Accessible IT in Education: Problems, Solutions, & Policy Change Lori Markland, Loan Program & IT Specialist Michael Leone, IT Project Coordinator Maryland Technology Assistance Program, a cooperative service of the Governor’s Office for Individuals with Disabilities

Information Technology Impact On Education Academic Success and Employment   Information Technology   Assistive Technology

IT Used in Education IT products store, process, transmit, receive, convert, and duplicate data and information, including: Computer software Web pages Course management systems (Courseware) Video Handheld computers (PDA’s) Information kiosks Copiers

What does Access get you? ACCESSIBILITY = PROFITABILITY 1. 1.It’s cheaper to design with accessibility in mind, than to retrofit! 2. 2.It dissuades timely & expensive complaints and lawsuits against an education institution If you build it accessible, more students will come…and that equals more tuition! More students = more tuition Fact: According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 17.6% of Maryland's population has a disability. In 2000, MD had a population of 5,296,486 and a disability population of 854,345.

Can everyone use these technologies?

IT Must be Perceivable Example: People access computers… Visually (e.g., monitor) Various resolutions Various font sizes Various browsers Audibly (e.g., screen reader) By touch (e.g., Braille output device)

IT must be operable Example: People operate software using… Mouse Keyboard Speech recognition Keyboard emulation Head pointer with on-screen keyboard Eye gaze sensor with on-screen keyboard

Problems and Solutions

Problem: Website is not accessible Uses graphics with no alternate text Uses color as sole means of communicating information Uses non-descriptive link text (e.g., “Click here”)

Solution: Design accessible websites Follow web accessibility guidelines and standards – or Check your site for accessibility using an evaluation tool Review the following options to ensure access

Text Equivalent

Web Page Design Benefits Older technologies Slow Internet connections Different web browsers People with disabilities using assistive technology Mobile technologies

Color Blindness Avoid using color as the only means of distinguishing between choices. Color and Web Pages PUSH GREEN BUTTON TO START

Examples of Color Avoid using color as the only means of conveying information. Color Blindness

Color Contrast If the colors used in a site have poor contrast, it may be difficult for some users to read. This text has better contrast than the text above, but the heading on this slide is even better.

Problem: Distance Learning Course is not accessible Uses images, graphs, and maps without alternate text tags Uses audio and video without captioning or audio description Uses PDF files without HTML alternatives Uses tables and forms that are not coded for accessibility Links to external websites and media without being sure that those resources are accessible Chat rooms are used for class discussion

Solution: Design accessible online courses Follow guidelines provided by resources such as NCAM, National Center on Accessible Media or UMUC’s Accessibility in Distance Education website Activate accessibility features within Blackboard or WebCT when designing online courses

The Scope of the Problem A recent U.S. Department of Education survey charted the growth of distance education in both two-year and four-year institutions.

The Scope of the Problem Forty-five percent of 2- and 4-year institutions that offered distance education courses in had occasionally received requests in the last 3 years to provide accommodations for students with disabilities in distance education courses.

The Scope of the Problem Thirty-seven percent reported never receiving this type of request in the last 3 years. 15 percent did not know if they had received requests for accommodations.

The Scope of the Problem Almost all (95 percent) 2- and 4-year institutions that offered distance education courses in 2000–2001 indicated that they had used web sites for their distance education courses (table 15). Of the institutions that had used web sites for distance education courses, 18 percent indicated that they followed established accessibility guidelines or recommendations for users with disabilities to a major extent, 28 percent followed the guidelines to a moderate extent, 18 percent followed the guidelines to a minor extent, 3 percent did not follow the guidelines at all, and 33 percent did not know if the web sites followed accessibility guidelines. This slide developed by MD TAP; info provided by Dept. of Ed.

The Scope of the Problem

Problem: Course software is not accessible Uses graphics with no alternate text Mouse is required Includes video, but no captions or audio description

Solution: Buy accessible software Ask vendors about audible output Ask vendors about keyboard operability Encourage vendors to develop accessible products! Add accessibility language to procurement contracts, policies & procedures

Keyboard Equivalents = +

Problem: Video is not accessible Audio is not accessible to people who are unable to hear it. Visual content, if not apparent from the audio track, is not accessible to people who are unable to see it.

Solution: Use and create accessible video Ask vendors whether videos are captioned and/or audio described. Add captions to any video you produce. Add audio description to any video you produce. Develop a procedure for systematically captioning and audio describing videos created and/or used at your institution.

