The rapid growth of the Internet has changed the ways people communicate, teach, and learn, while at the same time increasing the isolation of those who do not have access to these technologies. An essential part of web design today is designing for people with disabilities. Many government and educational institutions are requiring that websites follow accessibility guidelines established by Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act. Similar standards such as the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) provide guidelines that are even more comprehensive. As methods of teaching with Internet technologies continue to proliferate, it is important we consider the obstacles faced online by individuals with disabilities.
This class is a mix of technical and theoretical topics. We will cover the accessibility guidelines established by Section 508 and other pertinent policy and discuss strategies for developing accessible and usable educational websites utilizing various web editing tools. We will also use these standards and techniques to consider how uses of Internet technology within educational settings reflect particular perspectives on a host of issues including ability, race, and learning styles, but are often not examined for their implicit ideological or epistemological foundations. For example web accessibility, ostensibly a progressive endeavor, is increasingly connected to neo-liberal agendas within higher education as a “marketizing” discourse. The delivery of instruction online, and the increased use of technology in all modes of instruction positions teachers and learners within particular discursive formations and mediates instruction in ways that privilege certain epistemologies.
Class projects may include creating an accessible website or retrofitting an existing one, development and implementation of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), graphics development, use of various accessibility and validation tools, installing and working with screen reader technology, and analyzing policy and guideline documents. Familiarity with HTML and/or web editing software (e.g. Dreamweaver) is not required, but is helpful.
