The Need for Accessible Design

At the start of each academic year over 900 students at UNSW register with EaDU as having some kind of disability. The disabilities reported include blindness, vision impairment, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and others.

Online materials have become an important and effective source of educational resources and can increase the opportunities for inclusion of students who may otherwise have difficulty accessing education. However, these online resources must be designed with accessibility in mind to make it possible for students with disabilities to use them. Depending on the nature of the disability, students might have some of the following barriers to accessing online resources:

difficulty reading or comprehending text or distinguishing colours
difficulty with organisation, structure or memory (material difficult to navigate, poorly structured or complex, or the interface may be inconsistent)
those with mobility problems, limited motor control or vision impairment may not be able to use a keyboard or mouse
they may not be able to see or hear audio, video, animations etc.
they may not be fluent in the language of instruction