Disability Studies course wins ethical tech award
The programme team behind the ‘MSc Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion’ course has won the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) Award for Case Studies in Ethical Edtech.
The groundbreaking course launched in September 2023 and supports students to recognise, understand and meet the challenges facing disabled people around the world.
Celebrating design-led inclusive education
This year's ALT Awards Ceremony was held in Manchester at the ALT Annual Conference on Wednesday 4 September 2024. The Awards celebrate and reward outstanding research, practice, and achievement in Learning Technology.
The ALT Award for Case Studies of Ethical EdTech recognises the programme design and development approach of the whole team, including colleagues from the Centre for Disability Studies, School of Sociology and Social Policy, and Digital Education Service.
Hannah Morgan, MSc Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion Programme Lead, said:
It’s wonderful to receive this acknowledgement from the Association for Learning Technology. Accessibility and inclusion are the defining principles of the programme, in the curriculum and our approach to academic practice.
Find out more about the ALT Award Winners 2024.
A winning team of academic, design, and technical experts
The fully online MSc Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion has been celebrated as an example of accessible learning design which has put people at the heart of the design process, offering diverse assessment choices, realistic activities, and including the voices of disabled people.
The programme development team is a collaboration of academic, learning design and technical expertise in the approach to inclusive learning and digital accessibility.
The course offers authentic case study options and choice of assessment, realistic activities and voices of disabled people, and objectives that align with student learning needs and professional practice. Online materials, including instructional and case study videos, podcasts and inclusive imagery, are provided with accessible alternatives.
The team commissioned external testing Web Usability, to complement in-house learning technologists’ expertise in digital accessibility, which provided rich insights from authentic disabled users about course structures and platform navigation.
The key learning was that digital accessibility is more than adhering to standards and many of the lessons are now finding their way into our other degree programmes and courses.
This is wonderful and well-deserved recognition for the entire team. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to making this exciting new programme such a success.
Transforming online studies with a values led approach
Watch the case study video to find out how MSc Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion demonstrates design-led inclusive education and a human-centred approach to digital accessibility for disabled students.
The collaborative, values-led approach to inclusive programme design sets this programme apart. There was a real commitment to go beyond standards and truly understand disabled students' online learning experience.
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This is brilliant news and fantastic recognition to all involved. Accessibility is non-negotiable. Heartfelt congratulations!
