Beyondalttags

Beyond alt tags: Creating accessible course content in a Learning Management System Kyle Mackie - TSS Sandra Earl - D2L

Guiding Statement Instructional practices should focus on helping all students learn, and should not be limited by the learning environment the material is delivered in.

Accessible eLearning
Accessible eLearning Suites allow users to access and interpret learning material using technologies suited to their particular needs.
Accessible eLearning Suites help address the mismatch between a learner’s needs and traditional instructional practices by supporting diverse learning materials and learning paths.

D2L and Accessibility
At Desire2Learn we test our products against two major accessibility standards:
Section 508 of the United States Rehabilitation Act
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) produced by the World Wide Web Consortium.
We publish our compliance, including outstanding concerns, on our corporate website and have a consortium of accessibility experts at client institutions review our results. http://www.desire2learn.com/products/accessibility/

Organizing course materials
Open Communication
Use your Course Home page to introduce yourself and to encourage students to contact you if they need assistance.
Use your Course Home page to provide a brief explanation of your course, including where to find course materials and assignment deadlines.

Redundancy
Create a course syllabus with direct links to relevant material.
Use the Schedule tool to communicate important dates
Create a checklist that includes all assignments, readings, quizzes, etc.

Redundancy (again!)
Provide the same information in multiple formats. For example provide readings, podcasts, videos, etc. on the same topic.
Make assignment formats flexible. For example, allow users to submit either a webpage, interview or essay.

Time limits and deadlines
Use the Discussions tool instead of the Chat tool for collaboration projects.
Provide readings and assignments in advanced so that students can work ahead and prepare.

Time limits and deadlines
Consider offering quizzes without time limits. If time limits are appropriate, make sure students who need it have Special Access.

Creating course materials
A good starting point for creating accessible course materials is ensuring that your HTML content is accessible.
Things you need to consider when creating accessible HTML include:
Alternative text (descriptions) for images
Properly tagged headings
Contextual links
Contrasting foreground and background colors

Beyondalttags

by Kyle Mackie

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