InfoFest Kent 2017: Accessibility is good for you, Ben Watson
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
1 like•295 views
Inclusive design benefits everyone, including those with disabilities. Introducing Jisc's OPERA project, which promotes an inclusive environment and the wider adoption of assistive technology. Examples of assistive technology and software and how we're encouraging inclusivity at the University of Kent.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (11)
Similar to InfoFest Kent 2017: Accessibility is good for you, Ben Watson
Similar to InfoFest Kent 2017: Accessibility is good for you, Ben Watson (20)
More from UKC Library and IT
More from UKC Library and IT (14)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
InfoFest Kent 2017: Accessibility is good for you, Ben Watson
- 1. Infofest 2017: Accessibility is good for you Ben Watson Accessible Information Adviser University of Kent opera@kent.ac.uk
- 2. Inclusive design • ‘Accessible design is good design’ (United Kingdom 2015). • We can’t always know who we have coming to our institutions so isn’t it best to anticipate that every module, in every faculty, at all of our campuses could have someone with a print disability in attendance (and design inclusively as our default position).
- 3. Mainstreaming ‘Mainstreaming takes equality to the heart of an institution, moving it from a bolt-on aspect of delivery to an integral part of the way it thinks and functions’. Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) Mainstreaming: equality at the heart of FE and HE: final reports.
- 4. World Health Organization: definitions of disability 1980 - Disability as personal attribute In the context of health experience, a disability is any restriction or lack of ability (resulting from an impairment) to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. Today - Disability as context dependent Disability is not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.
- 5. What does print disability mean? A print-disabled person is anyone for whom a visual, cognitive or physical disability hinders the ability to read print. This includes all visual impairments, dyslexia, and any physical disabilities that prevent the handling of a physical copy of a print publication. (Copyright Licencing Agency, 2011).
- 6. What is assistive technology? Any device or system that allows an individual to perform a task that they would otherwise be unable to do, or which increases the ease and safety with which the task can be performed.
- 7. Disability = mismatched human interactions
- 8. Ian
- 9. Inclusive design. Who benefits?
- 10. Accessibility, usability and learning
- 11. Benefits of Inclusive Education There are 4 key areas in which Inclusive Education will benefit universities: • External scrutiny. • Equality Act 2010 and Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs). • Cost saving. • Reputational enhancement – institutional risk. • Better ‘product’.
- 12. OPERA (Opportunity, Productivity, Engagement, Reducing barriers, Achievement) To make recommendations that will help to develop an inclusive information environment and encourage the wider adoption of assistive technology (productivity tools) for all at the University of Kent.
- 13. Partners
- 14. OPERA aim: What does it really mean? • Promoting self-sufficiency. • Teaching people how to fish. • Not being anyone’s gatekeeper. • Making the most of technology.
- 15. Making sure everyone can get access to the information they need… • A truly accessible format is one which works for everyone (disability, distance, part-time, commuting, international etc.) without the need for conversion. • Accessible resources promote self-sufficiency, can be accessed on range of devices and tailored to suit individual requirements. • Typically the most accessible resources are therefore electronic.
- 16. Why are electronic resources more accessible? Electronic resources (where they are created inclusively) will allow users to: • Magnify. • Reflow. • Recolour - change background colours. • Convert formats - for example text to mp3/audio. • Navigate the document quickly using headings.
- 17. What can we do to be more accessible? • Ask a range of users at the design stage if they can use your material. • Seek ongoing feedback. • Use in-built tools such as the Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker. • Kent guidance. • WAVE tool. • Join a mailing list – lis-accessibility@jiscmail.ac.uk • Crowd source!
- 19. Microsoft Word documents accessibility • Keep the layout simple and clear. • Use heading styles to create clear document structure. • Make sure pages are numbered. • Use recognised rather than ‘unofficial’ formatting. • Make sure images and diagrams have alternative text descriptions. • Use plain English. • Ensure that printed handouts are also available in electronic format. • Use the Microsoft Word Accessibility Checker.
