Ingraining Information Technology Accessibility into the K-12 Education
April 18, 2008
Submitter
Arnold Bailey
East Hillsborough Chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Florida
Executive Summary
As a reference, I have added the “NFBF 2008 Position Paper on Website Accessibility” which focuses on the importance of the AeIT and the implementation of a ADA 508 like standard. To conform to this statute the following is a summary of the items are being recommending for consideration by the commiaaion:
- Each K-12 School District Implement an” Information Technology Self Assessment ccessibility” Checklist. I have attached an example checklist in pdf form.
- Conferencing/Distance Learning Considerations for Exceptional Students
- Accessible web design be part of the “Introduction to Web Design” curriculum
- An “Introduction to Information Technology Training” programbe part of the Exceptional Students Curriculum
These four proposals were presented to the Hillsborough County School District Superintendent and her staff and was received extremely well. The items will be reviewed for implementation at that level. The district felt that these items should be presented to the state department of education and DBS; and, they would support them.
1 Each K-12 District Implement an” Information Technology Self Assessment Accessibility” Checklist
As educational entities implement information technology (IT) practices and procedures, it is critical that they consider the accessibility practices versus their goals. At present, only a small number of educational entities have begun to systematically address accessibility within their IT procurement processes. Use of a “Self Assessment Accessibility Checklist” is a promising practice for state governments and nongovernmental organizations, including educational entities, who seek to manage compliance in an accessible IT. The self-assessment is performed on a regular schedule (i.e., yearly). The results are rolled up to a district level.
1.1 Example IT in Education Self Assessment Checklist
Along with this document, I have sent an example IT Accessibility checklist (AccessChecklist.pdf) as a PDF file. In the footnote[1] there are further links and files provided by AccessIT.com. The National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education (AccessIT) was funded by a 5-year grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education through September, 2006.
2 Conferencing/Distance Learning Considerations for Exceptional Students
In
many school districts distance and instructor availability is a major concern
because of distance and scheduling considerations. Not only does this sometimes
limit course availability, it also increases the cost of the course. The
exceptional students are most susceptible to these issues because typically
they are few and widely dispersed. Conferencing and Long Distance education is
becoming a very viable tool to address these issues in educating exceptional
students. Hillsborough County is initiating a Hillsborough Virtual School
District as an adjunct of the FVSD[2].
It is important that accessible software, hardware and facilities are
implemented initially. It is also important that distance learning be
investigated as a valuable tool to broaden course availability to the
exceptional students.
2.1 References - Accessible Distance Learning
DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) serves to increase the successful participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs such as those in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Primary funding for DO-IT is provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Washington, and the U.S. Department of Education.
· Equal Access: Universal Design of Distance Learning - a checklist to assure access and promote the learning of all students.
· Real Connections: Making Distance Learning Accessible to everyone - guidelines for designing Internet-based distance learning courses to fully include all students.
3 Accessible web design be part of the “Introduction to Web Design” curriculum
Include
accessible web design and website maintenance in the Introduction to Web Design
curriculum. Accessibility can be addressed and practiced as being an integral
part of web design. Accessibility
knowledge in web development is becoming a key skill requirement of employers
due to legal requirements.
3.1 References – Acceessible Web Design Instruction
Reference:
The AccessIT Web Design & Development I course curriculum is a
project-based introduction to web design developed for use in secondary
schools, grades 9-12. The curriculum emphasizes standards-based and accessible
design, is cross-platform and vendor-neutral, and is freely available for
teachers to use in their own classrooms. The curriculum was designed by a team
of high school web design teachers in Bellingham, Washington, working in
collaboration with the National Center on Accessible Information Technology in
Education (AccessIT), with
input from web design teachers nationwide, as well as from professionals
working in careers related to the design and development of web content.
4 An “Introduction to Information Technology Training” program be part of the Exceptional Students Curriculum
Create an
Introduction to Information Technology program for Exceptional Students
outlined in the slide “Required “Competitive” IT Skills”
Exceptional students need to be competitive for job
and career opportunities. The technology in the past five years now allows the
blind/VI student to be competitive. Yet, as an examp, "7 of 10 of the
blind and visually impaired persons are not employed". There needs to be
an increased emphasis in the school systems to ensure that these students are
thoroughly trained in the use of the latest assistive technology and with the
programs and applications available on the PC and Internet. This includes:
·
Internet communications
tools (i.e., Email, Mailing Lists, Conferencing).
·
Internet research using
search engines and online information retrieval.
·
PC Word processors and
spreadsheets
·
Keyboard typing
training.
·
Work collaboration
experience
·
Implied: Use of the
latest assistive technology.
