The FORTHEM "Bridging the Gap" project concludes after strengthening international collaboration on accessibility and inclusion in higher education.
The Bridging the Gap project, funded under the FORTHEM Digital Transformations programme, has successfully concluded after six months of collaborative work between the Universitat de València (UV), Université Bourgogne Europe (UBE), and partners across the FORTHEM Alliance. Running from January to June 2026, the initiative has contributed to advancing accessibility and inclusion in higher education through international cooperation, knowledge exchange, and participatory design.
Co-directed at the Universitat de València by Maria López Rubio, collaborator at the TeLL-ME Research Group, the project brought together students, academic staff, accessibility professionals, and end users to identify accessibility challenges, share institutional good practices, and co-create practical resources to support more inclusive learning environments.
The project was organised around two intensive seminar weeks, hosted by the Universitat de València (24–26 March 2026) and Université Bourgogne Europe (9–12 June 2026). These hybrid events combined training sessions, workshops, collaborative design activities, and discussions on digital accessibility, enabling participants to exchange expertise across institutions and disciplinary backgrounds. The activities were delivered in English and French and were accessible both onsite and online, ensuring broad participation from across the FORTHEM Alliance.
Throughout the project, participants mapped existing accessibility and inclusion initiatives at the partner universities, explored common challenges, and developed proposals for future collaboration. The initiative also responded to the evolving European regulatory framework, including the implementation of the European Accessibility Act and related digital accessibility legislation across EU Member States, highlighting the growing importance of accessibility competencies in higher education.
The successful completion of Bridging the Gap reinforces the University of Valencia's commitment to inclusive education and international collaboration while strengthening links between FORTHEM partner institutions. The project has established a foundation for continued cooperation in accessibility, promoting the exchange of expertise and supporting the development of more accessible and inclusive educational practices across Europe.
Further information, including the programmes of both intensive weeks, remains available online:
