Simple steps for being more inclusive
Meet with your students regularly and get to know them as people – find out what their aspirations are, and any barriers to success they are experiencing.
Work in partnership with students where possible so that you are co-creating the learning environment, or getting meaningful feedback about student needs and views.
Signpost to relevant support services. Professional services teams can provide excellent support, but students may not be aware of them or might be reluctant to engage with them without active encouragement.
Review the language you use in student communications – are you being as clear as you could be? All students benefit from clear communication, but it is especially important for students who might not be familiar with university terminology, or those studying in a second language.
Add your pronouns (e.g., she/her, they/them) when you introduce yourself. This tells everyone that you don’t make assumptions about gender, which is more inclusive for trans and non-binary students.
Use the microphone in teaching spaces, whether you think you need to or not. Students with hearing impairments might be relying on the audio provided via the microphone.
Use the accessibility tools in your Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to check your sites are inclusive.
Include alt-text on images in online content wherever possible. This means that visually impaired students can use the resource.
Record lecture delivery- students unable to attend due to carer commitments or illness for example, can catch up at a more convenient time for them.
Add captions to video content so that hearing impaired students can engage with them – this also helps students viewing content in noisy locations or when commuting.