Activity 2b
C&I 335
Summer, 1998
Lynn Gilmore
Elementary Music Specialist
Springfield Public School District 186
Springfield, Illinois, USA
Ridgely Elementary School
Pleasant Hill Elementary School

In checking my Web pages for accessibility with Bobby , an on-line service which rates Web sites, I found that there were graphics I had included on my ePortfolio page that needed alternate text included. Upon correcting this on my Web site, Bobby awarded four stars to my page. This is the highest rating that the service awards. The C&I 335 graphic and CTER logo needed an alternate text to the images, as did the photograph of my daughter and the envelope that I inserted above my e-mail address. I found that alternate text needs to be used to give a functional and contectualized label or description of images. It should not bring to the attention of the user that a picture exists and the text should be grammatically correct. Links should make sense when read out of context. Lists of links need to have non-link, printable characters between them. I learned if it was not possible for me to modify my ePortfolio to Bobby's specifications, then a link to an alternative page that is accessible should be provided. This link should have equivalent information and be maintained with the same frequency as the inaccessible page. It was not a difficult process to make the assignment accessible. All of the other pages that I have created for this class received a four star rating without having to change anything.

An ordinary classroom could present monumental communication problems to students with disabilities. Below are listed examples of disabilities and the page design strategies that could be used by my students.

 

  • Cerebral palsy- There is software designed that permits a student to read a book on computer. The page of text and illustrations appear on the screen alongside a digitized voice that reads the text aloud. A customized chin switch can be used to enter commands.
  • Learning disabilities- Software can help display textbook pages on a computer screen. A voice reads aloud as the pertinent text is highlighted on the screen. Students can pull out part of the text into a notepad for later review and look up the definition of any unfamiliar words in an electronic dictionary.
  • Speech impairment- Students with speech impairments who are assigned to give oral presentations can compose their remarks ahead of time on the computer, then use a specially designed computer's speech output capability to convey the information.
  • Visually impaired- Students can use digitized books that are read aloud electronically. Computer voice systems can make learners more independent.
  • Brain injury- Students with minimal muscle control, often due to brain injury, can use a specially designed camera focused on an area where muscle control exists, can assist computer use. For example, a student with only control of the eye muscles could have the computer focus just below the hairline. The eye blinking will activate computer commands.

Helping students with disabilities often requires additional hardware and/or software. Today, few textbooks have been converted into electronic form, and the procedure is costly. For students with disabilities, teachers can customize the learning experience. The pace of the oral reading can be slowed down. The text can be magnified. The system can scan through its options for students who can operate only a single switch. The colors of text and background can also be adjusted to each student's learning preference. Many possibilities exist to assist students with disablilties so they can benefit from the information on the Internet.

 

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Updated: June 19, 1998