Creating Accessible Teaching and Support

Online learning, when designed with accessibility in mind, can significantly improve the educational experience of all students, and particularly those with disability. 

Recent developments in online learning offer real flexibility in terms of when and where students study.  However, if not designed to be accessible, they can also construct barriers to learning.  

Strategies for accessibility include:

• Ensure that documents loaded into the learning management system are accessible - use the tool developed by education.au
• Invite students studying off campus to make early contact to discuss learning support needs and any accommodations they require.
• Provide information about disability services, assistive technology support and their rights and responsibilities.
• Ensure that course requirements are clear and indicate that the course can be adjusted as long as academic standards are maintained.
• Ensure that reading packs, other sources of information, and on-campus workshops and activities are accessible.
• Ensure that accessible Web design guidelines are followed.

The findings of a UNSW research project have been distilled into a set of guidelines for designers of courses in WebCT (these are generally applicable to all web-based learning programs). The guidelines take the form of checkpoints, and advice for implementation. In summary:

• Use consistent and appropriate graphics, illustrations and figures and include a text equivalent.
• Organise content to take account of the transition to an online environment.
• Use the features provided by WebCT to organise and structure course content.
• Make PDF and other read-only file formats accessible.
• Be aware of the limitations of screen-readers in interpreting unusual text, characters and abbreviations.
• Use tables, colours, contrasts and screen design consistently and appropriately.
• Provide alternative sources of information for video or audio.

According to the guidelines, the key is to take a learner-centred approach: "[You] cannot expect to always meet all the needs of every learner, [but] reasonable steps can be taken to ensure the widest participation."