Online accessibility evaluation - Network and Technical Support Managers
 

1. Online Accessibility Audit: Network and Technical Support Managers

 

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1. Welcome to the RSC SW Scotland Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service.

The first issue we need to resolve is: Why are you here?

To provide you with a further insight into this evaluation process please take a minute to watch a short video which explains more about this process..

When you have watched the video, please return to complete this evaluation process. This kind of structured self evaluation can provide you with a wealth of useful information. It can act as:


1. A reality check: cheaper than an accessibility consultant, yet maps to the core business of education institutions, in a way that is pragmatic and realistic, not legalistic or recommending you reach for unachievable ideals.

2. A means of risk reduction: becoming well versed in, and acting upon, pragmatic advice and guidance on the use of technology to enhance accessible and inclusive practice (potentially benefiting all learners) reduces the risk of falling foul under the Equalities legislation. No guidance can prevent legal challenges from being made, but understanding accessibility principles and adopting inclusive practices can help to prevent this eventuality. This will only be true, however, if you take on board the findings of this survey and discuss each question in context - treating it as a checklist will achieve little.

3. A source of pertinent resources: you will be directed to relevant and useful free staff training materials, free software and services. Embedding these into your existing policies, processes and procedures will enhance your overall culture of inclusion.

So first of all, it would be helpful for you to identify exactly why you are undertaking this self evaluation (tick as many as appropriate and add to the free text box if required)

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2. The JISC TechDis Service is centrally funded to advise post 16 and higher education on the effective use of technology to support an accessible and inclusive experience for students and staff. To do this, JISC TechDis works closely with a wide range of:
  • sector agencies (e.g.Regional Support Centres, JISC services, SQA),
  • the Scottish Funding Council,
  • disability related groups (e.g. RNIB, AbilityNet)
  • other relevant organisations (e.g. The Publishers Association, Awarding Bodies).

    Each year the JISC TechDis team contributes to several hundred events across the UK in the FE/HE, sector. Over 50,000 copies of the JISC TechDis Accessibility Essentials series have been distributed (alongside over 1 million downloads).

    To give us an idea of the awareness in the sector of our activities, please tell us whether you had heard of JISC TechDis prior to learning about the existence of this Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service.

    Prior to hearing about this Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service:

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    3. JISC TechDis resources for Network and Technical staff have over the last few years come into your institution and are directly relevant to your role.

    We are wanting to assess the effectiveness of the dissemination process and evaluate whether particular briefings have particular currency. This will inform follow-up activities and future dissemination approaches.

    Please tick the appropriate boxes to indicate whether you are unaware of it, aware of it, have read it or have acted on it

     Unaware of this resourceAware but have not read itAware and have read itAware and have acted on it
    Upwardly Mobile - Getting started in inclusive mobile learning
    SMT Briefing for Network Managers and Technicians
    Strategic Policy Towards Embedding Inclusive Use of Technology

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    4. For learners with disabilities it is important to be able to get to core accessibility and support information easily from the front page. As well as the pragmatic needs of disabled learners, the website is a 'shop window' giving an impression of the inclusiveness of your institution, and much good practice can be overshadowed by an inaccessible website.

    Please open the front page of your institution’s (or department's if appropriate) website in a new window.

    Please check whether the following information is available within 3 clicks or less from the home page.

    On your website, is the following information obviously accessible in 3 clicks or less from the main homepage? (If you take longer than 30 seconds to find it, the answer is 'no'!)

     YesNo
    Information about how to change the appearance of the webpages (e.g. font sizes/colour).
    A named contact for information on support for disabled learners.
    Information about the technologies available to support learning (VLE, Interactive Whiteboards etc)
    Information about the assistive technologies available for learners.
    An electronic version of the prospectus (eg available as web pages or as downloadable PDF document).
    Information about either alternative formats available or how to personalise the electronic copy.
    A copy of the institution’s Disability Equality Statement.

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    5. Was your website built to specific accessibility standards?

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    6. How has the accessibility of your website been tested? Please tick all that apply.

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    7. Your institution's learning platform has the potential to make learning resources more widely accessible. Resources in electronic format are the most flexible and easily personalised of all resources - JISC TechDis has provided much guidance on this (for example see Accessibility Essentials). We want to see the extent to which that potential has been fulfilled and to determine the role of IT/Network staff in this process.

    Which of the following best describes your learning platform?

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    8. How did accessibility feature in the procurement/development of your learning platform?

