The document discusses the importance of teaching accessibility and inclusive design in higher education by outlining the social, legal, and career benefits; provides examples of how to incorporate accessibility content into curricula using tools and resources; and offers guidance on creating accessible documents, presentations, and digital media.

1. Teaching Accessibility and Inclusive Design in
Higher Education Curriculum: Benefits,
Approaches and Resources
AccessU 2018
Lydia Harkey
IT Accessibility Director for Texas A&M Systems
lydia.harkey@tamuc.edu
Howard Kramer
University of Colorado-Boulder
hkramer@colorado.edu, 303-492-8672

2. Presentation posted at
slideshare
http://slideshare.net/hkramer99/
UD-in-Curriculum-AccessU- 2018.pptx

4. Bremerton Beyond Accessible Playground

5. Introductions
Lydia Harkey
IT Accessibility Director for Texas A&M Systems
Howard Kramer
PI for Promoting the Integration of Universal Design
into University Curricula (UDUC), CU-Boulder
Teach Universal Design for Digital Media
Accessing Higher Ground: Accessible Media, Web &
Technology Conference

6. Agenda
• Importance of teaching about UD and accessibility
• Examples & tools for including UD content in
curriculum
• Resources for teaching about UD/accessibility
• More about grant project - UDUC
• Q & A

7. WhyTeach about
Accessibility & Inclusive Design?

8. WhyTeach about
Accessibility & Inclusive Design?
• Social Case
• Legal
• Reaching diverse audiences
• Accessibility benefits everyone

9. Quotes – Social Case
• “The power of theWeb is in its universality. Access by
everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.” –
Tim Berners-Lee
• “We need to make every single thing accessible to every
single person with a disability.” – StevieWonder
• “The one argument for accessibility that doesn’t get made
nearly often enough is how extraordinarily better it makes
some people’s lives. How many opportunities do we have to
dramatically improve people’s lives just by doing our job a
little better?” – Steve Krug (2005)

10. Lawsuits / Settlements

11. Disability Demographics / Changing
Markets
• Demographics
• 1 in 5 people in the U.S. has a disability
• 1 in 10 have a severe disability
• 2003 – 36 million aged 65+ in U.S. (about 12% of pop.)
• 50% have disability
• 2030 – 70 million 65+ (20% of pop.)
• 1 Billion people in the world have a disability
• Globalization | Emerging Markets
• Tourism | immigration | globalization
• More non-English speakers or non-readers

12. Accessibility Benefits Everyone
“Situational Disability”
Captioning in
noisy room
Stroller at curb
cut
Driving

13. Devices created for “special need”
Text to Speech

14. Career Benefits
•In 2015 tech firms such asYahoo,
Facebook, Dropbox and LinkedIn
announced that they will develop standard
language that lets applicants “know that
having accessibility knowledge is preferred”
to land a job.
Changing landscape for accessibility skills
in tech and design

15. Teach Access
•Originated atYahoo!
• Collaboration between tech companies,
faculty and accessibility specialists
•Goal
• Increase accessibility knowledge and skills
among tech and design professionals
Other Resources / Projects

16. Teach Access - Industry Supporters

17. Academic Contributors

18.  WCAG: 299 jobs
 ADA: 1000+
 Accessibility: 1000+
 C++: 1000+
 IT Security: 1000+

19. Where’s the Gap?

20. Why the Gap?
•Post-secondary IT programs update their
curricula every 4 to 5 years
•Curriculum standards boards – late in
adding accessibility as a component
• Association of Computer Machinery’s (ACM) –
added accessibility only in 2017
• ABET – just recently added accessibility

21. Why the Gap?
•Shinohara, Kawas, Ko and Ladner (2017) –
surveyed 1800+ faculty in Information
Technology & Information Science fields
• most critical barriers to teaching accessibility
• clear and discipline-specific accessibility
learning objectives
• the lack of faculty knowledge about
accessibility

