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Saturday | September 19, 2026 | Dhaka

Bangladeshi scholar highlights inclusive digital education

 City Desk
 Published: 12:01 AM, 19 September 2026

Bangladeshi scholar and University of North Dakota (UND) PhD researcher Torosa Johur presented her research on digital accessibility and inclusive higher education at the Multicultural Conference in Higher Education 2026 in the United States on September 16.

Johur presented her paper, “Digital Accessibility Practice and Inclusivity in Higher Education: A Tale of Personal Experience,” on the first day of the two-day conference, which was held on September 16-17.
Her session took place from 1:45pm to 2:35pm local time in Ballroom A of the Memorial Union.

The conference brings together research, policies, theories and practical experiences related to community, belonging and inclusive practices in higher education.

Drawing on her professional experience with inclusive classroom pedagogy and her work as a digital accessibility reviewer in higher education, Johur highlighted the need to incorporate accessibility into digital learning materials from the beginning of the design process.

She emphasised the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), arguing that accessibility should not be treated as an additional measure after educational materials have been created.

According to Johur, digital accessibility is not only a legal obligation but also a moral responsibility of the teaching community in building an inclusive society.

She identified six key areas that educators should consider when preparing digital learning materials – headings, links, colour contrast, images, tables and media, including video, audio and closed captions.

Failure to address these elements properly, she noted, can create unnecessary digital barriers for students.

Johur also drew attention to colour perception and the challenges faced by people with colour blindness. She stressed the importance of disability-related educational support and urged educators to take greater care when designing digital materials. The central message of her presentation was that accessibility should be integrated into the design process from the outset and tailored to students’ needs, rather than being added later.

She also expressed optimism about ongoing initiatives by the US government and higher education institutions to improve digital accessibility. She said universities should take timely measures to implement necessary accessibility standards and meet their legal obligations.

Johur particularly stressed that accessibility considerations should begin when teachers first create digital educational materials. The 2026 conference is the third edition of the event, which was first held in 2022.

A total of 16 breakout sessions are being held during the two-day conference, along with keynote presentations by four speakers from higher education institutions across the United States.

The conference aims to promote interdisciplinary discussion on developing inclusive practices in higher education, challenges in implementing them and possible solutions.