LINK:  “Change the Way You Approach Accessibility” 

AIM: learn how to provide a more accessible and equitable learning environment and experience for all learners. 

PRESENTERS:  Jason Don Forsythe, Senior Solutions Engineer, Blackboard and Jennifer Mattice, Web Development Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

SYNOPSIS:  “Accessibility is a topic that schools and districts continue to struggle with as learning opportunities and technologies expand our potential to reach more learners in new ways. District leaders have also begun to consider a more holistic definition of inclusivity as they modify policies, requirements, and professional-development expectations. From websites to learning management systems, we are able to create even more instructional opportunities for our students. The content we create and share must take into account this broader definition of inclusivity—learning needs, access issues, and a more mobile and diverse student population than ever before.”

INTENDED AUDIENCE:  Educational professionals, webmasters, superintendents, tech leaders, special-education coordinators, and principals.

SUMMARY: Best practices, tools and tips were described to improve accessibility and inclusiveness. 

1.    Inclusive learning is not only for students with disabilities:

·         Guidelines for building a digital accessibility policy 

·         Accessibility Checklist

2.    Diverse Accessibility Challenges: 

·         Cognitive, Physical, Visual and Hearing 

3.    ASK: “In what ways do you achieve inclusive and equitable outcomes while encouraging continuous improvements and making a difference in the lives of students?”

4.    Student Challenges: 

·         Explicit alternative formats

·         Long delays on receiving requested formats

·         Excludes many students

·         Closely related to quality and usability

5.    Teacher Challenges:

·         Lack of awareness of the problem and what to do.

·         Lack of understanding on how it can affect students

·         Lack of guidance on how to improve accessibility

6.    District Challenges: 

·         No insight into the scale of issues

·         Manual remediation workflow

·         Multiple stakeholders

·         Lawsuits because of legal requirements

7.    Adjusting your approach to content selection and development:

·         Inclusive Content:  Thinking inclusively means revisiting content and ensuring its set up for universal consumption. It also means choosing not to use content that doesn’t meet expectations.

·         Discussion of The University of California, Berkeley cutting off public access to tens of thousands of video lectures and podcasts in response to a U.S. Justice Department order that it make the educational content accessible to people with disabilities.

 

Quick Start Accessibility Requirements: Consider the requirements that help people who are blind, deaf, or cannot use a mouse- DIGITAL EQUALITY.

a.    Color Contrast issues: 

To check color contrast use: https://www.levelaccess.com/color-contrast-checker/

b.    Using Tables Correctly

c.    Empty Links and Headings, and Improper Use of Headers

           Use: https://webaim.org/techniques/word/

d.    Missing alt tags in images

           Use this accessibility site: https://webaim.org/techniques/word/

e.    Tabbing order doesn’t match visual order

f.     Improperly tagged PDF files

g.    Videos without captions: 

h.    Appropriate reading level of text:

i.      Readability Checker: http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

2.    Formatting accessible websites and documents:

·         Structure and formatting

·         Proper use of table

·         Alt text for the images

 

3.    Building accessible documents & PDFs:

·         Start from a well formatted source file

·         Include accessibility tags when saved to PDF

·         Invest in Acrobat Pro and use it’s accessibility tools

·         Refer to: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Accessibility/Format_Accessible_Documents#make-pdf-documents-accessible_OTP-2

·         Slide titles and Reading Order: https://webaim.org/techniques/powerpoint/

·         Use the outline view instead of the normal view. This will help make sure each slide has a title.

·         Use the layouts that come with the templates. This will help make sure the content is in the correct reading order.

·         Check reading order on each slide.

·         Refer to: 

 

2.    Captioning Videos:

·         Find already captioned videos

·         Upload to YouTube

·         Start with a storyboard

·         Edit automatic captions

·         Refer to:

 

3.     Minimum Accessibility Requirements:

·         All features must meet the minimum accessibility requirements in order to be considered complete, and be released to customers.

·         Look at keyboard access, screen reader access and technical accessibility

 

4.     Ask: How can I find obvious accessibility problems?

5.    Implement Digital Accessibility Policy & Procedures:

·         Designate a digital accessibility coordinator

·         Provide training:

 https://www.deque.com/training/

 

·         New digital content is accessible

·         Corrective action plan

·         Monitor compliance https://www.section508.gov/sell/vpat

 

6.    Make a Difference:

·         Offer Parent center workshops (video workshops on You Tube and send out handouts) https://www.fcps.edu/node/28555

·         Special Ed conferences with accessible digital format: https://www.fcps.edu/spedconference2019

·         @HemingwayApp Hemingway makes your writing bold and clear. Put in text and see where you can simplify your prose.
·         @dequesystems Accessibility software for the web & mobile apps. #accessibility assessments, fixes, and tools to make a site ADA and 508 compliant.

·         @googleaccess The official Twitter account for Google's accessibility team.

·         @edwebnet A free professional learning community for educators. Learn from peers and experts, share innovative ideas to improve teaching and learning

·         @DigitalPromise A national nonprofit authorized by Congress to spur innovation in education and improve the opportunity to learn for all through technology and research.

