In this article, the author discusses how online students with disabilities could have issues of accessibility even in higher education. Open University Australia (OUA) is an organization of the seven universities and fifteen institutions teaching higher education to students fully online across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Students are given the opportunity upfront to disclose any disabilities to OUA during enrollment. What makes this tricky, however, due to privacy legislation, OUA cannot relay the information on to the institution where the student is studying. OUA conducted an online survey with students who had registered for support. The survey examined two areas: how accessible the online platforms used for teaching were, and what motivated the students to disclose their disability or not. The study found that a little less than half of OUA students responded as to having a mental illness. Then the article then examined the advantages of eLearning and those with a disability. The author states that the biggest advantage is that online information could be made available in a variety of different formats that best fit the person trying to access it. The information can be formatted visually through images or text, audio as spoken words or sound, or touch through wearable technology. The author also talks about how that design can make or break student accessibility with eLearning.
Mike, Kent. “Disability, Mental Illness, and ELearning: Invisible Behind the Screen?” The Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy, 17 Dec. 2015, jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/disability-mental-illness-and-elearning-invisible-behind-the-screen/.