Accessibility and Learning Technologies Todd M. Weissenberger - PowerPoint Presentation

Accessibility and Learning Technologies Todd M. Weissenberger IT Accessibility Coordinator, University of Iowa

About this workshop Content and materials for this workshop are adapted from the forthcoming course “Inclusive Course Design: Accessibility and UDL”. “Inclusive Course Design: Accessibility and UDL” will be available for beta enrollment in June 2019. Please contact Todd Weissenberger [todd-weissenberger@uiowa.edu] for more information.

Accessibility Definitions and Principles

What is accessibility? Accessibility signifies the degree to which systems, environments, programming, and other activities can be experienced by people with disabilities with essentially equivalent independence, ease of use, timeliness, and effectiveness.

Accessibility VS. Accommodation Accommodations are adaptations, modifications, patches or fixes, applied retroactively to overcome barriers in the environment or system and to meet the needs of a specific individual or group. INACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATION ACCESSIBILITY

POUR: Text Version Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways that can perceive. Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable Understandable: Information and the user interface must be understandable Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies WCAG 2.0 Principles http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/news/2016/05/wcag_principles.html

Accessible Design benefits people with disabilities Visual Provide multiple ways to experience visual information Auditory Provide text and other non-aural representations of sound Mobility/Dexterity Enable multiple means of interacting with a system Cognitive/Processing Provide multiple means of engagement, action, and expression Situational Make it possible to use technology while adapting to circumstances

Accessibility also benefits people experiencing… Distracting environments New or unfamiliar technology Low literacy/low fluency New concepts/complex vocabulary

The Role of Assistive Technology Literacy, Text-to-speech Speech-to-text, captioning Screen magnification, contrast Switch, Sip-n-Puff Screen reader, Braille display

Potential Barriers

Potential Visual Barriers Content not conveyed to participant Media does not describe on-screen action Changes in environment, state, or context are not communicated Color is the only means of distinguishing information Mechanisms for identifying and correcting errors are not communicated

Auditory Barriers No captions, no alternative for audio track Spoken material not conveyed to participant Verbal or auditory prompts not conveyed to user

Physical Barriers Time constraints prevent participants from completing tasks Mouse requirement prevents participants from operating interfaces Necessity of fine motor skills prevents participants from completing tasks Complex interactions make it difficult to correct errors

Processing Barriers Information is not chunked, and difficult to absorb Instructions are not legible, sequential, clear, or concise Environmental factors cause distraction and impede focus Participant cannot complete tasks within time constraints

Accessibility and Course Content https://itaccessibility.uiowa.edu/CDF

Barriers to Accessibility Flat or scanned documents Images without descriptive text Links without natural text Unstructured documents Documents without titles Uncaptioned media Content presented out of sequence Insufficient contrast Inaccessible tables Required use of mouse

Course Documents Ensure that content is presented in logical order Use nested headings, styles, lists, and other structural elements Provide supports for navigation and traversal, such as a Table of Contents Include descriptive text for images, links, and other non-text content Use simple tables sparingly, and for data only Do not use images to present large amounts of text Do not distribute scanned or flat documents

Reading Order Ensure that users can navigate through content in a logical order that is consistent with the meaning of the content. Ensure that images, sidebars, and other secondary content do not interrupt the flow of primary content. Inline content, columns, object stacking and layers, and other factors can affect reading order.

Images, Graphs, Diagrams, Illustrations Provide alternate text for (almost) all images For simple images, provide a description For charts or graphs, provide context; link to accessible data For complex images, provide the context; link to a narrative description For logos and wordmarks, provide the information on the image A single image can mean something different, depending on context

Descriptive Text for Images “Students working in the ICATER computer lab” “A patron reads the Braille sign at Student Disability Services” “A sign-language interpreter at the Regents’ Disability Summit” “An automated power door switch” “ Seal , State of IowaBoard of Regents” “Chart of Coffee or Coffee-Related Complaints”

