Teleconference Details

1. Update on sub-groups activities
2. Update on accessibility related activities at Blackboard by Stephanie Cupp
3. BB World 2008 and meeting on the side of conference
4. Accessibility related documentations (questions from Jon):
   • Is there any special phone number, e-mail, web service or other resources for people with assistive technology related questions or problems with using Blackboard products to contact Blackboard for solutions or reporting problems?
   • How is keyboard support documented in support resources for keyboard only users to reference?
   • How are accessibility features of Blackboard applications documented (i.e. like use of headers) so that people using assistive technologies know what to expect, rather than them trying to figure out what is available for accessibility.
   • Is there a disability support section for instructors related to extending time testing or other issues related to using Blackboard for disability related accommodations.
5. Potential collaborative projects?
   • Improving accessibility of BB website
   • Making searching for relevant accessibility info easier at BB website
   • Assisstive technology users tutorials project
   • Course/documentation on utilizing BB built-in tools to create more accessible contents
   • Integrating accessibility in BB training workshops

Next Meeting

• Date: Monday September 08, 2008
• Time: 2:30 PM EDT; 1:30 PM CDT; 12:30 PM MDT; 11:30 AM PDT
• Phone/location: General/217 265-8030

Participants

1. William Murray, BB
2. Stephanie Cupp, BB
3. Dara Millen, BB
4. Joanna, BB
5. Mark Burris, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
6. Dom Amos, Pellissippi
7. Valerie Haven, UMass Boston
8. Kevin Price, UIC
9. Andy Jacobson, BB
10. Hadi Rangin, UIUC
11. Anne-Marry Armstrong, Wayne State University
12. Kathy Fernandes, CSU
13. Lori Holden, CSU
14. Lisa Fiedor, NCSU

Discussion

Updates Subgroups

• BB Design:
  Missed 2 weeks, bb world, design ideas, prototypes, Allen and Hadi most frequent on call. (under client agreement for feedback). Back to regular Thursday schedule. Stephanie and Will say more are welcome to joing. 2 pm Thursdays eastern time.
• BB documentation:
  Kevin: Need info on moving forward. Tutorial for BB with screen reader, George WashingtonUniversity is working with BB. Not sure what needs to be done when new version comes, hold until later in the process. Documentation for new product
  Andy: Tech documentation at BB, Beth Stinson has been working to create a course with Universal Instructional Design standards and accessibility for all users. Packaged with instructions on how to use course. It has been made available online at BB site. 300 individual downloads so far. Training Materials team from BB is going to collaborate with documentation.
  Need more people to provide testing and feedback. Anyone can volunteer their school.
• BB-Testing:
  Is focusing on top five issues already discovered, create tickets to pass on to designers/developers
  Stephanie: maintenance team Two issues for working on: header structure has been reported and working to put into new release. Up coming round of development, once plan is finalized, will be able to know if there is room for next planned release and can work with testing group, see if can get into next group. Pass deadlines to ??

Report and feedback on BB 2008 conference

Good to have a general session on accessibility, made it valid and good for continued work and moving forward
Marc, very positive for him, meeting Stephanie and Melissa Anderson. Sees that it is a process being built into products. Good to put faces and names together and extend relationships. Got contact who may help with testing.
Stephanie: excited to work with different types of colleagues about accessibility (Melissa is part of solutions team, working with clients who might purchase BB, real advantage for everyone). A little surprised on small session from product development on accessibility and tech, only 2 attended. Was there feedback on how to get more to attend? Product management wants to meet you?? Schedule ?? More specific ??? Wednesday session had 20 people.
Marc: would be useful if bb could make presentations on usability and issues, better attendance from BB accessibility interest group, maybe a panel?, incorporate accessibility into more sessions, present accessibility tips.
Kathy: using the term accessibility does not draw on this campus. Faculty usually would like the accessibility topics to integrate with other topics and presentations. Faculty do not come for just accessibility—put into topics that are already hot and popular.
Hadi: Send your ideas/suggestions how to make it more useful and productive.
Stephanie: accessibility features now and future, need to go beyond screen readers, project NG, accessibility of bb web site, working with manager of site and talking about issues, conversation is happening and will share.

Questions

Hadi, people need to know what features are supported.
Andy Jacobsons Tech comm. Team at BB end users: answers to questions submitted by Jon

• Is special phone number or other contact method available for persons to contact BB who need a different means of access, etc?
  No, but interesting idea, will pass along, make them aware of issue, few different ways to implement.
• Keyboard support
  Targeting for NG releases, make a consistent key board experience and documentation.
• Documentation of accessibility features, i.e. Headers, etc
  Screen reader tutorial being prepared, explaining structure of pages, ties in with HTML, once have good Screen Reader tutorial, this will be basis for more changes that are more accessible.

Mark: where is download of present accessibility course found on BB web site?
Andy: Reference center behind BB, search on accessibility, Andy will send email to list to introduce the product.
Hadi: what about other ways of accessing, e.g., magnification?
Andy: want to start with Screen Reader, then take on other Assistive Technology.
Mark: good step forward
Hadi: Is there a support section related to using BB, e.g, extending time for tests?
BB: There are instructions on using and not using timed tests. Also, there are instructions on how one can control when users see information—it is easy to make information available earlier. But, nothing relates the functions to pedagogy or use in Universal Instructional Desugb. There is a need for it to be specific about the uses of such features like timed tests and delayed information when teaching and their effect on learners of all abilities.
Andy: Need to work with BB training team.
Hadi: this information should be available on web, can link from BB site to web. Put accessibility link with information on pedagogy.
Andy: good idea but have to raise to others who control the web site.
Hadi: Make access to accessibility information easier.

Improving accessibility of bb web site

Hadi: Who is contact at BB,
Andy: Might be a support issue, might have to work to get this to be a bigger issue. Support would be place to start.
Hadi: Jason Minkoff???
Andy: Agree that needs to be out so more can google it. Agree pedagogical rationale and support is missing and need to include when training on accessibility and to include links to the pedagogy.
Make it very visible. Director of Creative Services needs to be in on discussion.
Dean: put on web site and within BB. Where it can be googled. If considering buying can find it.
Hadi: Ease of access if very important. Adaptive Tech user tutorial project, Andy, -- partner with GWU, will meet, look at local partner so can go and work with someone who is using screen reader and help to see actual usage and where can improve. Beth is working on it.
Hadi: Good, but everyone has different experiences, need more than one user. Georgia Tech started something like this. Make certain it is practical approach. Would like to be in touch with people at GW so it will be more generic.
Andy: agrees that wider range needs to be used, and Beth can bring the GW results to documentation group. Hadi: Utilizing BB environment for Accessibility?? There are some difficulties, Show ways to use BB to create accessibility content
Andy: Agree, good idea. Execution might be interesting. This is a big idea and very valuable. Is it training or documentation?
Hadi: Incorporating Accessibility in BB workshops?
Andy: working with IDer to make the BB content accessible and then to add pedagogical to training when they go out and can introduce—get into the training workshops. Suggesting having someone on team who can develop a Pre-conference workshop on accessibility.
Hadi: group would like to work with training on developing that kind of workshop. Beth and Dierdre are on BB team.