In Chinese, the word "challenge" is a combination of the symbols for "danger" and "opportunity." Making courseware accessible for disabled students is one of the challenges colleges and universities must confront in serving students at a distance.

Danger: Although the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 preceded the vast expansion of distance learning using the Internet, ADA requirements and related federal statutes definitely do apply to distance learning. And, as of last year, federal laws regarding accessibility for students using electronic and information technology now have more teeth. As the Chronicle of Higher Education put it, institutions realize they need to "include the virtual equivalents of wheelchair ramps when building their online classrooms."

Opportunity: Implementing technology-based courses that are accessible to the greatest number of people is the right thing to do. In addition, courses which are well-designed for accessibility issues generally work better for all students. Although institutions are not required to make all course materials accessible to everyone regardless of their disability, providing equivalents and options in distance learning courses are the keys to greater usability.

This program will examine three elements that are vital to making sure distance learning courses serve disabled students effectively:

Panelists

Sheryl Burgstahler, PhD directs project DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) at the University of Washington. DO-IT promotes the success of students with disabilities in postsecondary programs and careers, using technology as an empowering tool. She is also Co-Director of AccessIT (the National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education), which serves to increase the access of individuals with disabilities to information technology in educational institutions at all academic levels nationwide. She has published many articles and delivered presentations on the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in postsecondary education and distance learning.

Norman Coombs, PhD, is professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he continues to teach distance learning courses in history. He is also CEO of EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information), which helps colleges, libraries and other institutions use adaptive technology to make their computer and information systems fully accessible to people with disabilities. Coombs, who is blind, actively consults with universities, libraries and other institutions, has directed three National Science Foundation grants, and makes presentations and publishes on the topics of distance learning, access and adaptive technologies.

Salome Heyward, JD, is a civil rights attorney with more than 20 years experience in the field of disability discrimination law and disability management. A well-known speaker and trainer, she has been a featured presenter for organizations such as the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and the International Learning Disabilities Association. She is the author of Graduate Schools and the ADA and Higher Education and Disability, as well as numerous articles. She is also frequently sought out to provide legal background for news media such as The New York Times, NBC-TV, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Cyndi Rowland, PhD, is the director of Keeping Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM), which works to mitigate the enormous problems of inaccessible Web sites in postsecondary settings (www.webaim.org). For several years, Dr. Rowland has conducted Web accessibility research and worked on Web accessibility efforts for those with disabilities, and is a frequent speaker and author on these topics. WebAIM is housed at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. Dr. Rowland also directs other technology projects at the Center, and is the director of a distance education program which prepares teachers in rural areas of Utah for certification in early childhood special education.