Accessibility in E-Learning and Teaching – The BALLON Project
Supporting academic teaching staff in creating more accessible learning environments
In January 2021, the BALLON project “Accessible E-Learning and Teaching” was launched at the University of Bremen in cooperation with the Bremen City University of Applied Sciences and the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven. In times of COVID-19, it wants to create a university environment that is as accessible as possible to everyone.
The BALLON team aims to ensure equal opportunities in E-Learning at Bremen’s universities and, thus, in cooperation with university staff, to also put the legally binding accessibility requirements (especially the Bremen Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act (“Bremisches Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz, BremBGG”)) into practice in their digital offerings. We are currently establishing a service center to expand the existing facilities and services at the university. Here you can find an overview of the existing offers for students from KIS, an information offer for teachers on accessible teaching, as well as tips for accessible digital teaching compiled by ZMML.
We support you in achieving more accessibility in teaching and learning in the following areas:
- Reviewing and adapting of course materials and websites
- Consultation on how to create and revise course design and course materials
- Checklists and tool kit for creating and reviewing content and materials on your own
- Subtitling of course recordings (audio/video)
- Information on accessible / barrier-free teaching and learning and its legal basis
The impetus for the BALLON service center originated from experience with the transformation of face-to-face classes into digital teaching and learning formats brought about by the Corona pandemic. It was not only the fast transition to digital formats that presented teachers and students with new challenges. In this situation, it also became obvious how much students with disabilities are dependent on the accessible design of teaching, course materials, and technical aids in order to have equal access to education, and at the same time how wide the range of mental and physical impairments is. After all, all students do benefit from greater accessibility.
