New designs or new practices? Multiple perspectives on the ICT and accessibility conundrum

There is considerable evidence to suggest that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can make a positive contribution to students’ experiences in higher education. Students with disabilities therefore have a positive outlook and attitude to ICT. Despite all these positive things, the ICT, disability, and higher education community have been wrestling with what they consider to be a massive question: is the design of ICT good enough? In particular, a certain section of the community believes that as long as specialist, assistive technologies exist, design practices will have failed. This chapter will explore, from multiple perspectives, a different argument that the eradication of specialist technologies is not necessarily required to improve ICT design.