Category Archives: Uncategorized

So, you want me to read for my degree? Considering a Universal Design for learning approach to reading through the use of audiobooks and accessibility tools

It seems logical to those of us working in higher education that students need to read for their degrees. Yet research indicates this isn’t so obvious to students themselves, with patterns of student reading not reflecting the approach and skills needed to succeed in HE. In this blog post, Michelle Malomo and Sarah Pittaway from the … Read more

Evolution or extinction? Adapting the DSA to a changing world.

Nothing is perfect and nothing stays the same for long. This is as true of the Disabled Students Allowance as anything else. In this first of two blog posts, Adam Tweed from AbilityNet reflects on some of the issues from an assessor perspective. How can organisations – and indeed government – evolve the system to … Read more

Responsibility without authority – the fast route to failure

There’s a lot of activity going on in organisations to prepare for the web accessibility regulations. Alistar McNaught examines why appropriate ownership of the activity is vital. We have all been in the situation. The very urgent parcel that needs to catch the post. The unexpected traffic jams on the way to the post office. … Read more

Model Accessibility Statements – evolving the approach.

Jisc is pleased to be part of the Digital Accessibility Working Group. We work with the Digital Accessibility Regulations Jiscmail list to represent the HE and FE sector’s ‘digital context’ to Government Digital Services. This helps ensure guidance on the new legislation is meaningful and appropriate to the sector. Find out more on Jisc support for … Read more

Adapting to digitally accessible education

New regulations applied to public sector bodies on 23 September 2018. You must make your website or mobile app accessible by making it ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’. Accessibility standards will help you do this. You must also: publish an accessibility statement – this must have details of content that doesn’t meet accessibility standards if … Read more

Recognising commitment – Aspire badges

During 2018, 49 HEI’s and a range of suppliers developed the Aspire project, to audit the quality of accessibility information available from publishers and book platforms. The data is publicly available. Anyone looking at the summary data will be struck by the fact that there is room for improvement across much of the industry. The … Read more

New regulations mean new risks on your website accessibility

There’s a new EU directive that’ll be shaking up our websites, as digital inclusion becomes a recognised right, not just a privilege. From NUS Connect June 2018 In September 2018, making your website more accessible became a legal requirement for public sector bodies. The implications could be significant so at Jisc we asked members how ready they … Read more

Web and app accessibility – make the most of the EU Accessibility directive

On 23rd of September 2018 a new EU Directive came into force in the UK. The new regulations mean that public sector websites and mobile apps will need to be accessible to all users, especially those with disabilities. The regulations will remain part of UK law regardless of our future relationship with the EU. So new … Read more

Accessibility statements and student e-book experiences

I tweeted last week about the tiny percentage of publishers who provide accessibility information about their products. Since then, preparing for Thursday’s course on e-books and disabled readers – what to look for in accessibility statements, I started studying the accessibility statements that do exist. It has been a salutary experience. At the risk of … Read more

The good news about technology and student mental health

The negative effects of technology on young peoples mental health are often written about. Education has become more technology focused, more remote and less personal. But is technology always bad news? Julia Taylor focuses on some of the ways that technology could support better student mental health. Why should we worry? Universities and colleges have a … Read more

Accessible Organisations

Supporting learning providers in creating inclusive teaching and learning experiences