Debra Erdmann, M.B.A.
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIST
This portfolio was created for the Leading Edge Certification course
taught by Cathy Reznicek from the Ventura County Office of Education in Spring of 2013.
The purpose of the portfolio is to display items created to
demonstrate my understanding of Online Learning.
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According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that all Web site content be equally accessible to people with disabilities. This applies to Web applications, Web pages and all attached files. It applies to intranet as well as public-facing Web pages. Section 508 also applies to online and blended learning due to the use of the Internet and web sites to access learning. In 1986, Section 508 was originally added as an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The original section 508 dealt with electronic and information technologies, in recognition of the growth in this field (Wikipedia, 2012).
Please view this brief video from the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on accessibility. Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.
Establishing an Accessible Social Presence-
Dept of Rehabilitation: Section 508
In the past, K-12 practitioners have not always implemented Section 508 accommodations unless they work with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA and/or have students with an IEP. However, with 4 to 6 percent of all students classified as having specific learning disabilities in U.S. public schools, every teacher (online/blended/face-to-face) can expect to find students with learning disabilities in the classroom (Learning Disabilities Association of America, 2012). At a minimum, a teacher using the Internet for part of their education program is advised to be aware of the Section 508 guidelines and implement key practices related to accessibility.
Reflection: Creating a video from a PowerPoint presentation was the easy part of this assignment. To record and narrate using Screencast-o-matic proved to be a little more challenging and the final challenge presented itself figuring out YouTube's captioning and transcripting process. (See captions.txt file below.) The instructions I found varied but inevitably I was able to figure out the automatic captions tool in YouTube worked quite well and needed only a few edits. It is a rewarding feeling to have my work be accessible to all viewers, especially those visually and hearing impaired. My future work published online will be accessible to all viewers.