People who are blind cannot see your Web page and must receive content through either auditory or tactile methods.
Assistive Technologies
An instructor should assume that students who are blind cannot effectively use a standard monitor and mouse. They may use a standard computer and keyboard along with 
screen-reading software to translate text to speech.
Experience what it's like to use a screen reader to navigate the Web. Listen and try to follow along as a screen reader reads this Web page. (Links open in new windows.)
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Students may also use assistive technologies that translate Web pages into Braille. However, most people who are blind prefer audio versions of Web content.
General Accommodations
- Accessible versions of textbooks and supplemental readings must be provided. Options include books on tape, e-books, Braille text, and/or a reader. The university's disability services office usually coordinates with the student, faculty, and other offices on campus (for example, the textbook office) to obtain books in alternative formats.
- Students may require assistance (readers or scribes) during testing. Or, they may prefer an oral exam. Assistive technologies such as talking calculators may also be required. Contact your university's disability services office for information about how to accommodate students during exams.
- Assignments that involve visiting external sites (businesses, museums, etc.) may not be possible for some students.
- Since many students who are blind rely on assistive technology, computer problems can become a serious issue. Extensions on assignments may be necessary.
Web Access Challenges
All visual content must be made accessible. Special attention should be paid to organization, images, and special features.
- Organization.
People who are blind may not understand the organization of a Web page well enough to navigate it efficiently. A design that is clear to a sighted person viewing the page might be confusing to a person listening to a screen reader.
- Images.
Screen readers and Braille software can only access electronic text, so content presented within images (including photographs, drawings, and image maps) is inaccessible unless a text equivalent is provided.
- Special Features.
Frames, navigation, tables, and other features need to be organized and labeled to make sense when a speech output system reads their contents.
The How-To section of this Web site describes how to overcome many of these access challenges.
Scenario
The Situation: Kevin, who has been blind since birth, enrolls in your Web-based biology course. Class material is provided on the Internet and he has screen reader software, so he anticipates that he will be able to access all of the content. He does not request accommodations before the class begins.
The Challenge: Midway through the course, Kevin informs you that he cannot access the content of an image of the frog anatomy. His screen reader can only read text.
Some Solutions: Discuss options with Kevin for how he might access this content, then contact your university's disability services office to discuss and verify the situation. You could write a detailed explanation of the content in the image, and link it to the Web site. This solves the access issue for other students who might face the same access challenge in future course offerings. Alternatively, you could work with the disability services office to arrange for tactile drawings with Braille labels, or hire someone in a location near Kevin to describe the content to Kevin.
Blindness
