As technologies get ever more powerful and sophisticated, and as fast Internet access spreads more widely, there is always a danger of some people getting left behind. One way of making sure that everyone gets a chance to engage with the online world is to deploy as many ‘enabling technologies’ as possible. These items of software or hardware are often not very expensive (the software is sometimes free), and it is generally not ‘rocket science’ to deploy them. Last month, the QIA launched a new service aimed at the English sectors – but anyone can use it. It is an online toolkit produced by TechDis which guides you through the main issues faced by users with various impairments, and explains how to approach resolving these, or at least making ‘reasonable adjustments’. Amongst the many strengths of this toolkit is that it has been prepared in consultation with knowledgeable stakeholders, and it is heavily user-focused. Resources of this nature sometimes just list, or perhaps review, potential solutions. This does much more than that; it guides the reader through the issues involved, allowing an informed selection of the most appropriate tools. Have a look at this resource at http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx?o=jisctechdis

The TechDis site is also well worth visiting. It’s at

http://www.techdis.ac.uk/

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