IDRC - Celebrating 25 Years

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Supports for complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

How do I make my web site accessible? How do I make my office documents accessible? How do I make information available in alternative formats? Businesses and organizations read our AODA Help.

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Courseware Accessibility Study - 1999: Results

Courseware Product Name

     
CourseInfo      
SUMMARY SHEET Designer Inherent Combined
  Utilities Features  
Access Support 17 46 63
       
Information 0 0 0
       
Courseware Components 27 17 44
Total Accessibility     107
Total Access Support (Column F) 17 46 63
Total Functionality (Column G) 52 124 176
Access Support Functionality Ratio 0.327 0.371 0.349
Comments:      
Courseinfo is quite functional, offering a wide variety of courseware tools. It accessibility is low however, primarily      
the result of inconsistent use of ALT text, use of frames, and use of table to format layout of wrapped text. The      
designer's view is somewhat less accessible than the student view. Layout and asthetics of CourseInfo are      
pleasing to the eye, but those using adaptive technologies would have difficulty navigating through a course.      

Courseware Product Name

 

      
Topclass      
SUMMARY SHEET Designer Inherent Combined
  Utilities Features  
Access Support 30 78 108
       
Information 0 0 0
       
Courseware Components 18 46 64
Total Accessibility     172
Total Access Support (Column F) 30 78 108
Total Functionality (Column G) 48 112 160
Access Support Functionality Ratio 0.625 0.696 0.661
TopClass is quite functional, and relatively accessible. Perhaps the strongest effect on accessibility is the      
fact framed display is controllable by the designer. Additionally, all default images are accompanied by ALT text.      
Topclass recieves high marks for accessibility due primarily because of its consistent use of ALT text, and      
providing the designer a way to turn frames off.      
Courseware Product Name      
WebCourse in a Box      
SUMMARY SHEET Designer Inherent Combined
  Utilities Features  
Access Support 24 78 102
       
Information 0 0 0
       
Courseware Components 14 38 52
Total Accessibility     154
Total Access Support (Column F) 24 78 102
Total Functionality (Column G) 32 88 120
Access Support Functionality Ratio 0.750 0.886 0.818
Comments:      
Web Course in a Box provides a good balance between functionality and accessibility. It should be note that the      
designer view is in a framed environment and would result in considerable difficulty designing a course for an      
instructor using adaptive technologies to operate the Web interface. The student views are quite accessible, but      
default images do not include ALT text. Fortunately linked icons are accompanied by alternative      
text links which reduces the need for image ALT text.      
Courseware Product Name      
Virtual-U      
SUMMARY SHEET Designer Inherent Combined
  Utilities Features  
Access Support 22 89 111
       
Information 0 0 0
       
Courseware Components 0 4 4
Total Accessibility     115
Total Access Support (Column F) 22 89 111
Total Functionality (Column G) 48 136 184
Access Support Functionality Ratio 0.458 0.654 0.556
Comments      
Virtual-U is a cross between knowledge building software and courseware. It's primary content is bulletin board      
messaging, though course content can be uploaded. The consistency between views is low. It does make good      
use of icons (with ALT text) to display meaning in the tool bars and throughout the different views. The use of      
frames, the incorrect use of tables, and inconsistency between views makes it difficult for adaptive technologies to navigate      
Courseware Product Name      
Web Knowledge Forum (WebKF)      
SUMMARY SHEET Designer Inherent Combined
  Utilities Features  
Access Support 8 94 102
       
Information 0 0 0
       
Courseware Components 0 15 15
Total Accessibility     117
Total Access Support (Column F) 8 94 102
Total Functionality (Column G) 24 120 144
Access Support Functionality Ratio 0.333 0.783 0.558
Comments      
Webkf is a knowledge building package that differs somewhat from the other packages analyzed. Its central feature      
is its communication system. Content consists of messages posted to the Bulletin Board, which can be linked      
to each other to provide references from other messages. As a result WebKF does not have the tradition course      
Home Page, Tools, or Content as described in other packages. Although WebKF is relatively accessible, the use      
of tables to format the layout of the navigation system will present barriers for those using adaptive technologies to      
access messages. Though no ALT text is provided for the few images that appear, this is not a concern since      
only a couple images appear throughout for decorative purposes only. The large collection of links at the side or top      
of a view will slow navigation for those using a screen reader. An extra link which gives user the option of skipping      
the navigational links would be preferred.      
Courseware Product Name      
WebCT      
SUMMARY SHEET Designer Inherent Combined
  Utilities Features  
Access Support 16 32 48
       
Information 0 0 0
       
Courseware Components 13 6 19
Total Accessibility     67
Total Access Support (Column F) 16 32 48
Total Functionality (Column G) 56 140 196
Access Support Functionality Ratio 0.286 0.229 0.257
WebCT is quite functional, providing a wide variety of tools and utilites, however little attention has been paid to      
accessibility. No mention of accessibility issues are made in the help files. For the experienced HTML author      
work around methods are possible for things such ALT text for icons and images, correct use of tables in which      
wrapped text does not occur in consecutive row cells, and frames can be bypassed by linking to content outside      
the WebCT scripts, though the latter results in loss of data collected which in the framed version of a course.      
Courseware Product Name      
Lotus Learning Space      
SUMMARY SHEET Designer Inherent Combined
  Utilities Features  
Access Support 89 106 195
       
Information 0 0 0
       
Courseware Components 14 24 38
Total Accessibility     233
Total Access Support (Column F) 89 106 195
Total Functionality (Column G) 116 240 356
Access Support Functionality Ratio 0.767 0.442 0.604
Learning Space is a highly functional course authoring package that offers a wide variety of pedogogical tools      
in a relatively accessible environment. It does not provide ALT text for default images created by LS such as      
navigation buttons, but does allow the designer to include ALT text for added images. Inconsistency between      
various views requires a user to familarize her/himself with a new layout for each of the package tools. Frames are      
frequently without an alternative; more so in the designer view. Tables have been used correctly so that wrapped      
text in consecutive cells does not occur. Like each of the other packages assessed in this study, LS does not      
reference accessibility issues in the help files or context sensitive help.