Durham

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University of DurhamVLE Valuable Learning
Experience
Gabriel Jezierski abc
2
University of DurhamVLE Valuable Learning
Experience
Gabriel Jezierski abc
3
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act
(2001)

University of DurhamVLE Valuable Learning
Experience
Gabriel Jezierski abc
4
OverviewSpecial Educational Needs and
Disability Act 2001
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Work with Bb on compliance
• What SENDA (2001)/compliance means
• What UWIC has done with Blackboard
• Current position with Blackboard

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Work with Bb Special Educational Needs and
Disability Act 2001
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• What is SENDA ?
• 1. Legislation - Act 2001
• 2. Code of Practice
  (url
  http//www.drc-gb.org/drc/documents/post16cop.doc)
  
• Sent to Reidy Brown, Bb
• to compare with Section 508 US Rehabilitation Act
  (url http//www.section508.
  gov/)

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Work with Bb Special Educational Needs and
Disability Act 2001
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• BASIC PRINCIPLES?
• Educational institutions required
• to make reasonable adjustments
• not to treat disabled students less favourably
• to act in an anticipatory capacity - not ad hoc

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What does compliance mean? (General)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• IMPLICATIONS?
• Policies and practice (e.g. LT/ Widening
  Access /Web Design/Estates policy)
• QAA Programme Specifications
  (QAA Code of
  Practice on Students with Disabilities Precept
  8) where modular material is up online (e.g. Bb)
• IT support/infrastructure
  to assist disabled
  students (assistive technology)
• Student Complaints procedures
  (non compliance Governing
  bodies)

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What does compliance mean? (For Blackboard)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• IMPLICATIONS?
• All resources (i.e. including online) are
  accessible to students with disabilities/
  learning difficulties
• dyslexia
• blind/visually impaired
• hearing impaired
• motor difficulties

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What does compliance mean? (For Blackboard)
SENDA COMPLIANCE
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What does compliance mean? (For Blackboard)
SENDA COMPLIANCE
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What does compliance mean? (On-line learning /
resources?)
SENDA COMPLIANCE
GUIDELINES

• If using teaching tools online (e.g. Blackboard)
  lecturers must consider
• accessibility of the tools (e.g. discussion
  forum, virtual chat, (whiteboard))
• issues surrounding online assessments (e.g. timed
  tests /assignments) assessment tools (e.g.
  Perception)
• submission of work (Jaws does not recognise
  Browse button)

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What does compliance mean? (On-line learning /
resources?)
SENDA COMPLIANCE
GUIDELINES

• Implications?
• Staff aware of SENDA? (QAA precepts?)
• Build in at the design stage/staff development
  stage
• Programme Specification (Validation)
• Staff/Web Developers should validate work,
• e.g. Bobby check,
• conformance W3C standards (url http//www.w3.org/w
  ai/)

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What we did with Bb?
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Liaison with Reidy Brown, Senior Software
  Engineer, Washington
• Production of 5 minute Guide - validated by Reidy
  Brown http//www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu/5min_guide_module
  _accessible.htm
• Section on Blackboard (in Accessible
  CurriculaGood Practice Guide (www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu
  /accessible/html)
• Posting to TechDis (Technology and disability
  issues)
• Working UK HE community /Collaboration with other
  Institutions
• Salford SURFACE project (Adrian Higginbotham)
• TECHSHARE Birmingham Conference (RNIB VLEs)

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Does Blackboard have ?
SENDA COMPLIANCE
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Does Blackboard have ?
SENDA COMPLIANCE
Alternative text Alt tag provide an
alternative for pictures for screen reading
software
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Position with Bb? (currently not fully
compliant)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Virtual chat, (whiteboard)

• Impossible for screen reader to use because of
  Java

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Position with Bb? (currently not fully
compliant)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Virtual chat, (whiteboard)
• Submit work button

• Impossible for screen reader to use because of
  Java
• Screen reader (Jaws 3.7) has difficulty reading
  this button

Browse?
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Position with Bb? (currently not fully
compliant)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Virtual chat, (whiteboard)
• Submit work button
• Online assessments

• Impossible for screen reader to use because of
  Java
• Screen reader (Jaws 3.7) has difficulty reading
  this button

Browse?
Colour /Answers in Table issues
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Position with Bb? (currently not fully
compliant)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Online assessments

• Issues
• Colour buttons
  red (yes)/blue (no) buttons
• Tables - answers in tables

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Position with Bb? (UWIC work-arounds)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Virtual chat, (whiteboard)

• Student can go into archived chat transcripts

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Position with Bb? (UWIC work-arounds)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Virtual chat, (whiteboard)
• Submit work button

• Student can go into archived chat transcripts
• Ensure students submit work via email attachment

Browse?
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Position with Bb? (UWIC work-arounds)
SENDA COMPLIANCE

• Virtual chat, (whiteboard)
• Submit work button
• Online assessments

• Student can go into archived chat transcripts
• Ensure students submit work via email attachment

Browse?
Provide alternatives !
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Current UWIC activity

• Working strategically (Dis. Prov Dev Plan)
• Quality Enhancement (Programme Specifications)
• Staff awareness
• Distribution of Accessible Curricula Guide to
  staff
• Training workshops for all UWIC staff using Bb
• Continued collaboration with other Institutions
• Reviewing/Updating Web Policy (include W3C
  accessibility standards)
• On-going collaboration with Bb regarding
• workarounds
• improved accessibility in Version 6.0

SENDA COMPLIANCE
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Is Blackboard SENDA compliant Version 6.0
?
SENDA COMPLIANCE
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Further info ...

• LTSU http//www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu
• Carol Doyle
• http//www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu/5min_guide_module_acces
  sible.htm
• http//www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu/accessible_curricular_c
  ontents.html
• http//www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu/accessible_curricular_c
  ontents.rtf
• http//www.uwic.ac.uk/ltsu/accessible_curricular_c
  ontents.pdf