Laws and Guidelines

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Laws and Guidelines

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Title 5 →
Regular and Effective Contact Policy →
Accessibility →

Accessibility Overview and Guidelines

This page reviews guidelines to help you make your online courses

 

ADA 508

 

compliant.  While these guidelines support all students, they are required to make information available to students with physical and learning disabilities. For example, visually impaired students use screen readers, so images need alternative text that can be read aloud. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students need closed-captioning for video content and transcripts for audio content. It's important to include a note about special needs in your syllabus to point students to DSPS in case they need accommodations.

 

All required online course materials (reading, slides, videos, assignments, simulations, software and applications, Canvas LTI's, etc.) must be 508 compliant or equivalent alternative material must be provided.  This includes those created by you, those you curate, and those provided by publishers or third parties. 

 

Why Web Accessibility?

Good Web design makes information accessible. By the same token, Web designers must be aware of accessibility issues in order to accommodate people with disabilities. People with disabilities can use a range of assistive technologies (specialized software and hardware) with their computers to help them access information. Obstacles that people with disabilities face when surfing the Internet include the following:

  • People with visual impairments and some types of learning disabilities often rely on text-to-speech screen readers that read aloud text appearing on the screen. Screen readers cannot read images (graphs, maps, etc.), so information provided in only these formats is not accessible to these individuals. Blinking and scrolling text can also cause problems for screen readers.
  • Flickering or flashing designs can cause seizures in people with certain neurological disorders.
  • Without captioning, people with hearing impairments cannot appreciate multimedia content such as on-line newscasts, movies, and lectures.
  • Without descriptive narration, individuals who are blind miss information portrayed visually.
  • For individuals with little or no hand control, using a mouse can be very difficult. Being required to "click" on a tiny area to access information can be an obstacle.
  • Inconsistent page layout and poor information design can be disorienting and confusing to any user.

What Are the Benefits of Accessible Web Design?

Good design is good design. Just as sidewalk curb cuts--originally intended for people using wheelchairs--also benefit parents wheeling strollers and individuals on roller blades, accessible Web design benefits more than just people with disabilities.

Accessibility and usability are intertwined and are equally important. Not adhering to Web accessibility principles excludes segments of the population. Accessible Web design will provide equal access to the information and opportunities on the Internet. In addition to making information easier to access, benefits of accessible Web design include the following:

  • Improved usability for all visitors. Consistent navigation makes it easier to find desired content quickly.
  • Clear navigation and clear content supports people with low literacy levels.
  • Good color contrast aids people with color blindness, people using monochrome monitors, and those who prefer to read from printed pages.
  • Providing text equivalents (e.g., ALT attributes and captioning), table summaries, and metadata improves search engine listings.

Learning Accessibility

A good starting point for making your courses accessible is to view the guidelines below and then see the Cuyamaca

 

DSPS Web Accessibility Page

 

as well as Cuyamaca's Web Standards page.  You can also view some of the software and hardware and alternate media available at Cuyamaca's

 

DSPS High Tech Center.

 

Cuyamaca

 

Accessibility Workshops

 

are offered regularly to help online instructors make their classes accessible, and @ONE offers self-paced classes that show how to make accessible documents (Canvas,

 

PowerPoint,

 

Word, and

 

PDF).

 

General Guidelines

Most of these guidelines are for all documents (Canvas content, Word documents, PDF, slide presentations, etc.).

  • HEADING STYLES.  Use heading styles consistently. This allows assistive technologies like screen readers to scan the page for headings, just like sighted people scan the page for visual cues like big, bold text. Heading levels (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) should be used in the correct order. Don't use fonts, colors, and formats (like bold) in place of heading styles.
  • LISTS.  Use list tools to make bullet or number lists so that lists are recognized when using a screen reader.
  • LINKS. Links should have meaningful, unique text. Don’t just paste the URL or use non-descriptive text like "Click here."  For example, "English 101 Syllabus" link text is more descriptive than "click here" or "http://mysite.com/document3434.pdf." 
  • COLOR CONTRAST.  Choose colors so there is sufficient color contrast between the foreground text and background to avoid difficulties for students with low vision.
  • COLOR AND MEANING.  Make sure color is not the only means for conveying information, adding emphasis, indicating action, or otherwise distinguishing a visual element.  For example, don't say "click the red button."
  • IMAGES.  Add alternative text to describe images. The text should provide context for a person with low or no vision by either explaining instructional value or indicating the image is decorative.  Alternative text should not contain “image of”, “picture of,” or the file name.
  • VIDEO.  All required video should have accurate captions (see

     

    YouTube's captioning instructions). If a video has no audio or relevant soundtrack, a note explaining that should accompany the video.
  • LIVE VIDEO

     

    (like Zoom).  Contact DSPS to arrange for an interpreter if it is requested. 
  • AUDIO.  Required audio should include a complete and accurate transcript.  Avoid autoplay and provide a means to pause, stop, forward, rewind, and control the volume.
  • READING ORDER.

     

    Reading order is correctly set so that content is presented in the proper sequence when using screen readers and other assistive technologies.
  • FLASHING CONTENT.

     

    Blinking or flashing content, including gifs, should only be used if necessary for instruction and not merely for decoration or emphasis. Flashing content must not flash more than three times in any one second period or exceed the general and red flash thresholds.
  • TABLES.  Use tables only for data and make sure tables read well when read left to right, top to bottom.  Use header rows and columns when they describe the data.  Include a table caption  for complex tables.
  • SLIDES.  Give each slide a unique title. Ensure that all text is visible in outline view to be sure that it can be read by assistive technology. Use accessible layouts and formats.
  • SPREADSHEETS.  Include labels for the rows and columns, detailed labels for charts, and text descriptions that draw attention to key cells, trends, and totals. 

