The Role of Digital Accessibility in Australian Universities: Home: curtin.edu.au

The Role of Digital Accessibility in Australian Universities

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While universities and other institutions of higher education have already started reverting to in-person instructional methods, online course content delivery is here to stay, especially for students who also hold full-time jobs and international students enrolled in online programs. The popularity of online learning is one of the effects of the Australian educational experience that embraces equal access to education. Australian universities are known for their diverse student population, not only in terms of ethnicity or gender, but also when it comes to disability status.

Let’s discover the role of digital accessibility in the context of the Australian higher education system and how it allows students with disabilities to fully participate in learning, research, and school engagement.

Understanding Digital Accessibility in the Educational Context

Digital accessibility in the education sector means that course content, feedback mechanisms between students and teachers, administrative web pages, and online assessments are operable by users with disabilities, such as individuals with visual impairments, hearing loss, limited mobility, or cognitive impairments. It also involves periodically searching for and resolving potential accessibility issues using a website accessibility checker. This concept, called the Universal Design for Learning, accommodates diverse learning styles and abilities.

One example of a digital accessibility accommodation is screen reader-friendly course content. This type of content is organized into headings and subheadings and includes clear and descriptive alternative text for images, allowing the user to comprehend the text and understand images without the need for vision. As a result of these accommodations, the user is able to learn and contribute meaningfully to class discussions.

Australian Accessibility Legal Framework and Compliance

Australia has a robust set of frameworks that govern and guarantee digital accessibility. Section 24 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1992 requires all websites that use an Australian server to ensure accessibility. It is similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 for private and government websites in the United States, respectively, with the DDA being passed just a year after the ADA was enacted.

However, unlike the two US laws, which are general in scope and are subject to court interpretations, the DDA has an enhanced set of guidelines for the education sector with the Disability Standards for Education, which were released in 2005 and were subjected to review in 2010, 2015, and 2020.

Complying with the DDA and the Disability Standards for Education will ensure that an academic website complies with accessibility regulations, wherever its site visitors are located. This is particularly important for Australian universities that are increasingly offering online courses that are available to an international audience and might also be subject to applicable local laws.

Best Practices for Achieving Digital Accessibility

How do universities achieve and maintain digital accessibility? While the DDA and Disability Standards for Education do not specify any single set of regulations, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are commonly recognized as the global standard for accessible websites and apps. Here are some best practices that an institution can observe to quickly implement accessibility in its website.

Organized Text: Adding headings and subheadings to content improves readability by adding a logical flow to the text. This practice also helps users who depend on screen readers by making it easier to locate relevant content. As a bonus, headings and subheadings help with a website’s SEO by helping search engines locate and index content, making it visible to a larger audience.

Color Contrast: Poor text readability is a core concern for students with visual impairments such as low vision, dyslexia, and color blindness. Observing the WCAG color contrast standard of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text ensures that users can tell between text and background.

Image Alt Text and Subtitles: While multimedia content comprises a significant proportion of learning content, it tends to be inaccessible to individuals with sensory disabilities. Adding alt text to images helps students with visual impairments understand visual content through screen readers, while adding subtitles to videos allows those with hearing disabilities to consume and understand what they’re watching.

Accessible Forms: Online forms are often the main touchpoints between students, faculty, and administrators. To add accessibility to online forms, the WCAG suggests adding text labels, inline validation, colored error messages, and indicators for successful input, particularly for complicated fields.

Accessible Websites: Making Universities More Accessible

Australia is globally recognized as a trailblazer in digital accessibility, and it’s not surprising that its universities are also at the forefront of accessibility innovations. Thanks to regulations such as the DDA and the Disability Standards for Education, Australian higher education institutions generally follow the WCAG guidelines. This ensures that all students, regardless of disability status, can learn from educational content and fully participate in class activities.

