Accessibility at BCM

Blackboard Learn offers accessibility features that allows users to easily navigate and read the Blackboard Learn web interface. The web interface supports screen readers for all available creator and viewer interfaces. The web interface also support keyboard access, allowing you to use the tab key to access all available functions. All sessions fully support adding and displaying captions. For additional information on Blackboard Learn’s accessibility features, visit Blackboard Learn’s Accessibility Conformance Report (WCAG Edition).

• Blackboard Ally works seamlessly with Blackboard Learn to gauge the accessibility of your content. Ally provides guidance and tips for lasting improvements to your content accessibility. In addition to providing you with insight to your content accessibility, Ally automatically creates alternative versions of your files. This allows students to choose the type of file they want that best suits their needs. While you're in the process of improving files, students can still access alternative copies. For more information go to our Blackboard Ally Ed-Tech page.
  • Blackboard Ally for Instructors
  • Blackboard Ally for Students

Explore library resources on assistive technology, the collection includes articles, interviews, papers and presentations.  

Educause Accessibility Library.

ExamSoft is committed to providing assessment solutions that are accessible to students and exam takers. Their products offer a number of features specifically designed to support the needs of exam takers with accessibility needs. They recently evaluated the software against relevant accessibility standards and best practices and made some important remediations shown below. 

• Accessibility Statement
• Examplify Accessibility Features
• Accessibility Tips for Exam-Takers

Hearing Assistive Technology (HATS) refers to devices that help people with hearing loss hear better in various situations. These technologies bridge the gap between sound sources and listeners, enhancing communication. 

ASHA Hearing Assistive Technology

How Microsoft integrates accessibility
Our commitment to accessibility is guided by three main principles: transparency, inclusivity and accountability. In developing our products and services, we take into account leading global accessibility standards, including:

• EN 301 549
• U.S. Section 508
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Microsoft also works with governments and organizations around the world to deliver the benefits of digital technology to people with disabilities.

More Information on Microsoft Accessibility Tools

• Accessibility tools for Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft Trust Center

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free, open-source screen reader designed for Microsoft Windows. It provides access to computers for people who are blind or visually impaired. 

Download the NVDA Screen Reader.

Introducing Meeting GenAI by Otter ai.
Never take meeting notes again. Get transcripts, automated summaries, action items, and chat with Otter to get answers from your meetings.

• Go to the Otter ai website.

Poll Everywhere believes in equal learning opportunities for all, and our approach to accessibility reflects that belief.

For a full breakdown of our accessibility standards, please refer to their Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) at the end of the Accessibility Standards page.

We now have a subscription for Vbrick Rev IQ which is an innovative solution that enhances video accessibility and search capabilities. Here are the key features:

• Enhanced Search Capability: With a vast video library, finding relevant content can be challenging. Rev IQ makes discovering and accessing videos easier. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced search, including user tagging, transcription, and translation.
• User Tagging: Rev IQ can automatically tag users in videos, identifying who appears and when. This feature allows you to search across your video library for specific people.
• Multi-Language Subtitles: The solution offers auto-generated subtitles during live webcasts or for on-demand videos. It can also translate subtitles and video transcripts into 48 different languages. All our newly recorded and uploaded videos are transcribed.
• Interactive Viewing Experience: Use the Pulse feature to see tagged speakers and find where they appear throughout the video. You can search for people or keywords in the transcript within one integrated module. 

View the vBrick Datasheet.

With our new Zoom BAA in place, we have enabled Zoom’s automated captions which provide real-time transcriptions of meeting and webinar conversations and content. These captions enhance inclusivity for multilingual speakers, participants with hearing impairments, and others. Here are the key points:

Automated captions make meetings and webinars more accessible by converting spoken language into text.

Options Available:

• Manual Captioning: Hosts or assigned participants can provide manual captions.
• Automated Captions (Live Transcription): Zoom’s built-in feature provides automatic captioning.

Availability:

• Available for both meetings and webinars.

Languages Supported:

• Arabic  
• Cantonese
• Chinese (Simplified)  
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Czech  
• Danish  
• Dutch
• English
• Estonian
• Finnish  
• French
• French (Canada)
• German
• Hungarian  
• Hindi  
• Indonesian  
• Italian
• Japanese  
• Korean
• Malay  
• Persian  
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Romanian
• Russian
• Spanish
• Swedish  
• Tagalog  
• Telugu  
• Thai
• Turkish
• Ukrainian
• Vietnamese

Here’s how you enable automated captions.  

By default, captions can be enabled and viewed by any participant in the meeting. When using automated captions, English is the default language, but you can select other languages. This tells the system which language it will hear you speak in and generates captions in that language. If speaking in language A, but Zoom is expecting language B, the generated captions will be inaccurate.  

• Start or join a Zoom meeting or webinar.  
• In the meeting controls toolbar, click Show Captions.
• Choose the speaking language.
• (Optional) Select the Enable Translation check box and choose which language you want captions to be translated in. This feature is only available to select accounts. Learn more about translated captions.
• Click Save.

Note: The availability of languages is determined by the host's automated captioning settings. The speaking language choice is set by each participant individually and is remembered for future meetings.

If you have any questions about these features, feel free to reach out to Ed-Tech.

• Student and Trainee Disability Services at BCM
• Baylor College of Medicine is committed to providing equal employment access for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with federal and state laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and maintain freedom from discrimination based on disability.  View BCM ADA information.