Project Title: Improving Awareness of Assistive Technology Tools for an Inclusive Learning Environment at UAL
Research Question: How can awareness and utilisation of Assistive Technology tools at UAL be improved to create a more inclusive learning environment for students with disabilities?
This project focuses on improving the awareness of the Assistive Technology software and tools provided by UAL to improve the learning experience for students with disabilities.
At the University of the Arts London (UAL), disabilities among students can encompass a broad range of physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental health conditions that may affect their ability to participate fully in academic and social activities.
The project aims to assess students’ awareness of the Assistive Technology (AT) available at UAL and evaluate how effectively these digital accessibility tools support their learning experiences. By understanding how students engage with these resources, the project seeks to identify gaps in awareness and utilisation, at the same time evaluating their contribution to a more inclusive and accessible learning environment.
Rationale:
The decision to explore this topic stems directly from my observation as a Specialist Technician for College IT within the Learning Technology (LT) Department at LCF. My responsibilities include providing first, second and third-level IT support for end users, encompassing software, hardware, and IT infrastructure services. Additionally, as a LT team member I also involved in supporting or giving training for specialist software provided by the college, such as Rhino, Clo3D, Blender, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft 365, among others.
Over the years, I have observed recurring questions from students and staff about the Assistive Technology (AT) software offered by UAL, particularly at the start of each new term. A common scenario involves students approaching our department to ask if they can download specific AT tools. They expect us to provide direct answers, offer guidance, or at least redirect them to the appropriate department. Unfortunately, just like the students, we often have no clear information on this matter. It is unclear whether AT falls under the responsibilities of the Disability Department, Student Services, Library Services, or IT Department.
When I reached out to the UAL Disability Department for clarification, they redirected me to the IT Service Desk. Upon contacting the IT Service Desk, I was advised to search the UAL website for student or Canvas for staff. This lack of clarity is frustrating for both students and staff who are seeking straightforward solutions.
Through my own investigations, I discovered a dedicated UAL Assistive Technology page https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/assistive-technology. While this page contains extensive information and links to external resources such as guides from the Library Service and short video tutorials- it is not easily accessible. The page is buried under several layers of navigation: Students > Assistive Technology. Even with considerable effort, it is difficult to locate again from the Students homepage. Searching for related terms like “Digital Accessibility” within the UAL portal came out with limited results, and external searches (Google search) often redirect to general Disability and Dyslexia services pages that lack specific information about accessing AT.
As someone with expertise in learning technology and a good understanding of digital literacy, I even find it challenging and overwhelming to locate all the information about AT at UAL. This difficulty highlights significant gaps in accessibility and communication that likely hinder many others, especially students and staff who may have less technical proficiency.
Moreover, many students and staff remain unaware of the existence of these tools. As a result, they often resort to using free software with limited features or trial versions that expire after 30 days. Purchasing full premium software licenses is typically challenging, especially for students. In my experience helping staff purchase Access to Work software such as Dragon for Reading and Writing or TalkType Pro for individuals with dyslexia, I have seen how expensive these one-year full licenses can be. Given that the university has already invested in paid licenses for some of these similar tools, it would be highly beneficial to maximise their use to assist students and staff in enhancing their teaching and learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.
To address these issues, I aim to gather feedback from students and staff to better understand their awareness of the AT software available at UAL. This feedback will help identify key challenges they face in accessing, downloading, and receiving support or training for these tools. By doing so, I hope to develop practical solutions that enhance awareness and utilisation of AT resources, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.
Reference:
https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/assistive-technology
https://arts.ac.libguides.com/readandwritesoftware
https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/45780/assistive-technology
Gilligan, John. 2020. “Competencies for Educators in Delivering Digital Accessibility in Higher Education.” Paper presented at the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction
Njoku, Chris. 2015. “Information and Communication Technologies to Raise Quality of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Institutions.” International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT 11: 1.
Pearson, Elaine, and Tony Koppi. 2003. “Developing Inclusive Practices: Evaluation of a Staff Development Course in Accessibility.” Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 19 (3): 275–292.