Quick Links

• SETT Framework forms
• SIOP checklist [XLS]
• UDL framework [XLS]
• How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School.
• David H. Rose & Anne Meyer. Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. ASCD, 2002. Full text online at: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes
• IEP group projects files
  • Overview [Word ... PDF]
  • Summary of Task [Word ... PDF]
  • Anna Case Study [Word ... PDF]
  • Scanned Document [Word ... PDF]

Introduction:

This week we delve more into UNIVERSAL DESIGN-a concept that has taken off in the last few years. While the concept started out focusing on accessibility issues for special populations --it has soon grown into the concept "features can be beneficial to all". From Zoom features for the elderly, to sticky key features for men with large fingers, to text to speech options for ESOL or students with reading difficulties---Universal Design (UD) can help ALL students. This concept is especially important as it relates to basic software/Web-based applications. This begins our journey into UD --one of the most popular topics of past students.

In addition, we continue with our IEP group project (Anna case study). This session we will focus on Part 3. Part III will be due 1-18-07

Skim the following. There are several readings so make sure you hop in to get a general idea and then move on

Required

• Software and Web-based Accessibility [PPT] - short 6 slides
• Accessibility Guidelines - Information about web content accessibility and Federal guidelines with links to tools, resources, and training (Kansas State University)
• Jim Thatcher tutorials and more
• Augmentative Communication-a social network
• Designing a more useable world . We will visit this again when we get to universal design.
• Text based and other print accessibility
• Computer and software guidelines for accessibility
• Microsoft videos but also the text versions
• AccVerify implements programmatic verification and reports all errors/non-compliance with the standards, plus checklist for criteria that can't be verified programmatically. Verifies the "all else fails" text version. Differentiates between 508 and WCAG. It allows for a variety of report formats, including EARL, and provides an API for developers to incorporate it in other projects. Resources and video clips also included.
• Online Texts [Word ... PDF]
• U.S. Department of Education There are a variety of resources (perhaps the National Technology Plan is of Interest) However, the focus is to view the use of multiple ways of communication (versions of both audio and video as well as straight text)
• http://www.cew.wisc.edu/accessibility/. Spend some time here!
• http://www.microsoft.com/enable/news/default.aspx review a few of the case studies. There are text versions and also GREAT video/audio clips of real life scenarios
• Evaluation, Repair and Transformation for Web Content accessibility
• Advanced Barriers [Word ... PDF]
• Microsoft Word State Tutorial [Word ... PDF]

Other Web Content Accessibility

• Dick Banks on Multimedia Accessibility. This is a video/audio clip - http://www.easi.cc/media/wkfld2.htm Click the link to begin the presentation or view the transcript.
• Skim - Illinois Accessible Web Publishing Wizard - he Web Publishing Accessibility Wizard is available for $39.95. This tool, developed at the University of Illinois (with partial funding from the RERC Information Technology Access), simplifies the task of converting Microsoft Office Documents to accessible HTML. OS Windows Tutorial [Word ... PDF].

Asynchronous Postings:

Please read the class summaries for the previous session’s threads

• 10.1 Basic Accessibility Issues
• 10.2 Web Evaluation
• 10.3 Part III Group Project

Post by Thursday January 11th, 2007.

Also note we are scheduled for a chat 5PM January 11th and a UMCP AT Lab tour is scheduled for 5PM on 1-18-07