Welcome to the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center's monthly Bulletin on Accessible IT in K-12 schools.

Trainings & Events

The Great Lakes Center offers technical assistance, trainings, referrals, and resource material for K-12 and Postsecondary schools on Accessible Information Technology topics.

Resources

The Guide to the 508 Standards on Software Applications and Operating Systems (1194.21). www.access-board.gov/sec508/
guide/1194.21.htm

The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template Guides software developers to create accessible software. It was developed by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). www.itic.org/archives/articles/
20040506/voluntary_product_
accessibility_template_vpat.php

IBM offers a guideline and checklist on software accessibility through the IBM Accessibility Center. www-3.ibm.com/able/guidelines

The Key Elements of Accessible Technology

There are several key elements to make technology used in schools, especially websites, multimedia, and educational software, accessible to students with disabilities.

First is multiple representation of information where possible. For example, if information is conveyed with a sound, conveying it with a visual cue is very useful for many users. Sound is common element in many educational software titles. Sometimes the instructions and feedback are only sound based. Users may not be able to hear or distinguish sounds if the users are deaf or hard of hearing, work in noisy environments, do not have speakers on their computers, or sound is turned off to avoid disturbing others. Information represented with sound, visual cues, and text is usable and accessible to more people.

Another example of the need for multiple representation is images on websites or embedded in electronic text. When crucial content is presented only graphically, these images can present challenges for people who are blind or have low vision. Images that convey important information should also have alternative text to describe the image content.

The second key element in making technology accessible involves multiple means of access. For example, users who are unable to use a mouse need the commands and functions for software or websites to be available via the keyboard. Users who cannot see the mouse pointer on the screen or cannot see it clearly, benefit from this feature, as do users with limited hand use who cannot accurately position the mouse on objects and press the buttons. Keyboard commands provide a precise method for navigating through menus and dialogs and making selections. Try this: use the tab and arrow keys to move through your favorite website. Is the tab order clear and logical? Allowing multiple means of access is a basic building block to accessible technology.

Finally, a third important element in accessible technology is multiple means of engagement. If the interaction with the technology is not logical or organized it can be a barrier to individuals with cognitive impairment or learning disabilities. The most accessible technologies to those with cognitive impairments have well organized content using headings and other simple schemes.

In conclusion, technology should interact with the student through as many different sensory modalities and input modes as possible to offer access to all.

How Can I Tell If My Software Is Accessible?

Currently, there is not a way to automatically test a software program to check accessibility. However, there are checklists, guidelines, and testing tools to help schools choose the most accessible educational software available.

The only legal standard on accessible software was developed by the Access Board as a requirement of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (1998), which applies to purchases made by entities receiving federal assistance. There are twelve standards, and the Access Board provides a detailed explanation of each through its Guide to the Standards.

A more user-friendly method for schools to determine software accessibility may be to use accepted checklists. There are several, including an example from MIT that maintains a list of questions to ask when speaking with a product vendor on accessibility. For example:

• Are there ways to access each item in the menu bars via keyboard (such as ALT F and then X to exit a program)?
• Are there accessible alternatives to significant audio and video, such as captioning?
• Is there an option to display animation in a non-animated presentation mode?

Another step worth taking is to identify whether the software producer has voluntarily provided information about the accessibility of their product. Many vendors have done so with a simple, standard web-based template known as the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT.

Even with standards, guidelines, and checklists; actually testing the software for specific features will give you a clearer indication of its accessibility. IBM offers a set of software accessibility testing and checkpoint tools. But, the BEST method for ensuring accessibility of educational software in school is to test the software with various assistive technology products and with users that have disabilities.

Let software vendors know accessibility is important to you and encourage them to comply with standards. And give them specific feedback on where their product can improve, so there are more choices for accessibility software to serve all the students in K-12 education.