Web Content Accessibility

Overview

Educational organizations provide learners with access to online education. For most people, all that is required to learn online is a computer with internet access. However, for those with specific disabilities, that may not be sufficient. Increasingly sophisticated devices are available to help those with sensory or physical challenges to interact with computers. Unfortunately, even with sophisticated devices at the receiving end of the internet, these devices will not work unless the online course content is appropriately “encoded”– denying many people with disabilities access to courses.

The project started with the analysis of existing electronic courses. Adaptations and necessary changes were made inside WebCT (the university-supported CMS at the time). Through consultation and collaboration with users, advocacy groups and other university and government agencies (SFU and SET-BC), these different modules were encoded, so that they were made as user-friendly as possible for persons with disabilities. The existing academic content served as practical “test beds” for enhanced accessibility. The experimenting and testing was performed through close collaboration with SET-BC. This was a matter of providing online learners with disabilities, who were academically qualified, to have full, fair and equal access to all University services and programs. The project did not entail any modification of the academic standards of the University or the elimination of the academic evaluation of students. All steps in this process were carefully monitored and recorded. Over the years, all online courses offered in the Faculty of Education were brought to standards and they comply with  the international standards of WCAG 2.0, Section 508.

Goals

Making online courses accessible to students with disabilities, i.e. structuring the content to be clear and easily navigable benefits all students, regardless of their physical and mental condition. The main goals of this project were to:

  1. Develop concrete procedures to operationalize existing standards for web accessibility, based on real experience with modules from online courses;
  2. Develop a manual of procedures for operationalization; and
  3. Develop a series of five one-hour workshops about operationalization (both in a face-to-face and online format).

As well as to:

  1. Improve usability for non-disabled and disabled visitors;
  2. Support persons with low literacy levels;
  3. Improve search engine listings and resource discovery;
  4. Repurpose content for multiple formats or devices;
  5. Increase support for the Internationalization of courses;
  6. Assist access for low-bandwidth users.

Deliverables

  1. Concrete procedures to operationalize existing standards for web accessibility, based on real experience with modules from existing online courses;
  2. A manual of procedures for operationalization; and
  3. A series of five one-hour workshops about operationalization (both in a face-to-face and online format) emphasizing best practices and procedures to design and implement enhanced online access.

Process Manual for Operationalization

A Manuals was produced “Accessibility in Online Learning: Web Accessibility Process Manual.”

Workshops

Five workshops were developed to accompany the Manual. These were:

  1. Web Accessibility Basics
  2. Coding an Accessible Site
  3. Accessible Multimedia Content
  4. Creating Usable Content
  5. Disabilities and Assistive Technology

These workshops were offered from August 21st to August 25th 2006 over the Internet, using Horizon Wimba’s Live Classroom. There were over 25 participants for the five days—mainly from across Canada, but from the USA and other countries as well. A blog was also created to provide a space for sharing additional resources and viewing the workshop PowerPoint slides.

BCCampus Repository, SOL*R

The Manual and the workshop materials are available under a Creative Commons license as part of the BCCampus repository, SOL*R.

Presentations

In addition to the planned activities, the project team decided to participate in various public events.

  1. BCEd Online Conference “Connected Learners”, Vancouver (April 19-20, 2006)
  2. IOP (Investigating Our Practices), UBC (May 6, 2006)
  3. UBC Learning Conference, UBC (May 11-12, 2006)
  4. CADE (Canadian Distance Education) Conference, Montreal (May 23-26, 2006)
  5. BCEd Online Conference, Panel discusion (2007)
  6. CSUN (Technology and Persons with Disabilities) Conference, Los Angeles (2007)
  7. ICTA (Information and Communication Technology and Accessibility) Conference, Hammamet, Tunisia (2007)
  8. NMC (New Media Consortium) Conference, Princeton (June 2008) –  Judges Choice Award for the poster

Publications

Boskic, N., Bole, K., Hapke, N., & Kelly, K. (2008). Accessibility and universal design. In E-Learning: Education for a digital world: Advice, guidelines, and effective practices from around the globe. London: Commonwealth of Learning, Part 1. Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

Boskic, N., & Bole, K. (2007). Talking about people, not technology. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Information and Communication Technology and Accessibility. Hammamat, Tunisia.

Comments

The intro to textiles course is my first online course ever. It has been extremely user friendly and a privilege to have access to quality education from the north. I live in Prince George and taking this course has given me an opportunity to explore teaching home economics. As a result of the people and encouragement I have received during his course I have decided to apply to the BEd post degree program. Everything has been laid out and the explanations clear. I appreciate the opportunity to access assignments well in advance. The graphics and website navigation are easy to learn – first time users will learn quickly!

–Elaine

I was computer illiterate when my first online course started but by the end of the course I felt more confident about venturing into other online unknown territories. This is due to the guidance, expertise and feedback of your team as well as the instructor. It has amazed me how this technology has literally changed my life. Using this resource as a tool for knowledge and education has helped me retrieve, critique, evaluate and use information much more effectively. Thanks.

— Fernanda

Accessible Media6

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Project Team

Project Management

Natasha Boskic, Educational Technology Manager, EPLT

Administration, Code Writing and Web Design

Kirsten Bole (now Starcher), EPLT

Web Development/Programming

Nathan Hapke, Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Education

Consultations

Dr. John Nesbit, Professor, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University (SFU)

Mike Bartlett, Provincial Coordinator, Special Education Technology, BC (SET-BC)