Description
Much talk about accessibility is focused on removing primary barriers to the content for those with specific needs (perceptual, cognitive or physical). This can be done with a closed license document as much as an open license document provided it is not encumbered with Digital Rights Management restrictions. However, in practice, restrictive licensing comes with other restrictive practices that prevent accessibility. In many countries, it is legal to make accessible copies despite other restrictions but this requires setting their users apart and putting other barriers in their way.
This brief talk will showcase several case studies demonstrating how closed licensing puts may be compatible with individual accessibility but works against inclusion. I hope that it will provide another argument for the promotion of OERs at all levels of education.