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• Accessibility

eLearning Accessibility Laws

3Play Media

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December 21, 2022

Guide to Digital and Communication Accessibility in Higher Education [Free webinar]

The two major disability rights laws in the United States — the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act — were passed long before the proliferation of the internet as we know it today.

However, these laws were written broadly with the intention that they would keep pace with evolving technology and our continued reliance on it.

In the world of education, where classrooms are becoming increasingly digital, these laws are meant to protect the rights of learners with disabilities that affect computer use.

This means that online learning content, like educational videos one might find in a traditional college course or a massive open online course (MOOC), must include accessibility features for students with disabilities. This blog will cover legal specifications that ensure accessible eLearning.

Accessible eLearning under the ADA 

Title II

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil right statute created to limit discriminatory practices towards individuals with disabilities. Both public and private entities are affected by the ADA. 

Title II of the ADA prohibits discrimination by all public entities at the federal, state, and local level. This includes public universities and any publicly available online learning materials. For example, eLearning video content must feature closed captions, audio description, and other accessibility best practices.

In December of 2022, a consent decree between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and UC Berkeley concerning the web accessibility of UC Berkeley’s online content was approved. The DOJ found that UC Berkeley was in violation of Title II of the ADA due to its inaccessible free online material. 

Under the agreement, UC Berkeley must comply with WCAG 2.0 Level AA. The consent decree between the DOJ and UC Berkeley provides a framework for what’s expected under Title II of the ADA for online educational content.

Title III

Title III of the ADA requires places of public accommodation, which includes private entities and places of education, to be accessible. Under Title III, no individual may be discriminated against on the basis of disability with regards to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations of any “place of public accommodation” by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.

Numerous court cases involving the ADA and inaccessible websites have confirmed that websites are considered places of public accommodation. Cases like NAD v. MIT and NAD v. Harvard were triggered by the universities’ inaccurate auto captioning on their free online programming and platforms, such as YouTube, iTunesU, Harvard@Home, and MIT OpenCourseWare. Both MIT and Harvard eventually reached settlements that strengthened digital accessibility policies and required accurate captions.

The number of ADA-based lawsuits continues to increase. There were nearly 100 new lawsuits per week in the first half of 2022 alone. This number compares to 70 lawsuits per week in 2021.

To avoid litigation, any public-facing websites that act as an interface for taking courses, such as Coursera or Future Learn, should make their websites and multimedia content fully accessible.

Guide to Digital and Communication Accessibility in Higher Education: watch the webinar

Accessible eLearning under Section 504 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is considered to be the first statute to declare civil rights for individuals with disabilities. This section of the Act declares that:

“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States […] shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service.”

This law applies to any program or entity, including organizations and public or private universities, that receive federal funding. So, if your organization or institution receives any kind of federal funding (such as student aid or research grants) it could be considered a federally funded program and must ensure it does not exclude anyone with a disability from any program or activity, including participation in online learning activities.

The Rehabilitation Act and the ADA exist separately, but the ADA is generally perceived as an expansion of Section 504 that protects a broader range of individuals with disabilities. The above-mentioned lawsuits against Harvard and MIT alleged violations of Section 504 in addition to the ADA.

Accessible eLearning under Section 508

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that the electronic communications and information technologies, such as websites, email, or web documents of federal programs be accessible and operable in a variety of ways. 

Section 508 states that, “When developing, procuring, maintaining, or using electronic and information technology, each Federal department or agency […] shall ensure, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the department or agency, that the electronic and information technology allows, regardless of the type of medium of the technology, individuals with disabilities […] to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access of [those] who are not individuals with disabilities.”

The World Wide Web Consortium’s collection of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is quickly becoming the international standard for web accessibility. The Section 508 Refresh directly references WCAG 2.0, thereby broadening its coverage to all content covered under Section 508. The refresh covers more documents, more technology, and more people, as WCAG specifies levels of compliance – Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA – in addition to testable provisions.

