New research reveals tough situations for many disabled students

With Guest blogger: Alistair McNaught of McNaught Consultancy

Arriving at thriving? That is the upbeat title of the Higher Education Commission’s research into “learning from disabled students to ensure access for all”. But the content of the research report is far from upbeat. 

The report admits that “Many of our findings make hard reading, and we cannot shy away from the fact that our evidence demonstrates an unhappy situation for many disabled students.”

See below for details about our forthcoming webinar on Tuesday 27 October, 1pm, BST, where you can find out more about the report and learn about your next steps to address its findings.

Why so far behind?

The Disability Discrimination Act was penned 25 years ago. How are things still so problematic? In my own 16 years working in the sector, I have never met a disability support team that was not passionate about supporting disabled learners. Financial support is available through disabled student allowances, assistive technologies have been available for years. There’s a dedicated Office for Students. And the Public Sector Bodies Web Accessibility legislation now requires online content to be accessible, so what is going wrong?  

Mindset and maturity

The key to the problem is mindset and maturity. Many organisations still work on a deficit model of disability.

For example, if a student experiences problems accessing a resource, it is because the student’s disability creates the problem. It is not considered that the resource itself may be the problem. It's the equivalent of blaming a bumpy, uncomfortable ride on a car’s suspension rather than recognising that the potholes in the badly maintained road might have something to do with it. It is remarkable how smooth a journey can be on a good road, irrespective of the quality of your suspension. 

Two women sat at computer

Within further and higher education institutions, a student’s journey is significantly impacted by the “quality of their road”. As institutions have become more reliant on online learning, the accessibility of digital content has mattered more and more.

Of the 513 respondents to the Higher Education Commission survey, 26% rated the accessibility of their course as only 1 out of 5 or 2 out of 5. Others mentioned the heavy administrative burden of “having to apply for, be assessed for, organise and chase up the support they need” (page 7). The report notes how “levels of support and accessibility vary between institutions, departments, modules, and even individual teachers. Some students feel there is no accountability at their institution for ensuring they are able to access teaching and learning” (p6).

The report recommendations

The first 3 recommendations from the report focus on institution wide perspectives: 

  1. A senior leader taking responsibility and accountability for driving change.
  2. A review of disabled students’ access to teaching and learning carried out by a strategic group with representation from disabled students, the student services department, academic staff, and senior leadership.
  3. Access and Participation Plans including the training provided for academic and professional staff, describing how this addresses disability inclusion, and including metrics on how many staff are undertaking the training and how often. Training related to disability inclusion should be mandatory for all staff.

This is a critical time for higher and further education institutions.

Accessibility is not going to go away and the September 23 deadline for the Web Accessibility legislation marked the beginning of a paradigms shift, not the end. The first three recommendations from the Higher Education Commission report relate not to compliance but to culture – to an ongoing accessibility maturity.

Support in positively responding

The report formalises issues that many in the sector have recognised for a long time but lacked the platform to shout from. It does make hard – but vital – reading. It is a positive that the disparate and unpredictable experiences disabled students face daily are now on the table.

AbilityNet and McNaught Consultancy have spent months developing an accessibility maturity model to help organisations evidence their current level of accessibility maturity through a range of institutional lenses. We look at responsibilities, policies, strategies, student digital experience et cetera and flag practices that identify an accessibility mature organisation.

The HE and FE Accessibility Maturity Model can help your organisation assess where you lie along the spectrum between luck, tokenism, standards compliance, ownership and partnership. The model is free to download and we have an associated support and badging system whereby organisations can measure and evidence sustainable improvements. 

Download the report from the Policy Connect website [PDF].

Register for our free webinar

Join us for an overview of the 'Arriving at Thriving?' report, its challenges and potential solutions to help your organisation.

Date: Tuesday 27 October 2020
Time: 13:00 - 13:45

UPDATE: Webinar recording

You can now view the webinar recording, below:


Further resources

Tech volunteer helps couple say a final goodbye

A picture of Myles smiling. He wears glasses and a jumper.

AbilityNet volunteer Myles Piling will have his name on a Great Western Railway after helping a woman say a final goodbye to her husband who was in a care home. 

Myles is County Co-Ordinator for Wiltshire. He is one of our 300+ volunteers who offer support to older and disabled people to help them make the most of their tech.

During lockdown has helped his local church to offer online services for its congregation.  

It was a member of the congregation who nominated Myles for GWR’s Name on a Train.

Could you use your skills to help others? Join our volunteers 

Tech support helped distanced couple say a final goodbye

Myles helped Sandra Marchant from Melksham say a final goodbye to her husband before he died in a care home by enabling her to use Skype.

