Technology and accessibility in further education (FE) Blind and partially sighted student access to information and assistive technology (AT) in further education.

Many young people choose to leave school and move into college, to help them take that next step into adulthood. This is an exciting time for any student as they hone their education towards the area of work they would like to enter and take those next steps to independence.

This is the path chosen by many blind and partially sighted young people. However, we know that their journey can often encounter many barriers that aren’t experienced by their peers, through surveying colleges, speaking to learning support teams and to blind and partially sighted students.

Vision impairment is a low incidence disability, 0.2% of children and young people up to the age of 25 in the UK are estimated to have a vision impairment [1]. No two blind or partially sighted students are the same, each will use their sight differently and will access information in a different way. However, there are several approaches that can be taken to ensure that colleges and further education providers are accessible.

Improving organisational digital accessibility can reduce the amount of one-to-one support, allowing blind and partially sighted students to learn independently and help prepare for transition into higher education (HE). An accessible-by-design approach to learning, teaching and assessment resources can improve the quality of the learning experience for all.

This paper outlines the findings of research conducted by All Able Ltd on behalf of Thomas Pocklington Trust. The research investigates accessible information practices, compliance with accessibility regulations and how blind and partially sighted students access information and assistive technology (AT) in mainstream further education (FE).

All Able’s research incorporates data from a documentary analysis of FE college websites, a survey of Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)/Assisted Learning Support (ALS) teams across the sector, and interviews with students and staff in FE colleges across the UK.