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Overall Design
Step 1: Planning the Website
The website for a Distance Learning course is the virtual classroom. Outline the material you want to make available to the students. Visit other course websites for ideas. Start with some basics: tests, resources, contact details, course information, a method of exchanging information, and the tools they may need to access the information you make available for them.
- Tests can be provided in a variety of formats that are accessible to disabled students, including PDF files (Portable Document Format), using a professional testing site, or an educational platform such as BlackBoard or WebCT.
- Resources may include files that a student can download in an accessible PDF format or as text files. Whenever possible files should be also available in alternate formats (HTML, Microsoft Word “doc”, etc.). Resources may include links to publications or outside websites that provide additional information. Students can also be directed to campus information and schedules. Providing links to outside sources does not require any special accessibility adjustments other than providing clear, unique wording for the links. Avoid words like “click here”. They provide very little information about the link and not all students may be using a mouse to navigate the site.
When directing users to external websites,
make sure the information is accessible, and/or available in a format
that provides equal access!
- Course Information can by provided in text format or files. Images, graphs, and maps will require alt tags, or long descriptions. Alt tags and long descriptions are terms that refer to adding text to describe images and graphic material that can be read by screen readers to inform vision impaired students of the content. They are also useful information tags for non-graphical browsers such as personal data assistants (PDAs) and text-only web browsers. Avoid using colored text that reduces contrast with the background.
- Methods for exchanging information can include email and e-platforms like Blackboard and WebCT. Providing more than one method is useful but not required under Section 508. The idea is to be sure whatever you do offer is accessible to all students.
- Contact Information should include alternate methods of contacting the instructor and the campus such as a physical address of the school, a phone number, and an email address.
- Tools should be made available by providing links to download free software to allow the student to view and use whatever information is presented on the website.
Popular Tools
Adobe Reader
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
A free program for reading PDF files. PDF is an acceptable file format and you can create accessible PDF files by using the Acrobat Professional software program. This program provides an ‘Advanced’ tab that allows you to check a PDF file for accessibility and points out modifications that need to be made to make the document accessible.
QuickTime
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
A free program for viewing video MPG, MOV, AVI, and other video files.
Windows Media Player
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/default.aspx
A free program for viewing video, WMV, AVI, and other video files.
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