Teleconference Information
Date: 2005-09-26
Time: 1:30 PM
Agenda
Here's the suggested topics for our today's teleconference: 1. Introduction of new members 2. Demonstrating accessibility problem video clips 3. Status of WebCT changes and demo server features 4. Beta testing program 5. Changes in WebCT documentation 6. Meeting with WebCT developers at Educause on October 20th and 21st 7. The group is getting bigger, how can we work together to make WebCT more accessible. 8. Regular meeting time
Minutes
Present: Hadi Bargi Rangin, Chair Jon Gunderson Jean Davidson Philip Kragnes Erin O'Driscoll Kevin Price Annette Cerreta Stephanie Rosso Kim Wilcox David Shwarte Adrian Wehmeyer Lugean Babe Saroj Primlani Anil Lewis Regrets: Robert Dumas HR: Welcome to the group 1. Introduction of new members JD: Board of Regents from the State of Georgia, developing student tutorials to introduce to students to webCT. Using WebCT Vista 3.0, the people don't necessarily using WebCT in their classes, but this is a way to deliver accessible materials PK: Adaptive technology accessibility specialist at U Minnesota, training in students and staff with disabilities on assistive technology, WebCT Visita 3.0 ED: Excelier university, WebCT Vista 3.0, we only offer courses on-line, manage WebCT server and help with insturctional design. KP: Southeast DBTAC, we provide training to the SW region of the US. I do alot of training and want to know more about the accessibility isssues of WebCT. Not using WebCT. AC: Greatlakes DBTAC, so alot of training on accessibility, we want to learn more about accessibility issues of WebCT, not using WebCT SR: I work with Annette KW: From university of Minnesota Digital Media center, training and consulting with faculty, works with Phil Kragnes. DS: Assistive technology specialist at Purdue, WebCT Vista 3.1, trains students AW: North Hampton community college in PA, Learn more about WebCT accessibility issues, Assistant Director of Distance Learning LB: North Hampton community college in PA, Learn more about WebCT accessibility issues, Director of Distance Learning. We have 3,800 students over 180 sections of courses. Currently using Blackboard and investigating alternatives to Blackboard. HR: Robert Dumas is from WebCT. SP: from NC State, using WebCT Vista JG: From the University of Illinois SP: Lisa might be joining later and leading the vista accessibility project at NC State HR: University of Illinois, working on making campus web resources more accessible, including WebCT HR: Anyone want to update the new people on what we have been doing PK: WebCT has many accessibility problems, this group is identifying problems and putting pressure on WebCT to fix the problems. We also want to be a resource to WebCT on suggesting improves in features and documentation that will improve accessibility. The group started as a white paper and then progressed to include Robert Dumas from WebCT. Working through Robert Dumas increase WebCTs understanding of the accessibility problems. AL: I am a blind user of WebCT and would like input on making webCT more accessible 2. Demonstrating accessibility problem video clips HR: UI created a video of the accessibility problems of WebCT using the Morae software. Hopefully help WebCT engineers understand the accessibility problems. One problem was untabable links. It took several weeks to identify the problem as a problem with FS Jaws. DS: FS JAWS has now passed the problem onto Sun. PK: I solved the crashing problem by installing the latest version of Java (version 7.0). SP: I use TechSmith techologies all the time and it seems to work fine. HR: When you run this with WebCT and Jaws it crashed WebCT. 3. Status of WebCT changes and demo server features HR: WebCT has provided a Beta WebServer for us to test accessibility fixes. Robert is in charge of interface design and gives the designs to the engineers. The engineers make changes to the interface and the markup. DS: The orginal designs are usually accessible, but the engineers change the markup and their are problems. SJ: Here at NCSU all of our programmers use JAWS when they are testing. PK: It is not part of WebCT operating procedures. HR: JAWS often coverup accessibility problems, but we are also concerned with all types of disabilities, not just JAWS users. SJ: I agree totally. We need to get them thinking about this in their QA and testing process. KW: We have been working on getting a different process in place. HR: We met with them in the contference in SF, and we volunteered to do some of the testing for them. We do not a repair approach. We want them to consider accessibility in the design stage. SJ: We do not become the QA department. HR: Yes, that is correct. AW: I often found it hard to put in accessibility information and their were no training resources on how to make WebCT more accessibility. KW: I am not sure what you mean by putting accessibilit information in. AW: Uploading course content to WebCT. PK: It is hard to put accessible information in the content. SJ: How does the demo server work? Will they have content there? HR: I can send you login information, and you can create your own courses. Right now there are some courses, but the server is going to be updating. HR: Robert Dumas said the testing server is not stable. He does not know wehn it will be stable. PK: We need to have very specific testing features as new features are added to the test server. RD(from e-mail): Design process still underway. Will be some time before demo server is stable enough for testing. 4. Beta testing program HR: Some problems have been passed to FS and to Sun. UI has become a beta tester for JAWs and I asked them to come to these calls. I was hoping to see some improvement, but have not been able to test yet. SJ: It is hard to find the right person. We need to find the right people at each company to get the problem. HR: WebCT and JAWS do understand the problem. DS: It has something to do with how the Java system generates HTML code. SJ: Who at sun. DK: Jenny Blan in our WebCT has logged a trouble ticket to WebCT. SJ: We need to test with other asssitive technologies? PK: This particular problem seems specific to JAWs. HR: I am trying to get someone form FS Jaws to join us. 5. Changes in WebCT documentation HR: Changes in WebCT documentation? PK: We want to include "How to" information in WebCT so that people can include accessibility features. DS: Give student a way to have longer exams. HR: Most faculty do not understand features, so that there is something in WebCT to help people. AW: That is a great idea. If it is a turnkey system like WebCT, you have to walk around the tools to try to figure out how to make it work. PK: Office is commonly used, people are not trained on Office. This is a problem not only in WebCT, but also a problem with other tools like Office. All these tools work together. AW: What about templates to improve accessibility. SJ: We should be offering the wizard with in the tool. There question creation tool does not create accessible forms. They should have that a default feature. RD (from e-mail): Still too early in design cycle to have information yet. 6. Meeting with WebCT developers at Educause on October 20th and 21st RD(from e-mail): I will not be attending EduCause and I am currently not sure what developers will be in attendance. I can get this information and get back to you. JR: I will send out a message. 7. The group is getting bigger, how can we work together to make WebCT more accessible. KW: It might be useful the tool into some general areas and have some people do some testing. DS: It is a big program. PK: Can we come up with some conventions for identifying the topic of the subject. 8. Regular meeting time HR: Is this a good time. JG: How about the third
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