Accessibility
Information on presentations, closed captioning and screen readers.
Thoughtful session planning
How you plan and run a session can also help with accessibility. For instance,
- Making sure users have details in advance and are able to test their equipment before the start of the session.
- Participants have opportunities to contribute (e.g. ask question) in different ways, including before and after the session.
Creating accessible lectures/tutorials
Guidance for accessible remote teaching
Presentations
Guidance is given on best practice for presentations. This is to help avoid technical issues but also to help presentations be accessible:
Best Practice for PowerPoint Slides
Closed captioning/Subtitling
Subtitling for live sessions: automatic captioning is not available in Blackboard Collaborate. There is a role that can be given to a participant called 'captioner' who types what is being said; you may have a keen student volunteer to help out at the sessions they attend.
Captions (Class Support)
Subtitling for recorded sessions: you'd need to download the recording from Collaborate and then upload it to Media Hopper Create. Automatic subtitles for your video can be requested via the IS Helpline. Automatically created subtitles are typically less than perfect and will need to be checked and edited. We have a video which talks you through how to request automatic subtitles for your video(s) and how to use the subtitle editor to make changes.
Screen reader compatibility
For the best experience using a screen reader, Blackboard recommend using Chrome and JAWS on Windows machines and Safari with VoiceOver on a Mac.
More information:
Accessibility (keyboard navigation, live closed captioning, screen reader) (Class Support)
Hardware and software of users
The technology available to users, including their Internet connection and browser, will determine the degree to which they can use the functionality made available to them in a session. This will determine the accessibility of the session, to some extent.
Hardware and Software Requirements
If you require further assistance:
Related Links
Best Practice for PowerPoint Slides