Online Education Resources for the Blind

By Silvia Berenice Fajardo-Flores, José Losoya-Castrejon and Gabriela Velazquez-Vaca.

Published by The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society

Format	Price
Article: Print	$US10.00
Article: Electronic	$US5.00

Learning can be tough for a disabled person. Some blind people are learning to use the computer and other technologies to support their studies, but 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 on online training, using a Learning Management System (LMS) and a screen reader. This LMS has been used for more than four years with non-disabled people across Mexico, but it had not been tested with blind people. The study analysed the use of chat, discussion forums, e-mail, and file exchange, and it is expected that the results will enhance access to the information by blind people and, possibly, increase their opportunities for training.

Keywords:	Blind, Accesibility, Online Education, Distance Education, Interface Design, Screen Reader

The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society, Volume 3, Issue 2, pp.59-64. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 885.438KB).

Silvia Berenice Fajardo-Flores

Full-time teacher, Centre for the Production of Educational Materials, Faculty of Telematics, University of Colima, Colima, Mexico

Silvia teaches IT related subjects at the Faculty of Telematics. Her research interests are interaction design, accessibility and information technology applied to education. She is currently doing research on accessibility for the blind.

José Losoya-Castrejon

University of Colima, Colima, Colima, Mexico

José is currently studying Bs in Telematics Engineering. He has developed information systems for private firms, and his research interest is Web accessibility.

Gabriela Velazquez-Vaca

University of Colima, Colima, Colima, Mexico

Gaby is currently studying Bs in Telematics Engineering. She has developed Web sites and information systems for private firms, and her research interests are software development, Web design and accessibility.

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