accessibilitycopyright

UK Copyright and Accessibility support

UK Copyright: A practical guide for teachers

This information gives a brief overview of copyright and its practical implications for your activities as teachers. It is based on current UK Copyright Law. It does not constitute legal advice and is only intended to provide guidance and information.* The full version of the most up to date legislation on can be found on the Government's website.

If you are concerned that some of your teaching activities may be in breach of copyright,it is your responsibility to check this. If you have a question about copyright at 果冻传媒 University, email the Scholarly Communications Manager (lib.copyright@warwick.ac.uk) Link opens in a new windowor CTE's Academic Support Librarian Christine Bradford (christine.bradford@warwick.ac.ukLink opens in a new window). If you have a question about copyright in your placement institution, please contact your institutional copyright officer.

* Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information given here is correct, we cannot accept any liability regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, or its application under UK copyright and intellectual property laws.

So, what is UK copyright?

The is the current UK copyright law that we have to be aware of when teaching. It is applicable to both physical and online teaching and it gives the creators of original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic materials the right to control how their materials are used. These rights cover the:

broadcasting and public performing of materials
copying and adapting of materials
issuing, renting and lending of copies of materials

In addition, the material creator has the right to be identified as the author/creator and to object to any misrepresentations of their materials (for example their work being taken out of context or used to promote a product that is at odds with their ethical stance - think musicians refusing to allow their songs to be played at President Trump's inauguration).

What types of material are covered by UK copyright law?

NB: The examples listed below are not an exhaustive list.

	Artistic materials e.g. photographs, paintings, architecture (physical buildings and plans), technical drawings, maps and logos
	Dramatic materials e.g. plays, operas or dances (contemporary or traditional)
	Films and TV programmes e.g. documentaries, soaps, drama series, game shows, independent films and blockbusters
	Literary materials e.g. lyrics from songs, original hand-written or type-written manuscripts, product manuals e.g. washing machine instructions, computer programmes (excluding ), commercial documents containing proprietary information, leaflets, newsletters, books and journal articles.
	Musical works e.g. recordings and musical scores (these can also be operatic)
	Sound recordings e.g. recordings of musical or literary materials and radio programmes
	Typographical arrangement of published editions e.g. magazines and journals

Is there a time limit on copyright material?

For literary, dramatic, musical or artistic material and computer programmes, copyright expires 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author/creator of the material dies. But be aware that the nationality of the creators/authors and the country the copyright is registered in means this is not a particularly reliable indicator. In many European countries the copyright expires 50 years after the death of the author/creator so often UK copyright time limits are longer than those in other countries.

Once the copyright period expires, materials are generally freely available for the public to use for any purpose unless the copyright is re-registered. An example where this has happened is Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Obviously Barrie died more than 70 years ago, so in theory Peter Pan should now be available for anyone to use copyright free but his estate applied for an indefinite extension to the copyright and were awarded it (the royalties are donated to various UK children's charities and hospitals).

For sound recordings and broadcasts, copyright expires 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the material dies. For films it expires 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last principal director, author or composer dies. All of which sounds fine but you do need to be careful which part of the material you are using - if in doubt assume it is 70 years.

For typographical arrangement of published editions copyright expires 25 years from the end of the calendar year in which the material was first published - so this one is quite different to the rest.

So what does this mean for me as a teacher?

In the first instance you should always check with your institutional copyright officer to see what you are allowed to use under your institution鈥檚 educational licencing scheme:

An licence allows you to make educational use of recordings of TV and radio broadcasts
A licence allows you to use books and journal articles in your teaching

and many educational establishments within the UK will belong to at least one of these schemes. However, educational licencing schemes are only valid for teachers and students located in the UK. This is particularly important to consider when teaching online, as students and teachers can be based anywhere in the world. If the use of a material is not covered by one of these schemes, teachers can then rely on some exceptions (providing they and their students are located in the UK.)

NB: you are not permitted to make commercial use of any copies created for educational purposes.

What is the fair dealing exception?

For your use to be classed as fair dealing it must meet the following criteria:

relevant to the topic under discussion (not merely decorative)
fully attributed (this is why our marking criteria includes the need for accurate referencing)
a 'reasonable' amount (more about this a bit later)
for a limited audience (not publicly available on the internet)
for a limited time (not necessarily a short time but a justified time e.g. one term or an academic year - with reasoning such as 'we will be revisiting this topic throughout this term')
with no impact on the copyright-holder's market

If your use of the material does not meet one or more of these criteria, consider whether you can provide a link to the material instead (rather than a copy of the material) as providing a link is not governed by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

How can I use the fair dealing exception in the classroom?

A teacher can reproduce an extract from copyright material for the purposes of teaching, with full attribution in the following circumstances:

for delivering classes (in person (physical and online) or pre-recorded)
for e-learning materials
for classroom handouts
for student assignments
for exams

An extract is usually around 5% of the total material or in the case of books, one complete chapter (unless the book is very short, in which case the 5% rule applies).

