We are aware that WebVista course sites may not be entirely or easily accessible to people with certain types of disabilities, particularly those who are blind or have low vision. Representatives from the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, other institutions of higher learning, and WebCT, Inc., now part of Blackboard, are participating in teleconferences to identify and address these accessibility issues. It is hoped that Blackboard may provide accessibility improvements in the current version of WebVista through hot fixes and patches. However, due to the time lag inherent in the development cycle of any technology, it is likely that many of the existing accessibility issues will not be resolved until a future version of Vista.
In the meantime, we have published suggestions that may increase students' ability to access their WebVista course sites: a set of pages for students called Get Accessibility Support and a page for instructors called Accessibility Support.
In addition, instructors can find information on producing accessible course materials and Web sites on the Digital Media Center (DMC) Disability Access Information page, on the Accessibility of Information Technology Web policy and standards site, or by meeting with a DMC consultant.