Digital Accessibility in Higher Education: An Andragogic Reconceptualization based on Universal Design for Learning
Digital Accessibility in Higher Education: An Andragogic Reconceptualization based on Universal Design for Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63122/n7xp2333Keywords:
Digital accessibility, Andragogy, Universal Digital for learning (UDL)Abstract
The expansion of online higher education has increased Access to university; however, digital accessibility remains an implementation challenge, frequently addressed through a technical-regulatory approach that proves insufficient to transform teaching practice in contexts of supercomplexity. This essay aims to reconceptualize digital accessibility in higher education, shifting it from legal compliance toward a pedagogical and systemic understanding grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and articulated through an andragogical perspective.
Through a critical analysis of recent literature and international education policy frameworks, it is argued that faculty resistance to accessible practices does not stem solely from technological limitations but from high cognitive load and a limited perception of the pedagogical value of inclusive frameworks when framed as administrative requirements. The essay contends that, in the post-digital era, accessibility must be integrated as a teaching design decision that anticipates learner variability and supports adult learners’ autonomy.
The article concludes that sustaining inclusive online higher education requires moving beyond technical standards (WCAG) and promoting technopedagogical support strategies aligned with UNESCO, indicators, linking faculty self-efficacy with UDL principles. Finally, an orientative accessible teaching design tool is proposed as a reflective device to support the transition toward inclusive technopedagogical design models.
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