Accessibility

Why consider accessibility?

Considering accessibility in teaching and learning activities is crucial for several reasons:

• Inclusive Education: Accessibility ensures that all students, regardless of disability or learning difference, have equal opportunities to participate and succeed. It helps create an inclusive learning environment where everyone feels valued and can engage fully.

• Legal and Ethical Obligations: Many countries, including the UK, have laws like the Equality Act 2010 that mandate institutions to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities. Ensuring your teaching is accessible helps fulfil these legal responsibilities.

• Enhanced Learning for All: Accessible teaching benefits not just students with disabilities but all learners. For example, captions on videos are helpful for students who are non-native speakers, while clear, structured materials aid understanding for everyone.

• Diverse Learners: Students come with diverse needs, backgrounds, and learning preferences. Accessibility practices, such as offering materials in multiple formats, help accommodate this diversity, leading to a richer learning experience.

• Improved Student Retention and Success: When barriers to learning are reduced, students are more likely to engage, succeed, and persist in their studies. This can positively impact student retention rates and academic outcomes.

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Accessibility principles often align with UDL, which encourages flexible ways of presenting information, engaging students, and assessing their learning. UDL fosters a more adaptable and personalised approach to education.

Prioritising accessibility demonstrates a commitment to equity, supports diverse learners, and ultimately leads to better educational outcomes for all students.

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How can eLearning help?

The FBMH eLearning team supports accessibility in teaching, ensuring an inclusive and effective learning experience.

• Accessible Content Creation – Guidance on alt text, accessible documents, captions, proper headings, and colour contrast.

• Learning Platform Accessibility – Support for designing accessible courses on Canvas.

• Accessible Learning Technologies – Training on digital tools that enhance accessibility.

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – Help in offering multiple content formats, dual-mode delivery, and flexible assessments.

• Review and Remediation – Guidance on fixing accessibility issues (e.g., PDFs, alt text, document formatting).

• Inclusive Assessments – Designing flexible, accessible assessments and ensuring platform compatibility.

• Accessibility Standards and Compliance – Keeping you updated on WCAG 2.1, legal regulations, and best practices.

• Embedding Accessibility in Teaching – Promoting proactive course design.

By working with us, you can create engaging, inclusive courses that support all students.

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Want to learn more?

This page provides resources to enhance accessibility in your teaching, including guides, best practices, and tools for creating inclusive content. Explore sections below for support on accessible course design, learning platforms, and assistive technologies. Simply select a button to access the resources you need.

FBMH eLearning