Accessibility Checkers

Files and content pages should pass any built-in accessibility check available in the software. Use these tools to help check your web pages (such as your college page):

Canvas LTI's

Canvas LTI's (extensions) also need to be accessible.  Clemson University's

 

Accessibility of Canvas LTI assesses accessibility of common Canvas LTI's.

 

Accessibility Webinar

 

Cuyamaca Contact

DSPS:

 

Brian Josephson, 

 

brian.josephson@gcccd.edu

Copyright →

Laws

Copyright

 

STOP! Before reading further take the CopyRight Quiz from Sacramento State.


Here is a summary of the main accepted points."Is all the material I did not produce myself illegal in my online course?" Well, actually anything that has been saved (to disk, to recorder, to print - including wikis, blogs, navigation buttons) is protected by copyright laws - material does not need a registered copyright. Even sites that require a login with password (as with our Bb courses) need to follow copyright laws. And this copyright policy is worldwide. If you do not have permissions, you need to know the guidelines. But then, this issue is complex, changing, and a bit vague with no absolutely clear answers. And, the good news is that there have been some recent decisions that give educators a bit more license and freedom. You might want to view the "Copyright Primer."'

 

Here is a summary of the main accepted points.

 

Public Domain:

If something was published before 1923, it is generally free to use. Here is an example:

 

Darwin's Origin of Species. Beyond this rule, it gets complex.

 

Fair Use:

This policy is designed to allow such activities as teaching, reporting news, critiquing, and researching a bit more flexibility and leeway. Material still must be acquired legally - not "off the air" or include material with "exclusionary licensing." And, the material must used on a secure network - not for the world to download.

 

There are four main criteria for legal use by faculty or students (Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia):

 

  1. Use for non-profit, educational purposes (non-commercial)
  2. Content must be factual, nonfiction - for printed work, video is more restricted
  3. Can only include a small percentage of the work:
    • text: 10% or 1,000 words (whichever is less)
    • video: 10% or 3 minutes (whichever is less)
  4. Use does not lessen the financial value of the original work (password protected sites seem to satisfy this)
  5. Use for only 2 years and only two copies (such as Web and hard disk)

The

 

TEACH Act

 

expanded these right somewhat for educators.

 

So what does all this practically mean for online teachers (and students):

  • Printed Material: can only be for a short time until legitimate permission can be obtained (not over two semesters)
  • Video: can use purchased DVDs/tapes (including "for home use") - but if recorded off-the-air and it is not a cable-only program, can only use for 10 days
  • Graphics: complex - generally, only a few textbook pictures can be used
  • Take a look at

     

    To Copy or Not to Copy

What if you want more than this? Here are some options:

 

  1. Get a license for the class. A fee will then be charged to students. One can seek permission by email (www.copyright.com)
  2. You can link to sites that have the information you want (there are great sites out there)
  3. The library can obtain links to various articles in their database and these can be posted to Bb
  4. Use

     

    publisher content

     

    (which can include videos, textbook art, InfoTrac, etc.) - a fee is usually charged to students
  5. Ask the Cuyamaca library to obtain permission (or write a letter yourself to the author)

 

Ownership of Your Course

 

You have created an online course? Do you own it or does the college own it ("intellectual property rights")? Can you teach your course at other institutions (non-exclusive clause)? Usually, the college owns the course, but districts have different policies and "the course" can be different than "course content." Ask Zoe or an administrator for a clearer answer to your specific situation (see sidebar interview). You can always protect your own work from being copied by others by using PDF (Acrobat security options) and most streaming video is protected from download. Regarding using your Bb course at other colleges, this question is moot as each course must be recreated at each college (in Bb which is copyrighted) and then your own (protected?) materials are added to these Bb templates.

Guide to Best Practices →
Course Design Rubric →

Course Design Rubric

In May 2019, the Academic Senate endorsed adoption of the

 

OEI Online Course Design Rubric.  This rubric replaces the Best Practices Checklist developed by the Online Teaching and Learning Committee based on early versions of the OEI Rubric.

 

The

 

OEI Online Course Design Rubric

 

may be used by online teachers as a tool to review their own online courses.  The rubric is also used in the Peer Online Course Review (POCR) process.

 

The OEI Course Design Rubric was developed by the OEI Professional Development

 

work group

 

to ensure that all courses offered as part of the Initiative promote student success and meet existing regulatory and accreditation requirements.

 

Courses that are

 

peer reviewed

 

and aligned to the OEI Course Design Rubric:

  • have met the CCC’s highest level of design standards to support online student success and
  • can be made available for

     

    cross enrollment

     

    to students in colleges participating in the online exchange.
  • are given priority listing with a special icon in the

     

    CVC-OEI Finish Faster online course search.

The Rubric is divided into four sections.

  1. Content Presentation

     

    - how content is organized and accessed in the course management system.
  2. Interaction

     

    - regular effective contact (instructor-initiated and student-initiated communication).
  3. Assessment

     

    - the variety and effectiveness of assessments within the course.
  4. Accessibility - ensuring a student using assistive technologies will be able to access the instructor’s course content as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (also known as “508 Compliance”).