From: Blackboard Accessibility Interest Group [BLACKBOARD-ACCESS-L@LISTSERV.UIUC.EDU] on behalf of Hadi Rangin [hadi@UIUC.EDU] Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2007 3:24 AM To: BLACKBOARD-ACCESS-L@LISTSERV.UIUC.EDU Subject: Fwd: BbWorld - Birds of a Feather: Accessibility This is the notes from the "Birds of a Feather: Accessibility" session at BB World 2007 Conference. Thanks to everyone who attended in that session and a special thank to Ella Herz, the QA manager at Blackboard who took the notes. >Subject: BbWorld - Birds of a Feather: Accessibility >Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:23:15 -0400 >From: "Ella Herz" >To: , , , > , , , > "Ella Herz" , , > , "William Murray" , > , >CC: "Marc Nadeau" , "Ben Wang" > > >Below are notes from the Birds of a Feather: Accessibility session. >They are a little rough and unedited, but hopefully a good reminder of >the discussion. Thank you all for taking the time to get together. I >think it was great interaction. > >Ella Herz >QA Manager >Blackboard, Inc >1899 L Street, NW >Washington, DC 20036 >202.463.4860 x 2372 >eherz@blackboard.com > >[] > > > >Birds of a Feather: Accessibility >BbWorld 2007 >July 10, 2007 >Boston, MA > >Attendees: >Name >Email >Institution >Dennis James >djames@Matcmadison.edu >Madison Area Technical College >Lisa Andion >landion@gmu.edu >George Mason University >Jennifer Allen >Jt.allen@idla.k12.id.us >Idaho Digital Learning Academy >Hadi Bargi Rangin >hadi@uiuc.edu >University of Illinois >Adam Rose >arose@govhs.org >Virtual High School >Mike Johnson >Mike.johnson@eku.edu >Eastern Kentucky University >Ella Herz >eherz@blackboard.com >Blackboard, Inc >Jim Carr >Jkcarr1@ualr.edu >University of Arkansas at Little Rock >Susan Hicks >hickss@mail.ucf.edu >University of Central Florida >Will Murray >wmurray@blackboard.com >Blackboard, Inc >Chris Johnson >Cjohnson1@nyls.edu >New York Law School >Keith Koch >Keith.koch@capella.edu >Capella University > >Discussion: > * Looking mostly at 508 Compliance > * University of Central Florida > * Vista 4.1 was not able to change the system alt tags > * New York Law School > * Only on line course is specialty in disability law > * Includes many disabled lawyers > * Working very hard to avoid law suits > * Have to provide accommodations (e.g. student reader) > * Challenged to be accessible by the fall semester > * University of Illinois > * User group working with Blackboard to establish processes > * Discussion of Web Content Accessibility Level 2 > * CE4 to CE6: couldn't move due to accessibility issues > * Working with students with disabilities for alternative testing > * Develop content in CSS > * Using Audio with transcripts > * Madison Area Technical College > * Created Universal Design Document for Accessible Content > * For Faculty (they don't have instructional designers) > * Have 5 years of proof that it works > * Used Blackboard 6.3 going to 7.2 > * Universal Design of Learning and Improving Accessibility >in Blackboard > * Provided by Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning > * http://macmadison.edu/cetl > * University of Illinois > * Working with a group of over 50 institutions > * Identify accessibility problems and address them > * Had good relationship with WebCT prior to merger (Rob Dumas) > * Working with Blackboard now to reestablish the relationship > * Getting support from Blackboard Product Management and >hopefully now QA, Documentation, and UI > * Training for Blackboard software developers in August > * Part of Blackboard Product Development Partner (PDP) program > * New York Law School > * Sales material says that Blackboard has accessibility >testing in QA (this was for WebCT > * Blackboard > * Upcoming focus on accessibility > * Working with Hadi as PDP for new Gradebook > * Looking at best practices for testing approach > * How long is too long to access? Imagine 1500 links on a page >with no navigation > * Functional Accessibility Evaluator from the University of Illinois > * Navigation > * Text > * Scripting > * Styling > * Standards > * Firefox Accessibility Extensions > * TAWS > * FANG > * Discussion about accessible content > * Blackboard tools could/should warn/prompt instructors about >accessibility > * Within VTBE, hard for designers to make things accessible >without using HTML > * Content developed outside by designers to meet the >accessibility functions > * Need Building Block/Power Link that is an accessibility checker > * Accessibility is an important topic to keep universities from >being sued > * University of Texas accessibility center stated that improving >accessibility improves environment for everyone > * Wondering when 504 statute on learning styles will start to be >the basis of law suits > * Ajax changes components of the page which makes updating very >difficult. > >This e-mail is intended only for the personal and confidential use of >the recipient(s) named above. >It may include Blackboard confidential and proprietary information, and >is not for redistribution. ---------------------------------------- Hadi Rangin Web Design and Accessibility Specialist Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign Phone: (217) 244-0518 E-mail: hadi@uiuc.edu URL: http://cita.uiuc.edu