2005b) Implementing a holistic approach to e-learning accessibility, in

The importance of accessibility to digital e-learning resources is widely acknowledged. The W3C WAI has played a leading role in promoting the importance of accessibility and developing guidelines which can help when developing accessible Web resources. The accessibility of e-learning resources provides additional challenges. In this paper the authors describe a holistic framework for addressing e-learning accessibility which takes into account the usability of e-learning, pedagogic issues and student learning styles in addition to technical and resource issues and provide a case study which illustrates use of this holistic approach to e-learning. 1 About This Paper The importance of universal accessibility to Web resources is widely acknowledged. W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has developed guidelines which help to ensure that Web resources can be accessed by people with disabilities. With the Web providing the main delivery channel for e-learning resources it would appear that the WAI guidelines should be a requirement for e-learning development. This paper, however, puts the case for a wide