Accessibility should therefore be an important part of responsible research data management and open science.
Recognising the growing importance of this topic, DANS Research Data Management Specialist Kim Ferguson took the initiative to develop and deliver two online training sessions on digital accessibility for members of the Research Data Alliance (RDA). DANS supported this initiative as part of its commitment to sharing knowledge and strengthening good research data management practices. The sessions were offered twice to accommodate participants across different time zones.
The training introduced participants to the principles of web accessibility and explained why accessible websites, documents and presentations benefit not only people with disabilities, but also improve interoperability, machine readability and the overall usability of research outputs.
Drawing on practical examples, Kim provided technology-independent guidance alongside tips for both Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Participants learned how to create more accessible presentation slides and documents for RDA Working and Interest Groups, with practical recommendations that can easily be incorporated into everyday workflows.
For DANS, initiatives such as this reflect a broader view of making research outputs reusable. Making research data and supporting materials findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable also means considering whether people with different abilities can actually access and use them. Supporting colleagues such as Kim in sharing their expertise helps strengthen more inclusive research practices across the wider research community.
The recordings of both training sessions are available on the RDA-website. The supporting accessibility guidelines for depositors is available through the DANS Training Team’s Zenodo community.
If you have questions or want to know more about this topic, please reach out to the DANS Training Team, you can contact them by email.
