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The Blackboard Screen Reader Tutorial provides users that access Blackboard through a screen reader with information to help them use it successfully. Currently, the tutorial includes information on logging in, the portal layout, course Web sites, using the Discussion Board, Messages, the Send E-mail Tool and the Collaboration Tool.
As a note: Be sure to turn off the Visual Text Box Editor, which interferes the way that JAWS reads Blackboard.
To log into Blackboard direct your browser to http://www.csupomona.edu and go to the link titled "Blackboard" with your mouse or by the tab key.
You are now on the Blackboard log in page. You have 2 edit fields. You are automatically in the first one requesting your Bronco username. Input it and tab to the next edit field which asks for your password. Input that and then tab to the "login" button and press the enter key. This will then log you in to the Blackboard.
The next screen has 2 frames: a header frame and a content frame.
The header frame is standard throughout the rest of your time in the Blackboard. It lets you move to the major areas in the Blackboard. The links in the header frame contain:
These links cause content to load in the "content" frame. The Content Frame's default content is My Blackboard or the web portal.
By default the "My Blackboard" section is opened when you first log in to Blackboard it has a number of links that are specialized to meet the individual user's needs and interests. They are divided up into a list of links to Tools, external links, and "modules". The Tools that are listed on the "My Blackboard" page are:
Note that the tools are customizable by the Blackboard System Administrator. Tools may be added and default tools may be disabled.
The External links list contains links to:
Next on the page is the customizable section that contains portal modules. You can change the modules that appear on your page by selecting the "Modify Content" link. Blackboard installations have modules like My Announcements, My Calendar, My Courses, My Organizations, and My Tasks. You may be able to add modules to this page yourself. The My Courses module contains links to your courses. Click on a link in the My Courses module to open a course Web site.
From the "Personal Information" link found on the "My Blackboard" page click the link that reads "Set Visual Text Box Editor Options." On the next page be sure to mark the radio button labelled "Unavailable" to turn the Visual Text Box Editor off.
Once you select a course you will get a screen with four frames: the header frame that appears on every screen, a content frame (which we discussed), a menu frame, and a course content frame. The frame setup is a little complicated, but here's a summary. There's a frameset that contains the header frame and the content frame. The content frame contains a nested frameset that has the menu frame (links inside the course environment) and a course content frame. The course content frame is the frameset that you will interact with most when in the course environment. The menu frame contains a list of links to the different areas in the course, such as announcements, course documents, and communication. Your instructor can change which links appear in this list, so it will likely be different from class to class. The course content frame contains the actual content.
Please note that instructors may delete some links they will not use, rename some links, or add additional links.
Most of these links function simply like standard web pages so far as navigating them and reading them is concerned.
In the Discussion Board tool, you can choose a forum, find a specific message in a thread list, write a thread, or read a thread.
The first page in the Discussion Board tool is a list of all available forums for this class or organization.
Multiple forums may be created by the instructor and this page contains a table listing the different forums that are available. In the table, the title of the forum is a link, and it is followed by a description. Go to a discussion board forum by selecting the title link.
Once a forum has been accessed a new page that lists messages and available features appears.
Important notes about using this page:
On the top of every forum page, whether you have just entered a forum or wish to post a thread, there is a table containing a search feature. The table will allow you to enter search keywords and then choose to set a "search after" and "search before" date.
Above the search table, once you have entered a forum, is an "Action Bar." The Action Bar contains links that allow you to interact within the forum. The two actions available to students in the Action Bar are:
(Do not worry about this if you are trying to read or respond to an existing message.)
You can post a thread in a forum by selecting the button that reads "Thread Link Thread" at the top of the forum page, or by selecting the "Reply" button at the bottom of an existing thread.
