Abstract
Distance education is accessible to those who have restricted access to more traditional forms of education due to their geographical location, employment, caring duties or disabilities. Therefore, it is important that online distance education providers seriously consider the accessibility of their materials. However, accessibility measures may limit the scope of interactive learning resources and may result in less dynamic and eye-catching materials, unless alternative accessible content is offered. If the content is not designed with accessibility in mind, there is also the financial cost of additional time and resources required to make reasonable adjustments. This case study examines the development of a comprehensive approach by University College of Estate Management to make its materials more accessible. Awareness-raising amongst staff and gaining senior management support are important factors that determine the success of accessibility initiatives. Weaving accessibility into an institutional culture is a long-term project that requires dedication and thorough planning.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Linda Dempsey, Jules Dracott, Adrian Shell, Andrew Belt and Katalin Hanniker for their help with comments on an earlier draft and proofreading the article.
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© 2017 ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering
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Liyanagunawardena, T.R., Hussain, A. (2017). Online Distance Education Materials and Accessibility: Case Study of University College of Estate Management. In: Vincenti, G., Bucciero, A., Helfert, M., Glowatz, M. (eds) E-Learning, E-Education, and Online Training. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 180. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49625-2_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49625-2_10
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