508 Compliance in eLearning Courses

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508 Compliance in eLearning Courses I. Introduction to 508- compliance Before we introduce 508-compliance, let 9s first look at some basic points. A.

What does caccessibility of an eLearning course d mean? " It means that a person taking the eLearning course should have full and complete ability to interact with the course, whether or not the person has a disability. " B.

Why is accessibility important for eLearning? " At least 10% of the population in most countries has disabilities of different types. " Adults with disabilities spend twice as much time online as adults without disabilities.

" Adults with disabilities say the Internet has significantly helped them communicate and socialize. " No organization can afford to deliberately ignore this market sector. II.

Accessibility Challenges Now that we have answered the need for 508-compliance, let 9s look at some challenges to which 508-compliance is an answer. A. Blindness Challenges " Images, photos, and graphics cannot be directly used by blind users.

" Complex data tables and graphs that are usually interpreted visually cannot be directly used by blind users. " Users often listen to the Web pages. " Users often jump from link to link or navigate using the TAB key.

a. Color Blindness i. ... more. less.

Colors alone cannot be used for imparting information. ii. Colors of similar contrast are often indistinguishable. b. Low Vision i. Users often use screen enlargers. ii. Text in graphics does not enlarge without special software, and looks pixilated when enlarged. B. Deafness a. Audio is unusable. C. Motor Disabilities a. Users may be using voice-activated software. b. Users may not be able to use the mouse. D. Cognitive Disabilities a. Users may be confused with complex layouts or inconsistent navigational schemes. b. Users may have difficulty focusing on or comprehending lengthy sections of text. c. One method of input may not be sufficient. III. 1194.31 Course Compliance Section 508 Criteria Supporting eLearning Course Features (a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. " Course content should comply with and support screen readers. " Course should have audio supporting text. " Course should have ALT text for graphic. (b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. " Course content should be developed using HTML and JavaScript for display in a Web Browser as a standard Web Browser content can be handled by Assistive Technology applications. " Most operating systems have magnifiers as a solution. " Courses can have a PDF document with large font as attachment in the course. The PDF document will contain entire course content. (c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided " Courses can have transcript/text on screen. " If course only has summarized text on screen, courses can have floating/collapsible text areas with text matching exactly with audio (transcript). (d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. " Courses can have transcript/text on screen. " If course only has summarized text on screen, courses can have floating/collapsible text areas with text matching exactly with audio (transcript). (e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for Assistive Technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. " Courses should not have any interaction where speech input is required. (f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided. " Course content should be accessible using a keyboard as an input device. " Alternate steps (both mouse and keyboard related) can be provided as instruction to complete an interactivity. IV. Example to Show TAB Navigation in a Branch Page in a 508 Compliant Course 1. Branch launch page 2. On pressing the Tab key the focus (Note the yellow outline) shifts to the branch elements. 3. On pressing the Enter key or the Spacebar the user is taken to the branch page of the 8in focus 9 branch element. 4. To move back to the branch launch page, the user presses Tab key again to bring the Next button into focus (Note the bottom right corner). When the user presses the Enter key or the Spacebar for the 8Next 9 button, he is taken back to the launch page.

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