Adapting Technology Changing Lives Accessible to All? Jo Greenwell – Head of Public Services AbilityNet Joe Chidzik – Usability and Accessibility Consultant

Adapting Technology • Changing LivesAdapting Technology • Changing Lives

Accessible to All?

Jo Greenwell – Head of Public Services AbilityNet

Joe Chidzik – Usability and Accessibility Consultant

Simon Sheldrake - NIACE


Moodle

• Stands for "Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment."

• Moodle is an open source course management system, originally developed by Martin Dougiamas. It is used by thousands of educational institutions around the world to provide an organized interface for e-learning, or learning over the Internet.

• Moodle allows educators to create online courses, which students can access as a virtual classroom. A typical Moodle home page will include a list of participants (including the teacher and students) and a calendar with a course schedule and list of assignments.

• Other Moodle features include online quizzes, forums, where students can post comments and ask questions, glossaries of terms, and links to other Web resources


Accessible for all?

• Accessibility and Digital Inclusion – the case for design for all

• VLEs and accessibility, a TechDis perspective – the case for design for the many


How accessible is your moodle?

Can you change screen colours? And font size?

Is there clear and consistent Navigation?

Can you navigate using just the keyboard?

Is there an accessibility page with help for users?

Do links have clear names and images have descriptions?


The Law

1995 DDA

2003 DDA Part 3 Access to goods and servicesConcept of Reasonable AdjustmentConcept of anticipatory action

2003 DDA Part 4 for Post 16 Education

2006 Disability Equality Duty for Public Bodieshave due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity

between disabled persons and other persons

encourage participation by disabled persons in public life; and take steps to take account of disabled persons’ disabilities, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.


Disability Equality Duty

• Under the new legislation, public bodies are required to dismantle institutional barriers to disability equality. This means scrutinising all activities including teaching, training and learning activities, …. website design ….

• Most barriers experienced by disabled people are caused by the attitudes of others. The reason for this is that people in general do not ask disabled people what they require to be able to participate


Site navigation

With a consistent and intuitive navigation scheme in place users should easily be able to tell:

• Where they are currently• Where they can go next –

use a breadcrumb trail and sidebars

• Where they can go for help


Fonts and Colours

• Font Style should be sans-serif this not this• Users to be able to change font size

See resources on CD• Users to be able to change page colours

See resources on CD• Use external tools such as TechDis Toolbar


Keyboard Only Access

• Check for keyboard only access

• Use Tab Shift Tab Space EnterEscapeAlt + Tab

• Set up a skip links button


Accessibility page and help


Labelling links and images

• Ensure that all links make sense out of context e.g. link text should not be ‘click here’ or similar. For instance, ‘For more information on Spain, click here’ would be better than ‘Find out more information about Spain’ .

• If pictures are used to convey information add “Alt Text” to them so visually impaired screen reader users can read a description of the picture

Picture of reduced sized keyboard with no numberpad


Voice Support

• Consider adding built in speech to support second language learners and those with literacy needs. It should be easy to use and easy to turn off

• See BrowseAloud in action on the NIACE website

• See ReadSpeak at http://www.readspeaker.com/default____219.aspx


Making InformationEasier to Understand

Some less obvious tips to think about when preparing

learning material


• Keep using the same word –

residence, home, property

• Active voice – The dog saw the cat not The cat was seen by

the dog

• Avoid double negatives –

It’s not unusual … It’s usual …

• Nominalisation – You should make an application You

should apply

• Personal reference – I, we, you – but don’t use too many

• Prefer numbers to words – 6 people rather than six people


• Use the 12 hour clock – maybe even show a clock face?

• For percentages consider ‘1 out of 10’ – easier than 10%

• Punctuation – use less : ; - , - and miss out full stops sometimes

• Use examples – … transport, such as cars and buses, …

• Keep line length to less than 60 letters or spaces – jagged right edge, no hyphens

• Avoid using BLOCK CAPITALS, italics and underlining too often


• Clear fonts and sizes

The write stuff - Comic Sans

The write stuff - Verdana

The write stuff - Palatino

The write stuff - Arial

The write stuff - Times New Roman


Jargon Buster!

• With regard to

• As a consequence of

• Concerning

• Following

• Ascertain

• Documentation

• Beginning / Commencing

• About

• Because

• About

• After

• Find out

• Documents / Papers

• Starting


http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/ – SMOG tool

www.clearforall.co.uk – currently working on new site

www.mencap.org.uk

www.easyinfo.org.uk

Plain English GuideBy Martin CuttsPublished by OUP in 1999ISBN 0-19-866243-2

Some useful resources


Resources on CD


What Next?

• Look at NIACE website for developments

• Contact AbilityNet on 0800 269545

or at www.abilitynet.org.uk for information on:

- Designing accessible E learning and Web Sites

- Courses on Assistive Technology

- Assessment of staff and learners with assistive technology needs

- Service Level Agreements to support learners and staff

- Assistive Technology Kits