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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN "
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="">
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<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
<title>Canadian Network For Inclusive Cultural Exchange</title>
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<b style="color: #003366; text-transform: uppercase; font-family: times roman, serif; border-bottom: thin #c4790f solid">Canadian Network <span style="text-transform: lowercase; font-style: italic;">for</span> Inclusive Cultural Exchange</b>
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<div align="center"><font size="+2">Canadian Network for Inclusive Cultural Exchange<br />
<strong>Final Report for the Canadian Culture On-line Program<br />
April 2004</strong></font></div>
<br />
<a id="overview" name="overview"></a>
<h1>Overview</h1>
<p>From December 2002 to March 31, 2004, the CNICE project brought together 12
organizations (representing a range of stakeholders and centres of expertise),
a large number of informal collaborators and an advisory panel of prominent
consumers, advocates and experts to address the inclusion of people with disabilities
in the Canadian cultural exchange (as audience, participants and artists). When
we first embarked upon this initiative we did not imagine the complexity and
scope of this undertaking. We have since discovered that we have opened a Pandora’s
box of challenges and opportunities. We have even identified a new art form.
We have uncovered as many questions as we have resolved problems. The discourse
and the products of this discourse were far richer, broad ranging and creative
than we initially conceived.</p>
<p>Apart from the large number of tangible products, CNICE produced a network
of collaborative partners who have benefited from the diverse perspectives,
wide range of skills and creativity of the partnership. This productive network
will persist and expand well beyond the end of the project. We have also reaffirmed
that by making our cultural exchange accessible to people with disabilities
we make it more inviting and accessible to everyone.</p>
<br />
<a id="partners" name="partners"></a>
<h1>The Partners</h1>
<p>The partner organizations in the CNICE network are:</p>
<p>Adaptive Technology Resource Centre<br />
Banff New Media Institute<br />
Canadian Abilities Foundation<br />
Canadian Centre on Disability Studies<br />
Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf<br />
Canadian Hearing Society<br />
Canadian Learning Television<br />
Centre for Learning Technology, Ryerson University<br />
Centre for Research in Disability Studies, University of Calgary<br />
Digital Frog International Inc.<br />
Marblemedia Inc.<br />
National Broadcast Reading Service
</p>
<br />
<a id="panel" name="panel"></a>
<h1>The Advisory Panel</h1>
<p>The members of the CNICE Advisory Panel are:</p>
<p><a href="finalreport.php.html#ja">Jennison Asuncion</a>, Adaptech Research Network<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#cg">Chris Gaulin</a>, NEADS<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#mfl">Mary Frances Laughton</a>, Industry Canada Assistive Devices Industry Office<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#ma">Michelle Amerie</a><br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#jf">John Feld</a><br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#gw">Gregor Wolbring</a>, University of Calgary<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#mr">Marcia Rioux</a>, York University<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#ge">Geoff Eden</a>, Urban & Development Services, City of Toronto<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#pt">Paul Thiele</a><br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#ss">Shelley Saunders</a>, Winnipeg Public Library<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#cy">Carol Yaworski</a>, LDAO<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#mt">Maroon Tabbal</a>, UCLA<br />
<a href="finalreport.php.html#gm">Gary Malkowski</a>, CHS
</p>
<p>Please see Appendix A for Advisory Panel biographies.</p>
<a id="outcomes" name="outcomes"></a>
<h1>The Outcomes</h1>
<p>The following describes the outcomes or deliverables of the CNICE project. The
guideline documents referenced are appended to this report. The software tools
are included in the accompanying CDs. The online environments and model content
are referenced through a Web address. All of the outcomes or deliverables described
can also be accessed through the Web site: <a href="index.html">http://cnice.utoronto.ca</a>. The outcomes
are divided into the following categories.</p>
<ol>
<li>Guidelines and Companion documents</li>
<li>Tools for modal translation</li>
<li>Tools for Accessible Online Collaboration </li>
<li>Model Content or Learning Material</li>
<li>Meaning Equivalence Research</li>
<li>Implementation and Evaluation</li>
</ol>
<a id="1" name="1"></a>
<h2>1. Guidelines and Companion Documents</h2>
<p>The purpose of the guideline documents is to describe techniques by which online
cultural material may be made more accessible to people with sensory, motor
and learning disabilities. The guideline documents include a single “core”
document followed by four “companion documents,” each devoted to
closer examination of particular areas:</p>
<ul>
<li>Online Enhanced Captioning</li>
<li>Online Video Description</li>
<li>Remote Real-time ASL Interpretation, and</li>
<li>Representations of Visual Geo-spatial Information.</li>
</ul>
<p>The core document, <em>General Guidelines for Inclusive New Media Cultural Content</em>,
is organized into seven main sections:</p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/generalguide.php#1.1">Section 1.1</a> is the introduction to the core document and outlines its scope.
