16 Web Accessibility and Universal Design

As teachers and learners engaged in open education, we want to ensure the usability of an OER for learners with diverse needs.^[1]

“Open Dialogues: Open education and accessibility” by the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, University of British Columbia [YouTube] is licensed CC BY 4.0.

In particular, exemplary OER borrow many best practices from web design, ensuring that digital content created for the web is readable and works as intended for all users. In this chapter, you will learn what web accessibility is, who it benefits, and how it relates to universal design.

Web Accessibility

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines web accessibility as follows:

Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can:

• perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web
• contribute to the Web

Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including:

• auditory
• cognitive
• neurological
• physical
• speech
• visual^[2]

Additionally, the WAI points out that web accessibility benefits everyone. Consider the following examples:

• people using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs, and other devices with small screens, different input modes, etc.
• older people with changing abilities due to ageing
• people with “temporary disabilities” such as a broken arm or lost glasses
• people with “situational limitations” such as in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot listen to audio
• people using a slow Internet connection, or who have limited or expensive bandwidth^[3]

The fact that web accessibility benefits everyone demonstrates the power of universal design.

Universal Design

The principles of universal design are the foundation for the most inclusive learning tools and environments. The authors of the BCcampus Open Education Accessibility Toolkit – 2nd Edition define universal design as “the process of creating products (devices, environments, systems, and processes) that are usable by people with the widest possible range of abilities, operating within the widest possible range of situations (environments, conditions, and circumstances).” They recommend considering each of the following aspects of any educational resources you use:

• Do I have visual materials that present core concepts that not all students may be able to see or understand?
• Do I have multimedia materials (e.g., audio, video) that present core concepts that not all students may be able to be hear, see, or otherwise access?
• Do I have documents that present core concepts in a format that not all students may be able to access?^[4]

If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then some work is needed to ensure that these materials are accessible to all your students.

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that applies the principles of universal design specifically to teaching and learning. At its core, UDL asks that learners be provided with multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression in their learning. These multiple means are aimed at addressing the following:

• How is student interest in learning engaged and sustained?
• How is information made perceptible and comprehensible?
• How are students able to respond to, communicate, and/or express their learning?