{"id":8313,"date":"2020-05-19T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-19T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=8313"},"modified":"2020-05-12T11:57:03","modified_gmt":"2020-05-12T10:57:03","slug":"accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility tips: considering user needs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-100x67.png 100w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-200x133.png 200w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-450x300.png 450w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-600x400.png 600w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1-900x600.png 900w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/05\/My_Post-1.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Students may have a range of different accessibility needs, so it\u2019s important to be aware of these varying needs and some of the key considerations to ensure that all students have access. This can include the teaching materials you produce, how you organise and run seminars \/ lectures and how you assess your students. Other posts in this series have looked at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/03\/accessibility-tips-inclusive-design\/\">Inclusive design<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/06\/accessibility-tips-creating-accessible-resources\/\">Creating accessible resources<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/\">Checking accessibility<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/17\/accessibility-tips-mobile-accessibility\/\">Mobile accessibility<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=8144\">Digital accessibility tools<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With all user needs the most important point to remember is to talk to your students, they\u2019ll be able to tell you what works for them in terms of improving their access and helping them to learn.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>General tips\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Post as much of your learning materials as you can online<\/strong> so students can review and access information at their own pace and record your lectures.\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Record teaching activities<\/strong> such as lectures and seminars where appropriate. <\/li><li><strong>Provide alternatives<\/strong> for any tasks or assessments you set.<\/li><li><strong>Maximize your use of digital resources.<\/strong> These are easier to adapt for accessibility purposes than print resources and far easier to use. Students may have restricted access to print media and digital resources are far easier to share and distribute to students online.<\/li><li><strong>Use alternative formats<\/strong> for learning resources and content. Embrace multiple forms of media.<\/li><li><strong>Be aware of conceptual barriers to understanding<\/strong> such as describing colour to a student with a visual disability.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Visual<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Visual needs will mean a user may have trouble perceiving visual content.\u00a0Examples include low vision such as having blurry or clouded vision or only being able to see part of their field of vision. It can also include other forms of partial or full blindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students may also have a form of colourblindness, this can cause difficulty in differentiating certain colours or in some cases cause a total inability to see colours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Add alternative text for images.<\/strong> This is essential if the student relies on a screen reader to access content.<\/li><li><strong>Contrast ratios.<\/strong> Have a high contrast ratio between the background and foreground of any content such as the colour of text on a coloured background.<\/li><li><strong>Don\u2019t rely on colour for meaning or differentiation.<\/strong> Use other indicators such as shapes or patterns.<\/li><li><strong>Text size. <\/strong>Ensure your text size is large enough to be legible and to stand out against the background<\/li><li><strong>Use structured headers<\/strong>. This makes it far easier for a screen reader to navigate pages.<\/li><li><strong>Justification of text.<\/strong> Justify text so it\u2019s left aligned and easier to read.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Physical<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Physical needs mean a user may have limited physical control and coordination, impaired movement and limitations of sensation. They may need to access digital content using specialized hardware and software. Examples of physical needs are conditions such as Muscular Dystrophy and Rheumatism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>All content must be accessible without the need of a mouse.<\/strong> This means you should be able to navigate through content using only a keyboard.<\/li><li> <strong>Use structured headers<\/strong>. This makes it far easier for a screen reader to navigate pages. <\/li><li><strong>Avoid tasks or learning with strict time limits<\/strong> as this can put students at a disadvantage. In some assessments it may be possible to give students extra time such as in the case of reasonable adjustments.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Cognitive<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cognitive needs can encompass a wide range of areas including ADHD,\u00a0 Dyslexia and memory impairments to name just a few examples. These can all affect how users take in, comprehend and process information.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Clearly structure your content <\/strong>with a consistent approach so that students can easily see exactly where to find learning materials.<\/li><li><strong>Use multiple forms of media<\/strong> to communicate information.<\/li><li><strong>Captioning of video and audio content.<\/strong>\u00a0 Panopto can be used to automatically add captions, <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/02\/20\/focus-on-panopto-adding-asr-captions\/\">see our blog post<\/a> for more information<\/li><li><strong>Clear and simple sentence structures and descriptions.<\/strong> Avoid using complex language while retaining comprehension.<\/li><li><strong>Simple colour use<\/strong> with strong contrast ratios.<\/li><li><strong>Avoid using distracting content<\/strong> such as anything that flickers, blinks or flashes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Auditory&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Auditory needs can range from partial hearing loss which may cause some degrees of hearing loss or may make it hard for students to understand speech against background noise to substantial hearing loss .&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Transcripts or alternative modes<\/strong> need to be supplied for any resources that are communicated through audio.<\/li><li><strong>Captioning for video \/ audio content.