You can use Adobe Captivate to create eLearning lessons that are accessible to users who have visual, hearing, mobility or other types of disabilities.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) publishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a document that specifies what designers should do to their Web content to make it accessible. Today, many countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and countries in Europe have adopted accessibility standards based on those developed by the W3C.
In the United States, the law that governs accessibility is commonly known as Section 508. Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 requires that federal agencies develop or use information technology that is accessible to people with disabilities. You can learn more about Section 508 by visiting www.section508.gov.
Generally speaking, eLearning is considered accessible if it can be accessed and used by people without depending on a single sense or ability. Users should be able to move through your lessons using either a keyboard or a mouse. In addition, your lessons should include visual and auditory elements to support both hearing and visually impaired customers.
One of the easiest things you can do to make your Captivate projects accessible is to select Enable Accessibility (Edit > Preferences > Project > Publish Settings). Combine this simple act with filling in the Project name and Description (File > Document Info) and a screen reader will read the name and description when the published SWF file is played.
Accessibility Text
Once you have selected Enable Accessibility, your published Captivate lessons can be read by a screen reader. Screen readers are programs that use auditory feedback to translate screen information to a user. In addition, the screen reader acts as a mouse pointer providing navigation via keyboard commands-the user does not have to select anything. Screen readers typically rely on Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) to distinguish screen elements as a button, dialog box, a link or a menu.
According to Axistive, "the three main screen readers in North America are (in order of market share) JAWS, Window-Eyes and Hal, which together sell around 3,000 (units) yearly."
Here are three quick steps to add Accessibility Text to a Slide:
- Right-click a slide and choose Properties
- Click the Accessibility button
The Slide Accessibility Text dialog box will appear. When a screen reader reads this slide, it will only read what it sees in the Slide Accessibility area. It will not read slide captions.
- Type the text you'd like the reader to read out loud and click OK (alternatively, you can click the Insert slide text or Insert slide notes button to quickly use existing text as your Slide Accessibility Text)
For those readers who are interested in accessibility in e-learning programs, there is a 6-episode mini-series of the SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast is very interesting and informative: It’s called “e-Learning Accessibility For Training Managers and Human Resource Professionals,” and can be found in the SyberWorks Online Media Center at http://www.syberworks.com/elearning_podcast.htm. Check it out!
For those readers who are interested in accessibility in e-learning programs, there is a 6-episode mini-series of the SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast is very interesting and informative: It’s called “e-Learning Accessibility For Training Managers and Human Resource Professionals,” and can be found in the SyberWorks Online Media Center at http://www.syberworks.com/elearning_podcast.htm. Check it out!
For those readers who are interested in accessibility in e-learning programs, there is a 6-episode mini-series of the SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast is very interesting and informative: It’s called “e-Learning Accessibility For Training Managers and Human Resource Professionals,” and can be found in the SyberWorks Online Media Center at http://www.syberworks.com/elearning_podcast.htm. Check it out!
I did what you said to do (it was the same as what Kevin’s book which i own and adobe said to do) yet my jaws demo reader (which i downloaded to check the accessibility of the project) will not read what has been typed in the accessibilty box.
my slides have a banner (for each chapter of content) across the top and the reader reads that (though this text is NOT in the accessibility box) and then just stops.
Any idea why?
I did what you said to do (it was the same as what Kevin’s book which i own and adobe said to do) yet my jaws demo reader (which i downloaded to check the accessibility of the project) will not read what has been typed in the accessibilty box.
my slides have a banner (for each chapter of content) across the top and the reader reads that (though this text is NOT in the accessibility box) and then just stops.
Any idea why?
I did what you said to do (it was the same as what Kevin’s book which i own and adobe said to do) yet my jaws demo reader (which i downloaded to check the accessibility of the project) will not read what has been typed in the accessibilty box.
my slides have a banner (for each chapter of content) across the top and the reader reads that (though this text is NOT in the accessibility box) and then just stops.
Any idea why?
I’m using Captivate 4 to create Accessible eLearning. My JAWS (v10) reader does not read the content from the bottom up as expected. I have delayed many items on the timeline for effect for the seeing learner – this may be whats causing JAWS to read my content out of order. Is th only option to paste all content in the Slide Accessibility feature. I was hoping I would not have to duplicate all my content. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. Chris
I’m using Captivate 4 to create Accessible eLearning. My JAWS (v10) reader does not read the content from the bottom up as expected. I have delayed many items on the timeline for effect for the seeing learner – this may be whats causing JAWS to read my content out of order. Is th only option to paste all content in the Slide Accessibility feature. I was hoping I would not have to duplicate all my content. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. Chris
I’m using Captivate 4 to create Accessible eLearning. My JAWS (v10) reader does not read the content from the bottom up as expected. I have delayed many items on the timeline for effect for the seeing learner – this may be whats causing JAWS to read my content out of order. Is th only option to paste all content in the Slide Accessibility feature. I was hoping I would not have to duplicate all my content. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. Chris