Audio/Video Transcript (audio-only) Faithful record of spoken words and sounds on audio track Captions (video) Transcript which has been synchronized with a video or other time-based media. Captions may be closed (user-controlled) or open (always on) Audio Descriptions Narration of on-screen scenes and activity, made available for blind and low-vision viewers Players Consider offering a more accessible media player, such as AblePlayer , for online video

Red or Green? Color Contrast and Presentation Sufficient color contrast can improve the readability of a site or element Contrast should be a minimum 3:1 ration for large text, 4.5:1 for normal text (WCAG 2.0, AA) Ensure sufficient contrast to distinguish foreground from background Use textures, shapes, font weights, labels, and other properties in addition to color to present information Select all images that contain Hatch Green Chiles CoBliS http://www.color-blindness.com/coblis-color-blindness-simulator/

Applying Accessibility

Course Syllabus Personalized Accessibility Statement Document structure: title, headings, lists ALT text for images Video introduction with captions Tables for data only, not layout Resources: UDL On Campus: UDL Syllabus [CAST.org] Accessible Syllabus Checklist [Accessible U, University of Minnesota]

Presentations/Slideshows Easy to read text Large type, good color contrast, sans-serif font Avoid overcrowding: chunk content when possible Visuals should be visible at a distance Graphics should include descriptive, or "ALT" text Don’t use color or shape exclusively (e,g,, “Let’s compare the red circle to the brown circle…”)

Clickers/Polling Design classroom polling to correspond to accessibility limitation in polling tools Ensure that learners have sufficient time to respond to polls Provide alternate methods for learners to respond to polls, especially where required for attendance or credit Tips for TopHat Instructors

Outlines and text handouts Ensure that outlines and text handouts are visually clean and legible Create electronic (ALT-format) versions of your handouts, and provide them in advance Electronic handouts should reflect heading structure, alternate text, and other best practices for document accessibility Ensure that accessible electronic copies remain available for download during and after presentation

Learning Management Systems: Canvas General Accessibility Design Guidelines Accessibility Within Canvas UDOIT Accessibility Checker

Accessibility Checkers

Microsoft Word Accessibility Provide document structure with nested headings Provide alternate text for images and non-text content Specify header row for data tables Use sufficient contrast between background and foreground Avoid wrapping text with images Provide meaningful link text Prepare Word document for export to PDF

PDF Accessibility Machine-readable text: NOT scanned or image-only Logical reading order Semantic and structural tags (e.g., links, lists, tables, etc.) Navigability: appropriately nested headings, bookmarks Keyboard operable: no mouse required ALT text for images Sufficient color contrast Document properties and security

PowerPoint Accessibility Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker Slide Master: Layout, Placeholders, Designs Content Reading Order Alternative Text for Non-text Content Data Tables Color Contrast and Use Hyperlinks Export to PDF

Media Accessibility Transcript Faithful record of spoken words and sounds on audio track Captions Transcript which has been synchronized with a video or other time-based media. Captions may be closed (user-controlled) or open (always on) Subtitles Text equivalents similar to captions, often intended to translate between languages, often open

Accessibility Do’s and Don’ts DO DON’T Present documents in readable text formats Distribute documents that are scanned or flattened, or that present large amounts of body text in an image format Add ALT text to images, including complex images and images of text Omit text alternatives for images that present content to the viewer Use meaningful, descriptive text for links Create links using only URLs for text Use headings, lists, and other semantic and structural elements Rely on font, color, or size to convey meaning, function, or structure Present information in a logical, meaningful sequence Present information in a non-linear or non-sequential manner Apply sufficient color contrast and non-color cues Do not rely on color alone to convey information or instruction Use header and data cells for more understandable tables Use formatting to simulate table headers Provide captions or transcripts for online media Publish audio or video without accurate captions Consider and check accessibility throughout Wait until after an item is created to consider accessibility

Additional Resources Accessibility Resources for Instructors (University of Iowa) Accessibility Within Canvas (Canvas Community) General Accessibility Design Guidelines (Canvas Community) 20 Tips for Teaching an Accessible Online Course (University of Washington) Creating Accessible Course Content (Teach Access)

More at… itaccessibility.uiowa.edu