Designing for all:
Making your VLE areas and materials accessible
Kirsten Thompson
@_KirstenT | K.Thompson@adm.leeds.ac.uk
Overview
During this one hour session we will consider the
importance of making learning materials accessible, the
support available at the University for staff and students,
and some of the approaches you can take to ensure
disabled learners and those with learning difficulties, are
catered for.
We will also explore accessibility features available in the
VLE and easy ways of creating accessible online content,
as well as considering the benefits and challenges various
file formats present.
Overview
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Definitions
Legal context & UoL policy
Accessibility features in the VLE
Creating accessible online content
JISC TechDis
1. Definitions
Universal Design for Learning
“Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles
for curriculum development that give all individuals equal
opportunities to learn.
UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals,
methods, materials, and assessments that work for
everyone -not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather
flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for
individual needs.”
Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html
UDL = designing for all
Disability
“In the Act, a person has a disability if:
• They have a physical or mental impairment
• The impairment has a substantial and long-term
adverse effect on their ability to perform normal
day-to-day activities”
Directgov, Disability and Equality Act 2010
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/RightsAndObligations/DisabilityRights/DG_4001068
Usability
“5 quality components:
Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic
tasks the first time they encounter the design?
Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how
quickly can they perform tasks?
Memorability: When users return to the design after a
period of not using it, how easily can they re-establish
proficiency?
Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are
these errors, and how easily can they recover from the
errors?
Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?”
Jakob Nielsen
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html
Usability
“Don’t
Make
Me
Think”
Steve Krug
http://www.sensible.com/dmmt.html
Web accessibility
Web accessibility means that people with disabilities
can use the Web.
More specifically, Web accessibility means that people with
disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact
with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web.
Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect
access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical,
speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php
2. Legal Context and
UoL Policy
Legal obligation
“It is unlawful for schools and other education
providers to discriminate against disabled pupils,
students and adult learners….the Equality Act 2010
has increased protection for disabled learners
against unfair treatment.”
DirectGov http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/EducationAndTraining/DG_4001076
UoL
“The University of Leeds is committed to supporting students and staff
who:
• are deaf or hard of hearing
• are blind or partially-sighted
• have a physical disability, and/or mobility difficulties
• have a specific learning difficulty (for example, dyslexia or dyspraxia)
• have a developmental learning or behavioural condition (for example,
AD(H)D)
• have an autism spectrum condition (for example, Asperger
Syndrome)
• have a mental health condition
• have a long-term medical condition (for example, chronic fatigue
syndrome, asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, cancer from the point of
diagnosis, HIV)
• have a combination of these”
http://www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/for-staff/supporting-disabled-postgraduate-research-students-a-guide-for-staff/
UoL Single Equality Scheme
Commitment to promote equality and diversity in our work.
Response to legal responsibilities under anti-discrimination
legislation.
The priorities identified in the Single Equality Scheme action
plan include those recommended by staff and students in
the 3Rs ‘Rights, Respect and Representation’ consultation
sessions (held in 2009), and specific public sector statutory
obligations.
Replaces the University’s previous Disability, Gender and
Race Equality Schemes.
http://www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/university-policies/single-equality-scheme/
UoL Equality Service
Advice
Good practice guidance
RNIB & UoL
Transcription Centre
http://www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/
3. Accessibility features
in the VLE
Accessibility features in the VLE
Good practice in the VLE
Use meaningful names and descriptions for menu items,
folders, files etc
Customisation:
Text style module menu is accessible, button style menu
isn’t.
Choose a high contrast between background colour and
foreground text (print to B/W if in doubt)
Default menu view: permit folder and list view
Default content view: Icon and Text
Navigating the VLE with Jaws
4. Creating accessible
online content
Repurposing Vs. Optimised Design
“It’s cheap but degrading to reuse content and design
across diverging media forms like print vs. online or desktop
vs. mobile.”
1. “Repurposing: make as few designs as possible –
preferably one – and reuse the same material across as
many platforms as possible.
2. Platform optimisation: design different user interfaces for
each platform.
Repurposing has huge cost advantages. Most of the work
must be done only once. But on most platforms, the
outcome tends to be a substandard user experience.”
Jakob Nielson
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/repurposing.html
Accessible online content
Creating accessible documents with Office
Wimba Create: Turning Word documents into web pages
PDF – Portable Document Format
Only accessible if formatted correctly but no definitive
answer as to whether PDF files are truly accessible (RNIB)
ODF – Open Document Format
Emerging and developing format
Accessibility tips
Transcripts for audio/video
Sans-serif fonts e.g. Arial are best for the web
Colour alone should not be used to highlight information
Images: use ALT text and long descriptions. Choose images
with a good contrast
No single solution meets every need