This course will help you to understand how those with sensory, physical and cognitive impairments may be disabled by barriers encountered when using digital technologies. The course will highlight how the use of accessible and inclusive design can help overcome many of these difficulties.

Why should we care about digital accessibility?

With a better understanding of users’ needs, technologies can be developed to be both accessible and meet legal requirements to provide a more inclusive environment.

On this course, you will discover how you can make an important difference to the lives of anyone who is elderly or has a disability. It is suitable for:

• web development, design or marketing professionals, or anyone who creates content or specifies, designs, builds, tests, evaluates, uses or buys technology;

• employers, who can discover how accessible technologies can increase the market for their products or services, or enhance the productivity of their employees;

• and disabled and elderly people, who want to understand why some technologies may be causing problems, and how it is possible to help others understand these problems.

You will learn how technology can help at home, study or work if you or somebody you care about becomes ill or is disabled.

Learn with digital accessibility experts from across Europe

The course is led by Professor Mike Wald of the ECS Accessibility team at the University of Southampton, and supported by members of the Erasmus+ MOOC Accessibility Partnership.

By joining the course, you will have a unique opportunity to benefit from the extensive knowledge and experience of accessibility experts from eight universities across Europe, as well as the personal experiences of disabled or elderly people.

Everyone is welcome to take this course, and no previous knowledge is required or assumed