Adapting Advanced Information Technology Network Training for Adults with Visual Impairments

Abstract

The employment of visually impaired workers in information technology (IT) support has rarely been considered a viable career choice because computers are vision driven and the person who is visually impaired would have difficulty seeing a computer screen to diagnose and fix any problem. Once computer networks have been installed, little physical work needs to be done; however, continuing logical work in establishing and maintaining connections and access to the data is required. Users on business networks constantly request assistance from computer network professionals via an IT help desk. People who are visually impaired with technological skills are well suited to this helpdesk role. Research undertaken by Curtin University in conjunction with the Association for the Blind in Western Australia has shown that accessible e-learning environments can be developed to assist adults with visual impairments achieve industry-standard qualifications in IT networking. Industry-standard qualifications are certifications offered by industry leaders in their fields, such as Cisco and Microsoft. Cisco training, in particular, provides skills and knowledge for people who are visually impaired to maintain any computer network--the networks in their offices as well as in their homes. This article describes an accessible e-learning environment that was designed to deliver advanced IT skills to legally blind students in preparation for employment. The aim was to convert industry-standard training materials in print into accessible formats and to deliver the learning materials in ways that are more suited to adult students with visual impairments. The components of the learning environment are discussed, together with the successes and problems that were faced, in the hope that others may learn from our experiences. SCOPING THE PROBLEM Adults who are visually impaired continue to face problems in obtaining employment. Although education and training are not the sole answer to the problem, postsecondary education and training have been found to be a significant factor in obtaining employment in numerous studies (Capella-McDonnall, 2005; Kirchner, Schmeidler, & Todorv, 1999; Lee & Park, 2008). Unfortunately, few e-learning training courses are accessible to people who are visually impaired. Although attempts have been made to increase the accessibility of IT training materials, the major providers of such instructional documents, such as Cisco, Microsoft, and Oracle, still fall short in providing fully accessible e-learning curricula for those who are visually impaired. This article describes an accessible e-learning environment that was developed to deliver advanced IT skills to adults with visual impairments in preparation for employment and to solve challenges faced by several undergraduate students with visual impairments at Curtin University of Technology who were studying Cisco technologies. CONVERTING INDUSTRY-STANDARD COURSES The training courses chosen for conversion were the IT networking course offered by Cisco Systems, because Cisco is the leading supplier of computer network equipment to organizations internationally and its routers and switches link the majority of the Internet. Although the Cisco training materials are effective for sighted users, they are not accessible to individuals who are visually impaired. The Cisco curriculum is rich in media, and much of the content is delivered using animation and interactive web pages. It relies heavily on visual keys to illustrate learning objectives, and much of the content cannot be accessed by screen-reading applications. Six Cisco e-learning courses were chosen to provide a relevant skill set for employment in IT. The introductory courses provide the skills to assemble and disassemble physical computers, install and manage operating systems and software applications, and generally troubleshoot computing problems. …