“We were able to Skype the care home and I saw my husband just before he died,” Sandra told Radio Wiltshire. “That was wonderful. Myles has been amazing.  It sounds like such a simple thing teaching you how to use Skype, but it was life-changing, just seeing him,” added Sandra. 


Myles is delighted to have been recognised. “It is such a pleasant surprise and an honour,” he said.

Myles has asked that in addition to his name GWR put the name of Sandra’s husband, Richard Marchant, on the train and hey will feature together. 

“I am so pleased that Richard has his name on the train to as he was such a train buff,” said Myles. 

Myles was recognised as part of BBC Radio’s Make a Difference campaign

Can you support our volunteers and make a difference to people like Sandra? Donate if you can.  

How AbilityNet can help

Other related information

Meet the 2020 Tech4Good Awards Accessibility Winner

AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards logo

The Accessibility Award - sponsored by all-round accessibility champions, Google - is one of my favourite categories in the Tech4Good Awards each year. As head of the judges I probably shouldn't have favourites but, being blind myself, there isn't a category or area closer to my heart than access to the world (both online and real) through the empowering potential of technology to overcome disability or impairment. So I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the worthy winner and flag the fantastic finalists.

The winner: The Clarion

Developed by charity Open Up Music, The Clarion is a digital instrument that enables disabled people to express their musicality in unprecedented ways. Installable on iPad or PC, it can be set up to work seamlessly with assistive technology like Eyegaze or Infrared head trackers. This means it can be played with any part of the body using mouse or finger touch, but also head movement or eye movement. By removing the barriers that can come with a conventional instrument’s shape, size or the need to bow, pluck or blow it, The Clarion makes music-making accessible to all.

Image of Barry Farrimond of The Clarion smiling, reacting to winning the Tech4Good Accessibility Award

We spoke with Barry Farrimond MBE, Chief Executive Officer of Open Up Music (the company that created The Clarion) for his thoughts on winning the award.

"This award comes at a crucial time for Open Up Music as we start to seek new funding and partnerships for developing Clarion. Having this vote of confidence from a community that's at the forefront of driving accessibility is hugely motivating and reassuring."

"We'll continue to work closely with National Open Youth Orchestra and Open Orchestras Clarion players and their tutors, but also explore ways we can make Clarion more widely accessible and improve its capabilities as an instrument. One of our ambitions for Clarion is to give it its own distinctive sound. We also want to improve the level of expressiveness it enables, so that talented disabled musicians are no longer limited by their instrument. This will involve collaborating with a wide range of research and development partners, from professional musicians to music tech specialists across industry and academia," says Barry.

Some comments from The Clarion players

For young disabled people, the experience of playing an instrument in a group brings significant musical and personal gains. The sense of achievement and belonging builds up their confidence and, since 2015, The Clarion has driven uptake for Open Orchestras; an accessible orchestras programme credited for changing the face of music education for young disabled people. 

Musicians playing with Open Orchestra

The sound musicians create through Clarion is down to how they hit the note. Starting to play The Clarion doesn’t require musical skills, but like all good instruments, it will take practice to play well; “This is the first music technology I’ve used that actually feels like an instrument! It’s great that The Clarion works with the movement of the musician, rather than the musician having to adapt to an instrument that has already been set” - Jocelyn Watkins, Classic FM's ‘SEN Music Teacher of the Year’

“My instrument is on my computer. It is called The Clarion. I can make different sounds and change the tone by moving my eyes on the screen” - Ella, National Open Youth Orchestra musician.

The Clarion player, Ibrahim, said: “It has taken quite a bit of practice, but now I feel like an expert. Having the independence it gives me makes me feel free.”

Find out more about The Clarion and Open Orchestras on its website.

The runners-up

Whilst The Clarion is a worthy winner, the other three finalists for the Accessibility Award were (and I really mean this) winners in their own right.

Present Pal

Present Pal is an innovative app that supports presenters with interactive and accessible flashcards for presentations. Since its launch in September 2018, it is now helping more than 3,000 students with dyslexia, autism and anxiety in more than 100 universities, colleges, and workplaces across the UK. 

“It’s the perfect sidekick to PowerPoint,” - Hector Minto, Accessibility Evangelist, Microsoft.

Sign2Word App

The Sign2Word app aims to transform the learning experience for Deaf learners by providing a platform to translate Sign Language into written English and create a personalised sign dictionary.

The signer uses their phone's camera to capture the upper part of their body. AI-based 'pose detection' software recognises the signs and translates them into text.

