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Accessibility Overview
Users of WebCT include an increasing number of students with sensory, physical or learning disabilities. Adaptive technologies provide these students with a gateway to information and education. Current estimates from the U.S. Department of Statistics suggest that approximately 20% of the population have some type of disability. Legislation in both Canada and the USA reflects the importance of accessible standards for Web-based resource development. Accommodation of learners with special needs is part of the process of ensuring that high quality educational experiences are available to every individual. WebCT is working hard to address accessibility issues for version 3.0, which will be released in the Summer of 2000.
Adaptive Technology | Top
A learner may have to interact with computer hardware and software, as well as input and output, in different ways. A sensory impairment may result in the need to use screen reader software to hear the information instead of viewing it on a screen. Limitations in mobility could mean that the student uses an adapted keyboard to navigate the Web. The following is a list of commonly used adaptive technologies.
- Screen Readers:
This software is used by
learners who are blind and allows Web page text to be read out
by a voice synthesizer. Tab or Shift-Tab allows navigation
through the Hyperlinks on a given page.
- Screen Magnifiers:
Screen magnification
systems enlarge portions of the screen to allow learners with
limited vision to access computer-based materials.
- Alternative Keyboards:
These keyboards offer
larger or smaller target areas for users with loss of gross or
fine motor control. They may be switched to mouse emulation mode
so that the arrow keys or numeric keypad of the same keyboard
are used for mouse movements.
- On-screen Keyboards:
This software allows the
user to enter text and select buttons that emulate menu
functions on the monitor. Users have a pointing device or a
switch to select buttons.
- Voice Recognition:
The user speaks into a microphone to navigate software applications, surf the Web, and input text. Commands correlating to macro sequences may be created to customize usage for specific software or frequent tasks. Mouse control may incorporate a grid system.
How To Design a More Accessible WebCT Course | Top
The following strategies will assist you in ensuring that your WebCT course is reaching the widest possible audience.
- Images and animations
Remember to use the ALT attribute to describe the function of all images for people who do not access visual elements. An ALT text equivalent describes the function or purpose of content. A good test to determine if a text equivalent is useful is to imagine reading the document aloud over the telephone. What would you say upon encountering this HTML code reference to an image to make it comprehensible to the listener?
Example: <IMG
src="bookshelf.gif" alt="Resource Materials">
WebCT will automatically use the text description of icons provided by ALT tags on the Course Home Page and Tool Pages. HTML documents that you upload to the WebCT File Manager should include ALT text for all images. HTML documents that you upload to the WebCT File Manager should include ALT text for all significant images.
- Multimedia
When including multimedia components such as video clips or audio files, provide alternative formats for students who cannot use movies, sounds, or audio enhancements directly.
- QuickTime authoring tools allow easy
addition of captioning to video clips.
- Supplementary text can be added as
an alternative to video clips or animations.
- Transcripts of audio files can be included.
Embed multimedia components as well as any of the text equivalents of the multimedia content in a single HTML document to be added to a WebCT path.
- Hypertext links
It is important to use text that makes sense when read out of context to improve accessibility for students who are using audio output.
Hyperlinks are often accessed using the Tab key to move from link to link. For this reason, link text should be meaningful enough to make sense when read out of context. At the same time, links should be concise rather than wordy, to increase efficiency.
Example: Rather than using "For resource lists click here," use a more meaningful description such as "Resource Lists" as the link text.
- Page organization
When creating Web pages to be uploaded to the WebCT path, use standardized HTML markup.
Example: Sections should be introduced with the HTML header elements (H1-H6) headings:
<H1>Cooking techniques</H1>
... introductory text here ...
<H2>Part 1: Cooking with oil</H2>
... text of the section ...
<H2>Part 2: Cooking with butter</H2>
... text of the section ...
Consistent course page structure and correct use of HTML markup will allow content to be effectively interpreted by non-visual browsers. Include outlines at the beginning of long documents, and label and structure lists carefully.
- Graphs & charts
It is helpful to summarize the information in text form when ALT text does not adequately convey the function or role of an image presented in the WebCT course content.
Additional supporting text may be included within content pages in the WebCT path, or may be uploaded as a separate file and linked to the page.
Example:
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As part of the "Information Highway," the Internet provides the following tools:
- E-mail
- World Wide Web
- Telnet
- FTP
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- Tables
When creating content pages to be uploaded to the WebCT path, avoid using tables for column or page layout unless line by line reading is sensible.
Tables used to lay out pages and some data tables in which cell text wraps pose problems for older screen readers that do not interpret the source HTML, or browsers that do not allow navigation of individual table cells. These screen readers will read across the page, presenting text on the same row from different columns as one sentence.
Example:
There is a 30% chance
of rain showers this morning, but they
should stop before the weekend.
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Classes at the University of Wisconsin
will resume on September 3rd.
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This might be read by a screen reader as:
There is a 30% chance Classes at the University of Wisconsin of
rain showers this morning, but they will resume on September 3rd.
should stop before the weekend.
- Frames
Try to avoid the use of frames where possible by choosing the "No Frames" option. Frames may be problematic for students using older browsers and for those who use non-visual browsers. Provide alternatives whenever possible.
A "No Frames" option is available for both the WebCT Bulletin Board and Private Mail. You can select this option using the Settings Menu for each tool. As well, a site index linked directly to the course Homepage will act as an alternative navigation system for users who have difficulty accessing frames.
This list of strategies is based on guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). More detailed information and techniques for implementation are available at the WAI Web site.
Validating Your Work | Top
Check your HTML pages by validating with one of several automatic tools available online. By using validation methods in the early stages of design, problems can be noted before you are well into course construction. Accessibility issues identified early are easier to correct and avoid.
Online validation tools:
Other useful resources:
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