The rapid expansion of accessibility in digital learning, particularly in higher education, has intensified the need for inclusive learning environments. While existing accessibility frameworks often focus on technical compliance, they often overlook the specific learning needs and experiences of neurodivergent learners, including autistic individuals. This research project was initially designed to develop standards for accessible online learning environments tailored to autistic learners in higher education. However, an extensive literature review revealed that the development of comprehensive standards for this domain represents a large and complex undertaking requiring broader collaborative and structural approaches.
Preliminary findings from this research, further refined in Part 1, were presented at the International Social Innovation Research Conference (2025), where early insights highlighted gaps in existing accessibility standards and the need for more inclusive processes in standards development. As the project progressed, an opportunity to contribute to standards development was brought forward. This opportunity, the All Standards with Us initiative, outlined in Part 2, allowed the application of elements of Part 1. The second part of this project focuses on inclusive approaches to creating standards themselves.
Through this work, the research focused towards supporting the existing project for the development of meta-standards for standards creation and modification. Contributions included assisting with moving content to the website and more importantly, developing a visual way to navigate the content. This work supports a more participatory and inclusive standards-development process, emphasizing accessibility, lived experience, and inclusive design principles. The project ultimately demonstrates how research on accessibility in online learning can inform broader systemic approaches to inclusive standards development.

• https://www.figma.com/proto/H7AvsyWGzrEl...
• https://github.com/mitch-ocad/visual-map...
• https://mrp-visual-map-all-standards-wit...