Courseware Accessibility: Recommendations for Inclusive Design

Providing educational opportunities within online environments, while beneficial, also has the potential to exclude a significant portion of the population. The learning and/or physically disabled may be prevented from accessing online learning environments due to problems both in the design of the technology itself, and with the pedagogy directing the use of this technology. This paper presents an overview of the results of research into courseware accessibility. Recommendations for inclusive design are presented within disability-specific requirements for accessible courseware. People with learning and/or physical disabilities may be prevented from accessing online learning environments . There are problems in the design of the technology itself, as well as with the pedagogy directing its use. Inclusion in an Electronic Classroom [1], a study funded by the Office of Learning Technology and conducted at the University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, recently examined accessibility within various courseware platforms in order to better assess the limitations faced by persons with disabilities using online learning environments. The study focused on eight individuals from the following disability groups: Blind, Vision Impaired, Mobility Impaired, and Learning Disabled, and encompassed both experienced and inexperienced users. The study is a joint initiative of the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre at the University of Toronto, The Centre for Academic Technology at the University of Toronto, the Special Needs Opportunity Windows Project at the University of Toronto, the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and Dr. Bruce Landon. Results indicate that courseware environments need to consider problems in the design of the technology itself, as well as with the pedagogy directing its use. Accessibility Issues by Disability Group