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Websites built with '''accessibility''' in mind are flexible in meeting different user needs, preferences and situations. Though these methods can increase [[Development:Usability|usability]] for everyone who uses the web they are often legally required to be implemented in a specific effort to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities.
{{About Moodle}}


See the tracker under [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-7396 Accessibility Compliance in Moodle 1.8] and [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-7860 Compliance with Italian Legislation on Accessibility] for more information on what we are doing for Moodle 1.8.
Moodle's goal is to be fully accessible and usable for all users regardless of ability.


This page describes the current state of accessibility in Moodle as well as our plans for the future.


== Starting points ==
== Established practices ==


These are some readable introductions to accessibility that cover; what accessibility is, why it is important, as well as practical advice.
Moodle core developers spend a lot of time making sure new developments are accessible.  Part of the process when building new code in Moodle is to follow established best practices and part of the process for accepting new code into core is to test pages carefully and gather feedback from experts.
* [http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php Web Accessibility Initiative's ''Introduction to Web Accessibility'']
* [http://diveintoaccessibility.org/ Mark Pilgrim's ''Dive into Accessibility'']
* [http://joeclark.org/book/ Joe Clark's ''Building Accessible Websites'' book]


== Standards, guidelines and legislation ==
== Conformance to standards ==


* [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld200001/ldbills/003/2001003.htm SENDA - Special Educational Needs and Disability Act/Bill]
The Moodle platform is a complex system with many parts. Its code is always evolving. Modules can be enabled and disabled. The interface can be heavily customised using themes and thousands of settings. Actual content can be produced by any teacher or any student. As such it is impossible to say with 100% certainty whether Moodle or any site based on Moodle is absolutely accessible or not. Accessibility is not a state, it is a process of continuous improvement in response to our users and the wider technical environment.
* [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm Disability Discrimination Act 1995]
* [http://www.section508.gov/ Section 508]
* [http://www.w3.org/WAI/ Web Accessibility Initiative]
** [http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)]
** [http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag20 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (draft)]
*** [http://www.alistapart.com/articles/tohellwithwcag2 an article on the problems with WCAG2]


=== Other countries ===
===WCAG 2.0===
* Germany: [http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bitv/ Barrierefreie Informationstechnik-Verordnung - BITV]


== Tools ==
When deciding how Moodle should present its content for best Web accessibility, the [http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20 WCAG 2.0] guidelines is followed.


* [http://firefox.cita.uiuc.edu/ Firefox Accessibility Extension] by the Illinois Center for Information Technology and Web Accessibility (iCITA)
===ATAG 2.0===
* [[Web developer extension]] for [[Firefox]]
* [[Blank_Your_Monitor_and_Easy_Reading_extension_for_Firefox|Blank Your Monitor and Easy Reading Extension]] for Firefox
* [[W3C validation]] (for [[HTML in Moodle]], [[CSS]] and [[RSS]])
* [http://wave.webaim.org/ Web accessibility evaluation tool]
* [http://cynthiasays.com/ Cynthia Says accessibility checker]
* [http://www.standards-schmandards.com/projects/fangs/ Fangs – the screen reader emulator] for Firefox
* [http://www.nvda-project.org/ NVDA NonVisual Desktop Access] - open source screen reader for Windows


see also this [http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/complete long list of accessibility tools].
As Moodle is a place to construct content (as well as consume content), we also refer to the [http://www.w3.org/TR/ATAG20 ATAG 2.0] guidelines. In Moodle 2.7 a new editor Atto was added that not only helps to improve how everyone can use the editor itself, but also helps to improve the accessibility of the content produced with it.


== Resources ==
===ARIA 1.0===


* [http://webstandards.org/action/atf/manifesto/ Web Standards.org's ''Accessibility Task Force Manifesto'']
As many parts of the Moodle user interface are dynamic and interactive, we follow the [http://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria ARIA] recommendations to inform assistive technologies, such as screen-readers.
* [http://alistapart.com/topics/userscience/accessibility/ Accessibility articles from ''A List Apart'']
 
* [http://diveintomark.org/archives/2003/08/29/semantics Mark Pilgrim's ''Won’t somebody please think of the gerbils?'']
=== Section 508 (US) ===
: [http://diveintoaccessibility.org/ Dive Into Accessibility] by Mark Pilgrim
 
* [http://joeclark.org/access/webaccess/ Joe Clark's writings on accessibility]
As Moodle is used by US Government agencies, the [https://www.section508.gov/section508-laws US Section 508 amendment] can be relevant to Moodle.
: [http://joeclark.org/book/ Building Accessible Websites] by Joe Clark (online version)
 
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_accessibility Wikipedia article on ''Web Accessibility'']
== Discussions ==
* [http://juicystudio.com/article/validity-accessibility.php ''Validity and Accessibility'']
 
* [http://www.edtec.unsw.edu.au/inter/support/accessibility/access_vids.cfm Videos showing as student accessing another Learning Management System via Screen Reader software]
One of the main places accessibility work is being carried out is on the Moodle Accessibility Collaboration Group mailing list, see http://collaborate.athenpro.org/group/moodle/.
 
