Sp12T1 Web 2.0 Access Barriers

In several recent online and offline discussions on comment spam and other automated, improper use of forms, I have seen or heard people suggest using image-based CAPTCHAs (you know, those images of distorted letters and numbers) to prevent spambots and other programs from successfully submitting forms. Requiring the user to interpret an image of distorted characters and then enter those characters into a text input field may seem like a nice idea at first. Deciphering those characters for verification can be confusing for most of us, but for the blind who depend on screen readers, it is impossible for those programs to intrepret such mumbo jumbo.

Accessibility has become a hot topic as increased awareness and growing requirements demand that applications take into account the needs of all potential users. Accessibility covers not only the Web application, but document, desktop application and hardware, and so on. In the Web application domain, making static Web pages accessible is relatively easy.

This publication explains that dispite the many opportunities within Web 2.0 communication technologies, significant technology berriers for people with certain disabilities do exist today.

A translation of this article is available in French - External Link - courtesy of Ideose - External Link. Many of you likely remember Christopher Reeve, famous as an actor, and later famous for his condition of quadriplegia and his unrelenting activism on behalf of spinal cord injury research. This article talks about all of the different types of motor disabilities and all of the various ways that these folks can access Web 2.0. I have included this because people frequently overlook people with motor disabilities and using Web 2.0

Tina, I was very interested in the article about motor disabilities. It is extraordinary that he lived that long after his accident. Technology is a form of a miracle for people who have access to it to improve their quality of life. However, there are barriers for thoshe who cannot afford it. Students with disabilities have a right to be provided with the neccessary Web 2.0 tools or assistive technology needed to help them function academically and socially.

This slide presentation starts with a comparison of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. It demonstrates why we should be excited about Web 2.0. Then it goes into pointing out barriers to accessibility of Web 2.0 and why educators should be educated on how to use Web 2.0 correctly. It should be planned and with a purpose in mind for it to be an effective tool for teaching.

Web 2.0 technology has improved the quality of life for many autistic children, however, some barriers do exist. One of the berriers for many families is the price of some of the online resources. Fortunatelly, some less expensive resources are beginning to emerge.

I came across this article because it was listed as a resource under Maria Young's last bookmarked site.  I found the story of Leigh-Anne under "resources-success stories" to be eye-opening. http://www.ataccess.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=56 This site has resources for and articles about people who are blind or have low vision, who are deaf or hard of hearing, have dyslexia, have Down's Syndrome, have Cerebral Palsy, have learning disabilities, you name it.

You can use deep links to take us directly to the part of the article that specifically meets the assignment requirement (...issues faced while using Web 2.0 techniques) If you turn on your diigolet, you will see a highlight and sticky notes that I posted in this article. Only members of our class Diigo group can see my comment. -- You can also see the page w/ the highlights w/o diigo! Because Diigolet has a feature that lets you get the annotated link. It is in the dropdown list you see after you click the edit button at the bottom left of the sticky note. BTW- If you have your Diigolet turned on, and you know you should see deeplinks, yet you do not, then try a different Browser. Firefox 4 on a Mac doesn't display Diigo deeplinks, but Safari does.

The laws should known by educators at all levels. It is important to be aware of the rights of people with disabilities and what it can be done to grant them equal access.

The Diigo component of the Week 4 assignment requires that the links posted take us directly to sites or articles focused on the barriers to Web 2.0 access, faced by people with disabilities. To meet the assignment requirement, the linked webpage must specifically talk about Web 2.0 techniques, or at least using the internet. A website or article about assistive technologies is useful in general, but it does not meet the requirements for this assignment. Also I noticed you didn't use the required tag on your posts, sp12accessibility. I think there are aspects of the site you link to here that would meet the assignment requirement. But your link goes to a general site. Can you find where among the resources provided by the Access Board they address barriers aced while access Web 2.0 or the internet? If so, post that link, along with the required tag, sp12accessibility, before the due date, and you will have meet the assignment requirement.

The assistive technology cited in this article applies not only to autistic children and adults but to children with other disabilities. As I was reading, I could think of some of my students who would benefit from the technology listed here.

Maria, This assignment requires that the links posted here take us to sites or articles focused on the barriers to Web 2.0 access, faced by people with disabilities. To meet the assignment requirement, the linked webpage must directly talk about Web 2.0 techniques, or at least using the internet. A website or article about assistive technologies is useful in general, but it does not meet the requirements for this assignment.

In his book on new forms of personal expression and communication on the Internet, The Future of Reputation, Daniel Solove reminds us that "people scattered across the globe can now all congregate together in cyberspace" (2007:33). This article looks at how tweeter can be adapted to meet the needs of the the disabled and alow access to everyone.

The ipad is beig used to help autistic students communicate. I had an autistic students two years ago. He was not able to speak clearly and could not follow directions very well. He was a sweet boy and loved to spend time in the computer. It was the only place where he could produce and made him very happy.

This site is focused on making e-learning decisions on utilizing common Web 2.0 tools to fully meet the accessibilities needs of impaired individuals. You can search using the top tabs for specific "Activities" such as concept mapping, charting, assessments/surveys, etc., or by specific Disabilities" such as visual, mobility, auditory, or cognitive impairments. Each activity or disability will be accompanied by suggested Web 2.0 tools and their accessibility evaluations, based on the impairment, in percent form and broken-down by specific drawbacks to accessibility. The Web 2.0 tools referenced in the site were evaluated or tested to their accessibility for each impairment using various guidelines and services including: W3C, the Web Accessibility Group, JISC TechDis, WebAIM, CEUD, IBM, and VPAT.

This is a wonderful resource. I love that you can sort by disability or you can sort by activity, and then when you click on activity (like chart creation or assessment and survey) it will then list each application or Web 2.0 tool separately with their score. Great find! -Megan

Press release: 26th October 2011 A consortium of researchers and user organizations from across Europe is investigating the accessibility of Web 2.0 applications for disabled and older people. The group will then create new tools to help developers produce applications that are more accessible to these groups. I've included this because I think it speaks to the relevance of how difficult it is for disabled folks and older folks to use the new technology found within Web 2.0. It is wonderful to see that a group (NCBI Centre for Inclusive Technology) is taking the initiative to try a determine a solution that is prevalent for a portion of the world's population.

Describes how the JAWS is used for the visually impaired individuals.

" Assistive Technology " " Assistive Computer Devices Information provided by Disabled World - Published: 2009-02-17 A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the computer screen. This interpretation is then represented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output.

Get started today working with all your Microsoft and IBM Lotus® Symphony™ applications using JAWS®, the world's most popular screen reader. Developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content, JAWS reads aloud what's on the PC screen.

Information for blind and low-vision users and deaf and hard of hearing users for Google products

The Zac Browser allows children with autism and similar disorders experience the web comfortably. By limiting access to sites that have been deemed appropriate for children with these disorders, the browser reduces distractions and inappropriate material. And it even works with the Nintendo Wii remote!