Visible and Hidden Barriers for Students and Faculty: Impact of Lack of Accessible
ICTs for Students with Disabilities – An International Perspective
Dr. Cyndi RowlandDr. Cyndi Rowland
WebAIM; National Center on Disability and Access to Education,WebAIM; National Center on Disability and Access to Education,Utah State University, USAUtah State University, USA
Enabling Access to Education through ICTEnabling Access to Education through ICT 27-29 Oct, 2010 New 27-29 Oct, 2010 New Delhi, IndiaDelhi, India
ProloguePrologue
Assumptions we all shareAssumptions we all share Access to ICT is key Access to ICT is key to participation in society, to participation in society,
including education and employment.including education and employment. Education exists Education exists to bring knowledge & skills to to bring knowledge & skills to
individuals and assists them to become productive, individuals and assists them to become productive, participatory members of society.participatory members of society.
FocusFocus For Conference: For Conference: How can accessible ICT and AT for How can accessible ICT and AT for
those with disabilities be best deployed in schools and those with disabilities be best deployed in schools and universities?universities?
For my brief timeFor my brief time: Picture of complex (visible and : Picture of complex (visible and hidden) problems using US examples (solutions to be hidden) problems using US examples (solutions to be shared on Friday)shared on Friday)
We want you to jump We want you to jump over our mistakes over our mistakes straight to solutionsstraight to solutions
Lack of AT in SchoolsLack of AT in Schools Cost Cost AvailabilityAvailability Competing initiativesCompeting initiatives
The problem is complexThe problem is complex
Lack of teachers Lack of teachers trained in ATtrained in AT To teach student’s To teach student’s
to use proficientlyto use proficiently To troubleshootTo troubleshoot
The problem is complexThe problem is complex
Lack of system that supports ATLack of system that supports AT In schoolsIn schools In communityIn community In familyIn family
The problem is complexThe problem is complex
The problem is very The problem is very complex complex
(image of a complex set of gears with previous problems identified on each gear)(image of a complex set of gears with previous problems identified on each gear)
Web content is not Web content is not developed to be accessible developed to be accessible
to assistive technologyto assistive technology
Hidden Barrier:Hidden Barrier:Including the needs of Including the needs of
allall Those with visual disabilities - Those with visual disabilities - YesYes
Those with hearing disabilities – Those with hearing disabilities – YesYes
Those with motor disabilities – Those with motor disabilities – YesYes
Those with cognitive disabilities – Those with cognitive disabilities – Not yetNot yet Individual needs not well predicted (advantage Individual needs not well predicted (advantage
some disadvantage others)some disadvantage others) Technologies do not evenly support usersTechnologies do not evenly support users
US Data in EducationUS Data in Education
Primary & SecondaryPrimary & Secondary All US schools are connected All US schools are connected
to the internet for instructionto the internet for instruction
Mobile & handheld Mobile & handheld computing for school is computing for school is rapidly increasingrapidly increasing
A national sample of A national sample of accessible web content in K-accessible web content in K-12 US schools showed 12 US schools showed only only
6% 6% of pages in the sample of pages in the sample would meet national would meet national standards for web standards for web accesssibilityaccesssibility
UniversityUniversity By 2014 22 mill US students By 2014 22 mill US students
will be engaged in online will be engaged in online higher education. Most higher education. Most campus courses include an campus courses include an online componentonline component
4 of every 5 faculty and staff 4 of every 5 faculty and staff are online to complete the are online to complete the work of their employerwork of their employer
The past decade has shown The past decade has shown slow changes of accessibility slow changes of accessibility of institutional web content; of institutional web content;
only only 3%3% of a national of a national sample would meet US sample would meet US federal standardsfederal standards
So what is So what is creating these creating these
barriers?barriers?
Complexity Complexity of achieving of achieving accessible accessible web in US web in US educationeducation
Administrative Administrative commitment & commitment & leadershipleadership
Policy and Policy and implementation plansimplementation plans
Procurement strategiesProcurement strategies
Training and support for Training and support for ALL who produce web ALL who produce web content – including content – including teachersteachers
IT programs that do not IT programs that do not require accessibility in require accessibility in curriculum. Next curriculum. Next generation web generation web developer perpetuates developer perpetuates the problemthe problem