Microsoft Accessibility Workshop
At NHC, everything we do is about helping our students get where they want to be in life. This matches Microsoft’s mission statement: “Empowering every student on the planet to achieve more”. On Wednesday 3rd April the college ran an accessibility workshop for teachers and leaders of local schools and colleges.
The workshop was led by SEND Group founder and Microsoft accessibility consultant, Arran Smith. During the workshop Arran demonstrated the many ways to help students achieve more independence and improve their focus by eliminating distractions, providing quick reference tools and ensuring files are accessible for all learners.
Speaking on the importance of accessibility in educational environments Arran said: “Putting technology at the heart of learning along with accessible tools built-in for everyone can create independent learners and ensure that all students achieve their full potential.”
The free workshop was attended by staff from Barnwell, John Henry Newman schools and college staff.
NHC Community Engagement Manager, Heather Almond said: “It was great to bring together teachers from local schools and college staff to hear about how they can, very simply, enhance learning for some of their students. Arran was so engaging and I hope has shown that it is possible to make simple adaptations that make a big difference in the classroom.”
IT & Computing Lecturer, Phill Ruffell said: “I’m passionate about accessibility and empowering both staff and students to achieve confidence and independence. Although the event was focussed on accessibility many of the tools demonstrated can be equally used to increase productivity by anyone.”
If you’re a teacher, classroom support or, team leader responsible for accessibility within your organisation and, would like to find out more about our accessibility workshops, please contact our Community Engagement Manager here.
