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Thread: Making accessible online courses

Number of posts in this thread: 8 (In chronological order)

From: Shuttlesworth, Rachel
Date: Tue, Aug 06 2013 10:38AM
Subject: Making accessible online courses
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Hi there!

We are working on tutorials and workshops for our university faculty members on how to make their content in Blackboard Learn and other instructional tech tools accessible. I am not referring to the platforms themselves (we have to rely on the vendors for that), but their images, documents, videos, discussion posts, etc.

Do you know of any existing tutorials on this topic that we could look at to get ideas? I am also happy to share what we develop as soon as I can.

Best,
Rachel

Dr. Rachel S. Thompson
Director, Emerging Technology
Center for Instructional Technology
University of Alabama

On Aug 6, 2013, at 11:25 AM, "McMorland, Gabriel" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Please recommend blogging platforms that are fully screen reader accessible. I'm hoping that several fully accessible platforms exist, so that I can choose among them to best match my needs.
> > >

From: Hoger, Jodie
Date: Mon, Aug 12 2013 7:05PM
Subject: Re: Making accessible online courses
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Hi Rachel, did you get any responses to your request? I would also be very interested in any information regarding the delivery of accessible teaching resources.
Thanks,
Jo

Jodie Hoger
Teacher Consultant (Vision), Equity Services TAFE NSW - Illawarra Institute Building L1.14, 60 Bienda St, Bomaderry, NSW, 2541
VOIP 54865
P 02 4421 9865
M 0437 035 042
F 02 4421 9804
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
www.illawarra.tafensw.edu.au
Proverb
Give a person a fish and they will have food for a day. Teach a person to fish and they will have food for life.

From: Denise Wood
Date: Mon, Aug 12 2013 7:20PM
Subject: Re: Making accessible online courses
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Hi all

Although not specifically Blackboard focused, we have recently been awarded a national Office for Learning and Teaching grant for an evidence-based approach to the design and development of an inclusive technology enhanced learning environment and prototype responsive learning system for incorporation into LMS environments like Moodle. The responsive learning system will be modelled on the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure project (http://gpii.net/) and involves collaboration with Professors Gregg Vanderheiden, Trace Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Jutta Treviranus, Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) and professor at OCAD University in Toronto, who are the co-directors of the Raising the Floor.

Our Australian partners include the Australian National University, Queensland University of Technology, the University of Adelaide and Media Access Australia, as well as international partners - the University of the Western Cape and University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

We welcome involvement, contributions and sites for trial from any further education institution interested in improving the accessibility of online courses. Please feel free to email me off-list if you would like further information or to become involved in the project.

Best wishes

Denise
A/Professor Denise Wood
Associate Head of School: Teaching and Learning
School of Communication, International Studies and Languages
University of South Australia, C2-33C, Magill Campus, Magill 5072
Tel: +618 8302 4642 | Fax: +618 8302 4745
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

Professor (Adjunct EP)
Faculty of Education, The University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Western Cape, South Africa
Phone South Africa: +21 766 166387
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

From: Rachael A Zubal-Ruggieri
Date: Tue, Aug 13 2013 6:55AM
Subject: Re: Making accessible online courses
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Denise,
Do we have permission to share?

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 12, 2013, at 9:21 PM, "Denise Wood" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Hi all
>
> Although not specifically Blackboard focused, we have recently been awarded a national Office for Learning and Teaching grant for an evidence-based approach to the design and development of an inclusive technology enhanced learning environment and prototype responsive learning system for incorporation into LMS environments like Moodle. The responsive learning system will be modelled on the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure project (http://gpii.net/) and involves collaboration with Professors Gregg Vanderheiden, Trace Centre, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Jutta Treviranus, Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) and professor at OCAD University in Toronto, who are the co-directors of the Raising the Floor.
>
> Our Australian partners include the Australian National University, Queensland University of Technology, the University of Adelaide and Media Access Australia, as well as international partners - the University of the Western Cape and University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
>
> We welcome involvement, contributions and sites for trial from any further education institution interested in improving the accessibility of online courses. Please feel free to email me off-list if you would like further information or to become involved in the project.
>
>
> Best wishes
>
> Denise
> A/Professor Denise Wood
> Associate Head of School: Teaching and Learning
> School of Communication, International Studies and Languages
> University of South Australia, C2-33C, Magill Campus, Magill 5072
> Tel: +618 8302 4642 | Fax: +618 8302 4745
> Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
> Professor (Adjunct EP)
> Faculty of Education, The University of the Western Cape
> Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Western Cape, South Africa
> Phone South Africa: +21 766 166387
> Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
>
>

From: Rachael A Zubal-Ruggieri
Date: Tue, Aug 13 2013 7:00AM
Subject: Re: Making accessible online courses
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From: Denise Wood
Date: Tue, Aug 13 2013 7:35AM
Subject: Re: Making accessible online courses
← Previous message | Next message →

Yes please do Rachael

Best wishes

Denise
A/Professor Denise Wood
Associate Head of School: Teaching and Learning
School of Communication, International Studies and Languages
University of South Australia, C2-33C, Magill Campus, Magill 5072
Tel: +618 8302 4642 | Fax: +618 8302 4745
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

Professor (Adjunct EP)
Faculty of Education, The University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Western Cape, South Africa
Phone South Africa: +21 766 166387
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

From: Shuttlesworth, Rachel
Date: Tue, Aug 13 2013 7:50AM
Subject: Re: Making accessible online courses
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Thanks, all. Here is what I plan to touch on in our faculty workshop for
Friday. Some of this will be just an introduction with follow-up meetings
and emails later on. Please keep in mind that this is the first workshop
like this we have done and that our faculty are starting from scratch,
having never been asked to consider accessibility in their use of
Blackboard Learn or anything else! We also do not have an institutional
mandate for accessibility yet, though a plan and policy statement should
be made in the next couple of months.

