An Elluminate Success Story

California State University and Elluminate Collaborate to Deliver Accessible Educational Technology

The California State University (CSU) utilizes a broad range of technology solutions to support its various programs and services. Over the past few years, the University has significantly increased the amount of instructional activities that occurs online.

The CSU established the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) to reflect its ongoing commitment to provide access to information resources and technologies to individuals with disabilities and create a culture of access for an inclusive learning and working environment. An important component of this initiative is the CSU’s ongoing relationships with technology vendors, like Elluminate, that ensure products are developed to meet accessibility compliance requirements.

"The ATI represents the CSU’s attempt to incorporate accessibility as early as possible into the technology adoption cycle," explains Mark Turner, director for the Center for Accessible Media, CSU Office of the Chancellor. "What’s unique about our program is that we are tackling accessibility on a scale not seen before, given the size of our 23-campus university system. In the past, we had a more accommodative approach, responding in an ad hoc fashion to meet user needs. Now, whether we buy or build technology, we want it to be as accessible as possible right from the start."

Elluminate Takes the Lead

According to Turner, it was obvious that Elluminate wanted to be a leader in the area of accessibility and usability. "Elluminate was one of the first major vendors to recognize the value of the ATI and to actively pursue collaboration with the CSU to ensure accessibility was a priority for product development," he says. "Accessibility was something Elluminate had worked on before, and the ATI served as a catalyst for a deeper discussion."

"I’ve been impressed with Elluminate’s responsiveness and willingness to actively pursue constructive criticism, solicit customer feedback, and work together to find ways to make its products better," he continues. "The company also realizes the importance of bringing in the right people, providing access to the engineering team and administrators who have decision making power. This streamlines the process for everyone. Elluminate is not just along for the ride. They want to take things to a higher level."

Advisory Council Brainstorms about Accessibility Solutions

Recently, customers from multiple CSU campuses and other academic institutions took part in an Elluminate Advisory Council meeting, during which accessibility was a key topic. Participants discussed general accessibility issues for educational technology users and brainstormed needed accessibility solutions for the classroom and campus. "It’s a testament to the importance the CSU places on this enabling technology to send people off-site for a couple of days to help shape future product development," Turner adds.

"At Elluminate, we take accessibility very seriously," says Elluminate President Maurice Heiblum. "While most eLearning and web conferencing products are built with the mass market in mind, Elluminate takes a different approach. With our No User Left Behind philosophy, I believe we elevate accessibility to a whole new level. We welcome customer and partner feedback to help ensure that our products are designed so all participants, including those with disabilities, get a richer, more interactive learning experience."

Enhanced Accessibility Means Better Product for All

"Elluminate’s relationship with the CSU and participation in the ATI has been constructive for us," Heiblum continues. "When you address product development from the standpoint of accessibility, it makes for a better design in general. It streamlines the process for engineering, quality assurance, and support. We are proud of how our products have evolved and see the ATI as a facilitator, making it easier for us to gather and incorporate user feedback."

"It’s in the mutual best interest of the higher education and IT vendor communities to work collaboratively, and our partnership with Elluminate serves as a model," Turner continues. "There are tangible benefits for both sides. The vendor provides a better product, we are happier with the product, and we feel empowered with a voice to shape future products.

"Accessibility and usability are not just CSU issues," explains Turner. "Higher education consumers worldwide benefit from product improvements that present opportunities for and remove barriers from learning. For example, Elluminate’s closed captioning functionality helps a larger group than just the hearing-impaired community. Those with learning disabilities or for whom English is a second language benefit as well. It’s not just about making a better product for the disabled. It’s about making a better product for everyone."

What’s more the Chancellor’s Office itself recently became an Elluminate customer. "While a number of campuses in the CSU system use Elluminate products, we just licensed Elluminate Live! at the Chancellor’s Office to use for meetings, webinars, and professional development," concludes Turner. "I was a big supporter of the purchase, and of course, Elluminate’s accessibility played a significant role in our decision."

Accessibility at a Glance

What accessibility features are important for the virtual classroom? According to Elluminate’s Heiblum, those that enable each individual user to experience the environment in the best way possible, like:

Cross-platform and low-bandwidth support
Customizable user interface
Multiple streams of closed captioning
Support for voice-recognition and stenographic applications
Enlarged, easier-to-see video
Activation of menus and dialogs via short-cut keys
Ability to inherit user-defined color schemes from operating system
Scalability of visual content, such as whiteboard
Auditory notification of certain events, such as new user joining session
Magnifier for application sharing
Customized content selection
User-controlled interface layout
User-configurable accelerator keys for common actions
Java Accessibility Bridge for screen readers, like JAWS
Capture and replay of entire sessions
Integration with LMS and web applications

About the California State University

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 450,000 students and 47,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded nearly 2.5 million degrees, about 90,000 annually. Its mission is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California.

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