This section also includes definition of terms used in the document as well
as a brief discussion of disability culture.</p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/generalguide.php#1.2">Section 1.2</a> is an overview of existing accessibility principles, of which,
developers of cultural content should be aware.</p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/generalguide.php#1.3">Section 1.3</a> lays out a number of challenges faced by developers of accessible
online cultural content. These include a discussion about the right to artistic
expression and accessibility, as well discussions of the aesthetics, entertainment
value, perspective and interpretation of cultural works as related to accessibility.</p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/generalguide.php#1.4">Section 1.4</a> introduces the concept of modality translations. Aspects of the
translation of art are discussed such as emotion, perspectives, presentation,
cultural differences and workflow. </p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/generalguide.php#1.5">Sections 1.5</a> and <a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/generalguide.php#1.6">1.6</a> detail the possible modality transformations and begin
the discussion of how translation of cultural content from one modality to another
might be carried out.</p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/generalguide.php#1.7">Section 1.7</a> is the conclusion of the core document.</p>
<p>The four companion documents follow in the next four chapters. The first companion
document, <a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/caption.php">chapter 2</a>, looks at online captioning and details captioning in Flash
as well as introduces the <em>CapScribe</em> tool for caption and video description that
was developed as part of the CNICE project. </p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/video.php">Chapter 3</a> details Online video description. This discussion extends a discussion
that is started in chapter 2 and provides guidance and principles for this modality
translation.</p>
<p><a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/asl.php">Chapter 4</a> studies in great detail the challenge of creating remote real-time
ASL interpretations for cultural events. Along with comprehensive guidelines,
the chapter provides first-hand viewpoints and an overview of relevant technologies.
</p>
<p>The final companion document, <a href="http://cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/geospatial.php">chapter 5</a>, discusses the special case of representing
visual geospatial information in alternative modalities. The authors discuss
solutions that use SVG as well as VRML. The authors close with guidelines for
creating inclusive navigation and way-finding content for the web. </p>
<p>While the guideline documents represent contributions, input and feedback from
a broad range of stakeholder groups, it was felt by the partners that further
input would be beneficial: to encourage broad buy-in and to insure that no relevant
perspectives were excluded. Consequently the guideline documents will be posted
on the site as a “public draft” and an online forum will be used
to solicit further input and feedback. </p>
<p>The documents will be broadly disseminated to cultural content producers in
all sectors (including the government), policy makers and developers of online
tools and environments. </p>
<a id="2" name="2"></a>
<h2>2. Tools for Modal Translation</h2>
<a id="capscribe" name="capscribe"></a>
<h3>The CapScribe Tool</h3>
<p>CapScribe is a tool for creating online captions that supports the use of rich
media for captioning as well as an easy method to generate descriptions. The
tool combines captioning and descriptions so that new media developers will
have access to a single tool to do both.</p>
<p>Currently the features include:
<ul>
<li>A flexible text editor for adding captions with a variety of text styles.</li>
<li>A second caption track that can be used for second language translation
or annotation.</li>
<li>A second video track for providing sign language interpretation.</li>
<li>A graphics track for providing iconic representations and symbols.</li>
<li>An audio track and online recording environment for adding video descriptions.</li>
<li>A way to hyperlink captions to various page pages.</li>
<li>A method of defining caption and description locations which is fast
and easy to implement.</li>
<li>A layout and preview screen for easy positioning of different media
“regions” on the fly.</li>
<li>Output to SMIL or Quicktime formats for web or desktop deployment.</li>
</ul>
</p>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/fig16.gif" /></p>
<p>The following example is the main screen of the editor. It's set to the Caption option</p>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/capscribe1.gif" /></p>
<p>The Describe feature provides an easy method for creating video descriptions from the transcript stage to the recording stage.</p>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/capscribe2.gif" /></p>
<p>The Image feature provides lets authors quickly add graphics and as well, organize graphics and icons thematically.</p>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/capscribe3.gif" /> </p>
<p>The Layout and Preview window lets the author arrange and change the properties
of a variety of media.</p>
<p>Initial feedback has been positive. The CapScribe editor prototype will be
made available for public use shortly after the conclusion of the CNICE project.
As the prototype is still evolving, updates will be posted on the CNICE site.</p>
<a id="flash" name="flash"></a>
<h3>Flash Captioning Tool</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.cnice.idrc.ocadu.ca/deliverables/flashcap/cctool.zip">http://www.cnice.utoronto.ca/deliverables/flashcap/cctool.zip</a><br />
Many web developers and designers are moving toward using flash as a video development
tool. Flash enables online video to maintain a high quality without making excessive
bandwidth demands. For users who are deaf, however, the audio track of a flash
video is not accessible unless there is an accompanying caption track. To date,
no captioning tool was available for this video format. The Flash Captioning
Tool developed for the CNICE project enables developers to control the captioning
environment and determine the placement, font size, colour, etc of the captions,
while at the same time not sacrificing user control.</p>
<p>Available through the CNICE site as a free download, the target audience for
the Flash Captioning Tool ranges from professional web developers entrusted
with encoding video for use on broadcaster websites, to amateur designers and
developers looking to caption their flash based home videos.</p>
<p>Deaf Planet (<a href="http://deafplanet.com">http://deafplanet.com</a>) highlights the quality of the captioning
made possible by the Flash Captioning Tool. Developed to accompany the TVO television
series Deaf Planet, this web site features numerous videos in which the primary
language of interaction is American Sign Language. The videos on the web site
have all been captioned using the Flash Captioning Tool, and they illustrate
a broad range of color and font combinations currently unavailable within broadcast
captioning environments. The Flash Caption Tool’s broader palette of colors
styles, positions and backgrounds can be manipulated to match the aesthetic
of the video and/or web site. The Flash Captioning Tool also allows designers
to use the broader range of style options to convey paralingual information
contained within the audio track (things like the speakers tone of voice, background
noises or music) by creatively styling the text and background colors of the
captions.</p>
<p>While the Flash Captioning Tool is mainly used to add captions to flash based
video, extensions to the tool that could allow the inclusion of hyperlinks within
captions, multiple caption tracks to run simultaneously, and extend user control
over the appearance of the captions are within reach, and could be pursued should
future funding be identified.</p>
<p>As it stands currently, the Flash Captioning Tool dramatically increases the
possibility of adding captions to flash based video for both professional and
nonprofessional captioners and web developers. It is an accessible low-cost
captioning solution that is easy to use, flexible and can be easily integrated
within a flash video development process. With designers and developers increasingly
moving toward using flash as an online video platform, it is imperative that
technologies capable of producing captions for the format be widely available.
