Teaching Web Accessibility at the Source in a University Web Design Class Howard Kramer & Vijay Patel University of Colorado-Boulder

Goals of Presentation Benefits & Goals of Course Benefits & Goals of Course Teaching an effective course on Universal Design Teaching an effective course on Universal Design The larger goal of improving accessibility on campus The larger goal of improving accessibility on campus 2 audience objectives 2 audience objectives How to replicate this course on your own campus How to replicate this course on your own campus How the concepts & approach of this course can be applied as a means from promoting better accessibility and usability of web pages & digital media on your campus. How the concepts & approach of this course can be applied as a means from promoting better accessibility and usability of web pages & digital media on your campus.

Origins of Course & Needed Resources Proposal to ATLAS Proposal to ATLAS No existing course covering this topic No existing course covering this topic Availability of expertise – access specialist, Web design specialist Availability of expertise – access specialist, Web design specialist Support of senior faculty Support of senior faculty

Course Content & Structure Core Content Web Standards Web Standards Universal Design Universal Design Other topics Other topics General design Accessibility Structure 2 lectures 2 lectures 1 lab 1 lab

This course will review standards for both usability and accessibility, using resources and texts from media design experts such as Jakob Nielson, Donald A. Norman and Ala n Cooper and accessibility experts such as Wendy Chisholm, John Slatin and Jim Thatcher. This course will review standards for both usability and accessibility, using resources and texts from media design experts such as Jakob Nielson, Donald A. Norman and Ala n Cooper and accessibility experts such as Wendy Chisholm, John Slatin and Jim Thatcher. Course Objectives/Methods: Through labs, lectures and demonstration, students will learn media design methods, along with the implementation of guidelines and tools to test the usability and accessibility of web pages and other electronic media. Course Objectives/Methods: Through labs, lectures and demonstration, students will learn media design methods, along with the implementation of guidelines and tools to test the usability and accessibility of web pages and other electronic media.

Course Content & Structure Core Content Web Standards Web Standards Universal Design Universal Design Other topics Other topics General design Accessibility Structure 2 lectures 2 lectures 1 lab 1 lab

Target Audience/Students Required Student Prerequisites 2 or 3 computer science majors 2 or 3 computer science majors 2 or 3 coding novices 2 or 3 coding novices 3 or 4 liberal arts majors 3 or 4 liberal arts majors 3 or 4 Technology and Media Arts 3 or 4 Technology and Media Arts 2 staff 2 staff 1 blind student 1 blind student

Curriculum Materials Chisholm, Wendy; May, Matt. Universal Design for Web Applications Chisholm, Wendy; May, Matt. Universal Design for Web Applications Zeldman, Jeffrey. Designing with Web Standards (3rd Edition) Zeldman, Jeffrey. Designing with Web Standards (3rd Edition) Shea & Holzschlag. The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web. Shea & Holzschlag. The Zen of CSS Design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web. Norman, David A. The Design of Everyday Things (2002). Norman, David A. The Design of Everyday Things (2002). Cooper, Alan; Reimann Robert M. About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design (2003) Cooper, Alan; Reimann Robert M. About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design (2003)

Other Curriculum Resources A List Apart - Link-Rodrigue, The Inclusion Principle, A List Apart - Link-Rodrigue, The Inclusion Principle, principle/ principle/ principle/ principle/ Dev.opera.com Dev.opera.com to-the-web-standards-cur/ to-the-web-standards-cur/ to-the-web-standards-cur/ to-the-web-standards-cur/ Usability.gov Usability.gov tml tml tml tml Sitepoint.com Sitepoint.com architecture architecture architecture architecture

Other Curriculum Resources First Principles of Interaction Design” First Principles of Interaction Design” ( ); ( ); “Personas” “Personas” WebAIM.org – The Legend of the Typical … WebAIM.org – The Legend of the Typical … readersurvey.pdf readersurvey.pdf readersurvey.pdf readersurvey.pdf

Course Outline Week 1 (Scope, who are we designing for?) Week 1 (Scope, who are we designing for?) Week 2 (Learning the language of design...) Week 2 (Learning the language of design...) Week 3 (General design principles, introduction to web design) Week 3 (General design principles, introduction to web design) Week 4 (Interaction Design & Information architecure Week 4 (Interaction Design & Information architecure Week 5 (Case for web standards) Week 5 (Case for web standards) Week 7 (Structure, xhtml...) Week 7 (Structure, xhtml...) Week 8 (Presentation w\ a dash of Behavior, CSS) Week 8 (Presentation w\ a dash of Behavior, CSS) Week 9 (Presentation continued…, behaviour) Week 9 (Presentation continued…, behaviour) Week 10 (Accessibility) Week 10 (Accessibility) Week 11 (Spring Break) Week 11 (Spring Break)

Course Outline Week 12 (Accessibility Cont’d) Week 12 (Accessibility Cont’d) Week 13 (Adding Behaviour, Sound, Video & Dynamic Interaction) Week 13 (Adding Behaviour, Sound, Video & Dynamic Interaction) Week 14 (Rich Internet Applications) Week 14 (Rich Internet Applications) Week 15 (HTML 5) Week 15 (HTML 5) Week 16 (Dedicated lab time for final projects) Week 16 (Dedicated lab time for final projects) Week 17 (Finals) – Project Presentations Week 17 (Finals) – Project Presentations

“Course Strategy” “Keys for Success,” “Positive Aspects of Course” Using Web Standards & Universal Design as foundation of course Using Web Standards & Universal Design as foundation of course Guest lectures Guest lectures UDFWA Authors: Matt May, Wendy Chisholm UDFWA Authors: Matt May, Wendy Chisholm Zuhair Mah’d – AT Expert / Consultant Zuhair Mah’d – AT Expert / Consultant Effective UI Effective UI Fluid project: Antranig Basman, Clayton Lewis Fluid project: Antranig Basman, Clayton Lewis Expert on Scripting Expert on Scripting

Zeldman – “the blind billionaire” Google and other search engines are, in effect, “blind users.” Google and other search engines are, in effect, “blind users.” Structure Structure Text/semantics Text/semantics

Areas for Improvement / Changes Breadth of curriculum Breadth of curriculum More hands-on More hands-on Issues of 1 st time course Issues of 1 st time course

What was accomplished (above & beyond) Outreach to campus (staff & students) Outreach to campus (staff & students) Networking, developing relationships with other key players on campus Networking, developing relationships with other key players on campus What’s Next Online version of class – fall 2010 Repeat class in spring or fall 2011

Accessing Higher Ground Conference Accessible Media, Web & Technology November , 2010 November , 2010 Keynote Speaker, George Kerscher, DAISY Keynote Speaker, George Kerscher, DAISY Hands-on sessions on Web Access, Assistive Hands-on sessions on Web Access, Assistive Technology Technology Collaborating organizations: EASI, AHEAD Collaborating organizations: EASI, AHEAD Distance Learning Distance Learning Westin Hotel - between Boulder & Denver Westin Hotel - between Boulder & Denver