- 20. Microsoft PowerPoint accessibility i. • Minimum point size of 24 for all slide text. • Keep the layout simple and clear. • Use the standard templates. • Give each slide a unique title. • Use the Notes Field to expand on important points or summarise visual materials.
- 21. Microsoft PowerPoint accessibility ii. • Make sure all pictures, charts and diagrams have alternative text descriptions. • Use plain English. • Make sure there is good contrast between text and background. • Use the Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Checker.
- 22. The problem with physical printed material
- 23. Video magnifier
- 24. ClaroMagX A free tool that can effectively turn a smartphone or tablet into a mobile video magnifier: Online guide
- 25. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Scanner
- 26. How can I make electronic documents more accessible? Sensus Access is an online tool that will enable the conversion of electronic documents into a more accessible/usable format. • Using a mobile device. • Take a photograph of the OPERA paragraph and submit it to Robobraille (http://robobraille.org/). • Request an MP3 conversion. • Enter your email address. • Check your email in a couple of minutes. • Open the audio file.
- 27. OPERA OPERA (Opportunity, Productivity, Engagement, Reducing barriers, Achievement) is a University- wide accessibility project supported by advice and guidance from the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc). The project seeks to implement a range of accessibility initiatives to raise awareness of the potential for inclusive design and assistive technologies, to improve access to learning for all.
- 28. Providing information in an accessible way allows people to do anything…
- 29. Changing culture At Kent individual reasonable adjustments are made for each student via an Inclusive Learning Plan (ILP) prepared by Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) in partnership with academic schools.
- 30. Solve for one, extend to many This might be making our curricula inclusive, but it can also mean extending assistive technologies to everyone. • Kent productivity tools
- 31. How it works at the moment: reasonable adjustments Three key vehicles: • Individual reasonable adjustments. • Anticipatory reasonable adjustments. • Inclusive practice – universal design.
- 32. The Edinburgh 3 • The following three anticipatory reasonable adjustments made up half of the those recommended by the Student Disability Service: • Prioritised reading lists. • Providing lecture outlines before class. • Permitting lecture recording for personal use.
- 33. Kent Inclusive Practices (KIPs) Kent ILP adjustment (Edinburgh mainstream adjustment) Number of ILPs featuring adjustment Percentage of ILPs Use of Enabling Equipment (Permitting lecture recording for personal use). 972 62.2% Provision of Class Resources (Providing lecture outlines before class). 945 60.5% Direct Book Lists (Prioritised reading lists). 757 48.4% Total 2674
- 34. Prioritised reading lists • Benefits: • all students who are able to manage their time more effectively by focusing on most important readings first (improved satisfaction). • Student Support and Wellbeing are able to prioritise the delivery of alternative formats (e.g. Braille) for students with print disabilities. • Information Services can order strategically (e-first) to ensure access to library holdings and more effective use of funds.
- 35. 3a. Prioritised reading lists: working together Dear SSW, Reading List SP801: Statistics and Methodology has been reviewed for alternative formats and all available E-Resources have been purchased and will be linked to the list once they're available. The following items were not available to buy as eBooks and so require scanning Recommended- Available in library in hard copy Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics: and sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll – Andy P. Field, pub SAGE, ISBN: 9781446249185 Many thanks Louise, Templeman Library
- 36. The eBook accessibility audit
- 37. The eBook accessibility audit: alternative formats: the catalogue of interventions?
- 38. The eBook accessibility audit: where does the problem lie?
- 39. The eBook accessibility audit: weighting elements of eBook accessibility
- 40. The eBook accessibility audit: individual platform feedback reports example
- 41. The eBook accessibility audit: a common language with publishers
- 42. Michael Moore: Librarians ‘the most dangerous people in society’ • On dispute with Harper-Collins (HC) about Stupid White Men • Told to ‘tone down’ criticism of Bush – or HC would dispose of 50,000 copies. • Moore mentioned grievance to a union group. • A librarian happened to be in the audience. • She wrote to the other librarians via listserv [an early Web discussion group] about HC not publishing book.