Activating the event tag of “Accessibility” on the edweb site showed the following past 2019 edwebinars that can be viewed to expand professional development in this area:

·         Free Tools for Accessibility and Inclusive Classrooms

May 8, 2019 

·         Five Steps to Ensure Accessibility for All

April 22, 2019 

·         Increasing Accessibility and Fostering Inclusive Classrooms

March 26, 2019 

·         Accessibility: Effective, Equitable Learning Environments for All Students

March 11, 2019 

·         Web Accessibility Update: Ruling Reversals, Insights, and Tips

February 14, 2019 

·         No captioning

·         Webcam of presenters helped with speech reading except one presenter was using a phone headset that blocked his mouth

·         Time given for Q&A was good but when reading the questions (I was not viewing a live webinar) he read out the questions quickly and mumbled so it was difficult to follow

·         Material presented was at times difficult to follow concerning the software accessibility (not novice level)

·         Lecture style is not my preferred way of learning so it was difficult to concentrate

·         Transcripts are available if you request them but take a few days to arrive- this would help with retention/following along with the video

·         Lots of resources were provided- I followed up and added the links

·         Best advice given: be specific about what you ask your AT specialist and choose one thing you learned today and apply it to everything you do- then apply the next thing and build up your skills until you can make all materials inclusive and accessible

·         Twitter is the haiku of social networks. 
·         Twitter messages, known as tweets, 
·         140 character limit. 

·         Personal development and professional development: To connect with classrooms, students and experts

·         Share blog posts
·         Post You-tube videos
·         Use hashtags to connect with online communities who share their interests: huge community for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. 

·         Innovation: Paula is a fourth grade teacher who is inspired by innovative thinking, tweeting @plnaugle.

·         Digital Innovation: Bonnie mixes technology with kindergarteners every day, tweeting @BMcClelland24.

·         21st Century Learning: Scott is the co-founder of March Book Madness and tweets about related topics @escott818.

·         Ed Collaboration: Heather shares everything she learns @heatherrocco.

·         Kid Blogging: Margaret loves watching her gifted kids discover their passions, tweeting @MargaretGSimon.

·         The Learning Scientists (@AceThatTest). Teacher blog

·         Rebecca Foster (@TLPMsF) Blogs weekly about practical ideas for the classroom.

·         Wider educational debates @DavidDidau , @JamesTheo and  @GuardianTeach.

·         Learning Policy Inst @LPI_LearningThe Learning Policy Institute conducts and communicates independent, high-quality research to improve education policy and practice. 

·         AFB @AFB1921 

·         Mark A. Riccobono @Riccobono 

·         World Blind Union @BlindUnion 

·         BlindAbilities @BlindAbilities 

·         ACB National @acbnational 

·         National Federation of the Blind@NFB_voice 

·         Royal national Institute of Blind People: @RNIB Follow them @RNIB here.

·         San Diego Vision Loss: @SDCBlind Follow them @SDCBlind here.

·         Microsoft Accessibility: @MSEnable. Follow them @MSEnable here.

·         Perkins School: @PerkinsVision. Follow them @PerkinsVision here.

·         Veron4ica Follow me @Veron4ica here.

 

·         Why teachers are turning to Twitter?

·         http://theconversation.com/why-teachers-are-turning-to-twitter-94582

·         Twitter for teachers

·         https://www.schrockguide.net/twitter-for-teachers.html

·         Obstacles, Travails, and Barriers, Oh My! Educators' Perspectives on Challenges in Professional Social Media Use

·         https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332427686_Obstacles_Travails_and_Barriers_Oh_My_Educators'_Perspectives_on_Challenges_in_Professional_Social_Media_Use

 

o    Photos: [PIC]

o    Videos: [VIDEO]

o    Audio: [AUDIO]

1.    Plume for Android 

2.     Easy Chirp: an accessible alternative to Twitter. Easy Chirp operates in a similar way to the main Twitter website but provides a more consistent layout, good keyboard navigation, better support for assistive technologies such as screen readers. It also allows users to add alternate text and long descriptions to images.

3.    How to make images accessible https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/picture-descriptions

4.    How to make Twitter accessible https://www.afb.org/blindness-and-low-vision/using-technology/using-social-media-visual-impairment-or-blindness-1

5.    Twitter Accessibility Tips: https://www.boia.org/blog/twitter-accessibility-tips

6.    5 ways to make your tweets accessible: https://www.abilitynet.org.uk/news-blogs/5-ways-make-your-tweets-accessible

7.    Using Twitter with Vision Impairment: https://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/blog/using-twitter-vision-impairment

8.    Example of PD that gives opportunities for teachers to twitter, have a choice and voice too. http://technicallyteamann.com/no-teacher-summer-slide-fun-summer-pd-teachers/

·         PADLET.COM: Padlet is both a website and a Chrome extension

·         Lets you create a blank digital wall where you can gather work, answers, or any other type of information (images, graphs, videos) that will help inform your teaching and serve as a baseline for upcoming instruction.

·         Use of Padlet as a backchannel with: AnswerGarden, Backchannel Chat, GoSoapBox, Mentimeter, Slido and Zeetings

·         Use Padlet as an exit ticket

·         Upload a Canva graphic to Padlet