EASI Barrier-free E-learning course has the information you need to provide
a level online learning space for students with disabilities.

Still more schools and universities are puting courses online or putting
course components on the web as reported by the recently released Campus
Computing Survey as presented at last week's EDUCAUSE conference.
Institutions are relying increasingly on course management systems to
provide these materials.  The survey also showed a distinct increased
awareness of colleges of their need to make web pages accessible to
students with disabilities.  EASI's Barrier-free E-learning course begins
online on November 4 and runs for a month.  EASI's mission is to provide
schools and universities with the know-how they need to make their
education and information technologies fully accessible for students with
disabilities.  Register online at:
http://easi.cc/workshops/bfel.htm

The course was designed by and is taught by Norman Coombs who has taught
online for almost 20 years and who was awarded the NY State CASE Teacher of
the Year Award in 1990 for work in providing distance learning that
included students with disabilities in online courses permitting them to
interact fully as equal learners.

Topics covered in the course include:

Lesson 1: Introduction
Part 1 Types of E-learning technologies
Part 2 Advantages and disadvantages of e-learning for students with
disabilities
Part 3 Disability-related legislation and e-learning

Lesson 2 Adaptive technology interfaces
Part 1 Alternative output technologies
                Part 2 Alternative input technologies
Part 3 Interfacing adaptive technology and courseware

Lesson 3 accessible web design
Part 1 Web Access Initiative guidelines
Part 2 Section 508 standards
Part 3 Good web design is half of accessible design

Lesson 4 Guest presenters share experiences and information
Part 1 Presentations from several e-learning programs
Part 2 Presentations by developers of existing e-learning guidelines
Part 3 Presentations by designers of e-learning systems

Lesson 5 Tips for faculty and content providers
Part 1 Coombs ten tips for e-learning
Part 2 Designing content to increase accessibility for all
Part 3 Good teaching and clear communication is half of accessibility

Lesson 6 accessible Internet Multimedia (audio, video, PowerPoint and more)
Part 1 Using media redundantly
Part 2 SMIL! you're on the Internet (providing captions)
Part 3 When to outsource captioning and transcribing activities

Lesson 7 Beyond the online delivery of e-learning
Part 1 Access for blind users to drawings, diagrams and charts
Part 2 Access for blind users to technical texts
Part 3 When to outsource technical text and graphic production

Lesson 8 System-wide planning and designing for access
Part 1 Campus-wide responsibility
Part 2 Writing a campus accessibility policy
Part 3 Developing a systematic funding plan
Part 4 Networking on and off campus

Register at http://easi.cc/workshops/bfel.htm

See EASI's new web site: National Center for Accessible E-learning
http://easi-elearn.org

November 7 also begins the course: Accessible Internet  Multimedia
http://easi.cc/workshops/mmedia.htm

Those who take five courses earn the Certificate in Accessible Information
Technology