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Re: Training Materials

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From: chagnon@pubcom.com
Date: Oct 23, 2020 5:17PM

We're software trainers (for accessibility) and have proprietary copyrighted workbooks (for an example, see www.PubCom.com/books).

For our classes, the workbooks are printed because that no only protects our copyrighted material, but it's also the preferred media in a training class; the book is open on the student's desk, and their computer screen is dedicated to the software. If the book were digital, the student would have to flip back and forth between the software and the book, which is extremely inefficient and frustrating for most students.

BUT, we do make our workbooks available as accessible PDFs when that is requested by a student. And we're able to lock the PDF file well enough so that our intellectual property is protected but the PDF still gives the student full accessibility with their AT, commenting, forms filling, and other tasks.

In fact, making fully accessible PDFs is exactly what my firm teaches.

So your software training vendor needs to learn how to create fully accessible training materials. Based on what you said they said, they haven't truly investigated their options.

(Warning: shameless self-promotion, but it really is the only way for this vendor to produce the accessible training materials you need, especially if they are produced in Adobe InDesign.)

Recommend they take our classes (Word, PowerPoint, InDesign, Acrobat) at www.PubCom.com/classes.

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Bevi Chagnon | Designer, Accessibility Technician | <EMAIL REMOVED>
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PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
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Upcoming classes at www.PubCom.com/classes
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-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Joseph Krack
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2020 1:01 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: [WebAIM] Training Materials

A question for the group. My Department is working with a company to provide software training. Because this company wants to protect their content, it is available in class in a format that is not accessible to assistive technology. Basically it is locked, and non-downloadable. When a student who uses assistive technology asked for the information in an accessible file format it was difficult to get one from them. She was not able to get an accessible version in class. After the training she kept asking for material she should use and they tried several times to send file formats that were locked, or basically in a plain text (without structure). On the third attempt she received an accessible PDF file, with strict instructions to not share it with anyone else.

While I understand the importance of this vendor trying to protect their content, I also understand that accessible content needs to be readily available to students. In the same way that ramps to the entrance should not be available only upon request, accessible content should be expected without special request.

Does anyone in this forum have experience with this issue? Has any litigation determined the proper way of addressing this issue? We have a new contract for training coming up soon, and I want to address issues such as this in the requirements of the new contract.

Thanks in advance, Joe