Academia.edu has commissioned Martyn Cooper to produce a short online course on "Systems Approaches to Accessibility". In brief, the course addresses the question: "Why is accessibility a systems design issue and not just an interface issue?".
The course outline is:
- A brief introduction to accessibility
- Notes on the difference between a systems-based approach and an interface approach to accessibility
- Accessibility guidelines and their limitations
- The benefits of a systems design approach to accessibility
- A look to the future - "Big Data" techniques to accessibility
The course, which will last up to 90mins in duration, is to be recorded in .mp4 video format for including in Academia.edu's website. They intend to make it available for free for their premium subscribers.
While at the Open University (OU), Martyn Cooper had access to a wide range of technical and editorial expertise for the course production. This online course he is producing and recording himself. Despite being a former BBC engineer (in the 1980s), this represents a steep learning curve. This is particularly the case because the deadline for course delivery is the 20th December 2021.