Accessible communication is an umbrella term to describe communication that is clear, direct, easy to understand and that can be made available in multiple formats so that all users have equal access. It takes into consideration the various barriers to accessing information, and removes these or provides alternative formats for the communication to take place.
Oxford University is committed to providing equal access to education for its disabled students, who represent 18% of our student community. Any barriers to accessing teaching and learning communications is a critical barrier for many disabled students.
In a university context, accessible communication encompasses a whole range of issues from the way a lecture is structured, to the style of language used, to the way course information is provided, to the way learning materials are formatted and made available to students.
Below is an overview of accessible communication guidelines and further resources on how to plan your communications with accessibility in mind, which cater for the diverse range of needs users have. These steps benefit students with hearing impairments, visual impairments as well as students with Specific Learning Difficulties and other types of neurodiversity.