Is the fair dealing exception applicable for lesson recordings?

Yes, copyright material which is published in a recorded lecture (e.g. via Blackboard Collaborate, Microsoft Teams or Zoom) can use the same fair dealing exceptions as material used in a physical classroom but your audience must be restricted for this to be a valid exception. This means that the recording can be added to your learning management system (e.g. Moodle) because most Moodle spaces are limited to registered students, but it cannot be added onto your institution's website and made publicly available.

Can I use the fair dealing exception for broadcasts and films?

If your institution has an Educational Recording Agency (ERA) licence you are allowed to make copies of television and radio programmes (including on demand programmes) and show all or part of these to your students for educational purposes, without infringing copyright in the UK.

In the case of films these do not generally fall under the ERA licence and should be considered separately. If your institution has purchased a copy of a film you are allowed to show all or part of it to your students for educational purposes.

Specific fair dealing exceptions for broadcasts and films:

There are several fair dealing exceptions that specifically apply to films and broadcasts but these educational exceptions are limited to instruction, examination and assessment purposes only. Any further use of copyright content, particularly if it is regarded as commercial (e.g. publishing, concerts, conferences or personal portfolios) requires copyright permission from the rights owner. Therefore be aware that the fair dealing exception does not allow you to invite non-school audiences (including parents) to activities where you are using films or broadcasts under a fair dealing exception.

Can I use the fair dealing exception for conferences and public events?

No. Using other people's material without their permission at a conference or other type of public event could potentially breach their copyright - the legal exceptions and licences which allow you to use third party material for teaching may not apply at conferences or public events.

What about using images?

Images can sometimes be more effective at illustrating a point than a large amount of text but do not assume that because an image is shared on a website you can re-use it. UK copyright law allows you to use other people's images for educational purposes, providing they are relevant to your work (i.e. not just for decorative purposes) and that you have used no more than is required for your specific purpose. Additionally, images often have copyright statements attached to them and you should always reiterate these when they do.

If you are using third-party copyright images which are integral to your work as a teacher you can use the term illustration for instruction to justify your use and this is similar to the fair dealing exception discussed above. Some examples of images used as illustration for instruction might be (but are not limited to):

displaying a copy of a piece of artwork for discussion in a lecture
using a figure from a textbook in a course handout
taking a screenshot from social media for an assignment

Ensure that your material is not shared outside the classroom (physical or virtual), or with anyone other than the markers in the case of assessed work, otherwise look for images which are licensed for re-use in an educational context (or royalty free).

Some caveats:

Using your own photos of artworks and panoramas may still breach the author/creator's copyright. Although an artist's copyright may have expired, the gallery exhibiting the work may have a no photographs policy which doesn't allow for educational use so check this before you start taking photos.
The country where you took the photo may impose legal restrictions on the reproduction of copyright material sited in public (France, Italy and Greece have these).
Corporate logos - avoid these as they are likely to be trademarked and protected by copyright.
Ensure that any logo which you reproduce for the purpose of instruction doesn't leave the (physical or virtual) classroom. Otherwise contact the company for permission to use their logo in your educational material.

Sources of copyright free images

Accessibility: A practical guide for teachers

This information gives a brief overview of accessibility and its practical implications for your activities as teachers. It is based on the . It does not constitute legal advice and is only intended to provide guidance and information. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information given here is correct, we cannot accept any liability regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, or its application under the Equality Act (2010).

NB: If you have learners with declared visual impairments, dyslexia or other learning difficulties, the best advice is to talk to them to understand what adjustments they need. Do not assume that all learners who suffer with dyslexia (for example) will require the same adjustment(s). What works for one learner may work for others but this is not always the case; if in doubt ask.

Any questions relating to accessibility and teaching at 果冻传媒 University should be emailed to webaccessibility@warwick.ac.uk.Link opens in a new window

Any questions relating to accessibility and teaching at your placement institution(s), should be directed to your mentor in the first instance and they should be able to help direct your query appropriately.

If you would like to know more about inclusive practice and creating inclusive resources* please see these links:

* Please be aware that these resources will change over time as legislation and available technology are adapted/updated.

Content development and delivery

In order to try to simplify things, this section has been broken down into types of resources and the issues you need to consider when using/creating them. Please be aware however, that for content that comprises mixed components (e.g. images and text), you will need to consider all aspects of the resource to make it as accessible as possible.

Visual content

If you use images, SmartArt graphics, shapes, groups, charts, embedded objects or ink you must provide an alternative text description (or alt text) for them. This is not just for learners with declared visual impairments, dyslexia or other learning difficulties, it is good practice for all learners. The sections below refer to images but the guidance is applicable to all visual content types.