Kathy Davis, President 121 Deer Lake
Circle Ormond Beach, FL
32174 386-677-68861-888-282-5972 president@nfbflorida.org www.nfbflorida.org
NFBF 2008 Position Paper on Website Accessibility
Making Information Available to the Blind and
Disabled of Florida:
The Accessibility of www.myflorida.com and
other publicly funded electronic resources in the State of Florida
PRESENT ISSUE
Can you imagine in this day and age contracting with a private agency
to build a state building and that private agency building it with stairs and
no wheel chair access? Probably
not. Yet, private agencies contracting
with the state to produce websites and web applications are not considering
Florida employees or citizens who have disabilities. In essences, they are ignoring existing laws and building
structures with no way for people using perhaps not wheel chairs, but equally
important, tools access technology.
The needs of the people with disabilities is an after thought for these
companies. Only after complaints does
the need "shockingly" surface.
Federal law has required ADA equal access for several years under Section
508. Yet these laws are ignored, when
building software and internet access for the state of Florida.
For example, PeopleFirst is
not accessible to anyone using keyboard commands. It is mouse dependent. People
with disabilities using special technology rely on underlying code that depends
on keyboard access. Supervisors who are blind cannot do their job without a
sighted person because the PeopleFirst system was made mouse dependent. ADA
opened the door to people with disabilities. But such laws are nothing if not
enforced.
Please note that PeopleFirst
is only an example. Other third party pages, such as MyFloridaMarketPlace and
ASPIRE, are also not accessible. The priority for making these sites
accessible has demonstrated that Florida’s disability users are considered
second-class citizens.
BACKGROUND
Online
Barriers Faced By People with Disabilities
Many people with disabilities use “assistive
technology” to enable them to use computers and access the Internet or
Web-based applications. Blind people who cannot see computer monitors may use
screen readers — devices that speak the text that would normally appear on a
monitor or screen magnification software. People who have difficulty using a
computer mouse can use voice recognition software to control their computers
with verbal commands. People with other types of disabilities may use still
other kinds of assistive technology. New and innovative assistive technologies
are introduced every day.
Poorly designed websites and applications can create
unnecessary barriers for people with disabilities, just as poorly designed
buildings prevent some from entering. Designers may not realize how simple
features built into a web page will assist someone who, for instance, cannot
see a computer monitor or use a mouse.
One example of a barrier would be the graphic of the
PeopleFirst logo with no alt text identifying it. Because screen readers cannot
interpret images unless there is text associated with it, a blind person would
have no way of knowing whether the image is an unidentified photo or logo,
artwork, a link to another page, or something else. Simply adding a line of
simple hidden computer code to label the photograph “People First Logo” will
allow the blind user to make sense of the image.
When accessible features are built into web pages,
websites are available to everyone — including users with disabilities. Web
designers can follow techniques developed by private and government
organizations to make even complex web pages usable by everyone including
people with disabilities. For most websites, implementing accessibility
features is not difficult and will seldom change the layout or appearance of
web pages. These techniques also make web pages usable both by people using
older computers and by people using the latest technologies (such as personal
digital assistants, handheld computers, or web-enabled cellular phones).
With the rapid changes in the Internet and in
assistive technologies used by people with disabilities to access computers,
private and government organizations have worked to establish guidelines for
accessible web pages that permit innovation to continue.
EXISTING LAW
The
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, if the government entities receive
Federal funding, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, generally require that State
and local governments provide qualified individuals with disabilities equal
access to their programs, services, or activities unless doing so would
fundamentally alter the nature of their programs, services, or activities or
would impose an undue burden. One way to help meet these requirements is to ensure
that government websites have accessible features for people with disabilities.
An agency with an inaccessible website may also meet its legal obligations by
providing an alternative accessible way for citizens to use the programs or
services, such as a staffed telephone information line. These alternatives,
however, are unlikely to provide an equal degree of access in terms of hours of
operation and the range of options and programs available.
ACTION NEEDED
Any contracting agency
for the state must ensure full access to all users. The state contracting process must clearly indicate that the
private agency must comply with the ADA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
and the World Wide Consortium have established how ADA software and internet
requirements can be met. The State Technology Office has web standards that
establish how web sites can be accessible.
The legislature should
create and fund a Florida AeIT Office within Department of Management Services
to take all actions necessary to implement the intent of the AeIT law and
assign the office oversight, monitoring and technical assistance
responsibilities. In developing this office and implementing the AeIT law, the
AeIT Office should ensure the maximum participation and input of stakeholders,
citizens, and organizations representing persons with disabilities, such as the
National Federation of the Blind of Florida. The AeIT Office’s responsibilities
should be delineated by administrative rule promulgated by the Department of
Management Services.
Furthermore, adding a
simple statement in contracts that private agencies contracting with the state
will adhere to for example 508 standards (less stern than World Wide
Consortium) would make it clear that Florida expects compliance with ADA with penalties
for now meeting these requirements.
For more information
about this issue, please contact:
Elizabeth McNally,
Legislative Chairperson
1960 NE 185 Terrace
North Miami Beach, FL
33179
Home: 305-935-4338
E-mail: bethmac@bellsouth.net