Accessibility in Tourism Marketing Communications (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Content scheduling

In the beginning of the course, you will orientate to the course and familiarize yourself with accessible marketing communications and how to take customer needs into account. In the middle of the course, you will focus on website accessibility and towards the end, you will learn more about accessibility in documents, social media and videos. The assignments of this course will progress with the topics.

Objective

The purpose of this course is to deepen your understanding in accessible tourism and marketing communications. You will learn how to assess and improve the accessibility of tourism company's marketing communications, with the main focus being on the accessibility of company's website content and services. After this course you will understand how to design and improve the digital marketing communications for tourism business according to accessibility principles, taking into account the needs of different customer target groups.

After this course you know how to consider the customer needs and accessibility principles in digital marketing. You know what digital accessibility is and can identify accessibility issues in digital sales channels. You know how to analyze the accessibility of digital content and marketing communication channels.

Content

- Accessible marketing communications
- Accessibility and customer needs
- Website accessibility
- Accessible files
- Accessibility in digital marketing and sales channels

Location and time

When the course starts, Moodle e-learning workspace will open and you can find the timetable of webinars and all the materials. There are two webinars and personal guiding session in Zoom during this course, and in between the webinars you will study independently according to the instructions given by the teacher.

Materials

Regional State Administrative Agency. Digital services are for everyone. www.webaccessibility.fi
Accessibility.com 2023. Digital Accessibility. www.accessibility.com/digital-accessibility13th
Dean Issacharoff 2020. Elementor Team Writes: How to Design for Web Accessibility — Key Principles & Tips. https://elementor.com/blog/web-accessibility-design-guide
European Comission. Web Accessibility. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility
Visit Finland 2021. Guide to inclusive tourism. https://www.visitfinland.fi/4af121/globalassets/julkaisut/visit-finland/tutkimukset/2021/guide_to_inclusive_travel_2021.pdf.
Microsoft 2024. Create accessible office documents. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-accessible-office-documents-868ecfcd-4f00-4224-b881-a65537a7c155
Alexa Heinrich 2024. Accessible Social - a beginner’s guide to creating inclusive social media content. Alexa Heinrich.

Teaching methods

This course is an online course, and requires participation in webinars and guiding session, independent studying and completion of assignments.
To participate in webinars, you need a working camera, headphones and a microphone.

Employer connections

You can improve the accessibility of a tourism company's website directly while completing the course assignments. If you do not have access to the company's website, you will use the assignments to produce a development report for the tourism company of your choice.

Exam schedules

There is not an exam on this course.

International connections

International aspect is accommodated to this implementation using also international examples and material of accessible tourism.

Student workload

Orientation into the course (5 hours): Familiarizing yourself with learning objectives, contents, assignments; organizing your time and the own goals for learning.
Webinars (4,5 hours): You will attend to the webinars of this course
Guidance (0,5 hours): You will attend to the online tutoring session.
You will study independently and work with the course assignments (125 hours).

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

1 (Sufficient) You know what digital accessibility is and can identify accessibility in digital sales channels. You know how to analyze the accessibility of digital content and marketing communication channels. You know how to consider the customer needs and accessibility principles in digital marketing.
2 (Satisfactory) You understand what digital accessibility is and can identify accessibility in digital sales channels. You understand analyzing the accessibility of digital content and marketing communication channels. You understand how to consider the customer needs and accessibility principles in digital marketing.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

3 (Good) You can explain what digital accessibility is and can identify and address accessibility in digital sales channels. You understand analyzing the accessibility of digital content and marketing communication channels. You demonstrate how to consider the customer needs and accessibility principles in digital marketing.

4 (Very Good) You demonstrate what digital accessibility is and can identify and address accessibility in digital sales channels. You demonstrate how to analyze the accessibility of digital content and marketing communication channels. You take into account the customer needs and accessibility principles in digital marketing.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

5 (Excellent) You evidence your understanding of digital accessibility and can identify and address accessibility in digital sales channels. You can critically analyze the accessibility of digital content and marketing communication channels. You are able to develop digital marketing taken into account the customer needs and accessibility principles widely.

Qualifications

Understanding the basics of marketing communications
Understanding the special features of accessible tourism

Further information

The teacher of this course will evaluate the assignments of the course, based on course evaluation criteria, and you will evaluate your own learning during the course. For passing the course you need to complete all the required assignments.

Studying in this course requires that you complete the first course assignment in three weeks from the start of the course.