Accessible Culture
This course consists of five minimodules which focus on games, audio description, entertainment, speech-to-text translation and speech and audio-to-text. After completing this course, the participant will have an overview of accessible culture and know how to make culture more accessible. This course is targeted especially at people working in the culture or media field.
The following minimodules are included to the course:
Games, gamification, serious games and accessibility
- The thematic module focuses on visual accessibility in games and VR experiences. It briefly introduces basics of visual accessibility, and some of the needs of individuals with different visual needs. Next, the lecture provides two main discussion points; 1. how most games are visually inaccessible, and how some mainstream games are accidentally accessible to large extent, and, 2. how games, and especially VR, experiences can be very valuable and allow access to life experiences that visually impaired individuals can’t easily access such as diving, mountain climbing, or even being a sniper in an army.
Audiodescription of art
- The thematic module familiarizes the student with the audiodesciption (AD) of artistic products and venues of different kinds: art galleries, museums and theatre plays. The module introduces the production processes and the basic principles and guidelines for this type of AD and familiarizes the student with authentic examples of AD in museums around the world.
Entertainment and accessibility
- The module will introduce the requirements and considerations for accessible entertainment, including going to a theater or museum, and watching a movie. As a part of this module, students will watch an accessible movie on YouTube and share their experiences in a learning diary reflecting on the many considerations and elements required to make a movie accessible to a large audience, including subtitling, audio descriptions, lighting etc.
Speech to text (subtitling)
- The module covers the basic principles and methods of translating speech to text. Both human-led methods and automatic technologies are introduced, including subtitling/captioning, print interpreting, speech recognition, re-speaking.
Speech and audio to text
- The module covers the basic principles and methods of translating speech and audio to text. Both human-led methods and automatic technologies are introduced, including audio captioning, print interpreting, speech recognition, re-speaking.
Web Accessibility
This course consists of three minimodules which focus on technical and understandable web accessibility and user experience. After completing this course, the participant will have better understanding of what to consider in accessible web design. This course is targeted especially at people who are experienced web designers and want to expand their knowledge to accessibility.
The following minimodules are included to the course:
Web accessibility I (technical)
- The thematic modules Web accessibility I and II introduces guidelines and other standards related to web accessibility, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The first module explains the web accessibility principles (POUR), but focuses on technical specifications, primarily explaining the WAI-ARIA, the Accessible Rich Internet Applications suite of web standards.
Web accessibility II (content)
- The thematic modules Web accessibility I and II introduces guidelines and other standards related to web accessibility, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The second module explains the web accessibility principles (POUR), but focuses on the content to make it readable and understandable, including requirements that address cognitive accessibility.
Accessibility and user experience
- The module introduces the very basics of user experience evaluation in the context of human-technology interaction. Moreover, it will be described through concrete evaluation cases, how special characteristics of certain user groups may affect, and need to be taken into account in, the evaluation design. The examples will demonstrate field studies conducted with special user groups, such as individuals with developmental disabilities, visually impaired users, physically disabled users, and children.
Trends in Accessibility
This course consists of four minimodules which focus on AI, haptics, spoken interfaces, and trends in accessibility. After completing this course, the participant will know what is happening right now in the accessibility research and accessibility field overall. This course is targeted especially to people who work in technical industry or with user interfaces.
The following minimodules are included to the course:
Accessible AI
- The thematic module briefly introduces the student to artificial intelligence (AI) and some of the ways in which AI is used to empower people with disabilities. Lectures focus on three cases; 1) communication and connection, 2) employment and 3) daily life. AI can empower people with disabilities, but there are also concerns about the diversity, inclusiveness, and accessibility of AI, which are also briefly addressed.
Haptics and gestures (gesture-based interfaces)
- Technology overall, provides safe, controlled, predictable environment for individuals with developmental disabilities, and using gestures and haptic interaction allows input mechanisms that do not rely on traditional keyboards and mouse interfaces. In this module, several different applications of gestures-based and haptic interaction will be presented and the limitation and benefits of each will be discussed. Example applications will be a combination of those that are commercially available and those that are developed in various research projects across the world.
Spoken interfaces
- The thematic module covers the main principles of speech-based human-technology interaction, focusing on spoken interfaces which facilitate accessibility. This includes both speech output (e.g., spoken prompts for people with visual disabilities) and speech input (e.g., speech control for physically disabled personnel).