- 43. A few days later… Editor at Harper-Collins: [screaming]: What did you tell the librarians? Michael Moore: I didn't tell the librarians anything! Editor at Harper-Collins: [screaming]: Well they're out there picketing us. In Manhattan!
- 44. End result Harper Collins gave in and book was published in original format Michael Moore: The most important thing it did was to remind me that [people] can effect change. We should have a Rosa Parks holiday to tell people, don't just sit there, do something. We need to dispel the great lie that you can't do anything about things.
- 45. Links and contacts The site • eBook accessibility audit (UK Higher Education) Contact us • ebookaudithelp@gmail.com
- 46. OPERA: the bridge to inclusion (for one)
- 47. OPERA: the bridge to inclusion (for all)
- 48. Information Services Equality Diversity and Inclusivity Working Group Service Catalogue
- 49. Productivity tools (assistive technology) guidance and infrastructure.
- 50. University of Kent Education and Student Experience Strategy We will aim towards: • Equality of opportunity for all students through inclusive teaching practices. • We will support innovative and inclusive practice in learning, teaching and assessment, including digital and assistive technologies, to enhance student engagement and outcomes.
- 51. Contact Ben Watson • b.watson@kent.ac.uk • opera@kent.ac.uk
Editor's Notes
- Inclusive design forestalls the majority of local workarounds.
- Equipment or software designed or modified to enable disabled students to gain access to curriculum content or assessment, such as the use of text-to-speech (TTS) or speech recognition software, are examples. QAA (2010).
- The Persona Spectrum is used to understand related mismatches and motivations across a spectrum of permanent, temporary, and situational scenarios. It’s a quick tool to help foster empathy and to show how an accessible solution scales to a broader audience.
- Image of light switch to inform anecdote about how anyone can be situationally disabled by the environment they find themselves in. A sighted person is disabled by a dark room that is unfamiliar to them. We need to give people the tools to level the playing field. Primarily this happens through understanding more about the barriers they may face in order that we can anticipate them. Movement activated light would have been more inclusive.
- Accessibility is the path to the learning resource. Usability is the effectiveness of the learning resource. Learning is taking off.
- Jisc are a registered charity and champion the use of digital technologies in UK education and research.
- Minimise barriers and maximise independence for all learners.
- Of course there are different degrees of accessibility for different people. It is always good advice to speak with individuals about how best to present information to them.
- Show examples of why electronic information is better Read aloud Magnify Reflow Colour change
- Wherever possible we should be providing materials for students with print disabilities in electronic format. This gives extra functionality in terms of the ability to convert the document to a range of different formats and manipulate them to support text-to-speech, magnification and background colour changes. Print materials can be converted to electronic format but the processes to do this are often very time-consuming and may not always produce authentic reproductions of the original material. Show examples
- A video magnifier is a standalone device that will allow for magnification and colour background changes on physical printed documents. They are only of use to users who have some sight however.
- Image showing Optical Character Recognition Scanner (OCR) being used to create an accessible electronic copy of an otherwise inaccessible print original. Once rendered using the OCR software the electronic document can be accessed using text-to-speech software (the computer reads aloud the document to the user) or manipulated further to increase text size or change background colours.
- SensusAccess is a self-service solution that automates the conversion of documents into a range of alternative formats including Braille, mp3, Daisy and e-books. The service can also be used to convert otherwise inaccessible documents such as image-only pdf files or scanned images into more accessible formats. SensusAccess is intended as a self-service solution for print-impaired students at universities and colleges and complements the accessibility services usually offered by educational institutions. The service can also be used by faculty to convert lecture notes and other educational material into accessible formats. SensusAccess is powered by the award-winning RoboBraille service and supports a multitude of languages beyond English. As such, SensusAccess can also be used as a learning technology for everybody: as a language learning tool, as a tool to convert academic papers into e-books or editable documents or as a way of turning textbook material into mp3-files.