- About accessibility and why it matters: Video from NCDAE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQGFshzLPXE
- Going beyond accommodation. Sometimes accommodations are not really how
we should be accomplishing these things. If you could just change how you
produce files in a small way, it makes the need for accommodation much,
much less.
- Simple choices can make accommodations unnecessary and allow ODS to
focus on unusual requests
- Not all persons who needs accommodations will register with Disability
Services. Think about wounded warriors, temporary conditions, other cases
where someone might not register but could still benefit from these
changes.
- Accessible design is more usable for everyone. Think about busy,
difficult-to-process websites you go to, for example.
Examples:Keyboard navigation, Alt text, Color Choices, Language choices,
Captions
-Basic accessibility in Blackboard Learn:
http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Resources/Accessibility.aspx
- What do you put in Blackboard? How do we make these content types
accessible? (Share tutorials for each) How do we tell vendors what we
expect them to do? (VPATs and checking their responses)
- PDFs, Word documents, Powerpoint presentations, HTML Content areas
created in Blackboard, Videos (Video Everywhere), Images, Exams,
Discussion Boards, Publisher/Textbook materials, Turnitin, Bb Collaborate,
Turning Tech Clickers, Respondus Lockdown Browser

Any suggestions you have are very welcome!!!
Rachel

Dr. Rachel S. Thompson
Director, Emerging Technology and Accessibility
Center for Instructional Technology
University of Alabama

On 08/13/13 8:35 AM, "Denise Wood" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

Yes please do Rachael

Best wishes

Denise
A/Professor Denise Wood
Associate Head of School: Teaching and Learning
School of Communication, International Studies and Languages
University of South Australia, C2-33C, Magill Campus, Magill 5072
Tel: +618 8302 4642 | Fax: +618 8302 4745
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

Professor (Adjunct EP)
Faculty of Education, The University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Western Cape, South Africa
Phone South Africa: +21 766 166387
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

From: Janet Sylvia
Date: Tue, Aug 13 2013 1:59PM
Subject: Re: Making accessible online courses
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Hi Rachel,

If interested, you are welcome to check out the materials for a training I provided in 2011 for our statewide faculty called Section 508 Compliance and Online Course Content.

It was provided after a high-profile complaint in higher education. It begins with background information about Section 508 and points them to the WebAIM video (Keeping Web Accessibility in Mind), which had a powerful impact on our audience. The training also covers Accessible Course Design (Blackboard Vista) and Accessible Course Content. There are links to reference materials, including the 2011 Distance Education Accessibility Guidelines published by California Community Colleges. [Note: the HHS checklists in the handout have changed location, but if you search the Hhs.gov website you can still find them. Updated links are also available on our USG Accessibility Tutorial (link provided below). They are another great resource for assisting faculty in creating accessible course content.]

The handouts and link to the captioned webinar recording are available on our website; if you scroll to the bottom of the homepage, you will find the materials under Spotlight on Past Events:
http://wag.uga.edu

The USG Accessiblity Tutorial (similar information with updated HHS links) is located here: http://www.usg.edu/siteinfo/accessibility_tutorial/training

Thanks,
Janet

Janet Sylvia
Web Accessibility Group, Leader
University of Georgia

From: Shuttlesworth, Rachel [ = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 9:50 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Making accessible online courses

Thanks, all. Here is what I plan to touch on in our faculty workshop for
Friday. Some of this will be just an introduction with follow-up meetings
and emails later on. Please keep in mind that this is the first workshop
like this we have done and that our faculty are starting from scratch,
having never been asked to consider accessibility in their use of
Blackboard Learn or anything else! We also do not have an institutional
mandate for accessibility yet, though a plan and policy statement should
be made in the next couple of months.

- About accessibility and why it matters: Video from NCDAE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQGFshzLPXE
- Going beyond accommodation. Sometimes accommodations are not really how
we should be accomplishing these things. If you could just change how you
produce files in a small way, it makes the need for accommodation much,
much less.
- Simple choices can make accommodations unnecessary and allow ODS to
focus on unusual requests
- Not all persons who needs accommodations will register with Disability
Services. Think about wounded warriors, temporary conditions, other cases
where someone might not register but could still benefit from these
changes.
- Accessible design is more usable for everyone. Think about busy,
difficult-to-process websites you go to, for example.
Examples:Keyboard navigation, Alt text, Color Choices, Language choices,
Captions
-Basic accessibility in Blackboard Learn:
http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Resources/Accessibility.aspx
- What do you put in Blackboard? How do we make these content types
accessible? (Share tutorials for each) How do we tell vendors what we
expect them to do? (VPATs and checking their responses)
- PDFs, Word documents, Powerpoint presentations, HTML Content areas
created in Blackboard, Videos (Video Everywhere), Images, Exams,
Discussion Boards, Publisher/Textbook materials, Turnitin, Bb Collaborate,
Turning Tech Clickers, Respondus Lockdown Browser

Any suggestions you have are very welcome!!!
Rachel

Dr. Rachel S. Thompson
Director, Emerging Technology and Accessibility
Center for Instructional Technology
University of Alabama

On 08/13/13 8:35 AM, "Denise Wood" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

Yes please do Rachael

Best wishes

Denise
A/Professor Denise Wood
Associate Head of School: Teaching and Learning
School of Communication, International Studies and Languages
University of South Australia, C2-33C, Magill Campus, Magill 5072
Tel: +618 8302 4642 | Fax: +618 8302 4745
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =

Professor (Adjunct EP)
Faculty of Education, The University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Western Cape, South Africa
Phone South Africa: +21 766 166387
Email: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =