UKOLN is supported by: What Does Accessibility Mean To The Blogging Community? Brian Kelly UKOLN University of Bath Bath UK Emma Duke-Williams School of Computing University of Portsmouth Portsmouth UK This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

2 Contents Introductions: The Facilitators The Participants What We Aim To Do Technological Challenges Pedagogical Challenges Addressing The Challenges Note this aims to be a Web 2.0 session – user- focused and always beta

3 About The Facilitators (1) Brian Kelly: UK Web Focus – a JISC/MLA-funded post to advise UK HE/FE and cultural heritage sectors on Web issues (standards, emerging technologies,..) Based at UKOLN, a national centre of expertise in digital information management Current areas of interest: Potential of Web 2.0 in learning & teaching, research,... Maximising interoperability through use of open standards Addressing barriers to the deployment of new technologies Maximising access to resources, services and learning Note that as a national adviser, the advice needs to be pragmatic and achievable across the sectors. Introduction

4 About The Facilitators (2) Emma Duke-Williams Lecturer in the School of Computing at Portsmouth University Came into Higher Education after having taught in Special Education the UK, and teacher training/ teaching in Papua New Guinea - through Voluntary Services Overseas Currently teach undergradudate & postgraduate units on educational uses of computers (including community development), Multimedia & Web development Current research includes the role of Computers in supporting learning, teaching & assessment - with emphasis on access for all Introduction

5 About You Please tell us: Who you are What you do The aspects of Blogs and accessibility of interest to you D Note that we will try to keep a record of your interests in a Wiki in order to (a) remind ourselves of your interests (b) review this towards the end and (c) help in subsequent reports. Please let us know if the notes breach confidentiality, are inaccurate, etc. (or update Wiki yourself!) Note that we will try to keep a record of your interests in a Wiki in order to (a) remind ourselves of your interests (b) review this towards the end and (c) help in subsequent reports. Please let us know if the notes breach confidentiality, are inaccurate, etc. (or update Wiki yourself!) Introduction

6 Learning Objectives By the end of this session participants will: Have a better understanding of what accessibility means in the context of Blogging. Have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the WAI approach to accessibility. Be aware of a holistic/contextual approach to e- learning accessibility. Have explored the reasons for use of Blogs from a pedagogical approach and how this relates to accessibility. Be aware of possible barriers to the use of a holistic approach & ways of addressing such barriers. Introduction This workshop session will feed into the conference aims of producing a white paper on educational blogging

7 Scope of the Session In order to provide a framework for managing this session we propose that we focus discussions on: Blogs and related Web 2.0 technologies (e.g. include Wikis and Podcasting) Access to the technologies by students with disabilities for reading/listening and for publishing Pedagogical aspects Additional relevant areas include: Use of / availability of specialist devices Social inclusion Important, but out-of-scope areas include: Access control management Mainstream Blog issues (addressed in other sessions) Are you happy with this scope? Introduction

8 Issues Which Need to be Addressed Issues: What is meant by 'universal accessibility'? Is the approach taken to making an online bus timetable accessible likely to be the same as making e-learning accessible? Does the law (SENDA) or e-government guidelines require us to comply with WAI guidelines? If we have flexibility, how do we address the issue of accessibility for e-learning (in general) and Blogs in particular?

9 The WAI Perspective How many of you are familiar with: WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) Technological Challenges How many of you are familiar with: UAAG (User Agent Accessibility Guidelines) ATAG (Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines) How many of you: Have policies based on WAI/WCAG? Make use of WCAG guidelines in your Web development work, e-learning, …? Note that your institution may have policies which mandate conformance with WAI guidelines, and potentially could ban use of applications on these grounds (e.g. Podcasting)

10 The WAI Model WAI has been tremendously successful in raising awareness of Web accessibility and providing guidelines to achieve this. WAI guidelines are based on: WCAG (Web Content …) ATAG (Authoring Tools..) UAAG (User Agents …) The model is simple to grasp. But is this model appropriate for the future? Does the model: Reflect the diversity of users & user environments Reflect the diversity of Web usage Reflect real-world technical environment and developments Reflect real-world political and cultural environments Technological Challenges

11 Limitations Of The Model This model: Requires all three components to be implemented in order for the WAI vision to be achieved Is of limited use to end users who have no control over browser or authoring tools developments Is confusing – as many think WCAG is WAI How does this model address: Delays in full conformance? (We're still waiting for "until user agents …" clause to be resolved) Real-world reluctance to deploy new software (issues of inertia, testing, costs, …) Real world complexities Is there a plan B in case this model fails to ever take off? Is it desirable to base legal requirements on an unproven theoretical framework? Technological Challenges

12 Usability Issues What is the relationship between usability & accessibility? Usability Accessibility Usability Accessibility Technological Challenges

