We invite you to participate in the 13th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on Thursday, May 16, 2024. GAAD provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together and learn about the importance of digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities or impairments.
On this website, we offer tools and information about Accessibility and disability, Accessibility support at Arden University, Digital Accessibility, and useful Resources and Tools. Check them out to learn more and take action.
Take action to be a part of the GAAD!
By engaging in constructive conversations and sharing knowledge, we can work towards creating a more accessible and inclusive world. At Arden University, we firmly believe in providing an education that is accessible and inclusive for all. As a part of our ongoing efforts to achieve this goal, we are excited to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).
Check out the GAAD website for more information on digital access and inclusion. The Global Accessibility Awareness Day website provides a wide range of information, tools, and resources to promote understanding of accessibility.
Join the 21-Day Accessibility Awareness Learning Path and explore ways to create an inclusive and supportive community for individuals with disabilities. Together, we can work towards empowering them to achieve academic, research, and professional success while fostering a sense of belonging. Let's take action towards building a more accessible and equitable world for all.
Social media is a vast community that has the potential to bring about significant changes in the world. By using the Social Media Accessibility Toolkit - Explore Access, you can make your posts more accessible and inclusive, thereby ensuring that everyone can participate in the conversation. Whether you are sharing your thoughts or posting an image, the toolkit helps you create content that is easy to understand and navigate for people with disabilities. This way, you can contribute to a more inclusive and diverse online community that celebrates the unique perspectives of all individuals.
What is a disability?
Under the UK Equality Act 2010, a person is considered to have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial effect on the way they conduct normal day-to-day activities. In UK higher education, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) asks us to categorise our disabled students into eight groups:
A specific learning difficulty (SpLD) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
A social/communication impairment such as Asperger's syndrome/other autism spectrum disorder
A long-term illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
A mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
A physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using arms, a wheelchair or crutches
Deaf or a serious hearing impairment
Blind or a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
A disability, impairment or medical condition not listed above, such as a speech impairment, manual dexterity issue or severe allergy
The Equality Act 2010 says that organisations such as the University must make “reasonable adjustments” to remove barriers that would mean that a disabled student was not able to fully participate in education, facilities, and other services provided for students. At Arden, we work hard to make individual, reasonable adjustments for disabled students. This can include examination adjustments, and building accessible teaching and learning resources.
Arden's SPARK Value: Accessible
Meet Alice Chapman, a Product Developer in the Learning Design team and Co-Chair of the Disability and Wellbeing Colleague Network. She is a passionate advocate for the importance of accessibility in breaking down physical and digital barriers and making it possible for everyone to access content, information, and their surroundings. Alice's insights are invaluable in helping us understand the critical need for creating a society that is inclusive for all. You can click on the video to find out more about Alice's introduction to accessibility at Arden.
Video Transcription
0:01 > 0:25
Hello, my name is Alice Chapman and I am the Product Developer in the Learning Design team in the Faculty of Learning and Teaching.
I'm also the Co Chair for the Disability and Wellbeing Colleague Network.
In this short video, I will be talking through an Arden Value which is especially important to highlight during our first Diversity Festival.
The value I'll be looking at is Accessible.
0:32 > 0:55
We have 5 core values at Arden which are Standout, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful and Kindness.
We use the acronym SPARK to help us to remember them.
The values were created through a consultation process with people at Arden and each value has a set of behaviours.
For this video, I'll go through the 8 behaviours that colleagues and students work to when we think of the value Accessible.
1:06 > 1:44
Accessible behaviours 1 to 4.
We create a sense of belonging for everyone at Arden, recognising that we all have a contribution to make and appreciating the value of different experiences and backgrounds.
We offer everyone a chance, opening doors to students of any age, going above and beyond to provide transferable skills and the real life tools needed to develop
We treat everyone as individuals by being honest, upfront and genuine in what we say and how we say it.
We are welcoming, understanding and respond quickly to people's changing circumstances.
1:57 > 2:25
Accessible behaviours 5 to 8
We provide a considered, tailored and practical support throughout the education journey.
We stay up to date with the latest guidance on accessibility, so we can offer the best possible learning to everyone, regardless of ability
We raise awareness of what accessibility means
We value and celebrate diversity and ensure everyone feels included through clear and open communication.
2:36 > 3:07
Continuing work on accessibility.
Working in areas of accessibility. We recognise that this is an ongoing and ever changing process so we strive to make sure that we are meeting values wherever we can.
A lot of the work happening at Arden focuses on this and throughout Diversity Festival. This year you will have the chance to see some of the amazing things that both colleagues and students are doing to help my garden. An inclusive and accessible place to be.
Thanks for watching and see you again soon.
Disabled Students' Voices and Experiences
A fundamental value of inclusion is that disabled people's voices should be front and centre: 'nothing about us without us'. This section showcases experiences and opinions about accessibility and inclusivity in higher education from disabled students and academics.
Hidden Disabilities
Not all disabilities are visible. Be kind, respectful and never assume. 🌻
Struggling with mental health at university - BBC Stories
According to the NUS poll, out of 1093 students surveyed, 78% experienced some form of mental health issue. So what is student life like for those who struggle? We met Mikai, a student at Warwick University, as she describes the causes.