Online Education Resources For The Blind
Learning can be tough for a disabled person. Some blind people are learning to use the computer and other technologies to support their studies; however, technological resources are not always designed with blind people in mind. Online distance education has provided a way for many people to advance in their professional training, and it is expected that it will bring the same opportunities for the blind. This paper presents the results of a study conducted at the University of Colima with blind people taking an induction course to online training, using an LMS and a screen reader. This LMS has been used for more than four years with non-disabled people across Mexico, however it had not been tested with blind people. The study analysed the use of chat, discussion forums, email and file exchange, and the results will help improve the access to the information to the blind people and, hopefully, increase their opportunities for training.
Keywords: Blind, Accesibility, Online Education, Distance Education, Interface Design, Screen Reader
Silvia Berenice Fajardo-Flores
Full-time teacher, Centre for the Production of Educational Materials |
Ref: T07P0141