The Digital Inclusive Design Project is a three-year initiative focused on enhancing the accessibility and inclusiveness of UQ’s digital environment. It involves setting standards, auditing our current systems, raising awareness, and driving change to embed Universal Design and Inclusive Design principles across digital platforms.
UQ strives to create digital experiences that are accessible, inclusive, and equitable for all. This project is committed to ongoing improvement of the user experience by applying relevant accessibility standards, with WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the target to support access for all users.
In addition, UQ is delivering a one-year Read&Write pilot to support diverse literacy, learning, and accessibility needs across the UQ community.
Governance
The project is part of the UQ Technology Master Plan and governed by the Systems and Services Upgrade Committee. An Expert Panel made up of UQ staff and students also provides specialised insights and advice to ensure best‑practice approaches and high‑quality outcomes. Together, these groups ensure cross‑university alignment, leadership, and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.
Project Timeline
The project runs from February 2025 to December 2027, with iterative releases, pilot implementations, and phased awareness and remediation activities.
2025 - Foundation & Planning
- Stakeholder consultations and awareness campaigns
- Develop UQ Accessibility Standards and inclusive design model
- Create a glossary of accessibility terms to promote consistent language
- Develop training strategy plan
- Review procurement processes to ensure accessibility requirements are always properly considered
- Start developing SOPs, toolkits, and frameworks for inclusive content
- Develop and test user scenarios and impact assessments
- Develop maturity model and assess current maturity level and areas for improvement
- Conduct initial audit tests to inform development of accessibility testing framework
2026 - Implementation & Rollout
- Sustain stakeholder engagement and refine feedback mechanisms
- Collaborate in the development of UQ Accessibility Standards and embed inclusive design practices
- Deliver Phase 1 training: Awareness sessions for key staff
- Deliver Phase 2 training: Practical sessions for content creators and support teams
- Deliver pilot of the Everway Read&Write digital accessibility app
- Conduct accessibility audits of Tier 0/1 systems and develop remediation plans
- Test and finalise the accessibility testing framework during audits
- Launch central repository for SOPs and distribute toolkits
- Discovery, scoping, and release of V1.0 of Digital Accessibility Hub with key UQ partners
2027 - Embedding & Sustainability
- Sustain stakeholder engagement and refine feedback mechanisms
- Maintain and evaluate accessibility standards and inclusive design adoption
- Deliver Phase 3 training: UQ-wide rollout and campaigns
- Achieve 100% completion of Digital Inclusion & Design (DID) training
- Embed audit processes into product lifecycles and BAU
- Monitor vendor compliance and align procurement with EDI initiatives
- Ensure content quality across platforms and update resources as needed
- Transition project to BAU, finalise reporting, and hand over responsibilities
- Support the embedding of key Communities of Practice to enable ongoing culture change
How to Get Involved
We welcome your thoughts, questions, and contributions. Whether you're a student, staff member, or community partner, your feedback helps shape a more inclusive digital experience at UQ. Ways you can contribute to the project include:
- Participate in co-design workshops with students and staff
- Join pilot testing of new accessibility features
- Provide feedback on prototypes and audits
- Share your experiences and ideas to help shape solutions