Simulations to raise accessibility awareness and support academics in inclusive online learning design

Online learning can support a more inclusive learning and teaching experience for all students. However, there are barriers to learning faced by students with disabilities. Academics may not always be aware of the requirements of disabled students, cannot always appreciate their difficulties and lack the skills to develop inclusive learning resources. There is a need to help academics gain understanding of the problem of access and empathise with the disabled student experience, in order to embrace inclusive online practices and seek support in designing accessible learning materials. Accessibility simulations can give an understanding of the effect a disability may have on the way students access online materials, certain training tools can offer support in inclusive design and they are both increasingly being used in education to support learning. This paper describes a prototype website integrating a number of accessibility simulations and a tool to support accessible design.