Karlen Communications
Accessible eLearning Resources
This page is a compilation of resources for anyone involved at any level to create more accessible open learning, online learning, distance education, distance learning, or eLearning opportunities. Incorporating foundations of accessible and usable principles for digital environments or digitally based information helps all students and faculty learn more effectively. We can then truly choose our own learning styles and content will eventually become device and CIT [Computer Information Technology] independent.
Although this isn't a complete list of resources, hopefully it provides you with a good starting point. If you have a good resource related to accessible distributed education, please send it to us!
There is a report from the United Nations called "Right to Education Project " that is worth considering. It expands the horizon of accessibility.
Creating Accessible Web Content
- Access to Online Education an NCAM project.
- Accessibility of Distance Education University of Maryland, University Collere faculty resource
- Accessible Electronic Content, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Colour Contrast Picker
- Distance Education: Access for Students with Disabilities, 199, California Community Colleges
- Designing More Usable Web Sites from the Trace Centre .
- Engineering Education for Inclusion an NCAM project
- How to Make Accessible Web Sites Using Macromedia Dreamweaver 4.0
- Syllabus Magazine, Accessible Web Pages: Advice for Educators
- Skipping Navigation Links, Diving into Accessibility, Day 11
- Surf's Up: Surfing the Internet with JAWS from Freedom Scientific is an updated version of the HTML Challenge. This is an online version; however, you can download Surf's Up: Surfing the Internet with JAWS from the Freedom Scientific Training web page.
- Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age
- Universal Instructional Design Manual from the LOTF [Learning Opportunities Task force]
- W3 Schools - a comprehensive set of resources
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- WebAim [Web Accessibility in Mind] Techniques and Concepts Page
- Web Design Group, Why Write Accessible Pages?
- Web Publishing Accessibility Wizard from Illinois State University. Note that this page has AccessKeys that conflict with Internet Explorer keystrokes. For example, Alt + A wail take you to Announcements, not Favourites.
AccessKeys on Web Pages
When using the AccessKey attribute, it is important not to use keys already in use by Internet Explorer or Netscape. for example, in Internet Explorer, don't use F [file] , E [Edit] , V [View] , A [Favourites] , T []Tools , or H [Help] . AccessKeys are a good example of being technically accessible if you assign an AccessKey of Alt + A, but people who use the Keyboard then don't have access to the Favourites Menu item... which means the "accessibility" becomes unusable.
- AccessKey Standards. This is an article with the UK standards for AccessKey assignments.
- AccessKeys, what are they? From the Twiki web site. Note that this site uses Alt + D to get to technical implementation, not the Address bar in Internet Explorer. You can, however, use Alt + A to Add it to your Favourites.
- Dive into Accessibility: 30 Days to a More Accessible Web Site, Day 15: Defining Keyboard Shortcuts This resource doesn't use Internet Explorer keys and is more accessible.
- Improving Accessibility with AccessKeys in HTML forms and Links this page uses AccessKeys that conflict with Internet Explorer. For example alt + A will take you to another example of code, not your Favourites.
Application Development Standards and Guidelines
- Creating Accessible Computer Applications from the American Foundation for the Blind
- IBM Software Accessibility Checklist
- IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications
- ISO 16071 Accessibility of Human-Computer interfaces - note that this is not an accessible PDF document.
- User Agent Guidelines 1.0 from the W3C
- Web Usability Standards
- W3C Web Authoring Tool Guidelines
- W3C XML Accessibility Guidelines.
