Blog Post #7 Web Accessibility
1. Introduction
Accessibility plays a crucial part in open education especially in post-pandemic era. As more learning moves online, equal access to digital content becomes essential for students to fully participate. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities emphasizes this by stating:
“To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas.”
This shows that web accessibility is not optional but should be treated as a fundamental right that allows everyone to participate in education.
2. Web Accessibility
Web accessibility refers to designing online content so that every person can access to learning resources regardless of disability, environment, age, or something like that.
It’s possible for anyone to face accessibility barriers. In this sense, accessibility is not a special feature for some people, but a foundation that allows everyone to use the web.
3. Why Accessibility Matters
Accessibility matters because access to information is not optional in online learning. It is a prerequisite for participation. For example, when a video lecture includes captions, it allows deaf learners to fully understand the content. Without captions, the learners are excluded not because they lack ability of comprehension, but because the design did not consider them.
On the other hand, even small considerations like captions, good contrast, or keyboard-friendly navigation, can transform a learning experience. They signal that every learner is welcome and expected to succeed.
4. Challenges
Even though web accessibility is important, there are some challenges to achieve in reality. First, accessibility depends on the communication infrastructure. if stable internet access is not available, for example in the rural area, students are excluded even if the learning platform itself is designed well.
Also for educational institutions, improving accessibility can require time, money, and technical support. But budget limitations and staff workload can make full implementation difficult.
Finally, accessibility also depends on people. In this course, accessibility is treated as an important topic, but in reality not all educators are equally interested in it. Some instructors may not see accessibility as a priority, or they may lack the knowledge to design their course materials in accessible ways.
5. Personal Reflection
I have not struggled with internet access or device availability, so I have often seen myself as someone who is not directly affected by accessibility issues. However, I have still benefited from accessibility features in online learning. For example, there were times when I watched online lectures in public spaces where I could not play audio, or when the instructor spoke too fast or had a strong accent for me to follow. In those moments, captions were very useful.
6. How to Improve Accessibility
Improving accessibility starts with making tools and learning materials easier to use. After that, progress depends on how seriously universities are willing to continue working on accessibility. When improvements are put into practice, new hidden problems often become visible. Therefore, accessibility should be treated as a continuous process — improving, identifying new challenges, and improving again. This ongoing cycle is necessary to keep accessibility moving forward.
I used AI to check grammar, improve clarity, and help organize the structure. However, all reflections, experiences, and opinions in this post are my own. .
References
United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — Article 9 Accessibility. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities#9