Global Accessibility Awareness Day

May 20 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) (opens in a new window).

Join us for a series of live sessions focussing on different aspects of accessibility and how it can enhance your learning and teaching. There’s an exciting mix of sessions provided by Learning Futures, ITDS, Equity and Diversity, Disability Services and the Student Representative Council.

What is Digital Accessibility?

Digital accessibility is about removing barriers that may prevent a person from being able to engage with digital content. Barriers can be present in the content being delivered, and the platform being used to convey, or engage with that content. No matter what your role is here at Western, digital accessibility is something you play a role in; can benefit from; and may even rely on. Therefore, digital accessibility is something we all need to be aware of!

Find out more through the Digital Accessibility at Western website (opens in a new window)

Blackboard also offer a free Accessibility Online Course in support of GAAD's mission, titled Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education: Insights and Stories from the Ally Community (opens in a new window) which you may like to offer to your teams.

Module themes will include:

• Accessibility in Higher Ed: What the data tells us?
• Best Practices for Inclusive Course Design
• Equity and Access for Students
• Web Accessibility

This 4-week asynchronous, self-paced course will encompass industry research, best practice sharing from members of our accessibility community, insightful data mined through Blackboard Ally, strategies and tips for ensuring equitable opportunities for success, and more. The course is now open and you can enroll here.

Detailed steps on how to enroll in the Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education: Insights and Stories from the Ally Community course can be found here.

Blackboard are also conducting a 24 hour competition, called Fix Your Content Day (opens in a new window) for institutions who are committed to creating accessible and more inclusive digital learning content to improve the learning experience for their students.

Sessions