The Flash Captioning Tool meets this need.</p>
<a id="livescribe" name="livescribe"></a>
<h3>LiveScribe</h3>
<p>LiveDescribe has been designed to allow near real-time video description for
broadcast or web content. This process requires a different approach to video
description than the conventional processes because a describer will not have
time to prepare a script or even preview much of the material ahead of time.
New tools are required to facilitate this type of video description that involves
detection and presentation of non-dialog, low volume occurrences in the sound
track and to allow the description to extend beyond the limits of those occurrences.
Extending the limits must be under describer control and have minimal effect
on the video presentation.</p>
<p>The LiveDescribe! system thus performs two main functions: </p>
<blockquote>
1) notifies the describer of upcoming silent or low volume occurrences and
of the length of time of those occurrences in the video. These occurrences offer
an opportunity for inserting a description in real time. In LiveDescribe! silent
or low volume occurrences are presented as a series of blocks (indicated in
blue) on a white timeline that plays along with the video material (see <a href="finalreport.php.html#fig1.jpg">Figure
1</a>).<br /><br />
<a id="collaboration" name="collaboration"></a>
<a id="fig1" name="fig1"></a>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/fig17.jpg" alt="Figure 1: Silence indicators that move horizontally as the video progresses" /> </p>
<p class="cap">Figure 1: Silence indicators that move horizontally as the video progresses</p>
2) automatically pauses the video (extending its running length) to accommodate
descriptions that exceed the available silence period. To accommodate descriptions
longer than the detected silent periods, the system pauses the broadcasted video
so that the describer can finish her/his description. Professional video describers
have noted the importance of this feature to provide further and richer descriptions.
It also allows describers to be less accurate with the timing of the description
and the silence periods, particularly important when there is little or no planning
process as in the live description situation. However, video extension cannot
be implemented when video is constrained by external time demands such as with
television programs.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We predict that the task of describing live will impose a high cognitive demand
on the video describer. The video describer must attend to two important main
activities: 1) the occurrence and length of silence or low volume, non-dialog
periods indicated by the silence period indicator; and 2) the content that must
be described. The describer must decide what is important to describe, determine
the best or most appropriate aspects of a scene to describe, and then insert
the description. All of these tasks must be accomplished as the video content
is playing. Describers may have only a few seconds to a few minutes of dialog
time to prepare for describing in the silence periods. Research must be carried
out to determine how many silence periods can be used and at what frequency
they can occur before the describer cannot cope or makes too many errors. </p>
<p>System ease of use is critical in supporting these describer activities because
of the high cognitive load imposed by the two main describing activities. We
want to minimize any additional cognitive load imposed by the system’s
user interface. The system is thus designed using the concept of a single push
button microphone giving describer the ability to control the entire process
through one button. The button is pressed once to start the broadcasting of
the describer’s voice and then pressed again (released) to stop the broadcast
(see <a href="finalreport.php.html#fig2.jpg">Figure 2</a>).
</p>
<a id="fig2" name="fig2"></a>
<a id="fig2" name="fig2"></a>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/fig18.jpg" alt="Figure 2: Describer control and status indicators." /> </p>
<p class="cap">Figure 2: Describer control and status indicators</p>
<p>During broadcasting of the describer’s voice, the system monitors the
sound level in the source video. If there is sound and the describer has not
stopped the description, the source video is automatically paused by inserting
frames in it and extended description can continue. Once the describer stops
his description, the video continues from the point where frames were inserted.
Visually these events appear as a video pause which may be disconcerting for
a sighted viewer. Again, research is required to determine the tolerance levels
of vision impaired and sighted user pairs for this type of video behaviour.
</p>
<a id="3" name="3"></a>
<h2>3. Tools for Accessible Online Collaboration</h2>
<a id="chat" name="chat"></a>
<h3>A-Chat</h3>
<p>Available at: <a href="http://achat.atrc.utoronto.ca">http://achat.atrc.utoronto.ca</a>, A-Chat is an accessible browser-based
chat program designed to accommodate users with differing access needs. This
software serves as a research platform to enable investigation of ways in which
common chat features might be made more accessible. The key features of A-Chat
are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Administrator Settings include:</li>
<ul>
<li>Language</li>
<li>Transcript</li>
<li>Message/Chat/User ID lifespans</li>
<li>Public or private user list</li>
<li>Hands-up mode in which a moderator controls the “floor”</li>
</ul>
<li>User can login to an existing account or automatically start a new
one.</li>
<li>Accessibility related preference options are provided:</li>
<ul>
<li>Option to play sound effect when a new message arrives.</li>
<li>Various refresh options, including manual </li>
<li>Message ordering</li>
<li>Show only new messages</li>
<li>Font size, font face</li>
<li>Colour scheme</li>
<li>Navigation aids on or off</li>
<li>Language settings</li>
</ul>
<li>Participant list with names linked to participant message history.</li>
<li>Screen reader friendly page layout.</li>
</ul>
<a id="screenshots" name="screenshots"></a>
<h4>Screenshots:</h4>
<p>The following figures illustrate how individual preferences are set in A-Chat
to allow customization of the appearance of the interface and the content.</p>
<a id="fig3" name="fig3"></a>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/fig3.jpg" alt="Figure 3: This screenshot shows one of the A-Chat user preference screens." /> </p>
<p class="cap">Figure 3: This screenshot shows one of the A-Chat user preference screens.</p>
<a id="fig4" name="fig4"></a>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/fig4.jpg" alt="Figure 4:This screenshot shows the main A-Chat screen. The message area in on the top-left, the compose message area under it and the options and user list and history areas on the right." /> </p>
<p class="cap">Figure 4:This screenshot shows the main A-Chat screen. The message area in on the top-left, the compose message area under it and the options and user list and history areas on the right.</p>
<p>A-Chat can be used to facilitate any number of text-based collaborative activities,
including lectures, story-telling, tutorials, discussion groups, and other meetings.