This law only applies to federal programs. However, many US States and organizations have laws (known as “mini 508s”) that reference Section 508. So, if any institutions or organizations reside in one of those states or have organizational policies that reference Section 508, any MOOCs or other online learning content must be fully accessible or have auxiliary aids for people with sensory disabilities.

While it is up to some debate as to whether federally funded programs must comply with Section 508, there are certain stipulations that often require these programs to provide accessible technology and web content. For example, the Assistive Technology Act will not provide funding to states unless they guarantee that all programs – including colleges and universities – will comply with Section 508. 

With the boom in eLearning and remote education tools since the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of accessible digital learning experiences continues to grow. Ensuring that your MOOC or educational video content is accessible will help you grow your student base, create an equitable learning experience, and avoid legal consequences.

About the author

3Play Media

The post eLearning Accessibility Laws appeared first on 3Play Media.

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• Accessibility

How to Make Orientation Virtual and Accessible

Elisa Lewis

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August 5, 2020

The beginning of the school semester is an exciting time for both new and returning students. It’s a chance to meet friends, explore clubs and organizations, and take new and interesting courses. 

For students this year, many of these traditionally in-person activities will be held online remotely for the upcoming semester in hopes to limit the spread of Covid-19 on college and university campuses. 

As nerve-racking as it may be to start a new school year online, it’s important that administrators make students feel welcomed and comfortable, even in a virtual environment. 

The good news is that we are living in a digital era and we can use many of the resources currently available to make the orientation process an engaging and accessible experience for all students. 

Discover How to Make Remote Learning Inclusive

Shifting Gears to a Virtual Orientation 

Moving to a virtual environment is easier said than done, however, with the right tools and techniques, faculty can help students feel supported during these challenging times.  

It begs the question, how can we foster the same orientation experience that we would’ve had in person, online? 

In this section, we’ll give you 6 tips on how to make your orientation not only virtual but accessible too. 

Plan Early

First things first, it’s incredibly important to start planning your virtual orientation as early as possible. What you do now will have a great impact later on. The sooner you get started with the planning process, the better off you’ll be. 

Ask yourself some important questions: what tools do students need to be successful? How will you maintain the campus culture online? How will students connect with faculty and other students? How do you make all students feel included? How will you know when students are successfully oriented? These are just some questions to ponder before student orientation.  

It may seem like a daunting process, but you aren’t alone. So many other colleges and universities are in the same boat and there are a plethora of resources available to make the orientation process impactful for all students. 

Additionally, students have higher expectations this time around as opposed to when the pandemic first started. Earlier in the year, it was unexpected and faculty members didn’t have much time to transition to an online environment. This upcoming semester, however, students expect faculty to be prepared to provide an engaging and accessible school experience. 

Invest in Technology

Technology has the ability to bridge connections between people, including students and faculty. That’s why it’s crucial to invest in technology that will keep students engaged and that is accessible. 

Not only do administrators need to figure out what learning management software will be used, but they also need to know what technology will be used for communication. 

We recommend investing in an accessible and interactive video conferencing platform. For example, Zoom is a great tool for virtual environments because it has a lot of engaging features like a chat window, poll questions, screen sharing, Q&A, and remote annotating. 

Not to mention, it’s accessible! It offers automatic transcripts, screen reader support, and keyboard accessibility. It even allows you to add captions (check out 3Play’s integration with Zoom) and record live sessions and post them for viewing at a later date. 

Allow Students to Ask Question and Provide Feedback 

The virtual orientation process is new for all of us so be prepared to listen and adjust down the road. 

Colleges and universities want to create the best possible experience for all of their students and students need to be able to share what’s working well and what needs to be improved. 

Administrators and faculty should be receptive to any feedback students may have about their virtual experience and be open to ways in which they can make it better. 

Additionally, keep the line of communication open for students so that they can always ask questions for clarification. Orientation is a time for students to learn the ins-and-outs of the school, and with everything online now, expect questions! Use software that allows students to ask questions and provide feedback and most importantly, ensure that it’s being followed up. 

