Accessibility

Digital accessibility refers to the practice of creating electronic materials to share online, such that it is usable by all people, including people with disabilities. All content should be available visually, aurally, and tactilely. Most of the time, the term digital accessibility reflects the needs of those who use uniquely designed technology devices (assistive technology) to accomplish tasks on a computer or mobile device. Those devices and techniques provide for equality in education, employment, and other major life activities.

Students who have vision impairment or have other visual reading disabilities often use screen-reading software to verbalize or put into Braille what the sighted computer user sees. However, for screen-reading software to convert text into speech or Braille, the website, learning management system, or document must abide by standards and procedures that enable the software to function. If learning management systems do not follow accessibility standards and create inaccessible materials, students who rely on the use of screen-readers will not be able to access or utilize the information they contain.

Being educators, we strive to help people learn. We share information, design resources, provide feedback, and a lot more. In the digital era, with all the technology and innovation, we have access to more education and gadgets, but not all students can access these resources or opportunities. This could be because of a disability, an impairment, a language barrier, or other reasons.

Accommodating these students to succeed in the obstacles and empower them to have access to the same learning chances as others is what is meant by making learning accessible.

Schedule an Open Lab appointment for a consultation on making your course accessible.