EIR Accessibility Resources ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES The Ohio State University Web Accessibility Center lists free assistive technology software resources by category of disability and access to computer content: http://wac.osu.edu/conferences/emrc08/free_at.html. The Texas Technology Access Program (TTAP) at the University of Texas at Austin works to increase access to assistive technology for people with disabilities, offering short-term device loans and demonstration referrals: http://techaccess.edb.utexas.edu/. BLOGS AND BLOG ARTICLES May 24, 2011 – EDUCAUSE blog article by Jarret Cummings, Developments to Watch: Federal Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Commission http://www.educause.edu/blog/jcummings/DevelopmentstoWatchFederalAcce/229526.
COMPLIANCE TESTING How to Meet WCAG 2.0 – This is a customizable quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 requirements (success criteria) and techniques: http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/.
The California State University System Section 508 manual evaluation procedure: http://www.calstate.edu/Accessibility/webaccessibility/evaluation/index.shtml.
The California State University System Section 508 manual website evaluation tools: http://www.calstate.edu/Accessibility/webaccessibility/evaluation/508-eval-tools.shtml.
Michigan State University’s Usability / Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC) department provides links to numerous evaluation tools: http://usability.msu.edu/resources/tools.
DEMONSTRATIONS This video, produced by the National Federation of the Blind’s (NFB’s) International Braille and Technology Center, shows accessibility issues encountered when using Google apps and Gmail: http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/video/google/gmailsignup.html.
DISTANCE LEARNING AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS The Center on Accessible Distance Learning (AccessDL) at the University of Washington shares guidance and resources on making distance learning courses accessible to students and instructors with disabilities: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/accessdl.html.
CANnect offers up-to-date advice for authoring usable content in the How-To Guide for Creating Accessible Online Learning Content: http://projectone.cannect.org/.
The Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Post-Secondary Education for Students with Disabilities, http://aim.cast.org/collaborate/p-s_commission.
ELECTRONIC MAILING LISTS AccessDL - - Designing accessible distance learning courses, at mailman2.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/accessdl, is a list to discuss issues related to creating accessible distance learning courses, accessible website design, policy and practice, supported by DO-IT at the University of Washington. Accessing Higher Ground, the official annual conference of ATHEN (Access Technology Higher Education Network) and hosted by the University of Colorado at Boulder, announces conference and accessible media, web, universal design and assistive technology updates for university, business and public settings. Signup via the instructions at www.colorado.edu/ATconference/registration2011.html#jlist. Accessibility_SIG at http://groups.google.com/a/knowbility.org/group/accessibility_sig/topics?hl=en is a special interest group on Accessibility, moderated by the Austin, TX based non-profit, Knowbility. AccessInfo - - The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and Disability Rights Office host this information list providing regular updates on accessibility-related FCC actions. Signup via the instructions at transition.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/accessinfo.html. Alertbox: Current Issues in Web Usability, www.useit.com/alertbox/, distributes a short newsletter announcing the bi-weekly Alertbox column by Dr. Jakob Nielsen, user advocate and principal of the Nielsen Norman Group. The athen-list, Access Technology Higher Education Network, is a professional association and network for those working in Access Technology in Higher Education. This practical information list collects and disseminates best practices in access technology in the higher education environment. Subscribe at mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list. The Texas A&M University Center on Disability and Development (CDD), cdd.tamu.edu/index.htm, sends a monthly newsletter to equip individuals with disabilities and their families, professionals and paraprofessionals with vital support and information. Tom Babinszki of Even Grounds, Accessibility Consulting offers Do It Yourself: Accessibility Tips and Tricks for making websites, documents, software and hardware accessible to people with disabilities. Signup at www.evengrounds.com/newsletter. ITACCESS is the EDUCAUSE IT Accessibility Constituent Group (www.educause.edu/groups/itaccess) discussion list to help the EDUCAUSE community assess the scope of IT accessibility issues, identify resources and initiatives, develop best practices on policy and assistive program and service development, and focus on campus-wide universal access to information available via technology. Join the list at listserv.educause.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe. The peso-wg list, Public Electronic Services On-the-Internet Working Group (www2.dir.texas.gov/management/accessibility/community/peso/Pages/PESO.aspx), is moderated by the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) and provides a forum for addressing policy and technology issues related to improving access to government information and services via the Internet. Subscribe at lists.state.tx.us/mailman/listinfo/peso-wg. FAQ PAGES Michigan State University Web Accessibility: http://webaccess.msu.edu/faqs/index.html.
Purdue University Webb Accessibility: http://www.purdue.edu/webaccessibility/FAQs/index.html.
Stephen F Austin State University Accessibility: http://www.sfasu.edu/web-dev/127.asp.
Texas A&M University Web Accessibility: http://webaccess.tamu.edu/education/faq.html.
University of Washington, The Faculty Room, Web Pages: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/Strategies/Academic/Webpages/webpages_faq.html.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Accessible Web Pages: http://www.uwec.edu/Webdev/standards/accessfaq.htm.
GENERAL Texas DIR Briefing for Accessibility Coordinators and Information Resource Managers (IRMs) includes links to EIR accessibility governance, procurement, monitoring, compliance, reporting, training, tools, and other resources presented Feb 24, 2009: https://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddh8chc_37hhnv27v5.
US Access Board Section 508 homepage includes updates and current standards, and other resources: http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm.
OPPORTUNITIES DATE SENSITIVE – Blackboard announced the Blackboard Accessibility Grant to support work enabling education for students with disabilities. Applications were to be submitted by December 31, 2010, and grants awarded by April 1, 2011: http://www.blackboard.com/Teaching-Learning/Learn-Resources/Accessibility/Grant.aspx. [Note: the application deadline for this year’s grant has passed.]