Administrative options allow the chat session to be customized according to
the level of privacy and user participation desired. </p>
<p>The tool does not currently implement any type of warning system to let the
other participants know when someone is still composing a message, so users
of the system should remember that some users will take longer to compose and
send a message than others. There are several methods for minimizing the chance
of conversations changing topic before a person can contribute their message.
These include:</p>
<ul>
<li> allowing the use of abbreviations</li>
<li> leaving a reasonable period or getting participant assent before closing
a subject</li>
<li> encouraging users to split long messages into two, with any preliminary
messages ending with “…” to make it clear than more is on
the way.</li>
<li> controlling the “floor” either by making use of some informal
arrangement or using the more formal (and restrictive) A-Chat hand-raise mode.</p>
</ul>
<p>A-Chat is capable of producing text transcripts (see administrative options)
in the form of HTML documents. Some groups may find it useful to post these
files following a session in order to facilitate understanding by users who
may not have been able to follow all that was said.</p>
<a id="communicator" name="communicator"></a>
<h3>A-Communicator</h3>
<p>Available at: <a href="http://acomm.atrc.utoronto.ca">http://acomm.atrc.utoronto.ca</a>, A-Communicator (A-Comm) is an accessible
client-side Instant Messaging (IM) and Whiteboard tool developed as a research
platform for investigating peer description and keyboard accessible drawing.
A-Comm utilizes an object-oriented drawing environment, implemented with SVG.
This software serves as a research platform to enable investigation of some
design features that might ameliorate the accessibility challenges posed by
the display and collaborative control of graphics in whiteboards.</p>
<p>The key features of the tool are:</p>
<ul>
<li>User can login to an existing Jabber account or sign up for a new one.</li>
<li>Roster provides “presence” information for contacts.</li>
<li>Users can participate in private or group chat/whiteboard sessions.</li>
<li>Text chat window and optional whiteboard</li>
<li>Participant list on demand.</li>
<li>A variety of whiteboard drawing tools are available</li>
<ul>
<li>Pencil</li>
<li>Line tool</li>
<li>Rectangle tool</li>
<li>Ellipse tool</li>
<li>Line colour, fill colour, line thickness</li>
</ul>
<li>Peer description allows any participant to describe the drawn objects.
Anti-collision feature ensures one describer per object.</li>
<li>Some accessibility related options are provided:</li>
<ul>
<li>Option to play sound effect when a new message arrives.</li>
<li>Keyboard drawing checkbox</li>
<li>Manual refresh checkbox</li>
<li>Show only new checkbox</li>
<li>Newest message first checkbox</li>
</ul>
<li> Keyboard enabled drawing lets users use some features of the whiteboard
without a mouse.</li>
<li> Save and open palette feature lets users create and describe pictures
beforehand.</li>
</ul>
<p>The following figure illustrates peer description of images in the collaborative
whiteboard space.</p>
<a id="fig5" name="fig5"></a>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/fig5.jpg" alt="Figure 5: An example of a teacher-led lesson using drawings to
demonstrate a concept, three students ("Amanda", "David"
and "Cathy") submit peer descriptions. The most recently drawn shape,
an ellipse has not yet been described." /> </p>
<p class="cap">Figure 5: An example of a teacher-led lesson using drawings to
demonstrate a concept, three students ("Amanda", "David"
and "Cathy") submit peer descriptions. The most recently drawn shape,
an ellipse has not yet been described.</p>
<p>The peer description tool allows descriptions to be added to as many or as
few drawing objects as describers wish. Describers may decide to describe every
drawing object on the screen or they may choose to ignore most of the objects
and focus on adding higher level descriptions of what is being drawn to just
a few choice drawing objects (in the future, object grouping will make this
distinction less important).</p>
<p>The benefit of describing every object is that users with visual disabilities
will have an in depth picture of the different objects being added to the whiteboard.
