The Guidelines for accessible information are an open educational resource (OER) to support the creation of accessible information in general and for learning in particular. These Guidelines do not aim to contain all available information on accessibility or cover every aspect of the field, but to summarise and link to existing and useful resources which can be helpful for non-information and communications technologies (ICT) experts.

The purpose of developing such Guidelines is to support the work of practitioners and organisations working in the field of education to provide accessible information to all learners who require and will benefit from more accessible information. The procedure for creating accessible information is universal. Therefore, these Guidelines support all individuals or organisations wishing to create information that is accessible in different formats.

The justifications for the development of such Guidelines are very clear in both European and international policy, which highlight access to information as a human right. The ICT4IAL website includes a summary of these key policies.

Within the Guidelines you will find:
 a general introduction, description of the main terms, the target group and scope of the Guidelines;
 steps to make information and media accessible, including recommendations and relevant resources;
 examples of accessibility checklists for specific formats; and
 an extensive glossary providing working definitions of relevant terms.

The Guidelines include two steps for action that build upon each other. By following the Guidelines in Step 1 to make different types of information accessible, Step 2 becomes easier, as already accessible information is available to be used within the different media.

The Guidelines give guidance on actions to be taken and resources are provided which give more in-depth information.

The Guidelines have been developed as an OER and are intended to be adapted to varying contexts and technological developments, as well as to grow with usage.

Throughout all sections of the Guidelines, you will find links either to an explanation of a key term within the glossary or to external resources.
These Guidelines were developed through the ICT for Information Accessibility in Learning (ICT4IAL) project, which was co-funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission.

Keywords

accessibility · assistive technologies · guidelines · learners with disabilities