An Accessible e-Learning System: From Concept to Prototype

From cave to computer, human ingenuity has adapted tools and methods to improve conditions and to access new environments. Simply put, adaptations enable us to access what we need faster and more efficiently. This is true for the 40 million or more Americans who have the label “disabled” attached to them. Motorized wheelchairs are faster and require less energy than walking. Ramps and electric doors enable independent access to buildings. Captioning and TDD’s (telephone devices for the deaf) provide access to television and telephones for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Digitized speech enables communication by non-speaking individuals.

Adaptations for “special needs populations” often benefit and cross over to the general population, resulting in a better, more accessible world for everyone. Consider push-button door openers and ramps into hotels that enable even the smallest guests to roll their own luggage into the lobby without having to get help from (or pay for) the bellhop. Big stalls in public restrooms are wonderful for parents with small children.

In the realm of computer access, there are few of us who do not rely on adaptations that were once considered “special accessibility features.” Probably the most often used are keyboard shortcuts and screen magnification. We also rely on audio cues like the Microsoft harp and “You’ve got mail,” on optical mouse control, and on digitized speech.

As desktops and laptops were being developed and improved, companion technology was developed to improve computer access and to ease use for people with special needs. Federally-funded programs yielded an amazing array of options, including word prediction to enhance keyboard input speed, head-mounted laser-controlled mouse pointers, screen magnifiers, screen readers, text converters and left-handed, right-handed and “no-handed” keyboards. A comprehensive source of information on technology-related issues and disabilities is the Trace Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A link to the Trace Center and links to a number of other useful online resources will be found in the References section at the end of this article.

Educational access and federal mandates

Since the 1970’s, the educational sector has been required to provide a free, appropriate education for students with disabilities. Today, every aspect of public education, from early childhood through adult, operates under various laws that require accommodations that support a student’s individualized learning needs. Accommodations involve transportation and architectural access, specialized support services, adaptive devices, adapted curriculum and testing, and human assistance in the form of aids, interpreters, and readers.

In the early ‘90’s, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) changed our thinking and many of our practices. Businesses and employers had to learn how to accommodate customers and employees who needed alternative ways to access and use services. In addition to accessible environments and adapted work supports, employers were faced with learning how to meet requirements of training in alternate formats for employees with differing learning needs.

Until the late 1990’s, access to electronic learning was primarily provided at the receiving end. This meant that the learner was required to learn how to access information through the use of devices, hardware and software applications. The advent of distance education created the need for standards and guidelines on the sending side. Distance Education: Access Guidelines for Students with Disabilities, published in 1999 by the Chancellor’s Office of California Community Colleges, is an excellent reference.

In 1998, Congress responded to the need for electronic access by amending the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Commonly referred to as “Section 508,” the new law was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.

There are numerous resources available on Web accessibility. Most of these sites are linked and a good place to start is the AWARE Center (AWARE stands for Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education) or The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative.

Emerging need for accessible e-Learning

Now that the grace period for Section 508 is behind us, the responsibility for electronic accessibility has dramatically shifted from the receiving side to the sending side. Products must meet certain accessibility standards before being deemed appropriate for use by federal employees, according to the U.S. Department of Justice as recently as September, 2002.

This forecasts the need for user-friendly accessible e-Learning, whether it is transmitted by phone, television, video, Internet or desktop. With few exceptions, universal usability is becoming the standard in the federal sector and the states are heading in that direction as well.

Who are potential students?

From a global perspective, Table 1 is a conservative estimate of target populations. It does not include the elderly or people with temporary disabling conditions resulting from illness or injury.

What do they need?

Section 508 regulations and the regulations implementing Title II of the ADA contain nearly identical provisions stating that recipients of federal funds and public entities in providing any aid, benefit or service, may not afford a qualified individual with a disability an opportunity to participate that is not as effective as that provided to others. This means equal access, equal use, equal effectiveness.

What is an accessible e-Learning system?