In the words of a professional BSL signer; “The app will revolutionise the way that Deaf learners access education and has the power to transform literacy levels. It will help Deaf people build their confidence socially whilst developing communication skills. Most importantly, it will enable Deaf students to take responsibility for their own education and encourage independent learning.”

BBC World Service Online 

The BBC World Service online provides regional and global impartial news and analysis in 44 languages with a focus on accessibility. There are up to 80 million visitors to its website each week - with around 85% being on mobile. 

Accessibility is usually considered from a Western assistive technology perspective. Disabled people in developing nations, regimes and war zones often do not have access to modern technologies, affordable data tariffs or a source of reliable, impartial information.

BBC World Service logo

Of the many positive aspects to their entry, the fact that much of the BBC World Service content is also available in accessible downloadable formats shareable by pendrive, CD, file transfer sites and telegrams - providing news in regions where BBC services are blocked for millions of additional readers – was of particular note. 

The app also has a ‘dial-to-listen’ feature for WS Radio in regions where the cost of a phone call is cheaper than streaming data; "We believe this approach of supporting developing nation technologies on available platforms informed by user data is unique. WS is enabling equal access to impartial information, positively impacting on the lives of millions of people."

Further resources

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology

Two AbilityNet experts recognised in Disability Power List

Graphic including the words: The Power 100 2020, #DisabilityPower100 disabilitypower100.com

Great news! We're delighted to announce that Robin Christopherson MBE, Head of Digital Inclusion at AbilityNet (pictured below), and Adi Latif, Senior Usability and Accessibility Consultant at AbilityNet have been selected as finalists for the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 2020 - a list of 100 of the UK’s most influential people who are disabled or who live with an impairment.

Now in its sixth year, the Power 100 list celebrates achievement, breaks down barriers, and provides much-needed encouragement to young and talented leaders of tomorrow. It allows them to see that aspiration and ambition can be fulfilled regardless of whether they are disabled or live with an impairment.

Image of Robin Christopherson speaking at event

About being finalists

Speaking about being part of this year's Power 100, Robin says:

“Given the right adjustments and the same opportunities, disabled people can be as powerful as anyone else. Add to that our tenacity and determination that so often seems to arise from impairment, and we can excel in whatever field we choose."

"We can sort our adjustments and our tech, but the opportunities come from others. That’s why initiatives such as this are so important.”

“I’m also delighted that my colleague at AbilityNet, Adi Latif (pictured below), is also a finalist. If ever there was an individual with the power to make people feel passionate about tech and how transformative it can be for those with disabilities or impairments, it’s Adi. He’s also a really, really nice guy so very happy he made it too.”

Adi Latif on mobile device

Adi says of his finalist position:

"I'm surprised and honoured to have received a nomination for the Shaw Trust Power 100. The list demonstrates the great power we all have to benefit society as individuals no matter our life circumstance."

"I feel that there are many others who are much more deserving of a nomination than myself. Nevertheless, I will use this opportunity to raise my expectations of myself, to be inspired by the other people on the list, and be of more value to society!"

Follow Robin on Twitter.

Follow Adi on Twitter.

About the judging process



The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 is an annual publication of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK, and is compiled by an independent judging panel from nominations received by the general public in the categories of:



  • Arts
  • Fashion and Design
  • Business, Finance and IT
  • Entertainment
  • Politics and Law
  • Education, Public and Third Sector
  • Digital, Media and Publishing 
  • Science
  • Sport

More than 300 nominations were received for the 100 places. 

The full Power 100 List for 2020 will be published on Wednesday 21 October, when the Top 10 will also be announced. Fingers crossed for Adi and Robin!

Join the live announcement


During the event on 21 October, for the first time ever the Shaw Trust will be streaming the Top 10 countdown direct to the public.

By registering to attend, you will have the opportunity to submit questions for the panel discussion led by Baroness Jane Campbell and will be able to take part in an interactive poll on how disabled people can have greater opportunity and a voice to inform future policy.



Register to attend the event >>

Take a look at 2019’s edition of the Disability Power 100.

Further resources

Refer a friend for free tech help

London-based friends Iva Malaggia and Rosaleen Allen have both found support from AbilityNet tech volunteers during the current Covid-19 crisis. 

A picture of Iva, 85, she wears a sun hat and a bright shirtIva, 85, from Muswell Hill, sought support after she upgraded her laptop from a Windows 7 to a Windows 10 based machine. “Everything seemed to be different,” said Iva. “You can’t get someone in to help you out [because of Covid] and I needed a bit of guidance,” she added. 

