These pages have been developed to provide Supported Learning staff and Disability Advisors with relevant information to help progress the development of inclusive eLearning within their institution. For further information about any of the items included call the RSC's Information Helpdesk on 0141 585 0022 or contact Margaret McKay at the RSC.
We are offering our supported colleges and universities the opportunity to undertake this accessibility self evaluation process. It will evaluate approaches to inclusion by working with identified groups of managers from several different practice areas. We will invite each discipline the opportunity to complete the survey from their own perspective (e.g. IT, staff development, marketing, learning resources).
At the end of the survey the RSC will assist in creating a report based on the outcomes of the evaluation with a benchmark to wider practice across the UK based on findings of the JISC TechDis evaluations. Institutions can compare their own responses with those of the wider sector in order to benchmark their progress in a variety of areas and formulate a list of priority areas to address. Solutions, advice and guidance links will be made available as an outcome from this activity. This self evaluation resource aims to support managers in colleges and universities to help identify areas of current strength and areas for development in their practice in terms of accessibility and inclusion.
Follow this link to find out more about the Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service.
For most staff in colleges and universities, life is busy and it is difficult to keep up to date with new developments and new software to support learners. Throughout the academic year, the RSC offers a range of workshops here at our base at 1 Todd Campus, focusing on issues relating to inclusion in eLearning. We can also provide bespoke courses at your own institution if more suitable.
We provide training courses on getting the best from MS Office, for example, 'Creating Accessible and Inclusive Learning Resources' in Word and PowerPoint and ‘Making Your Computer More Accessible’ as well as raising awareness of the current commercial and free to access assistive technologies.
For more information follow this link to our training page.
AccessApps offers a range of portable/open source technologies which can be uploaded onto pen drives and issued to learners. It will be of benefit to those with additional support needs but cannot access funding to purchase commercially available assistive technologies.
AccessApps is an initiative developed by the JISC Regional Support Centres in Scotland, in conjunction with the JISC TechDis Service. With respect to technology in education, AccessApps attempts to reduce the digital divide between the 'haves' and 'have-nots'. The factor which usually comes to mind when thinking about the digital divide is cost. However, less obviously but just as importantly, it is clear that some learners are discouraged from using technology in their studies because such technology is not compatible with their additional or special needs.
In many cases, just small changes to the way in which technology is used can make a big difference to the way in which a student can access it. Much of the time problems can be solved just through knowing a little more about what is already out there. And, as AccessApps shows, what is already out there can be completely free!
There is nothing curriculum-specific about AccessApps. The applications provided are potentially invaluable to individuals in colleges as well as universities, and even in schools. Some of the applications are generic tools, such as the word processing, spreadsheet and presentation alternatives. Others cater for specific needs, such as a need to view larger font sizes or different screen colours, or to control a computer without using a mouse.
Follow this link to the Scottish RSCs Inclusion Blog to find out more.
The JISC Regional Support Centres in Scotland are always trying to think of new and exciting ways to provide support to colleges and universities. Craig and Margaret the eAdvisors for Accessibility and Inclusion are currently developing new initiatives such as our online Accessible and Inclusion Community Blog where you can read about good practice, post messages, share experiences and offer information about resources you think might help others. We hope to post a range of different types of interactive and multi-sensory information onto our blog over the course of the academic year.
Listed below is a list of helpful articles, videos and free resources you can find in the Accessibility and Inclusion Blog:
To visit the RSC Scotland online access and inclusion community select this link.
We would love to hear your comments and thoughts on the resources we have posted so far and would also love to hear from you about any ideas you have that you would like to see being featured on our blog or our websites in the future. We know that there is so much excellent practice taking place in your colleges and universities and we would be happy to help you share this information with others.
You can also subscribe to our RSS feed to keep up to date with any new entries or comments.
Add your comments on our blog or email Margaret McKay
Watch this space also for our online workshops during the academic year where you can log in and join our accessibilty essentials workshops from the comfort of your own workplace.
In June 2007 the eLearning Advisors for Accessibility and Inclusion in the JISC Scottish Regional Support Centres undertook a survey to identify the training needs of Mangers and Practitioners responsible for learning support. A key aim of the survey was to identify the training needs of Learning Support staff across the FE and HE sector.
The results of the survey were contrasted with figures from the Scottish Funding Council's Infact Database which reveal the amount of full-time students with additional support needs attending college. For example, did you know that students identified as dyslexic have increased by almost 300% over the past 5 years?
To download the report please follow this link.
If you have any comments to make about the report, please contact Margaret McKay.
Making learning accessible and inclusive is something we are all responsible for and the Regional Support Centre Scotland South & West provides a range of services to support staff in their varied areas of work within institutions.
Supporting your Role
The JISC TechDis Service aims to be the leading educational advisory service, working across the UK, in the fields of accessibility and inclusion.
TechDis mission is to support the education sector in achieving greater accessibility and inclusion by stimulating innovation and providing expert advice and guidance on disability and technology. Like the Regional Support Centres, TechDis is a JISC-funded Advisory Service (Joint Information Systems Committee).
TechDis have produced a wide range of information and guidance to help staff in further and higher education to work more inclusively and to meet their legislative duties within disability legislation.
The JISC TechDis Service has provided Senior Managers within all UK post 16 Colleges a series of briefing packs on a number of technology, disability and inclusion related issues. The briefing packs provide support in the form of advice, guidance and practical resources from TechDis and our key partners, in order to assist Colleges understanding of issues relating to the 'Disability Equality Duty'. A key feature of the packs is to improve accessible teaching and learning practices. In order to support UK post-16 Colleges TechDis has targeted specific information towards different roles within the Colleges.
Techdis have produced a series of self-support staff development packs called Accessibility Essentials which provide advice on how to make Microsoft® Windows and Word more accessible.
TechDis Accessibility Essentials
To assist staff development programmes and to facilitate the changes required by the recent disability legislation TechDis have produced a series of self-supporting staff development packs. These packs contain easily adaptable resources designed for use within staff development courses or processes. Each module is self-standing and can either be delivered as a session independently or adapted into a wider staff development programme.
Follow this link to access the TechDis Staff Packs
In January 2007, a consultation event took place at the RSC South and West Scotland seeking the views of Support for Learning Managers and those responsible for Equality Issues. The primary objective was to raise awareness of the TechDis resources and to seek feedback from staff about their effectiveness in helping to promote equality and inclusion in eLearning within their institutions. During this half day consultation, individuals were asked to review the following TechDis resources:
Follow this link to read the report from this consultation event
Many aspects of the learner's experience will require input from a range of staff roles, and the quality of the learner's experience will depend on the sum of the different contributions. Support for Learning staff often have a cross institutional remit and work closely with staff from a variety of areas assisting and advising them on how to deliver their services inclusively.
The TechDis Self Assessment Resource - A Holistic Approach to Accessibility Issues examines each key element of the learner's life cycle along with the potential contribution from different staff roles in your institution. There is no blueprint that applies to every organisation but an organisation with many identifiable gaps in communication is clearly more vulnerable to things going wrong.
As part of the examination of the learner life cycle the following elements are considered:
The process of mapping different contributions should help provide opportunities to identify areas for improved communication and/or strategy. More significantly, the process points to ways the ownership of accessibility can spread across the whole organisation. It may also highlight important areas for staff development.
Follow this link to the Self Assessment Resource
Follow this link to other services and resources promoting inclusion in eLearning
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