There are also many discussion on [https://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-61129?jql=text%20~%20%22accessibility%22 issues in the Moodle Tracker].
 
== Known bugs and issues ==
 
This is [https://tracker.moodle.org/issues/?jql=component%20%3D%20Accessibility%20AND%20project%20%3D%20MDL%20AND%20resolution%20%3D%20Unresolved%20ORDER%20BY%20priority%20DESC the main list of accessibility issues], organised by priority.  This list is always changing.


== See also ==
== See also ==


* [[Moodle Accessibility Specification]]
* [[:dev:Accessibility|Accessibility in the dev docs]]
* [[Semantic HTML]]
* [[Accessible course design]]
* [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?f=820 Accessibility forum on Moodle.org]
* The [https://moodle.org/plugins/block_accessibility Accessibility block] is a Moodle additional plugin that provides options for changing text size and colour scheme. Settings can be saved to persist between sessions. Also integrates ATbar from Southampton University ECS
* Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=85119 New Accessibility Themes] forum discussion
* Other [https://moodle.org/plugins/index.php?q=accessibility accessibility related additional plugins] for Moodle
* [http://www.easy.pro.br/ EASY: Interface Between The Virtual Environment Moodle Learning and People with Visual Impairments]
* [http://www.callscotland.org.uk/information/text-to-speech/orato/ Orato] is a free text reader which can be installed on your PC or run from a USB Pen Drive for portable use.
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/03/homepage_accessibilty.html BBC blog post on how their Web 2.0 homepage was made accessible]
* [https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=367206 this forum thread] - Another way to look at it is that the Open University, UK, has more disabled students than all other UK universities combined, and we use a lot of Moodle quizzes, and only occasionally do we hear that a student had a problem with the mechanics of answering the quiz.
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/ BBC Accessibility Help]
* [https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=400533 this forum thread] - about an Easy-to-use free screen reader for accessibility testing
 


[[Category:Accessibility]]
[[es:Accesibilidad]]
[[de:Barrierefreiheit]]
[[it:Accessibilità]]

Latest revision as of 14:29, 13 April 2020


Moodle's goal is to be fully accessible and usable for all users regardless of ability.

This page describes the current state of accessibility in Moodle as well as our plans for the future.

Established practices

Moodle core developers spend a lot of time making sure new developments are accessible. Part of the process when building new code in Moodle is to follow established best practices and part of the process for accepting new code into core is to test pages carefully and gather feedback from experts.

Conformance to standards

The Moodle platform is a complex system with many parts. Its code is always evolving. Modules can be enabled and disabled. The interface can be heavily customised using themes and thousands of settings. Actual content can be produced by any teacher or any student. As such it is impossible to say with 100% certainty whether Moodle or any site based on Moodle is absolutely accessible or not. Accessibility is not a state, it is a process of continuous improvement in response to our users and the wider technical environment.

WCAG 2.0

When deciding how Moodle should present its content for best Web accessibility, the WCAG 2.0 guidelines is followed.

ATAG 2.0

As Moodle is a place to construct content (as well as consume content), we also refer to the ATAG 2.0 guidelines. In Moodle 2.7 a new editor Atto was added that not only helps to improve how everyone can use the editor itself, but also helps to improve the accessibility of the content produced with it.

ARIA 1.0

As many parts of the Moodle user interface are dynamic and interactive, we follow the ARIA recommendations to inform assistive technologies, such as screen-readers.

Section 508 (US)

As Moodle is used by US Government agencies, the US Section 508 amendment can be relevant to Moodle.

Discussions

One of the main places accessibility work is being carried out is on the Moodle Accessibility Collaboration Group mailing list, see http://collaborate.athenpro.org/group/moodle/.

There are also many discussion on issues in the Moodle Tracker.

Known bugs and issues

This is the main list of accessibility issues, organised by priority. This list is always changing.

See also

  • Accessibility in the dev docs
  • Accessible course design
  • The Accessibility block is a Moodle additional plugin that provides options for changing text size and colour scheme. Settings can be saved to persist between sessions. Also integrates ATbar from Southampton University ECS
  • Other accessibility related additional plugins for Moodle
  • Orato is a free text reader which can be installed on your PC or run from a USB Pen Drive for portable use.
  • this forum thread - Another way to look at it is that the Open University, UK, has more disabled students than all other UK universities combined, and we use a lot of Moodle quizzes, and only occasionally do we hear that a student had a problem with the mechanics of answering the quiz.
  • this forum thread - about an Easy-to-use free screen reader for accessibility testing