LILIAN SOON: Accessibility and web browsers. Web browsers have many features to make exploring the internet easier. Here are four ideas to try. Caret browsing. Navigate the text in a web page using your arrow keys by pressing the F7 key when you're using Internet Explorer 8 and above or Firefox. This can give you more control over the scrolling or allow you to select text with your keyboard more easily. You can select text by pressing the Shift-Alt and arrow keys. Zooming. You can enlarge your web page by pressing Control and plus. Control and minus will zoom out while Control and 0 will return you to the default size. On a Mac, you would use the Command key instead of the Control key. Fonts, sizes, and colours. Look in the Preferences or Advanced Options Settings of your browser to make changes to font, font size, and colours. This is useful for anyone who needs larger fonts or high contrast colours. Find key words. Press Control-F on your keyboard, and use the Search tool to quickly locate a word or phrase. The word or phrase will usually be highlighted, and you can press the Next button to jump to the next instance of the word. In this video, we have covered caret browsing; zooming; changing fonts, sizes, and colours; and finding keywords. Apart from these ideas, you may want to explore plug-ins or extensions for your browser. Look for the other videos on this topic. 2.1 Trying out built-in assistive technologyIn this activity, you will try some assistive technology using tools that come with an operating system.Activity 2Use the resources below to help you find built-in assistive technologies on your electronic devices. Microsoft Windows – Find detailed tutorials about finding and using built-in assistive technology on the Microsoft Accessibility website (Microsoft, 2014)Apple OS – Find similar information on the Apple Accessibility website (Apple, 2014) Android – Find similar information on the Android Accessibility website (Google, 2016).Try out at least four tools that you are less familiar with, covering the range of types; for example, one each, relating to colour, text size, audio alternatives and not using the mouse. Make notes on your experience of using each of these tools. Is it straightforward? How long is it taking?Do you have to remember the layout of the screen? How long do you think it would take you to become an expert user? Did you need more help? If so, did you find help and was it useful?If you are not a technology enthusiast, remember that disabled students may not be either. If you are nervous about trying the assistive technology, so are some disabled students. Think about whether the potential benefits will make the extra effort worthwhile, both for your understanding of assistive technology, and for disabled students.3 Specialist assistive technologyIn Activity 2, you tried some assistive technology using tools that come with an operating system. For those students who have sufficient funding, there are more powerful tools. These have features such as customisation for different user needs and different applications. Here we have a look at some of those by listening to some of the students who use them.Firstly, we should read what students have to say about how these specialist technologies enabled them to participate in online learning: In the Glasgow Caledonian University Library there is a disability room. This is equipped with items such as large display screens on computers, screen readers, screen magnifiers, scanners, CCTV units to enlarge the print of any document and Braille printers that are invaluable to students with disabilities. The room can also be used for exams where the exam papers are provided in large print or electronic format. I additionally have the use of a computer at home that has all the software installed to enable me to complete the course. James Owens (SKILL, 2006). But there are problems that are faced by the students too:They have done my DSA (Disabled Students’ Allowance) assessment, and I’m waiting for approval, which should come through this Friday, then my equipment will be in place. I applied in September but it’s taken about a term. I tried to apply earlier but it took ages to get the application form so by the time I sent it, it was too late to have equipment organised for the first term. Emmanuel Osei-Tutu (SKILL, 2007).3.1 Students’ voices on assistive technologyIn the following activity, you will spend more time understanding assistive technologies and the issues surrounding them, from the student’s perspective.Activity 3View the following videos:Caroline talks about her experience of using a computer (AbilityNet, 2007) Assistiveware YouTube channel (AssistiveWare, undated) Choose three or four videos that reflect your interests. Most of the videos have subtitles that are indicated by ‘CC’; others do not have transcripts or subtitles. Students talk about assistive technology provided via Disabled Students’ Allowance: How can DSAs help? (Microlinkvideos, 2012).As you watch the videos make notes about the differences and similarities between your experience of trying assistive technology and the experiences of the people in the videos. ConclusionThis free course, Accessible online learning: supporting disabled students, has introduced some aspects of assistive technologies and how they can support learning. While greater knowledge of each technology is important in providing practical support, we hope this material has introduced you to some of the issues that disabled students experience around the use of assistive technology.If you are interested in understanding assistive technologies further, and exploring these issues, The Open University offers a course in Accessibility and Inclusive Learning.AbilityNet (2007) Caroline Talks about her Experience of Using a Computer [online], YouTube – AbilityNet’s Channel, http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ux1EYqmCeTU (last accessed 1 July 2015). AssistiveWare (undated) Assistiveware YouTube channel [online], http://www.youtube.com/assistiveware (last accessed 1 July 2015). Banes, D. and Seale, J. (2002) ‘Accessibility and inclusivity in further and higher education: an overview’ in Phipps, L., Sutherland, A. and Seale, J. (eds) Access All Areas: Disability, Technology and Learning (pp. 1–5) [online], JISC Techdis Service and Association for Learning Technology, http://www.alt.ac.uk/docs/accessallareaslow.pdf (last accessed 1 July 2015). Doyle, C. and Robson, K. (2002) Accessible Curricula: Good Practice for All, Cardiff, University of Wales Institute; previously available online at http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/resources/detail/investinyou/Accessible_Curricula (no longer available). JISC Techdis (undated) Assistive Technology ‘Familiarity Audit’ [online], https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/subpage/view.php?id=702415 (last accessed 1 July 2015). Microlinkvideos (2012) How can DSAs help? [online], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNvuFg3Wx4k (last accessed 1 July 2015). SKILL (2007) Student Experiences: Emmanuel Osei-Tutu [online], National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=146&p=248 (last accessed 1 July 2015). SKILL (2006) Student Experiences: James Owens [online], National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, http://www.skill.org.uk/page.aspx?c=146&p=254 (last accessed 1 July 2015). This free course was written by John T.E. Richardson, Chetz Colwell and Tim Coughlan.We would like to acknowledge the JISC TechDis project, which created useful resources on assistive technologies that are drawn upon here.Except for third party materials and otherwise stated in the acknowledgements section, this content is made available under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence.
The material acknowledged below is Proprietary and used under licence (not subject to Creative Commons Licence). Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce material in this course: ImagesCourse image: Vladgrin/Shutterstock.comVideoTechDis Essentials video used with permission from Jisc TechDis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdfFvsetdKg. Adapted extract from: JISC Techdis (undated) Assistive Technology ‘Familiarity Audit’ [online].Every effort has been made to contact copyright owners. If any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.Don't miss out:1. Join over 200,000 students, currently studying with The Open University – http://www.open.ac.uk/choose/ou/open-content2. Enjoyed this? Find out more about this topic or browse all our free course materials on OpenLearn – http://www.open.edu/openlearn/3. Outside the UK? We have students in over a hundred countries studying online qualifications – http://www.openuniversity.edu/ – including an MBA at our triple accredited Business School.Discussion2020051800