The value of a tertiary education is increasing, and there is a clear connection between tertiary education and employment. People who are blind or have low vision and who have obtained a tertiary qualification have a much greater chance of finding employment than those who have not. Over the past three years Vision Australia staff have spoken with a number of university students who are blind or have low vision. Without exception they have reported that they have experienced numerous accessibility barriers when using online learning environments. In some cases, these barriers have prevented them from continuing their studies. In the absence of research in this area, Vision Australia conducted a research project in 2017 to assess the prevalence and nature of barriers to online learning experienced by current and recent university students who are blind or have low vision. 35 participants, using a range of assistive technologies and studying at 24 of Australia's 37 public universities, completed an online survey and/or participated in telephone conversations about their experiences. With few exceptions, participants reported that they had encountered significant accessibility barriers when using online learning environments. In some cases these barriers had resulted in participants abandoning their studies altogether, while many others found studying extremely stressful, difficult and unrewarding. The accessibility barriers reported by participants include: Inaccessibility of key components of online learning environments, such as discussion boards and collaborative tools, to the most common assistive technology used by people who are blind or have low vision; Lack of understanding and timely support from disability services staff; Unwillingness of lecturers to make changes to course delivery formats to make them more accessible; Inconsistency in the provision of reasonable adjustments. Taken together, the prevalence and extent of these barriers represent a systemic failure by the university sector to develop and deploy online learning environments in ways that adequately address the needs of students who are blind or have low vision. A comprehensive and urgent response is called for from Universities Australia, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, and the Australian Government, in order to remove current accessibility barriers and to ensure that future online learning environments do not replicate the mistakes and deficiencies of the past.
The value of a tertiary education is increasing, and there is a clear connection between tertiary education and employment. People who are blind or have low vision and who have obtained a tertiary qualification have a much greater chance of finding employment than those who have not. Over the past three years Vision Australia staff have spoken with a number of university students who are blind or have low vision. Without exception they have reported that they have experienced numerous accessibility barriers when using online learning environments. In some cases, these barriers have prevented them from continuing their studies. In the absence of research in this area, Vision Australia conducted a research project in 2017 to assess the prevalence and nature of barriers to online learning experienced by current and recent university students who are blind or have low vision. 35 participants, using a range of assistive technologies and studying at 24 of Australia's 37 public universities, completed an online survey and/or participated in telephone conversations about their experiences. With few exceptions, participants reported that they had encountered significant accessibility barriers when using online learning environments. In some cases these barriers had resulted in participants abandoning their studies altogether, while many others found studying extremely stressful, difficult and unrewarding. The accessibility barriers reported by participants include: Inaccessibility of key components of online learning environments, such as discussion boards and collaborative tools, to the most common assistive technology used by people who are blind or have low vision; Lack of understanding and timely support from disability services staff; Unwillingness of lecturers to make changes to course delivery formats to make them more accessible; Inconsistency in the provision of reasonable adjustments. Taken together, the prevalence and extent of these barriers represent a systemic failure by the university sector to develop and deploy online learning environments in ways that adequately address the needs of students who are blind or have low vision. A comprehensive and urgent response is called for from Universities Australia, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, and the Australian Government, in order to remove current accessibility barriers and to ensure that future online learning environments do not replicate the mistakes and deficiencies of the past.
Vision%20Australia_Online%20but%20Offtrack%20-%20Barriers%20to%20Online%20Learning%20Experienced%20by%20University%20Students%20who%20are%20Blind%20or%20have%20Low%20Vision_FV.docx