- Minimise barriers and maximise independence for all learners. Enabling self-sufficiency. The case at Apple. The Apple approach…
- In a Kent context (mapping the Edinburgh adjustments to Kent ILP terminology) this would account for 2674 separate ILP entries for the above commonly recommended ILP adjustments.
- With preference to born-digital resources made available 4 weeks in advance to accommodate the provision of alternative formats:
- Electronic resources are fundamentally more accessible than their print equivalents as they can be easily manipulated to support different learning styles. Mainstream methods of delivery (e.g. standard commercial eBook platform)? No guarantees that the eBook platforms deliver a consistent standard of accessibility. Good for everyone – part-timers, commuters Story of disability and library professionals coming together to crowdsource a solution to a universal problem. Audit outputs as a way to measure basic accessibility functionality and guide platform improvement across the sector. Introduces benchmark for accessibility in eBook platforms: meaningful minimum standard for mainstream platforms. ‘translation' of technical standards into plain English that relate to reader's everyday experiences. raise awareness of inherent accessibility potential of eBooks. The heart of our motivation is the dignity and independence of readers. It is not unusual for textbooks on an eBook platform to be unavailable to print impaired readers because the accessibility features they require are not supported. They have to request an alternative format, slowing down access and reducing independence. Even where platforms support accessibility, it is often difficult to find information on what is available. Crowd sourcing an audit using library professionals who are not accessibility professionals presents its own challenges but is a good reflection of user experience. Many students with print impairments have a very narrow comfort zone with technologies and assistive technologies. We provided a face-to-face training afternoon for some volunteers and created a detailed online guidance resource that was available for all participating testers. The key elements of the project included: Crowd sourced ‘target list’ of aggregators so we were focusing on platforms that testers were using daily with students. ‘Plain English’ accessibility criteria - accessibility is often regarded as technical and therefore difficult. We focused on plain English descriptions of features the user might need and how to test them. Liaison with Publishers Association Accessibility Action Group - this group gave valuable advice and guidance on how to develop and present the audit in a way that maximised publisher collaboration and minimised polarisation. Supporting ‘How to’ resources were made available - to help the significant number of people (around 60%) who were conducting an order for the first time. Crowd sourced volunteers - from 33 higher education institutions. Some institutions use this as a training opportunity for entire library departments. In total we had over 90 testers. Standardised survey - the audit was completed through a standardised online survey form which fed the results into a spreadsheet. Centrally collated spreadsheet - this was exported into Excel where additional functionality could be added. Follow up survey - this gave us information on people's experience of doing the survey, the value they attached to the process as well as the outcomes and the impact it had on their understanding of disabled students and the need for accessible procurement. Create interactive assessment tool - using expertise from Leeds Beckett University we turned the spreadsheet into an interactive assessment tool that allowed a nuanced evaluation of platforms by weighting different accessibility features. Create supporting website with discussion area - this is now available at https://sites.google.com/site/ebookaudit2016/
- A breakdown of the costs of obtaining resource in alternative formats has been published by Andy McMahon at the University of Dundee e.g. cost for manual scanning = £0.96 per page. McMahon (2016) Alternate Formats Annual Report 2015/16. [Online]. Available at: http://atanet.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/University-of-Dundee-Alternate-Formats-Annual-Report.pdf (Accessed: 20/08/2016). Good news - nobody has been sued (in the UK). Bad news – it would be easy to make the case on the basis of. Neglect of anticipatory duty (HESA - Higher Education Statistical Analysis service - statistics for disabled students show an average of over 10% disabled students in HE. In some arts based institutions it is 20 – 30%. Demographic trends show 1in 10 having dyslexia, HESA trends show increasing % of disabled students applying to HE every year. Changes to the disabled student allowance (DSA) require organisations to remove accessibility barriers at source. This requires Information in accessible formats Reading lists that take account of ease with which accessible formats can be obtained Avoiding poor procurement choices where organisations pay for systems with low accessibility. Lack of reasonable adjustment is another reason you can be sued. Reasonable adjustments in terms of accessible information may take various forms like: Direct supply from publisher In-house scanning Third party service – e.g. RNIB Bookshare
- For some students printed material is not suitable, because it cant be easily be: reformatted for easier reading, read aloud by screen readers. Accessible eBooks and e-journals overcome access barriers. If an electronically accessible resource cannot be found, a catalogue of interventions is required to deliver an alternative format.
