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Falling through the Web - UEL Public Lecture examines accessibility of internet design

Monday 8 October 2007

How accessible is the World Wide Web to people with disabilities? And how can designers create more inclusive online content?

Dr Helen Kennedy, a leading researcher and practitioner in the field of new media and in/equality, will examine the current state and potential development of inclusive new media and accessible web design in a public lecture at the University of East London (UEL) Docklands campus on Wednesday 24 October.

Dr Kennedy, Principal Lecturer in UEL's School of Social Sciences, Media & Cultural Studies, will reveal examples of current best and worst practice, as well as offering advice and tips and introducing an exciting new research project.

Inclusive New Media Design, funded by the AHRC and EPSRC's Designing for the 21st Century initiative, aims to explore the most effective strategies for encouraging new media designers to build websites accessible to people with intellectual disabilities.

The project will offer free training workshops to web professionals, providing them with the skills and knowledge to ensure their sites are accessible to intellectually disabled users, a significant part of the web user community.

The Rix Centre for Innovation and Learning Disability, where the project is based, is the UK research leader on education technologies for people with cognitive disabilities. The Centre is housed beside UEL's state-of-the-art Multimedia Production Centre at the Docklands campus.

Dr Kennedy has published widely on new media in/equalities, debunking some of the myths of cyberspace, and addressing issues of gender, race, disability and virtual identity. Her multimedia practice includes a range of collaborations as project manager, website builder and multimedia programmer.

Her lecture, Inclusive New Media: designing accessible websites, will take place at 5pm on Wednesday 24 October at the UEL Docklands campus. Admission is free. For further details, contact Franc on 020 8223 2884 or visit www.uel.ac.uk/lectureseries.

For further information about Inclusive New Media Design, visit www.thebigtree.org/roots/inmd

Ends/.

For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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