IMS Global Project Accessibility White Paper

1. IMS Global ProjectAccessibility White Paper Liddy Nevile liddy@motile.net

2. Summary • IMS Global Project • Participants • White Paper • Future Activities

3. IMS Global Project • C.E.O Ed Walker • IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc. • http://www.imsglobal.org/

4. IMS Specifications Basic Data Exchange • Meta-data • Content Packaging • Assessment • Learner Information • Enterprise Exchange Learning Functions • Sequencing • Learning Design • Repositories • Competencies • Accessibility

5. IMS participants include... • SCORM • OKI/MIT • OCLC • SIF • IEEE/LTSC • ALIC • USOeC • CANCORE • MERLOT • ADL Co-Lab • Industry Canada • JISC/BECTA/UFI • DEST/IMS Australia • NIE Singapore • H. E. Institutions

6. IMS Adoption • SCORM, eUniversity, OCW • CANCORE, MERLOT, NCAM • Giunti, Fretwell-Downing, Thomson • Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Sun • Saba, NetG, Centra, Can Studios, Question-Mark, … • Blackboard, WebCT, … • SCT, Eduprise, PeopleSoft Ed Walker slides - IMS CEO

7. IMS Australia • DEST • Acting Director • http://...

8. Accessibility Working Group • IMS staff • NCAM • ATRC • eUniversity • IMS Australia • BlackBoard • Open University • WebCT • Adobe • Microsoft • Apple • ...

9. The White Paper … for ... • course ware and software vendors • educational publishers • authoring tool developers/vendors • authors/content developers • educational institutions -- including administrators • educators/instructors • students • administrative staff

10. Primer on Accessibility • Disabilities, Functional Limitations, & Accessibility Tips • For People Who Are Blind or Hard-of-Hearing or Deaf • For People with Low-Vision, Color Blindness, Physical Disabilities, Language or Cognitive Disabilities • For People in General • Tools for Access - Types of ATs • Equivalent Access Versus Alternative Access • Direct Access Versus Compatible Access

11. Users of screen readers • There are a number of things that application software developers can do to make it possible for people using screen readers to detect and figure out what is on the screen. These include: • using the system tools wherever possible to draw and erase all on-screen text and to display all cursors and pointers • using the operating system's standard controls whenever possible • drawing tools in toolbars, palettes, and menus as separate items (rather than one big graphic). This makes it possible to identify the number, location, and shape of the individual tools so they can be identified and named

12. Increase compatibility with screen readers by • using a special technique to make the text known to screen reading software, if the text is embedded in a graphic image. • dragging system cursors with you (even if invisible) when custom highlight or focus techniques are used. • using consistent or predictable screen and dialog layouts. • avoiding use of help balloons that disappear if the focus changes unless there is a way to lock them in place so that the focus (e.g., the cursor) can be moved to read them. • using single column text whenever possible. • giving controls logical names, even if the name is not visible on the screen. (Screen readers can access this information and use it to describe the type and function of the control on the screen.) • providing keyboard access to all tools, menus, and dialog boxes.

13. Since screen readers can only read text • (or name separately identifiable icons or tools), it is a good idea to: • avoid unlabeled "hot spots" on pictures as a control scheme (unless redundant with menu selection). • avoid non-text menu items when possible or incorporate visible or invisible cues. (Screen readers can "see" text that is written to screen in an invisible color.) • avoid non-redundant graphic tool bars.

14. Finally, documentation and training materials can be more accessible when: • all documentation and on-line help is designed to be understood by reading the text only (e.g., information presented in pictures and graphics is also presented with a description in text). • synchronized running audio descriptions for all information is presented as an animated graphic or movie.

15. For users with hearing impairments • the accessibility of software can increase when: • all auditory information is also provided in a visual form. • all visual cues are noticeable if one is not looking directly at the screen. • a ShowSounds feature is supported. (A ShowSounds feature allows a user to specify that all sound should be accompanied by a visual event, including a caption for any spoken text.) • In addition, product support people must be reachable via text telephones (TTYs).

