Angel Accessibility

Angel Email

Known Issues

1. JAWS/Voiceover screen reader verbally identifies the text input box for both the ‘Subject’ and ‘Message’ fields as only “Text Input” which doesn’t properly identify either and makes it impossible to discern one input box from the other.

2. Navigation can be inconsistent and tricky. This involves the issue with the message input area that you must TAB past and then SHIFT+TAB back into. The other way to do it is to use the form list function in JAWS but not all Screen Reader users use this function and all of the input fields must be properly labeled for it to be useful.

Recommendation: Use an outside email client.  This allows the user to utilize the client they are most familiar with for all course communications.

Angel Live (Chat)

Known Issue

3. Angel Live chat does not allow a screen reader to read the main display window. A screen reader will access and read the message input area however all content including the user’s submitted message and other individuals messages/responses that display in the main chat window can not be read by the screen reader.

Recommendation: For users with assistive technologies, other means of text chat based communications such as MSN Messenger (JAWS has specific scripts to work with MSN Messenger) are more accessible options. AOL Instant Messenger client and Yahoo are unusable with a screen reader.

Angel Discussion Forum

Known Issues

4. When using TAB to navigate through to select a post to read, the tab cursor will become stuck once entering the main discussion content area.  The reason is that the cursor immediately lands on the expand/collapse switch and the system changes the functionality of the TAB key to toggle that switch rather than to continue to TAB through to other items.

5. (Same as with email) To enter the Message input box when creating a new post or a response, you must tab past it then use Shift + Tab to reverse tab into it. *note: Need to try turning off the HTML editor to see if this will take care of the issue. (This is still true however, a screen reader user would not be able to reach this part because of item #4)

6. Once the cursor reaches the directions portion of the window, it can become stuck within that portion.  (This is still true however, a screen reader user would not be able to reach this part because of item #4)

7. How to navigate out of the message area without using the mouse cursor to click out of it is unknown at this time. (This is still true however, a screen reader user would not be able to reach this part because of item #4)

8. Both View and Quick Navigation menu are dropdown style boxes and can present issues to users with a screen reader. Users must select the dropdown box, which does not give a clear indication of the type of choices that it contains. Selection then occurs by using the up/down or left/right arrows.  Once a selection is chosen, it will be applied upon pressing enter or navigating away with the tab key.

9. Responses to posts are visually organized by indenting the responses to previous posts slightly. There is no clear verbal representation of this when using a screen reader (this is still true however, a screen reader user would not be able to reach this part because of item #4).

Recommendation: Unknown

Angel Drop-box

Known Issues

10. JAWS/Voiceover screen reader verbally identifies the text input box for both the ‘Title’ and ‘Additional Comments’ fields as only “Text Input”, which doesn’t properly identify either and makes it impossible to discern one input box from the other.

Recommendation: Users who rely on assistive technologies should be permitted to submit assignments via email from within their regular email client if they have trouble with the dropbox.

Angel Forms / Assessments (Instructor)

Known Issues

11. Multiple-choice based questions require that a user TAB into the multiple choice/radio button answer area to select an answer. The user must then tab out of the area in the case of the multiple choice type question because arrowing down will change the users answer. An issue with this is that users of screen readers will often use the arrow keys to read the content of the page and the TAB key simply to navigate the page. When the user TABs out of an answer area, they will be taken to the next answer area, skipping the question itself.  To get to the question, the user will have to TAB out of the answer area from the question they just answered, into the next answer area, and then arrow up to that answer area’s question.

Recommendation: Create a separate copy of the exam with access restricted to a team that you place the student in question in. Be sure to link the exam to the grade book and check the box labeled “Question at a time” under the Interaction tab in the quiz/assessment settings.

12. Including a timer that is not fixed in one position creates a few issues. One is that it interferes with the JAWS navigation, making the quizzes very difficult to navigate. Another issue is on a cognitive level. The timer can become a constant distraction and create anxiety within a test taker. Depending on the length of a question and the size of the window or screen resolution, the timer will often cover quiz/test questions.

Angel Layout / General Navigation

13. There is no “Skip to Content” option at the start of the page once inside a Course/Group. Users must tab through navigation links with every page refresh.

14. Users can change the layout within Angel to better accommodate their needs through some settings found within Angel. The user settings for some things, such as the theme, seem to be kept within the users access account so that regardless of the computer they view Angel on, it looks the same. Unfortunately, this is not true for the view settings. Settings such as the PDA layout and the 508 standards option are stored locally on the user's machine rather than in on the server. So if the user sets the profile up to have the PDA layout on their own machine then goes to a different machine, they will have to reset the profile choices for that computer. Also, after the user logs out, they will need to choose the Accessible View link again when they log back in unless it remains stored in a cookie file. This should be a profile setting similar to the Theme setting.

PDA Layout / Accessible View

15. A way to get a more accessible layout is to choose the Accessible View option found in the banner to the right side, or by choosing PDA layout found in the bottom left corner on the home screen just under the 508 button. Despite the different names, they actually perform the same basic function. Using either of these view options will remove the link feature to automatically redirect to the source. In some of the courses at the World Campus, we include a link to external course content that will automatically navigate the student to that content after a few seconds.