Closed caption standards with examples of good and bad captioning. While there are other sets of standards available, these are pretty straightforward and easy to apply to learning.
Transcriptions and captions for audio and video at $1/minute. This would be very useful for transcribing SME interviews and captioning videos. They also offer translation
Although this article doesn't give an answer to how much accessibility costs, it does list areas to consider when determining costs. It also provides tips on implementing accessibility effectively through iterative, agile design, focusing on high impact tasks first, rather than trying to do everything at once.
<p>Typically, you will find added costs in the following areas when it comes to integrating accessibility:</p>
<ul>
<li>Determining accessibility requirements for final deliverables</li>
<li>Developing internal style guides and best practices</li>
<li>Training staff</li>
<li>Finding new toolsets</li>
<li>Modifying existing codebases</li>
<li>Additional QA time & resources</li>
<li>Consultant Fees/ Salary for an internal Subject Matter Expert</li></ul>
Design with Accessibility in Mind » oz: the blog of glenda sims ( the goodwitch)
I'm not sure if the statistics on the increase in costs for accessible web design match exactly the costs for accessible e-learning design, but the reasons for designing e-learning with accessibility in mind are the same as given here. We're better off designing for accessibility right from the start than having to retrofit later.
Accessibility guidelines and support documents from Pearson. The guidelines are based on Section 508 and WCAG 2.0. The training and training materials aren't openly available, but the guidelines and templates for accessibility reviews are.
Guide for accessibility specifically for online learning, looking at accessibility of the LMS and online content. Includes best practices and universal design information.
Accessibility: How Many Disabled Web Users Are There? | Practical eCommerce
Some US stats on disabilities that affect web accessibility. Links to UN, UK, and Australian stats are also included.
The most commonly discussed disabilities affecting website accessibility are sight and hearing impairments. These specific impairments encompass 6.8 percent of the population age 15 years and older – and climb to encompass 21.3 percent of the population when you look specifically at the population over 65, according to the 2005 report. Eight-point-two percent of this same population is listed as having difficulty grasping objects– which affects the use of a mouse.
The WCAG 2.0 guidelines for contrasting colors mean that if color is the only indicator of difference, you need to have sufficient contrast. It's really hard to meet the requirements with color alone, but if you underline your links it's OK.
Because of the WCAG 2.0 contrast requirements, if you don’t underline your links, there’s not much flexibility if you want to be Level AA, let alone Level AAA conformant.
Why do schools refuse to use free and open source software options, even when those options would improve accessibility for students? Ignorance? Fear? Politics? Probably some combination of all three.
If an electrician was too afraid of electricity to touch a wire, he'd be an electrician no more. So if an educator is afraid of the information and communication technologies of his/her age, then he/she can no longer be an "educator" in any meaningful way.