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Our student population is diverse: our students have a range of experiences, backgrounds, learning needs, challenges and preferences, and it is vital to their experience at Reading that we provide a fully accessible learning experience in person and in the online space. This includes providing them with:<\/p>\n
Some students declare disabilities, whilst some prefer to work and access resources in different ways. It is essential that consideration of this is factored into planning learning experiences and creating digital learning resources.<\/p>\n
Accessibility in digitally enabled learning refers to designing educational resources and experiences that are easily accessed and understood by ALL students. This is crucial for fostering an equitable learning experience for everyone and is at the heart of the University\u2019s strategy<\/a>, its policies on and Digital Accessibility Policy <\/a>and in the University\u2019s Curriculum Framework (Engaging Everyone strand)<\/a>. By designing accessible resources and experiences, we can enhance engagement and support all students to achieve academic success.<\/p>\n In practice, designing inclusively and accessibly means:<\/p>\n It can be helpful when designing resources, activities and experiences to consider different student needs using these Accessibility Personas.<\/a><\/p>\n Video (4 mins):\u00a0 Create an inclusive learning environment using the accessibility features in Blackboard<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Blackboard \u2013 the University\u2019s Virtual Learning Environment – is the digital hub for teaching and learning, containing: learning materials and activities, recorded content, recorded online sessions, links to interactive tools, e.g. Padlet.<\/p>\n Beyond the classroom, your Blackboard Course is your students\u2019 main point of contact with you. Fostering proactive inclusion in your module is not just about ensuring that your learning materials are accessible – you should also consider how you frame resources, signpost content, and diversify materials to create relevant, authentic learning experiences for your students.<\/p>\n Follow these recommendations to help ensure your Blackboard Course is accessible:<\/p>\n Online sessions may present barriers or challenges for some students. To minimise these barriers, it is important to consider and design accessible and inclusive session by including interaction and\u00a0by providing support before, during, and after your session. See: How can I make my live online sessions accessible?<\/a><\/p>\n YuJa has been designed with Accessibility in mind. Features include,\u00a0captions,\u00a0downloadable transcripts,\u00a0caption font size and colour adjustment,\u00a0keyboard navigation\u00a0and\u00a0video indexing. To learn more about these features, see our\u00a0YuJa Accessibility page<\/a>. YuJa\u2019s own support page,\u00a0Accessibility Features in the Media Player<\/a>, has further information on display settings.<\/p>\n To ensure you use the Padlet online pinboard\u00a0 tool accessibly, see: Padlet – Accessibility recommendations.<\/a><\/p>\nStudent and staff voice<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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What does this mean in your practice?<\/h1>\n
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Make your Blackboard Course inclusive<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Provide accessible live online sessions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Provide accessible video resources (YuJa)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Padlet<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Relevant staff development<\/h2>\n
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Want to know more<\/h2>\n