[blindkid] Defining the Term ?Accessible? in the Digital Education Era

NFBMD nfbmd at earthlink.net
Tue Jan 29 18:50:29 UTC 2013


Here is a definition of accessibility that we are trying to get the Maryland
State Department of Education to adopt.  Much of this language comes from
the Department of Justice uses.  I think it is a good definition.  

"Accessible" means fully and equally accessible to and independently usable
by blind individuals so that blind students and professionals are able to
acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the
same services as sighted students and professionals, with substantially
equivalent ease of use.

Sharon Maneki

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Today's Topics:

   1. Stay in touch with me through LinkedIn (Steve Heesen)
   2. Defining the Term ?Accessible? in the Digital Education Era (DrV)
   3. Re: Defining the Term ?Accessible? in the Digital Education
      Era (Penny Duffy)


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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:04:39 +0000 (UTC)
From: Steve Heesen <steveheesen at aol.com>
To: <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blindkid] Stay in touch with me through LinkedIn
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LinkedIn
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Find out why I use LinkedIn. Stay in touch and build your professional
network.

- Steve

Steve Heesen
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Greater Milwaukee Area

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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 08:03:56 -0800
From: DrV <icdx at earthlink.net>
To: "Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
	<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blindkid] Defining the Term ?Accessible? in the Digital
	Education Era
Message-ID: <CD293E6C.CB28%icdx at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="ISO-8859-1"

Hi All,
Education is moving more & more into the digital realm.
Students of all ages are being asked or required to access teacher websites,
web-based calendars, and are being directed to watch on-line videos clips,
download assignments, upload assignments, or perhaps blog.
Some districts have adopted digital textbooks, other are seriously planning
to do so.
Some students are being expected to do on-line drills.
An increasing number of students are starting to be tested using on-line
quizzes & tests, including for math & foreign languages.
Many school districts are creating Technology Departments & Committees to
address & some are trying to standardize their districts digital education
needs & operation.
A student?s performance & grade is increasingly being assessed based on
their digital performance.
There are many tools young blind & low vision students can use to access
what they need.
What information is ?visible? on a given website can vary depending on the
tool used to access it; the same website may look very different to a
student using a Braille Notaker vs iphone vs ipad vs laptop with JAWS vs a
Mac laptop.
This is no longer an issue just for students at the upper grade levels, but
also in the early education years down to kindergarten & preschool.
As parents, vi professionals, & students interact with classroom teachers &
with school districts they need to figure out how accessible things are.
This is not an academic or philosophical question, but rather a very real
issue.
Given the spectrum of tools & age groups pre-k through grad school, has
anyone come across an accepted working definition of what ?accessible? now
means?
I look forward to your thoughts, insights & discussion.
Respectfully,
EricV




------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 11:17:42 -0500
From: Penny Duffy <pennyduffy at gmail.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,	(for parents of blind children)"
	<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Defining the Term ?Accessible? in the Digital
	Education Era
Message-ID:
	<CABb_=QdVZJZhVtGF2_b7ou_t=Wp8k15Djmf5rEz6ZLLo=fHrJg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I have always understood it to mean someone isn't able to access it because
it just visual.  I think there is two streams here that which should always
be accessible or made accessible for the student and the things that simply
can't be made accessable and that's 'ok'   For instance a print book isn't
accessible for many blind students but it can be. 1. Someone can read it but
than its not reading or it can be transcribed into braille. My daughter has
a para educator and I remind the school often that she making Abby's
education more accessible not be her 'baby sitter'.

Its scary out there with all the new technology and many times the people
are not trained much less trained to bring access to a blind student. My
daughter is it 3rd grade and all the students have ipads in the school. Its
been a confusing adjustment.

I do think there is wording to what has to be made accessible but I am
clueless about that.

_Penny
On Jan 26, 2013 11:04 AM, "DrV" <icdx at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Hi All,
> Education is moving more & more into the digital realm.
> Students of all ages are being asked or required to access teacher 
> websites, web-based calendars, and are being directed to watch on-line 
> videos clips, download assignments, upload assignments, or perhaps 
> blog.
> Some districts have adopted digital textbooks, other are seriously 
> planning to do so.
> Some students are being expected to do on-line drills.
> An increasing number of students are starting to be tested using 
> on-line quizzes & tests, including for math & foreign languages.
> Many school districts are creating Technology Departments & Committees 
> to address & some are trying to standardize their districts digital 
> education needs & operation.
> A student?s performance & grade is increasingly being assessed based 
> on their digital performance.
> There are many tools young blind & low vision students can use to 
> access what they need.
> What information is ?visible? on a given website can vary depending on 
> the tool used to access it; the same website may look very different 
> to a student using a Braille Notaker vs iphone vs ipad vs laptop with 
> JAWS vs a Mac laptop.
> This is no longer an issue just for students at the upper grade 
> levels, but also in the early education years down to kindergarten &
preschool.
> As parents, vi professionals, & students interact with classroom 
> teachers & with school districts they need to figure out how accessible
things are.
> This is not an academic or philosophical question, but rather a very 
> real issue.
> Given the spectrum of tools & age groups pre-k through grad school, 
> has anyone come across an accepted working definition of what 
> ?accessible? now means?
> I look forward to your thoughts, insights & discussion.
> Respectfully,
> EricV
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> blindkid at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> blindkid:
>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindkid_nfbnet.org/pennyduffy%40gma
> il.com
>


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