Global Accessibility Awareness Day: ways to improve your digital content
Celebrating Global Accessibility Day
Thursday 15 May is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).
GAAD aims to spark conversations and promote understanding about digital accessibility and inclusion.
We need to make sure that everyone can use and understand our website and online tools, regardless of their situation. It's important to know that good accessible design helps everyone, not only people with disabilities or different ways of thinking. Everyone has different needs at different times.
The Teaching and Learning Academy (TLA) and the Web Content Team have been working on a number of projects to help improve access to Canvas, the LJMU website and other technologies.
Rising to UK top ten
We are steadily improving the accessibility of the LJMU website, and we are proud to say that we have risen from 124th in the UK Universities Accessibility Index to 8th!
Improving Canvas Accessibility
Over the last year, we have seen tutors improve course accessibility by 13% using an accessibility tool called Ally, but we still have a long way to go. We encourage you to prioritise any issues highlighted in your Ally course report, with particular focus on:
- removing old files
- colour contrast issues
- alt text
- applying headings
- severe issues
Why is it important?
If you would like to know more about digital accessibility and why we have to comply:
The Public Sector Bodies (Website and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations came into force on 23 September 2018. They were updated in 2022 to make sure they continued when UK left the EU. The current regulations require compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.
Digital accessibility is really all about people. At the heart of digital accessibility is a human-centered experience.
Samantha Dancey, TTC Global
Our commitment to you
LJMU is committed to providing an inclusive digital environment for everyone. Did you know there are some simple things you can do to help improve the accessibility of your digital content?
Resources for website accessibility
We all have a part to play when we contribute to the LJMU website. It is far easier to apply the principles of accessible design at the concept of creating material for the web. Trying to ‘fix’ content and products at a later stage isn’t always possible, and it can be costly.
If you want to contribute to the LJMU website, please make yourself familiar with the website guides which include:
• Before you start creating web content
• Review and maintain your content
• Web content style guide
• Web content tips and support
• Editor's publishing checklist
• Submitting a website publishing request
• LJMU brand
Resources for Canvas Accessibility
Staff Resources
Take a look at our guidance for making your digital content accessible:
• Staff Educational Technology Accessibility Pages
• Staff training events, search for ‘Accessibility’
• Canvas Accessibility Course
• Accessibility in Digital Education Design Project (AiDED)
Student Resources
Take a look at our Student Learning Technology Accessibility page for a comprehensive list of helpful guides and resources.