Searching online, Iva found AbilityNet and how our network of volunteers can provide free technology support. We put her in touch with Pat Maskell, who is county coordinator for Cumbria North.


Pat supported Iva by phone and helped her to set up her scanner, and to print documents.

“It has made a big difference to me because now I am using the computer much more easily [and] I feel much more confident,” said Iva. 

Referring to a friend for help

A picture of Rosaleen who has cropped, grey hairLater, Iva referred her friend, Rosaleen Allen, 76, to AbilityNet. Rosaleen, also from Muswell Hill, was looking for support in choosing a new laptop. 

“My old laptop got to the point where the battery wasn’t working before lockdown. When it finally died. I knew Iva had had support with her laptop; she’d spoken to this wonderful lady called Pat. I detected such a difference in Iva’s confidence. I tucked it away for future reference,” said Rosaleen. 

A recommendation from her friend was one Rosaleen trusted.

“Iva is one of the most intelligent wise people I know, and I really am lucky to have her in my life. I was so impressed with the change with how she spoke about things. She was very enthusiastic. "I thought I need some of that,” she told us. 

Pat helped Rosaleen choose a new laptop to suit her needs.


“My needs are pretty simple. My main needs are email, some document correspondence. I just like to be able to churn out a letter that people can read [and] shopping online,” Rosaleen said. 

If you know someone we can help, direct them to the form on our website.

How AbilityNet can help

  • Call our free Helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm on 0800 048 7642.
  • Remote support We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems.
  • We have a range of factsheets.
  • My Computer My Way. A free interactive guide to all the accessibility features built into current desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Related blogs

 

 

How the government will monitor public sector digital accessibility compliance

On the day before this week's Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR) deadline (23 September 2020), AbilityNet's Amy Low provided on a free AbilityNet webinar aimed at the Public Sector, an update on the PSBAR, and how the Government Digital Service (GDS) will be monitoring compliance.

On the webinar, we asked attendees 'How much do you understand about how the Government Digital Service (GDS) will be monitoring compliance?  

  • Answer 1: I understand it fully - 5%
  • Answer 2: I know a little - 48%
  • Answer 3: I am not clear - please enlighten me - 34%
  • Answer 4: Nothing at all - fill me in - 13%


Poll results screenshot asking question How much do you understand about how the Government Digital Service (GDS) will be monitoring compliance?   Answer 1: I understand it fully  Answer 2: I know a little  Answer 3: I am not clear - please enlighten me  Answer 4: Nothing at all - fill me in - results in article text

To help explain the next steps, Amy shared GDS guidance published on 20th August 2020, about how it is selecting samples, what it will be testing and reviewing and how feedback and reporting will be undertaken.

How does compliance testing work? 

The first monitoring period is already underway and covers between January 2020 to December 2021.

The aim is to monitor a sample of all organisation and website types and sizes, including those with exemptions, to learn about any differences needed in the monitoring process.

Sampling is taken from two lists:

  • public sector organisations
  • domain names registered on public sector top-level domains, such as .gov.uk, .ac.uk and .nhs.uk

The sample must be:

  • diverse
  • representative
  • geographically-balanced
  • inclusive of a broad range of public services

Sampling within each organisation type or domain list is random. If a certain organisation type, size, location or purpose is dominating the sample it will be reviewed and rebalanced to ensure wider coverage. GDS has also advised that there may be some sectors who update their websites less often and will not be in scope of the regulations until after 23 September 2020. GDS will rebalance the sample in 2021 to ensure coverage of those sectors.

Testing types

Two kinds of test will be undertaken:

  1. ‘Simplified’ – mainly automated
  2. ‘In-depth’ - manual assessment

The first phase of testing includes:

  • 1395 simplified tests
  • 80 detailed audits
  • 24 mobile application audits
  • GDS will also be checking accessibility statements for compliance

Testing covers accessibility of a site against Web Content Accessibility guidelines 2.1 AA standard

Simplified testing will test a site's homepage plus a sample of other pages across the site (number depends on size of site), and will be testing using the Axe automated tool. Methodologies will remain under review as technologies advance. Manual tests will also test areas such as keyboard controls and zoom function. 

If simplified testing finds major issues, the site is likely to be referred for a detailed audit, which will test against the full range of success criteria up to level AA using assistive technologies, automated and manual testing methods. Prioritisation of sites to be tested will consider the social impact, for example the size of population or level of complaints received.

Image of two people working on computers in office

Reporting compliance issues

Public sector institutions tested will receive a report and given a reasonable time to fix issues identified. If issues remain after a certain timeframe, the report will be passed to Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) or Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI).