22. Screenreader Demo
• NVDA (Non-visual desktop assistant)
• VoiceOver
• TalkBack
2:45

23. Screen Reader

24. Screen Reader + Browsers
• Edge + Narrator
• Internet Explorer + JAWS
• Google Chrome + JAWS
• Google Chrome + NVDA
• Firefox + JAWS
• Firefox + NVDA
• Safari (Mac OS X and iOS) +Voice Over
https://source.opennews.org/articles/accessibility-starter-kit/

25. Real examples of individuals using
AssistiveTechnology
•Tommy Edison – the Blind Film Critic
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0nvdiRdehw
•S—t people say to blind people
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uk8pwEHMBE

26. Accessibility onYour Phone
• iPhone
• Android

27. 7. When happy
with your
settings, either
tap Accessibility
in top left of the
screen or press
your device’s
Home to return
to the Home
screen.
iPhone

28. 5 Popular Accessibility Features
1. Magnification
2. Text to speech
3. Negative colors/Color
adjustment/Invert
4. TalkBack/Voice Assistant
5. Interaction Control
Android
Using talkback gestures:
http://www.apps4android.org/?p=4147

29. Social Model of Disability

30. Diversity in Classrooms
Chronicle of Higher Education

31. • Solutions
• Benefits
Creating an Accessible Classroom

32. Disability Etiquette

33. Audiences & Issues
Disability & Issues Adaptation or AssistiveTechnology
Blindness orVisual Impairment
Deafness or Hearing Loss
Mobility & physical disabilities
Cognitive

34. Audiences & Issues
Disability & Issues Adaptation or AssistiveTechnology
Blindness orVisual Impairment
Visual information, non-semantic
text (on Web), orientation, poor
contrast, small font
Screenreader technology, high contrast,
semantic web pages, adjustable font,
high contrast, keyboard friendly
Deafness or Hearing Loss
Speech, sounds & multimedia, low
volume, noisy environment
Captioned videos, Real-time captioning,
transcripts (for audio-only multimedia),
sign-language interpreters
Mobility & physical disabilities
Inability to use a mouse, or a
keyboard, walking, lack of hand
dexterity
Large targeting areas (i.e. links and
controls on a web page), keyboard
friendly, voice recognition, word
completion, head and eye-tracking
devices
Cognitive
Poor understanding meaning of site
elements, finding information on a
web page
Easier to understand language, article
summaries, avoid over cluttered web
pages, high contrast, semantic web
pages

35. Resources to Introduce and Convey
Accessibility Issues
• WAI – Accessibility Perspectives
• https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspectives/

36. Resources to Introduce and Convey
Accessibility Issues
• WAI – How people with disabilities use the web
• https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/people-use-
web/stories

37. Creating AccessibleWord Documents

38. Creating Accessible DocumentTips
• Use headings
• Use lists
• Add alternate text to images
• Identify document language
• Use tables wisely
• Tab order
• Use accessibility checker

39. Documents to PDFs

40. Accessible Documents to PDFs
• Do not PRINT to PDF
• Test for:
• image or text file
• tags; add tags if needed
• Reading Order
• Test for markup; tagged lists, tagged tables
• URLs as links
• Language

41. • How to test: Try select text using a mouse, or
select all text using Edit > “Select All” from
Acrobat menu
• If No: This is an image and is not accessible.
• Convert to text usingVie >Tools > “Recognize
Text”
Step 1
Does document have text?

42. • How to test: Go to File Properties
(Ctrl+D inWindows, Command+D in
Mac). In the bottom left corner of the
Document Properties dialog, see the
“Tagged PDF” field
• If No: this document needs to be
tagged.Tags provide the structure on
which accessibility is built. Add tags by
selectingView >Tools > Accessibility >
“AddTagsTo Document.”
Step 2
Is Document tagged?

43. • How to test: UseView >Tools > Accessibility > “Touch Up
Reading Order”.
• Some fixes: Hide decorative or redundant images from screen
reader users. Click an image, then click “background”
• Add or edit alt text for informative images. Right click on an
image, then select “Edit alt text”.
• Rearrange read order if needed. Click “Show order panel”, then
drag items to their appropriate location.
• If the page includes data tables, click a table, then click the
“Table Editor” button to edit accessibility features within the
table.
Step 3
Does document need to be
“Touched Up”?