Writing alternative text descriptions - dos and don'ts

Do use proper sentences rather than keywords or phrases. The alternative text description should make sense and should be conversational in nature.
Do describe what is relevant for the context of the image and the purpose it serves. If you can't do this then do you really need to use the image?
Do include emotion and humour if it helps to explain the context of the image and its purpose.
Don't write 'this is an image of...' in the image alt text field. Screen readers will already know this and it just wastes space and effort.
Don't write more than one or two sentences. If you need more than this, write a brief summary in the image alt text field and indicate that the learner can access a more rich description in a specific location (such as in a paragraph below the image) (Tiny Technologies, 2021).

The type of image that you use will also have an impact on the type of description you provide and these are summarised below.

Informative images

The text alternative for informative images (those which demonstrate concepts or models) should provide a brief summary of the image and the concept it illustrates. In the example below of Kolb's Learning Cycle, the alternative text description is 'Illustration of Kolb's learning cycle showing the stages of reflection. See the text below the image for further details.' This is perfectly acceptable as there is too much information to add to the image alt text field, you just need to ensure that you do add a further explanation below the image!

Kolb's Learning Cycle

Further description: This model shows the cyclical nature of Kolb's reflective learning cycle. At the top of the circle is the Concrete experience stage, moving in a clockwise direction we then reach the Reflective observation stage, then the Abstract conceptualisation stage and finally the Active experimentation. Each stage is represented by a different coloured oblong.

Complex images

Complex images such as graphs or infographics need to have alternative text descriptions that convey the same information as the graph or infographic. It is not acceptable to simply give the title. In the case of graphs you need to describe the axes, the highest and lowest values, how the graph is shaped between these two values and any trends that are worthy of discussion. Comprehensive information about providing alternatives for mathematical content is available on the creating inclusive mathematical content page. In the case of infographics you should provide a transcript or full-text version of whatever the image displays. The link below from the Universal Design Center, gives further information about providing transcripts for infographics:

Decorative images

If you are using images purely for decorative purposes then you do not need to provide an alternative text description but you should try to provide a null text alternative (alt="") instead. Websites will generally give you a field to add this to but other types of software may vary. It is worth checking whether you really need to include decorative images within your work. Do they really add value to the learner? If in doubt leave them out.

Images as links

Images that are used as a link to another source or website should describe the functionality of the link rather than the image itself. So for example, if you have an image of a book that you are using as a link to the library website, you need to tell learners that by clicking on the image they will be taken to the library website.

Images of text

You should avoid using images of text if you can but if you have to use them, then the alternative text description should contain exactly the same text as the image.

Collages

Alternative text descriptions of collages need to convey the general theme of the collage, they do not need to describe each individual image (unless you really want to provide this).

Hotspots

The text alternative for an image that contains multiple clickable areas (hotspots) should provide an overall context for the set of links. Also, each individually clickable area should have alternative text that describes the purpose or destination of the link.

Thisresource produced by the Web Accessibility Initiative is a useful resource for helping you to decide what type of image you have and the type of description you need to provide.

Text-based resources

When creating text-based resources you should ensure that your content is universally accessible i.e. that it can be read and understood by as many learners as possible. It is good practice to assume that your resource will be accessed by learners with visual impairments, dyslexia or other learning difficulties and therefore needs to be comprehensible once it has been passed through a screen reader. One suggestion at this point is to try passing a document that you normally use in your teaching through a screen reader to see what it does to it. The link below from Usability Geek give some examples of freely available screen reader software that you can use for this purpose:

AbilityNet is a UK charity that provides support for individuals living with disability or impairment on how they can use technology (AbilityNet, 2021). They have established several key principles that you should consider when creating universally accessible text-based documents:

Use proper headings - heading one, heading two etc., do not use bold or underlined text as headings and try to be logical with your use of headings (main section headings should be styled with heading one, sub-section headings should be styled with heading two etc.).
Write in short, simple sentences - if your sentences are more than about 20 words long, they are too long and you should revise your text.
Write in plain language and avoid jargon and abbreviations - if you need to use acronyms or specialist language think about having a glossary section to explain the terms you are using.
Use a common, plain font (san serif) and a text size of at least 12 point - black text on a white or cream background is best although some learners with visual impairments may find white text on a dark background easier to read (again ask rather than making assumptions about this one).
Use proper list formatting for numbered or bulleted lists - screen readers will then recognise that the text is part of a list and treat it as such.
Provide a meaningful description of important images - the key word here is meaningful.If your image is a graph you will need to provide a comprehensive description of it, so that someone who cannot see it can still understand what it is illustrating (be aware that this is not as simple as it sounds!)

The full version of this guidance is available from the link below:

Video and audio resources

Whilst most of the accessibility guidance on this page constitutes best practice rather than statutory requirement, the rules about providing accessible video and audio resources are now a legal requirement and are based upon the (WCAG) standard.

