E-Learning Accessibility Guidelines Established

"Finally practical guidelines to test the accessibility of an e-learning product before buying it," says Aaron Marks from Handicheck.net. Guidelines and testing tools for Learn Management Systems (LMS), Computer and Web Based Training (CBT/WBT) and Video/Voice Conferencing Systems (VCS) were created by seven European vocational training centers for visual impaired and the Blind.

Sponsored by the European Commission the seven partners joined the E-Learn-VIP project  and developed the guidelines. When testing the guidelines on the participating partners of the e-learning products available in the European Union (EU), they found no more than eight products passed even the basic level of accessibility. This low number of accessible products is alarming since several European Union members are implementing regulations which state that accessible learning solutions are compulsory, while the availability of products remains rare. The new guidelines and testing tools of the E-Learn-VIP project can be an important step toward the stimulation of accessible learning solutions in the EU.

Accessible e-learning tools stimulate job opportunities

There are some 450 million people in the EU. Depending on the source, the percentage of people who are recorded as blind or visually impaired varies from around 1.5% to 4% of the population depending on age grouping. Taking a conservative 2% as a reasonable average, then on this basis there would be some nine million people who would benefit from accessible e-learning solutions.

E-Learn-VIP started with the intention to improve the inclusion of workers or trainees who are blind or visually impaired in society. The need is identified by the low employment levels and specialist training facilities available for this group. Unless facilities and systems are devised and introduced now, the acceptance of e-learning as an essential feature for modernization and adaptation of training systems across the EU may continue with the substantial exclusion of this group.

Accessibility guidelines building on existing work

E-Learn-VIP did not start reinventing the wheel with respect to e-learning accessibility. By using, adapting and examining the best practices of the University of Strathclyde (2000-2004) in creating accessible e-learning resources for disabled students, together with the work on IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications written by Cathleen Barstow and Madeleine Rothberg during the SALT Project July 2002, E-Learn-VIP had resources to build on.

Three main areas were identified in this project: Learn Management Systems (LMS), Computer and Web Based Training (CBT/WBT) and Video/Voice Conferencing Systems (VCS). For each guideline a testing tool was created and applied to available products in each of the partner countries. With the help of local providers and resellers the guidelines were tested, improved and published.

Open source products more accessible

With over 380 invited businesses on this project only 36 participated in the accessibility test. Eight products got a positive rating in the E-Learn-VIP tests. Two of these were open source LMS systems achieving the highest score possible: ATutor and Sakai. Both open source projects have strong development groups and online communities within the project that ensure an accessible product. Other LMS systems that were found to have a basic form of accessibility were: Berufsförderungswerk LMS (Germany), the ILIAS (Germany) and It’s Learning (Norway). In the category of VCS, no accessible solutions were found, while for the category CBT/WBT, E-Learn-VIP found local German cd-roms and some online training to be accessible.

The lack of commercially accessible LMS systems was surprising since these are mostly used in organizations and education in Europe. In this context it is worth emphasizing that countries like France and Germany now enforce accessible solutions for educational institute by law.

Continuing work on guidelines

With a perspective of accessibility in e-learning solutions for people with a visual impairment the E-Learn-VIP had a limited focus. New projects will continue with the development of the guidelines and testing tools. One of the first new projects developed based on E-Learn-VIP after its finalization October 2006 was the E-COVIP project. In this project a course for e-learning trainers will be developed in order to stimulate more vocational training institutes to use e-learning applications. Another positive effect of E-Learn-VIP is that a new Consortium for E-Learning Accessibility (C4EA) will continue the work on guideline development, testing and training. C4EA ensures continuation of research and development built on E-Learn-VIP results.

Sources:

• E-Learn-VIP Project and cd-rom ISBN 3-9808618-7-2
• Creating accessible e-learning resources for disabled students by The University of Strathclyde 2000 – 2004
• IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications. Cathleen Barstow and Madeleine Rothberg. The SALT Project July 2002
• Royal Visio, National Foundation for the visually Impaired and Blind (Huizen, the Netherlands)