Summary
The University of Southampton’s Centre for Research in Inclusion response to the Digital Inclusion Action Plan underscores the critical importance of embedding digital accessibility into education, workforce development, and national policy to achieve meaningful digital inclusion. The response calls for government action to scale professional accessibility training, embed accessibility in digital qualifications, and strengthen public and private sector accountability.
It highlights the work of the Teaching Accessibility in the Digital Skill Set programme, a UKRI-funded initiative, which is internationally recognised for advancing accessibility education. The response supports the Teach Access UK + Europe Initiative, advocating for partnerships between government, industry, and academia to build accessibility skills across the UK digital workforce.
Authors
Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Research in Inclusion, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton. Dr Lewthwaite is Principal Investigator and Future Leaders Fellow leading ‘Teaching Accessibility in the Digital Skill Set’. Dr Lewthwaite is one of the most cited authors in digital accessibility education and served on the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative’s Education and Outreach Group, and curricula taskforce as an invited expert developing teaching materials for a global audience.
Research Fellow, Centre for Research in Inclusion, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton. Dr Coverdale is a member of the 'Teaching Accessibility in the Digital Skill Set’ research team, with expertise in digital accessibility education and conducting inclusive and participatory research with people with disabilities.
Associate Professor, Centre for Research in Inclusion, Southampton Education School, University of Southampton. Dr Whitburn is a blind academic who relies on digital and physical accessibility provisions to carry out his research, teaching, supervision, and leadership. He is the academic co-chair of the institutional Disability Equality Steering Group and the School’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Champion.
