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to Top of PageAccessibility in Online Learning
Management Systems
http://www.uwosh.edu/accessibility/papers
Certain disabilities make using the Web a challenging endeavor. In the fall
of 2000, the University of Wisconsin System stated that all their Web pages
meet the W3C/WAI Priority 1 Checkpoints. Web pages are easily modified or created
to meet these accessibility requirements, but existing learning management systems
(lms) such as WebCT and Blackboard are not as simple to adjust. This site discusses
the process undertaken by the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh to make modifications
in lms.
Centers for Excellence in Learning
and Teaching: E-Learning Resources
http://appl003.lsu.edu/celt/celt.nsf/index
The Centers for Excellence in Learning
and Teaching at Louisiana State University is designed to assist their students,
faculty and admistrators involved in distance education initiatives. Faculty
at other institutions, however, may find useful resources as well. The Faculty
section of this site has tips on designing an online course, ways to implement
the "Seven Principles", and strategies for teaching online. Annotated
links to numerous accessibility sites are also provided.
Courseware Accessibility: The
Saga Continues
http://snow.utoronto.ca/access/saga/index.html
Laurie Harrison, Resource Centre for Academic Technology at the University of
Toronto, gave this presentation at the Accessing Higher Ground Conference (November
2001). Harrison's 8 page presentation covers topics such as product evolution,
courseware accessibility issues, usability, strategies for support and where
products like BlackBoard and WebCT are in terms of accessibility right now.
Distance Education and Accommodations
for Students with Learning Disabilities: Implications for Postsecondary Service
Providers
http://www.resourceroom.net/Sharestrats/02distance_ed.asp
Demand for distance education initiatives has been on the rise, but accessibility
have not kept up in some instances. Manju Banerjee, a research and education
consultant with Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D), explores
this this issue and how students with learning disabilities are affected by
this trend. This article originally appeared in the Spring 2002 issue of Perspectives.
FAQs on WebCT Accessibility
http://snow.utoronto.ca/access/courseware/FAQsWebCTVersion3_5.html
Laurie Harrison, Education Coordinator at the Adaptive Technology Resource Center
(ATRC) at the University of Toronto, discusses how WebCT improved Version 3.5
to ensure access for students with disabilities. Harrison also looks at how
WebCT works for students who are using screen reading software to participate
in online courses.
Guidelines for Creating Accessible
Multimedia Content
http://www.webaim.org/howto/mmguides.php
These multimedia standards for accessibility have been adapted from WAI's (Web
Accessibility Initiative) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 1.0 and
WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.0 and Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act Guidelines for Web-based intranet and Internet information
and applications.
National Center for Accessible
Media (NCAM)
http://ncam.wgbh.org
NCAM is an center focused on issues surrounding information technology &
media to provide equal access and to make media more accessible for those with
disabilities. Their mission is to "expand access to present and future
media for people with disabilities; to explore how existing access technologies
may benefit other populations; to represent its constituents in industry, policy
and legislative circles; and to provide access to educational and media technologies
for special needs students". NCAM was founded in 1993 with the assistance
of a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Section 508: The Road to Accessibility
http://www.section508.gov
As the result of a 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act, Federal agencies
are now required to make electronic and information technology accessible to
people with disabilities. Section 508 requires that agencies must give disabled
employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable
to the access available to others. Links to Section 508 plus other relevant
laws and regulations are provided.
SNOW (Special Needs Opportunity
Windows)
http://snow.utoronto.ca/index.html
SNOW is a provider of online resources and professional development opportunities
for educators and parents of students with special needs. Some of the resources
and support initiatives include online workshops, curriculum materials and open
discussion forums.
Web Accessibility for Section
508
http://www.jimthatcher.com/webcourse1.htm
Jim Thatcher, retired IBM employee and consultant on electronic & information
technology accessibility issues, developed this tutorial on Web accessibility
with the focus being on Section 508, for the Information Technology Technical
Assistance Training Center. Some of the issues addressed in this tutorial include
alternatives to graphics, cascading style sheets, tips for checking Web accessibility
and other elements of the Section 508 standards.
More information about the Information Technology Technical Assistance Training Center can be found at http://www.ittatc.org/index.cfm.
Web Accessibility for Students
with Disabilities
http://clte.asu.edu/teaching_strategies/technology/web_access.html
Arizona State University's Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence has developed
this site that has materials dealing with Web accessibility policies & standards,
accessibility in distance education, and advice for Web design & multimedia
accessibility.
Other distance education resources
compiled by the Center can be found at http://clte.asu.edu/teaching_strategies/technology/distance_learning.html.
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
Resources
http://www.w3.org/WAI/Resources
W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium, is committed to promoting a "high degree"
of Web usability for people with disabilities. This group pursues it access
initiatives and focuses their work in areas such as technology, guidelines,
tools, education & outreach and research & development. This site includes
quick tips, guidelines, training materials, repair tools, FAQs and more.
More on W3C:
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) announced on December 17, 2002 User Agent Guidelines 1.0 (UAAG 1.0) as a W3C Recommendation. Links to information about this announcement can be found at:
Why People Can't Use eLearning
http://infocentre.frontend.com/downloads/Why_people_can't_use_eLearning.pdf
E-learning providers will lose billions in lost revenues due to inaccessible
interface design. Frontend, a provider of innovative, user-friendly interface
solutions that are user-focused, prepared this May 2001 article to provide the
following:
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