Accessibility and inclusivity

Since 2016, when digital textbooks following universal design for learning principles gained momentum, the experiences of Paraguay, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Uruguay, and Nicaragua allowed us to perceive ADTs as a powerful and positive tool to engage all students on an equal basis. This UNICEF innovation goes beyond the creation of accessible…

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Uganda has embraced inclusive education and is committed to improving the inclusion of children with visual and hearing impairment in education. This is evident from the country’s rich policies and the international conventions Uganda is signatory to. However, policy implementation remains weak and so there are still a number of gaps in the…

On a sunny midmorning, Kamurasi Demonstration Primary School’s lawns look immaculately green. The big mango tree that dominates the compound is full of flowers — an indication of an expected bumper harvest in months to come. It is a rainy season. A block of classrooms in the shape of the letter L welcomes the visitors. Lillian Byakagaba, the…

When George Ntakimanye, a 14-year old student who is blind was introduced to computers at Gulu High School in Senior One in 2019, little did his teachers know that something they had never experienced was about to happen. He had joined from Kamurasi Demonstration Primary School in Masindi where he had created a reputation as a gifted student.…

Uganda has embraced inclusive education and is committed to improving inclusion of children with who are blind/low vision and children who are deaf of hard of hearing in education. This is evident from the rich policies in the country and the international conventions Uganda signed.  However, policy implementation remains weak and so there are…

Methodology to pilot the Accessible Digital Textbooks initiative at country level, UNICEF and its partners have developed steps to produce, test and validate the piloting of the accessible digital textbooks at the county level. The textbooks must be based in the country’s educational system and produced jointly with a multidisciplinary technical team, collaborating with teachers, experts, technologists, publishers, authors and,…, Pre-production phase, The pre-production phase includes initial implementation steps to build local capacity in a country. All stages are needed, but the sequencing of the following actions is optional: 1. Understand the needs of the country in terms of accessibility to learning materials and inclusive education: Identifying the country preparation and configuration…, Production phase, The production phase includes developing and adapting the prototype. In most cases, publishers do not have the original files of materials in accessible formats. Therefore, the first step is to transform the materials delivered by the publisher into a format that can be adapted and sent back to the publisher for distribution, e.g., in EPUB 3…, Post-production phase, This phase includes creating the ‘production master files’, as well as ‘translating’ these files into the different accessible formats. It also includes defining the conditions for quality control and final production of the materials. The recommended steps are the following: 1. Edit the accessible content. The publisher participates in the…

Accessible ePub links: eKitabu Accessible EPUB Toolkit:  https://www.ekitabu.com/index.php/impact/toolkit/ DAISY accessible EPUB Guide:  http://www.daisy.org/tools-products-and-services Floe Project: A wealth of EPUB 3 resources, many other inclusive design resources from across the web.  https://handbook.floeproject.org/EPUB3Resources.html…

Features of the accessible interactive activities are: ● Provide extra hints. Providing additional information and descriptions gives context to content. For example, furnishing more details when describing images will help learners answer the exercise questions; when adapting exercises, adding the details of the image description should also be…

Producing sign language videos, Using a deaf-centered production team that has responsibility for ensuring compliance with the necessary requirements is key.  , Skills and general requirements  , The team should be comprised of people who bring together the following competencies: Fluency in sign language and native knowledge of the local sign language, recognized by the deaf community as role models and references in the areas of education, leadership and the knowledge of sign language; Fluency in written language with training and…, Technical recommendations, Camera format   The person behind the camera should know sign language. A digital camera should be used because of its superior usability, quality and edition. The camera should have sufficient storage to record 60 minutes of video. The camera should be able to film in high definition. The exact quality to be used is decided in post-production but…

Lessons we learned from creating the 'Learn My Way' reader. 1. Consider the technology Before starting the process of converting a textbook to a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) digital textbook, consider the technology distribution platforms, target devices and content types. If the content is to be consumed on all device types, screen sizes…