Accessibility Equals Good Design
By Cheryl Johnson

With an increasing number of aging people remain in the workforce, the definitions of “disability” and “accessibility” are changing.

All people need access to learning events. There are many types of challenges people face in accessing training, whether disabled or not. As a result, it makes good business sense to ensure that we are not inadvertently excluding some learners from this growth opportunity. 

Access issues aside, accessibility is simply good design. Features that benefit those with access issues also benefit those without issues. For example, when you enable the end user to make the choice to have video and graphics displayed, you also afford them the choice of faster download times and speeds. This can significantly benefit those who don’t have access to high speed internet connections. 

Who needs access

Historically, a disabled person was someone with a physical handicap that was readily visible. Traditionally acknowledge types of disabilities include hearing impairments, vision impairments, mobility impairments, learning disabilities. For example, they are in a wheelchair or use a hearing aide. However, as our workforce ages and the medical profession identifies more challenges that some face as disabilities, it becomes more important to acknowledge and accommodate various challenges in learning design.

Hearing impairments. Six to eight percent of the U.S. population has some type of hearing loss. The causes and degrees of hearing loss vary, as do methods of communication. It would be presumptuous to assume that all those with a hearing impairment use the same mode of communication. Due to the varying types of hearing loss, there are multiple modes of communication, in addition to personal preference.  Some are lip readers while others may prefer to use sign language. Some use hearing aides while others may prefer amplification devices. 

Typical Accommodations that can be made for hearing-impaired learning in the instructor-led environment include sign language interpreters, transcriptionists, visual alert systems, and assistive listening devices, to name a few.

Accommodations for online learning typically fall under the closed captioning category. If your online learning event requires the use of audio or sound a simple accommodation is to add closed captioning to the module.

Vision Impairments. Approximately half a million Americans have vision impairments.  Once again, not all those who are considered “legally” blind have no usable sight.  A definition of legal blindness means a visual acuity of 20/200 or greater in the better eye with best correction.  A small number of people are totally blind, but many have some usable site. Even those who are not totally blind appreciate some type of accommodation. 

Providing course materials prior to an actual class, using recording devices, and adaptive technology accommodates both instructor-led and online learning environments.   

Many with visual impairments appreciate receiving course materials before the course begins so they can convert information into a more accessible format. Some may want handouts and ancillary information in an electronic format so their computer can read it, or books may be scanned and converted to text.

Some prefer to have the text enlarged on the computer screen or CCTV with magnifying devices.  With this adaptive technology, information can be converted and read with screen readers, magnification devices or special reading programs that can manipulate background colors and increase space between words or letters.  This technology can also highlight words that are being verbally read by the screen reader so the visually impaired student can track the content. 

For online learning events, keep in mind that those with vision impairments rely heavily on “keystroke equivalents” to access most information displayed on a computer screen. Screen readers use keystrokes to navigate from field to field or access menu items. Also use alt text to identify and describe graphics, and make sure you do not use text in a graphic format. Often developers who want to use a particular font that is not readily accessible on the web will convert their text to a graphic. If you need to do this, make sure the graphic has alt text that provides the text. In addition, carefully choose when to use Flash-based text because it is unreadable by screen readers. 

Adobe offers a website developers can use to make learning created with its software accessible;

www.adobe.com/enterprise/accessibility/section508.html.

It is also helpful to provide options for screen magnification and the ability to change background colors for those with difficulty reading small text or certain background colors. Keep in mind learners with color blindness when choosing colors in your module. For example, using a Stop Light might confuse those who cannot easily distinguish red and green.

Figure 1 (Screenshot of 508-compliant course by Atlantic Link)

Mobility impairments. This sort of impairment refers to conditions that limit a person's coordination or ability to move. The degree of mobility impairment will vary from individual to individual depending on the type of injury or illness.

Some learners with limited upper body mobility may request certain adaptive keyboards and mouse to access computers, or a voice recognition system that will type dictated items. Lab assistants could also offer support in the absence of these.

It’s important to note that voice recognition technology typically used by those with mobility impairments is driven by “keystroke equivalents.” Make sure the information in your modules can be navigated to and accessed by a keystroke. If you use buttons, make sure that the person can access a Next button by using the keystroke Press Ctrl+N, for example. Quite often, this will require a tabbed order for moving around the screen from field to field, which can be established in some authoring tools. 

Learning disabilities. These conditions characterized by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning abilities, or mathematical, memory, and executive functioning (organizational skills). Learning disabilities are your most common “hidden disabilities.” Most learning disabilities fall in to one or more of the following categories: auditory processing, visual processing, information-processing speed, and abstract and general reasoning.

Other conditions that my affect learning:

§  Dyslexia is another form of a learning disability, which is characterized by the inability to properly decode letters when reading. 

§  Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD and ADHD), which is typically characterized by the inability to focus for extended periods of time. Learners with ADD or ADHD may also make careless mistakes or have difficulty transitioning from one activity to another. They typically struggle to listen carefully to instructions or lectures for long periods of time.  

§  Brain Injuries, which may not be visible are often complex. These impairments can affect a leaner’s memory, their ability to focus for long periods of time, as well as other learning challenges. They also can manifest in physical limitations, such as loss of balance, seizures, or speech impairments. Some learners with brain injuries may also struggle with organization skills or the ability to reason effectively.  

Do not overlook the potential impact that these conditions have on learning. Although these sorts of impairments entail their own distinct conditions, they share similar accommodations for learners. Because most students will not come forth and volunteer this information you may want to make these accommodations known to them in your marketing materials. This encourages them to come forth and feel safe that they will not be judged or labeled as unable to learn. 

§  Test accommodations and alternative assignments. Accommodations may include extra time on exams, access to a low distraction environment for test taking, obtaining a syllabus in advance to allow for preparation, modified assignment deadlines, or different ways of completing an assignment (such as oral instead of written). Accommodations should not compromise the essential elements of the learning environment, however.

§  Assistants, tutors, and counselors. Learners may need one or more people to assist with note taking, academic skills, or personal support counseling. Many programs may already have tutoring or counseling services in place and available to all.

§  Adaptive devices. There are several software programs on the market to help those with learning disabilities read and process information more effectively. They provide a bi-modal approach to reading, for example. The information scanned in to the computer is read back by screen reading technology and highlights text as it reads. It can also mask out text that is not currently being read. And they usually have built in dictionaries and thesaurus readily available to help with unfamiliar words.

The same development tools you use for screen readers or voice recognition software to create online learning can be used for people with disabilities. For example, reading software uses the same conventions to access information on the screen.

Systemic Disabilities. Systemic conditions affect the body’s internal systems. There are many types but some of the more common are diabetes and epilepsy. Accommodations may include extra time on testing modules or obtaining content in advance to allow for preparation. If you know you may have a learner with this sort of disability, learn more about what triggers symptoms of the illness. For example, if developing an online course that you know will be delivered to someone with a seizure disorder, be sure to exclude flickers or blinking information on the screen.