Open & Inclusive SIG

Key Person:

Dr Tim Coughlan, Senior Lecturer

Open & Inclusive is supported by openTEL and SeGA, this Special Interest Group brings together researchers, accessibility coordinators and practitioners across the Open University interested in online accessibility and inclusiveness. The OU mission of being “open to people, places, methods and ideas” reflects our commitment to supporting all of our students to achieve success in Higher Education, regardless of background, circumstances or disabilities. Open practices have moved into mainstream education over the past decade. We work proactively to reduce any attainment gap to ensure that disabled students, as well as students facing accessibility issues for other reasons, are effectively supported to achieve their study aims, in line with all other students.

Our interests are:

  • Accessibility and usability in distance and online education
  • Widening participation
  • Design in online learning: universal, inclusive and user-centred approaches

Our activities include organising bimonthly seminars discussing practices outside and inside the OU. For that purpose we invite international and in house speakers and organise participatory workshops in a particular topic.