Mada ICT Accessibility and Inclusive Design ICT-AID Competency Framework

Abstract

The Information and Communication Technologies ICT -evolving into an integral part of everyday life, shapes profound changes in our societies. Consequently, everyone should access ICT in the same way as everyone else, which means that ICT should be accessible to everyone, regardless of his/her abilities, needs, or disabilities. This calls, among other effective measures, for developing skills in ICT accessibility, which includes a shared understanding of ICT accessibility and Inclusive Design ICT-AID, as well as acquiring necessary digital accessibility competencies for everyday life and work. Nevertheless, selecting appropriate accessible training and education materials aligned with specific ICT-AID competencies, especially in the Arabic language, remains a barrier to all, inhibiting aspirations and willingness to build capability and proficiency in ICT accessibility. This paper presents Mada ICT Accessibility and Inclusive Design ICT-AID Competency Framework, encompassing all core competencies r equired to effectively integrate ICT accessibility principles into training and educational curricula toward closing the training and knowledge gap in this field.