Captions provide access to multimedia presentations for people who have a hearing impairment or an auditory learning disability. Captioning

Multimedia The content conveyed by multimedia should be communicated to everybody in a meaningful way, including those who cannot see the screen or hear the sound: Open and closed captioning for video Video description Audio description for important visual content and images

Screen Reader Demo Accessible University: What is and isn’t accessible?

Federal Laws Accessible Information Technology

The Americans with Disabilities Act Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to “public entities”, including public colleges and universities. Title II requires: Reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures Unless the modifications would “fundamentally alter” the nature of the services “Effective communication”

The Americans with Disabilities Act Title III of the ADA applies to “places of public accommodation,” including private colleges and universities, Title III provides that: No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in public accommodations “Effective communication”

The Americans with Disabilities Act Both the Title II and Title III regulations require that communication with people with disabilities be as effective as communication with others. The ADA was passed in 1990, well before the Internet was in widespread use.

The Americans with Disabilities Act A Department of Justice letter opinion states that: “Effective communication” requirement applies to the Internet. Covered entities that use the Internet must be prepared to offer those communications through accessible means.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act In response to concerns about accessibility of federal government websites, the U.S. Congress passed new amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of These amendments were passed in 1998 and took effect in 2000.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Section 508 requires that Federal departments or agencies provide technology accommodations to their employees with disabilities, requiring: Procurement of accessible IT Design of accessible federal websites

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act By its terms, Section 508 only applies to programs and services of the federal government.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act However, officials at the U.S. Department of Education authored a letter in 1999 indicating that they interpreted Section 508 to have application to state entities, including some public colleges and universities because they receive federal monies.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act This administrative interpretation has not yet been adopted by a federal court. However, colleges and universities may choose to adopt Section 508 as part of their Internet access policies.

Access Standards Laws vs. Standards

Standards In order to understand exactly what educators, web designers, and others must do to make education accessible to people with disabilities, it is necessary to have adequate standards.

Standards There are two main sources for standards in the field of electronic accessibility: The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines The Federal Section 508 standards

W3C The W3C guidelines were written by the consortium, made up of leaders in the field of accessibility and web design.

Section 508 Standards The Section 508 web access standards draw from the W3C, but do not contain all the elements.

Guidelines & Standards World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) guidelines Priority 1, 2, and 3 checkpoints Priority 1 = MUST do Priority 2 = SHOULD do Priority 3 = MAY do

Guidelines & Standards (cont.) Section 508 Requires accessibility of electronic and information technology (E&IT) developed, procured, maintained, or used by the Federal government Charged the Access Board with developing accessibility standards for E&IT

Guidelines & Standards (cont.) Section 508 Standards Software applications and operating systems Web-based intranet and internet information and applications Telecommunications products Video and multimedia products Self contained, closed products Desktop and portable computers

Accessibility Law Section 508 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) No Child Left Behind Relevant state laws and/or policies

State Law IT Laws In Maryland

Maryland Maryland Education Code Annotated §7-910 Requires that technology-based instructional products purchased by Maryland public school systems meet Section 508 requirements.

Maryland Maryland IT Non-Visual Access §3-410 Requires that nonvisual access standards be used for procurement and the provision of information technology services and products provided by Maryland state agencies.

State Laws For more information on state laws, visit:

POLICY & PROCEDURE: Implementing Change

Implementing Change Understand the barriers, problems, and possible solutions for accessibility Understand the State and Federal laws that have an impact on the institutions decisions Understand the standards & guidelines that can be used to ensure accessibility

IT Accessibility on a Budget Have a plan & choose a standard to follow Prioritize needs Support quest for long-term solutions with short-term lower cost solutions Remember the economic benefits Accessible design saves money over accessibility retrofits Accessible design saves money over human accommodations

Make Your IT Accessibility Policies WORK Make the commitment Select the standard Engage in accessibility & UDL forums Refine standards to achieve objectives beyond compliance Enforce consistent courseware development practices Provide sample courseware and templates Implement testing procedures PLAN TO EVOLVE

Conclusion 1. 1.In order for information technology to be fully accessible, all users must be able to perceive it and operate it There are standards that define accessibility for virtually all information technologies There are many excellent resources for getting help with making specific technologies accessible.

Resources Maryland Technology Assistance Program Mid Atlantic ADA & IT Center National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education (AccessIT)

Ways to Learn More There are a number of resources made available to those interested in IT Accessibility, Universal Design, AT in the Classroom and more. Please contact MD TAP for a complete listing of these resources and join our IT listserv by sending an to

The Maryland Technology Assistance Program Workforce and Technology Center 2301 Argonne Drive, Room T-17 Baltimore, MD 21218