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By and large, purveyors of online services and resources have fallen short in accommodating the accessibility requirements of many of the people they want to serve. The problem is challenging but its urgency is undeniable. This case study suggests that UMA could address one of the core challenges: Providing users the ability to express personal accessibility needs and preferences and to control the release of subsets of that information so that online services can tailor themselves accordingly.
Problem Scenario
Madeline, a compute science graduate student at the University of Southern North Dakota (USND), is frustrated by the fact that online eTexts used in her modal logic class are effectively inaccessible to her for two reasons. She has color blindness that renders many of the figures in the text indecipherable and she lacks the fine motor control that would allow her to easily click check boxes and radio buttons used in some of the end-of-chapter quizzes. The publisher, deontix.com, is well-intentioned, and has taken a decision to address accessibility issues in their next edition, but they are at a loss as to how to programmatically and appropriately configure the user interface to meet the varied needs and preferences of their intended reader population.
Deontix.com editors are aware of the relevant standard, ISO/IEC 24751 parts 1-3, "Individualized adaptability and accessibility in e-learning, education and training". The data structures defined in that standard are expressive enough to capture the specifics of Madeline's needs and preferences as well as those of a broad constellation of accessibility challenges. However, they can't see how to elicit this information in any practical way–The naive notion of asking a series of need and preference questions at the time a user accesses their online resources was quickly rejected.
Meanwhile, the Accessibility Program at USND has pioneered the use of self-assessment tools that allow students like Madeline to define in a structured way the full range of needs and preferences with regard to online services and resources. They, too, know of ISO/IEC 24751, and the output of the self-assessment tool is an information set conformant with that standard. They even have learning management systems that support the IMS Access4All
It seems that most of the pieces are in place, but what is lacking is a way for Madeline to selectively convey that information to the online provider
Proposed Improvements
Solution Scenario
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