Let the Software Do the Work

Faculty and course designers are frequently overwhelmed with the work of
creating and modifying courses for online delivery, and having to make that
content accessible for students with disabilities is just one more burden.
However, they do want to provide meaningful learning experiences for all of
their students including those with disabilities.  There are now recognized
guidelines and standards for what is meant by online accessibility, but how
can faculty and other content providers do this without their becoming
skilled HTML programmers?

Designing Accessible Course Content Using Familiar Software is a mont-long,
instructor-led course starting January 10 which is provided by EASI that
shows how you can do it!
http://easi.cc/workshops/dacc.htm

Modern learning management systems simplify the process of uploading
content online and organizing it to facilitate learning.  These systems
also permit the content designer to continue preparing content with
familiar tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF, and these systems
do the work of transforming the content to be compatible with the
courseware.  Unfortunately, these courseware and creation tools do not
automatically walk the content provider through the steps of creating an
accessible output.  The purpose of Designing Accessible Course Content
Using Familiar Software is to introduce course registrants to the process
of using these familiar tools in ways that result in content that will be
highly accessible for students with disabilities without their having to
become experts in HTML or in information technology.

Course Lessons:
Lesson 1: Introduction
Lesson 2: Accessible web checkers
Lesson 3: Adding accessibility for pictures and graphics on the web
Lesson 4: Powerpoint accessibility for the web
Lesson 5: Word and Excel accessibility for the web
Lesson 6: Creating accessible PDF
Lesson 7: Delivering accessible content using video and audio conferencing
Lesson 8: Adding captions and audio description to Internet multimedia

Faculty are busy, and they want to focus on their subject area and not on
delivery technologies.  Providing them with the guidelines and standards
they need to comply with in order to achieve accessibility will usually not
work.  They won't invest the time and energy into learning the technology.
Only when the creation or authoring tools make it easy for them will we see
significant progress towards having online course content be truly
accessible.  While this ideal world is not yet here, this course will walk
participants step-by-step through simple steps and adaptations that make
creating accessible content a reasonable possibility.

Registration and syllabus for the course presentation starting Jan. 10 are at:
http://easi.cc/workshops/dacc.htm

January 10 is also the starting date for the online course, Train the
Trainer which is a down-to-earth introductory course for support staff who
are responsible to train end users on using adaptive computer technology.
Registration and syllabus are at:
http://easi.cc/workshops/train.htm




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EASI Is the premiere provider of online courses on designing accessible
information technology:
(a package of five courses will earn the Certificate in Accessible
Information Technology)
http://easi.cc/workshop.htm
** Also check our monthly interact Web conferences on accessible IT:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

                                                Norman Coombs, Ph.D.
CEO EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)
22196 Caminito Tasquillo
        Laguna Hills CA 92653
home: (949)  855-4852
        Cell: (949) 922-5992
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
                http://www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh

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Check out EASI New Synchronous Clinics:
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm
EASI Home Page http://www.rit.edu/~easi
Online courses  and Clinics http://easi.cc/workshop.htm
Check the EASI Library Web http://www.rit.edu/~easi/lib.htm

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