However, the drawback is that the chat may become cluttered with very repetitive
descriptions of low level details (e.g. describing every tiger stripe, etc.),
which prevents the description reader from “seeing the forest for the
trees”. On the other hand, placing high level descriptions on just a few
objects gives the user a better overview, but risks problems if the objects
holding the high level description are deleted or re-purposed as part of a different
drawing.</p>
<p>The best guidance is probably to use a combination of the two approaches. Use
low level descriptions, sparingly, to get across to the description reader the
process used to create the picture, but avoid overly repetitive description
of repeating features. At the same time remember to use the description of some
of the objects for higher level descriptions of the composition as a whole.</p>
<p>In all cases, be careful with your describing. A-Comm does not currently have
a method for revising descriptions once they are submitted.</p>
<p>A-Comm allows users to create and re-load batches of pre-authored (and pre-described)
drawing objects in the form of SVG files. Additional pre-authored SVG files
are also available from the A-Comm website. Note: A-Comm does not support all
features of SVG so do not attempt to load SVG files created by other tools.</p>
<p>This feature can be used by anyone on the chat and causes the drawing objects
to be placed in addition to any objects already on the whiteboard. Any descriptions
of objects in the SVG file will be displayed in the chat. Undescribed drawing
objects will be available for peer description. There is also nothing to prevent
this feature from being used by people with visual disabilities.</p>
<p>This feature may be useful for the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>“Slide shows” or other planned presentations</li>
<li>Standardized drawings (e.g. flow charts, organizational charts, etc.)</li>
<li>Drawings that include frequently used objects (e.g. company logos,
arrows, etc.)</li>
</ul>
</p>
<p>The software is programmed in Java, which enables it to be used on a variety
of operating system platforms.</p>
<a id="collab" name="collab"></a>
<h3>A-Collab</h3>
<p><a href="http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/atutor/ACollab-pwd1.tar.gz?download">http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/atutor/ACollab-pwd1.tar.gz?download</a></p>
<p>Access to the Internet has changed the way we communicate, work and learn together.
People are now able to collaboratively author reports, presentations and undertake
research while working at a distance. For people with disabilities, access to
online collaborative tools is imperative to participating in today’s work
and educational environments. </p>
<p>A-Collab is an access standards compliant multi-group Web-based collaborative
work environment. A-Collab enables individuals to collaboratively author and
edit documents over the Internet accessibly. It provides users with access to
a shared document library, which stores relevant research and/or documentation
for the project and previous versions of any collaboratively authored documents.
The tool also provides users with access to an events calendar, as well as a
shared news and announcements area, and contact lists. Finally, A-Collab links
all users of the tool together through both an accessible synchronous chat,
and an accessible asynchronous threaded online discussion board. </p>
<p>A-Collab represents the only currently available fully accessible collaborative
tool, and is therefore an extremely important development for people with disabilities
who stand to greatly benefit from the advantages of electronic collaboration.
A-Collab is equally appropriate for both business and learning environments,
but can also be used to link people across distances for other uses as well.
For example, CNICE project administrators, partners and advisory committee members
successfully used an augmented version of A-Collab to communicate about project
deliverables, and to stay informed regarding project developments during the
early stages of the project.</p>
<a id="4" name="4"></a>
<h2>4. Model Content or Learning Material</h2>
<a id="matrix" name="matrix"></a>
<h3>ScienceMatrix</h3>
<p>Windows version:<br />
<a href="/deliverables/sciencematrix/ScienceMatrix_Installer.exe">http://www.cnice.utoronto.ca/deliverables/sciencematrix/ScienceMatrix_Installer.exe</a></p>
<p>MacOSX version:<br />
<a href="/deliverables/sciencematrix/ScienceMatrix_Installer.dmg">http://www.cnice.utoronto.ca/deliverables/sciencematrix/ScienceMatrix_Installer.dmg</a></p>
<p>MacOS9 version:<br />
<a href="/deliverables/sciencematrix/ScienceMatrix.sit">http://www.cnice.utoronto.ca/deliverables/sciencematrix/ScienceMatrix.sit</a></p>
<p>It is hard to make significant contributions to the production of culture without
first having access to education. For students with disabilities, access to
science education has proved challenging. Teachers are increasingly turning
towards developing science skills in their students through using the myriad
of interactive science programs available, but frequently these programs pose
access issues for students with disabilities. Science software often requires
complex graphs, images and interactive modules. Most science programs currently
available lack accessible alternatives for audio and visual elements, thereby
making this key content unavailable to students who are deaf and/or blind. Often
interactive science programs also use point and click navigational structures
that require users to be able to operate a mouse. For students with disabilities
who require keyboard only access, these programs are virtually unusable.</p>
<p>Digital Frog International has addressed many of these design issues in the
development of Science Matrix. ScienceMatrix is a modularized science software
available online through the DFI website. Each module of ScienceMatrix has been
designed to be tied directly to middle and high school science curriculum requirements,
and can be accessed as a separate unit.</p>
<p>ScienceMatrix utilises hands-on interactive exercises and context sensitive
definitions to support students in their learning. All functionality within
ScienceMatrix has been designed to be accessible to all students, regardless
of ability. ScienceMatrix incorporates full self-voicing text-to-speech, and
provides audible descriptions for every image. It also ensures access for students
who are deaf by including captions for all video based content. Finally, ScienceMatrix
is fully keyboard accessible, to the extent that even students using single
switch access technology can also fully access all elements of the program.</p>
<p>In December 2003, DFI was presented with a World Summit Award for the Best in
E-Content for Science Matrix, an online accessible science-based learning resource
developed as part of the CNICE project. The prestigious award was presented
to DFI at a gala in Geneva in early December as part of the World Summit on
the Information Society 2003. This award speaks to the high degree of innovation
and creativity inherent in DFI’s e-content, and recognizes them as a world
leader in this field. More information about this award can be found at <a href="http://www.europrix.org/wsis-award/">http://www.europrix.org/wsis-award/</a></p>
<p>ScienceMatrix provides accessible science education to students with disabilities
that can be accessed anytime by anyone over the Internet. More significantly
perhaps, it also sets the standard for the development of accessible online
educational tools by serving as an exemplar of what can be accomplished when
