My School Day Online:My School Day Online:A Fully Accessible A Fully Accessible

Platform for Website DevelopmentPlatform for Website Development

Matt Kaplowitz, Bridge MultimediaMatt Kaplowitz, Bridge Multimedia

Wendy Sapp, Ph.D., Wendy Sapp, Ph.D., Visual Impairment Educational Visual Impairment Educational

ServicesServices

Funded in part by the National Center for Technology Innovation, American Institutes for Research, Office of Special Education Programs, and US Department of Education

What is the My School Day Online What is the My School Day Online Scheduler?Scheduler?

Fully 508(c) and W3C compliant web-Fully 508(c) and W3C compliant web-based programbased programPart of the “Bridge Builder” suite of Part of the “Bridge Builder” suite of accessible website management tools accessible website management tools Currently includesCurrently includes– CalendarCalendar– TasksTasks– ScheduleSchedule

““If it was aIf it was a

person I wouldperson I would

hug it!”hug it!”

1212thth grade student with low vision grade student with low vision

after using My School Day Onlineafter using My School Day Online

Student ParticipantsStudent Participants

12 students (9-1212 students (9-12thth grade) grade)

All are legally blindAll are legally blind– 10 are totally blind and use JAWS screen 10 are totally blind and use JAWS screen

reader software to access computerreader software to access computer– 2 have low vision and use vision to access 2 have low vision and use vision to access

computer computer

My School Day Online vs. OutlookMy School Day Online vs. Outlook

Mean Mean Percentage of Percentage of Items AttemptedItems Attempted

Mean Mean Percentage of Percentage of Items Items Completed Completed CorrectlyCorrectly

Mean Mean Percentage of Percentage of Items Items Completed Completed IndependentlyIndependently

My School My School Day OnlineDay Online 100%100% 90%90% 83%83%

Microsoft Microsoft Outlook ®Outlook ® 69%69% 56%56% 50%50%

My School Day Online vs. OutlookMy School Day Online vs. Outlook

Percentage of Items Attempted*Percentage of Items Attempted*tt=2.91,=2.91, p p<.05, two-tailed, <.05, two-tailed, dfdf=7 =7

Percentage of Items Completed Correctly*Percentage of Items Completed Correctly*tt=2.00,=2.00, p p<.05, one-tailed, <.05, one-tailed, dfdf=7 =7

Percentage of Items Completed Independently*Percentage of Items Completed Independently*tt=2.13,=2.13, p p<.05, one-tailed, <.05, one-tailed, dfdf=7 =7

* Differences in performance between MSDO and * Differences in performance between MSDO and Outlook were statistically significantOutlook were statistically significant

“I didn’t get lost. It was so easy to navigate,

I couldn’t get lost!”

““It was easy for me to find stuffIt was easy for me to find stuff

and that’s really saying and that’s really saying something.”something.”

““Everything was sticking out Everything was sticking out

on the page on the page

asking you to click on it.”asking you to click on it.”

Teacher ParticipantsTeacher Participants

8 teachers of students with visual 8 teachers of students with visual impairmentsimpairments– 3 with low vision3 with low vision– 1 blind1 blind– 4 typically sighted4 typically sighted

Mean Percentage Mean Percentage of Items of Items CompletedCompleted

Mean Percentage Mean Percentage of Items of Items Completed Completed IndependentlyIndependently

Teachers with Teachers with Typical SightTypical Sight

100%100% 92%92%

Teachers with Teachers with Low VisionLow Vision

94%94% 83%83%

Teacher* who is Teacher* who is BlindBlind*limited experience using JAWS*limited experience using JAWS 67%67% 13%13%

Teacher Performance using My School Day Online

“…“…most of it most of it was very easy was very easy to figure it out. to figure it out.

You didn’t have You didn’t have to have a list of to have a list of instructions.”instructions.”

--Response from Response from

a teachera teacher

Improvements UnderwayImprovements Underway

Improve layout of links Improve layout of links

Modify calendar to improve recognition of Modify calendar to improve recognition of datesdates

Increase flexibility in creating student Increase flexibility in creating student schedulesschedules

Add new features requested by students Add new features requested by students and teachersand teachers

Next StepsNext Steps

Implement suggestions for improving Implement suggestions for improving usability of current featuresusability of current features

Implement new features suggested by Implement new features suggested by teachers and studentsteachers and students

Conduct additional field testing with large Conduct additional field testing with large population including additional disability population including additional disability groupsgroups

Matt Kaplowitz & Wendy Sapp Matt Kaplowitz & Wendy Sapp

would like to thank thewould like to thank the

National Center for National Center for

Technology Innovation, Technology Innovation,

American Institutes of ResearchAmerican Institutes of Research

Office of Special Education Projects,Office of Special Education Projects,and theand the

US Department of Education,US Department of Education,for supporting this product development and research.for supporting this product development and research.