Provide Students with Support Services 

A big part of campus life is being involved in all of the social gatherings and support groups that are offered. 

During orientation, let students know all of the services available to them like student life, advising, tutoring, etc. 

Even in a remote environment, these services are still needed. In fact, it can be argued that students need them now more than ever. 

Not only do students need to keep in touch with faculty, but they need to be able to connect with other students. Ensure that students know how to get involved with different clubs and organizations and that each group has the proper tools and resources to successfully and safely engage in a virtual environment.  

Make All Presentations Accessible

Another tip to consider is ensuring that all presentations are accessible – this goes for both the design of the presentation and the presentation itself.

For the design aspect, you’ll want to make sure the images are high contrast (4:5:1), use clear structure with headers, and avoid excessive animation.

On the presentation side, you should use live captions, describe visual elements, give the audience time to read the slides, and repeat audience questions.

Once the presentation is over, be sure to distribute accessible slides and caption and describe the recording.

Prepare Students for Online Learning 

Lastly, students need to be prepared for their online learning experience. Start communicating early on about updates that could affect the upcoming semester. That way, when they get to orientation they’ll already be familiar with the tools they’ll need to adjust. 

Orientation is also a great opportunity for students to learn about navigating learning management systems and other software required for their educational success. New students in particular will need special attention on how to make the best experience possible in a remote environment. 

We all want students to feel well-equipped to excel during the school year so make sure that students have all of the tools and resources they need to feel prepared for online learning. 

 Bringing Equity and Inclusion to Remote Learning with UDL 

How to Make Orientation Accessible 

Now that you’ve learned how to make your orientation virtual, it’s time to focus on ensuring that it’s accessible to all students – including those with disabilities. 

There are over a billion people worldwide with some form of disability. In the online space specifically, technology tends to be inaccessible to people with hearing, vision, or motor loss. When online content isn’t accessible to these groups, it leaves them feeling excluded and unable to fully participate in the orientation experience. 

Not only is making the orientation process accessible the right thing to do, but it’s also the legal thing to do. There are a number of laws in place in the U.S. that protect people with disabilities from discrimination like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

The ADA is a broad anti-discrimination law that was enacted in order to guarantee equal opportunity for people with disabilities in different sectors of society, including in education. Title III of the ADA protects people in places of public accommodations, like a private college or university. Colleges and universities must provide an equal experience for all students including providing auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication. 

The Rehabilitation Act protects people from discrimination in programs conducted by federal agencies, programs that receive federal funding, and more. This includes educational institutions receiving federal funding. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that electronic communications and information technologies be accessible to people with disabilities. In addition, many states have adopted Section 508 federal regulations into their own laws called “mini-508s”, and it requires state governments to comply with federal accessibility standards. 

In simple terms, this means providing accessibility tools like captions, audio description, and transcripts to students. Let’s dive into each tool and how they benefit various learners. 

Captions

Closed captions are time-synchronized text of the audio within a video. They assume the viewer cannot hear, therefore they’re a great accommodation for deaf and hard of hearing students. 

With captions, your orientation will be accessible to students with hearing loss, however, captions benefit more people than just those with disabilities. 

A joint study by Oregon State University and 3Play Media found that 71% of students without hearing loss use captions at least some of the time. It goes to show that students, regardless of ability, find captions useful. 

Captions even aid in comprehension, focus, and retention of course material. According to a study conducted by the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg (USFSP), 42% of students use captions to help maintain focus. 

Closed captions are great for pre-recorded content, but what about events happening in real-time? That’s where live captions come in! Live captions are similar to closed captions, except they’re used for live events. 

Whether your orientation is viewed live or pre-recorded make sure you make it accessible by providing closed and/or live captions. 

Audio Description

Audio description is an audio track that narrates the relevant visual information in a video. It assumes the viewer cannot see, therefore, it’s a beneficial accommodation for blind and low vision students. 

