[stylist] Blackboard inaccessible?

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Jacqueline,

How long ago did you attempt a class with Blackboard, and what version
was it? Until August, I was using Blackboard for many of my classes, and
I didn't come across accessibility issues. I've heard students on the
student email list make similar comments, but between 2007 until this
past summer, I used Blackboard with only JAWS to navigate it, and I
never ran into problems. There were a couple of instances where I had to
use the JAWS cursor to access a particular function, but it wasn't
difficult to do this. I was using Blackboard 8 and Blackboard 9 this
summer in classes using BB.

I'm just curious to know what accessibility problems have occurred for
others since I've not encountered this problem.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:53:52 -0700
From: "Jacqueline Williams" <jackieleepoet at cox.net>
To: <bjnite at windstream.net>,	"'Writer's Division Mailing List'"
	<stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Writing workshops
Message-ID: <A7135FC2F95645B79E23C0F121787FAF at JackiLeePoet>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Dear Brenda,
Welcome to the group.
I also wanted to take an online course and succeeded in enrolling  in a
course about how to teach an on-line course. Like you, I could not get
to a class. My pitfall was that the Mesa Community College where I
enrolled used the Blackboard Learning Systems to do everything, on-line
and off. It is cumbersome and not JAWS friendly. I had a wonderful
teacher who herself could not find a Blackboard guide for JAWS, and
mentioned that they were changing over within a year to a more simple
system. I tried everything to do the lessons, but had so many technical
problems that I was far behind. The offer was made to let me continue
into the next semester, but after one experience trying to communicate
many items to fellow classmates, and finding that even the spell check
worked entirely different and would not read to me, I gave up. Perhaps
others could say what systems were used in their on-line courses. Some
may be very accessible. But just be aware that it may be key to your
success. Another idea is to call your Library for the Blind and order
The Writer Magazine on four-track tape. It comes monthly and covers
every kind of writing you can imagine. It is a free service. If you feel
it gives you the skills and knowledge you need, you can also get the
magazine, have someone cut out the articles you want to keep and scan
those into your computer. An example, I have scanned into my own about
25 articles called "Poet to Poet" and have learned about the many forms
of poetry. It seems a long sometimes lonely way to go, but given your
situation in a rural community, it might be the way to start for you. I
was lucky to find a critique group within five miles, get discounted cab
coupons, and would agree with Bridget, that if at all possible, a group
sharing laughs, stimulation, and challenge is something to aim for. Good
luck, Jacqueline Williams