Miss Jade Matos Carew

Professional biography

Jade is Head of Digital Accessibility and Usability at the Open University. She looks after the Accessibility and Usability Evaluation team, part of Digital Services, which is responsible for evaluating the accessibility and usability of systems and websites, helping to embed best practice, creating and delivering guidance and training for staff, and acting as a centre of expertise at the OU. The team is also responsible for administering the Student Experience Research Panel, which consists of around 2000 current OU students who facilitate user research projects in order to inform evidence-based, user-centred design.

Jade is an education professional with a wide background in teaching/teacher training, inclusive pedagogy, curriculum design, and assessment. She joined the OU as a product manager with a specialism in accessibility and usability. Jade has IAAP CPACC certification, is a Prosci change management practitioner, and has an MA in Special Educational Needs and Disability (Anglia Ruskin University). In addition, she holds a Level 7 Cambridge Teaching Diploma (DELTA), a Postgraduagte Diploma in Applied Linguistics (University College London), and a Graduate Diploma in Law (BPP Law School).

Jade represents the OU on the W3C's Accessibility Education and Outreach Working Group, producing resources for the Web Accessibility Initiative. (This group has recently reformed as the Advancing Accessibility Resources Community Group.) Jade is an active member of the wider HE accessibility community, advocating for sharing knowledge, expertise, and collaborating on a sector-wide approach.

Research interests

Jade is a current EdD researcher in the Institute of Educational Technology (WELS) with a thesis title: Embedding Institution-Wide Best Practice in Digital Accessibility Through a Framework of Guidance, Training, and Advocacy. (Supervisors: Tim Coughlan and Fereshte Goshtasbpour.) 

Her research interests include:

• approaches to accessibility education, professional development, and supporting digital skills development in academic and workplace contexts
• models of learning; pedagogy and andragogy and their application in adult learning
• creating sustainable, engaging, and value-driven communities of practice in workplace settings
• participant behaviour and engagement in online communities of practice
• online and distance learning
• curriculum design for accessibility education

Speaking experience

Jade has extensive experience as a speaker, panellist, and chair. Selected speaking engagements:

• Southampton International Symposium for Teaching Accessibility, 2025,Digital accessibility: research into practice (pannelist).
• Higher Education Partnership Network, November 2024, closing keynote: Digital Accessibility: A shared endeavour. 
• Nottingham Digital Accessibility Conference 2024, Educating our OU Accessibility Champions and Creating our OU Student Accessibility Profiles.
• W3C Education and Outreach Working Group Overview, 2024.
• Accessing Higher Ground 2024, (moderator).
• 7th Biennial International Conference on Access, Participation and Success 2023, Shaping the OU Websites and systems of the future with student research
• EmpowerED webinar, 2023, Creativity and innovation in Accessibility Guidance and Training at the OU.
• Accessibility education at the 2023 W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Symposium, (panel chair).
• Nottingham Digital Accessibility Conference 2023, Never Eat an Accessibility Elephant Whole and Creativity and Innovation in Accessibility Guidance and Training at the OU.
• Inside Government, Disabled Students Forum 2022, How can innovations in assistive technology support teaching and learning at university? (panellist).
• Westminster Higher Education Forum 2022, Next steps for supporting disabled students in Higher Education, The use of assistive technologies in improving student outcomes.
• Accessibility education at the 2021 W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Symposium, (panel chair).
• MoodleMoot 2020, Accessibility education (panellist).
• IATEFL 2019, Inclusive Practices: meeting trainee needs on Cambridge teacher training courses.
• European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe, Pro-Sign 2018, Belgrade, Serbia, A snapshot of a typical BSL Level 2 course from the learner's viewpoint.