Inclusive teaching – designing for accessibility.

Lynne KerfootLearning support/dyslexia tutor.

Julie MacDonaldDisability Adviser.

Overview

• The legislative context.• Case studies.• Inclusive teaching – discussion.• Creating accessible teaching

materials.• Review.

The legislative context

• Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

• Special Educational Needs andDisabilities Act 2001 (SENDA).

• Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

DDA 1995

• Disability Discrimination Act 1995.• Part 1 defines disability.• Part 2 applies to employment.• Part 3 concerns goods, facilities and

services.• Part 4 deals with education. (SENDA

2001)

SENDA 2001

• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

• Became part 4 of the DDA.• Covers all services for students

including all forms of learning and assessment – e.g. lectures, field work, e-learning, exams.

DDA 2005• Disability Equality Duty – includes:• Promotion of equality of opportunity• The need to take steps to take

account of disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons

• Impact assessment of policies and practices

Disability legislation means..

• A disabled person should not be treated less favourably for a reason relating to their disability.

• Reasonable adjustments must be made if a disabled person would otherwise be placed at a substantial disadvantage.

Discrimination

• Direct discrimination• Disability related discrimination• Failure to make reasonable

adjustments• Victimisation and harassment

Common reasonable adjustments

• Recording lectures• Access to lecture notes in advance of

the class• Extra time in exams• Consideration for errors in spelling

and grammar in written work• Use of a pc/reader/scribe in exams

Anticipatory duty

• Must anticipate adjustments that disabled students and applicants are likely to require.

• Clear emphasis on inclusivity.

Competence standards

• No duty to make reasonable adjustment for competence standards.

• But reasonable adjustments must be made to processes of meeting competence standards (e.g. assessments).

What are competence standards?

• An academic, medical or other standard applied by or on behalf of a general qualifications body for the purpose of determining whether or not a person has a particular level of competence or ability.

• Must apply equally to persons who do not have the particular disability; and

• Its application is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Discussion

• What competence standards exist in your own discipline?

Case studies

• Fictitious but representative cases.

• Consider likely reasonable adjustments for each.

Case study 1

• Nursing student.• Found out she has dyslexia in 2nd

semester of first year.• Slow reading speed, re-reads for

meaning.• Difficulties expressing self in writing.• Problems pronouncing new words.

Case study 2

• Accounting and finance student.• Direct entrant into 3rd year.• Is Deaf and uses BSL to

communicate.

Case study 3• Business student• Direct entrant to 2nd year and has

autism.• Finds social activities challenging.• Communicating ideas can be

problematic.• Does not cope well with changes to

scheduled activities.

Disability and Dyslexia Service

• Students disclosing a disability on application will be contacted by the service.

• Will be invited to see a Disability Advisor to discuss students requirements.

• If student agrees these can be communicated to relevant staff (including reasonable adjustments).

Disability and Dyslexia Service

• Some students do not disclose a disability until they have started their course.

• In this event students should be encouraged to contact the Disability and Dyslexia.

• Can also provide screening and assessment for dyslexia.

Accessible teaching materials

• There is no accessibility solution that will suit all students.

• Therefore accessibility should also mean adaptability - allow materials to be altered.

• Be aware of changes in technology.

Accessible teaching materials (2)

• Accessibility at time of presentation: make information as generally accessible as possible and provide electronic copies in advance so individuals can make amendments.

• Accessibility for personal access and review: make information available in a fully adaptable format.

• Good accessibility practice should benefit all students.

Accessible PowerPoint slides – in general

• Aim for 30 point text size.• Keep it concise – use bullet points

where you can.• Avoid too much information – around

6 bullet points.• Use punctuation – for screen readers.• Use sans serif font – Verdana used in

RGU.

Accessible PowerPoint slides – colour

• Good contrast between background colour and text colour – e.g. Yellow background and blue text.

• Individual preferences vary.

• Take room lighting into account.

Accessible PowerPoint slides – notes field.

• Very important but not often used.

• Use to clarify or expand on information in slides.

• Provide details of visual images (even if they’re just used for decoration).

Creating handouts

• Make electronic copies available in advance.

• Students can adapt these to suit their own requirements.

• Use sans serif font – RGU uses verdana.• Left justify text to preserve equal

spacing between words.• Use relevant images to break up text.

Creating handouts

• Use at least 12 point size text.• Use ‘styles menu’ to create headings

and subheadings.• Use plenty of headings.• Use bullet points or numbered points

where appropriate.• Use bold to make text stand out,

rather than italics or underlining.• Don’t use all upper case.

General discussion

• Any further questions or points for discussion?

Further reading

• Accessible curricula documenthttp://www.techdis.ac.uk/resources/files/curricula.pdf

• Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm

Further reading (2)

– Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act 2001 (SENDA) www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010010.htm.

–DDA 2005http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/

acts2005/ukpga_20050013_en_1