For Immediate Release
WEBCT DELIVERS ACCESSIBILITY WITH NEW RELEASE OF LEADING E-LEARNING
SYSTEM
-- New Release Provides Access for Those with Disabilities and
Complies
with Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act --
Vancouver, BC - June 25, 2001 - WebCT, the world's leading provider of
integrated e-learning systems for higher education, announced today a
new
version of its e-learning software, WebCT 3.6, in both Standard and
Campus
editions. WebCT 3.6 includes a number of features and revised
interfaces
that increase the openness and accessibility of the software including
full compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
recent amendments. Company executives made the announcement at the
Third
Annual WebCT User Conference, which opened here today. More than one
thousand administrators, IT professionals and faculty members from all
over the world have gathered for the Conference.
WebCT is committed to making certain that online courses are open and
accessible to people with disabilities. As a result, the Company has
released WebCT 3.6, which complies with Section 508 of the United
States
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, enabling people with disabilities and using
assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to fully use the
software.
WebCT has worked with the Adaptive Technology (ATRC) at the University
of
Toronto on Section 508 compliance requirements. WebCT 3.6 enables
faculty
or course designers with disabilities to use assistive technologies
with
WebCT in their course creation and delivery. In addition, WebCT 3.6
makes
it easier for faculty and course designers to create courses that are
compliant with Section 508.
Section 508 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which requires
that
electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained,
or
used by the Federal government be accessible to people with
disabilities.
WebCT 3.6 compliance with Section 508 allows any Federal government
organization to use the software for their e-learning programs.
"WebCT's commitment to accessibility is important because it is
critical
that digital information be easily transformed from one format into
another, depending on the needs of the user," said Laurie Harrison,
education coordinator for ATRC. "For example, learning resources in
accessible formats may be displayed on any size of monitor or in any
size
of font, rendered as audio output by text-to-speech software, or
translated into a tactile format for access via refreshable Braille
display. This flexibility ensures that students with disabilities are
empowered to independently access information and education."
Since the advent of e-learning, students and faculty have realized the
power of online courses to break down barriers - ethnic, gender,
socio-economic, learning styles and disabilities. Many students report
that their class discussions and projects have been liberating because
they are able to focus on the thoughts of their classmates, free of
those
barriers. For disabled students, online courses provide a special
freedom.
For many, online courses are the only way they can participate. For
others, the freedom to work at their own pace, and respond in
discussions
with their own voice and at the same speed as other students is the
first
time they have been able to participate as fully as other students.
However, courses must support their needs and the assistive
technologies
used by these students in order to provide this experience.
Professor Michael Pless of St. Petersburg Junior College has just
completed the creation of a WebCT course he will offer this fall using
JAWS 3.7, a screen reader supported by WebCT. "Online courses are
critical
for many reasons including their ability to let all students
participate
equally, especially those with often-stigmatizing physical
disabilities,"
said Professor Pless. "I think it is vitally important for faculty as
well
to have the same access to education and technology tools. I am
excited
about teaching online; my world has expanded considerably with the
online
course I'll offer this fall."
In addition to releasing WebCT 3.6, WebCT has also created a help desk
for
customers who have questions regarding accessibility or need
assistance
developing an accessible course. Dr. Glen Low, director of educational
technology and development, heads WebCT's work in accessibility and
works
with ATRC to provide consulting resources to WebCT customers.
"WebCT has long been committed to providing open access to e-learning
for
all students and faculty. The fundamental promise of e-learning is
that it
breaks down the barriers of the classroom and even the campus to
provide
access to many new learners. It was critical to us to create software
that
supports that mission and to help institutions deliver on that promise
in
their e-learning programs," said Carol A. Vallone, chief executive
officer
of WebCT.
Other Enhancements in WebCT 3.6
& Test Interoperability 1.1 format. This support of the IMS standards
for
content and assessment allows schools to easily share course materials
with other IMS-compliant software as well as the flexibility of
importing
IMS-compliant courses created outside the WebCT environment.
Enhanced Calendar -- WebCT 3.6 provides a centralized student calendar,
enabling students to view a single calendar with information for all
their
WebCT courses. As institutions continue to expand their e-learning
programs, more and more students are taking multiple online courses.
This
integrated calendar allows them to view and manage a single calendar
for
all those classes.
Palm Calendar Support -- Palm users will be able to view the WebCT
calendar integrated directly into the Palm Date Book when they are
away
from their computer.
Additional Operating System Support -- WebCT 3.6 provides support for
customers using Red Hat Linux 7.1 and Compaq Tru 64 on UNIX version
5.1.
Improved System Management -- WebCT 3.6 provides automation
functionality
for end-of-year tasks required of administrators. These include
archiving
and restoring courses as well as assigning courses to categories.
About WebCT
WebCT is the world's leading provider of integrated e-learning systems
for
higher education. More than 2,211 colleges and universities worldwide
are
using WebCT's products and services to transform the educational
experience for their students. Consortia in 16 American states, four
Canadian provinces, two Australian territories, the French National
Center
for Distance Learning, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and
Universities, the Japanese National Institute of Multimedia in
Education,
and the Consortium of Distance Education have licensed WebCT for their
member institutions, making it a de facto standard in higher
education.
More information about WebCT can be found at www.webct.com/company.
# # #
For more information, contact:
Brenda Wheeler
Bob Donegan
Wheeler Baird Group
WebCT
973-762-8683
781-309-1162
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