Although it’s helpful for students with vision loss, it also helps learners with different learning styles. For example, audio description is great for auditory learners, who retain information best when listening to reinforce what was seen visually. This is especially useful for charts, graphs, and diagrams. 

With audio description, learners are using two senses: visual and auditory to process information. This allows the brain to accommodate more information. That’s why audio description also helps with language development, new media literacy, writing and speaking, and students on the autism spectrum. 

Last, but not least, audio description is great for the student who multitasks. When their eyes are on another device, they’re still able to understand the pertinent visual information. 

Transcripts 

A transcript is a plain text document that narrates the words spoken in a video, however, it’s not time coded. Transcripts are very useful for audio-only content, but interactive transcripts are great for video content. 

An interactive transcript is a time-synchronized transcript that highlights the words as they’re being spoken in a video. It works in tandem with the video to deliver a truly interactive viewing experience. 

Students can type a term in the search bar and see every location where the keyword is spoken within the transcript. By clicking on the keywords, students can jump directly to that point in the video, directing them to the most pertinent part. According to a study by MIT OpenCourseWare, 95% of students were able to find the desired content in a video.  

Similar to captions, interactive transcripts have a slew of benefits like better comprehension and accessibility. USFSP found that 38% of students used interactive transcripts to help with information retention in their survey. 

Are you starting the upcoming semester remotely at your institution? Learn how to make it inclusive for all students in this webinar

About the author

Elisa Lewis

Elisa Lewis is a Senior Marketing Manager at 3Play Media, where she leads content and brand strategy. She is passionate about accessibility, storytelling, and building connections through communication.

The post How to Make Orientation Virtual and Accessible appeared first on 3Play Media.

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• Accessibility

Video Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning

Elisa Lewis

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May 22, 2020

Universal design for learning, also known as UDL, is the design of products and environments to be usable by all types of people without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

UDL is all about giving learners options. Students are composed of different characteristics, abilities, and learning styles. Therefore, it’s important that instructors design learning interactions so that there are multiple ways for people to stay engaged, demonstrate skills, share ideas, and take in information.

Universal design for learning is arguably the most general and inclusive way to proactively approach accessibility because it gives students more than one way to interact with content, materials, other students, instructors, and assignments.

Video accessibility, on the other hand, ensures that all viewers can equally and enjoyably access online video. Similarly to UDL, video accessibility is about giving people different viewing options to keep them engaged.

A common misconception about UDL and video accessibility is that they solely benefit people with disabilities. Of course, they are a great accommodation, however, they benefit all learners, regardless of ability.

Universal design for learning and video accessibility go hand-in-hand to not only make content more accessible, but to make sure online learners stay engaged. In this post, we’ll discuss three video accessibility tools that can improve universal design for learning and positively impact all students.

Tips About Accessibility for Online Learning Instructors

#1: Closed Captioning

Closed captions are a textual representation of the audio within a media file. They assume a viewer cannot hear the audio so they’re a great accommodation for viewers who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.

There are more than 466 million people worldwide with some form of hearing loss, many of whom are students. In most cases, online courses have a variety of students with unique learning styles. When online learning video content is accessible with captions, it gives all students equal access to the course material.

Disabilities like hearing loss are considered invisible disabilities, and oftentimes it’s not obvious that a person is d/Deaf or hard of hearing until it’s disclosed. Instructors should take the proactive approach and apply the principles of universal design for learning by providing captions for online courses.

The benefits of captioning don’t stop with students with disabilities. All students can greatly benefit from captions. Captions have been proven to increase engagement and focus. According to a study conducted by the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg (USFSP), 42% of students use closed captions to help with focus.

Captions also help students when there is difficult language, poor audio, or complicated information because they help clarify information. When information is both seen and heard, it makes retention much easier. A research study by the University of Iowa found that people recalled information better after seeing it and hearing it.

