Written by: Belinda Vesey-Brown
Over the past six months I have been doing a lot of talking, researching, and thinking about accessibility and inclusivity in the tertiary sector. Over that time, I have learnt quite a lot, I have seen where the gaps are, and where the opportunities lie.
A key learning for me is that universities are large corporations, and like any large corporation making change is not easy; and often advocates for change get lost in the busyness of university life. One example of this is the adoption of technology to make student learning outcomes better.
What I have understood is that driving change internally is easier for people with lived-in experience, for me, this relates to people with a disability, a learning difficulty, or who don’t have English as their first language.
There are many stakeholders who make up a university, and all need to be considered and involved if change is to be successfully implemented. The students, teaching staff and support teams need to be part of advocating for change; and all parties need to see the benefits. This is especially true if those who are needed to implement the change can’t see its value, but rather find it an interruption or another hurdle to jump in their ever-demanding workload.
So, let’s think further on this; students at every university come from different backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, learning styles, and levels of ability. There is no one size fits all when it comes to student learning, nor should there be a one size fits all when it comes to teaching.
Which is why we need to consider the role of technology in making student learning outcomes more inclusive, accessible, and better.
I know that I want to be a part of this future. Which is why, with the help of my team, we have launched a new online tool through Meet Aandi that intuitively reviews (using remote learning) all aspects of written and visual video communications. Producers of video who use Meet Aandi’s tool can ensure that people with hearing loss, low vision, reading or language difficulties can access their information in a format that best suits them. A new tool to level the playing field for all abilities and all-sorts.
Get in touch with me for a demo belinda@meetaandi.com.au.