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From: Laurie Kamrowski
Date: Wed, Apr 15 2020 1:09PM
Subject: WebAIM-Forum Digest, Vol 181, Issue 13
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Creating an external document is an absolutely brilliant idea. I love every
minute of it.

When it comes to the accessibility of the table, I really prefer the
ability in acrobat and word to really stitch the table together, and docs
really lacks that robust control. Also in docs, there is no way to attach a
table summary, or use captions in the first place, which is really
frustrating.

I think generating the instructions in a separate file is the way to go,
since it won't impede the Professor's layout and gets everything
accomplished. I really appreciate everything!

Laurie Kamrowski
She/Her/Hers
Accessibility Specialist
Mid Michigan College



On Wed, Apr 15, 2020 at 2:03 PM < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Re: Table Directions in educational format (Jim Allan)
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Jim Allan < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 10:52:08 -0500
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Table Directions in educational format
> since you have a group of google docs anyway. What if you created a
> separate doc on how to use the tables (table description), then put a link
> (Description of Table layout) in all of the other documents?
>
> Jim
>
> On Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 12:39 PM glen walker < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> wrote:
>
> > If I go back several decades into the last millennium, I remember the
> type
> > of table you're talking about in my Spanish class. Note that if you
> posted
> > an example of what the table looks like, it did not format correctly.
> The
> > table was serialized similar to if I use the down arrow with a screen
> > reader to walk the DOM but the way you described it made sense.
> >
> > I'm not as familiar with tables in Google Docs but I know in Word Docs I
> > can mark column headers but cannot mark row headers. If you can provide
> > your tables in html, that has the best accessibility. You can have both
> > column and row headers (and header groupings). You weren't asking about
> > the accessibility of the tables themselves but rather if you had to
> > describe the format of the table every time, but the accessibility of the
> > table is also important.
> >
> > In html, you can describe the table with the <caption> element. See
> > example 5 in the <caption> spec,
> > https://www.w3.org/TR/html53/tabular-data.html#example-5a2a7373
> >
> > Whether you have to describe the layout of the table every time is
> > debatable. I would think the first couple or so times that the table is
> > introduced you might want to reinforce how the table is laid out but in
> > subsequent lessons it might not be needed. But you can always have a
> > separate document that explains the table layout and the student can
> refer
> > back to that document when needed. Having a link to that document in all
> > subsequent documents might be helpful.
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 8:09 AM Laurie Kamrowski < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hi everyone!
> > >
> > > My school is creating our own text for our Spanish 101 class, and
> > > distributing it for free for the students via Google Docs. We are
> > creating
> > > 15 separate files for each of the 15 weeks of class, and one of the
> > things
> > > that we are covering is the conjugation of the stem-changing verbs.
> There
> > > is a table of sorts that has long been established in teaching Spanish
> > > called the boot table or the boot verbs.
> > >
> > > My concern is over the cognitive accessibility. I am worried that every
> > > week, if we are using the 'boot table', do I need to include the
> > > explanation of the table every time that we use it? This is what I am
> > > referring to:
> > >
> > > //begin excerpt. This is the actual explanation text that I have
> created:
> > > Stem-Changing Table Explanation
> > >
> > > To properly explain these tables, imagine a table, two columns wide and
> > > three rows deep and it consists of the six variants of each verb. The
> > first
> > > column, from top to bottom, consists of the ‘I' form, the ‘you' form
> and
> > > the ‘active' form. The second column, from top to bottom, consists of
> the
> > > ‘we' form, the ‘formal you' form, and the ‘they' form. The table would
> > look
> > > like this:
> > >
> > > Column 1
> > >
> > > Column 2
> > >
> > > I
> > >
> > > We
> > >
> > > You
> > >
> > > You (Formal)
> > >
> > > Active
> > >
> > > They
> > >
> > > If we were to only select the forms that will change, which is the
> entire
> > > first column, and the only the bottom cell of the second column, the
> > > resulting shape looks like a boot. To clarify, the only forms that
> change
> > > stems are ‘I', ‘You', ‘Active', and ‘They'. The stem undergoes the
> change
> > > only when stressed.
> > >
> > > Column 1
> > >
> > > Column 2
> > >
> > > I
> > >
> > > We
> > >
> > > You
> > >
> > > You (Formal)
> > >
> > > Active
> > >
> > > They
> > >
> > > //End excerpt
> > >
> > > I'm inserting that whole explanation into any file that has the 'boot
> > > table' in it. It takes an entire page to place it, and I am worried
> that
> > it
> > > may just get in the way and cause cognitive overload all by itself if
> it
> > > appears in every file.
> > >
> > > My possible solutions:
> > >
> > > 1. Leave it in every week, regardless.
> > > 2. Only include it in one week, trusting that the faculty will present
> > it.
> > > This makes me nervous because while we have an amazingly dedicated
> > Spanish
> > > professor who is developing this, we have also had adjunct faculty who
> > > literally presented a blank moodle shell in an online only course (no
> > > longer works for us, but it still lessened the quality of the education
> > > that the students enrolled in that class received).
> > > 3. Compile the entire text into one single file, placing a link to the
> > > explanation text every time it is called. I would have to have approval
> > > from the professor to compile it.
> > >
> > > Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated.
> > >
> > > Thank you for your time,
> > >
> > > Laurie Kamrowski
> > > She/Her/Hers
> > > Accessibility Specialist
> > > Mid Michigan College
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > >
>
>
> --
> TSBVI Need assistance? Click this link for help: MOJO HELP DESK
> <https://tsbvi.mojohelpdesk.com/mytickets/create#/ticket-form-selection>
>
> Jim Allan, Accessibility Coordinator
> Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
> 1100 W. 45th St., Austin, Texas 78756
> voice 512.206.9315 fax: 512.206.9452 http://www.tsbvi.edu/
> "We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us." McLuhan, 1964
>
> > > > >

