[Pibe-division] inaccessible online classrooms/assessments etc.

[melissa R. Green]

That is a good point.

I didn’t know that K-12 was using online things.  We have a student here in
Greeley Colorado, that learns aptive technology during her tech class.  Her
peers are using power point and things that are inaccessible to her.

For a while I know that she was learning to use some of the adaptive equipment
that the school had for their blind students.

 

 

Best regards,

Sincerely,

Melissa R. Green

Hold on to your dream and it shall be well with you.

 

From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Rene Harrell
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 10:52 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children);
Professionals in Blindness Education Division List; Parents of Blind Children
State Presidents List
Subject: [Pibe-division] inaccessible online classrooms/assessments etc.

 

Can we discuss online learning and assessments a bit? I'd love some more
information and feedback on this topic.

It's come up recently in my State about a growing problem with online curricula
and assessments not being accessible to blind/low-vision children who need to
use screen readers or magnification software. I know there was a discussion on a
parent listerv that encompasses all disabilities about a family that was
attempting to use K-12 for their homeschool program, but could not because it is
not accessible to blind children. When called, the company said it was a
"copyright" issue and could not make their program compatible with screen
readers. I've heard from a smattering of other parents about tests that have had
to be modified because they were online in an inaccessible format.

There was quite a discussion going on about this today on a policy/educator
level. TVIs are expressing frustration that more and more of the school
districts are turning to online curricula and assessments, but they are
inaccessible to blind children. They complain to the school, but the school says
it is a vendor issue. So far, complaints to vendors haven't brought about any
changes to the current software being used and distributed. 

My daughter is homeschooled so this is an issue I have not had to confront or
deal with personally. But, it seems to be a growing problem for students and
teachers here, and they're trying to figure out what they can do about it. I'd
love to hear about how others have worked around this issue, or if this has been
a problem for anyone else? Are these software companies violating ADA for making
their programs inaccessible? 

As more and more colleges turn towards online formats, and K-12 school districts
follow suit, I wonder if we're going to see this become a growing issue in the
years ahead? What kind of steps can we take to be proactive on this issue? 

Wisdom and thoughts are appreciated. 

:-)
Rene





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" I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where
I needed to be."
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