WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Accessible podcasts

for

From: Kynn Bartlett
Date: Mar 22, 2006 10:30AM

On 3/22/06, Sandra Andrews < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> I am bringing up the issue because accessible podcasts/downloadable
> audio files are not happening in education at least. Podcasts in
> education are not accessible. There is no budget. I can't personally
> legislate people to stop producing them. I can't personally legislate
> people to use time consuming methods that require someone other than
> the instructor to work on the project. :-(


So it's not really your problem.

You can offer resources, but you can't force anything. Your professors will
continue to make inaccessible podcasts and it will be a big problem until
enough students complain. The education of deaf and blind students will
suffer until the professors fix things.

I've worked in a university before; I know how hard it is to force tenured
professors do to anything they don't want to do. You simply need to do what
you CAN do. Provide information, give examples, circulate memos (with dire
warnings), offer tutorials, and then be there to pick up the pieces when
they ignore you for years until they get sued.

While you're at it, talk to your superiors and document your attempts to
promote accessibility. Speak to the university's lawyers and ADA officers
and say, "look, they're cutting out students with disabilities, and not
listening to me; I want to know that MY rear is covered here. I'm doing the
right thing, even if they're not." And get it in writing.

--Kynn