Digital Accessibility @ Oxford
Content Network Presentation
Ben Tillyer
Head of Digital Accessibility
UX
Centre of Excellence
Digital Governance Unit
About Me
A passionate advocate for building an inclusive and accessible digital world for everyone.
- Leading the digital accessibility strategy at the University of Oxford.
- Focused on embedding accessibility into the university's culture. Technical work alone is not enough.
- Championing "Shift Left" principles: making accessibility a core part of the process from the very beginning, not leaving it to the end.
- Committed to providing staff with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in creating an accessible digital campus.
- Actively Participating in the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group at the W3C
- Representing the University of Oxford as its W3C Advisory Committee
- Running the charity A11y North
...Outside of Work?
- Living in West Yorkshire.
- Hobbies? Retro Gaming, Board Games, Photography, Competitive Lasertag.
- Previous Jobs? Direct Line Insurance, Blazie UK, HSBC, The Paciello Group
What is Digital Accessibility?
Ensuring that digital tools and resources are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with them, as well as contribute.
It's about inclusivity and providing equal access and opportunity.
Permanent Limitations
Addressing lifelong and acquired permanent disabilities.
- Blindness (think screen readers)
- Deafness (think captions)
- Motor impairments (think keyboard or switch access)
Temporary Limitations
Short-term impairments that can affect anyone.
- Broken arm (relying on one-handed operation or voice)
- Ear infection (needing captions temporarily)
- Recovering from eye surgery (needing high contrast/magnification)
Situational Limitations
Circumstances that create barriers based on environment or context.
- Noisy environment (unable to hear audio)
- Bright sunlight (screen difficult to see)
- Holding a baby (one-handed device use)
Designing for these benefits EVERYONE!
Why Does Accessibility Matter?
It's fundamental to the University of Oxford's mission and values.
Moral Case
It's simply the right thing to do, ensuring fairness and equal opportunity for all members of our community.
Social Case
Fosters a diverse and inclusive environment, allowing full participation in university life for everyone.
PR & Brand
Reinforces Oxford's image as a leading, forward-thinking institution. This is a positive side-effect of doing the right thing, not the primary driver.
Legal Requirements
Adherence to standards like the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR) 2018.
Innovation Driver
Constraints breed creativity. Designing for accessibility often leads to innovative solutions benefiting all users (e.g., curb cuts, voice controls).
Better User Experience
Good accessibility IS good UX. It results in clearer, more intuitive, and more robust digital services for everyone.
Digital Accessibility & Support Systems
Digital accessibility is the proactive foundation, complementing other essential supports.
1. Digital Accessibility (Built-in)
This means ensuring things work for everyone from the start, like making a site navigable with just a keyboard. It's the digital equivalent of building ramps into a physical space.
2. Assistive Technology (AT) (User Tools)
Specialised tools (like screen readers or voice input) that users bring, or the University provides. These rely on good digital accessibility to function correctly.
3. Reasonable Adjustments / Support
Individualised, often reactive, supports such as providing specific document formats or human assistance when needed.
→ Assistive Technology works best with accessible content.
→ Accessible content reduces the need for reasonable adjustments and increases independence.
Myths About Accessibility
Let's bust some common misconceptions.
Myth: Too expensive/time-consuming.
Truth: Fixing issues late is far more expensive. Building accessibility in from the start ('shifting left') is efficient and cost-effective.
Myth: Only benefits a very small number of people.
Truth: It benefits many, including those with temporary (e.g., broken arm) and situational (e.g., noisy environment) limitations. Plus, good accessibility improves usability for ALL users.
Myth: It makes things look ugly / stifles creativity.
Truth: This is false. Inclusive design can be beautiful, modern, and innovative. Accessibility and great design are not mutually exclusive.
Myth: Automated tools catch all accessibility issues.
Truth: Automated tools are helpful (catching ~30-40% of issues) but cannot replace manual testing by experts and, crucially, testing with users with disabilities.
Myth: We don't have any disabled users.
Truth: You almost certainly do, as many disabilities are not visible or disclosed. Proactive accessibility ensures you're prepared for everyone.
Introduction
Web (inc. Mosaic, Fresco, OxIntranet)
- SharePoint Accessibility Assistant (Built In)
- Google Lighthouse (Built In)
- Microsoft Accessibility Insights for Web (Browser Extension)
- Deque Axe Pro (Browser Extension)
- SiteImprove (Monitoring Dashboard)
- Assistive Technology
Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Accessibility Checker
- Alt Text
- Headings
- Colours
- Reading Order
- Graphs and Charts
PDF Files
- Tagging
- Reading Order
Meetings
- Captions (Powerpoint, Zoom, Teams)
- Sharing Documents Beforehand
- Questions and Answer sessions
- High Quality Audio
- Virtual Backgrounds (Lip Reading)
- Ask your participants!
Let's Make Oxford Accessible Together
Key Takeaways
- Accessibility benefits everyone.
- Proactive design is essential & efficient.
- It's a shared responsibility.
How You Can Help
- Attend training, use our resources.
- Consider accessibility in all of your projects.
- Set up an accessibility champion network?
- Ask questions if you don't know the answer.
- Visit our lab!
Visit: Accessibility Homepage... Coming Soon?
Contact: Ben.Tillyer@digital.ox.ac.uk | Digital.Accessibility@digital.ox.ac.uk
Thank You & Q&A
