Teleconference Details

• For the Support group: Create documentations explaining how AT software/hardware work and how people with disabilities access electronic/web-based information. 
• For Development group: Create documentations explaining the universal design and helpful features that enable AT software/hardware to access web applications properly (customized Best Practices for Blackboard Web App). 
• For AT users: Creating help files explaining how to use vista 4 and/or Blackboard Academic Suite with AT software/hardware (AT users Guidelines). 
• For content creator: Create documentation how instructional designers can content crater can produce more generally accessible contents (Instructional Designer Guideline). 

Next Meeting

• Date: Thursday November 1, 2007
• Time: 2:30 PM EDT; 1:30 PM CDT; 12:30 PM MDT; 11:30 AM PDT
• Phone: 217 265-8030

Action items

• The Wiki (Developed by Terry Thompson through ATHEN) is going to be setup for the Documentation Sub committee, ideas can then be submitted concerning documentation for AT Users, Content Developers, Internal Developers, Testers (Kevin Price)
• URL’s are going to be sent to the group concerning Blackboard’s documentation on universal design and accessibility including the instructors guide. (Andy Jacobson)

Participants

• Kevin Price (leader), University of Illinois at Chicago
• Lisa Fiedor, North Carolina State University
• Jane Fridrich, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Andy Jacobson, Blackboard
• David Schwarte, Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana
• Hadi Rangin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Discussion

Mission Statement

Went over mission statement to focus mission of the group

Past Documentation Created

Andy Jacobson discussed some of the past documentation available including:

• Document on Universal Design for Instructors (PDF format)
• General Color PDF on Universal Design
• Screen Reader Tutorial- older and not available for 6th or 8th edition

Discussion about receiving the documentation links from Andy Jacobson and possibly updating the information. For the Screen Reader tutorial, making it very generic toward no particular screen reader would be the goal. Previous the tutorial was developed towards Jaws.

A General statement concerning accessibility was developed by Blackboard marketing.

Developing Future Documentation

Goal to document what’s going on in the product and how users can configure the program. The Wiki tool (developed by Terry Thompson with ATHEN) was the main mechanism discussed to begin the process of documentation. Wiki will also allow access and feedback on what other groups are doing.

The Wiki will be used to develop content and Blackboard will be able to link to the information for them to use. Blackboard could use the information internally to the company to promote awareness. A General intro to AT devices would helpful for internal usage. How Web 2.0 mechanisms fit with accessibility are particular interest to BB. The information source developed can help tag library developers, third party vendors as well as general users.

The main subject areas for the Wiki to start with are:

1. For the Support group: Create documentations explaining how AT software/hardware work and how people with disabilities access electronic/web-based information.  
2. For Development group: Create documentations explaining the universal design and helpful features that enable AT software/hardware to access web applications properly (customized Best Practices for Blackboard Web App).  
3. For AT users: Creating help files explaining how to use vista 4 and/or Blackboard Academic Suite with AT software/hardware (AT users Guidelines).  
4. For content creator: Create documentation how instructional designers can content crater can produce more generally accessible contents (Instructional Designer Guideline).  

Andy Jacobson will help format the information. It is the goal of the sub group to put the information/ideas written down. It will not have to be formatted perfectly.

Versions that we are focusing the document are Blackboard 6.3 or newer Academic version, Vista CE 6 or newer, and Vista 4 or newer.

Goal is to have a draft of the documentation up by November 12, 2007 and have the information finalized by end of December.

By next meeting November 1st, we will have the Wiki created and focused the meeting on what information we are populating the Wiki with.