Apps and Accessibility: Educative Experiences for Students with Disabilities
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Transcript of Apps and Accessibility: Educative Experiences for Students with Disabilities
Apps and AccessibilityEducative Experiences for Students with Disabilities
SWTX PCA/ACA Conference
Mark O'Hara, MA, MEdKaren O'Hara, MTSCMiami UniversityOxford, OHFebruary 15, 2013
"Miami was a university before Florida was a state."
About UsKaren: M.A. Technical & Scientific Communication, working on grad. certificate in Interactive Media● IT Services staff● Adjunct in tech writing
Mark: PhD candidate (ABD)● High school English
teacher● Disability Studies
instructor, main campus
Food for thought
“Compared to traditional education, computer-aided education has largely proved to be more effective and efficient, primarily owing to additional motivation enhanced by the interaction with the computer” (Kirinic, et. al., 2010, p. 13).
“Many corners of the Internet still have not come to terms with accessibility for online information even with existing guidelines to refer to. One of the most galling examples is e-government Web sites, which are supposed to comply with Section 508 guidelines yet still have very high levels of inaccessibility” (Jaeger, 2006, quoted in Jaeger & Xie, 2009, p. 61).
…disability studies might effect a sea change by asking that the inclusion-exclusion binary be reconceived in terms of accessibility and inaccessibility, thereby taking power and momentum from those on the inside and stressing that societies should be open to everyone (Siebers, 20, p. 94).
Fewer experiences like this...
Designing for cognition
● Simplicity and consistency● Well-organized content and navigation● Tolerance of user error● Multiple modes of content delivery (text,
images, video, sound...)
(http://webaim.org/articles/cognitive/)
More experiences like this.
Research and Resources
AccessIT
● Based at University of Washington● Focuses on accessible educational
technology, all levels● Features a knowledge base, checklists,
videos, curriculum ● Useful for educators, policy makers,
librarians, technical support staff, and students and employees with disabilities and their advocates.
WebAIM
● Non-profit organization within Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University
● A leading provider of web accessibility expertise internationally
● Knowledge, technical skills, tools to help organizations make their own content accessible to people with disabilities
● WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool: Example
WebAIM screen reader survey
● Full results available at http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey4/
● Latest survey conducted May, 2012● 1782 valid responses● 73.1% of respondents were located in North
America● 93% of respondents use screen readers due
to a disability
Accessible Web
● Perception of web content accessibility is decreasing.
● Use of properly structured headings remains of great importance for assistive tech.
● Items that cause the most difficulty on the web remain largely unchanged over the last 2.5 years, with inaccessible Flash content and CAPTCHA being the most problematic.
Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart
"Invisible" Disabilities
Autism
● manifests on a spectrum● no definitive causes (many theories)● more common than previously believed;
CDC estimates 1 in 88 children in United States has been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
● may involve communication, socialization, sensory processing
Technology that enables cognition
● Multiple options for user input (keyboard, mouse, voice, gesture)
● Tolerance of user error● Ways to focus attention● Code/architecture complies with
standards (WCAG, HTML)
Improving web accessibility for this audience will improve access for everyone.(http://webaim.org/articles/cognitive/)
WebAIM screen reader survey: mobile is king
● 72% of the respondents use a screen reader on a mobile device, up from only 12% three years ago.
● 58.5% of respondents use Apple iOS devices○ When it comes to accessibility, Apple holds a
distinct advantage over Android
Usage of built-in screen readers is increasing...and people are satisfied with the options.
Assistive and Available
Before the iPad, Leo's autism made him dependent on others for entertainment, play, learning, and communication. With the iPad, Leo electrifies the air around him with independence and daily new skills. People who know Leo are amazed when they see this new boy rocking that iPad...I don't usually dabble in miracle-speak, but I may erect a tiny altar to Steve Jobs in the corner of our living room.
-Shannon des Roches Rosahttp://www.blogher.com/ipad-nearmiracle-my-son-autism
Leo Playing FirstWords on his iPad
http://youtu.be/m9U9U1cPi64
iOS 6 accessibility functions(activated from Settings>General>Accessibility)
● VoiceOver: gesture-based screen reader● Invert colors: higher contrast for reading● Speak Selection: used like Voice Over for
speaking text snippets● Guided Access: a teacher can lock an app,
disable some buttons, and restrict touch input to certain parts of the screen
● Assistive touch: programs in different gestures to enable one finger or a stylus
Fleksy - Happy Typing
http://youtu.be/MhzHyHLIg4g
EXO U
http://youtu.be/IqUt37td76Q
The future....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4
Thank you!
Follow on Twitter: @ohara_edtech
Web: http://tiny.cc/ohara
ReferencesCDC.gov (2008). CDC Features - New Data on Autism Spectrum Disorders. [online] Retrieved from:
http://www.cdc.gov/features/countingautism/ [Accessed: 30 Jan 2013].
des Roches Rosa, S. (2010). The iPad: a Near-Miracle for My Son With Autism. [online] Retrieved from:http://www.blogher.com/ipad-nearmiracle-my-son-autism [Accessed: 29 Jan 2013].
Jaeger P, Xie B. Developing online community accessibility guidelines for persons with disabilities and older adults. Journal OfDisability Policy Studies [serial online]. June 2009;20(1):55-63. Available from: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 29, 2013.
Kirinic, V. V., Vidacek-Hains, V. V., & Kovacic, A. A. (2010). Computers in Education of Children with Intellectual and RelatedDevelopmental Disorders. International Journal Of Emerging Technologies In Learning, 12-16. doi:10.3991/ijet.v5s2.1246
Siebers, T. (2008). Disability theory. Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, c2008.
Washington.edu (2002). Welcome to AccessIT. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.washington.edu/accessit/ [Accessed: 29 Jan 2013].
Webaim.org (2013). WebAIM: Web Accessibility In Mind. [online] Retrieved from: http://webaim.org/ [Accessed: 29 Jan 2013].