online accessibility for students with disabilities

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Why do I need to consider accessibility when I design my

online class?

Reason 1: It’s the law.

•As a public institution within the U. S., we are expected to adhere to section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

•Section 508 lists guidelines for the design of web pages and material to be accessible to all.


online class?

Reason 2: Open access is part of CWI’s Mission

•CWI Mission: “The College of Western Idaho is a public, open-access, and comprehensive community college committed to providing affordable access to quality teaching and learning opportunities to the residents of its service area in western Idaho.”

•Because technology is a part of almost all education CWI offers, technology must be accessible for education to be accessible.


online class?

Reason 3: Making something accessible for one makes it accessible for all

•Usually, when you make your course more accessible for a student with disabilities, you make your course more accessible for all students, regardless of ability.

•Making something accessible in multiple ways accommodates for multiple learning styles.

What does “Accessible” mean in terms of an online class?

Four Principles of Accessibility

• PerceivableUsers must be able to perceive the content through the senses. Perception can happen through assistive technology like a screen reader.

• Operable Users must be able to operate all features of a site by using a keyboard, a mouse, or a form of assistive technology.

• UnderstandableEfforts are made to ensure content is clear and unambiguous.

• RobustAssistive technology, whether new or old, can access the content and allow the web page and it’s content to be perceivable, operable, and understandable to all.

Will making my course accessible make my course less rigorous?

• Accessibility and rigor are NOT mutually exclusive.

• Academic rigor refers to the challenge and complexity of the material and activities of a course.

• Accessibility refers to the opportunity for students to interact with what makes a course rigorous: the content, tasks, and assessments.

• Easy DOES NOT equal Accessible.

How do I start to make my online course accessible?

Consider types of disabilities that may affect access. Major Categories of Disability (from webaim.org)

• VisualBlindness, low vision, color-blindness

• HearingDeafness

• MotorInability to use a mouse, slow response time, limited fine motor control

• CognitiveLearning disabilities, distractibility, inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information

How do I make my class visually accessible?

Consideration 1: Assistive technology

Design considerations

•Content should not be solely conveyed through graphics.

•Assistive technology, like screen readers can’t “read” graphics. When using graphics, provide alternative text.

•Complex tables are not well “read” by assistive technology. Avoid complex tables whenever possible.


Consideration 2: Limited Vision


•Refrain from using small font whenever possible.

•Use true type that could be enlarged rather than type as an image.

•Maximize contrast between the type and the background color.


Consideration 3: Color

Design considerations•Color cannot be the only way information is communicated.

•Maximize contrast between the type and the background color.

Inaccessible Accessible

Click the red box to StopClick the yellow box to PauseClick the green box to Continue

Click the red box to StopClick the yellow box to PauseClick the green box to Continue

Stop Pause Continue

What are some tools I can use to make my course visually

accessible?

Tools for color issuesColor Contrast Checker (http://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)

This tool from WebAim allows you to check the contrast of your type and background.

Vischeck(http://www.vischeck.com/vischeck/)

This tool allows you to check how your images or web page would appear to someone with color blindness.

Tool for general accessibilityWAVE(http://wave.webaim.org/)

This is a free online tool that allows you to check a web page, a file, or html code for accessibility. This tool helps to identify problems that would occur with an file or web page if a screen reader were to be used on it.

How do I make my class audibly accessible?

Consideration 1: Hearing Disabilities


•Sound cannot be the only way information is communicated.

•Audio should be accompanied by a transcript.

•Video should be accompanied by synchronous captions.

Do I need to create captions for every sound file and video?

CWI Policy• Instructors are required to provide captions and

transcripts only when they receive an ADA accommodations letter stipulating such accommodations.

• Upon receipt of such a letter, an instructor is to work with CWI Disability Services to meet these accommodations.

Recommendation• When at all possible, provide captions and

transcripts for video and audio files.

What are some tools I can use to make my course visually

accessible?

Captioning toolMAGpie (http://ncam.wgbh.org/invent_build/web_multimedia/tools-guidelines/magpie)

MAGpie is a free downloadable programs that assists with captioning videos.

Other resources• There are very few free online services to assist

with creating captions and transcripts. • If you need assistance, consider contacting CWI

Disability Services and CWI Information Technology.

How do I make my class accessible to those with motor

disabilities?

Consideration 1: Physical limitations

Design Considerations

• Instructors are limited in their ability to design their courses in a way to accommodate this population.

Recommendation

• If a student is having difficulties physically manipulating a computer or the course, contact CWI Disability Services.

How do I make my class accessible to those with cognitive

disabilities?

Many of the principles of reaching students with cognitive disabilities in the traditional classroom apply to the online classroom.

• Eliminate distractions

• Provide very clear directions and rubrics

• Use visual cues

• Be consistent and organized

• Utilize a variety of modes of presentation to meet different learning styles

Where do I go from here?

Here are some places to go to continue learning about accessibility:

•WebAim (http://webaim.org/)

•Section 508 Guidelines and Examples (http://www.cew.wisc.edu/accessibility/evaluation/section508presentation.htm)

•“Students with Disabilities and Online Learning” University of Connecticut, Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability. (http://www.udi.uconn.edu/index.php?q=content/technical-brief-students-disabilities-and-online-learning)