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From: "Dr. AnnMarie (Paulukonis) Johnson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Blackboard 5 accessibility
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 11:26:30 -0600
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I just tried out Blackboard 5 with JAWS (screen reader) and IBM Home
page reader (screen reader just for web pages). Blackboard 5 runs pretty
miserably on both. On the latter, it is impossible. The first page frame
set gives no alternative text so it is impossible to find the login
button. I visually went into the Portal and then into the workshop 4
class. It continues to be unreadable.

In the former (JAWS), you can hit the tab button and find the login
button...but it isn't labeled "Login" so you haven't a clue if you can't
see the button (that is, there is no alt text on the image). In the
portal, it's better, because it reads *everything* straight across the
page. However, this means the first line of every table (?) is read
first, then the second line, then the third. So you hear "Announcements
Welcome Calendar Today's announcements My course tasks dot.edu's online
education using Blackboard courses you are teaching Tasks etc." Inside a
course, not all of the images (navigation) have alt text, so they aren't
read either. On the one I'm looking at, only Assignments, Books, Groups
and Web Sites have alt text out of 12 total buttons.

I spoke a little about my concerns yesterday with Kathryn, but she
indicated she hadn't tried out any screen reading software with version
5. Sean recently did a brown bag on accessibility and we have some demo
programs around, so I decided to give it a whirl. I am exceedingly
disappointed in the lack of accessibility. Given the renewed push for
accessibility for the entire UW System, I believe that Blackboard 5 will
not able to be supported unless a lot is done to make it usable by
visually handicapped students (and faculty). I saw this morning a letter
sent to CIOs that indicates Katherine Lyall has recommended all
chancellors mandate level 1 accessibility for all web pages coming from
any University of WI.

The letter sent to us this morning via Kathryn appears to indicate
Blackboard will not be address ADA compliance and accessibility until
version 6. At this time, unless there are revisions to Blackboard 5
making it accessible, I am not certain we could support it on this
campus.

AnnMarie