Universities and colleges have a legal obligation to provide resources in accessible formats to print disabled students. However, many of the e-book platforms they subscribe to have limited accessibility or are tied-in to scarcely accessible third-party tools like Adobe Digital Editions. So it is not unusual to need to get the raw file from the publisher […]
Tech Lounge is a new social learning project created by the digital team at Gloucestershire College. Husna Ahmed a Digital learning Coach at Gloucestershire College talks about their ‘relaxed’ approach to supporting inclusive teaching skills. We invite staff across the college from different departments to attend a relaxed conversational session to discuss digital tools that […]
So what is a digital classroom? And how does it work? More particularly – how might it work for my disabled students? Alistair McNaught explores some of the issues and oppportunities. Introduction Traditional, didactic, methods of teaching can create significant barriers for some students. Where teaching resources are mainly a monoculture of text and learning activities […]
Sarah George is a Subject Librarian at the University of Bradford. She was made a National Teaching Fellow in 2017 – and her accessibility remit contributed significantly to that recognition. Here she gives a personal take on e-book accessibility and accessibility activism via research and evidence. I am an academic librarian at the University of Bradford, covering the subjects […]
Invitation to a New Year Resolution… As the last days of 2017 draw in, Alistair McNaught looks at plans for the 2018 e-book accessibility audit. This will be simpler than the 2016 version but – we believe – more effective. In this season of peace and goodwill to all, we’re looking for an audit that […]
Digital capability is on the radar of many organisations – investments in learning platforms and digital resources are often undermined by the lack of skill or confidence in staff (or even students). In this post, Julia Taylor explores how inclusive thinking needs to be pervasive if digital practice is going to create benefits rather than unintended […]
Students are shaping the way technology is used at Gloucestershire College through the Student Innovators project. The idea is to involve students in changing the way digital technology is used in the college. Amina Begum, a Digital Learning Coach at the college told Julia Taylor about the project. Who can be an innovator? The idea originally stemmed […]
Margaret McKay reflects on the Jisc digital capabilities framework from the point of view of inclusive practice. The more I speak to inclusion practitioners the more they emphasise the importance of a devolved nature of inclusion where staff across the institution understand and feel confident about what they can do to embed principles of inclusion […]
It took a long time to identify my dairy intolerance but once it was identified and managed my sense of taste and smell began to return and long term digestion problems resolved. My quality of life improved because of two simple things: I had a better understanding of my needs The information on food packaging […]
Widening participation is a strategic priority across the UK. Whilst institutions focus on attracting learners from under-represented and hard to reach communities, staff are striving to develop engaging and innovative ways to deliver dynamic and inclusive learning experiences to support learners. Digital exclusion and inequality Is technology capable of helping progress the widening participation agenda? Not only […]