The unexpected transition to online teaching for a vision-impaired lecturer:​ Overcoming accessibility issues during the pandemic​

Mar-Molinero, Vanessa and De Lima Guedes, Karla Kerlley (2021) The unexpected transition to online teaching for a vision-impaired lecturer:​ Overcoming accessibility issues during the pandemic​. Association for Learning Technology Conference 2021: Shared Experiences, Different Perspectives, Online, United Kingdom. 07 - 09 Sep 2021.

Abstract

The last year created many challenges in Higher Education, not least the sudden move from face-to-face teaching to online curriculum delivery, study and work. These fast-paced changes have been especially challenging for those with disabilities who have different needs and requirements. The move to online teaching and learning was made more complex by sudden social distancing in the UK from March 2020, which removed opportunities for preparation and training in online delivery. Regardless of calls to the UK government for a “disability-inclusive response” to the pandemic (Armitage and Nellums, 2020), People with Visual Impairment’s (PwVI) needs were not taken into consideration by the UK government guidelines. Those with vision impairment were learning new systems for online study and work like all other professionals without ordinarily available support in a face-to-face environment.



Whilst research into inclusive practices in education has focussed predominantly on student access to education, very little has been published concerning “teacher” disability (Neca, Borges, Pinto 2020). This lack of focus on disabled teachers’ needs has continued to be the case more recently in universities with the ongoing work to improve accessibility online due to new government guidelines and laws in the UK (Gov.UK) focussing on adapting and enhancing their online content for students with little so far outwardly discussing staff needs. Although learning content is developed with PwIP students in mind, consideration is not taken in advance for PwIP staff who must produce accessible content for their students and suddenly teach online and manage online lectures and seminars. Moreover, students have come to expect a certain level of online delivery and particular teaching methods. While software and accessibility settings on personal computers can assist PwIP, teaching in online platforms demands a variety of sight-based multitasking while talking on camera, which does not allow for spoken text or magnification to be used. Halpern et al. (2021) discuss how PwIP individuals had their independence, activity and subsequent well-being impacted by measures introduced during the pandemic.



This talk will focus on the barriers, needs, procedures and practices implemented to support a visually impaired, professor at the University of Southampton, UK, who did not have access to specialist equipment to move to online delivery. The case study will bring together the person’s experiences with the disability and the people who helped make online teaching accessible. The intervention that will be presented was done so that the staff member could continue to deliver lectures and seminars throughout the pandemic whilst isolating protecting their well-being and independence. Student engagement and feedback will be discussed alongside examples of how support systems were created to allow online classes to be conducted to engage students and improve their learning experiences. This paper aims to share the methods and techniques developed and raise awareness of the distinct needs of teachers and lecturers with disabilities for them to be considered alongside those of disabled students. Methods and techniques that were employed have the potential to benefit a wider audience than those of this study.

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Contributors

Author: Karla Kerlley De Lima Guedes

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