- This flow diagram shows how different publishers with different accessibility investments supply their materials into a range of aggregator services that deliver to higher education institutions. In the process, accessibility investments in the source file may be undermined by the aggregator. For example Onix accessibility data (codelist 196) may be provided by the publisher but not ingested by the aggregator. Or the source file may be capable of a wide range of magnification with full reflow but the interface used by the aggregator supports neither. Once an institution different accessibility experiences can result depending on the platform used, the file format selected, the tool used for delivery (browser version, browser age, browser type, or versions of Adobe reader/Adobe Digital editions). This in turn may create interoperability problems for screen readers or text-to-speech tools et cetera. The users needs may therefore remain unmet, despite the publisher having done everything in their power to meet them. Needless to say, a disgruntled student is most likely to blame the publisher whose name is highlighted on screen rather than the players in between.
- Visualising the different areas of the supply train where accessibility features can be lost. We felt it was important for suppliers to do their own audit as a triangulation to help them contextualise these risks.
- The criteria Scoring was on a range from 0 (feature not present or not operable) to 2 (feature present and works well) with 1 awarded where there was some functionality. The following criteria were scored. Other data was gathered but not used in the scoring. Format range Appearance Text magnification, reflow, alignment, font style, font colours, background colours, default colour contrasts. Navigation TOC hyperlinks, Skip links, Tab order, Unique link names Text to speech and/or screenreader compatibility Other outputs Printing / Copy and paste / Downloads Search (and tolerance) Non text elements Images / icons / animations Guidance – accessibility / keyboard shortcuts Assistive technology testing
- Askews and Holts have used the audit to clarify accessibility guidance for customers. The image shows the mirroring of eBook accessibility audit questions on their accessibility statement.
- http://www.upi.com/Michael-Moore-honors-librarians-at-Notable-Books-event/20661367177507/
- Moore is organizing a group of fellow authors advocating critical library issues such as better pay, better benefits, sexism and pay equity. Through his website he is offering videos of his television shows as well as his previous movies free to all librarians. He is also offering an endowment to establish a scholarship for minorities who wish to become librarians. He considers librarians "the most important public servant in a democracy."
- Images show a traditional clapper bridge on the left – monolithic slab (like the DSA) between two piers (only assessors and disability support with real involvement in disabled student support). The image on the right shows a stone bridge with many small elements held together in the structural integrity of the arch. This is a more sustainable solution. The elements are labelled as Teaching, Study skills, eLearning, Library, IT, Wellbeing, Student Union
- Images show a traditional clapper bridge on the left – monolithic slab (like the DSA) between two piers (only assessors and disability support with real involvement in disabled student support). The image on the right shows a stone bridge with many small elements held together in the structural integrity of the arch. This is a more sustainable solution. The elements are labelled as Teaching, Study skills, eLearning, Library, IT, Wellbeing, Student Union
- Following on from the Equality Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Workshop on 3rd February 2016, this table defines the elements of our accessibility offer and establishes a service catalogue to support that offer. It builds on the aims of the workshop and the action in the Information Services Equality Diversity Inclusivity Group (IS EDIG) action plan 2015/2016 to “review services listed in the IS guide and ensure service/technical owners are in place”. The services identified in the Main Services and Service Elements columns are as articled by the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) in their good practice for Library and learning resource staff and accessible practice tool for library and learning resources guidance documents. The roles and responsibilities outlined have been agreed by all those concerned, the Information Services (IS) Equality Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Working Group, Information Services Equality Diversity Inclusivity Group (IS EDIG), Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) and all processes undertaken approved by Jisc. The accessibility offer and the service catalogue will be reviewed annually under the guidance of IS EDIG.
- Promoting productivity tools – tools to help you study and manage your time.