10 FAQs about Teach Access Europe and building accessibility capacity

By guest bloggers, Sarah Lewthwaite (University of Southampton) and Heather Hepburn (Skyscanner) - pictured, speaking at AbilityNet's TechShare Pro 2025 conference

Building accessibility capacity through higher education is essential to ensure that the next generation of designers, developers, and digital professionals can create inclusive digital experiences that everyone can use.

Teach Access Europe is launching to address the accessibility skills gap across Europe.

Here are 10 frequently asked questions about Teach Access Europe and how organisations can support this vital work.

1. What is Teach Access Europe?

Teach Access Europe extends the successful US-based Teach Access initiative to European higher education, inclusive of the UK. It aims to ensure students across all disciplines leave higher education with the fundamental skills and understanding of disability, accessibility, and inclusive design, to build inclusive digital technologies as they join the tech workforce. 

The focus is on education, curriculum development and supporting teachers with the resources they need to affect a step-change in accessibility skills.

The initiative brings together educators, industry, disability organisations, and policymakers to co-develop resources, curriculum, bench-marking research and embed research-led pedagogy relevant to every subject area.

2. Why is accessibility education in universities important?

With over 1.3 billion people worldwide living with a disability, accessibility skills are essential for creating equitable digital experiences. Currently, there's a significant gap between the demand for accessible products and the shortage of graduates with digital accessibility knowledge.

Teach Access addresses this Accessible Technology Skills Gap by embedding accessibility in education from the start, so we can ensure future professionals have these critical skills built into their practice. 

3. What has Teach Access achieved in the United States?

Teach Access has reached over 1.5 million students in the US, surpassing its 2030 goal almost five years early.

Through partnerships with educators and industry leaders, it has developed from a group of volunteers to an established non-profit that provides free and high-quality open educational resources, fellowship programs, and train-the-trainer initiatives. Teach Access has engaged more than 500 institutions across the USA.

4. How is Teach Access Europe structured?

Our work is at an early stage. Three working groups guide the initiative's early development:

• The Community, Strategy & Sustainability group focuses on visibility and funding
• The Teaching, Learning & Workforce group co-develops materials through university-industry partnerships and creates education-to-employment pipelines
• The Accreditation, Policy & Research group advocates for mandatory accessibility in courses and engages with policy stakeholders

5. What free resources does Teach Access provide?

Teach Access offers several free resources, including the Fundamental Concepts & Skills Framework outlining core accessibility topics, the Curriculum Repository with syllabi and teaching materials, online courses for educators, and the Student Academy for immersive student learning.

All resources remain completely free to ensure broad and equitable access.

6. How can my organisation partner with Teach Access Europe?

Organisations can partner in the following ways:

• Join a working group to contribute expertise
• Collaborate with universities to co-develop accessibility modules
• Offer guest lectures or student placements
• Provide real-world case studies for educational use
• Provide funding to sponsor the initiative

Contact info@teachaccess.org to explore partnership opportunities that align with your organisation's goals.

7. Why should organisations invest in accessibility education?

The business case is clear, investing in accessibility education creates a pipeline of graduates equipped to design and build accessible products and services. 

This increases market reach to disabled customers, ensures compliance with regulations like the European Accessibility Act (2025), reduces the cost of retrofitting accessibility later, and demonstrates commitment to inclusion.

Organisations don’t have to teach the concept of disability inclusion to new employees as the mindset is already there – accessibility-skilled employees bring this critical expertise from day one.

8. How does Teach Access Europe differ from workplace training?

While workplace training addresses immediate organisational needs, Teach Access Europe works upstream by embedding accessibility in formal education. We often talk about the need to ‘shift-left’ – prioritising accessibility early in the design phase.

By putting accessibility at the heart of digital disciplines before students enter the workplace, we can ensure students develop accessibility knowledge alongside their core technical skills, making inclusion a fundamental part of their professional practice rather than an add-on. 

University is often a transformational experience. It can also be a place to explore accessibility creatively and in-depth, to establish interest that lasts across a career.

9. What role do disabled people play in Teach Access Europe?

Disabled people's expertise and lived experience are central to the initiative. Teach Access Europe works with disability-led organisations to ensure accessibility education moves beyond compliance toward disability justice.

Community knowledge guides curriculum development, ensuring educational approaches reflect the real experiences and priorities of disabled people.

10. How can I support Teach Access Europe's launch?

As Teach Access Europe is just beginning, now is a critical time to get involved. Express interest by contacting info@teachaccess.org, advocate for accessibility education with universities in your network, update your hiring practices to explicitly value accessibility skills, share information about the initiative through your professional channels, or make a donation to support this work.

As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States, Teach Access relies on sponsorships and donations to keep all resources free. 

Visit www.teachaccess.org/initiatives/europe to learn more about Teach Access Europe and support the movement to build a more accessible digital future through education.
 

Free Higher and Further Education Accessibility Maturity Model