Towards Accessible Virtual Learning Environments

Chris Cann, Simon Ball and Alan Sutherland

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Introduction

With the increasing use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in further and higher education, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) which comes into force in September 2002 has particular relevance to developers and providers of VLEs. Developers and vendors can also help to ensure that VLEs are inclusive learning media by understanding the barriers that individuals face (whether or not they use assistive technology) and creating hardware and software designed to be accessible to all users. They should also understand the importance of designing accessible VLE content in order to provide guidance for users.

The same guidelines for designing web-pages (W3C WAI) to help ensure that disabled students and/or those with learning difficulties are not excluded can and should be applied to the use of VLEs. Institutions should make all their online learning materials, as well as their website material, accessible to students with disabilities and this means ensuring that the selected VLE is as accessible to users as possible. Users must also be given advice about how to create accessible learning materials within the VLEs.

Introducing accessibility issues into the decision-making and implementation stages is another important step in helping to ensure inclusive VLE learning media. With this in mind, JISC TechDis undertook to provide information to educational institutions that have recently or are about to purchase a VLE. The research focused on the following VLEs and their accessibility to users: Blackboard, COSE, Granada Learnwise, Fretwell-Downing (FD) learning environment, Futuremedia Solstra, Teknical Virtual Campus and Web CT. These products were identified because they are part of the JISC inter-operability projects, more details of which can be found at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/mlesreport.pdf

The project attempted to assess the approach and position of each of the above VLE vendors in relation to accessibility. A questionnaire was designed to explore each VLE vendor's approach to accessibility. The survey used W3C Priority 1 guidelines to formulate the accessibility questions. This was circulated electronically to the 7 VLE providers listed above and was followed-up by email reminders and telephone requests to complete and return the questionnaires.

The vendors were asked a series of questions regarding the provision within their organisation of an accessibility policy statement and accessibility advice, and their view on adherence to relevant guidelines. They were also asked about provision within their product of a series of accessibility features relating to general usage, image maps, tables, frames, applets and multimedia.

Findings

Summaries of the vendors corporate positions in relation to accessibility are as shown below.

Blackboard

• Blackboard has an accessibility policy statement and provides details on their website http://www.blackboard.com/Teaching-Learning/Learn-Resources/Accessibility.aspx. Their accessibility contact is Reidy Brown, rbrown@blackboard.com
• Blackboard has extensive accessibility information for product users on their website http://www.blackboard.com/Teaching-Learning/Learn-Resources/Accessibility.aspx
• Blackboard actively pursue adherence to the W3C WAI Web Content, Authoring Tool and User Agent Accessibility Guidelines.

COSE

• COSE is in the final phase of development prior to the release of version 2.0. The bulk of accessibility work will take place immediately after the release of version 2.0.
• COSE does not have an accessibility policy statement as yet but will prepare one to coincide with the release of an accessible system.
• COSE is a Java applet, and their view is that both the applet itself and the HTML content created by the users should be accessible.

FD Learning Environment (le)

• FD has an accessibility policy statement. It is currently not on their website but can be made available on request.
• FD is willing to provide advice on accessibility and their representative can be reached by email at info@fdlearning.com
• FD is working towards ensuring that their software complies with emerging industry guidelines on accessibility, as embodied by W3C WAI.

Futuremedia Solstra

• Futuremedia have not provided a response to the questionnaire or any alternative information.

Granada LearnWise

• LearnWise has an accessibility statementthis can be accessed from there website.
  
• LearnWise provides advice on accessibility via their support helpline service and a separate service called SIS (Semerc Information Service). Both of these can be accessed via support@learnwise.net
• LearnWise currently implements several features designed to improve accessibility including an adaptable interface/function set and a built-in text-to-speech engine.

Teknical

• Teknical did not complete the questionnaire but in a letter from their Chief Executive, Professor Jack Adams, they made the following points:
• 'A very large proportion of our R&D spend is targeted towards compliance with both current and developing standards and legislation, which support improved accessibility.'
• 'The information that we would like under the Teknical response would be 'Please contact Teknical or see our website [www.teknical.com] for information about products and services.'

WebCT

• WebCT has an accessibility policy statement, offers advice on accessibility for users, and provides a contact person for further advice. Details can be found on the WebCT website at: http://www.webct.com/products/viewpage?name=products_accessibility
• WebCT supports the Section 508 regulations. (In 1998, the US Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. More information about Section 508 can be found at www.section508.gov .)

Conclusion

A range of guidelines and checklists are available to aid accessibility and to ensure that VLEs are inclusive rather than exclusive. The research suggests that U.S. vendors (Blackboard and WebCT) have made strong commitments to improving the accessibility of their products in response to the legislative requirements of Section 508. However, U.K. vendors (COSE, FDE learning environment and LearnWise) have also made recent strides towards accessibility as can be seen in their corporate policies. They are currently working on programming issues and guidance to users.

JISC TechDis are working with the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford on user-testing of VLEs with students who have a range of disabilities and learning difficulties. The results of this project will be available in September and will supplement these findings.

Finally, the research highlights the need for providers to address accessibility issues in light of current U.K. legislation and for institutions to consider the accessibility of a VLE as a contributing factor when purchasing and implementing a VLE. It is essential that institutions which have already purchased a VLE continue to work with vendors to ensure that equal accessibility for all users remains a high priority.