Technology Accessibility
Alternative (Alt) Text
Alternative text, or alt text, is a textual description of an image, which is embedded in the HTML of a web page. For example, the alt text for Dr. Shaheen’s photo on the Team page of this site reads:
A close up of Dr. Shaheen, a masculine presenting white woman, in the woods. Shaheen is wearing a floral-print collared shirt and her long white cane rests on her shoulder.
The DIAGRAM Center has great guidelines and tutorials for writing descriptions for educational images.
Labels
On web pages labels should be associated with form or input elements (e.g., text boxes, checkboxes, buttons). At the WWDC conference in 2019, Jordyn Castor, a blind software engineer, explained that an accessibility labels is “a human readable, human understandable label that gives context and meaning for the elements…” In other words, if the user is supposed to enter their name in a textbox, the labels should tell them that. Similarly, in a science simulation, the buttons should be labeled so that the student knows what each button does.
For a deep dive on labels and what happens when labels are missing or inappropriate, check out Jordyn’s 2019 WWDC presentation.
Video Description
Video description, also called audio description, is additional narration that describes the purely visual content in a video to ensure blind and low-vision people know what is happening. For example, in a movie with video description, blind and low-vision people can laugh along with their sighted friends when a character is telling a joke where the punch line is a gesture, because the video description verbalizes the silent communication.
The trailer for the Netflix series All the Light We Cannot See is one example of a described video.
The Described and Captioned Media Program is home to an extensive library of described educational films.
Access Technology
Braille Notetakers
A Braille notetaker is a tablet specifically designed for Braille readers. These devices have the same functionality as other Android tablets but they are designed to be used without a screen through refreshable Braille or audio. In school, Braille readers often use these devices to read, write, complete various online activities, and even do math. There are numerous Braille notetakers on the market. The BrailleNote Touch Plus is one commonly used Braille notetaker in K-12.
Optical Character Recognition
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can be stand alone software or it can be built into another software or app. OCR is used to pull text out of an image. This technology dates back to the 1970s. Today, OCR is widely used today by sighted people—most smart phone photo apps can extract text from images (i.e., in a photo of text, the text becomes selectable).
Refreshable Braille Displays
Refreshable Braille displays use moving pins to dynamically display digital content in Braille. A refreshable Braille display is a Braille “screen” for a mobile device or computer. Just like a monitor provides visual access to the contents of a computer, a refreshable Braille display provides tactile access to the contents of a computer or mobile device.
The Chameleon 20 is one example of a refreshable Braille display used in K-12.
Screen Reader
It’s all in the name. A screen reader reads all of the elements on a computer or mobile device screen, which it can access. This includes buttons, links, notifications, images, and, of course, text. Screen readers are more robust than text-to-speech as they read everything, not just the text of a book or web page. Today, there are screen readers built into many of the devices you use and own; they are hiding in the system settings. On Windows computers, most blind and low-vision people use third party screen readers; JAWS and NVDA are the most popular third-party screen readers.
Screen reader users navigate interfaces differently than people using visual methods. Watch this screen reader demo for an introduction to how screen reader users navigate the web.
Text-to-Speech
You have probably encountered, and maybe even used, text-to-speech, you just didn’t realize it. Text-to-speech uses computer synthesized speech to read text aloud. If you have a smart speaker that reads information off the internet to you or a car that reads you your text messages, you have used text-to-speech. Text-to-speech has been around for decades and nondisabled people are just starting to realize how useful it is. In school, blind and low-vision students might use text-to-speech to read a novel for English class or a chapter out of their science textbook.
Voice Dream Reader is one text-to-speech app that is used in K-12.
Blind and Low-Vision Education
Nonvisual
In the blind and low-vision community, the word nonvisual is used to refer to both information that can be perceived using senses other than vision and techniques for completing tasks that employ senses other than vision. For example, Braille is a nonvisual reading and writing medium. Listening is one nonvisual technique for observing scientific phenomena; a blind student might listen to a talking LabQuest read out data in the lab while their peers look at the device’s screen.
Teacher of Blind Students
Teachers who are licensed to teach blind and low-vision students. These teachers teach Braille and technology literacy, among many other nonvisual skills.
Across the country, various terms are used to refer to these teachers. In the blind and low-vision community the term teacher of blind students (TBS) is preferred. But other common terms include: teacher of the visually impaired and vision teacher.
Tactile Graphics
Tactile graphics are images that are intended to be read by touch and employ raised lines, textures, and tactile shapes. There are numerous ways to create tactile graphics; some methods, like collage, are analog and others, such as tactile graphic embossers, are digital.
Vision Room
Often teachers of blind students are given a small room at the school to use for one-on-one lessons with their blind and low-vision students. Teachers of blind students also use this room to prepare Braille and tactile materials. This room is sometimes referred to as a “vision room.”