ID010 Embedding Digital Accessibility

The Idea

Digital accessibility underpins the digital experience at Keele and should be developed as a core capability across Keele University. It influences how effectively students, staff, partners and the public engage with teaching, services, communications and the wider digital environment. As Keele's activity becomes increasingly digital, accessibility is not a peripheral technical issue but a fundamental condition of inclusion, quality and trust.

Although accessibility is reflected within existing inclusive practice, it is not yet consistently understood or operationalised across platforms and services. This leads to uneven user experiences, avoidable barriers and unnecessary reliance on specialist knowledge. Embedding accessibility more fully would enable Keele to move beyond compliance-led activity, shifting from pockets of good practice towards a more confident, consistent and inclusive digital culture.

This paper positions accessibility as a shared institutional capability, supported through leadership, guidance, training and governance. In doing so, Keele would not only strengthen compliance but also enhance the quality of its digital environment and build a stronger foundation for inclusive digital practice.

This proposal is informed by applied research conducted at Keele, which highlights a clear gap between staff motivation and organisational capability: while staff value accessibility, they lack consistent support, clarity and visibility of expectations.

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

Digital accessibility is a legal requirement, but it is also a key driver in equitable education and affects staff confidence and institutional reputation. See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps.

Sector research shows organisations often rely on motivated individuals rather than embedded systems, limiting long-term impact. See: https://abilitynet.org.uk/news-blogs/higher-education-sector-digital-accessibility-gaps-highlighted-global-report.

By treating accessibility as an institutional capability, supported through leadership, training and shared guidance, Keele can strengthen inclusion, reduce compliance risk and improve quality across its digital platforms, with the additional benefits of improved user experience, search engine and internal search visibility, and content discoverability. The approach described in this proposal also aligns with Keele's inclusive values and SDG 4: Quality Education, in a financially realistic and cost-conscious way.

How We Would Implement This Idea

A comprehensive institutional Accessibility Maturity Model assessment would be carried out using a framework such as the W3C Accessibility Maturity Model: https://www.w3.org/TR/maturity-model/. The level of maturity would then inform actions. This could be supported by low-cost options, including sector tools such as the Jisc Vision for Accessibility workshop. The rest of this proposal would be informed by the outcomes of the assessment.

Accessibility considerations could be embedded within existing processes such as Equality Impact Assessments, ensuring that digital inclusion is consistently considered in new initiatives, systems and content from the outset.

A cross-functional digital accessibility steering group could be established, or a senior sponsor could set strategic objectives across current accessibility working groups, to raise the profile of digital accessibility at Keele and develop policies. This work, whether delivered as a strand within current groups or through a new group, could oversee the implementation of accessibility policy, coordinate key stakeholders and report into existing governance structures.

Anticipated changes to operations would build on existing structures rather than create parallel systems. Key actions would include identifying senior sponsorship and coordinating activity through an existing or co-working cross-functional group. In practice, this would include core activity such as online support and guidance pages, workshops, video examples, and shared user case studies. Training and guidance could be delivered through a combination of centrally coordinated provision, including internally developed resources, online materials and external expertise where available and appropriate, alongside integration into core Organisational Development training platforms.

This approach would prioritise shared ownership, continuous improvement and practical support, and would monitor performance via accessibility testing benchmarks.

The designated accessibility group would likely adopt a phased implementation approach, prioritising core digital touchpoints such as the public website, intranet and teaching platforms while establishing foundational training, clear guidance and auditing mechanisms to support and measure progress.

What Success Would Look Like

Success would be reflected in a clear institutional understanding of Keele's digital accessibility capability, supported by a measured and informed approach to continuous improvement. Accessibility would be embedded as a default consideration within digital processes and workflows, rather than applied retrospectively, with improved staff confidence and consistency in creating accessible digital content across platforms.

Measurable outcomes would include improved accessibility audit results across key platforms and services, using open-source testing tools, possible costed audit software and user testing. Other metrics include reduced risk of complaints and positive feedback from users with access needs. Progress would be visible through regular reporting and oversight within governance structures.

Less tangibly, success would be visible in a cultural shift: staff considering accessibility as core to all digital communications, supported by clear guidance and leadership endorsement, rather than as an additional compliance task.

Currently active subscriptions or services would be monitored as part of a risk register, and the university would work with providers to meet accessibility standards. Procurement activities would state digital accessibility requirements when tendering for business and reference Keele guidelines.

An example University Accessibility Maturity Model journey can be seen at Derby: https://abilitynet.org.uk/accessibility-services/meet-our-clients/digital-accessibility-training-and-gold-standard-maturity.