By Donna J. Jodhan
I'd like to answer the following frequently asked question:
How can distance learning be made more accessible to blind and visually impaired people?
Many blind students today continue to face huge barriers when it comes to being able to take advantage of distance learning classes. Many professors are often at a loss as to how to make their courses more accessible to blind and partially sighted students. Believe it or not, there is a happy medium and I'd like to offer some suggestions.
The first thing to remember is that accessibility should be viewed through the eyes and ears of the student and not through those of the professor. Each individual has a unique or specific need and no two students are alike. A good start would be as follows:
1. Make sure that your student can access web content on your website independently. That is, that the student does not have to depend on sighted assistance to navigate the website.
2. Make sure that your forms are acc…