Literature Reviews

Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.

• Automatically producing IMS AccessForAll Metadata

  Matteo Boni, Sara Cenni, Silvia Mirri, Ludovico Antonio Muratori, Paola Salomoni (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Bologna presents the ACCMDBuilder, a software component that automatically generates IMS AccessForAll Metadata (ACCMD) descriptions for accessible learning objects (LOs). The IMS AccessForAll specification provides a…

  • e-learning accessibility
  • metadata
  • learning objects
  • multimedia accessibility
  • authoring tools
  • SCORM
  • content alternatives

• Adapting learning environments with AccessForAll

  Greg Gay, Silvia Mirri, Marco Roccetti, Paola Salomoni (2009) — Proceedings of the 2009 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibililty (W4A)

  This paper describes the first implementation of the ISO FDIS 24751 accessibility standards (and the closely related IMS AccessForAll specifications) in ATutor, an open-source Learning Management System (LMS) developed at the University of Toronto's …

  • e-learning accessibility
  • learning management systems
  • content adaptation
  • personalization
  • ISO 24751
  • IMS AccessForAll
  • open source
  • ATutor
  • inclusive education

• Contextual Web Accessibility - Maximizing the Benefit of Accessibility Guidelines

  David Sloan, Andy Heath, Fraser Hamilton, Brian Kelly, Helen Petrie, Lawrie Phipps (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This influential paper challenges the prevailing approach to web accessibility that treats WCAG conformance as the sole measure of success. The authors argue that while guidelines like WCAG are valuable tools, the persistently low levels of web acces…

  • accessibility policy
  • WCAG
  • contextual design
  • e-learning accessibility
  • inclusive design
  • accessibility frameworks
  • metadata
  • personalization
  • social inclusion

• Designing Learning Systems to Provide Accessible Services

  Pythagoras Karampiperis, Demetrios Sampson (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper addresses the architectural design of web-based learning systems that can deliver accessible educational content to learners with diverse access needs. The authors identify a fundamental problem with how accessible e-learning was being app…

  • e-learning accessibility
  • learning management systems
  • accessible design
  • metadata
  • learning objects
  • assistive technology
  • user preferences

• Accessibility barriers to online education for young adults with intellectual disabilities

  Erin Buehler, William Easley, Amy Poole, Amy Hurst (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents an emic ethnographic account of the accessibility barriers that young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) encounter when using online education tools in a postsecondary environment. The authors—researchers and educators in …

  • intellectual disability
  • cognitive accessibility
  • e-learning accessibility
  • higher education
  • file management
  • password management
  • information retrieval
  • navigation
  • ethnography

• Editor for accessible images in e-Learning platforms

  Sandra Sanchez-Gordon, Juan Estevez, Sergio Luján-Mora (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract defines a set of twenty features that an HTML visual text editor should provide to support content authors in creating accessible images within e-learning platforms. The features were derived from reviewing published research o…

  • image accessibility
  • alternative text
  • e-learning accessibility
  • authoring tools
  • WCAG compliance
  • content creation
  • long description

• Lake Devo: accessible online role-play

  Greg Gay, Maureen Glynn, Naza Djafarova (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract describes Lake Devo, a web-based role-playing environment developed at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) for collaborative learning, and the strategies used to make it accessible to blind students using s…

  • WAI-ARIA
  • screen reader accessibility
  • e-learning accessibility
  • web accessibility
  • collaborative learning
  • role-play
  • visual impairment

• Improving OER websites for learners with disabilities

  Rosa Navarrete, Sergio Luján-Mora (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents an OER (Open Educational Resources) website designed to enhance the user experience of learners with disabilities when searching for and retrieving educational resources. The authors argue that despite the inclusive vi…

  • open educational resources
  • user experience
  • personalization
  • information architecture
  • e-learning accessibility
  • metadata standards

• Masterplanning the digital campus to support learners with disabilities

  David Sloan, Sarah Horton, Billy Gregory (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This position paper from accessibility consultants at The Paciello Group argues that educational organizations delivering online learning need a strategic, holistic approach to digital accessibility rather than the reactive, remediation-based practic…

  • e-learning accessibility
  • organizational accessibility
  • accessibility policy
  • higher education
  • inclusive teaching
  • procurement
  • accessibility governance