Accessible
INCLUSVIE AND SUPPORTIVE: Learning and teaching delivery is inclusive and participatory. It reflects the diversity of student strengths and needs, and actively supports student mental health and wellbeing.
The starting point for creating an Inclusive and Supportive online environment is to ensure it is accessible. An accessible online environment not only supports the diversity of our student body, it is beneficial for all users regardless of ability or background. It ensures we provide the most equitable learning experience for all our students.
Furthermore, we have a statutory anticipatory duty under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure equitable access and there is a regulatory requirement that our content needs to meet the international WCAG 2.1AA accessibility standard.
How to be accessible?
We made the first step.
The Moodle Module Template aims to be inclusive and accessible. We have incorporated the principle of accessibility in the design, to allow teachers to build a flexible and accessible learning and teaching module that accords with guidance set out in the WCAG 2.1 level AA guidance. This includes ensuring that Moodle meets the following four design principles:
Perceivable – users must be able to recognise and use Moodle with what senses they have available to them.
Operable – users can find and use Moodle content with equipment they are required to use, for example, a keyboard.
Understandable – users can understand the content in Moodle.
Robust - Moodle can be interpreted by a reasonable array of web technologies.
The module template has been created with these considerations in mind. To that end we have ensured that text can be entered as headings, whilst also maintaining the standard look and feel of the new template. All colours used comply with the WebAIM colour contrast check to WCAG AA standard (or above).
Now it's your turn.
It is the combination of this template and your content that will ensure the accessibility of online material for anyone that wants to access it.
The content that you as creators add into this template should also be compliant with the WCAG advice.
Core materials should be provided in a range of accessible formats that are compatible with assistive technologies.
Module content should be designed in small ‘bite size’ chunks that allow all students to study at a time and pace that is helpful for them.
By following good practice when designing and adding your content, you will not only create better learning material, you will have content that can be more easily reused and repurposed – saving a lot of time in the future. Further help is available on the eLearning Tools website.
Ensuring your online content is accessible is an essential foundation for inclusive teaching. The next step is to consider what other barriers to access your students might be facing, and what can be done to remove or reduce them.
This will include checking your curriculum and learning environment are inclusive and ensuring students build supportive connections with you, each other and wider university services. The Learning Well resources provide a personalised student-centred tool for identifying strengths, needs and sources of support, which is a useful way to look at this issue in partnership with students.
Recommended resources
Blackboard Ally is a new technology the University has acquired to help improve the accessibility of content within Moodle, in line with UK legislation.
Learn about Blackboard Ally and how it can improve your teaching practice