England
Where do you live?
Key features
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Learn inclusive teaching strategies to support students with additional needs -
Applicable to a variety of educational settings and sectors across the world -
Benefit from the OU’s world-leading expertise in accessibility practice and research -
Acquire skills you can apply to your practice straight away
What you will study
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Online learning experiences of students with disabilities (diverse stories, benefits and challenges of learning online) -
Understanding accessibility, including definitions, models, rationale and what this means in practice -
How assistive technologies are used in online learning -
Current trends and innovations in assistive technologies -
Making common forms of learning material accessible -
Strategies of inclusive and universal design for learning -
Making online learning activities and assessments accessible -
Fulfilling our responsibilities, covering laws, policies and expectations in online accessibility -
Evaluating the accessibility of websites, platforms and tools -
Working with students – needs assessment and gathering and responding to accessibility feedback -
Institutional approaches to ensure online learning accessibility, including – roles, responsibilities and stakeholders
You will learn
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design accessible learning materials and activities for online learning -
evaluate the accessibility of websites, online platforms, and interactive tools -
reflect on the common challenges and benefits that students with disabilities find with online learning -
synthesise understanding of innovations in assistive technology to support learners in new and effective ways -
lead and develop effective processes to achieve accessibility in educational institutions that meet legal and policy requirements.
Skills you will gain
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Understand disabled student experiences -
Choosing platforms and tools -
Developing policies and processes for accessibility -
Evaluating accessibility -
Understand and apply Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) -
Making accessible online activities and assessments -
Assistive technologies -
Respond to accessibility feedback -
Making accessible learning materials -
Developing institutional approaches
Vocational relevance
Created by leading experts and practitioners from The Open University
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Dr Leigh-Anne Perryman leads the OU’s Masters in Online Teaching programme. Her research explores the relationship between equity, social justice, online teaching and open pedagogies. -
Kate Lister is a global expert in accessibility, inclusive pedagogy and mental health. She managed inclusive practice at the OU and co-led Advance HE’s Mental Health in the Curriculum project. She actively contributed to the OU’s Student Mental Health Working Group and the Mental Health Research Group, as well as chairing the Open and Inclusive Special Interest Group and cross-faculty Accessibility Working Group. -
Dr Simon Ball is an OU tutor and consultant researcher, specialising in inclusive online learning, educational technologies and accessibility. -
Dr Tim Coughlan is a Senior Lecturer in Educational Technology at the OU, researching the design and evaluation of technologies for inclusion, participation and accessibility in learning. -
Dr Ian Kenny is a visiting fellow at the OU with an interest in assistive technology and real-world applications of machine learning.
You will gain
Teaching and assessment
Study support
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Learn 100% online on the OU’s learning platform with a mix of video, audio and written materials -
Engage in interactive learning through self-assessment questions, polls, tasks and reflection -
Share ideas and experiences in discussion with other learners, building skills, confidence and knowledge -
Receive support from mentors who guide discussions and answer questions -
Study at a time that suits you with the flexibility to access the course from your desktop, tablet or mobile device
Assessment
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End-of-module assessment
Course length
What's included
Future availability
Regulations
Entry requirements
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a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent level qualification -
experience of working with disabled students -
a strong interest in making teaching inclusive and accessible.
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If you don’t have a degree or equivalent level qualification, you may find the postgraduate level assessment challenging. -
The course material doesn’t assume learners are working. Past experiences will be just as relevant. -
All teaching is in English, and your English proficiency needs to be adequate for postgraduate study. As a guide, this corresponds to Level 7 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). However, you won’t need to provide a formal English language score to enrol.
Computing requirements
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Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device. -
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS. -
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS. -
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
If you have a disability
Course fee
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2026 | 31 Jan 2028 | 11 Oct 2026 | £775 |
| 15 Mar 2027 | 30 Jun 2027 | 14 Mar 2027 | £775 |
