Accessibility & WebCT
Joe Wheaton, Ph.D.
Overall Recommendations
Screen readers pause for punctuation.
Use it for emphasis.
Use both the link and the graphic in content windows to provide a bigger target.
Use text boxes to give additional information.
Students should hide the Course Menu it's redundant and takes up space
No DOCTYPE
Browsers use DOCTYPE to validate the code.
Assistive tech needs good code to work right.
No language declaration <html lang="en">
Still using deprecated tags <font> <b> etc.
Must use javascript & frames
BUT -- Using style sheets for markup
And all WebCT images alt-tagged.
General WebCT Issues
Cursor defaults to Username box.
Form fields identified correctly ()
Form fields marked up correctly using explicit tags: <label for> and <id>
Login Screen
My WebCT
Table is used for layout, which is OK, but JAWS
reads the whole page, starting with the logo.
Adding a link to skip to main content () would speed reading.
The Course Homepage
Four frames but names aren't descriptive (WAI )
Hide Navigation
Navigation creates another frame, the links are often redundant, and it takes up space.
Hide it.
Content Modules
Content Modules are one method of providing content (e.g., lessons)
Hint: Number files to clarify.
Disadvantage of Content Modules
They open in a new browser window (OK, if you tell people) but they also add another frame (for the "Action Menu"). There are now 7 frames.
Organizer Page
Another way to organize lessons, etc.
Designer can set it so files open in new window,
(tell students this is happening)
It facilitates printing (it's not in a frame)
Don't add icon to links to simplify page
Much simpler for students
Chat and Whiteboard
Chat doesn't default to text entry box.
Don't know when new messages arrive. They don't read automatically.
Whiteboard is a visual medium.
Forget 'em
Quizzes & Surveys Page
Opens in new frame (now there are 5 frames).
Viewing grade and class scores is in frame 4.
Listing of quizzes is in frame 5.
List of quiz links is in a table .
Allow only active quizzes to show on list to avoid confusion.
Must allow pop-ups to view quizzes.
Now there are 5 frames.
Statistics & scores in one frame
A list of the quizzes are in the another.
Hint: Show only active quizzes
Quizzes & Surveys
Questions and answers in different frames and the answers (radio buttons) are not associated with the question through a <fieldset>.
The question should also be the <legend> so it will be repeated with each answer.
These radio buttons have explicit labels, but are
not part of a <fieldset> and the question is not the
<legend> so it is not associated with the buttons
Thus, these multiple choice answers cannot be associated with the question.
Quiz Summary:
They are VERY Confusing
The quiz opens in a new browser.
Students can't begin quiz till it fully loads.
Page reloads again when answers submitted.
Students need extra time or untimed quizzes to make up for the screen reader slowness.
Answers not associated with questions.
Hint: Try delivering the questions one at a time with option to revisit to reduce loading time.
Calendar
Contains a blank.gif & skip navigation link or you'd hear all the months and years.
It's a data table marked up correctly with header cells at the top of the columns and a "scope=col" attribute.
Click on a date take you to the information for that date.
Date information
The date information is shown in a table but clicking on "Add entry" takes you to a form
Calendar Data Entry Form
No "skip navigation" link this time, but form marked up correctly
The mail image has a good alt-tag.
Compose mail message button goes to mail input.
Current mailboxes and the number of messages in each is in a table.
The columns are correctly marked up using the <TH> element.
Links go to mailboxes with mail itself
The Main Mail Page
Starting new message opens new window with a table. User needs to get into forms mode to find the "Send to" box," which provides the names of the members of the class.
Must then click on individual names using Ctrl-Enter. Must have pop-ups allowed.
Discussions are the same as mail, except they go to the whole class so there is no "Send to."
Mail and Discussions
Form cells marked up correctly
A Typical Mailbox
There is a skip navigation link.
Reading a Message
Contains a skip navigation link and reads pretty well.
Give Students More
Information
Provide information (e.g., text boxes, site map)
Use highly descriptive titles or explanations
Open pages in new browser window, when possible, but tell people it will happen
CREATE ACCESSIBLE CONTENT!
Use
Summary:
A long way to go
Some features
unusable (Chat and probably quizzes)
Others getting better (alt-tags, skip nav links)
Some Resources
Section 508:
WAI:
Ohio State University Web Accessibility Center:
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