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Vol. 10 No. 2 Spring 2002

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Section 508 and the Classroom

Dan Fendler, AT Specialist, Kent & Sussex ATRCs

In the Fall 2001 edition of The AT Messenger we covered some basics regarding the new Section 508 regulations. As a quick review, Section 508 mandates that any Electronic and Information Technology (E&IT) that is purchased by the Federal Government must be considered accessible. Some examples of E&IT include, but are not limited to, copiers, fax machines, information kiosks, computers, software and operating systems, web sites, and telecommunication products.

So, you might ask, what does this have to do with me? As an educator, why would I need to be concerned with Section 508? The answer is simple. If you have recently received funding from the Department of Education or any other agency related to the Federal Government to purchase new equipment or software, that equipment or software may be subject to the minimum standards set by Section 508.

While many of the rules for evaluating accessibility have not been finalized, there are guidelines that can help you determine whether the E&IT you are considering is accessible. I will cover some of these guidelines here and let you know where you can find more information about others.

What is Universal Design?

The phrase Universal Design is often used when referring to accessible technology. Universal Design creates products usable by all people, including those with disabilities. Products developed using Universal Design principles have built-in flexibility and compatibility with respect to specific environments and contexts, and offer more choices for everyone.

One common example of Universal Design is curb cuts. Originally designed to help people in wheelchairs negotiate curbs, curb cuts are a blessing for people wheeling a stroller, bike, suitcase or cart. Today, an encounter with an uncut curb is, thankfully, rare. Although we are still figuring out how to best implement them, the long term effect of Universal Design concepts on technology will make it easier for all of us to use E&IT products.

How do we know which E&IT products are accessible?

Easy. Look for Universal Design in action! Section 508 provides minimum standards for accessibility. As a result, products designed by following the universal design principles are often more accessible than the products designed to simply meet Section 508 standards. For the purposes of this article, I’ll cover several categories outlined in 508 standards, particularly those that apply to the classroom.

Accessible Software

Accessible software should support a user’s choice of input methods, including keyboard, mouse, voice and assistive devices. For example, users should have the option of using a mouse only, a keyboard only, or combination of both. Users of voice recognition should be able to provide input to any software application using voice recognition software.

Accessible software should support the user’s choice of output methods including display, sound and print. For instance, users should have a choice of seeing what is on the computer screen or using a screen reader to read it to them.

Accessible software should be flexible and allow users to customize their interface, like selecting a larger font, and should keep the settings consistent.

If would like to get your hands on software that is accessible, check out Digital Frog’s web site at www.digitalfrog.com. You can download free trial software

The Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest (AT version).

Accessible Web Design

Web sites should be usable by all visitors, including those that use assistive technology. Careful attention to simple, consistent navigation and presentation is key.

The following web locations have specific guidelines that can help you develop an accessible website or determine if a web site is considered accessible:

www.w3.org/WAI/ or www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm

Quick tips to make accessible web sites (from the W3C/WAI web site):

• Images & animations. Use the alt attribute to describe the function of each visual.

• Image maps. Use the client-side map and text for hotspots.

• Multimedia. Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video.

• Hypertext links. Use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid “click here.”

• Page organization. Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use CSS for layout and style where possible.

• Graphs & charts. Summarize or use the longdesc attribute.

• Scripts, applets, & plug-ins. Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.

• Frames. Use the noframes element and meaningful titles.

• Tables. Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize.

• Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG

For complete guidelines and checklists, see www.w3.org/WA/. The checklists contain checkpoints that are prioritized as follows:

• Priority 1 is a MUST DO

• Priority 2 is a SHOULD DO

• Priority 3 is a MAY DO.

If you would like to test your web site to see how it stands up to Section 508 regulations, here are a few tools (all free):

WAVE: http://disabilities.temple.edu/programs/eit/wave.htm

Bobby: http://www.cast.org/bobby

A-Prompt: aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/

You may also want to view your pages with a text-only browser (Lynx), turn off the graphics on your browser, or view your pages with a screen reader.

For those of you who create web pages for your individual classes, there are a few things that you can do to help make your pages more accessible, and make it a potential learning experience for your class. The first is to use alt tags. These are simply text description of pictures that you can include in your html code. You can also put captioning on any digital video with a software program that is available for free. It’s called MAGpie (the Media Access Generator, developed by CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM). You can download a copy at their web site: ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/magpie/

Make sure to synchronize the captions with the video (it’s easy to do – just takes a little typing).

Accessible Desktop and Portable Computers

Universal design principles should also apply to computers. Computers should accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. They should communicate necessary information effectively (regardless of ambient conditions or user sensory abilities), and should be able to be approached, reached, manipulated and used regardless of the individual’s body size, posture or mobility.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, the long term effects of accessible E&IT will be beneficial to everyone. If you have any questions or need additional information, please give me a call.

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