Integration of web accessibility courses in ICT programmes Erasmus Project

Project Title

Integration of web accessibility courses in ICT programmes

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

The Integration of Web Accessibility Courses in ICT Programmes (IWAC) project establishes a unique partnership between higher education institutions and the private sector, with the overarching goal of mainstreaming accessibility skills in higher education curricula for ICT disciplines.

A major driving force behind the project is the EU’s Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102) that was recently implemented in national legislations across the EU. The Directive imposes accessibility requirements on all public sector websites and apps. This increases demand for ICT professionals who have accessibility skills. Another driver of demand is the growing insight among view that accessible websites are better for everyone. Yet there is not yet a corresponding supply of skilled professionals. Web accessibility is usually not included in ICT programme curricula in higher education. As a result, many entry-level ICT professionals are unfamiliar with web accessibility. There is therefore a gap between demand and supply that must be closed.
In pursuit of the vision of mainstreaming accessibility skills, the project has four overall aims. First, to spread best practice examples of how web accessibility can be integrated into higher education ICT curricula. Second, to give higher education institutions the support they need to integrate web accessibility into their ICT curricula. Third, to develop training material that will help students apply web accessibility skills in professional contexts. Finally, fourth, to create cross-sector collaborations for the dissemination of the project results.

The project will encompass the following activities:
– Gather best practice examples of web accessibility courses in higher education. This will be done through the use of surveys and expert interviews.
– Assemble a handbook for developing content for web accessibility courses. This will rely on an extensive literature review, as well as the pre-existing knowledge of the project partners.
– Develop case-based training material and MOOCs suitable for different ICT professional target groups. This will be based on the project’s previous outputs.
– Localise and test training material and MOOCS. The testing will be carried out in pilot sessions at the partner universities. At least 20 students at each partner university will complete pilot trainings on the basis of the case-based material.
– Draft and disseminate recommendations for how to integrate web accessibility courses into higher education ICT programmes.
All outputs will be refined at multiplier events with relevant stakeholders. One such event will be held in each participating country. There will also be a larger multiplier event held at the end of the project, in conjunction with the Funka Accessibility Days conference in 2021. At least 50 representatives from universities outside the partnership will take part in project events. These representatives will also have the opportunity to examine the project results and contribute to their final drafts.

The outputs of this project will be of great help to other higher education institutions to be able to respond to the increased demand for ICT graduates skilled in web accessibility. Notably, the case-based training developed in the project is an innovative as well as efficient way to ensure that the education is relevant to the needs of the future employers of the ICT students.
The results of the project will be disseminated in a variety of ways. The outputs will be publicly available and promoted both through the universities and also by the Nordic chapter of the branch organisation International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP Nordic), as a partner in the consortium. Multiplier events will be held in all participating countries. These events will bring in actors from outside the partnership, which will in turn help spread the results to a wider audience.
The ambition is that the project will serve as a point of reference for higher education course development on web accessibility in the coming years.

Project Website

http://www.iaapnordic.org/projekt/iwac/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 279685 Eur

Project Coordinator

MITTUNIVERSITETET & Country: SE

Project Partners

• FUNKA NU AB
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA
• HOCHSCHULE DER MEDIEN
• Stiftelsen Funka