1. Innovative and Easy:
Strategies for including learners with Disabilities into
Distance Education
Valerie Claire Haven
University of Massachusetts
617-287-7425, voicemail
Valerie.haven@umb.edu, email
Learners with Disabilities:
A New Paradigm
• View of disability is changing in the American educational system
• Learners are engaging with their disabilities as part of their learning
experience
• Pedagogy is shifting from the view of the level playing field to inclusive
learning environments
• Assistive technologies aren’t keeping up with shifts in public education
• Trend is moving toward complimentary end user-based technologies
Accessibility and Usability
of L.M.S Platforms
• Blackboard Academic Suite - fairly accessible
• Blackboard Campus Edition - moderately accessible
• Blackboard Vista – marginally accessible
• All Blackboard L.M.S products require end user training with assistive
technology
• Overall usability of L.M.S platforms is low
ATUTOR:
An Accessible Open Source L.M.S
• ATUTOR is a free Open Source Web-based e-learning environment
• Designed with accessibility and adaptability in mind
• Developed by the University of Toronto
• Offers complimentary accessible e-learning tools such as text-based chat
• www.atutor.ca

2. Screenshot of: ATUTOR
Embedding Enhanced Access into Commercial
L.M.S Platforms
• Increase font size to 12 or 14 point
• Keep text to average or short line lengths
• Add space between letters and lines or text
• Use visual icons sparingly
• Create some white space on page when possible
• Add headers to divide content when possible
Screenshot of Course Home Page
Enhancing Accessibility
of Course Content
• Save PDF’s and Power Point presentations in accessible formats
• Text is in a clear font and is in 12 or 14 point
• Add multi-media such as audio and self-paced videos to support learning
content
• Use simple language
Developing External Web Pages to enhance L.M.S
accessibility
• Uploading accessible content to a web page and hyper linking into a
course shell
• CSS Zen Garden Offers samples of web-page designed with cascading
style sheets
• www.csszengarden.com
Screenshot of Zen Garden
Browse Aloud
• Browse Aloud makes a web site accessible to those with diverse
disabilities
• Low vision, learning, and cognitive disabilities
• Also supports learners with English as a second language

3. • Allows end user to re-size text, change page colors, and convert text into
MP3 files
• The reading software application is provided to the end user for free
• Web site owner pays for site activation with no changes to the server
• www.browsealoud.com
Screenshot of Browse Aloud
Text to Speech Software
• Thunder – free screen reader from England (www.screenreader.net)
• SATOGO – free screen reader from U.S (www.satogo.com)
• Both applications are free to the end user
• SATOGO is loaded within a browser and released at the end of the session
• Thunder requires installation to a local hard drive
Screenshot of Thunder
Screen Enlargement Software
• One Format – free text enlargement software (www.oneformat.com)
• Preferences can be saved
Screenshot of One Format
Synchronous Conferencing Tools
• Hands-on Video Relay Service – free web cam-based service for signers
of American Sign Language or signed English (www.hovrs.com)
• Accessible Event-flash-based conferencing tool for users who are blind,
deaf, or deaf-blind. Fee-based, but inexpensive (www.serotek.com)
• AChat-PHP is an access standards compliant Web-based synchronous
communication tools for low vision, blind, and deaf users
(www.atutor.ca/achat/index.php)
Screenshot of Hands On VRS
Software for those with Cognitive or Learning
Disabilities
• Wordle- free web based application converts text into mind maps
(www.wordle.com)

4. • Illustrates words in order of their frequency of occurrence within written
text
• Used for blogging, but has applications for education
Screenshot of Wordle
Conclusion
• Development of web-based complimentary tools is making American
education more accessible to everyone
• Free or inexpensive applications provide new options for lowering the
learning curve for technology
• Tools designed for learners with disabilities can be used by students with
diverse learning styles as well
• E-learning opened the door to accessible education