Collaboration to enhance digital accessibility

Collaboration to Enhance Digital Accessibility

Mrs E.A. Draffan https://www.flickr.com/photos/gforsythe/

Changing Demographics & Relationships

• more mature, part-time, distance & online students, • increasing student numbers (including the

recruitment of more students from outside the UK), • exploration of overseas markets, • strained or declining finances and pressure on

physical estates and • the need to develop employability skills in

graduates. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/

Digital Accessibility?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gforsythe/

Working from Strengths

Draffan E.A. & James A. (2013)

Text to speech / eReadingWord processing & proofing toolsGraphical mapping / Planning

Reminders

Speech recognition

Calculators & Maths

Study supportAlarms & environmental controls

Wearable technology

Communication devices

Workplace / Study / Living environmentAccessibility/ Constraints

Compatibility

Security & IT Policies

Daily Living needs

Environment:

Prior knowledge & experience

Information Processing

Working Memory

Technology skills & confidence

Motivation

Expertise:

Financial

Training

Peer support

Support Professionals

Technical support

Resources:

Reading & understanding information

Writing

Organisation & Planning

Communication

Memory & Recall

Time, Money & Numeracy

Daily Living

Tasks:

Individual preferencesVisual, Auditory & KinaestheticDexterity & MobilityConfidenceProcessing speed & attentionHealthPerceived benefit

Strengths:Tools:

Access

Personalisation and Accessibility

Productivity Tools

Free, Portable and Online Technologies

Assis

tive

Tech

nolog

ies

Tools for the tasks

Questions to ask those creating academic content …• What are the best ways to achieve the learning

objective?• Why are you using a particular type of multimedia?• What are the barriers to its use? • Do all learners need to use it?• Do certain alternatives impact on learning

outcomes?• What are the alternatives on offer?• Can they be achieved and allow for personalisation?

Collaboration

FutureLearn – Stepwise Approach

Each week is made up of activities broken down into small steps

representing the type of contentEach step is timed,

checked for accessibility with

named authorCopyright and

legal requirements signed off.

A record of all the steps is kept for reference – useful when advising

about ease of access for all stakeholders

Internationalisation and Interoperability

Content Type-set PDF Viewer

Assistive Technology.

PDF creation Existing Technical Standards

Existing Content Standards

e-assessmentJames A. (2015)

Free Document Accessibility Checkers• Structured Word document (using heading

and styles e.g. Microsoft Accessibility Checker)

• Accessible PDFs - free checker PAC 2 or online PAVE

• Calibre to convert to ePub and many other formats

• Accessible ebook checker (ePub) from International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF)

Localising multimedia tools? • Notetaking – Synote • Technology support - ClaroRead YouTube• Maths notation with text to speech - STEMReader

Web Accessibility – can we make it easier?• Video from Fix the Web (YouTube – captions for

translation)• Automatic checkers compared – 50% of the WCAG

2.0 criteria• IBM Bluemix services Digital Content Checker and 

Automated Accessibility Tester (free trial) • ATbar and Web2Access updates

Open Source and Crowd Source

Xerte Slidewiki

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gforsythe/ Created by ali1k.

Crowd LearnResponsive Design

Conclusion• Wide range of expertise – learning from each other

and spreading this knowledge out to stakeholders

• Crossing boundaries between accessibility, usability and personalisation.

• Opening the subject of digital accessibility out beyond the gatekeepers

Thank you / Gràcies / Gracias