DO-IT - Accessible Technology

What is neuroethics and how does it relate to people with disabilities?

swb3 — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 17:17:47 +0000

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Brain Initiative website, neuroethics is “a field that studies the ethical, legal, and societal implications of neuroscience.” The strategic plan for the NIH BRAIN Initiative, BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision, emphasizes “Although brain research entails ethical issues that are common to other areas of biomedical science, it entails special ethical considerations as well. Because the brain gives rise to consciousness, our innermost thoughts, and our most basic human needs, mechanistic studies of the brain have already resulted in new social and ethical questions.”

The questions that neuroethicists explore have vast implications for people with disabilities, who may adopt technology and drug treatments created in the field of neuroscience.

The concept of “nothing about us without us” suggests that people with disabilities should be involved in the field of neuroethics, as well as neuroscience itself, to ensure that their voices are included in critical conversations and decisions that impact people with disabilities. Including people with disabilities in neuroethics and neuroscience will also help ensure that principles of universal design (UD) are adopted as new technology is designed and developed. Through the promotion and implementation of UD, they can help ensure that neuroscience products are accessible to people with varying characteristics and abilities. For examples, view the publication Equal Access: Universal Design of Neuroscience Education and Research.

To learn more about neuroethics and how it involves people with disabilities, visit the Brain Initiative’s website about the Neuroethics Working Group, or explore postsecondary institutions to see if they have programming, such as the ��ԭ��’s Neuroethics program. View the perspective of students with disabilities as they discuss emerging technology that can enhance the human body and mind in the video presentation Technology Advancements and Disability Identity.

��ԭ�� State IT Accessibility Capacity Building Institute (2020)

eol — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 06:32:57 +0000

This publication shares the proceedings of the ��ԭ�� State 2020 Information Technology (IT) Accessibility Capacity Building Institute (CBI), which was held online on December 14, 2020. A catalyst for the CBI was ��ԭ�� State Policy #188 on Accessibility, which was first published in 2016 and serves to ensure that IT procured, developed, and used by state agencies, including public colleges and universities, is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. UW-IT’s Accessible Technology Services (ATS) at the ��ԭ�� (UW) hosted the event for individuals representing a variety of stakeholder groups engaged in their postsecondary institution’s IT accessibility efforts. Attendees included

47 individuals representing 22 postsecondary institutions,
15 people who serve as their institution’s Policy #188 Coordinator,
People whose job titles and roles varied greatly, and fell into one or more broad areas that include information technology, disability services, assistive or accessible technology services, instructional design, instructors, and library services,
Individuals who attended similar CBIs hosted by the UW, including the first two-day face-to-face event on November 29-30, 2016 held on the UW Seattle campus (see also the Proceedings of the 2016 CBI) as well as individuals who did not.

The 2020 IT Accessibility CBI provided opportunities for attendees to share strategies, successes, and challenges related to their IT accessibility efforts over the last five years.

These proceedings may be useful for people who

participated in the current or earlier IT Accessibility CBIs,
have been identified as their institution’s Policy #188 Coordinator,
are developing policy and processes to support compliance with Policy #188 and its associated standard, or
are addressing similar IT accessibility issues at postsecondary institutions nationwide.

Course Accessibility Checklist: A Promising Practice in Helping Instructors Create Accessible Online Learning Courses

lylac — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:31:21 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

Skagit Valley Colleges (SVC) offers online (eLearning) courses that are academically rigorous and equivalent to traditional face-to-face courses. Courses offered online are the same in terms of credits, learning objectives, competencies, content, and transferability. They are also the same when it comes to policies concerning admission requirements and accessibility assurances.

In order to assist instructors in making their online courses more universally designed and, more specifically, accessible to individuals with disabilities, staff in the eLearning department at SVC developed a course accessibility checklist. The checklist is designed for instructors to use by applying each guideline as they prepare their course. It can be used with any course that employs digital content, including those that are primarily face-to-face, hybrid, or fully online.

Items on the checklist include those listed below.

1. Textbook, syllabus, and handouts

Textbook requisition was submitted on time and is available in the bookstore.
There is a plan to provide alternative access if a textbook can’t be accessed by a student by the first day of class.
I have permission from the copyright holder to use the print and/or electronic content in my course.
Required course reserve materials are in a clear and readable format, and are available in the library on all campuses. There is an electronic version online students can access from home.
The syllabus has a disability support statement, academic integrity policy, and a list of support resources.
All handouts (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents) are accessible and are offered in both original format as well as PDF (Portable Document File) format for easy viewing and device compatibility.

2. Audio and video

All audio presentations (MP3s, CDs, or other audio formats) are available with a transcript.
All video presentations (DVDs, Panopto recordings, YouTube videos, or other video formats) are captioned.
If the top two are not possible, there is at least a work in progress to transcribe or add captions on course videos.