In addition, GDS will publish its findings on a regular basis, and on behalf of cabinet office will be publishing a list of websites with non-compliant accessibility statements. 

Compliance monitoring answers from the webinar

Attendees of the HE/Public Sector webinar held on Tuesday 22 September were able to submit their questions for the speakers during the webinar, and below are a selection of the questions asked relating to GDS monitoring.

Q: Will we know if we have been 'sampled' and tested?

Everyone that is tested will receive a report from GDS sharing the findings (as long as there's contact information that works).

Q: How often will the Cabinet Office publish the list for non-compliant statements? Have they said?

They haven’t indicated any frequency so far. Having asked GDS, they indicated it's likely to be twice a year or quarterly.

Q: How will the government monitor sites that are not public? Presumably they need to request access (e.g. to intranets, virtual learning environments (VLE) behind institutional portals?

Yes, the risk for non public sites is going to be higher on the basis of student led complaints which could then lead to a detailed audit on the specified site. Whilst the risk of having something picked up by the monitoring body is therefore low, the VLE and intranet are arguably more critical to the student experience and more likely to create barriers that could impact on student success so really important to ensure these are prioritised to improve their accessibility.

Q: Will all issues identified in tests/evaluations require fixing?

The regulations require that you are compliant at WCAG AA standard and therefore it is quite possible that GDS could request that all issues found at levels A and AA are fixed. Give the size and complexity of many university sites the time allocated (stated as reasonable) should be commensurate with the effort required to achieve the standard.

GDS has responded to the question with the following: "The simplified tests only pull out issues that we think have major effects on the accessibility of sites. Yes, sites should fix to WCAG 2.1 AA as strictly as possible. We currently give sites 12 weeks to fix issues and get back to us. We're working with EHRC and ECNI to determine what they are likely to consider acceptable, and we give a recommendation to them when we hand the cases over after the 12 week period for them to determine."

Watch the public sector-focused accessibility webinar playback below or download the transcript.

Further resources:

Webinar playback: HE/Public Sector update: Excelling in digital accessibility at Open University - includes GDS monitoring information section

Blog: Accessibility statements webinar: your questions answered

Blog: 10 actions for universities to ensure safe access for disabled students during Covid-19

Blog: What are the digital accessibility gaps in further education?

An Important Month for Public Sector Web Accessibility

Guest blog: Jack Niland, UX Designer at Jadu

Image of Jack Niland, waving

September 2020 is a big month for accessibility in the public sector. As of the 23rd of this month, all public bodies will be expected to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1).

Public sector websites that were created after the 23rd of September 2018 had to comply by the 23rd of September 2019, whereas those created beforehand (the majority) had until now. All public sector apps must also be accessible by the 23rd of June 2021.

How will compliance be monitored?

The Government Digital Service (GDS) will monitor compliance but enforcement will fall to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who will be able to use their legal powers against those that fail to meet the regulation and breach the Equality Act 2010 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. It’s not clear how quickly penalties will start being handed out, but the feeling is that, as with GDPR, it may be a while.

In local government (the primary industry in which I help design web experiences) the deadline has helped focus minds and ensure that accessibility is pushed to the forefront. There are also a number of league tables (such as the ‘Silktide UK Council Accessibility Index’) that rank local authority websites in terms of their accessibility. No one wants to be ranking lowly, which is a powerful motivator in itself. 

A shift in access to services

But it’s the ‘Channel shift’ of council services (shifting from telephone and council drop-in centres to online council services), accelerated through the necessity of the COVID-19 crisis, which has really brought home just how vitally important accessibility truly is.

In some cases, digital has been the only way to access services as people weren’t able to make it into council offices to open doors or take calls. That services could be completely inaccessible to some, especially at such a critical time, is of course entirely unacceptable.

Kathryn Halton of Pendle Borough Council, speaking on why accessibility cannot drop as a priority, said “...service requests for March, April and May were up 137% compared to the same period last year..." and that the council had “...received 100 per cent more feedback from customers about what works and what doesn’t work on the website because they have been forced to go online.”

Person working online on two laptops

Councils that had already established digital inclusivity mindsets such as Pendle had a clear advantage when then the pandemic hit. Those that didn’t must now play catch-up quickly for both practical and regulatory reasons.

Navigation issues on council websites

Society for innovation, technology and modernisation (SOCITM) recently published a report highlighting the most common accessibility issues on council sites. Navigation accounted for three of the top five problems. One issue applied to nearly all (94.87 per cent) councils!

