Slide 1:
Welcome to the AccessibilityOnline Webinar Series
A collaborative program between the ADA National Network and the US Access Board
The Session is Scheduled to begin at 2:30pm Eastern Time
We will be testing sound quality periodically
Audio and Visual are provided through the on-line webinar system.  This session is closed captioned.  Individuals may also listen via telephone by dialing 712-432-3100 code 930098 # (This is not a Toll Free number)
The content and materials of this training are property of the US Access Board and the Great Lakes ADA Center and cannot be used and/or distributed without permission.  This program is funded through a contract agreement with the U.S. Access Board. For permission to use training content or obtain copies of materials used as part of this program please contact us by email at adata@adagreatlakes.org or toll free (877)232-1990 (V/TTY)
www.AccessibilityOnline.org

Slide 2:
Webinar Features
•	Closed captioning – click CC icon (top of screen) or control-F8 and adjust the captioning screen as needed
•	Customize your view – choose “View” from the menu bar at the top of the screen and choose the layout you prefer from the dropdown menu.
•	Questions - type and submit questions in the Chat Area Text box or press control-M and enter text in the Chat Area
•	Emotions/Hand-raising:  Please do not use these features during this session

Slide 3:
Presenter
Great Lakes ADA Center
Robin A Jones

Slide 4:
Accessible Webinars 
Agenda
•	Webinar vs Webcast
•	Understanding the barriers/needs of user groups with disabilities
•	Accessibility Features
•	Participant/Moderator Considerations
•	Presentation Materials/Content
•	Recording/Archiving

Slide 5:
•	“Webinar” ‐ a live seminar or other presentation that takes place on the Internet that involves the ability to give, receive and discuss information. 
•	“Webcast” – the transmission of data that is one way and does not typically have interaction between the presenter and the audience

Slide 6:
Advantages for Use of Webinar Technology
•	Webinar tools are affordable. Users can participate in a webinar session with a computer, video/audio capture devices, and broadband network connection from any location.
•	Webinar tools enable synchronous communication. An instructor can communicate with the audience in a synchronous format and provide immediate feedback to the learner/participant.
•	Webinar tools facilitate interaction. Instructors can lecture, interact with the audience and facilitate collaboration in a real‐time format
•	Webinar tools provide an environment in which content can be archived. Whether it be for reviewing the content or for people who missed the real-time session.

Slide 7:
Who is Using Webinar Technology?
•	Higher Education Institutions
o	Course instruction
•	Corporations
o	Facilitate meetings, staff training, etc.
•	Sales and Marketing Firms
o	Promoting goods and services to customers
•	Governmental Entities
o	Staff training, community outreach, etc.
•	Consultants and “Experts”
o	Training and technical assistance

Slide 8: 
Legal Implications for use of “accessible” webinar technology
•	Federal Government – Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (Access to electronic and information technology procured by Federal agencies) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
•	Local and State Government entities – Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Employment and Access to Programs and Services and Auxiliary Aids and Services)
•	Places of Public Accommodation* – Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Access to Goods and Services and Effective Communication) 
•	Private employers of 15 or more employees – Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Reasonable Accommodation)
*Recipients of federal financial assistance would be subject to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

Slide 9:
Understanding Barriers for People with Disabilities
•	Auditory– Difficulty hearing sounds or a range of decibels. Often referred to as either Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
•	Visual– Difficulty seeing images, light or color. Different degrees of loss occur which are referred to as either Blind, Low Vision or Color Blind.
•	Limited fine or gross motor skills – Difficulty manipulating small objects with hands or moving limbs.
•	Cognitive– Difficulty processing information delivered aurally, visually or both including memory loss. This includes individuals with clinical diagnosis of learning disability, autism, traumatic brain injury, attention deficit disorder (ADD), Down Syndrome, etc.

Slide 10:
Implications for Webinar Technology
•	Auditory
o	Content delivered aurally should also be available through integrated streaming text/captioning window
•	Ability to enlarge font
•	Ability to resize and relocate the captioning window
•	Ability to save the captions
o	Availability of text messaging
o	Video should be open captioned
o	Does not rely solely on sounds to alert participants to key events in a session (hand raising, etc.)
o	Recording captures the captioning so that it is displayed during playback

