Gaining Online Accessible Content Through Self-study
- Project Overview
- Recent Articles
- Deliverables
- Staff & Partners
- Participate/ Test GOALS Materials
- Project Funding
Project Overview
The GOALS project (Gaining Online Accessible Learning through Self-Study) centers on the development, evaluation, and dissemination of materials and processes in web accessibility that institutions of education and accrediting bodies can use in their efforts to ensure that online content is accessible to all users.
The objectives of the GOALS project are twofold:
- To provide materials that will aid educational institutions in making their web content accessible. These materials will give institutions the means to assess, improve, measure, and report on their online accessibility.
- To provide materials and resources to accrediting agencies interested in including the accessibility of online learning environments for individuals with disabilities in their accreditation process.
Read more about the need and significance of the project.
Recent Articles
NCDAE and our partner WebAIM have recently publshed two brief articles based on our evaluation of 100 Higher Ed. web pages against section 508. For more information on this evaluation, please read the following articles.
- NCDAE April Newsletter Article: Project GOALS Evaluates 100 Pages in Higher Education for Accessibility against Section 508 Standard
- WebAIM Post (with comments): 508 and Higher Ed.
Deliverables
The GOALS team is hard at work creating the following materials, and will be publishing them over the course of the next three years, thanks to funding provided by FIPSE:
- A whitepaper detailing the rationale (and research supporting) electronic-accessibility in accrediting guidelines
- A document of institutional "indicators" that outlines required, recommended, and best practices for electronic-accessibility in education
- An institutional self-study packet that includes accessibility checklists and a process for institutional assessment
- A process for conducting an accessibility audit trail to aid institutions or accrediting bodies as they measure continuous improvement
- A compendium of accessibility support materials and resources for institutional or accreditation site-teams
- A document to help site-teams capture and properly report on institutional accessibility findings
These materials will assist accrediting bodies and institutions of education in improving online access for students with disabilities, doing so in a cost effective manner.
Read more about the potential of implementing web accessibility into the accreditation process.Staff & Partners
Project partners and Staff include:
Project GOALS Staff
- Cyndi Rowland
- Heather Mariger
- Jon Whiting
- Will Christensen
- Denise Knight
Project GOALS Partners
- The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)
- Kentucky's Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)
- Southern Region Education Board (SREB)
- Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM)
Project GOALS Past Members
Participate/ Test GOALS Materials
We are actively soliciting institutions and individuals to field test project materials. While feedback for single materials is appreciated, we have a critical need for institutions to test the entire process and set of materials. Any institution willing to act as a field-test site will receive a complementary set of materials at the conclusion of the project. To participate, contact Heather Mariger, Project Coordinator.
Project Funding
The GOALS project is made possible by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this page do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