There is clearly work still to be done. But there are also a tremendous amount of positives out there too. Some councils are really standing out and leading the way; Clare Cryer, the web officer at Harrogate Borough Council, is one such example. She took the council from third from the bottom of the Sitemorse Accessibility Index to the top, and now Harrogate is the only local UK authority to have 100 per cent of its pages pass WCAG AA standards.

It wasn’t the drive to meet regulation that drove her effort, however. Clare attended a Better-Connected event where a blind gentleman showed her the struggle of trying to pay his council tax. She couldn’t believe it and it became her mission to instil digital inclusivity in everything the council did from that point forward.

That’s key, really. Regulation and deadlines are great for raising awareness and forcing the issue, but the leaders in this area understand that accessible design is a mindset, a fundamental approach, rather than a box-ticking exercise.

Pushing accessibility up the agenda

Jonathan Lagden of Braintree Council puts it in a nice way, saying “accessible pages have a higher take-up amongst everybody, even those that don’t need the accessibility elements, because they’re better designed. Once you understand that why wouldn’t you engrain accessibility in everything you do?”

Local government has come a long way and still has a way to go, but web accessibility is higher on the agenda than ever in the public sector. The next issue lies in tackling the accessibility of third-party technology providers that integrate with council sites; think payments solutions, for example.

Image of a council building or town hall

Then how local authorities can hold those providers, which don’t necessarily fall under the same public sector regulations, to account. It will be tricky, especially when there are long-term agreements in place and providers ask for a lot of money to make the much-needed changes.

But you'd better believe the accessibility champions within the councils aren’t going to let them off the hook and it’s becoming quite a hot topic about how they can collectively force the issue.

Do you need help with digital accessibility at your public sector institution? Speak to AbilityNet's experts.


Further resources

 

Helping government push digital inclusion during COVID-19

It’s been a busy time for digital over recent months as we’ve all tried to become comfortable with home working, shopping, socialising and other essential daily activities online. It’s also been a hectic time for the government when it comes to digital – and I’ve been fortunate enough to be one of those experts invited to participate in numerous online meetings in an endeavour to ensure that the digital divide is being effectively addressed wherever it exists.

A cross-party approach to inclusion

In these divisive times, a united approach to issues as important as access to the internet is essential. Luckily, the government recognises this in the form of numerous all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) that bring together experts both within government and without to gather evidence and debate a range of topics relevant to the needs of our society today. I sit on two such all-party parliamentary groups; the APPG on Disability and the APPG on Assistive Technology

For obvious reasons, these sessions are now delivered online using many of the technologies (such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams) so vital for the smooth transition to home working and, thankfully, as accessible and usable as one should expect in these enlightened times. Before the virus we’d convene at the Palace of Westminster or other central government venue – often not nearly so accessible and, I need hardly highlight, a good deal harder to get to.

Image of Robin Christopherson and guide dog Archie in front of the Palace of Westminster after giving expert evidence to a government select committee, pre-COVID times

Needless to say, I don’t much miss face-to-face meetings – preferring to use these convenient and inclusive options that get the same job done with far less fuss and in a fraction of the time. It does mean that I can now attend five meetings in a day instead of just the one, but even then the choice for me as a disabled person is a supremely easy one to make. We’ve all heard of ‘Zoom fatigue’, but most people would risk that eventuality over lengthy travel via multiple modes of transport - whether or not they have a disability and discounting the very significant factor of the threat of an ever-present virus. We can endeavour to limit our online meetings each day, but a given journey can’t be shortened and the logistics of travelling with a disability magicked away quite so readily. 

This is why the accessibility and ease-of-use of solutions like Zoom are so vital. People who have never used video conferencing software before are suddenly Zoom-ing on a regular basis to keep the show on the road. Logging in to work systems via a virtual private network (VPN), filling out online versions of forms that were hitherto formed from dead-tree pulp and having to deal with remote IT support to sort out the printer are all new experiences for many. 

It’s vital that these new ways of working are delivered via accessible options in every case. Like Zoom or Teams, like TeamViewer or Express VPN, there’s no reason why every company can’t deliver inclusive solutions.

Four expert panellists on a webinar on COVID-19 & the digital divide, delivered via the nicely inclusive Zoom platform

Digital inclusion so much more than disability

I wouldn’t want you to think that inclusive design is just for people with a disability or impairment, however. Whilst we, as disabled people, need products to be accessible in order to use them at all, the reason why I so strongly endorse the work that the APPGs do, why I participate in ‘Dialogue and debate’ initiatives with expert organisations such as Cumberland Lodge, why I write so many articles on the importance of inclusion and appear on programmes such as Radio 4’s In Touch, and why I so passionately promote amazing initiatives such as Global Accessibility Awareness Day, is because we need these solutions to be easy to use and accessible (in its broadest meaning) for every user if we have a hope of closing that digital divide. And that’s what inclusive design delivers. 