16. Types of Assistive Technologies • Screen readers • Screen magnifiers • Adaptive keyboards • Voice recognition software • Single switches

17. Some drivers • Direct accessibility • Compatible accessibility • Alternative modality • Equivalent content • User choice • User rights - legal requirements

18. The guideline sections of the document • common accessibility problems of each technology. • practices that learning system developers can implement to enhance accessibility for all users. • practices content creators and/or educators can implement to enhance accessibility for all users. • resources which provide best practices and solutions in use.

19. 6 Principles for Online Distributed Learning • Allow for Customization Based on User Preference • Provide Equivalent Access to Auditory and Visual Content Based on User Preference • Provide Complete Keyboard Access and Compatibility with AT • Provide Context and Orientation Information • Follow IMS Specifications and Other Relevant Specifications, Standards, and/or Guidelines • Consider the Use of XML (Extensible Mark-up Language)

20. Customisation based on user preferences Some examples of items that should be customizable by the users include: • Changes to the display and characteristics of elements, such as: • font, font style, font color, and font size • cursors size, style, and blink rate • size of text and images, including video • screen layout, colors, and backgrounds • Changes to features, such as: • timing of events • keyboard settings

21. Consider using XML because • it is a license-free, platform independent W3C technology • it provides: • a reliable data structure that any application can read and parse. This data can then easily transform from one XML schema to another. • XML provides a simple way to share data between computer systems from multiple companies. • XML objects are portable and can be used in many different types of applications. • XML syntax makes it much easier for non-specialists to participate in the design of new markup languages, and to mix markup languages (see mathML and XHTML as an example).

22. Guidelines for Flexible Media Delivery • Text • Audio • Images • Multimedia

23. Asynchronous Comms & Collab. Tools • Threaded Message Boards • Email Messaging • Document Repositories • Organizers, Schedulers, and Calendars

24. Accessible Interfaces and Interactive Env’s • Interface Controls • Navigating the Interface • Forms • Interactive Exercises: Drag-and-Drop Exercises, Simulations, and Timed Tests • Interactive Tutorials • DVDs, Consumer Electronics, and Handheld Devices

25. Testing and Assessment • Testing and Assessment Challenges • Principles and Guidelines - General

26. Topic Specific Access • Mathematics • The Problem 2x2 + 4x + 3 • Chunking or Simplified Reading of Mathematical Expressions • Inaccessible Mathematical Notation • Encoding Mathematical Expressions • Other Possibilities, Particularly for Localized Applications • Other Applications and Devices

27. <mrow> • <mrow> • <msup> <mi>x</MI> <mn>2</mn> </msup> <mo>+</MO> • <mrow> • <mn>4</mn> • <MO>&InvisibleTimes;</MO> • <MI>x</MI> • </mrow> • <MO>+</MO> • <mn>4</mn> • </mrow> • <MO>=</MO> • <mn>0</mn> • </mrow>

28. <apply> • <plus/> • <apply> • <power/> • <ci>x</CI> • <cn>2</cn> • </apply> • <apply> • <times/> • <cn>4</cn> • <CI>x</CI> • </apply> • <cn>4</cn> • </apply>

29. Science Chemistry Other Devices and Applications • Simulations and Immersion • Robots and Telepresence

30. Charts, Diagrams, Tables • Current Techniques for Making Graphical Information Accessible • Haptic Perception • Haptic Image Sources

31. Geography and Maps • Music • Languages • PowerPoint

32. Legislative Imperative • US legislation: Rehab 508, Telecommunication Section 255, and individual educational jurisdictions • Canadian Human Rights Laws • Australian Legislation • European Union Laws …...

33. Scope of Original Working Group • IMS policy on accessibility • Extensions and additions to existing specifications • Guidelines for Access

34. Extensions / Additions to Existing Specs • Metadata • Content Packaging • Learner Profile (LIP) • Testing (QTI) • Digital Repository

35. Access and Inclusive Learning: • Separate content and structure from presentation to allow flexibility in presentation • Separate function from input method to allow flexibility in control • Provide information in more than one modality • The earlier the better • Integration rather than add on • Core rather than peripheral • The curb cut advantage

36. W3C Guidelines • Accessibility related guidelines • Techniques • Checkpoints • Checkpoint techniques • QA and Certification - for authors, authoring tools, user agents

37. http://www.imsproject.org/