issues of access are considered central to the development process.</p>
<a id="clt" name="clt"></a>
<h3>CLT Broadcast Videos</h3>
<p>CLT produced and edited two 1/2 hour broadcast videos about the CNICE project
during the Banff Centre’s Interactive Screen Conference in July. Part
I addressed the challenge of modality translation. Part II of the program outlines
how technological convergence can enhance accessibility to culturally oriented
learning objects and can promote a greater sense of inclusiveness for Canadians
with disabilities. Both will be broadcast on Canadian Learning Television. The
program will be repeated on CLT during the next quarter. The programs will also
be digitized for online distribution on the CNICE website.</p>
<p>The national broadcast of the program widens the public awareness of the goals
and objectives of CNICE and draws attention to the importance of further research
and development in this area.</p>
<a id="museum" name="museum"></a>
<h3>Disability Rights in Canada: A Virtual Museum</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.disabilityrightsmuseum.ca/">http://www.disabilityrightsmuseum.ca/</a></p>
<p>It was an important moment in 1970 when disability rights were added to section
15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Up until that point, it was
not illegal to discriminate against a person with a disability simply because
he or she was disabled. The specific events leading up to the changes to the
Charter are important to know and remember for both Canadians with and without
disabilities alike.</p>
<p>It is somewhat ironic that museums themselves may not always prove to be particularly
accessible to people with disabilities. Visitors to a museum may have to contend
with access barriers inherent in the building’s design. As well, visitors
who are blind and or deaf have limited access to those componants of the musuem
that rely on sight and/or hearing to convey information within an exhibit. </p>
<p>Disability Rights in Canada: A Virtual Museum is therefore intended to provide
Canadians with a rich retelling of the stories of the individuals involved in
the campaign to alter the charter. It includes artefacts and archival records
connected with the movement as a way of engaging the viewer with the struggles,
fears, hopes and dedication of those involved in their fight to be recognized
as equals under the human rights laws of Canada. Content for the museum is being
developed by the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS) at the University
of Winnipeg. CCDS is recognized as international leaders in the field of disability
studies and have drawn upon considerable expertise in their development and
selection of appropriate images, artifacts and personal stories for inclusion
in the virtual museum. </p>
<p>Disability Rights in Canada: A Virtual Museum has a number of advantages over
traditional museums. As it is available over the Internet, the museum can be
visited by anyone, at anytime, who has a computer and an internet connection.
Unlike traditional museums, exhibits within the virtual museum have been designed
to be accessible to all regardless of ability. Visual elements in the exhibits
include text-based descriptions which can be accessed by individuals who are
blind. Audio elements within the museum are accompanied by captions for deaf
and/or hard of hearing users accessing the exhibits. Navigation through the
site is possible using keyboard only access; an important consideration for
users of the site with physical disabilities. Through these and other innovative
design features, people with disabilities are free to interact with and explore
a rich repository of information about the development of disability culture
in Canada. </p>
<p>They say that those who fail to understand the past may be doomed to repeat
it. Disability Rights in Canada: A Virtual Museum is an important step in ensuring
that people with disabilities retain their hard won successes in the fight for
disability rights in Canada. <br />
<a id="5" name="5"></a>
<h2>5. MERLO</h2>
<p>The MERLO (meaning equivalence reusable learning objects) project (<a href="http://merlo.rcat.utoronto.ca">http://merlo.rcat.utoronto.ca</a>)
builds on meaning equivalence theory to develop an assessment method that probes
the individual’s deep comprehension of the content material based on their
judgements about the surface similarity and meaning equivalence of statements.
The tests are scored to provide both a global score and a partial score that
includes information about correct answers and incorrect selections. This method
of assessment is particularly useful for individuals who are being tested in
a second language and individuals who have learning disabilities because it
probes knowledge through multiple representations of an object. The scores reflect
where a student is making connections of meaning as well as where they are making
incorrect judgements. During the CNICE project, MERLO were developed for assessment
of ESL Spatial prepositions and for Canadian Architecture History. The assessments
were used in educational settings at Ryerson University and George Brown College.
Initial results lend support to claims that </p>
<ol>
<li>MERLO enhance learning outcomes not only by helping instructors to focus
on conceptual knowledge, but also by providing learners with feedback from self-tests
that is immediate, accurate, detailed, and focuses on 'soft conceptual spots'
in need of reinforcement and remediation.</li>
<li>In lively follow-up class discussions that focus on meaning, the roles of
instructors and students are often switched; building blocks of concepts are
described, analyzed, and clarified.</li>
<li>ME/RLO provide valuable diagnostic information regarding difficulties in understanding
aspects of English text by ESL and reading disabled students;</li>
<li>MERLO is effective across different populations of instructors and learners
and across disciplines.</li>
<li>MERLO is technologically scalable.</li>
</ol>
<p>The MERLO project developed algorithms for creating meaning equivalence assessments
and these algorithms can be used in any field of study.</p>
<a id="6" name="6"></a>
<h2>6. Theme: Training, Education, Mentoring and Evaluation</h2>
<p>Full participation in culture-building is reliant upon opportunities to build
skills, gain knowledge and share experience. For example, artists usually work
hard at their craft: they practice the requisite skills, learn about techniques
and concepts in their field and work with other artists to contribute to the
development of their field and own style. These same kinds of activities are
important to individuals participating in construction of a cultural identity
or participating in culture in more general ways. Naturally, any movement to
make culture and culture-building accessible must include these kinds of opportunities
to train, learn and collaborate. </p>
<p>CNICE included several projects that enabled individuals with disabilities
to participate in culture through online technologies. Canadian Abilities Foundation
(CAF) worked in this area in three ways: 1) development of Access Guide Canada,
2) networking to develop artist mentoring opportunities and 3) hosting of an
online version of the Connections Gallery exhibit. The Canadian Hearing Society
(CHS) and Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) collected individual
stories and experiences at the Summer Institute of the World Federation of the
Deaf 2003 Conference. The Centre for Research in Disability Studies (CRDS) developed
two networks that enabled participants usually excluded from online activities
to learn about online technology to collaborate and communicate with other participants.