3. Web pages, Canvas, LMSs

There is clear layout and predictable navigation. Try to navigate through your Canvas course without using the browser “Back Button.” Keep it simple; if a student can’t find the information they want within three clicks, they can often become frustrated.
Meaningful links are used throughout the text. A good example of a link name: “Read more about Disability Access Services.” A bad example of link name: “Click Here.”
Text format uses headings and sub-headings style, and bulleted lists are used throughout the text.
No blinking and/or flashing content.
Avoid drag and drop activities that require the use of mouse.

4. Good use of colors and images

There is a strong contrast between background and text. For example, if you have a white background, use black text.
Don’t use the name of color for direction; and don’t assume that everyone can distinguish colors. For example, don’t use “See information in red” or “Click yellow button.” In contrast, use a meaningful description such as “Contact Information is found at end of the page.”
For images, graphics, and tables: Make sure you have a caption explaining what it is by including alternative (Alt) tags and/or long descriptions. For graphics that are purely decorative, include a blank Alt tag so the screen reader doesn’t read the image name.

5. Check your Canvas course for accessibility issues

Use Ally, a tool used to check common accessibility issues in files you upload in Canvas (e.g., Word documents, PDFs, and images). It scans those files, generates a report, and provides suggestions on how to fix accessibility issues. It also creates alternative formats (e.g., Audio, PDFs, HTML, and electronic braille).

6. Testing

Accommodate students requiring extended time for testing and/or provide alternative testing format as recommended by Disability Access Services.

7. Help, technology, and mobile devices

Have a training plan and/or self-help resources for students
Allow mobile devices in the classroom if they are for learning activities (e.g., taking notes, reading the textbook, and/or recording presentations.)

The course accessibility checklist is a promising practice in helping instructors create accessible digital learning opportunities. The clear and concise set of items can be reviewed before the start of each quarter, providing instructors with an easy to understand overview of some of the essential universal design elements and accessibility features to include in their courses.

For information on creating accessible distance learning courses consult the many resources linked from the AccessDL (the Center for Accessible Distance Learning) and AccessCyberlearning websites.

Are Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles curricula accessible to students with disabilities?

brianna — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 21:38:19 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

Many different curricula are used to teach Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles (CSP). Most of these curricula are not fully accessible to students with disabilities, largely because the programming tools that they utilize are not accessible to students who are blind or visually impaired and typically use screen readers to access content presented on the screen. Screen readers can read text aloud to users but cannot interpret content presented in images.

AccessCSforAll developed an accessible version of the AP CSP curriculum that uses the Quorum programming language, which is designed to be accessible to students with disabilities. The accessible curriculum is based on the Code.org curricula.

For more information about accessible K-12 computer science education, consult the following knowledge base articles:

AccessCSforAll is funded by the National Science Foundation (grant #CNS-1738252 and #CNS-1738259) and led by the ��ԭ�� and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Its purpose is to increase the successful participation of students with disabilities in K-12 computing courses.

��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (Dec 2018)

kmw721 — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 23:04:35 +0000

Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Seattle, WA

This publication shares the proceedings of ��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188, which was held in Seattle, ��ԭ�� on December 4, 2018. Attendees included disability service and computing professionals; some were Policy #188 coordinators for their postsecondary institutions across ��ԭ�� State Policy #188 serves to ensure that IT procured, developed, and used by state agencies, including public colleges and universities, is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

These proceedings may be useful for people who

participated in the CBI,
have been identified to be the coordinator regarding the agency’s information technology accessibility plan,
are developing policy and processes to support and ensure compliance with this policy and associated standard, and
are addressing similar accessible IT issues at postsecondary institutions nationwide.

This event was sponsored by UW Accessible Technology Services (ATS) at the ��ԭ�� (UW), a UW-IT (��ԭ�� Information Technology) unit that directs both the Access Technology and DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Centers. The meeting was facilitated by Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, the director of ATS. ATS’s two centers are dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. They promote awareness and accessibility to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive.

The DO-IT Center strives to

increase the success of people with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers;
promote the application of universal design to physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services;
freely distribute online content, publications, and videos for use in presentations, exhibits, and the classroom; and
provide resources for students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, parents, and mentors.

The Access Technology Center (ATC) focuses on ensuring UW students, faculty, and staff with disabilities have the same access to technology—including computers, software, and special equipment—as other students, faculty, and staff. ATC staff help individuals select and use assistive technology and supports a showroom with numerous products:

speech and braille output
screen magnification
alternatives to the keyboard and mouse
speech recognition software
tools to make reading and writing easier and computer use more comfortable
the capacity to create documents in e-text and braille

The showroom includes a collection of accessible science equipment such as automatic stirrers, tactile measuring devices, and talking calculators. The ATC provides braille embossing and tactile graphics for the UW community.

