Media-specific Strategies

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Videotapes

The most common form of classroom videotape is 1/2" VHS. For classrooms that include students who are blind or visually impaired, videotapes with verbal descriptions of the visual information are needed. Since there currently is no technical way to hide or embed these verbal descriptions in the videotape and turn them on when needed, as is possible with captions, the verbal descriptions would need to be a part of the standard audio track on the tape. These verbal descriptions take the form of narration which is added between the normal audio information on the videotape. These added narrations describe what is occurring visually on the screen.

One approach for providing verbal descriptions on a videotape would be to have two versions of the tape; one with the verbal descriptions and one without the verbal descriptions.

A second strategy would be to record descriptive video and sound information on one track and sound information only on the second track. Users could then select either the left or right channel to get the material with or without the verbal descriptions. Individuals would be able to turn the audio descriptions on or off as desired.

Neither of these techniques is optimal, but both do work within the constraints of current videotape technology.

Videodiscs

When produced in a non-interactive manner, videodiscs can be treated much the same as videotapes, with one important difference. Videodiscs have the capacity to include an additional sound track for descriptions. As a result, both stereo channels can be used for the regular audio, with the verbal descriptions on yet another channel which can be turned on and off as needed by the students.

For disks that are produced with a higher degree of interactivity, and which may be attached to and controlled by a computer, not only do the moving images on the disk need to be described, but the visuals and text on the computer screen need description and translation into digitized speech, braille display, or enlarged type. Although this may sound very difficult, when taken one element at a time, access to many types of interactive videodiscs is possible. The guidance for such access can be taken from the means for making standard linear video accessible and for making multimedia software accessible. In general, this type of accessibility also has benefits for individuals without visual impairments.

Multimedia Software

The same principles which apply to videotapes and videodiscs apply to multimedia software. By its very nature, multimedia software allows even more flexibility than videodiscs in terms of the opportunity for multiple channels of video and audio information, all of which can be turned on and off at the user's discretion. In most cases, however, accessibility to multimedia software must be built in. The capability of external agents such as screen readers to track and interpret what is happening in a multimedia environment is very limited. Both digitized audio, digitally recorded human voice, or synthesized audio computer-generated voices, can be used to describe essential visual elements to students who are blind or visually impaired. As discussed previously, the ability to access and use the system without eye-hand coordination is very important. Keyboard control of the program is an excellent strategy here. In addition, the use of supplemental materials such as braille, raised line drawings, or audio information can be very effective.

On-line Services And The Internet

It is becoming increasingly clear that in the near future, classroom instruction may be enhanced through the Internet, in particular through educational World Wide Web sites. There are form and content challenges inherent in such delivery. Fundamentally, however, the Internet simply represents a different way of delivering information and programs into the hands of the student and teacher. It allows for collaboration among parties who are widely dispersed. All of the same issues and all of the same solution strategies that were discussed for multimedia software apply here.

Today, the Internet uses very nicely structured Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) files which provide fairly accessible and structured information formats. However, current trends are moving away from this type of structured information and back into the wide variety of formats which exist in printed documents and complex multimedia video productions.

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Last Revision: July 30, 2002

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