Most institutions have a teaching and learning strategy where eLearning is embedded or a specific eLearning strategy. The engagement of ICT in learning has provided the mechanism for encouraging a more collaborative and multi-sensory approach to learning and teaching. A by-product, which is often unintended and unnoticed, is that opportunities develop for more inclusive practices. One way of mainstreaming accessibility is to recognise hotspots in current eLearning strategies and approaches where accessibility could be made explicit. Drawing this out and making it obvious to staff across a range of disciplines in an educational establishment gives people the chance to see the ways that they can very actively create an accessible environment in the way that they work and it allows senior managers to ensure that they adopt a more strategic approach to embedding inclusion within their environment.
This includes not focusing not only on the impact that lecturing staff can make but the widest range of staff working in education including: marketing, library staff and those with an administrative responsibilities.
JISC TechDis have created Senior Managers Briefing Series on a number of technology, disability and inclusion related issues. The briefing packs provide support in the form of advice, guidance and practical resources in order to assist managers understanding of issues relating to the newly introduced 'Disability Equality Duty'. A key feature of the packs will be taking a strategic approach to improving accessible teaching and learning practices.
In the spirit of inclusion, the packs provide specific guidance to different role groups within the educational institutions. The briefing packs have already been sent out to all Principals and Support for Learning Co-ordinators in all colleges and who in turn have been encouraged to disseminate this information to the relevant staff groups in the institution.
Please find below information regarding the briefings:
Briefing 1 - eLearning as an Accessibility Investment
Briefing 2 - Accessibility in the Mainstream: Roles and responsibilities
Briefing 3 - Transition Arrangements - Partners, Processes and Funding Issues
Briefing 4 - Accessible Marketing and Admissions: Improving Business and Reducing Risk
Briefing 5 - From Good Intention to Good Practice: Making the Disability Equality Duty Meaningful
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).
Follow this link to find out more about the Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service.
For more information or to organise some training in your place of work please contact Margaret McKay, eLearning Advisor: Accessibility and Inclusion.
Tel: 0141 585 0022
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