Thanks to technology, we are living in a more globalized world where all learners, regardless of the country of origin, can access information – as long there’s an internet connection. More and more students of different nationalities are taking online courses in other countries. This makes learning more convenient because students don’t necessarily have to travel to another country for their education.

In online courses, there’s a strong chance that there will be students who speak English as a second language (ESL). When captions are provided, ESL students can see the spelling and hear the pronunciation of certain words. But, this doesn’t only help ESL students, captions also help native English speakers clarify spelling as well. For courses with more technical information, like an advanced physics lecture, captions help students understand technical terms.

#2: Audio Description

Audio description is an audio track that narrates the relevant information in a video. It assumes the viewer cannot see, therefore, it depicts the key visual elements that are necessary for understanding video content. It’s a great accommodation for viewers who are blind or low vision.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people have some form of vision loss or blindness globally. Similarly to students who have hearing loss, there’s a strong chance that in your online courses, there will be students who are blind or low vision. When your online videos are described, you make your courses accessible to these students.

Audio description also helps students who don’t have vision loss because it aids learners with different learning styles. For example, some students are strong auditory learners and retain information by listening to audio.

When an instructor is teaching a course, they may not always be able to fully describe the important visual information. Oftentimes, there are charts, graphs, and diagrams that are key to understanding a particular concept. With audio description, these key visual elements will be described in detail, reinforcing what may not have been understood by the students.

By incorporating audio description with online lectures, it helps learners process a greater amount of new information. Research shows that there are two channels for processing information – auditory and visual. When the brain uses both channels, it can accommodate more information. Furthermore, audio description is particularly useful for individuals to acquire new information and develop skills in the following areas:

• Language development
• Auditory processing 
• New media literacy 
• Writing and speaking 

Audio description even helps students on the autistic spectrum by giving more information about emotions and social cues. For example, it may be difficult for someone on the spectrum to comprehend non-vebal communication. Since audio description provides purely visual information, it helps reinforce these cues. 

Lastly, audio description is great for a student who multitasks. If they’re working on multiple things at once, it can help relay the important visual information without the need for looking.

 Strategies to Create an Inclusive Online Environment  

#3: Interactive Transcripts

The last video accessibility tool that positively improves universal design for learning is an interactive transcript. An interactive transcript is a time-synchronized transcript that highlights the words as they’re being spoken in a video. It is connected to the video player and delivers an interactive viewing experience for learners. With an interactive transcript, viewers can search a term within the transcript and jump directly to the point in the video where the term is spoken.

Interactive transcripts benefit all students, including those with disabilities, because it makes video content more accessible to a wider range of students.

Just like captions, interactive transcripts allow students to follow along to the words as they’re being spoken, aiding in focus and comprehension of course materials. According to a research report conducted by USFSP, 38% of students use interactive transcripts to help with information retention.

In addition, MIT OpenCourseWare conducted a study with hundreds of users based on a couple of courses that had interactive transcripts. The results were clear that the searchability enhanced the viewing experience. 97% of students said that interactive transcripts help improve the viewing experience.

In terms of comprehension, having the text available as a consumption aid can be extremely powerful. In fact, many people do better with text as a learning device than audio or visuals.

Plus, if a student is in a gym, a library, or an office, they may not have access to the audio. Interactive transcripts are helpful for students in sound sensitive environments to understand what’s being said without the need for sound.

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The bottom line is that universal design and video accessibility work together in tandem to deliver students with the best learning experience possible. Based on a number of studies, it can no longer be assumed that accessibility and UDL solely benefit students with disabilities. All students can benefit from more accessible video content, and when video accessibility and UDL are prioritized, it makes for an inclusive and engaging learning environment.

Watch the full webinar

About the author

Elisa Lewis

Elisa Lewis is a Senior Marketing Manager at 3Play Media, where she leads content and brand strategy. She is passionate about accessibility, storytelling, and building connections through communication.

The post Video Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning appeared first on 3Play Media.