On an individualized basis, the target audience might be anyone for whom a course is intended whereby special features are needed to access, use and benefit from the instruction. This could also extend to people whose first language is not English, or who are not “literate” or proficient in reading or writing the language used in the course. An example of this would be food service workers, construction and maintenance personnel, or others where reading and writing is not an essential function of their job duties.

Based upon the foregoing, this is my working definition: An accessible e-Learning system is one that provides electronically generated instruction that is equally effective for, and usable by all learners.

Prototype fully accessible e-Learning course development

Faced with the challenge of developing a fully accessible e-Learning course on CDROM for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, an exhaustive search yielded no comprehensive authoring tool that could generate all the required accessibility features needed for learners with sensory, motor and cognitive/processing support needs. This necessitated a customized approach.

As Pogo would say: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

It was a moment of challenge that forged 20 years of experience in the disability field with technical resources that I knew would work. It required a good command of content development and multimedia tools, instructional design skills and advanced programming talent.

Lacking sufficient programming expertise, we formed an alliance with Joe Ganci (an Authorware expert) and his team at Dazzletech. With the addition of a part-time student programmer and the support of project associates, the die was cast and the task was begun.

Guidelines for an accessible learning system

The TRACE Center has summarized design principles as “...three complementary components:”

1. Designing your software so that it is as usable as possible to the greatest number of people — without requiring them to use special adaptive software or hardware. (This is referred to as Direct Accessibility).
2. Designing your software in such a way that it will work with special access features built into the operating system or attached to it by users who require them. (i.e., Compatibility with operating system or third-party access features/software/ devices for those people who will not be able to use your software directly.)
3. Making sure that your documentation, training, and customer support systems are accessible.

    

Prototype design standards

Here is a key thing we learned. Rather than designing for a type of disability or a “label,” it is more appropriate to approach design in terms of learner support needs — learning, sensory, movement, cognitive. A simplified list of standards we used includes:

• “If you see it, you must hear it” and “if you hear it, you must see it”
• Arial 14 font and maximum contrast (black on white or gray, white on black); splashes of color may be used if not required for informational or navigational purposes
• Simple, uncluttered screen design with minimal distraction
• Navigate with or without a mouse
• Do not rely on user to provide access — build it into the product when possible
• Avoid plug-ins

We also applied other standards to cover issues of user control; screen interface and presentation; auditory and visual feedback; single key navigation; hard copy support in global formats; compatibility with accessibility software and hardware; and accessible technical support.

Specifically, we identified several support standards for common user need groups.

Support for lack of perceptual sensitivity to certain colors (color blindness)

• Design in black and white. Add color for emphasis, when your design is complete. Color should never be the only visual cue for anything, according to Diane Wilson, webmaster for the Usability Professional’s Association.

Support for blind learners

• Does not require screen reader to use
• Does not require human assistance except for plug-in installation
• Audio description of all screen elements, menus, instructions and graphics, and ability to turn description features on or off
• Alternative keyboard navigation congruent with generally accepted standards
• Keystroke echo and ability to turn this feature on or off
• Audio identification of course location
• Compatibility with standard screen readers
• Does not rely on sight for interaction
• Hard copy support in Braille-ready format, including instructions, scripts and text-based resources
• Instructions on CD-ROM in .wav and mp3 formats

Support for learners with low vision

• Easily usable with standard screen enlargement products
• Support documents can be altered to fit needs of students
• Good contrast in black and white with minimal colors
• Appropriate font and font size
• Text-based items can be easily accessed, manipulated and printed as needed
• Minimal use of moving or flashing objects

Support for deaf and hard-of-hearing learners

• Captions for all audio
• Captions are consistent, easy to read and can be controlled as needed
• Volume control and works well with headsets or other adaptive hearing devices Support for learners with physical mobility challenges
• Single-key navigation and interaction that does not rely on use of mouse

Support for learners with learning/ cognitive/language challenges

• Clear, consistent and logical navigation
• Uncluttered backgrounds and interface
• Simple design
• Correct font type and size
• Plenty of space between words
• Control over timing
• User-friendly 2-layered navigation
• Minimal distractions, flashing and moving parts
• 5th grade level vocabulary, limited jargon and cultural references

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