Make your digital products, your websites, web applications, software and apps, accessible and compliant and they’ll be truly inclusive. You’ll not only be opening doors for many users who would otherwise be shut out, you’ll also be maximising ease-of-use and access for everyone else. This is because accessible, inclusive products are able to be accessed on more devices (such as older smartphones or less performant tablets), require less bandwidth to deliver to those in rural areas (where decent broadband is but a distant dream), makes them more discoverable (as Google gives them preferential treatment thanks to their more compliant code), makes their porting to new platforms (such as smartspeakers) more manageable and, finally, makes them simply easier to use for the average user - as you’ve already followed the steps to optimise their usability for those with impairments who would otherwise struggle more than most.

Add into that the fact that we’re all impaired on a regular basis when using smartphones in extreme environments; bright sunshine, bumpy bus, noisy café etc, under other challenges; in a rush, one-handed, after a glass or two, and we soon see that the needs of those with a 24-7 vision, motor, cognitive or hearing impairment begin to spill over into everyone’s experience on a daily basis.

Adding power to digital government

I believe that helping government to ensure it has the right information and support it needs to both deliver inclusive services and make the right policy decisions to continue to reduce the digital divide is important work – but I still think there’s a long way to go. 

For example, whilst government is able to fund a hearing aid or pair of glasses, it isn't yet willing to fund the basic tech that someone with a disability needs to get online. That’s why I’ve been calling for everyone to pile on and participate in a World Health Organisation (WHO) world poll; a survey listing assistive technology essentials for governments around the world to fund from the public purse, to help push this agenda forward.

Robin Christopherson outside Number 10 after another digital discussion

And whilst government has enacted laws to require products and services to be inclusive, inexplicably, it isn't doing anything to actually enforce them. That’s why I’ve been long banging on the door of government to encourage it to give accessibility laws some teeth, and why I’ve been so active and vocal in the above outlined government-related goings-on.

As a result of being active (and generally outspoken) in this space for some time now, I was fortunate to be included in the UN 'World's 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government' List last year, to be awarded an MBE for services to digital inclusion in 2017, and to be shortlisted for the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 to be announced this autumn.

That’s definitely enough trumpet-blowing. All of this is by way of reinforcing that digital inclusion matters. It matters for those at the sharp end who rely on it to operate online every day, it matters for organisations across all sectors who want to reach as many users as possible and give them a good experience, and it matters enough to the UK government and bodies like the Shaw Trust, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations to call loudly for it and recognise those who do too.

Calling on the PM to ensure that disabled people aren’t left behind in the time of Coronavirus

I’ll leave you with a teaser. Back at the beginning of lock-down the APPGD wrote to the office of the Prime Minister asking him to provide assurances that, during these unprecedented times of social and economic upheaval, disabled people across the UK would not be forgotten and that their unique needs would be adequately addressed.
What was the response? How long did it take to arrive and what was the ironic twist in the tale? I’m afraid you’ll have to wait till part two of this piece coming out next week… 


Further resources

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology

Remote support for older and disabled people: TeamViewer

Shows a screenshot of the TeamViewer website a man sits on top of a mountain working on a computer to imply remote supportAbilityNet volunteers continue to support older and disabled people at home using Remote Access Software TeamViewer – without losing the personal touch. 

Pat Maskell our County Co-ordinator for Cumbria has embraced the TeamViewer software, which allows her to remotely access a client’s computer in order to work alongside them.

One client reported a sluggish PC, which Pat was sure she could help with “sluggish computers are my forte,” she says. “I suggested using TeamViewer to help him.

Installing TeamViewer software

TeamViewer requires both parties to install the software, and so Pat’s first job was to reassure the client about what she was doing. 

“I could hear some concern in his voice and so I was keen to reassure him. I explained what TeamViewer is and that ultimately the power would stay with him – he could cut me off if he wasn’t comfortable with anything I was doing.”

Concerns are valid as many scams do abuse remote access software. AbilityNet volunteers are DBS-checked and won’t install anything without permission. 

Pat used the remote access to install Malwarebytes (a spyware scanner) onto the client’s computer to look for viruses and other malicious software. 

