Re: ACollab Work Groups 1.1 Content accessible?

Steve

It's generally up to the authoring tool to offer developers utilities 
for creating accessible content, and verify its accessibility. ACollab 
is not technically an authoring tool (though you could probably argue 
otherwise), so it doesn't allow for much control over what authors load 
into the system.

If you are familiar with ATutor (atutor.ca), one of our other open 
source projects, and ACollab's parent, its content editor is linked into 
an accessibility evaluation Web service (AChecker), which allows authors 
to evaluate their content based on WCAG, and a few other accessibility 
specifications, while they're creating content. They do have to choose 
to make their content accessible however. Education and public awareness 
go a long way to getting authors to use the verifier.

The AChecker Webservice will be available publically in the not too 
distant future, as a service on its own, and as a service that can be 
linked into by Web based authoring tools. We are implementing it for the 
first time in ATutor, and will use it as a test case on which to base 
future development. You can try it for yourself as a standalone service 
at the following link:

http://checker.atrc.utoronto.ca/index.html

Or, try it in the ATutor instructor demo:
http://www.atutor.ca/atutor/demo.php

greg



Steven Dale wrote:

>This sounds like a wonderful project.
>
>However, I have a question and this project, as outlined here, is a good
>example of my problem.  How do you keep content that is added to a website
>accessible when the content authors are not web designers?  I have tried
>playing with Macromedia's Contribute, but it still is not very
>accessibility friendly when creating content.  Any ideas?
>
>-Steve
>
>  
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>>June 14, 2004
>>
>>ACollab Work Groups 1.1 Released
>>
>>
>>ACollab is a fully accessible, open source, multi-group, Web-based
>>collaborative work environment.
>>
>>ACollab is available as a work groups *addon for ATutor 1.4* , and as a
>>standalone collaborative work environment that will run on its own.
>>ACollab is ideal for groups working at a distance developing
>>documentation, collaborating on research, or writing joint papers, and
>>ideal for online educators who wish to add group learning activities to
>>their ATutor courses.
>>
>>
>>* *ACollab 1.1 Features* *
>>
>>*Document Drafting Room*: Group members can work within a Web-based
>>document versioning system, collaborating on document development and
>>publication. Documents developed in the Drafting Room can be transferred
>>to the Shared Documents Library once finalized.
>>
>>*Shared Documents Library*: Group members can submit documents to the
>>library, from which other group members, or public members, can retrieve
>>those documents for viewing or downloading.
>>
>>*Events Calendar*:  Events can be posted to the calendar by all group
>>members, to announce activities, meetings, due dates, or other group
>>related happenings.
>>
>>*News & Announcements*: Group administrators, or system administrators,
>>can post news to be presented to members when they first login to a
>>group.
>>
>>*Group Membership Index*: Group members can view other group members'
>>profiles and contact information.
>>
>>*Mail Inbox*: Members can communicate with each other privately.
>>
>>*AChat-PHP*: Accessible synchronous communication is possible between
>>group members, ideal for online meetings or group socializing.
>>
>>*AForum*: AForum is an enhanced version for the ATutor forums. Members
>>post message for others to retrieve later. Forums can be set to read
>>only, reply only, as open discussions, or can be hidden from view.
>>
>>*Multi-Lingual Interface*: Language can be modified by system
>>administrators, or new language packs can be created using the ATutor.ca
>>translation tools.
>>
>>*Accessibility Compliance*: Group member, group administrator, and
>>system administrator tools are all compliant with international
>>accessibility standards (WCAG 1.0, Section 508 US) so people with
>>disabilities can participate fully in collaborative and administrative
>>activities.
>>
>>*Group Leaders*: Create chat transcripts, define folders for sorting
>>documents, assign group membership roles, create and manage forums,
>>create mailing lists, post news and announcements, and manage group
>>members.
>>
>>*System Administrator*: Create and manage groups, manage the system
>>languages, and manage all users on a system.
>>
>>
>>* *ACollab Translation* *:
>>ATutor is currently available in English, with French, Italian, and
>>Spanish nearing completion. The ACollab translation site is setup to
>>accept translations for many other languages. For those who have been
>>involved in translating ATutor, their current translator account will
>>grant them access to the ACollab translation tools. For others who wish
>>to translate ACollab, or join a group currently translating, register on
>>the ATutor.ca Web site, login, then request a translator account through
>>MyATutor.
>>
>>ACollab Translation
>>http://www.atutor.ca/acollab/docs/howto.php
>>
>>MyATutor
>>http://www.atutor.ca/my/
>>
>>
>>
>>* * More About ACollab* *
>>
>>For more about ACollab visit the ATutor.ca Web site at the links listed
>>below:
>>
>>ACollab Info:
>>http://www.atutor.ca/acollab/index.php
>>
>>ACollab HowTo:
>>http://www.atutor.ca/acollab/docs/howto.php
>>
>>ACollab Demos
>>http://www.atutor.ca/acollab/demo.php
>>
>>ACollab Download
>>http://www.atutor.ca/acollab/download.php
>>    
>>
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Received on Monday, 14 June 2004 18:06:42 UTC