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Online Course Accessibility

Learn about the legal requirements and upcoming regulations for making online courses accessible. Discover technical and pedagogical strategies for creating inclusive online learning experiences.

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Online Course Accessibility

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  1. Online Course Accessibility Technical and Pedagogical Strategies March 2016 Melissa Messina, Instructional Designer

  2. A growing problem

  3. “ Agonizing and overwhelming barriers to access for college students today. ” – Eve Hill, US DOJ, Civil Rights Division

  4. Legal requirements § 1194.22 of Section 508: Federal agencies must make electronic information accessible • Applies to schools that receive federal funding • Includes PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and any other files hosted on the website, not just the website itself • Upcoming “refresh” = stricter rules based on WCAG 2.0 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) • Title II prohibits discrimination by public entities • Title III applies to “public accommodations” broadened to include online programs at schools

  5. Paradigm shift

  6. Provides an improved experience for all users: Speakers of other languages Old technology, slow connections Small devices, handhelds Scripts and captions create searchable audio/video Accessible design is good design – Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO 2000-2014

  7. Accessibility challenges Technical Pedagogical Audio presentation of screen readers is linear and continual; learning is not Meaningful adaption of content requires significant effort • Lack of skills or time to build in accessibility • Nature of online instruction, esp text-based discussion boards Source: Moore, 2014

  8. How does a screen reader work? Screen Reader Reading Different Table Layouts (< 2 min) Introduction to the Screen Reader (7 min)

  9. Technical strategies • Provide digital texts in HTML, structured Word docs, or tagged PDF formats • Use alt text for images • Watch your color contrast • Flatten navigational structures (i.e., single scrollable folder or file) • Chunk videos and name the chunks • Caption all videos • Create human-readable links Source: Moore, 2014

  10. Pedagogical strategies • Cut extraneous material • Write clearly and succinctly • Provide accessible alternatives to inaccessible materials or activities • Annotate links meaningfully • Uniquely identify and annotate all figures and illustrations Source: Moore, 2014

  11. Microsoft Word Benefits Access Barriers Improperly formatted headings, tables, lists, etc. Missing alt text Detailed or "busy" page backgrounds or watermarks URLs as links • Defined structure and navigation • Information in multiple formats • Improved readability and comprehension • Conversion to other file formats

  12. Word best practices • Heading, list, and paragraph styles • Alt text for images • True columns • True lists • Meaningful descriptive text for links • Clear table structure and headers • Accessibility Checker tool

  13. Save Word as PDF • Export correctly: File > Save As • Check setting: Acrobat tab > Create PDF > Options > Enable Accessibility and Reflow

  14. Microsoft PowerPoint Benefits Access Barriers Content within a text box Images, animations, or videos without alt text Low contrast or patterned backgrounds Slide transitions and animations URLs as links • Pre-set, accessible slide layouts • Accommodation of visual learning styles • Information in multiple formats • Conversion to other file formats

  15. Best Practices Structure and Images Content Sans-serif fonts Appropriate punctuation at the end of each bullet point Template text boxes Color contrast between text and background Captioned video • Pre-set slide templates • Unique heading titles • Logical reading order • Charts, tables, graphs via slide layout or Insert menu • Alt text for all images • Extended descriptions for charts and other graphics

  16. Adding placeholders • On the View tab, in the Master Layout group, click on Slide Master. • Click the layout to which the Content Placeholder is to be added. • In the Master Layout Group, click Insert Placeholder. • Choose the type of Content Placeholder needed. • Choose a location on the slide, and position the new Placeholder. • In Edit Master Group, Rename the layout. • In the Slide Master tab, Click on Close Master View.

  17. Reading order • To verify the order of slide elements: • Go to the Home tab. • Select the Arrange icon to see a drop-down list of commands • Choose Selection Pane (PowerPoint 2013 for Windows) or Reorder Objects (PowerPoint 2011 for Mac) • Use the tools to place items in correct reading order. • Windows: The bottom-most item is in the Arrange panel read first. • Macintosh: Item #1 in the Rearrange panel is read last.

  18. Save PowerPoint as PDF File > Save As OR: Select Create PDF from Acrobat ribbon

  19. Resources and Training • Free accessibility workshops at UMKC: http://online.umkc.edu/faculty/ • Accessibility in Microsoft Office 2013: https://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/office2013/#create • Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Creating-accessible-PowerPoint-presentations-6f7772b2-2f33-4bd2-8ca7-dae3b2b3ef25 • WebAIM Color Contrast Checker: http://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/

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