Any pre-recorded audio and video content created before 23 September 2020 is exempt from the accessibility regulations listed below. Live audio and video are still exempt from the regulations BUT if a live event is recorded and then shared later as a video or audio resource (e.g. via Blackboard Collaborate or Microsoft Teams), it is considered a pre-recorded video and is no longer exempt from the regulations.

Any pre-recorded video (that is not in itself an alternative to text) recorded after 23rd September 2020 must have an alternative that presents equivalent information. Acceptable alternatives include a PowerPoint presentation with teacher notes, a text summary or a transcript. A transcript is a document that includes correctly sequenced text descriptions of time-based visual and auditory information. A video script or transcript generated by Echo360 or Microsoft Teams meets this definition (although caveats about the accuracy of these automatically generated transcripts should be provided).

Whilst captions (subtitles) are not a legal requirement, if you have the time to do this then you should endeavour to provide them. Captions are synchronised visual and/or text alternatives for both speech and non-speech audio information needed to understand the media content. Again captions can be generated by Echo360 or Microsoft Teams.

Guidance for creating text alternatives for video and audio resources

NB: The standards also mention audio description. Audio description is narration added to the soundtrack to describe important visual details that cannot be understood within the main soundtrack alone. Audio description of video provides information about actions, characters, scene changes, on-screen text, and other visual content. Audio description is not necessary when all of the video information is already provided in the existing audio.

In the context of materials in our taught programmes and modules at 果冻传媒, we have determined that it will not be possible to include audio description on all teaching and learning content except where a learner has a reasonable adjustment requirement.So if a learner with a declared accessibility need asks you for an audio description, you will need to provide one, but otherwise you do not.

The Bureau of Internet Accessibility (2019) provides the following comprehensive guidance on creating accessible videos:

The key principles that you should consider when creating universally accessible video and audio content are:

Use modern video or audio formats (e.g. mp4 for video files and mp3 for audio files) that will play with an accessible media player (e.g. HTML5 players). You should not use Flash to create videos as its support has been withdrawn.
Always provide a text alternative (e.g. a transcript) or captions for your video or audio file (unless it is already a text alternative).
Use colours carefully and always choose colours with good contrast (
Ensure any text on the video is of an appropriate size and font (use the guidance from the text-based resources section for this).
Avoid using content that flashes as it is distracting and can induce seizures in learners with certain conditions.

Generating transcripts/captions

Please be aware that there is no one recommended solution for generating transcripts or captions for online content. Some software provides transcripts and/or captions automatically, but the accuracy of that output can vary considerably. Collated information about a number of software options is available here:

/fac/soc/cte/students-partners/academictechnology/academictechnologies/accessibility/transcriptioncaption/Link opens in a new window

Websites and web pages

The link to the checklist below gives straightforward advice on the main accessibility issues you should address when designing websites and web pages. It gives details of some free tools you can use to check your site or page and techniques you can use to improve the accessibility of the content they display.

/services/its/servicessupport/web/sitebuilder2/goodsites/accessibility/checklist/Link opens in a new window

The Home Office has produced a set of posters on designing for accessibility. They are designed for quick reference rather than detail and cover a range of specific disabilities and/or impairments. There is a text version of each poster listed below each image.

Poster showing the dos and don'ts of designing for users with anxiety. A word version of the poster is available below the image.

Anxiety (word version)Link opens in a new window

Poster showing the dos and don'ts of designing for users on the autistic spectrum. A word version of the poster is available below the image.

Autistic spectrum (Word version)Link opens in a new window

Poster showing the dos and don'ts of designing for deaf and hearing impaired users. A word version of the poster is available below the image.

Deaf (Word version)Link opens in a new window

Poster showing the dos and don'ts of designing for users with dyslexia. A word version of the poster is available below the image.

Dyslexia (Word version)Link opens in a new window

Poster showing the dos and don'ts of designing for users with low vision. A word version of the poster is available below the image.

Low vision (Word version)Link opens in a new window

Poster showing the dos and don'ts of designing for users with physical and motor disabilities. A word version of the poster is available below the image.

Physical or motor disabilities (Word version)Link opens in a new window

Poster showing the dos and don'ts of designing for users who need to use screen readers. A word version of the poster is available below the image.

Screen reader (Word version)Link opens in a new window

Worcestershire County Council have also developed a minimum set of standards for accessibility and inclusive practice which they have named SCULPT. An image of the acronym is shown below and further information about what each letter stands for is displayed below the image.

This is a visual representation of the SCULPT standards. Each letter of the acronym has an explanatory link below the image.

果冻传媒

So, what is UK copyright?

What types of material are covered by UK copyright law?

Artistic materials

Dramatic materials

Films and TV programmes

Literary materials

Musical works

Sound recordings

Typographical arrangement of published editions