OPERA (Opportunity, Productivity, Engagement, Reducing barriers,

Achievement)

• OPERA is a university-wide accessibility project supported by advice and guidance from Jisc.

• To implement a range of accessibility initiatives and monitor their impact on the development of a more accessible information environment at the University of Kent.  

Partners

What does print disability mean?

A print-disabled person is anyone for whom a visual, cognitive or physical disability hinders the ability to read print. This includes all visual impairments, dyslexia, and any physical disabilities that prevent the handling of a physical copy of a print publication.

(Copyright Licencing Agency, 2011).

Print disability case study

• Michael is a blind student who use a screen reader.• For his seminar next Monday he needs to

summarise a 60 page report and present his findings to the group.

• Although available in digital format, the report appears to have no structure and he therefore has no way to access a table of contents to navigate between sections.

• It takes him most of the day to find out what may have taken an hour if the document had been properly structured.

Assistive technology (AT)

• Any device or system that allows an individual to perform a task that they would otherwise be unable to do, or which increases the ease and safety with which the task can be performed.

• Equipment or software designed or modified to enable disabled people (actually everyone) to gain access to curriculum content or assessment, such as the use of text-to-speech (TTS) or speech recognition software, are examples. QAA (2010).

Video magnifier

Optical Character Recognition Scanner

Types of assistive technology• Text to speech• Spell checking/word prediction• Mind mapping• Reminders• Speech recognition• Scanning and Optical Character Recognition (OCR)• Dictionaries• Calculators• Note taking• Referencing• Moodle• ebooks/ejournals…

OPERA aim

• To make recommendations that will help to develop an inclusive information environment and encourage the wider adoption of assistive technology (productivity tools) for all at the University of Kent.

Inclusive design

• ‘Accessible design is good design’ (United Kingdom 2015).

• We can’t always know who we have coming to our institution so it is best to anticipate that every module in every faculty at all of our campuses could have someone with a print disability in attendance.

The problem with physical printed material

Inclusive information environment

• Ensure documents, presentations and key readings are available to access electronically as far in advance as possible.

• This benefits everyone: part-timers, commuters, international students, academics, support staff…

Why are electronic resources more accessible?

Electronic resources (where they are created inclusively) will allow users to:• Magnify.• Read aloud.• Reflow.• Recolour - change background colours.• Convert formats - for example text to mp3/audio.• Navigate the document quickly using headings.

How can I make electronic documents more accessible?Sensus Access is an online tool that will enable the conversion of electronic documents into a more accessible/usable format.

– Using a mobile device.– Take a photograph of the page of text in front

of you and submit it to Sensus Access.– Ask for an accessible .mp3 file to be returned.

Microsoft Word documents Accessibility basics

• Keep the layout simple and clear.• Use heading styles to create clear document structure.• Make sure pages are numbered.• Use recognised  rather than ‘unofficial’ formatting.• Make sure images and diagrams have alternative text

descriptions.• Use plain English.• Ensure that printed handouts are also available in

electronic format.• Use the Microsoft Word Accessibility Checker.

Microsoft Word documents Accessibility basics 2

• Install the Document Accessibility Toolbar (DAT)

Microsoft PowerPoint accessibility basics

• Minimum point size of 24 for all slide text.• Keep the layout simple and clear.• Use the standard templates.• Give each slide a unique title.• Use the Notes Field to expand on important points or

summarise visual materials.• Make sure all pictures, charts and diagrams have

alternative text descriptions.• Use plain English.• Make sure there is good contrast between text and

background.

An accessible organisation?

Jisc role responsibilities

• Disability and student support staff• IT and network managers• Learning technologists• Library and learning resource staff• Marketing staff• Senior managers• Staff developers• Tutors and teaching staff

Guidance• University of Kent accessibility web pages

• Productivity tools – tools to help you study and manage your time.

Mainstreaming

‘Mainstreaming takes equality to the heart of an institution, moving it from a bolt-on aspect of delivery to an integral part of the way it thinks and functions’.

Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) Mainstreaming: equality at the heart of FE and HE: final reports. [Online]

Mainstream adjustments• What are our most frequently requested

adjustments?• Where could we mainstream adjustments to

tackle as many as possible in advance?– University of Edinburgh: Mainstreaming learning ad

justments• This policy includes three adjustments which made up

half of the adjustments recommended by the Student Disability Service. Therefore by ‘mainstreaming’ these adjustments we significantly improve the accessibility and inclusivity of our classrooms and reduce the number of ad hoc adjustments that teaching staff need to make.

Contact

• If you would like any further information about working with accessible resources please contact:

• Ben Watson: b.watson@kent.ac.uk