Making Course Accessibility Accessible

Elizabeth J. Pyatt, Ph.D. (ejp10@psu.edu)

Christian Vinten-Johansen(cjohansen@psu.edu)

Penn State

What is Accessibility?

“Universal Design” Designing for the largest audience

possible regardless of disability or ability

– UMN Duluth Web Glossary

“Universal Access”

“…regardless of disability, location, device or speed of connection to the Internet [or audio]”

Example Needs•Visually impaired On a screen reader

•Hearing Impaired Captions/transcripts needed

•Low Vision Legibility crucial, may zoon to 200%

•Motion Impaired (hands) Keyboard access critical

Stakeholders•Users with disabilities Multiple needs for visual, hearing,

motion, cognitive disabilities

•Web Developers Training & tools needed Some chamomille tea as well?

•Instructors How do we handle immense volume

online materials from “non-professionals”?

Case: Severe Visual Impairment

•Requires a screen reader to read Web content aloud Multimedia, images need to be

describedNot all descriptions need to be hidden

Program elements need to identify themselves

•Hidden Audience Text-based mobile device, missing

plugin, images disabled, or broken image link

What the “ALT Tag” does

Piston diagram images

Text describes piston position

ALT Tagger in ANGEL CMS

Enter information “Alternative Text” field when uploading images

New Apps Gotcha

•Not all apps and plugins include information for screen reader Old iTunes: MP3 music files were

accessbile, but navigation in iTunes was not

Some users encounter difficulty creating a login! (esp Flash based interface)

Web Forms – Need to signal new informationSee WAI-ARIA for how to code. JavaScript CAN be accessible.

Case: Hearing Impaired•You cannot hear content Captions, captions, captions (or

transcript)

Some users more fluent in sign language

•Hidden Users Forgot headphone in lab

Audio cuts out

Can’t find one of 5 volume controls

Poor audio quality (even for normal hearing)

50% students used captions in online class

Captions Reveal Information

Caption shows how to spell Cole Camplese’s name.

MovCaption Tool

Issues:

•Can we simplify training without losing functionality?

•Can accessibility be included in curriculum for tech professionals?

•Who will listen?•“Professionals” yes, but others?

Results of Website Scans

Few pages are accessible

Raising Awareness

•Events Multi-modal f2f/online

•Website scans & review meetings

•Surveys on resource use & constraints

•Training

Strategy: Training

http://accessibility.psu.edu

Strategy: Tools•Accessible Web Publishing Wizard

http://www.virtual508.com/• Microsoft® Word to HTML

• Microsoft® Powerpoint to HTML

•MovCaptioner Practical video captioning

Shareware – http://www.synchrimedia.com/

•Functional Accessibility Evaluator http://fae.cita.uiuc.edu

Small, easy to understand reports

Strategy: Transform ad-hoc to Controlled Processes

•Deploy content management systems

•Leverage workflow and roles

•Obtain media services

•Automate testing

•Manual inspection and publication

•Build community

Processes•Content Management Systems

Protected templates and styles preserve accessible markup

Workflow for quality assurance Roles for Web publishing

•Author, designer, faculty SME, editor

•New role: accessibility editor?

Strategy: New RoleAccessibility Editor

•CMS workflow-based role Manual review of content Focus on structure and quality

•Responsibility and accountability Compliance with Section 508 User testing

Strategy: Building Community

•Community membership:Users, providers, designers,

developers, stakeholders

•CommunicationIRC, lists, blogs, fora, conferences

•CollaborationCode repositories, wikis, ticketing

Strategy: Building Community

Community participation is

good for accessibility

CIC Accessibility Advisory Group

Subcommittees:

•Education and promotion

•Multimedia and alternative technologies

•Purchasing

•Library systems

Where to Learn More

http://accessibility.psu.edu/

Making Course Accessibility Accessible

Elizabeth J. Pyatt, Ph.D. (ejp10@psu.edu)

Christian Vinten-Johansen(cjohansen@psu.edu)

Penn State