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[{:section_type=>"rich_text", :content=>"While universities and other institutions of higher education have already started reverting to in-person instructional methods, online course content delivery is here to stay, especially for students who also hold full-time jobs and international students enrolled in online programs. The popularity of online learning is one of the effects of the Australian educational experience that embraces equal access to education. Australian universities are known for their diverse student population, not only in terms of ethnicity or gender, but also when it comes to disability status.&nbsp;\nLet’s discover the role of digital accessibility in the context of the Australian higher education system and how it allows students with disabilities to fully participate in learning, research, and school engagement.&nbsp;\n<h2>Understanding Digital Accessibility in the Educational Context</h2>\nDigital accessibility in the education sector means that course content, feedback mechanisms between students and teachers, administrative web pages, and online assessments are operable by users with disabilities, such as individuals with visual impairments, hearing loss, limited mobility, or cognitive impairments. It also involves periodically searching for and resolving potential accessibility issues using a&nbsp;<a href=\"https://userway.org/scanner/\">website accessibility checker</a>. This concept, called the Universal Design for Learning, accommodates diverse learning styles and abilities.&nbsp;\nOne example of a digital accessibility accommodation is screen reader-friendly course content. This type of content is organized into headings and subheadings and includes clear and descriptive alternative text for images, allowing the user to comprehend the text and understand images without the need for vision. As a result of these accommodations, the user is able to learn and contribute meaningfully to class discussions.&nbsp;\n<h2>Australian Accessibility Legal Framework and Compliance</h2>\nAustralia has a robust set of frameworks that govern and guarantee digital accessibility. Section 24 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1992 requires all websites that use an Australian server to ensure accessibility. It is similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 for private and government websites in the United States, respectively, with the DDA being passed just a year after the ADA was enacted.&nbsp;\nHowever, unlike the two US laws, which are general in scope and are subject to court interpretations, the DDA has an enhanced set of guidelines for the education sector with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005#:~:text=The%20Disability%20Standards%20for%20Education%202005%20(DSE)%20clarify%20the%20obligations,basis%20as%20students%20without%20disability.\">Disability Standards for Education</a>, which were released in 2005 and were subjected to review in 2010, 2015, and 2020.\nComplying with the DDA and the Disability Standards for Education will ensure that an academic website complies with accessibility regulations, wherever its site visitors are located. This is particularly important for Australian universities that are increasingly offering online courses that are available to an international audience and might also be subject to applicable local laws.&nbsp;\n<h2>Best Practices for Achieving Digital Accessibility</h2>\nHow do universities achieve and maintain digital accessibility? While the DDA and Disability Standards for Education do not specify any single set of regulations, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are commonly recognized as the global standard for accessible websites and apps. Here are some best practices that an institution can observe to quickly implement accessibility in its website.&nbsp;\nOrganized Text:&nbsp;Adding headings and subheadings to content improves readability by adding a logical flow to the text. This practice also helps users who depend on screen readers by making it easier to locate relevant content. As a bonus, headings and subheadings help with a website’s SEO by helping search engines locate and index content, making it visible to a larger audience.\nColor Contrast:&nbsp;Poor text readability is a core concern for students with visual impairments such as low vision, dyslexia, and color blindness. Observing the WCAG color contrast standard of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text ensures that users can tell between text and background.&nbsp;\nImage Alt Text and Subtitles:&nbsp;While multimedia content comprises a significant proportion of learning content, it tends to be inaccessible to individuals with sensory disabilities. Adding alt text to images helps students with visual impairments understand visual content through screen readers, while adding subtitles to videos allows those with hearing disabilities to consume and understand what they’re watching.\nAccessible Forms:&nbsp;Online forms are often the main touchpoints between students, faculty, and administrators. To add accessibility to online forms, the WCAG suggests adding text labels, inline validation, colored error messages, and indicators for successful input, particularly for complicated fields.&nbsp;\n<h2>Accessible Websites: Making Universities More Accessible</h2>\nAustralia is globally recognized as a trailblazer in digital accessibility, and it’s not surprising that its universities are also at the forefront of accessibility innovations. Thanks to regulations such as the DDA and the Disability Standards for Education, Australian higher education institutions generally follow the WCAG guidelines. This ensures that all students, regardless of disability status, can learn from educational content and fully participate in class activities."}]

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