Accessibility to Learning Environments: Learning Anytime, Anywhere, for Anyone

• Funded by: FIPSE (The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education), under the LAAP grant program for 4 years. (Grant # P339B990640)
• Work of the project: This LAAP-funding is responsible for WebAIM's creation. WebAIM began in 1999 to engage in 4 objectives. An executive summary of the project is provided below.

Project Overview

The Keeping Web Accessibility In Mind project (WebAIM) was created to help postsecondary education mitigate the enormous problem of web content that is not accessible to students and faculty with disabilities. Project partners recognized that there are multiple forces that act on the accessibility of educational web content. This project selected 4 of the greatest barriers that existed in 1998. Project partners worked successfully through each of the 4 barriers in a systematic manner. (Utah State University, the Teaching Learning and Technology affiliate of the American Association for Higher Education, Blackboard, and George Mason University were the final partners although there were many changes in partnerships along the way.) Each project objective was fulfilled, many superceding initial expectations. The partnership brought a scalability of effort that was unbelievable. External evaluation of the project demonstrated that WebAIM has made a positive contribution to accessibility efforts in postsecondary education. Finally, sustainability efforts that were begun halfway through the project have been fruitful for many partners.

Problem

When the WebAIM project was proposed, the data on accessibility of educational web content was appalling. Students and faculty with disabilities were being shut out of educational opportunities and lifelong learning. The WebAIM project proposed a partnership to help solve 4 of key problems: (1) A lack of awareness of the issues, (2) the need for a model of training and technical assistance, (3) an accessible courseware program for postsecondary education, and (4) a model of system reform for institutions of postsecondary education. The high-risk project saw many changes in partnerships along the way. By the second year, 3 partners had left (of the original 5), and 2 more had joined. The resulting partnerships were very strong and contributed significantly to the success of the project.

Background and Origins of the Partnership Contexts

The lead applicant (Utah State University) and one other partner (George Mason University) came from a shared campus-based context. Two other partners came from divergent environments. Blackboard is incorporated for-profit and is a large vendor of educational software. The Teaching, Learning, Technology Group is a small not-for-profit group that works in educational innovation and reform. Taken together these partners had much to learn from each other. The partners worked independent of one another as each had been solicited to engage in specific work. Although coordination, communication, and feedback were part of the overall project strategy, partners did not have to reach consensus prior to acting on objectives and activities. The partners provided an unimaginable economy of scale for the project. This helped in the overall success of WebAIM.

Project Description

WebAIM partners exceeded the anticipated workscope of many of the planned activities during the conduct of the grant. What follows is a description of the productivity of the WebAIM partners by each of the major objectives of the grant.

Objective 1 Raise awareness of the problem of web accessibility:

WebAIM partners disseminated awareness and information on accessibility in postsecondary education through electronic, print, and site-based methods. Over the life of the grant information was delivered to over 7.8 million individuals nationwide.

Objective 2 Create a model of training and technical assistance:

During the period of LAAP funding, WebAIM provided training and technical assistance in accessible web design to thousands of students across the nation. This positive result occurred even after PBS left the partnership. The training took the form of anytime, anywhere modules (first online, then CD-ROM + online). Materials used in the training were themselves fully accessible. A robust website with relevant materials and an active discussion forum aided in efforts to provide ongoing technical assistance to those learning new skills. Over 400,000 unique visitors visited the project web site. They viewed the contents of pages (most of which are tutorials, simulations, checklists, or informational items) over 3 million times. Moreover, WebAIM ranks very high in Google searches on accessible web design. WebAIM is also frequently linked off of postsecondary education sites. WebAIM provided training to FIPSE and LAAP projects during annual meetings and when requested to do so by sister projects. This happened infrequently. Online and CD-ROM training revenue helps sustain WebAIM and will enable them to develop additional products into the future.

Objective 3 Support the creation of an accessible courseware platform:

Our initial courseware partner, MadDuck, was acquired by Blackboard. After successful negotiations with Blackboard, they went to work to create accessibility throughout all levels of their product. Blackboard worked diligently to create accessibility fixes to both their student and instructor interfaces. An accessibility audit was initially conducted. From this came strategic plans to ensure accessibility changes in their product by (a) changes identified in each development cycle, and (b) the addition of an accessibility quality assurance process. Work under LAAP funding for accessibility began with their version 5.0 and continued through versions 5.5, and version 6.0. One of the greatest successes of LAAP funding for this project is that the educational vendor, Blackboard, now has accessibility as part of its very fabric. By placing accessibility into strategic development, deployment, and quality assurance, the effects of LAAP funding will be seen long after the project ends. Blackboard has also helped drive other vendors towards accessibility in the educational marketspace.

Objective 4 Create and test a model of institutional coordination and reform:

George Mason University joined WebAIM during the end of the second year. This was after Western Governor's University left the project. Mason aided in the development of a model of institutional reform and they field-tested the entire process using their own campus. Results from their experiences were used to modify the plan. Subsequently, CD-ROM training specific to web accessibility coordination, reform, and leadership in postsecondary education was created and widely disseminated.

Evaluation / Project Results

WebAIM completed all objectives on time and on budget. An external evaluator provided summative data that indicated WebAIM has proved successful in many avenues. Included among them are individuals for whom WebAIM materials raised awareness, increases in the accessibility of institutional web content, and the strong ratings of satisfaction from our training and technical assistance materials.

Summary, Conclusions and Lessons Learned

The WebAIM project did a remarkable job with the 4 objectives of the project. Moreover, project partners are sustaining the work of WebAIM beyond the period of LAAP funding. Because of the WebAIM project, those in postsecondary education have (a) knowledge of the problem of web accessibility for students and faculty members with disabilities, (b) a place to go to find high-quality training and technical assistance in accessible web design, (c) a learning management system that has an accessible template and an educational vendor that is dedicated to finding accessibility options for new technologies, and (d) a model of system change that will aid in the process of a challenging reform.

For those interested in the successes and struggles of the project, the following are areas of emphasis and lessons learned during the conduct of this project:

1. Representative stakeholders must be part of the implementation planning for any endeavor; this includes consumers with disabilities;
2. It is not possible to sufficiently emphasize the importance of data-driven development to the creation of high quality materials and processes;
3. Developing a community of learners takes time and skill;
4. The partnerships were a tremendous challenge yet they offered unique rewards for the project;
5. You must begin planning for sustainability early in your efforts;
6. Learners do want choices in all that they do;
7. System change in postsecondary education is difficult to achieve; and
8. Expressions favoring innovation and diversity in postsecondary education may be exaggerated.