</p>
<a id="sum" name="sum"></a>
<h3>Project Summaries</h3>
<p>Following is a description of project activities and achievements over the course
of the CNICE project.</p>
<a id="accessguide" name="accessguide"></a>
<h3>Access Guide Canada</h3>
<p>The mandate of Access Guide Canada is to provide information about accessible
place, events and venues across Canada. As part of CNICE, focus was placed on
development of the entertainment listings. Individuals who visit the Access
Guide Canada web site (www.abilities.ca/agc), are able to conduct searches by
community to learn about the accessibility of an event or to add an accessibility
rating or information about an event/venue. A check of the entertainment listing
would provide the individual with information about accessible live music, theatres,
galleries and museums in addition to other forms of entertainment. Individuals,
particularly those with disabilities are encouraged to continue to upload information
about accessibility in their community to the database. This ongoing growth
in knowledge about accessible cultural events enables individuals who are travelling
to new regions or staying close to home to plan activities that will be inclusive
for them and to reward organizations and organizers who make their sites and
events accessible. Access Guide Canada will continue to grow and develop on
the EnableLink site now that CNICE has come to an end.</p>
<a id="arts" name="arts"></a>
<h3>Arts Mentoring Opportunities</h3>
<p>As part of its CNICE work to develop training and mentoring opportunities, CAF,
increased the listings of the Arts section on the EnableLink website. The EnableLink
art section menu points to a list of 62 articles written on arts and disability,
three external links, a listing of twenty-eight disability organizations concerned
with the arts, and ten links to international disability and arts organizations.
This section also features a chat room and a message board. Both of these have
been implemented to encourage collaboration and mentorship between individuals
around matters related to disability and arts. Additionally, CAF used opportunities
such as the Abilities Festival Connections event and partnerships in CNICE (e.g.
Banff New Media Institute) to gather contact information from artists willing
to mentor other artists who have disabilities. This documentation will be used
to populate the database for an online system that will enable learners and
mentors to be matched.</p>
<a id="connections" name="connections"></a>
<h3>Connections Exhibit & Online Gallery</h3>
<p>As part of the Abilities Festival, CAF hosted an exhibition of work by disabled
artists at a Toronto Gallery. Attendees were surveyed about accessibility of
the event, their interest in online galleries, and their willingness to be mentors.
From this exhibit, an online exhibit of the works (many now sold to private
collectors) was created (<a href="http://www.enablelink.org/abilitiesfestival">www.enablelink.org/abilitiesfestival</a>). The online gallery
contains accessible information about the art work and the artist. The next
step planned for the gallery will be to include modality translations of the
works based on guidelines developed in the CNICE project. </p>
<a id="deaf" name="deaf"></a>
<h3>Deaf Summer Institute</h3>
<p>In collaboration with other CNICE partners, CHS participated in the Deaf Summer
Institute at the 2003 World Federation of the Deaf World Congress in Montreal.
Young people who are deaf conducted interviews with other congress participants
and gathered content such as jokes and stories that speak to the collective
cultural identity of individuals who are deaf. This material has been made available
on the web at <a href="http://www.aslpah.ca">www.aslpah.ca</a>. This extraordinary site uses mini-movies to create
ASL links and utilizes icons that are relevant to the deaf signing community.
English is also provided on the site so that hearing individuals are also able
to share in this expression of deaf culture. For individuals who are deaf, this
site represents a leap into online culture-building in that it acknowledges
and stems from deaf culture, a vibrant culture that is often neglected relative
to other cultural identities from the hearing world. </p>
<a id="family" name="family"></a>
<h3>Family Voices Leadership Network</h3>
<p>The Family Leadership Network is a composition of five smaller networks distributed
among several Alberta locations. The network participants are parents of developmentally
disabled children. During the course of the CNICE project, participants were
provided high speed connections, conferencing tools, technical support and training
on the technology and tools provided. The goal was to facilitate communication
and networking among this group to help build a sense of community and shared
experience amongst participants. Additionally, CRDS wanted to create an environment
where individuals could mentor each other. This network was also planned as
a test bed for tools and concepts developed in the CNICE project. However, this
plan was abandoned out of concern that problems inherent in beta soft-ware would
be off-putting to this group of new computer users and interfere with growth
of the network interactions. This decision turned out to be a wise choice since
other technical issue inhibited the network growth through much of the project.
In order to further encourage this network, participants will have continued
access to the communication tools for at least two months after the close of
the project. Additionally, participants will have access to CNICE collaborative
tools developed during the project and made freely available on the CNICE website.</p>
<a id="treaty" name="treaty"></a>
<h3>Treaty Seven Disabled Community Network</h3>
<p>The Treaty Seven Network goal was to work with the Disability committee providing
computer literacy and basic productivity skills in preparation for the committee
taking on a community education project. This network for Treaty Seven disabled
members is especially important due to the wide geographical distribution of
its members, and the lack of available technology for special needs accessibility.
