Accessibility of on-line Training

Maj Terry Branstetter, Program Officer, CCE

Marine Corps Training and Education Command, Quantico, Virginia

MISSION:

In order to increase USMC Total Force Operational Readiness, the College of Continuing Education (CCE) designs, develops, delivers, and manages distance-learning programs by providing world-class E-learning courseware, products and services, Professional Military Education (PME) seminars, and technology-enabled classrooms world-wide.

Why Marines care about 508?

Concerns beyond uniformed Marines and extends to civilian Marines, Marine family members, and beyond to former/retired Marines, extended family, and other services and agencies.

Several Courseware efforts are ongoing:

L.I.N.K.S.

Learning Styles Assessment

Standard Courseware Interface

Key Volunteer Network

Semper Fit

Critical Infrastructure Protection

CCE Path to 508

Commit to accessible courseware

Select a standard (w3c AAA)

Provide for validation (after thought)

Engage in accessibility forums (track moving targets)

Refine standard to achieve objectives beyond compliance (lesson learned)

Enforce consistent courseware development practices (automation?)

Provide sample courseware and templates

Implement testing procedures to validate 508 goals (automated?)

There is still a need to align Standards with Validation tools and processes.

A potential roadmap to tackling 508 in on-line training

Commit to accessible courseware

Engage in accessibility forums

Select a well-defined standard

Craft a Style Guide to direct specific strategies

Match standards and style to a validation process

Enforce consistent courseware development practices

Seek opportunities to automate

Plan to evolve

Contact Information:

USMC College of Continuing Education

(Located in Daly Hall, Bldg 2079)

Training and Education Command, Quantico, Virginia

(703) 784-2999

(DSN) 278-2999

1-800-992-9201

ccequestion@tecom.usmc.mil