AccessCollege

As increasing numbers of people with disabilities pursue educational opportunities that require computer use, accessibility of computing facilities becomes even more critical. Making a computer lab accessible requires that attention be devoted to the physical accessibility of the lab facility, as well as to the accessibility of the available technology. Assistive technology (AT) should be available for students who need it. However, AT alone does not make a computer lab accessible.

You can find lists of resources on the World Wide Web. Here are some good places to start:

The term digital divide refers to the gap that exists between those who have and those who do not have access to technology. The term gained popularity in the late 1990s, fueled in part by a series of reports from the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The first of these reports, Falling Through The Net: A Survey of the "Have Nots" in Rural and Urban America, was released in July 1995.

Long before educational entities began to use computers, the web, and streaming multimedia, they enriched curriculum with live or recorded television programming. This early use of information technology was also an early barrier for students and staff with disabilities, particularly those who were deaf or hard of hearing. Significant legislative steps have helped to reduce this barrier but have not yet eliminated it.

"Electronic and information technology" is a term used in the 1998 amendments to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The term is used to define the scope of products covered under Section 508. Section 508 requires that electronic and information technology that is developed, procured, maintained, or used by the federal government be accessible.

In order for assistive technologies (AT) to convey meaningful information to users about an application's user interface, the AT first must be able to access that information from the application. Microsoft's solution to this problem is Microsoft® Active Accessibility® (MSAA), which has been available as an add-on since Windows® 95 and built into subsequent Windows® releases. MSAA is a technology that provides a standard, consistent mechanism for exchanging information between applications and assistive technologies.

There are many individuals and groups who share responsibility for making web content accessible. Standards organizations such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C®) and the federal Access Board have developed web accessibility guidelines and standards. But in order to be effective, these standards must be supported by web browsers, media players, and other user agents, as well as by web authoring software tools and assistive technologies. Accessibility-focused organizations and advocacy groups are working diligently to educate these groups.

No. It means instead that you must design multimedia in such a way that individuals with disabilities, particularly those with sensory impairments, can access it or that you must provide an alternate format for the content in the multimedia. For example, a video clip can be captioned for those who are deaf and audio-described or transcribed for those who are blind and using speech or Braille technology for access.

Some website developers imagine that providing a separate text-only website is an easy way to support screen reader users so that they can have an accessible experience without requiring animations, media controls that are typically operated with a mouse, image-based infographics, or frequently updated content that may cause confusion. While this approach may seem logical on the surface, text-only websites are rarely maintained, have limited functionality, and simply cannot provide the same user experience for everyone that can be provided by making the “regular” website accessible.

A growing number of postsecondary institutions are developing policies and implementing support solutions for assuring that their web content is accessible to people with disabilities. One of these institutions is Ohio State University, whose Web Accessibility Policy and Minimum Web Accessibility Standards went into effect on June 30, 2004. Ohio State is particularly noteworthy in that they have a strong tradition of providing web accessibility support services to their faculty, staff, and teaching assistants.