Implementing A Holistic Approach To E-Learning Accessibility Brian KellyUKOLNUniversity of BathBath

Email:B.Kelly@ukoln.ac.uk

UKOLN is supported by: TechDis is supported by:

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/alt-c-2005/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/alt-c-2005/

Lawrie PhippsJISC TechDis ServiceYork

Email:Lawrie.Phipps@heacademy.ac.uk

Co-author: Caro Howell, University of Bristol

Note: Permission is granted to record or broadcast this talk for non-commercial purposes.

Note: Permission is granted to record or broadcast this talk for non-commercial purposes.

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About This Paper

This paper:• Summarises the role of W3C WAI and WAI

WCAG guidelines in helping to provide universal access to digital resources

• Describes some of the difficulties experienced in implementing guidelines

• Describes some of the limitations and dangers with the guidelines

• Provides a holistic framework for e-learning accessibility

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About The Speakers

Brian Kelly:• Works for UKOLN – a national centre of

expertise in digital information management• Web adviser to the UK higher & further

education and cultural heritage communities• Funded by JISC and the MLA

Lawrie Phipps:• Works for TechDis, an educational

advisory service, working across UK, in the fields of accessibility and inclusion

• Senior Advisor for Higher Education• Funded by the JISC

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This paper is based on the experiences gained by TechDis and UKOLN over several years in advising the HE/FE sector on best practices for Web accessibility

This paper is based on the experiences gained by TechDis and UKOLN over several years in advising the HE/FE sector on best practices for Web accessibility

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W3C WAI and WCAG

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium):• Body responsible for coordinating development of

Web standards

WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative):• W3C group responsible for developing guidelines

which will ensure Web resources are widely accessible

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines):• One of three sets of WAI guidelines. WCAG

provides advice of accessibility on Web content (e.g. HTML pages)

• Other two WAI guidelines cover accessible user agents (UAAG) and accessible authoring tools (ATAG)

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Interpretation of WAI WCAGHow do you interpret WAI WCAG (must use ALT tags for images; HTML must be valid; must use style sheets for presentation; …):

• Mandatory, with following characteristics:Clearly defined rules ObjectiveChecking mostly objectivePenalties for non-complianceSimilar to checking that HTML complies with the

standard

• Advisory, with following characteristics:Useful guidelines, to be interpreted in contextIt's about providing useful, usable resourcesChecking mostly subjectiveIt's similar to checking that a Web site is well-designed

Which reflects your views most closely?

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WAI WCAG AA and AAA

In order to achieve WAI WCAG AA compliance:• Avoid deprecated features (e.g. FONT)• Use W3C technologies when available and

appropriate (no Flash, MS Word or PowerPoint)• .. use the latest versions [of W3C formats] • Create documents that validate to published formal

grammars (i.e. HTML must be valid)

In order to achieve WAI WCAG AAA compliance:• "Specify the expansion of each abbreviation or

acronym in a document where it first occurs" (BBC?)• Specify document collections with the LINK element

and "rel" and "rev"

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I think this means the format is appropriate (i.e. HTML for slides) but others argue it means resources, expertise, … available

I think this means the format is appropriate (i.e. HTML for slides) but others argue it means resources, expertise, … available

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The WAI Model

The WAI model for Web accessibility is based on three components:

• Content• Authoring Tools• Browsers

Get all three right and you'll have universal accessibility

But:• We have no control over browsers & authoring tools• The browsers and authoring tools aren't great• The content guidelines are flawed• Is universal accessibility really possible?

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WCAG and E-learningWCAG 2.0 draft (implicitly) acknowledges that accessibility to everyone is not possible:

“Our target is to make things as accessible to as many people as possible given the need to have practical techniques and criteria.”

But there are issues for learning e.g."Make text content readable and understandable"

Issues:• How practical are guidelines in e-learning (rather than for

informational resources)?• How practical are they in the HE context?• Contextual issues• Backwards compatibility issues

"Clearly identify who benefits from accessible content, and who will benefit from each requirement e.g

• Impairments of intelligence, memory, or thinking • The inability to interpret and/or formulate language symbols,

learning disabilities"

"Clearly identify who benefits from accessible content, and who will benefit from each requirement e.g

• Impairments of intelligence, memory, or thinking • The inability to interpret and/or formulate language symbols,

learning disabilities"BK LP

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The e-learning User Experience (in HE)

Fieldwork

Labwork

Lectures

Peer learning

Group work

Viva Voce

Library

Tutorials

Webresources

CAA

E-learning

Student

LP

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Usability

Accessibility is not a product

Creating a resource that is inclusive is a process

The process must involve users

The experience of the JISC X4L programme• Creating learning materials• A tick list for accessibility

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Usability as a process

… of accessibility, objectives and needs• You need to consider your context• What do your community want or need to

access• Prioritise those areas – test them with the

users

LP

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The Holistic ApproachAccessibility is only important in achieving a user's objective:• This objective does not

(usually) state “I want to read Wuthering Heights on a Web site that is XHTML Strict and complies with WCAG AAA”

• Create an ALT tag for pathos?

• You have resources other than the Web

LP

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Pragmatism and Holism You have limited resources:

• Prioritise• Seek to implement a basic level of

accessibility – but test the important resources with users

• Usability of material is as important as accessibility

• Be flexible, state that you want to support users and provide a contact

LP BK

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TechDis – UKOLN Approach

Remember UK legislation expects organisations to take "reasonable measures"

Remember UK legislation expects organisations to take "reasonable measures"

UsersNeeds

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Holistic framework for e-learning accessibility published in CJLT:

• Focuses on the userand recognises importance of:

• External pressures e.g. funders, QAA, …

• Technical infrastructure • Resource implications• Learning & teaching outcomes

and requires quality assurance based on documented policies and systematic checking

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I-Map – A Case Study

Independently of our work Tate Gallery were using a similar approach:

• Need for an educational resources about Picasso/Matisse

• Aimed at visually impaired users

• Recognition that a universal approach was inappropriate

• Developed a hybrid approach

i-Map Web site breaks WAI guidelines (e.g. it uses proprietary formats) and took a user-focused and pragmatic (what expertise do we have) approach.Positive comments received from target audience

i-Map Web site breaks WAI guidelines (e.g. it uses proprietary formats) and took a user-focused and pragmatic (what expertise do we have) approach.Positive comments received from target audience

http://www.tate.org.uk/imap/pages/animated/primitive/picasso/nude_arms.htm

http://www.tate.org.uk/imap/pages/animated/primitive/picasso/nude_arms.htm

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Further Developments

Need to develop a more formal methodology to support holistic approach to IT development programmesJISC-funded QA Focus project developed methodology:

• Supportive of open standards & best practices• Recognises need for diversity (due to immaturity

of technologies, richness of usage scenarios, ...)Recommendation that programmes allow for diversity & experimentation:

• Argues for diversity rather than universality• Freedom to experiment on some areas• Tolerance of mistakes in some areas• Opt-out mechanisms

This approach is being further developed through joint work with UKOLN, TechDis, AHDS & CETIS

This approach is being further developed through joint work with UKOLN, TechDis, AHDS & CETIS

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Conclusions

To conclude:• WAI guidelines have been developed for a reason

– so seek to understand them and implement them if and where appropriate.

• Be flexible if implementation is difficult or conflicts with (for example) learning.

• Think holistically! Students don’t come to HE to only sit in front of a screen.

• Select guidelines / standards that mean something to the context of the resource.

• Document your processes.

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Questions

Any questions?

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to JISC for funding UKOLN and TechDis and the QA Focus project.

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to JISC for funding UKOLN and TechDis and the QA Focus project.