DATE SENSITIVE – The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is seeking nominations for the Chairman’s Awards for Advancements in Accessibility (AAA), given to pioneers in accessibility. Among other advancements and innovations, the awards could also recognize teaching modules and tools that help students learn universal design and other accessibility practices. Email questions or submit nominations to AccessInfo@fcc.gov. Award information: http://www.broadband.gov/accessibilityandinnovation/chairmanaward.html.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) The University of Washington Alliance for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (AccessSTEM) helps K-12 teachers, postsecondary educators, and employers make classroom and employment opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics accessible to individuals with disabilities, and provides a place to share promising practices http://www.washington.edu/doit/Stem/. SOCIAL MEDIA WTAMU Web and Social Media Guidelines: http://www.wtamu.edu/news/web-and-social-media-guidelines.aspx.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for New Media has drafted a guide for the use of Facebook as an official communication channel: http://newmedia.hhs.gov/resources/facebook_guidance.pdf.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Social Web Incubator Group’s wiki liaison page lists multiple Twitter API clients (or third party applications) used by persons with disabilities: http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/wiki/Social_Web#Twitter_API_Clients_Used_by_Persons_With_Disabilities.
Accessible Twitter is an alternative to the Twitter.com website, designed to be easier to use and optimized for users with disabilities. Homepage, articles, features and more are at http://www.accessibletwitter.com/index.php.
The Facebook Help Center answers frequently asked questions about accessibility and assistive technology at http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=440.
TRAINING DATE SENSITIVE – Web Accessibility Training from WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind, an initiative of the Center for Persons with Disabilities and Utah State University), May 25-26, 2011 in Logan, Utah teaches everything from basic web accessibility principles to advanced accessibility techniques: http://webaim.org/training/. DATE SENSITIVE – FREE professional development opportunity for Texas A&M University faculty and staff who interact with students with disabilities. The Texas A&M University System Disability Training Network Summer Institute, held in Galveston, TX features keynote speaker Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, Founder and Director of the University of Washington’s Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT) Center. All applications must be received by May 30, 2011. Event scheduled for June 20-21. http://dtn.tamu.edu/Summerinstitute.html.
DATE SENSITIVE – The E-Learning Council’s 2011 E-Learning Symposium in Austin, TX features a post-conference workshop on Thursday, June 9 entitled Success in an Accessible E-Learning Environment: Technical Template Design. See workshop details at http://www.elearningcouncil.com/els/els-austin-2011-post-conference-workshops.
DATE SENSITIVE – Annual Accessing Higher Ground Conference – Accessible Media, Web and Technology, sponsored by the University of Colorado at Boulder November 14 – 18, 2011: http://www.colorado.edu/ATconference/index.html. The TAMUS Disability Training Network's Training and Resources page provides online modules, quarterly updates, and tip sheets on accessibility / disability policies, practices, and other issues for faculty and administrator development: http://dtn.tamu.edu/Training.html.
Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) statewide EIR accessibility training resources: http://www2.dir.state.tx.us/management/accessibility/community/Pages/Education.aspx.
US Section 508 Universe offers web based user trainings including 508 awareness, designing accessible websites, building and buying accessible software, buying accessible computers, opening closed products, and others: http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?fuseAction=Training.
The Microsoft (MS) Accessibility – Technology for Everyone site features product demos, tutorials, guides, and files: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/default.aspx.
Windows XP Accessibility Tips and How-to Articles: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/accessibility/default.mspx.
The Windows Developer Center – Accessibility Overview site offers articles, videos, blogs, and other resources for web developers: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bb735024.aspx.
Adobe Acrobat accessibility training resources: http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/training.html.
Learn how to tag PDFs and create accessible PDF files with Adobe Acrobat X: http://acrobatusers.com/tutorials/acrobat-x-accessibility-beyond-obvious.
The Accessible Technology Webinar Series by ADA Online Learning provides professional development opportunities and promotes full and unrestricted participation in society for persons with disabilities through the promotion of technology that is accessible to all: http://www.ada-audio.org/Webinar/AccessibleTechnology/.
Access E-Learning tutorial by Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education (GRADE): http://www.accesselearning.net/. [Note: some content outdated, but overviews remain beneficial.) UNIVERSAL DESIGN The Center for Universal Design in Education (CUDE) at the University of Washington develops and collects web-based resources to help educators apply universal design to all aspects of the educational experience: http://www.washington.edu/doit/CUDE/.
WEB The Texas A&M University Web Accessibility, Usability, and Standards site provides resources, guidelines, and information to help campus Webmasters, developers, and designers with issues of best practices and compliance: http://webaccess.tamu.edu/.
WebAIM's WCAG 2.0 Checklist for HTML documents is a simple checklist that presents WebAIM's recommendations for implementing HTML-related principles and techniques for those seeking WCAG 2.0 conformance: webaim.org/standards/wcag/checklist. The NCAM (National Center for Accessible Media) Accessible Digital Media Guidelines offer specific ways to make digital materials and activities, such as images, forms, tables, publications, graphs, multimedia, math and interactivity more accessible: http://ncam.wgbh.org/invent_build/web_multimedia/accessible-digital-media-guide.
"Creating Accessible Flash Content" is a step-by-step how-to article from WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind), an initiative of the Center for Persons with Disabilities and Utah State University, which includes creating text equivalents, keyboard accessibility, reading order and other Flash accessibility techniques and considerations: http://webaim.org/techniques/flash/. WORKGROUPS The Linux Foundation Open Accessibility (A11y) Workgroup functions to establish free and open standards that enable comprehensive access to various computing platforms, applications, and services, and works to make it easier for developers, ISVs, and distributions to support assistive technologies (AT): http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/accessibility
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