Are the videos have corrected captions and audio recordings transcribed? There should be transcripts for audio recordings and captions or subtitles for video.
If they aren't available, ask the publishing representative when they plan to have
them. If they have no plans, ask them to give VSCC written permission to transcribe
or caption the media. Contact Media Services about captioning once permission is obtained.
Are images described in alternative text? PowerPoint slides from publishers often have images missing quality alt text. Ask
your publishers if their images have adequate alt text.
Can the text that is displayed on the screen be read aloud by text-to-speech software? Screen readers (assistive technology used by people who are blind) read real text.
They cannot read images of text, text boxes or text embedded in Flash animations/movies/simulations.
How accessible are the E-books? Are the images described? Are embedded objects like videos keyboard accessible and
captioned? Is the E-reader keyboard and screen reader accessible? Ask your publisher
these questions if you don’t know the answers.
Call all interactivity (media players, quizzes, flashcards, etc.) function using only
the keyboard (no mouse)? People who are blind or have upper mobility disabilities cannot use a mouse. They
use the keyboard to navigate and interact on the Web. It is required that any interactive
elements on a publisher’s website (or on a DVD included with the book) be operable
by keyboard alone if they are used in your course.
Is there any documentation available (VPAT or White Paper for example) that confirms
accessibility or usability testing results? A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is used by many organizations to
report the level of accessibility of software products.
Is your multimedia (Adobe) Flash or (Oracle) Java-based? Can your materials be watched
on mobile devices? Content created in Flash or Java can be inaccessible and may not run on mobile devices
and tablets, which are becoming more prevalent.
What are the computer requirements for using their materials? Will the materials work
on mobile devices? Distributed Education informs online students about the computer requirements for
taking an online course. If your course requirements are different, make them known
in the course syllabus.
OERs have the same accessibility requirements as all other digital materials. However,
if they are not accessible, we can usually retrofit them to be accessible unless the
materials reside on a publisher's server. Plus OER's are usually free to students!