Download Creating Course Content Accessible to Students with Disabilities

Creating Course Content Accessible to
Students with Disabilities
While Using Limited Technological Skills
Copyright Norman Coombs (2003)
This work is the intellectual property of the author.
Permission is granted for this material to be shared for
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Premiere Provider of On-line Learning
On
Accessible Information Technology
EDUCAUSE 2003
• Creating Course Content Accessible to
Students with Disabilities While Using
Limited Technological Skills
• Richard Banks [email protected]
• EASI CTO
• Norman Coombs [email protected]
• CEO EASI
• www.rit.edu/~easi
Certificate In Accessible IT
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URL: easi.cc/workshop.htm
Barrier-free Information Technology
Beginner Barrier-free Web Design
Advanced Barrier-free Web Design
Barrier-free E-learning
Designing Accessible Course Content using Familiar
Software Tools
Accessible Internet Multimedia
Train the Trainer
LD & Accessible IT
Business Benefits of Accessible Design
Interactive, Voice Chat Training
URL easi.cc/clinic.htm
EASI is launching two series of synchronous 60-90-minute
events which will combine a presentation with the
presenter explaining step-by-step procedures while displaying
text and graphic Web pages demonstrating what is described.
One series of events will be of general interest and be free to
the public. The second series will require registration and will
deal with more specific know-how related to specifics of
creating accessible information technology. The second
series will be available for both individual and institutional,
annual subscriptions.
This Presentation Will Cover:
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What is online accessibility and why bother
Courseware and accessibility
General tips to enhance accessibility for all
Evaluating online accessibility
Designing and repairing pages for accessibility
PowerPoint online and accessibility
Alternatives for inaccessible online formats
Resources
What is Online Accessibility & Why
Bother?
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Advantages of the Web for PWD
Disadvantages of the Web for PWD
Why adapt the Web for PWD
It’s the right thing to do!
It makes economic sense!
Do it for yourself!
It’s the law!
Adaptive Software Used by PWD
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Screen magnification
Screen reader and synthesizer
Refreshable Braille
Voice recognition
Other alternative keyboards
Alternative mice
Courseware Systems and
Accessibility
Courseware systems are making significant
progress to meet the Federal Access Board’s
Section 508 standards and also the Web
Accessibility Initiative guidelines
• www.access-board.gov
• W3.org/wai
Blackboard Course Page View
Collapsed View of Course Page
General Tips to Enhance
Accessibility for All
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Modularize content into small units
Use relatively short paragraphs
Use simple sentences and plain language
When possible, use the active tense
Use clean page layout with good color
contrast, sharp font that is not too small and
keep adequate white space
Web Accessibility Checkers
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Bobby
bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp
Cynthia Says
www.contentquality.com/
WAVE
wave.webaim.org/index.jsp
Accessibility Evaluation Report
Bobby WAI Report
Designing for Accessibility
Dreamweaver MX Accessibility Options
Repairing Inaccessible Pages
A-Prompt Auto-repair Dialog Box
PowerPoint Accessibility Issues
• PPT file accessibility problems & solutions
• Web PowerPoint accessibility problems
• Microsoft accessibility plug-in
PowerPoint Tips
• Users with limited vision, with visual and cognitive
processing difficulties need good color contrast and no
cluttered
• Slide background. Complex graphics and animations may
be problems.
• Using sound to convey information excludes users who are
deaf
• Simple, clean slide content with medium to large text is
important
• Users who are blind and who use screen reader software
are the group with the most serious problems accessing
PowerPoint output.
• Some screen reader software does not access PowerPoint
files at all
Exporting PowerPoint
Pull down the file menu to find these choices:
• New
• Open
• Close
• Save
• Save As
• Save as Web Page
• Send To
From Send To Menu choose:
• Microsoft Word and choose outline only
From save as menu choose
• Outline/rtf
Accessible PowerPoint on the Web
Install the Office plug-in and there will now be 2
Web menu choices:
• Save as Web Page
• Save as accessible Web Page
When you select the second one, you will be walked
through a series of choices designed to help you
add text for all images and graphics
Example of Plug-in menus
Decorative Image Dialog Box
Web Output From Plug-in
Final Output of Accessibility Wizard
PDF and Accessibility Issues
• The prevalence of authoring tools that cannot
produce accessible PDF
• The misuse of authoring tools that could produce
accessible PDF
• Authoring security features that block access to
PDF
• The lack of accessible PDF support for all OS
platforms and assistive technologies
• Usage difficulties even with the accessible tools
Creating Accessible PDF
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The software applications necessary for accessible PDF creation;
How to retrofit a PDF to make it more accessible;
How to assess the text flow and readability of an accessible PDF;
How to improve the accessibility of PDF forms;
References:
• 1) Adobe Systems Incorporated. Enhancing the Accessibility of the Web with
Adobe Acrobat Software. (OnLine).
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_whitepaper.html
• 2) Adobe Systems Incorporated. Creating accessible forms with Adobe PDF
Forms Access. (Online).
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/pdfs/instructor_forms_acess.pdf
• 3) Adobe Systems Incorporated. How To Create Accessible Adobe PDF Files.
(Online).
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/access_booklet.html
Alternatives for Inaccessible
Formats
• Complex graphics and animations will require
links to longer descriptions
• Complex graphics and animations may require
creation of raised-line, tactile hard copy output
sent to the user
• Complex math may require the creation of hardcopy Braille using the Nemeth code to be sent to
the user(Nemeth code is a special Braille for
higher math)
Contact Information
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Richard Banks [email protected]
EASI CTO
715-233-3187
Norman Coombs [email protected]
CEO EASI
949-855-4852