WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Accessibility Issues for Conferencing Systems

for

From: Michael R. Burks
Date: Feb 11, 2009 7:05AM


You might want to compare Elluminate to IDEAL Conference. IDEAL Conference,
in my humble opinion, is probably the most accessible online conferencing,
distance-learning and webcasting system in the world.

Here's the URL:
http://www.onlineconferencingsystems.com

If you conduct a Google search using the three words (no parenthesis):
accessible online conferencing...

Google will return 15+ million hits.

IDEAL Conference ranks #1.

This system was developed from the ground up to accommodate the access needs
of users with disabilities and has features no other online conferencing
system has. It's also very affordable.

Michael Burks
919 870 8788 - Office
919-882-1884 - Fax
919-349-6661 - Cell
 


-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Patrick Burke
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 3:56 PM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Accessibility Issues for Conferencing Systems

Our campus is currently doing a pilot of Elluminate. Screen reader
support is pretty good, though with remaining problems in some areas.
They are working on some of these, but features like the Whiteboard
may be difficult/impossible.

Installation of the Java Access Bridge is also necessary to get the
Java app info to the screen reading software. So it feels a little
precarious keeping all the pieces together & talking to each other.

The campus also did a preliminary test of Adobe Connect, which does
not have scrreen reader support. Cost was another negative factor. So
we went with Elluminate instead.

Patrick

At 12:08 PM 2/10/2009, Elizabeth J. Pyatt wrote:
>Lately our university is relying on conferencing systems including
>Adobe Connect and eLluminate.
>
>Are there any resources on accessibility issues ones needs to
>consider? I see that Adobe Connect has a plugin for real-time
>captioning, but I'm curious about other issues.
>
>Can a screen reader access the tools? Any issues for those with
>learning disabilities? motion impairements? Low Vision? Any other
>quirks?
>
>Any information appreciated,
>
>Thanks
>
>Elizabeth Pyatt


--
Patrick J. Burke

Coordinator
UCLA Disabilities &
Computing Program

Phone: 310 206-6004
E-mail: burke <at> ucla. edu