When designing an online course, you can use the following web accessibility strategies:

• Include text tags in HTML pages.
• Include synchronized alternatives with multimedia presentations.
• Include alternatives to color to convey information.
• Provide timed assessments.
• Use cascading style sheets.
• Mark up data tables.
• Manage flicker rate.
• Provide functional text for scripts.
• Ensure applets and plug-ins are downloadable and in compliance with the Access Board guidelines.
• Provide text-only alternatives.

Using Text Tags

When creating HTML pages, to ensure the inclusion of users who cannot access visual elements, use the ALT attribute for non-text elements, including images, buttons, icons, animations, image maps, objects, and applets. For example:

• For an image ALT tag: <img src="bookshelf.gif" alt="Resource Materials">
   
• For an applet description: <applet code="physics_stimulation.class" width="200", height="100"> This applet displays a simulation of the potential energy of a ball on a frictionless track. </applet>

The course system automatically uses the titles assigned to icons on the Hompage screen and tool screens. However, for materials uploaded using File Manager, designers need to ensure that ALT tags are included.

Effective ALT text equivalents communicate the same information as a graphical element by describing the function or purpose of the graphical element. To determine whether ALT text is useful, imagine reading the document aloud over the telephone. What would you say about the image to make it comprehensible to the listener?

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Using Multimedia

In order to ensure that users with sensory impairments have access to multimedia presentations, include equivalent alternatives that are synchronized with the presentation. For example, for an audio presentation, provide synchronized captioning. And, likewise, for a visual presentation, provide a synchronized audio description, or a text transcript.

To ensure that alternative formats can be easily located by users with special needs, when including multimedia components within content files or learning modules, place the media object and its related text equivalents within a single HTML document. When adding entries to Media Library, be sure to include an accurate description of the entry in the Description text box.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Using Color

In order to ensure access for users who are color blind or visually impaired, do not rely on color alone to convey information. Instead, combine text labels with color coded elements.

For example, if you display course resources that are currently available in green, you can also include text next to the name of the resource, indicating that the resource is available: Problem set solutions for Week 2 [Now Available]

If you want to test the accessibility of pages, which use color to convey information, try viewing them with a black and white monitor, or printing them from a black and white printer.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Using Timed Assessments

The course system has the ability to set a fixed time for an assessment. For users with special needs, such as students who are reliant on a screen reader, give the students extra time or an unlimited amount of time to complete the assessment. Use Selective Release to determine the duration of the assessment and to whom it is released.

Using Cascading Stylesheets

The use of cascading style sheets is recommended because users with special needs can choose to substitute the specified style sheet with a custom specification, which reflects their viewing preferences. You can use externally linked style sheets within the course system.

For example: <link rel=stylesheet type="text/css" href="biology101.css>

You can test your use of cascading style sheets as follows:

• Check the rendering of the content files and learning modules using the full range of supported browsers and operating systems.
• Test your use of the cascading style sheet by testing the HTML pages with the style sheet function disabled in your browser. This ensures that the pages can still effectively present the information.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Marking Up Data Tables

Large tables of data can present difficulties for users who access the web using non-visual means. For example, for users who rely on screen readers, it can be difficult to correlate a table cell with its column heading and row names. To make table accessible to all users, you can mark up data tables by associating headings with each row and column.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Managing Flicker Rate

For users with photosensitive epilepsy, a seizure can be triggered by visual components that flicker, flash, or blink. To ensure that your online course is safe for these users, avoid uploading animated gifs, Java applets, or other media elements that will cause the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Using Scripts

If you use scripting languages such as JavaScript to create content pages, the information provided by the script may not be accessible to users with special needs. For example, if users are reliant on a screen reader, the screen reader software may read the actual scripting language, rather than the information.

To ensure that the information provided by the script is accessible, provide functional text. Functional text conveys an accurate message as to what the script displays.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Using Applets and Plug-ins

While standard HTML markup is accessible to most users, formats such as Flash, PDF, and other proprietary file types may be problematic. If you use a propietary format within your online course, provide a link to download the required application. Plug-ins must also meet the software provisions outlined in the Access Board guidelines.

At this time, Chat and Whiteboard, Equation Editor, and HTML Creator present potential accessibility barriers, particularly for users with screen reader technology. Until a more accessible version of these tools is available, use these tools in tandem with other communication tools to ensure that the information you are presenting is accessible to all users.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.

Providing Text-Only Alternatives

When other strategies for providing accessible content in your online course cannot be implemented, provide users with a text-only page that provides special needs users with the information they need. Remember to update your text-only pages whenever you update the primary page.

For more information, see the guidelines provided by The Access Board.