Establishing Guidelines for Accessibility of Online STEM Resources Wade Kellard Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf Center on Access Technology Emerging Researchers National Conference, Washington, D.C. 03/01/13 Story of Relation “First, let me introduce myself (Introduction) How is everyone today?” *Response “Has anyone here ever experienced problems distinguishing announcements waiting to board a waiting to board a plane or bus?”  For example, terrible speakers, or loud conversations going on nearby.” *Response “This is a familiar experience to someone who is hard of hearing. Even with my hearing aids there are times where everything sounds like that to me. Lets go back to the airport or bus station.  Have you ever sat next to someone who didn't speak English?.  You want to start a conversation, to find out about the person.  They might be really interesting, but you can't get past that language barrier.  You are left out from the conversation.  You are now the one with the disability.” “This research symposium directly correlates with this concept of resolving problems of “accessibility” for people who have alternative needs. Most people who go to a Web site for use of scholarly resources have the privileged ability to understand everything that is available in the world wide web today. This presentation will discuss how we can create a more inclusive and connected World Wide Web, and how that applies to deaf and hard of hearing students in STEM Majors.” my presentation will change the way you look at websites. Affiliations Deaf STEM Community Alliance National Science Foundation (NSF)(HRD-1127955) Affiliations “I am working with the deaf stem community alliance which is funded by a grant from the national science foundation.” Overview Statement of the Problem Virtual Academic Community (VAC) Accessibility 3 Groups Digital Libraries Curation Design Process Overview “My presentation will cover four topics. A discussion of stem, web accessibility, digital libraries, and my research for the Virtual Academic Community conducted over the course of the summer.” Statement of the Problem How can we ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to education in Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering (STEM) fields? Virtual Academic Community http://www.rit.edu/ntid/dhhvac/ OUr website is the first of its kind to bring together all of the STEM resources available and apply them to the deaf and hard of hearing community The Deaf STEM Community Alliance brings together students, faculty and staff from Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID), Camden County College, and Cornell University. The goal of the Alliance is to create a model Virtual Academic Community (VAC) that will support academic support resources such as remote tutoring and mentoring and remote access services such as captioning and interpreting. Accessibility 3 Groups Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Blind & Low Vision Mobility Impaired “The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.” – Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web Read Quote Groups “Online accessibility requirements can be broken down into 3 categories; Deaf & Hard of Hearing – Users who face problems with hearing, Blind & Low Vision – Users who face problems with sight, and Mobility Impaired – Users who face problems with bodily movements. Each of these groups require certain accommodations when accessing the Web. Understanding these 3 groups help us in building the VAC as a fully accessible resource. ” Tools Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Accessibility Categories Solutions Mild: 26-45 db. Moderate: At 46-65 db. Severe: At 66-85 db. Profound: Above 86 db. 1) Information must be easily understood. 2) Content must be very visual. 3) High Frames Per Second Rates (FPS) are required when communicating via teleconferencing. Description “Deaf & Hard of hearing users require information that is easily understood, content that is very visual, and also high quality video when using asl online. A person with mild hearing loss can use assistive listening devices, wheras someone with profound hearing loss is considered to be completely deaf.” Mild: At 26-45 db, a little difficulty hearing speech. Moderate: At 46-65 db, more difficulty hearing speech. Severe: At 66-85 db, a lot of difficulty hearing speech. It is at this level that we begin to use the term "deaf.” Profound: Anything over 85 db. With this level of hearing loss, hearing aids may or may not help; cochlear implants are often an option. Blind & Low Vision Accessibility Categories Solutions Partially sighted: Mild vision problems. Low vision: Severe visual impairment. Legally Blind: Very limited field of vision. Totally Blind: No vision. 1) Visual media must be described. 2) Computer programs and accessories are required. Description “Blind & Low vision users are faced with difficult challenges when approaching visual media. Computer programs such as screen readers that describe text, context, and tabs are very helpful in facing these problems. Partially sighted Indicates some type of visual problem has resulted in a need for accessibility options. Totally blind users must must access information via braille keyboards or other non-visual media such as audio transcriptions.” Partially sighted: Indicates some type of visual problem has resulted in a need for accessibility options. Low vision: Generally refers to a severe visual impairment, must use a combination of vision and other senses to access information, although they may require adaptations in lighting or size of print, and, sometimes, braille. Legally Blind: Indicates that a person has less than 20/200 vision or a very limited field of vision. Totally Blind: Students must access information via braille or other non-visual media (audio transcriptions). Accessibility Mobility Impaired Categories Solutions Level 1: Slightly impaired mobility. Level 2: Intermediate impaired mobility. Level 3: Severe impaired mobility. 1) Limited or no ability to use a mouse. 