Main tasks and activities in the project
In addition to providing customised training on digital accessibility for young adults with varying abilities and disabilities in the UK, UEA’s main contribution to this project is to create a handbook for trainers and educators on digital accessibility for young people. The handbook is designed to be a practical, hands-on guide for educators who wish to learn more about integrating digital accessibility into learning and teaching. While the DA4YOU project focuses on digital accessibility training for young adults, many aspects of this handbook will be applicable to educational contexts with learners of other ages.
The UEA team also gathers knowledge on young adults’ experiences, views and use of digital accessibility tools. Moreover, it collaborates with educational institutions and interest organizations in the UK and work to strengthen links between interested parties locally, nationally and internationally.
Who are University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia (UEA) comprises four faculties (Science, Medicine & Health Sciences, Social Sciences, and Arts & Humanities), and 19 schools of study.
It currently has around 15,000 students, of which around 4,000 are postgraduate students.
UEA’s objective is the advancement of knowledge, the diffusion and extension of arts, sciences and learning, and the provision of liberal, professional and technological education. It aims to develop a reputation for providing students with high-quality programs fit for the digital age, equipping them with key skills for work or further study. The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) (a periodic national exercise by the UK’s Higher Education Funding Council for England to assess the quality and impact of research at British universities), published on 18 December 2014, showed that over 82% of UEA’s research activity was deemed to be “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” – a significant leap from 55% in 2008 (the year of the previous assessment exercise).
Overall, UEA was ranked 10th in the UK for the quality of its research output and 21st overall amongst all mainstream British institutions – a rise of 12 places since 2008 and one of the UK’s biggest climbers. UEA has firmly established itself in the top 15 of UK universities. The University achieved its highest ever rank of 12th in the Complete University Guide 2018 and 13th in the Times and Sunday.
