Making your resources accessible to more learners

Introduction and welcome Your hosts today are Mary Moss - NIACE Mary will be facilitating the event. In the case of difficulties, comments you want to make to the group etc please send Mary a private text message through the system below. She will collate and field issues appropriately, allowing the main presentations to go ahead smoothly. Alistair McNaught – TechDis Alistair will be presenting the main session with the focus on easy adaptations you can make to resources. Sal McKeown – Becta Sal will be presenting the final session with a focus on learners and specific disabilities.

Welcome! Participants today include: (part 1/2) NeilBastockLeicester City Council JanetDaviesBolton Community College ColinBedfordCollege of Continuing Education (Walsall MBC) CatherinePattersonRedcar Adult Learning Centre PippaDennisNorthbrook College VickiBrowneBracknell & Wokingham College

Welcome continued.. Participants today include: (part 2/2) Thanks also to TechDis colleagues Hannah Fitzpatrick for the administration/bookings John Sewell for support backup

Objectives The session will allow delegates to explore a range of resources that include the following key opportunities: Structure a document so that it is more accessible to learners with visual, motor, specific learning difficulties and deafness Use screen tips over images in Word or PowerPoint Evaluate the benefits and barriers of using sound in interactive learning materials. Understand the benefits of different document views for different accessibility needs. Change the appearance of documents to suit different accessibility needs.

Keeping up Please DO use the attendee status bar to indicate any relevant needs.

Responding Please DO use the text chat to send specific questions or comments We ask delegates NOT to use the audio chat facility – we will reserve this for facilitator and presenter communications only. Send chat messages to everyone if responding to general requests. But send private message to facilitator if requesting support.

A bit about you Using the IT confidence voting system (we’ll lead you through this) please self assess your skill level. This is totally anonymous but will help us pitch the training to the needs represented in the audience.

Your experiences Use the whiteboard tools (left of main screen) to select a colour and pencil. With the mouse, click and drag a small tick next to the accessibility issues you most commonly deal with. Learning difficulties Dyslexia and specific learning difficulties Emotional behavioural problems Visual problems Hearing difficulties/deafness Motor control difficulties

Structuring documents Properly structured documents allow you to click View > Document map to get a navigable hyperlinked outline of your whole handout.

Who Benefits? Your task: In the chat pane, send a message (to everyone) suggesting how one of the following groups Screen magnifier users: Screen reader users: Deaf or dyslexic users: Motor impaired users: might specifically benefit from materials prepared in this way.

Benefits of structured documents Format like this.. To get automatic hyperlinked summaries like this…. See Benevolent Bill staff pack for details.

Screen tips over Word or PowerPoint images Who benefits? Nb – can have dummy hyperlink OR real hyperlink to additional resources.

Screen tips over Word or PowerPoint images Alternative PowerPoint approach using links to other slides containing the image and an appropriately placed large text box. Key advantages of this approach? Key disadvantages?

Sound in Word / PowerPoint Advantages Easy to insert in both Word and PowerPoint Can use learners actively in creating resources Can be more engaging and accessible Disadvantages BIG increase in file size

Sound in Word / PowerPoint Sample resources PowerPointWord

Alternative Word views Print layout zoomed 200%

Alternative Word views Web layout zoomed 200%

Alternative Word views Web layout zoomed 200% with background colour changed

TechDis community site You’ve only got around half an hour Please try to Look at one or two sample resources Listen to an interview Add at least ONE comment of your own to the forum and try to comment constructively on one other person’s posting. You don’t have to agree with everyone but do please be constructive and respectful..

Final round up session Points emerging from discussion list Sal McKeown – from the learner’s perspective, incidents and anecdotes.

Follow up resources TechDis Staff Packs (especially Benevolent Bill) TechDis “Creation of learning materials” ACLearn.net accessibility tips NIACE e-guide training