<\/strong> Panopto allows you to apply automatic captions.\u00a0<\/li><li><strong>Participation in class.<\/strong> Offer some form of backchannel students can use to ask questions and interact. For online teaching this may entail using the chat feature in Zoom for live classes and utilising asynchronous text based tools such as the discussions within Canvas.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Speech<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Students may be unable to produce speech to varying degrees. This can include conditions such as muteness, stuttering or dysarthria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Means of assessment.<\/strong> If an assessment requires some form of vocal component such as an oral presentation then offer an alternative. <\/li><li><strong>Participation in class. <\/strong> Offer some form of backchannel students can use to ask questions and interact that doesn&#8217;t require speech. This may entail using the chat feature in Zoom for live classes and utilising asynchronous text based tools such as the discussions within Canvas.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For more help and guidance with digital accessibility please see the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/accessibility\">TEL digital accessibility toolkit<\/a> or get in touch with us at <a href=\"mailto:tel@sussex.ac.uk\">tel@sussex.ac.uk<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-8313\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-8313\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-8313\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students may have a range of different accessibility needs, so it\u2019s important to be aware of these varying needs and some of the key considerations to ensure that all students have access. This can include the teaching materials you produce,<span class=\"ellipsis\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/\">Read more &#8250;<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-8313\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-8313\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-8313\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/05\/19\/accessibility-tips-considering-user-needs\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":229,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4IWEK-2a5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8144,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/04\/28\/accessibility-tips-digital-accessibility-tools\/","url_meta":{"origin":8313,"position":0},"title":"Accessibility tips: Digital accessibility tools","date":"28th April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When teaching and learning is happening online the accessibility of digital materials and activities is more important than ever. This post is part of a series of Accessibility Tips to help you make your digital materials accessible. There are more great tips in our Digital Accessibility Toolkit. Previous posts in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/01\/My-Post.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7831,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2019\/06\/25\/getting-ready-for-september-with-tel\/","url_meta":{"origin":8313,"position":1},"title":"Getting ready for September with TEL","date":"25th June 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Summer is here, but before we know it students will be arriving to begin the 2019-20 academic year. Before then, teaching staff will want to prepare their Canvas modules and related materials. To support staff during this process Technology Enhanced Learning have created two new sets of resources and are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2019\/06\/thought-catalog-214785-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8224,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/17\/accessibility-tips-mobile-accessibility\/","url_meta":{"origin":8313,"position":2},"title":"Accessibility tips: Mobile accessibility","date":"17th March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Accessibility is a hot topic in Higher Education. Around 15% of the student population at the University of Sussex have registered disabilities with potentially many more who have unidentified or undisclosed needs.\u00a0 Mobile devices and the iPhone in particular have been a massive enabler for people with disabilities. Google have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/My_Post_1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8996,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/02\/01\/using-the-canvas-accessibility-checker\/","url_meta":{"origin":8313,"position":3},"title":"Using the Canvas Accessibility Checker","date":"1st February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There are lots of steps that can be taken to make sure that your module content is digitally accessible to your students. From headings and font colours to tables and alternative text, it can feel like there is a lot to keep track of. This is where the Canvas Accessibility\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/Picture2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7844,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2019\/07\/09\/making-your-canvas-modules-accessible\/","url_meta":{"origin":8313,"position":4},"title":"Making your Canvas modules accessible","date":"9th July 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Universal Access\" by Font Awesome is licensed under CC BY 4.0 If you\u2019ve attended any TEL training recently, you\u2019ll have heard us mention digital accessibility. This means making sure online teaching materials are usable for students with disabilities or specific learning needs. This year sees the introduction of new legislation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Universal Accessibility Icon: The icon depicts a person with arms outspread","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2019\/07\/Universal-Accessibility.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8243,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/03\/accessibility-tips-inclusive-design\/","url_meta":{"origin":8313,"position":5},"title":"Accessibility Tips: Inclusive design","date":"3rd March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Few would want to exclude a student from getting the most out of their educational experiences. As a University we strive to limit disadvantages that may be experienced by students and ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve the outcomes of their course.\u00a0 There are many reasons why we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/My_Post_1-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8313"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/229"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8313"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8318,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8313\/revisions\/8318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}