44. • How to test: First, study the document visually to
determine what the heading structure should
be. Next, open theTags Panel by selectingView >
Show/Hide > “Navigation Panes” >Tags.TheTags
Panel shows a tree of tags that is very similar to
HTML.
• To change a tag: right click on the tag, select
Properties, then choose an appropriate tag from
the list. If you know what the correct name should
be for a particular tag, you can also double-click
the tag and type in the correct name.
Step 4
Are Headings Marked Up As Headings?

45. • How to test: Follow the same instructions as in the
previous step. However, rather than focusing
specifically on headings, consider the overall
structure.
• Are lists tagged as lists?
• Does content appear in reasonable order?
• Authoring tools generate a wide variety of tags. Can
ignore, as screen readers ignore most of them and
render their content as paragraphs.
• If tags are a mess, it might be easier to delete all
tags and rebuild from scratch.
Step 5
Other Markup NeedTo Be Fixed?

46. • How to test: Try clicking a link to see if it
attempts to open the target resource in a
web browser.
• SelectTools > Accessibility > “Full
Check” then read the report and follow
the prompts.
• If not: selectTools > “Document
Processing” > “Create Links from URLs”
Step 6
Are URLs encoded as links?

47. • How to test: Go to File > Properties > Advanced >
Language.
• If not: If no language is specified, select one and
save the document.
Step 7
Is the language of the document defined?

48. • How to test: Run the accessibility checker that is built in to
Acrobat.
• Best to use as the final step in our checklist, because some
errors can be easily addressed with the first 7 steps.
Step8
Any lingering Errors?

49. Making PowerPoint Presentation
Accessible

50. • Select the “Design” tab (PC) “Change Slides” (Mac)
• Click the desired template for the PowerPoint Presentation
• Select a template with:
• Readable font style—Arial orVerdana
• Readable font size—12 or larger
• Contrast—For example, black text on white background
• Color
•Do not use alone for emphasis
•Limit use of color on slides
Step 1
PowerPoint Presentation Design

51. • Select New Slide to add
slides to the presentation
• Do NOT use the Blank
template
• Do NOT add text boxes to
a slide (they cannot be read
by a screen reader)
Step 2
SlideTheme

52. •Select Layout to
change the layout of
a slide
•Do NOT use the
Blank template
•Do NOT add text
boxes to a slide
(they cannot be read
by a screen reader)
Step 3
Slide Layout

53. Step 4
Images, Charts, and Graphs
AltText
• Right click on image
• Select Format Image
• Select AltText
• Enter AltText in the
Description field
DescriptiveText
• Enter before or after chart,
graph, or image
• Enter in the Descriptive text

54. Step 5
CheckingVisibility
In order to understand what a person sees when they
are colorblind:
• Click the View tab
• Then select Grayscale

55. Step 6
TableTools DesignTab
• Be sure there is enough contrast between the text and
background colors of each cell
• Choose a table style that provides grid lines to separate the
data cells

56. Step 7
Checking the Reading Order
To check the reading order:
• Go to the Home tab
• In the Drawing group of commands, select Arrange
• Then click Selection Pane

57. Step 8
Accessibility Checker
To run the accessibility
checker:
• Click on the File tab, then
click Info
• Click the Check for Issues
button
• Then click on Check
Accessibility

58. TestingWebsite for Accessibility

59. Easy Checks
• Page title
• Image text alternatives (“alt text”)
• Headings
• Contrast ratio (“color contrast”)
• ResizeText
• Keyboard access and visual focus
• Forms, labels, and errors
• Moving, flashing, or blinking content
• Multimedia (video, audio) alternatives
• Basic structure check https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

60. Perceivable
• Do images have alternative text?
• Does video have captions and doe audio have a
transcript?
• Does the web page or document include
headings, lists, ARIA landmarks, and other
semantic elements to communicate document
structure?
• Is the tab order and read order logical and
intuitive?
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

