The UP Open University (UPOU) proudly launched its new and improved website in celebration of the 111th Foundation Day Celebration on 18 June 2019.
The new website is designed with more accessible and more inclusive features. It adheres with the web accessibility and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UDL is generally based on the principle of inclusivity, reducing the barriers for students with disabilities and providing equal access for everyone. It is also mobile-responsive and compliant to the Data Privacy Act.
As a premiere online learning and distance education institution, UPOU aims toward inclusivity in providing access to quality education, including those who are from the underserved and marginalized sectors of the country.
The new UPOU website serves as one of the strategies of @ccessUP, a flagship program of UPOU which aims to provide accessible UPOU education programs, in realizing its mission. The website has been enhanced to ensure that everyone has equal access to information about the university and the educational opportunities it offers.
The new UPOU website renders better keyboard compatibility, improved color contrast, more user-friendly layout and design, and easier navigability. It is optimized to cater to people who are visually challenged, such as those with low contrast sensitivity and people with color blindness.
The website also offers upgraded features such as text-to-speech or screen readers for people with visual impairment and those with dyslexia and other cognitive learning disabilities. It also enables users to adjust the size of the text on the website according to their convenience. Additionally, video captions are provided for hearing impaired users.
Another feature of the website is the incorporation of the UPOU ChatBot which functions to provide virtual assistance to users and answers on university-related queries. Visit the website at www.upou.edu.ph and let us know what you think. (KDTChispa)
