Visible and Hidden Barriers for Students and Faculty: Impact of Lack of Accessible

ICTs for Students with Disabilities – An International Perspective

Dr. Cyndi RowlandDr. Cyndi Rowland

WebAIM; National Center on Disability and Access to Education,WebAIM; National Center on Disability and Access to Education,Utah State University, USAUtah State University, USA

Enabling Access to Education through ICTEnabling Access to Education through ICT 27-29 Oct, 2010 New 27-29 Oct, 2010 New Delhi, IndiaDelhi, India

ProloguePrologue

Assumptions we all shareAssumptions we all share Access to ICT is key Access to ICT is key to participation in society, to participation in society,

including education and employment.including education and employment. Education exists Education exists to bring knowledge & skills to to bring knowledge & skills to

individuals and assists them to become productive, individuals and assists them to become productive, participatory members of society.participatory members of society.

FocusFocus For Conference: For Conference: How can accessible ICT and AT for How can accessible ICT and AT for

those with disabilities be best deployed in schools and those with disabilities be best deployed in schools and universities?universities?

For my brief timeFor my brief time: Picture of complex (visible and : Picture of complex (visible and hidden) problems using US examples (solutions to be hidden) problems using US examples (solutions to be shared on Friday)shared on Friday)

We want you to jump We want you to jump over our mistakes over our mistakes straight to solutionsstraight to solutions

Lack of AT in SchoolsLack of AT in Schools Cost Cost AvailabilityAvailability Competing initiativesCompeting initiatives

The problem is complexThe problem is complex

Lack of teachers Lack of teachers trained in ATtrained in AT To teach student’s To teach student’s

to use proficientlyto use proficiently To troubleshootTo troubleshoot

The problem is complexThe problem is complex

Lack of system that supports ATLack of system that supports AT In schoolsIn schools In communityIn community In familyIn family

The problem is complexThe problem is complex

The problem is very The problem is very complex complex

(image of a complex set of gears with previous problems identified on each gear)(image of a complex set of gears with previous problems identified on each gear)

Web content is not Web content is not developed to be accessible developed to be accessible

to assistive technologyto assistive technology

Hidden Barrier:Hidden Barrier:Including the needs of Including the needs of

allall Those with visual disabilities - Those with visual disabilities - YesYes

Those with hearing disabilities – Those with hearing disabilities – YesYes

Those with motor disabilities – Those with motor disabilities – YesYes

Those with cognitive disabilities – Those with cognitive disabilities – Not yetNot yet Individual needs not well predicted (advantage Individual needs not well predicted (advantage

some disadvantage others)some disadvantage others) Technologies do not evenly support usersTechnologies do not evenly support users

US Data in EducationUS Data in Education

Primary & SecondaryPrimary & Secondary All US schools are connected All US schools are connected

to the internet for instructionto the internet for instruction

Mobile & handheld Mobile & handheld computing for school is computing for school is rapidly increasingrapidly increasing

A national sample of A national sample of accessible web content in K-accessible web content in K-12 US schools showed 12 US schools showed only only

6% 6% of pages in the sample of pages in the sample would meet national would meet national standards for web standards for web accesssibilityaccesssibility

UniversityUniversity By 2014 22 mill US students By 2014 22 mill US students

will be engaged in online will be engaged in online higher education. Most higher education. Most campus courses include an campus courses include an online componentonline component

4 of every 5 faculty and staff 4 of every 5 faculty and staff are online to complete the are online to complete the work of their employerwork of their employer

The past decade has shown The past decade has shown slow changes of accessibility slow changes of accessibility of institutional web content; of institutional web content;

only only 3%3% of a national of a national sample would meet US sample would meet US federal standardsfederal standards

So what is So what is creating these creating these

barriers?barriers?

Complexity Complexity of achieving of achieving accessible accessible web in US web in US educationeducation

Administrative Administrative commitment & commitment & leadershipleadership

Policy and Policy and implementation plansimplementation plans

Procurement strategiesProcurement strategies

Training and support for Training and support for ALL who produce web ALL who produce web content – including content – including teachersteachers

IT programs that do not IT programs that do not require accessibility in require accessibility in curriculum. Next curriculum. Next generation web generation web developer perpetuates developer perpetuates the problemthe problem