61. Perceivable
• Do form fields within web pages and documents have
appropriately coded labels and prompts?
• Have you voided using visual characteristics to
communicate information (e.g., “click the circle on the
right” or “required fields are in red”)
• Does the interface have sufficient contrast between
text color and background color?
• Does the content scale well when text is enlarged up
to 200 percent?
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

62. Operable
• Can all menus, links, buttons, and other controls be operated
by keyboard, to make them accessible to users who are
unable to use a mouse?
• Does the web page include a visible focus indicator so all
users, especially those using a keyboard, can easily track their
current position?
• Do features that scroll or update automatically (e.g.,
slideshows, carousels) have prominent accessible controls
that enable users to pause or advance these features on their
own?
• Do pages that have time limits include mechanisms for
adjusting those limits for users who need more time?
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

63. Operable
• Have you avoided using content that flashes or
flickers?
• Does the web page or document have a title that
describes its topic or purpose?
• Doe the website include tow or more ways of finding
content, such as a navigation menu, search feature,
or site map?
• Is link text meaningful, independent of context?
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

64. Understandable
• Has the language of the web page or document
(or individual parts of a multilingual document)
been defined?
• Have you avoided links, controls, or form fields
that automatically trigger a change in context?
• Does the website include consistent navigation?
• Do online forms provide helpful, accessible error
and verification messages?
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

65. Robust
• Is the web page coded using valid HTML?
• Do rich, dynamic, web interfaces, such as modal
windows, drop-down menus, slideshows, and
carousels, include ARIA markup?
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

66. LMS and Accessibility

67. Best Practices
• Conduct an accessibility audit
• Develop a corrective action strategy to address
problems
• Develop accessibility standards and create method
to monitor compliance
• Provide training and education
• Institute procurement process to address
accessibility procedures
• Provide and publicize mechanism anyone can report
access barriers
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

68. Terminology
Universal Design
vs. Inclusive Design
vs. Accessibility
vs. Usability
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/

70. Books & Curriculum Material
• AWeb for Everyone: Designing
Accessible User Experiences
• Norman, David A.The Design of
EverydayThings (2002).
• InterACT with Web Standards: A
holistic approach to web design,
Anderson, et. al.

71. AWeb For Everyone
Personas
Excerpts
http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/a-web-for-everyone/#excerpts

72. Aspects of Course that particularly
effective at promoting UD
• Demographic assignment
• Emphasis on multi-faceted benefits – mobile,
SEO, etc.
• AT User Interview
• Use of screen reader and other evaluation tools
• Opportunity for them to redesign a site of their
choice

73. Legal

74. Legislation, Laws & Best Practices
• Section 508
• Texas
• Texas Administrative Code 206
• Texas Administrative Code 206
• Texas Government Code 2054, Subchapter M
https://depts.washington.edu/uwitats/checklist/
• U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights
(OCR)
• U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

75. Teach Access - Initiatives
• Include accessibility in tech job requirements
• Conduct faculty training
• Provide guest speakers from tech companies for
the classroom
• Develop training tutorials on accessibility
Other Resources / Projects

76. No BookVersion
 WAI – How people with
disabilities use the web
https://www.w3.org/WAI/i
ntro/people-use-web/
 Universal Design for
Digital Media (eBook)
http://www.uduc.org/res
ources.php

77. Promoting the Integration of UD Content into
University Curriculum (UDUC)
Other Resources / Projects

78. W3C WAI Resources
•Before and After Demonstration (BAD)
•Web AccessibilityTutorials
•Developing Presentations andTraining
•Future Resources
Other Resources / Projects

79. Promoting the Integration of Universal
Design into University Curricula (UDUC)
Opportunities for Collaboration
• Sharing of Resources
• E-text book
• Joining UDUC network/mailing list
• Distributing surveys to students – benefits of
taking classes with Inclusive Design and
accessibility topics

80. Accessing Higher Ground
Conference
Basics of Inclusive Design for Online Education
• https://www.coursera.org/teach/inclusive-design/
Free Coursera MOOC
Accessible Media,Web &Technology
•November 12 – 18, 2018
•Westin Hotel - between Boulder & Denver
•http://accessinghigherground.org