Auditory Feedback Standards and Guidelines
Books You Can Purchase
- Adaptive Technology for the Internet: Making Electronic Resources Accessible to All, by Barbara T. Mates, Doug Wakefield, Judith M. Dixon
- Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, by Steve King
- Home Page Accessibility, by Jakob Nielsen, Marie Tahir
- Maximum Accessibility, by John Slatin
- O'Reilly, Web Developer: A Primer for Accessible Web Pages
- Web Site Usability Handbook, by Mark Pearrow
Books You Can Find Online [free access]
Collaboration Tools
- A-Chat accessible chat tool from the University of Toronto
- A-Communicator: Toward Accessible Whiteboarding [eBoarding] from the University of Toronto
- Are Electronic Whiteboards [eBoards] Accessible to People with Disabilities by AccessIT
- Guidelines for Developing Accessible Synchronous Communication and Collaboration Tools by IMS Global Consortium
- Using Electronic Whiteboards in Your Classroom: Benefits [eBoards]
eBooks and Open Source eBooks
The key to any document accessibility and usability is to design your documents using a logical structure that can be interpreted by conversion tools or used by instructional designers to provide easy navigation through a document. the eBook technology is evolving into a standard that will be used for publications and eBook creation. No matter which tool you decide to use, ensure that accessibility is built in and that you retain your original documents so that they can be converted to the eBook standard when it is finalized.
- Daisy [Digital Accessible Information System] Home Page for DTB [Digital Talking Books] .
- eClipse Writer and eClipse Reader - from Innovative Rehabilitative Technology Inc. Easy to use Daisy book creator that produces books that can be used with free Daisy Daisy readers. Is also cost effective.
- EasePublisher from Dolphin for creating Daisy format eBooks Easy to use Daisy book creator but not terribly cost effective at the moment.
- Google web definition of eBook
- National File Format Working Group out of CAST [Centre for Applied Special Technology] US based group.
- NCAM [National Centre for Accessible Multimedia] Beyond the Text Project .
- The Promise of Accessible Textbooks: Increased Achievement for All Students is an article from the national Center for Accessing the General Curriculum at CAST.
If you are interested or involved in the production of textbooks in alternate format for students with disabilities, see our web page on Alternate Textbook Production Resources.
Graphics, Images and Charts
It's important for instructors and content developers to provide the alternative text for simple images, the LongDesc for more complicated images and to begin using the guidelines set out in the Access Art project for complex images. As content developers and instructors, you'll need to look at the images in your content and make the decision as to which method to use.
If an image is being used as a link, it is more important for the Alt Text to describe the link as opposed to the image. this lets those using adaptive technology, or those who may find the image confusing, to read the Alt Text and know where they are going.
At one time "d" or descriptive links were popular, however there are two problems with using this technique. first, if the person accessing your web page has motor disabilities, they may not be able to click on one letter. If the person reading your page uses a screen reader and your page contains more than one "d" link, the reader will receive a list of "d's" which aren't helpful in identifying which image the description is for.
- Image Captions on Web Pages [HTML and CSS Techniques]
- The Dayton Art Institute's Access Art program is a great example of what's possible. It's based on the "A Picture is Worth 300 Words" guidelines for creating alternate text descriptions for images, photos and complex diagrams.
Java and JavaScript Accessibility
Math and Science Standards and Guidelines
Metadata Resources
Multimedia Tools
Making multimedia accessible and usable includes captioning, video describing for people who are blind or visually disabled, and adding accessibility to Macromedia Flash applications.
- Canadian Network for Inclusive Cultural Exchange, Online Enhanced Captioning Guidelines - this is an accessible PDF file with JAWS 5.x.
- Captioning Guidelines from the US Department of Education
- eDescription Demonstration .
- MAGpie [Media Access Generator] from NCAM .
- Research on Edited Captioning at NCAM .
- Rich Media Accessibility Resource Centre at NCAM .
- Skills for Access - Multimedia Accessibility
- University of Milwaukee, Panther Com, Video Remote Interpreting/Captioning Guidelines
PDF Accessibility Tools
This topic is growing in need and tools to help you create more Accessible PDF so we've created a separate page for this information.
Copyright
This site was created by Karen McCall using Adobe/Macromedia Dreamweaver 8. It was last updated April 2008. Copyright by Karen McCall and Karlen Communications.