2) Computers are used in the simplest possible way to perform tasks. Description “Mobility impaired users are limited in movement. Users must use computers in the simplest possible way to perform tasks that would be difficult with traditional technology. Level 1 users have slightly impaired mobility, such as with trembling hand. Level 3 users have severe impaired mobility, such as users with locked-in syndrome who are prisoners in their own bodies.” Categories Level 1: users with slightly impaired mobility, such as users with trembling hand. Level 2: users with intermediate impaired mobility. Level 3: users with severe impaired mobility, such as users with locked-in syndrome who are prisoners in their own bodies. Accessibility Tools Website Testing Accessibility Rating Checklist Browser Accessories Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Subtitles, Captions, Improve Readability Blind & Low Vision Screen Readers, Change Font Size, Keyboard Shortcuts Mobility Impaired Tabbing, Voice Recognition Software “Tools are a big part of maintaining accessibility. Web site testing and browser accessories are will ensure that a resource runs smoothly and stays accessible.” Web Site Testing “ In order to determine if a resource is suitable for the VAC, we need to determine its accessibility rating. There are a variety of Web sites that will rate a link by running it through a series of tests, determining its accessibility rating which ranges from poor to excellent.” Browser Accessories “Here are some example of tools that can be used for each the three groups” Accessibility Checklist A checklist has been generated using a Likert-type scale: General Design # of items = 9 Readability # of items = 8 Navigation # of items = 7 Usability # of items = 9 modify content Digital Libraries Good Design vs. Bad Design Curation “Almost any Web site that we go on to today contains or connects to some form of a digital library. Some are good and contain accessible information, and some are not. Proper curation is required to compile accessible resources to have a successful digital library.” Accessible Design “This is an example of a good website that is accessible for users with vision problems as well as mobility impairment. Upon entering the website the first thing that is noticeable is the change font and skip to content options. Features such as these are essential to maintaining a fully accessible website.” Accessible Design “Here is another good example of a website that is accessible. Youtube offers closed captions for videos, and also transcribing audio. Features such as these are a big requirement for someone like myself who have hearing problems.” Inaccessible Design “This is an example of a bad design that is not very accessible. Upon entering the website you are faced with an information overload. This is problematic for anyone entering the website, even more so for persons who require specific accommodations.” Curation “A curator is an information chemist. He or she mixes atoms together in a way to build an info-molecule. Then adds Value to that molecule.” – Robert Scoble “Digital curation is the selection, preservation, maintenance, collection and archiving of digital assets. The World Wide Web today is a huge cluster of information. How much of this information is really reliable? It is necessary to curate information with a system so we can successfully compile resources.” Design Flowchart Create an Accessibility Checklist Resource is added to the VAC Virtual Academic Community asks: Reject Accept Curation Evaluate Resource Literature Search What is accessibility? VAC receives a suggested resource Phase 1: Innovation Phase 2: Testing Future Research Finalizing the checklist design Gathering STEM resources Evaluating website accessibility Organizing resources in a user friendly system References Berke , Jamie. "Hearing Loss - Types, Degrees." Types. 2011. . Berners-Lee, Tim. "W3C." Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). W3C, n.d. Web. 25 Feb 2013. . Center for Children with Disabilities. (2012): 1-7. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. . Herrod , Lisa. "Deafness and the User Experience."alistapart. N.p., 08 12 2008. Web. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. . Leddy , Mark. United States. National Science Foundation.Deaf STEM Community Alliance: Supporting Postsecondary Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Virginia: , 2011. Web. . Moss, Trenton. "Improving Accessibility for Mobile Impaired Users." Webcredible. N.p., 01 10 2012. Web. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. . "Speech Systems." American Federation of the Blind. (2013): n. page. Print. . Ta'eed, Cyan. "9 Essential Principles for Good Web Design." PSD TUTS. Grahpicriver, 17 12 2007. Web. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. . "Videoconferencing." Technology. 2011. . "Visual Impairment, Including Blindness." National Dissemination Additional Information Researcher: Kellard, Wade. wak8572@rit.edu. Center on Access Technology, RIT. Mentor: Elliot, Lisa. lbenrd@ntid.rit.edu. Center on Access Technology, RIT. Q & A Abstract This presentation will describe the development of guidelines for an online academic community which is designed specifically to accommodate persons with diverse communication and access needs. The online community is a project of the Deaf Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Community Alliance, that is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Persons with diverse access and communication needs include individuals who are Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing, Blind & Low Vision, and Mobility Impaired.  Team members are developing an online community that compiles information and resources for topics involved in STEM. The goal is to make learning and communication easy for people who face challenges accessing STEM resources and learning online. Many of the Web sites and resources available today don’t provide the necessary tools for learning. Ultimately, we are designing a website that incorporates all of the necessary tools and resources to meet our accessibility requirements. The process of discovering and compiling this information is ongoing. This presentation will describe Internet access needs for diverse groups of users, examples of accessible websites, and examples of accessible STEM resources. Documentation of required guidelines is being created for future team members to follow in the next 4 - 5 years. The outcome of this research project will create an online community that can benefit anyone with diverse access and communication requirements.