June/July – Accessibility

What do we mean by accessibility?

Accessibility can be understood as minimising barriers to accessing, navigating and participating in an environment, whether  physical or digital, a social environment, an educational environment, or a socioeconomic environment.  To cover all bases, we can understand accessibility as removing barriers to enable all groups to enjoy the same experiences and opportunities as their peers.

The information on this page aims to raise awareness of events, information and support related to accessibility.

Learn

1. If you are a member of staff enrol on the Neurodiversity: An introduction online training module which includes definitions, information on appropriate reasonable adjustments and support for staff.
2. Complete the Disability Awareness and Inclusive Practice online training module which provides an introduction to disability types and the impact they have on students. It explores how we can better support our students, anticipate need, and ultimately be more inclusive.
3. Both staff and students can enrol in the Digital Accessibility Basics course. This introductory course explains the importance of digital accessibility and what we can do to make our digital resources more accessible.
4. As part of Deaf Awareness try learning some BSL to make our workplace more inclusive.
5. Investigate ways you can make your communication clearer. There are a range of external resources (for example, Government Guidance on Accessible communication formats) and internal resources (for example, the Digital Standards – Accessibility webpages, or the Inclusive Interactions webpage).

Do

1. Join a network: If you are a student or staff member with a disability, you can access peer support through the Disabled Students’ Network or the Staff with disabilities or neurodiversity network. To join the staff network, please email [email protected]. As well as providing a valued social space, networks make a valuable contribution to making St Andrews “a beacon of inclusivity”, by helping inform development of EDI policies and strategies, and raising awareness of key concerns and issues.
2. Apply for support: If you are a member of staff with a physical or mental health condition or disability, you may be eligible to apply for support through the Government’s Access to Work scheme. If you believe you are eligible and have any questions about the process, there is information and guidance for staff and managers provided on our webpages., please contact the EDI team. The physical disability and access webpage also signposts to information on Disability Students’ Allowance (DSA).
3. Think about accessibility needs when organising and hosting meetings and events: The University’s AccessAble page provides information about different university buildings including information relating to parking, entrances, lifts, toilets, and changing areas. While also allowing you to plan an appropriate venue for a meeting, you may also wish to provide participants with a link to this information so that they can best plan their visit. If you have any further questions about the accessibility of a space, you can contact the Estates team for further information. When thinking about accessibility, you may also wish to consider timing of activities, for example, where you know you have a number of staff in your team with young children, you should try not to schedule a team meeting during school pickup times.
4. The staff Disability and Neurodiversity Inclusion plan is now in draft and out for further consultation. If you are interested in finding more and providing feedback please contact the EDI Team at [email protected].

Funding is available to support projects and events that could enhance equality and inclusivity within and beyond St Andrews. 

Digital Inclusion WikiConnect: Bridging generations 

Digital Inclusion WikiConnect aims to foster collaboration between staff and students at the University of St Andrews and promote inclusive practices and digital inclusion through the creation and editing of Wikipedia articles relevant to digital poverty and/or your area of expertise.  

Projects funded through the EDI Project Fund with a focus on accessibility have included: 

• Accessible and affordable digital technologies for visually impaired people: a talk and demonstration, School of Computer Science