Emma Mihaly, Learning Designer, Teaching and Learning Support Services, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, 4509. Email: e.mihaly@qut.edu.au

Keywords

Accessibility, streaming media, media, video, audio, transcripts.

Abstract

The use of streaming media to deliver educational content is becoming increasingly popular amongst staff and students in terms of its flexibility and richness, and the increase in the uptake of streaming media technologies for use in teaching and learning at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is evidence of this. However, this raises questions about equity, particularly for students with disabilities. The Disability Discrimination Act (1992) specifies that equal access is required, where it can be ‘reasonably’ provided, for the purpose of avoiding discrimination.

Educational institutions are responsible, both legally and morally, for providing accessible teaching and learning resources for all students and for meeting student and academic expectations for increasingly rich and flexible content delivery. This presentation will describe the options that QUT has considered and will present the possible solution that QUT will soon be implementing (via its Online Learning and Teaching system) to ensure that media files are accessible for all students. It will also explore related issues such as the question of what is in fact considered a ‘reasonable’ provision in terms of accessible content, and the issue of addressing large-scale compliance using a Learning Management System.