Slide 11:
Implications for Webinar Technology
•	Visual
o	Controls should be able to be accessed and enabled using keyboard commands
o	Controls should be labeled so that they can be read by a screen reader
o	Tab order should be sequential
o	All content should be scalable so that it is not distorted when magnified with assistive technology
o	Audible notifications of key events in a session (i.e. hand raised, incoming chat message, etc.)
o	User defined color/contrast themes
o	All session content should be readable by a screen reader, including the text content of a PowerPoint slide (including alt text of images)
Slide 12:
Implications for Webinar Technology
•	Limited fine/gross motor movements
o	Full keyboard navigation through all interfaces of the system, including secondary windows
o	Keyboard navigation through major modules (i.e. whiteboard, chat area, audio controls, etc.)
o	Short cut or accelerator keys to navigate key interactions

Slide 13:
Implications for Webinar Technology
•	Cognitive
o	Ability to respond verbally with microphone/phone or by typing in chat window
o	Ability to save whiteboard material for further review outside of a session
o	Ability to use captioning window and auditory input simultaneously
o	Ability to record content for review at a later time
o	Ability to control the speed of content delivery

Slide 14:
“Typical” Webinar Platform Components
Whiteboard – viewing area for visual content (presentation, documents, multi‐media, etc.)
Image of a webinar whiteboard

Slide 15:
“Typical” Webinar Platform Components
Chat Area – interactivity window for written questions, comments, etc.
Image of a webinar chat area window

Slide 16:
“Typical” Webinar Platform Components
Participant List – identifies “who” or “how many” people are participating and records responses to interactive features
Permissions/Available Features – identifies permissions or features available to participants (i.e. microphone, chat area, etc.)
Image of a webinar permissions list window with an arrow pointing to the available features

Slide 17:
Components of a “typical” webinar platform
Microphone controls – turn on/off the microphone
Sound controls – adjust speaker volume
Image of a webinar platform microphone control and sound control buttons

Slide 18:
Components of a “typical” webinar platform
Menu Options ‐ customizing view, setting preferences, turning captioning on/off, saving files, etc.
Image of a webinar platform menu control window

Slide 19:
Components of a “typical” webinar platform
Interactivity controls ‐raising hand, responding to quizzes, emotions, etc.
Image of a webinar platform window with interactivity controls

Slide 20:
Components of a “typical” webinar platform
VoIP Telephony connection option – integrated telephone bridge option to transmit/receive audio
Image of a computer connected to a telephone

Slide 21:
Considerations for webinar platforms
In addition to the “accessibility” of the webinar components consider the following issues which may impact usability:
•	Compatibility with a variety of browsers – Safari, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.
•	Compatibility with different operating systems – Windows, Lynx, OS/OS X
•	Availability of support for moderators and users either through web based support, customer service line, etc.
•	Published information regarding the accessibility features of the platform and availability of knowledgeable technical support via website, customer service line, etc.

Slide 22:
Participant/User Side Considerations
•	Age of Computer Technology – older personal computers may not be compatible with new technologies utilized in webinar platforms
•	Internet Speed – the speed of the internet connection will have a direct impact on the quality of sound and video at the users end
–	Wireless connection is NOT recommended
•	Firewalls – organizational/personal system firewalls may block access to a webinar platform

Slide 23:
Participant/User Side Considerations
•	Quality of speakers/availability of a sound card on the computer – may opt to use a headset/ear phones connected via USB or headset jack
•	Availability of a telephone option to receive audio – the provider may/may not provide this option
•	Availability of technical support in advance of a scheduled session to test technology – contact provider and/or seek information on the entities website

Slide 24:
Participant/User Considerations
•	Software Updates ‐ ensure that all software updates are installed on your computer and they are compatible with the one utilized by the platform (i.e. Windows Updates, JAVA, Media Player Versions, etc.)
–	Check platform documentation to verify software requirements

Slide 25:
Moderator Side Considerations
•	Determine whether or not presenters and/or participants will utilize headsets/microphones to transmit audio – sound quality can be impacted by user equipment.
•	Conduct “practice sessions” with presenters –
–	address sound quality issues in advance of scheduled sessions
–	address utilization of assistive technology by the presenter and recognize that additional instruction may be needed

Slide 26:
Moderator Side Considerations
•	Instruct presenters regarding accessibility and special considerations needed to ensure the content of their presentation is accessible
–	Describe all images relevant to the content of the slide
–	State the slide number that they are on
–	Slow the pace of the presentation in order to ensure that the captioner is able to keep pace with the presenter
–	Allow for additional time for submitting questions to ensure that those using assistive technology or with cognitive limitations have time to submit questions in the chat area before moving on

Slide 27:
Moderator Side Considerations
•	Provide instructions to participants regarding key webinar features that will be utilized during the session in advance
–	Repeat instructions when features are used during the session (i.e. how to use chat area, etc.)
•	Monitor the status of closed captioning during the session
–	The session should be paused if any technical problems occur with the captioning during the session.
–	Resume the session ONLY after captioning is functioning.

