What digital inclusion means at Manchester
Digital inclusion means creating digital content and services that work for everyone - enabling staff, students and the public to find information, complete tasks and engage fully in University life.
At Manchester, this is part of how we deliver a digitally enabled University - inclusive by design and accessible to all.
Accessibility and digital inclusion
Accessibility removes barriers for people with disabilities. Digital inclusion goes further - improving clarity, usability and flexibility so that more people can access and benefit from what we create.
Inclusive design goes beyond compliance. It improves the quality and effectiveness of our digital content and services.
What it covers
Digital inclusion applies to all University digital content and services, including:
- websites and intranets;
- learning platforms and course materials;
- documents, presentations and PDFs;
- video, audio and images;
- emails, newsletters, forms and surveys.
If you create, commission or publish digital content, you play an important role in making it inclusive. You don’t need to be an accessibility expert - small, informed changes can make a significant difference.
Who benefits?
Digital inclusion supports people with:
- Permanent disabilities - for example, blindness, deafness, limited mobility;
- Temporary impairments - for example, broken arm, eye infection;
- Situational barriers - for example, using a phone in bright sunlight, working on a noisy train;
- Neurodivergence and cognitive differences - for example, dyslexia, autism, ADHD.
Around one in four people in the UK has a disability, and many disabilities are non-visible. Inclusive design helps ensure no one is excluded.
Why it matters
Digital inclusion matters because:
- It enables participation. Everyone should be able to access information and services independently and with dignity.
- It improves quality and usability. Clear structure, plain language, captions and accessible documents make content easier to use.
- It supports Manchester 2035. Our strategy sets out a vision of a digitally enabled university - “digital inside and out” - where every person feels they matter. Digital inclusion helps turn that ambition into everyday practice across our teaching, research and professional services.
- It reflects our compliance responsibilities. The University complies with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 and uses WCAG 2.2 AA as its benchmark for good digital practice across public-facing and internal services.