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Re: Accessibility of Ohio public school testing content

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From: Robinson, Norman B - Washington, DC
Date: Dec 19, 2006 2:10PM

Since you asked,

Briefly, the content isn't consistently accessible. The flash version
works inconsistently with keyboard access and is clearly only designated
to work with a mouse. The keyboard access didn't seem to work at all for
me until I started my screen reader; I'm guessing the designers think
only visually impaired users need keyboard access or didn't test outside
of a screen reader.

I don't have a recognized reading disability. I find the design of these
pages to be inherently difficult to comprehend. It isn't designed in
such a was as to be easily understood, especially the navigation. The
visual "eye-candy" is certainly distracting and doesn't add to the
content, nor is it necessary to understand the content. I get the
impression someone thought it would be 'cool' and the target audience
needs 'look at me' design; it isn't cool and the design detracts from
learning.

The use of Flash disables the basic ability to reload your web browser -
also bad design. Consider what may happen when you click on a link and
choose the 'back' button to try to use the learned navigation model for
web content. This could be done in Flash _if designed in_ but would be
automatic if this was done in HTML.

If I was a parent of a child subject to this material I would be
complaining and insist you start using paper. I'm not being emotional,
it just is clear this wasn't designed with the end-user (the student's)
in mind as much as designed to please the person paying for the content,
or not designed at all.

While I only had 10 minutes or so during lunch to look at this, I can't
see the samples or actual tests, so don't know what I am missing.
However, if my organization was paying for this development I'd say you
don't have a strong instructional design, you need to stop developing in
Flash and focus on HTML, including coding in HTML and use of Flash only
for 'whiz-bang' effects if they are strongly desired - separate from the
HTML itself (e.g., the Flash can be embedded as an image but not used
for the text-based content).

Sorry if this seems terse - I only had a brief time but wanted to help!
Please take these comments in the spirit they were written; I hope it
improves your effort to make this better for others.

Regards,


Norman Robinson



The site structure is very simple and straight-forward and lends itself
to HTML:

Ohio Department of Education
Ohio Graduation Test Student Resource Site

Reading
Take a reading 2004 test
From the autobiography of Malcom X
How the turtle got her shell
Speech to the new americans
Yellowstone makes a triumphant return ten years after fires
Take a reading 2005 test
Made in america
My desk
My favorite teacher
Senator George Graham Vest
The bike
Take a reading 2006 test
Football's super prize reaches icon status
Sonata for humans, birds, and humpback whales
The grandfather
We're all in the telephone book
Wheelchair flying
Samples 2004
Samples 2005
Samples 2006

Math
Take a math 2004 test
...1-5 options...
Take a math 2005 test
...1-5 options...
Take a math 2006 test
...1-5 options...
Samples 2004
Samples 2005
Samples 2006

Science
Take a science 2004 test
...1-5 options...
Take a science 2005 test
...1-5 options...
Take a science 2006 test
...1-5 options...
Samples 2004
Samples 2005
Samples 2006

Social Studies (NOTE THEY MISSED "SOCIAL STUDIES" LABEL)
Take a 2004 test
...1-5 options...
Take a 2005 test
...1-5 options...
Take a 2006 test
...1-5 options...
Samples 2004
Samples 2005
Samples 2006

Writing
Take a writing 2004 test
...1-5 options...
Take a writing 2005 test
...1-5 options...
Take a writing 2006 test
...1-5 options...
Samples 2004
Samples 2005
Samples 2006
Practice your writing

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