Trends in accessibility research
- From designing for disability, to designing for abilities and for augmenting human capabilities, this thematic module takes a broader look at the trends in research on accessibility with a focus on ideas, designs, prototypes, and products for the 21st century. The module will introduce ongoing research on Cyborgs, artificial limbs and augmentations, brain-computer interactions, AI, etc., through published research in HCI and accessibility, and other avenues. The module discusses how our understanding of human abilities is changing, and the different research trajectories from where we are today.
Accessible Language
This course consists of five minimodules which focus on easy language, easy spoken interaction, picture communication, subtitling, speech and audio to text. After this course, the participant will have the overall understanding of how language can be made more accessible. This course is targeted especially to people who work as translators or content producers.
The following minimodules are included to the course:
Easy language
- The module covers the area of linguistic and cognitive accessibility, with a specific focus on the area of easy language. This module introduces examples of easy-to-read adaptations of different types of texts.
Easy spoken interaction
- The module provides an introduction to the area of easy spoken interaction, drawing on the principles of easy written language presented in module.
Picture Communication
- The thematic module introduces the student to aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) techniques such as the use of pictures or symbols. Lectures focus on strategies (such as PECS, first-then boards) and the use of different systems (such as ARASAAC, Mulberry or Sclera) in different situations. Technologies, culture and the environment are also briefly discussed.
Speech to text (subtitling)
- The module covers the basic principles and methods of translating speech to text. Both human-led methods and automatic technologies are introduced, including subtitling/captioning, print interpreting, speech recognition, re-speaking.
Speech and audio to text
- The module covers the basic principles and methods of translating speech and audio to text. Both human-led methods and automatic technologies are introduced, including audio captioning, print interpreting, speech recognition, re-speaking.
Accessible Teaching
This course consists of three minimodules which focus on accessibility legislation, accessible lectures, and accessible material production. After completing this course, the participant will have the skills and understanding to make teaching more accessible. This course is targeted especially to teachers.
The following minimodules are included to the course:
Accessible Lectures
- This module introduces the student to different ways of making accessible lectures. The student learns ways of evaluating the accessibility of the classroom from the point of view of lighting, sound design, visual information and mobility. The student also learns to think about the possible disabilities and special needs of people on the classroom and how to accommodate for them. The student will also learn about how to work with different types of interpreters and personal assistants for disabled people in the classroom setting.
Teaching and Accessibility Legislation
- This module introduces the student to the Finnish legislation regarding accessibility, teaching, and people with disabilities’s right for assistance in the classroom. The student will learn about the education-specific accessibility legislations as well as more general legislation regarding the rights of the people with disabilities. The student will also reflect on these topics and think about how they relate to their own experiences and possible future plans in the field of education.
Accessible Materials
- During this module, the student will modify their own document (lecture slides, word document…) to make it more accessible. The module teaches how to make documents accessible and what kind of methods are available. The module introduces for example how to make accessible tables, images, footnotes, and charts.
Accessible Media
This course consists of four minimodules which focus on media, social media, speech-to-text interpreting, and audio description. After completing this course, the participant will have the basic skills to translate e.g. visuals to text and produce more accessible media content. This course is targeted especially to people who work in the media.
Accessible Media
- This module introduces you to accessible media. Media accessibility is concerned with how media content and services can be accessed by people who are not able to access them in their original form. The module includes basic information about media accessibility and a movie clip that follows the principles of accessible filmmaking.
Accessible Social Media
- This module introduces you to accessible social media. The module focuses on basic information about social media accessibility, accessibility of emojis and tips how to make your own social media account more accessible.
Introduction to speech-to-text interpreting
- This module introduces the student to speech-to-text interpreting, also known as print interpreting. The student will learn about what STT interpreting is, what are the requirements for working as an STT interpreter and what the work can be like in practice. The student will independently practice the 10 finger typing method and try interpreting a couple of short videos.
Audiodescription of art
- The thematic module familiarizes the student with the audiodesciption (AD) of artistic products and venues of different kinds: art galleries, museums and theatre plays. The module introduces the production processes and the basic principles and guidelines for this type of AD and familiarizes the student with authentic examples of AD in museums around the world.
How to face disabled person?
During course students have possibilities to reflect on and learn current phenomenon on disability participations. Course offers different interpretations how society can be seen disabilities in different models. One current topic is like how covid19 has been effected disability person’s everyday lives in the context of physical and digital environments. The course offers tips and hints about what to consider for example meetings in physical environments or online meetings related to accessibility.
During course students have chances to reflect and learn on disability persons everyday life experiences by himself/herself disability persons speeches.