Accessible Teaching Techniques
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The key to accessible teaching is not a single technique or a single technology, but the ability to adapt approaches and tools to the learner’s needs and contexts. Tutors do not need to be experts in technology, but they do need to know when to use it, when not to and what particular benefits that technology can bring to the learning experience.
JISC Techdis resources focus on quick wins for both learners and tutors. Some of the staff pack resources (particularly Accessible e- Learning and Benevolent Bill: What Microsoft does for accessibility) demonstrate very simple techniques that can make teaching much more inclusive for learners. Similarly, the Accessibility Essentials series shows how to use everyday software to create more engaging materials with higher accessibility. Equally resources such as Upwardly Mobile, list of free and Open Source software and the Xerte online toolkits offer dozens of ways of getting started in e-learning.
For staff developers wanting high quality training materials link to an accreditation framework; the JISC Techdis ITQ in Accessible IT Practice, is an ideal pathway and will also give much needed recognition to staff who take the time to make inclusion a reality for their learners.
Excellent resources exist elsewhere on different pedagogical approaches (for example the 10 pedagogies described on the LSIS website) and effective practice with e-learning is covered in the JISC Effective Practice with e-learning guide. Our guidance therefore, focuses specifically on creating inclusive teaching and learning experiences that will add value to all learners, and be of particular value to disabled learners.