During the CNICE project, a network was established and the instruction and
technology required for basic computer use was provided. These activities were
the first step in a longer process to allow information exchange, training and
mentoring to widely dispersed native persons with disabilities that will continue
after the end of the CNICE project.</p>
<p>This network was a great success and has generated interest from disabled groups
in other Treaty communities. One success of the project has been the GPS-based
mapping of two communities (Calagary & Pikani) showing cultural and educational
landmarks. These maps will include links to video material that will be made
fully accessible using the CapScribe tool developed by CNICE partner Ryerson
University. This network was also used to test accessibility concepts and software
strategies developed by CNICE partner Digital Frog International. Computer productivity
training provided as part of the CNICE project and community cultural mapping
will continue in these communities after the close of the CNICE project.<br />
<a id="7" name="7"></a>
<h2>7. Evaluation Work</h2>
<p>Several evaluations were conducted during the CNICE project. Many of the iterative
evaluations were carried out individually by project partners or in consultation
with the ATRC. These evaluations provided information about accessibility concepts,
existing attitudes in the arts and new media community and tool usability. All
of these evaluations were used to inform tool development, guidelines development
and project goals. Evaluations included participants from the CNICE Advisory
Panel, artists, producers, developers and consumers. A summative evaluation
of the project was also carried out to determine how well the network met specific
success markers and facilitated communication amongst partners. The results
of this evaluation are presented in the following section.<p>
<a id="sumeval" name="sumeval"></a>
<h3>CNICE Summative Evaluation</h3>
<p>The CNICE summative evaluation began with collaboration amongst the partners
at the start of the project to establish project success markers. These markers
were partnerships, communication opportunities, consumer participation, project
implementation and dissemination and meeting deliverables. The evaluation involved
an online survey that was distributed to all CNICE partners. Twenty individuals
submitted responses; seven were researchers, five were project coordinators
and the rest had other roles.</p>
<a id="partnership" name="partnership"></a>
<h3>Partnerships</h3>
<p>In this project, we wanted to create a true network where partners exchanged
ideas, utilized each other’s expertise and began further collaborations
outside of the original project. Only one of the respondents indicated that
he/she did not consult directly with another CNICE partner. Of those who did,
7 consulted with 9 or more individuals from partner organizations and 8 consulted
with 4-8 individuals. Of particular note is the report by 19 of the respondents
that they integrated tools or suggestions made by other CNICE partners into
their projects. All of the respondents indicated that the connections they made
through CNICE were useful and 19 intend to maintain these connections after
the close of the project. Indeed, 13 of the respondents indicated that they
had formed new project partnerships with a CNICE partner. Collaboration is critical
to address effectively the multi-faceted challenge of creating accessible online
culture. CNICE has shown itself to be a true network in which the collective
skills and knowledge are greater than the sum of its parts. </p>
<a id="communication" name="communication"></a>
<h3>Communication</h3>
<p>Similarly, communication amongst Network projects was critical for the overall
success of the project. Of the 20 respondents, 15 indicated that they communicated
with partners at least on a monthly basis and of that group, 9 communicated
with partners on a weekly basis. These frequent communications enabled the partners
build the generated guidelines from a collective knowledge space. The project
utilized four main communications methods: web site, online forums, chats, face
to face meetings. The weekly chats and face to face meetings were rated the
most favourably by CNICE partners. The least favourite form of communication
was the web site which indicates that the partners preferred active forms of
communication over static forms.</p>
<a id="participation" name="participation"></a>
<h3>Consumer Participation</h3>
<p>CNICE partners were particularly concerned with having a participatory design
model and encourage this approach in the developed guidelines. This approach
acknowledges the design wisdom to be gained from multiple sources, especially
from consumers or target users. Figure 6, indicates the multiple ways that network
projects involved consumers.</p>
<a id="fig6" name="fig6"></a>
<p><img src="guidelines/images/involvegraph.gif" alt="images/involvegraph.gif" /> </p>
<p class="cap"></p>
<a id="implement" name="implement"></a>
<h3>Implementation & Dissemination</h3>
<p>Numerous service gaps were identified by network partners. Of these gaps, six
partners reported that they were able to address all of the gaps they identified
while 8 partners addressed some of the gaps. Only one partner reported that
they did not address the gap they had identified. Respondents reported that
they were able to include consumer opinion and advice from the outset of their
projects and throughout an iterative design process. Partners indicate that
they have begun to disseminate project results through conferences, speaking
engagements, academic papers, web sites, news media and other channels. </p>
<a id="evalconc" name="evalconc"></a>
<h3>Evaluation Conclusion</h3>
<p>The CNICE project functioned as a network should: partners worked collaboratively,
project directions and designs were influenced by these collaborations and ongoing
partnerships and connections were made. Functioning networks are vital to the
development of wide reaching concepts and guidelines such as those developed
in the CNICE project. Even amongst like-minded organizations, it can be difficult
to maintain lines of communication once project task demands increase. CNICE
partners attended weekly online chats and used these chats as a forum to discuss
issues, to discuss new developments or achievements, to share tools and to strategies
on shared deliverables. Finding the best mode for communication amongst a network
was critical.</p>
<br />
<a id="performance" name="performance"></a>
<h1>Performance Indicators</h1>
<a id="inputs" name="inputs"></a>
<h2>Indicators of Inputs</h2>
<p>Project funds provided by the CCOP<br />
Project funds provided by the funded organization: <br />
Project funds (cash or in-kind) provided by sources other than the CCOP or the
funded organization (including the name of the funding source)<br />