesn’t fit well into development practices
• Accessibility doesn’t influence selection and use of third-
party code and content
• Responsibility and authority for accessibility isn’t evenly
spread

6. What we need: role-based
responsibility for accessibility

7. Accessible Design Maturity Continuum
An Accessible Design Maturity Continuum, uxfor.us/mature-it

8. Challenges for educators
• Integrate accessibility through the curriculum
– A core digital literacy that ALL learners should
develop
– A fundamental part of specialist digital-focused
curricula
– Processes and practices
– In the learning experience and in assessment
• Apply inclusive teaching practices
• Curricula accreditation schemes must influence

9. Opportunities
• Our digital creators and decision-makers of the future
have grown up in a more diverse, inclusive world
• Diversification of platforms and devices
• Accessibility is becoming recognised as an essential
professional skill…

10. “Please supply us with graduates
with accessibility skills”
—Industry initiative teachaccess.org

11. Thank you!
@sloandr
paciellogroup.com