From: Pyatt, Elizabeth J
Date: Thu, Apr 16 2020 7:03AM
Subject: Re: WebAIM-Forum Digest, Vol 181, Issue 13
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Hello:

Having attended multiple language classes, I am familiar with the verb table issue. I agree with my colleagues that seeing the tables would help is with recommendations, but I do have some advice.

1. NEVER merge cells, even if the original table has one (see below). It looks like you are using a 2 col by 3 row approach, but it could change
a. For instance, if the first row is merged for the infinitive, convert that row to the caption.
b. If the last row is something like a participle, just leave that row unmerged.
c. If there are merged cells between tenses or verbs, split the tables.

If you don't do anything else besides this, screen reader accessibility will be significantly improved.

2. I would always put in row and column headers for everyone. Even sighted users could use the help to understand the table organization.

If the content editors don't agree, at least do it for the initial chapters. I would guess that is then all students would understand the table structures later on (especially when cells are unmerged).

https://accessibility.psu.edu/tables/

3. Technically, you can create hidden table headers with tricks like white text on a white background, but truthfully, I prefer option 2.

Really hope this helps.

Elizabeth

On Apr 15, 2020, at 2:00 PM, = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

On Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 8:09 AM Laurie Kamrowski < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >>
wrote:

Hi everyone!

My school is creating our own text for our Spanish 101 class, and
distributing it for free for the students via Google Docs. We are
creating
15 separate files for each of the 15 weeks of class, and one of the
things
that we are covering is the conjugation of the stem-changing verbs. There
is a table of sorts that has long been established in teaching Spanish
called the boot table or the boot verbs.

My concern is over the cognitive accessibility. I am worried that every
week, if we are using the 'boot table', do I need to include the
explanation of the table every time that we use it? This is what I am
referring to:

//begin excerpt. This is the actual explanation text that I have created:
Stem-Changing Table Explanation

To properly explain these tables, imagine a table, two columns wide and
three rows deep and it consists of the six variants of each verb. The
first
column, from top to bottom, consists of the ‘I' form, the ‘you' form and
the ‘active' form. The second column, from top to bottom, consists of the
‘we' form, the ‘formal you' form, and the ‘they' form. The table would
look
like this:

Column 1

Column 2

I

We

You

You (Formal)

Active

They

If we were to only select the forms that will change, which is the entire
first column, and the only the bottom cell of the second column, the
resulting shape looks like a boot. To clarify, the only forms that change
stems are ‘I', ‘You', ‘Active', and ‘They'. The stem undergoes the change
only when stressed.

Column 1

Column 2

I

We

You

You (Formal)

Active

They

//End excerpt

I'm inserting that whole explanation into any file that has the 'boot
table' in it. It takes an entire page to place it, and I am worried that
it
may just get in the way and cause cognitive overload all by itself if it
appears in every file.

My possible solutions:

1. Leave it in every week, regardless.
2. Only include it in one week, trusting that the faculty will present
it.
This makes me nervous because while we have an amazingly dedicated
Spanish
professor who is developing this, we have also had adjunct faculty who
literally presented a blank moodle shell in an online only course (no
longer works for us, but it still lessened the quality of the education
that the students enrolled in that class received).
3. Compile the entire text into one single file, placing a link to the
explanation text every time it is called. I would have to have approval
from the professor to compile it.

Any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time,

Laurie Kamrowski
She/Her/Hers
Accessibility Specialist
Mid Michigan College

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Elizabeth J. Pyatt, Ph.D.
Accessibility IT Consultant
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >

The 300 Building, 112
304 West College Avenue
University Park, PA 16802
accessibility.psu.edu<http://accessibility.psu.edu>;