After a 40-minute scan, Malwarebytes revealed a few problems including a software program that had taken over the client’s web browser (Browser hijacker). Together, Pat and her client successfully quarantined the viruses, and the client’s computer is now performing well.

“He said, I can't believe how fast it is. I've since been on to TeamViewer again with him and found that program that was interfering with Google was also stopping some of the windows updates going through, so we have installed those as well,” says Pat.

TeamViewer benefits: a community approach

A picture of a young girl and an older gentleman with glasses sitting in front of a computerPat normally works face-to-face helping people in her community but has found TeamViewer still allows her to connect and keep a community approach. 

“There are all sorts of things that are possible with TeamViewer that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do,” she says. 

“One minute I can be talking to a client in Devon the next the guy in Hampshire with the sluggish computer and I have also been helping a couple of ladies in London.”

Social connection is as important as the remote access, and Pat, a former sales coordinator, uses the skills she has acquired talking to customers to put AbilityNet clients at their ease. “It is important people are comfortable with me,” she says. 

“Eva in London was having trouble with her scanning and her printer and a couple of other things, and I talked her through it. She told her friend Rose all about me [because] Rose wanted to buy a new computer and so Rose got in touch with AbilityNet. So, I'm kind of building up a community now; that's what I'm all about.”

Read how our volunteers have been bringing communities together during Covid-19


TeamViewer also helps Pat empower people to solve their own problems, an essential part of being an AbilityNet volunteer. 

“You've got to have the time to be able to do it. AbilityNet volunteers have got the time, whereas call centres might read from a script. My first thing is I talk to the person first, find out what the person knows, what I think they're capable of, um, and how best I can approach their problem because it's different for everybody.”

“You're talking to them on the telephone [and] you have got to give that reassurance, as you would when you were sat beside somebody or with somebody. TeamViewer allows you to show somebody how to do it. So it's almost like being there with them.”

Do you have technical and personal skills to help others use technology? Join our volunteers

How to avoid remote access scams

Scammers will use any trick they can to con you out of personal information, money and more – and that includes remote access. One common scam, for example, is receiving a cold call from someone reportedly from Microsoft who offers to identify errors on your computer. They [scammers] remote in, show you fake errors on your computer and then get you to part with money and financial information to ‘fix it’ 

Here are our top tips for avoiding remote access scams.

  1. Beware, cold callers
    Have you called someone for technical support? If you haven’t then the likelihood is it’s a scam. If you’re at all unsure hangup and call the number listed on the company’s website, such as AbilityNet’s Helpline 0800 048 7642. Watch out for callers who give you a number to ring as this could be part of the scam.
  2. Password protection
    Don’t share passwords. Where someone genuine is helping you, they’ll ask you to enter the details where needed – when installing or updating software for example.

How AbilityNet can help

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

  • Call our free Helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We're open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm on 0800 048 7642
  • We have a range of factsheets that talk in detail about technology that might help you, which you can download for free. You may find our factsheets about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.
  • My Computer My Way. A free interactive guide to all the accessibility features built into current desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Support AbilityNet

If you're able to help us, help others please donate to AbilityNet

Free webinar: How technology can help with dyslexia

Do you know what technology and website changes can help dyslexic users?

Join our free webinar, How technology can help with dyslexia, on Tuesday 29 September 2020, at 1pm BST to learn from Dafydd Henke-Reed, Principal Accessibility and Usability Consultant with AbilityNet.  

In this webinar, Dafydd will champion how much technology has enabled him with his dyslexia. Mixing personal stories and professional experiences, his talk will go beyond spellcheckers and explore the benefit technology can have on people with dyslexia. It will also examine digital barriers to avoid, alongside good practice for enabling dyslexic users online. 

He'll discuss a range of topics including:

  • Emojis, voice chat, and multimedia messaging
  • Speech to text software: Dragon Naturally Speaking, Siri / Alexa, Office Dictate, Mac OS / iOS Dictation
  • Text to speech software: Read&Write, ClaroRead, Office Speak, Mac OS / iOS Speech

Who will benefit from this webinar?

This webinar is for anyone with dyslexia, or for those who support someone with dyslexia. If you're dyslexic and are looking for advice about how technology can help you, learn from Dafydd about how technology has revolutionised his experience of dyslexia. 

The session is particularly relevant for web editors and developers working to make digital accessibility improvements for different users.

The webinar will include an opportunity for you to pose your questions to Dafydd about the topic.
 

Register now >>

 

Image of lots of laptops on a table with other devices

 

Further resources

Find out more about our AbilityNet Live webinar series

Blog: How can DSA help students with dyslexia?

Factsheet: Dyslexia and Technology

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