Although open educational resources (OER) are on the top of the agenda of social and inclusion policies and are supported by many stakeholders, their use in higher education (HE) and adult education (AE) has not yet reached the critical threshold. This has to do with the fact that the current focus in OER is mainly on expanding access to digital content, without considering whether this will support educational practices, and promote quality and innovation in teaching and learning. To provide educational opportunities for all citizens, we therefore suggest extending the focus beyond access and including innovative open educational practices (OEP). In the COVID-19 situation, a model of factors that outlines the surrounding and influencing elements for the creation, use, sharing and reuse of OER for individuals, organizations and policy-makers is indispensable. Such a model has to suggest the shift from a phase, in which the preliminary focus is on opening access to resources, to a phase, in which the primary aim is to embed OER into learning and teaching practices.