13 Holistic Approach 1Developing A Holistic Approach For E-Learning Accessibility, Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 2004, Vol. 30, Issue 3 Technological Challenges This approach reflects current UK emphasis on blended learning (rather than e-learning) Kelly, Phipps & Swift 1 developed a holistic framework for e-learning accessibility This framework: Focusses on the needs of the learner Requires accessible learning outcomes, not necessarily e-learning resources

14 Widening The Scope Paper on "Contextual Web Accessibility - Maximizing the Benefit of Accessibility Guideline" by Sloan, Kelly et al presented at W4A workshop, Edinburgh, May 2006: Argued the need to know and design for your target audience Extended the user-focussed approach to accessibility:  From a top-down approach (e.g. use in national development programmes) based on a 3- layered contextual model  From a bottom-up approach for developers based on the tangram metaphor Technological Challenges

15 Top-Down Approach External factors: Institutional issues (funds, expertise, policies, security…) External factors: Legal issues; cultural factors; … PurposeSectorFundingResources Context Accessibility/UsabilityPrivacy Policies … Finance External Self-assessmentPenaltiesLearning Compliance Digital Library Programme Broken Standards Research … This approach embraces relativism and context rather than the current absolutist approach Accessibility guidelines should be usable in wider context A framework has been developed which places accessibility & usability within a wider context: The context A range of policies A compliance regime

16 Bottom-Up Approach The "Tangram Metaphor" developed to avoid checklist / automated approach: W3C model has limitations Jigsaw model implies single solution Tangram model seeks to avoid such problems This approach: Encourages developers to think about a diversity of solutions Focus on 'pleasure' it provides to user This approach: Encourages developers to think about a diversity of solutions Focus on 'pleasure' it provides to user Technological Challenges

17 Tangram Model Model allows us to: Focuses on end solution rather than individual components Provided solutions tailored for end user Doesn't limit scope (can you do better than WAI AAA?) Make use of automated checking – but ensures emphasis is on user satisfaction Guidelines/standards for/from: WAI Usability Pedagogy Learning styles Dyslexic Learning difficulties Organisations Legal Management (resources, …) Interoperability Accessibility metadata … Technological Challenges

18 Tangram Model & Testability "WCAG 2.0 success criteria are written as testable statements …" (nb. automated & human testing ) Issues: What about WCAG principles that don't have defined success criteria (e.g. "content must be understandable")? What about 'baselines' – context only known locally What about differing models or / definitions of 'accessibility'? Note vendors of accessibility testing services will market WCAG tools e.g. see posting on BSI PAS 78 Tangram model can be used within WCAG Distinguish between testable (ALT tags) and subjective (content understandable) Supports baselines Baseline 1 Testable Technological Challenges

19 The Cathedral & The Bazaar WAI Approach: Large-scale and ambitious –but slow-moving External dependencies (e.g. on legal systems) Based on single approach ("you must …") Web-centric approach Cathedral approach to development Holistic Approach: Modular & can be more rapid-moving & responsive Based on diversity of approaches - "seek to …" Covers Web, other IT and real-world accessibility Bazaar approach to development "I don't claim people should do 100% of what I say“ J Neilson WCAG 2.0’s ‘baseline’ seems to recognise a contextual view Technological Challenges

20 The Legal Framework This approach is well-suited for the UK legal framework: SENDA/DDA legislation requires organisations to take "reasonable measures to ensure people with disabilities are not discriminated against unfairly" Note that the legislation is: Technologically neutral Backwards and forwards compatible Avoids version control complexities … The legislation also covers usability, as well as accessibility Technological Challenges

21 Questions / Exercises Any questions / comments? We will now have group exercises which explore some of the challenges of Blogging and accessibility Note resources cited in the talk are bookmarked in del.icio.us using tag '' blogs-ac-uk-2006-kelly "

22 Further Information Contextual Web Accessibility - Maximizing the Benefit of Accessibility Guidelines W4A 2006 Proceedings, May 2006, (CD ROM) Sloan, D. Kelly, B., Heath, A., Petrie, H., Hamilton, F and Phipps, L. A Contextual Framework For Standards WWW 2006 E-Government Proceedings, May 2006, (CD ROM) Kelly, B., Dunning, A., Rahtz, S., Hollins, P and Phipps, L. Forcing Standardization or Accommodating Diversity? A Framework for Applying the WCAG in the Real World Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A). ISBN: Kelly, B., Sloan, D., Phipps, L., Petrie, H. and Hamilton, F. Holistic Approaches to E-Learning Accessibility ALT-J Research in Learning Technology, Vol. 14, No. 1, March 2006, pp Phipps, L. and Kelly, B. Developing A Holistic Approach For E-Learning Accessibility Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 2004, Vol. 30, Issue 3, Kelly, B., Phipps, L. and Swift, E.