Slide 28:
Preparing Materials
Handouts
•	Copies of presentation materials, resources, etc. should be available in accessible format.
–	Electronic Text Document
•	Materials should be available in advance (may be done on request only basis)
•	Images within documents should have alt text to describe the image

Slide 29:
Adding Alt Text to an Image
Example: PowerPoint 2007
•	Step 1: Place the image in focus by either clicking on it or using the keyboard 
•	Step 2: Pull up the context menu by pressing the Context Key, or by right clicking on the image. Choose “Format Picture” option
o	Image of PowerPoint 2007 Context Menu with “Format Picture” option highlighted.
•	Step 3: Click on the "Alt Text" tab, then enter your description of the image.
o	Image of the “Alt Text” tab of the “Format Picture” box with an arrow pointing to the location to add the alt text for an image

Slide 30:
Preparing Materials
Presentation Materials ‐
•	Additional formatting may be required to ensure that the presentation materials are accessible when loaded into the webinar platform
–	Reordering of the shapes on a slide to ensure that a screen reader will read them in the correct order
•	The structure of a PowerPoint presentation will impact the order that a screen reader will read the content of a slide
–	Adding alt text for images
•	All slides should be numbered to assist participants in staying oriented to the order of the presentation.

Slide 31:
Use of “selection pane” to reorder
•	Additional formatting may be required to ensure that the presentation materials are accessible when loaded into the webinar platform.
o	Reordering the shapes on a slide to ensure that a screen reader will read them in the correct order
•	The structure of a PowerPoint presentation will impact the order that a screen reader will read the content of a slide.
Image of the PowerPoint selection pane used to reorder the shapes on a slide

Slide 32:
Preparing Materials
Presentation Materials (con’t) –
Avoid using dark backgrounds
Ensure high contrast of text on slide backgrounds
Avoid use of “small text” (less than 18 pt)
Number slides to orient participants
Image of high contrast text versus poorly contrasted text

Slide 33:
Use of Multi‐Media Features Within Webinar Platforms
Video –
Video will launch differently depending on the platform.
Know what formats are supported in the platform (.mp4, .mov., etc.)
Instruct participants in advance regarding use of any multi‐ media so that they can ensure they are using the most up to date version of their media player or the video may not launch for them.
Know your audience and their technical capabilities before choosing to utilize multi‐media
Ensure that videos are captioned (either open or closed)
Consider need for audio description depending on the content of the video.  Video images will not be accessible to someone who is blind.

Slide 34:
Use of Multi‐Media Features Within Webinar Platforms
Streaming Audio –
Audio files may be played within the webinar platform as long as captioning is available

Slide 35:
Features to Avoid Using
•	Desk Top Sharing – many platforms allow the moderator to “share” their desktop with participants.
o	This application is not accessible to a screen reader
•	Drawing or “writing” on the Whiteboard – many platforms have features which allow you to add text, images, draw directly on the whiteboard.
o	This application is not accessible to a screen reader

Slide 36:
Features to Use Cautiously
Interactive Features –
Hand raising, emotions, etc. – these features can be distracting to participants with cognitive disabilities or those using other assistive technologies. Refrain from using these features while the presenter is talking.
Polling features – Only utilize if these features are accessible to screen readers and through key board commands.
Video Camera Feed – The quality of video will depend on the bandwidth available.  Caution should be used when incorporating this medium into a presentation. Audio Description may be needed depending on what the video feed contains.

Slide 37:
Recording/Archiving Sessions
Recorded/Archived sessions should provide the same level of accessibility as the live session did.
–	Verify that recording captures the captioning and it is synchronous with the audio and video.
–	Verify that the playback format is accessible with assistive technology (controls are labeled, content is able to be read with a screen reader, content is scalable, etc.)
Include a copy of all handout materials for download with the recording.
–	Ensure that an accessible version is available (electronic/text)

Slide 38:
Questions?
You may type and submit questions in the Chat Area Text Box or press Control‐M and enter text in the Chat Area

Slide 39:
U.S. Access Board
(800) 872‐2253 (voice)
(800) 993‐2822 (TTY)
E‐mail: ta@access‐board.gov
www.access‐board.gov

Slide 40:
Great Lakes ADA Center
(877) 232‐1990 (Voice/TTY)
E‐mail to:
adaconferences@adagreatlakes.org
www.adagreatlakes.org
www.accessibilityonline.org

Slide 41:
Thank you for participating in today’s webinar
Next session: Assistive Listening Systems 
October 4th
www.accessibilityonline.org
(877) 232‐1990 (V/TTY)