ATC staff promote the development and use of accessible technology products by

encouraging student computing facilities to include assistive technology;
offering courses, delivering presentations, and conducting ATC tours for UW classes and other groups;
working with campus units to prepare documents, videos, and other materials in accessible electronic formats;
assisting campus web developers in designing accessible websites and applications;
working with vendors of IT products used by the UW to improve accessibility; and
supporting a central resource to provide guidance to technologists and administrators at the UW and beyond.

Are there tools that can be used to check for accessibility issues in a Canvas course?

lylac — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 22:07:45 +0000

Date Updated:

05/24/22

Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) developed by Instructure. Like most LMSs, Instructure has actively worked to ensure Canvas is accessible to users with disabilities (for details, see the Canvas Accessibility page. However, even if an LMS is fully accessible, an instructor can offer an inaccessible course by creating inaccessible pages or uploading inaccessible content.

Fortunately, there are tools that can be used by instructors and course designers to check for accessibility issues within their LMS courses, including Canvas courses.

For example, Canvas includes a built-in Accessibility Checker, available as one of the tools on its Rich Content Editor. This tool checks content that's created using the editor for issues such as color contrast, image alt text, proper heading structure, and proper table markup.

Another tool, Universal Design Online Content Inspection Tool (UDOIT) - pronounced, “You Do It”, also checks for common accessibility issues in your Canvas course content. It will scan a course, generate a report, and provide resources on how to address those issues.

In contrast to the above tools, Blackboard Ally can be used in any LMS, not just Canvas, and has a variety of features that are designed to help organizations improve the accessibility of materials that are uploaded into courses. It does so using three broad feature sets:

It automatically creates alternative accessible formats. These aren't perfect, but depending on the quality, structure, and format of the original materials, they can offer a higher level of accessibility immediately, without the student waiting for disability services offices to manually convert materials.
It provides feedback to instructors. Instructors receive a score based on the accessibility of the materials they've uploaded, and are offered guidance on how to improve the accessibility of their materials and improve their score.
It provides institutional reporting, which can be help administrators to identify specific problem areas and focus their accessibility outreach and training efforts.

For information on creating accessible distance learning courses consult the many resources linked from AccessDL, the Center for Accessible Distance Learning and the AccessCyberlearning website.

Online Learning Capacity Building Institute (2018)

eol — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 19:39:03 +0000

Proceedings of the June 2018 Online Learning Capacity Building Institute (CBI)

This publication shares the proceedings of the ��ԭ�� State Online Learning Capacity Building Institute that was held on June 26, 2018, at the ��ԭ��, Seattle. The content may be useful for people who

participated in the CBI,
create online learning tools,
promote the inclusive design of online learning technology and practices through the application of universal design principles and strategies,
seek to increase their understanding of issues surrounding the participation of students with disabilities in online learning options,
would like to access resources to help make their online learning tools welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including those with disabilities, and/or
have promising practices to share with others.

ATS’s two Centers are dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. They promote awareness and accessibility to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive.

The DO-IT Center strives to

increase the success of people with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers;
promote the application of universal design to physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services;
freely distribute online content, publications, and videos for use in presentations, exhibits, and the classroom; and
provide resources for students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, parents, and mentors.

speech and braille output
screen magnification
alternatives to the keyboard and mouse
speech recognition software
tools to make reading and writing easier and computer use more comfortable
the capacity to create documents in e-text and braille

ATC staff promote the development and use of accessible technology products by

encouraging student computing facilities to include assistive technology;
offering courses, delivering presentations, and conducting ATC tours for UW classes and other groups;
working with campus units to prepare documents, videos, and other materials in accessible electronic formats;
assisting campus web developers in designing accessible websites and applications;
working with vendors of IT products used by the UW to improve accessibility; and
supporting a central resource to provide guidance to technologists and administrators at the UW and beyond.

��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (Jan 2018)

eol — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:32:12 +0000

WA Accessible IT Policy 188 CBI Proceedings.pdf

January 11, 2018
Seattle, WA

This publication shares the proceedings of ��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188, which was held in Seattle, ��ԭ�� on January 11, 2018. Attendees included disability service and computing professionals and Policy #188 coordinators from postsecondary institutions across ��ԭ�� State. Policy #188 serves to ensure that IT procured, developed, and used by state agencies, including public colleges and universities, is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

These proceedings may be useful for people who

participated in the CBI,
have been identified to be the coordinator regarding the agency’s information technology accessibility plan and to support complaint resolution,
are developing policy and processes to support and ensure compliance with this policy and associated standard, and
are addressing similar accessible IT issues at postsecondary institutions nationwide.

