Abstract
This paper explores the extent to which existing accessibility metaphors can help to develop our conceptualizations of accessible e-learning practice in higher education and outlines a proposal for a new rainbow bridge metaphor for accessible e-learning practice. The need for a metaphor that reflects in more depth what we are beginning to understand about how to how to bring about that change, who should bring about that change, and what the result of such a change might be is identified. One such metaphor that could help us do this is the metaphor of a rainbow bridge. The stakeholders of accessible e-learning within higher education may understand the rainbow bridge as a useful metaphor in that the colours of the rainbow can represent all the main stakeholders in accessibility; the different views that different people can have of the same rainbow can represent different but related views of accessibility; and crossing the rainbow bridge to higher awareness can represent the awareness that is required in order to develop accessible e-learning practice.
Highlights
Several powerful drivers for making e-learning accessible in higher education have emerged over the last five to six years including disability discrimination legislation, accessibility guidelines and accessibility standards
This paper explores the extent to which existing accessibility metaphors can help to develop our conceptualisations of accessible e-learning practice and outlines a proposal to elaborate on an existing metaphor in order to extend and developing our thinking about accessibility
Other writers use the metaphor of the level playing field to emphasise the potentially equalizing effect of e-learning (Banks, Lazzaro & Noble, 2003; Burgstahler, Corrigan & McCarter, 2004; Evans, 2002). While it is suggested in the EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) website that: Accessible e-learning means courseware and content that is designed to be accessible to the widest possible variety of computer operating systems and specialized applications removing needless barriers for students with disabilities and providing a level playing field to let them work and learn like everyone else. (EASI, nd, ¶1)
Summary
Several powerful drivers for making e-learning accessible in higher education have emerged over the last five to six years including disability discrimination legislation, accessibility guidelines and accessibility standards. Other writers use the metaphor of the level playing field to emphasise the potentially equalizing effect of e-learning (Banks, Lazzaro & Noble, 2003; Burgstahler, Corrigan & McCarter, 2004; Evans, 2002). While it is suggested in the EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information) website that: Accessible e-learning means courseware and content that is designed to be accessible to the widest possible variety of computer operating systems and specialized applications removing needless barriers for students with disabilities and providing a level playing field to let them work and learn like everyone else. Within the accessibility community the physicality of access is repeated in conceptualisations of access that focus on closing the gap or the digital divide (Sanda, 2003; Snaprud & Aslaksen, 2004), enabling disabled people to get from one side to another
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