Ontology-based representation of learner profiles for accessible OpenCourseWare systems

The development of accessible web applications has gained significant attention over the past couple of years due to the widespread use of the Internet and the equality laws enforced by governments. Particularly in e-learning contexts, web accessibility plays an important role, as e-learning often requires to be inclusive, addressing all types of learners, including those with disabilities. However, there is still no comprehensive formal representation of learners with disabilities and their particular accessibility needs in e-learning contexts. We propose the use of ontologies to represent accessibility needs and preferences of learners in order to structure the knowledge and to access the information for recommendations and adaptations in e-learning contexts. In particular, we reused the concepts of the ACCESSIBLE ontology and extended them with concepts defined by the IMS Global Learning Consortium. We show how OpenCourseWare systems can be adapted based on this ontology to improve accessibility.