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    9. Is there a documented policy on the accessibility of IT/Network procurement?

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    10. Does planning in terms of network infrastructure, hardware and peripherals support the creation and deployment of non-text resources (audio, video etc)?

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    11. There are many aspects to the accessibility of a learning platform - this section will help to highlight a few of these.
    ** Use the response 'Some Users' if this feature is open to a limited user group only e.g. staff, or disabled users

     Yes (all users)Yes (some users**)NoDon't knowWe don't have a learning platform
    Does user induction to the network include accessibility or personalisation options?
    Do users have access to Windows accessibility options? (e.g. the Magnifier, or changing Screen Resolution via Control Panel)
    Can user profiles can be saved and follow the user?
    Can users download resources to a portable storage medium?
    Do users have a personal online storage area?

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    12. Assistive technologies are often regarded as expensive and specialist packages for identified learners. In practice many learners can benefit from using these tools and other free and open source tools can provide useful tasters for organisations to inform their procurement strategies. There can, however, be issues with effective deployment, training and marketing of the assistive technologies available.

    JISC TechDis defines assistive technologies as tools and technologies that support learners in a range of different ways.

    Please note we have omitted from this consideration any assistive technologies that are likely to be specific to individuals and of little direct benefit to the majority of users – e.g. JAWs, SuperNova, and switch and AAC systems. The technologies covered below have wide applicability to disabled, non-disclosed disabled and non-disabled learners.

    How widely available does your institution make the following technologies? (Choose all that apply for each technology)

     On main desktop on all student PCs.On main desktop on all staff PCs.On specialist PCs in particular locations.In network folder for specified learners.In network folder for staff.On laptops issued to specified learners.On laptops issued to specified staff.Don't know.
    Mind mapping software
    Text-to-Speech software
    Word Prediction software
    Personal organisation software (Online diary/alarms /reminders, etc.)
    Dictionary software
    Screen magnification facility
    Sound recording software
    Voice recognition software

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    13. How are these kinds of 'assistive' technologies marketed within the institution? (Choose all that apply)

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    14. How does accessibility consultation with other specialist staff (e.g. disability or learner support staff) take place on issues such as procurement, software rollout etc? (Please tick all that apply.)

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    15. On what proportion of 'public access' terminals for students are sound cards available and active? This can make a huge difference to accessibility if students can use free text-to-speech tools to listen to resources being read aloud.

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    16. On what proportion of 'public access' terminals can headphone sockets be reached easily?

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    17. On what proportion of 'public access' terminals are USB ports enabled and easily reached? If learners can access USB ports they can bring with them memory sticks containing a range of access software (such as the AccessApps package) that means they do not have to require these tools to be networked.

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    18. What is the policy regarding the use of free and Open Source assistive technologies? Free and Open Source tools can be a huge aid to inclusion as learners can bring the tools with them on memory sticks or access them via the web and can therefore have the tools to hand that they need in order to access their learning.

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    19. Are budgets are available for technical support staff to be trained in the following areas?

     YesNoDon't Know
    Disability awareness in relation to the learning platform or the provision of Windows accessibility features.
    Awareness of, and basic familiarity with, assistive technologies in relation to the learning platform.
    Awareness of the accessibility potential of a range of mainstream technologies (e.g. podcasting, video etc)
    Awareness of specific assistive technologies and their interaction with the learning platform etc

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    20. JISC TechDis has produced a wide range of training resources to support learning providers, for example the Accessibility Essentials Series and JISC TechDis Staff Packs. These have gone into all UK colleges and universities but the right people are not always aware of them. This question helps us identify both gaps in staff awareness and gaps in our provision.

    What sort of training is available for technical support staff in the following areas?

     Not availableAvailable on request with sufficient notice.Available online via the institutional network or learning platform.Available through external courses.Don't know
    Awareness of different disabilities.
    Using the in-built accessibility features in Microsoft Windows and Word?
    Accessible web development
    Use of audio, screen capture etc
    Creating accessible learning objects

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    21. Given what you have learned about JISC TechDis and your local JISC RSC Service previously or during this evaluation process, please suggest up to 3 ways in which we could support you, bearing in mind the terms of our remit (use of technology to support accessibility and inclusion) and the need for sustainability.

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    22. Next steps / actions:
    As a result of undertaking this self evaluation:
    What will you do next?
    Who will it involve?
    How will you advertise it?
    How will you measure success?

    23. Please enter any further comments you wish to make below.