This event was sponsored by UW Accessible Technology Services (ATS) at the ��ԭ�� (UW), a UW-IT (��ԭ�� Information Technology) unit that directs both the Access Technology and DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Centers. The meeting was facilitated by Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, the director of ATS, and Terrill Thompson, accessibility technology specialist. ATS’s two centers are dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through technology and education. They promote awareness and accessibility to maximize the potential of individuals with disabilities and make our communities more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive.

The DO-IT Center strives to

increase the success of people with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers;
promote the application of universal design to physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services;
freely distribute online content, publications, and videos for use in presentations, exhibits, and the classroom; and
provide resources for students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, parents, and mentors.

speech and braille output
screen magnification
alternatives to the keyboard and mouse
speech recognition software
tools to make reading and writing easier and computer use more comfortable
the capacity to create documents in e-text and braille

The show room includes a collection of accessible science equipment such as automatic stirrers, tactile measuring devices, and talking calculators. The ATC provides braille embossing and tactile graphics for the UW community.

ATC staff promote the development and use of accessible technology products by

encouraging student computing facilities to include assistive technology;
offering courses, delivering presentations, and conducting ATC tours for UW classes and other groups;
working with campus units to prepare documents, videos, and other materials in accessible electronic formats;
assisting campus web developers in designing accessible websites and applications;
working with vendors of IT products used by the UW to improve accessibility; and
supporting a central resource to provide guidance to technologists and administrators at the UW and beyond.

Are there resources to help individuals who are blind build hardware devices?

lylac — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 21:25:29 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

Yes. For example, there is a community of individuals who are blind and use the Arduino platform to build hardware devices. Arduino allows users to build digital devices that can sense and control objects in the physical world. Arduinos can utilize sensors, motors, displays, wireless communications, and a host of other tools to build things like alarm clocks, robots, night lights, and limitless other projects. The Blind Arduino blog has resources and advice for getting started.

��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (2016)

eol — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 22:58:25 +0000

WA Accessible IT Policy 188 CBI Proceedings.pdf

Aaron Powell, UW Interm Vice President for UW-IT and CIO, addresses the group.

This publication shares the proceedings of ��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188, which was held in Seattle, ��ԭ�� on November 29 – 30, 2016. Attendees included individuals identified by their institution as the Policy #188 IT accessibility coordinator from higher education institutions across ��ԭ�� State. Policy #188 serves to ensure that IT procured, developed, and used by state agencies, including public colleges and universities, is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

These proceedings may be useful for people who

participated in the CBI,
have been identified to be the coordinator regarding the agency’s information technology accessibility plan and to support complaint resolution,
are developing policy and processes to support and ensure compliance with this policy and associated standard, and
are addressing similar accessible IT issues at postsecondary institutions nationwide.

The DO-IT Center strives to

increase the success of people with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers;
promote the application of universal design to physical spaces, information technology, instruction, and services;
freely distribute online content, publications, and videos for use in presentations, exhibits, and the classroom; and
provide resources for students with disabilities, K-12 educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, librarians, employers, parents, and mentors.

speech and braille output
screen magnification
alternatives to the keyboard and mouse
speech recognition software
tools to make reading and writing easier and computer use more comfortable
the capacity to create documents in e-text and braille

The show room includes a collection of accessible science equipment such as automatic stirrers, tactile measuring devices, and talking calculators. The ATC provides braille embossing and tactile graphics for the UW community.

ATC staff promote the development and use of accessible technology products by

encouraging student computing facilities to include assistive technology;
offering courses, delivering presentations, and conducting ATC tours for UW classes and other groups;
working with campus units to prepare documents, videos, and other materials in accessible electronic formats;
assisting campus web developers in designing accessible websites and applications;
working with vendors of IT products used by the UW to improve accessibility; and
supporting a central resource to provide guidance to technologists and administrators at the UW and beyond.

DO-IT - Accessible Technology

What is neuroethics and how does it relate to people with disabilities?

����ԭ�� State IT Accessibility Capacity Building Institute (2020)

Course Accessibility Checklist: A Promising Practice in Helping Instructors Create Accessible Online Learning Courses

Are Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles curricula accessible to students with disabilities?

����ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (Dec 2018)

Are there tools that can be used to check for accessibility issues in a Canvas course?

Online Learning Capacity Building Institute (2018)

����ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (Jan 2018)

Are there resources to help individuals who are blind build hardware devices?

����ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (2016)

��ԭ�� State IT Accessibility Capacity Building Institute (2020)

��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (Dec 2018)

��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (Jan 2018)

��ԭ�� State Accessible IT Capacity Building Institute on Policy #188 (2016)