Session 7: ADA Assignments

1. What are three types of disabilities that students in a course you create might have? Explain the accommodations that you would need to provide for each.

Three types of disabilities students might have in a online course are :
- Color Blindness: To accommodate students with this disability in an online class, the information provided must be displayed with high contrast, for example, the background of the screen should be a light and the font dark, and images should should not be monotone pictures. The selection of font and background color should also avoid red-green-blue combinations. Instructor should not use color to convey meaning, instead, instructor or designer should use variation in font color and size.
-Seizure: Students with propensity of having seizures also need a variety of support and accommodations. The ones suggested are related to vision. To avoid any incidents information should not be displayed as flickering images, fast moving animations or in colors or shapes that may suggest an optical illusion.
-Motor Skills: Some students deal with physical disabilities on their hands, and fingers. To give them better access to the online tools, enabling keyboard control instead of just the use of the mouse. Also, within the website, students should be able to have access to internal navigation in order to skip long sections of text, therefore avoid repetitive scrolling.

2. According to the text, what is the percentage of the population that has a visual, auditory or physical limitation? How does that compare to other sources for this information. (Please list at least one other source you found.)

 Figures on this chart(based on http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/function-aging/,
Trace R&D Center, used with permission) show the increase in disability with aging.

According to the text 29% of families in the United States have at least one family member with a disability.
Disabilities  are not limited to those born with them, or those that suffer an accident, according to "Understanding Web Accessibility" is Chapter 1 of the book Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance, published in 2006. There is an increase of disabilities in population as the population ages. As an example, in a population of 18-24 year olds, the percertage of disabilities is 9.5 while a group of seniors of 75 and older, the disability percentage booms to a 64%.
3. Identify three factors other than the actual disabilities that exist in your student population that influence how an institution or a course creator is required to address ADA in an online course.
Three factors other than the actual disabilities that influence how an institution is required to address ADA in an online course are:
Student population age factor- As mentioned in the previous answer, another factor to consider is, student age. As people age, disabilities increase.
Commitment to Accessibility- Making an online course accessible to all students is a great responsibility. In some cases, providing the option of face-to-face support, may be necessary.

4. According to the text, what is "assistive technology"? Give some examples.
Assistive technology are tools, such as equipment, software, and, or other products that may improve or enhance the capabilities of an individual with disabilities. Some examples are: Computer screen readers, electronic devices such as wheelchairs, and pencil holder among other many other tools.
http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3859

5. Identify and explain two different ways to check a webpage to ensure that it meets the needs of disabled students.
http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm
The ADA.gov website provides a list of specific requirements a website must include. Here are two:
a) Images if used must have a text equivalent. This will ensure that students with limited or no vision are able to use the readability feature, which does not interpret images alone.
b) Documents in accessible format. Most websites make documents accessible using PDF format. The problem is that PDF files cannot be read by the screen reader, and in some cases PDF documents cannot be enlarged for better visibility.

6. Identify two types of presentations used in online courses (for example, podcasts, PowerPoints, Videos, Slide Shows, etc.) and that you might use and explain how you can ensure that each is ADA compliant.
Two types of presentations I may use in online course are podcasts and powerpoint presentations. 
A podcast, can be make accessible on text form and audio form. Students will have the option of reading it or listening to it. Also some students may chose to follow along the podcast for better comprehension.
Another type of presentation that works well is a Power Point presentation or Keynote presentation. These type of files allow instructors to deliver lecture outlines, specific information on topics. Slide presentations also allow instructors to insert videos or voice files.

7. Develop a course usability checklist that is appropriate for your anticipated needs. Use the example provided in the text as a starting point and explain your modifications.