Class Fundamentals of Accessibility

The course unit Fundamentals of Accessibility is part of the Master's in Teaching Informatics, within the scientific area coded AD, taught in the 1st semester. It aims to equip future Informatics teachers with the principles, legal standards and guidelines of digital accessibility and universal design (WCAG, UDL). It focuses on identifying and analysing accessibility barriers in digital environments, creating accessible content and services, and designing, prototyping and iteratively evaluating inclusive digital resources for teaching or research. Taught in the 1st semester, it equips students with cross-cutting inclusion and accessible-design competences, relevant to producing digital materials and environments for teaching Informatics throughout the study cycle.

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CP1 - Introduction to Accessibility and Inclusion. CP2 - Legal frameworks and standards: WCAG 2.1, UNCRPD, EU Directive 2016/2102, EN 301 549. CP3 - Accessibility barriers in academic contexts (websites, platforms, documents, multimedia). CP4 - Accessible design principles: contrast, structure, navigation, responsiveness, language. CP5 - Introduction to prototyping for accessibility. CP6 - Sketching and wireframing for inclusive interfaces. CP7 - Using Google Slides, Figma or Miro to build low-fidelity accessible prototypes. CP8 - Accessibility testing and debugging tools: WAVE, axe DevTools, NVDA, Colour Contrast Analyzer. CP9 - Designing for diverse needs: screen readers, keyboard navigation, cognitive load, dyslexia-friendly practices. CP10 - Inclusive assessment and content creation for Higher Education. CP11 - Final challenge: designing and/or auditing a digital resource with an accessibility strategy.

ME1 - Dialogued lecture and document analysis, fostering understanding of legal foundations and universal-design principles (LO1). ME2 - Study of real cases of accessibility failures and solutions, developing barrier identification and solution discussion (LO2). ME3 - Interactive demonstrations of tools and simulations, enabling practical experimentation with accessibility guidelines (LO3). ME4 - Design sprints (sketches, prototypes, tests), collaborative Miro boards and prototype critique sessions, fostering creativity and collaboration (LO4). ME5 - Peer feedback, independent study and reflection via Moodle and shared platforms, fostering iterative improvement (LO5).

W3C. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. CAST. Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 2.2. Burgstahler (2015). Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice. Harvard Education Press. Norman (2013). The Design of Everyday Things. MIT Press. Frye & Trief (2020). Accessible Instructional Design: An Integrated Approach. AHEAD Press. Seale (2013). E-Learning and Disability in Higher Education. Routledge. União Europeia (2016). Diretiva sobre Acessibilidade Web (UE 2016/2102).