If you opt to create a new thread from the main thread list page, you be brought to the "Add Thread" page. On this page you will hear the title bar "Add Thread." The first form field is for the "Subject" of the thread. Then enter the text of your thread into the "Message" field. Finally, there is a file upload field, labeled "Attachment", which you can use to upload any attachments that should be displayed with your thread. Once you have composed your thread, you can choose to "Cancel", "Save" or "Submit." It is recommended that you do not use the "Save" feature and only "Submit" a new thread when it is fully complete.
If you are responding to an existing thread instead of creating a new one, the thread composition page is the same as the "New Thread" page. The first form field is for the "Subject" of the thread. Then enter the text of your thread into the "Message" field. Finally, there is a file upload field, labeled "Attachment", which you can use to upload any attachments that should be displayed with your message. Once you have composed your thread, you can choose to "Cancel", "Save" or "Submit" the message. It is recommended that you do not use the "Save" feature and only "Submit" a new thread when it is fully complete.
When you have navigated to a thread page to read an already posted thread you will be able to read the its content, reply to the it, and navigate to other messages in the thread.
The first thing on the thread page is the title bar, which is "Thread Detail". Like every page within the Discussion board, you will run into a search form before reaching the thread's content. The body of the message is available below this search.
The body may include plain text or HTML. Before and after the message is a "Reply" button, which you can select if you want to reply to this thread .
Below the Search Table are clickable image links that will allow you to sort the threads by certain criteria. These, by default, are:
By default, the page is displayed with the threads sorted alphabetically. Changing the settings in this select box will automatically reload the sorted page.
Below the Action Bar and Sarch Table is a table that displays the Threads that already exist in the forum you are in. They are displayed in rows in a table as follows:
Using the Messages tool you can send messages to instructors and students. Note that this is not a tutorial on the "Send Email" feature within Blackboard. The Messages tool enables you to send messages, that remain within Blackboard, to others within your course. The Send Email tool allows you to send messages to other people's assigned Cal Poly e-mail address, outside of Blackboard.
Once in the Messages page click the link that reads "New Message." Navigating the recipients section of the Messages page is a bit tricky. Keep in mind that the basic layout of the recipients area are two extended select list boxes right next to each other, with two images in between them. The left extended list box is a list of people you may send your message to and the right extended list box is a list of people you will be sending your message to. Both of the images between the two extended list boxes enable you to move the names of people enrolled in the class from the left box to the right box. To choose one or more recipients of your message, please do the following:
The rest of the Messages form is simple. Type in a Subject and Message for your recipients and add an attachment if you wish.
Once in the Send Email you will be given a list of actions that can be taken. You may choose to e-mail the following:
Keep in mind: one or more of these actions may be disabled by your instructor.
Blackboard’s Accessible Chat tool uses the Java Accessibility API to provide keyboard shortcuts and descriptive ToolTips (alt tags), which screen readers can use to help you navigate through the chat. Some screenreaders may work directly with the Java Accessibility API. However, some, such as JAWS for Windows, require an additional utility, the Java Access Bridge.
Download the access bridge from http://java.sun.com/products/accessbridge/
To join a chat click the "Join" text next to whichever chatroom is available in the course.
Now, the easiest way to navigate the chatroom within Blackboard, once the access bridge from above has been installed, is to activate the JAWS cursor and route it to where your PC cursor currently is when you open the chat. The access bridge that you just installed will place tooltips on all of the buttons available in the chat room.
The basics of the chat are the input field, the send button, and the main dialog. The input field allows you to write a message. It has the tooltip "Enter text to be displayed to users." The send button will allow you to send the typed text to other users in the chat. It has the tooltip "Send text to users." The main dialog is where all the messages sent by users can be read.
The View button is announced with the ToolTip "Allows for the Customization of Chat Display," Upon clicking it a dialog box will pop up in a new window that allows you to show private messages inline (in the main display), or in a separate frame (separate display). Once in the window, use the TAB key to navigate between these two options, and press the space bar to select one.
The controls button is only available to the course instructor unless you are a student in a group collaboration. The control button is announced with the ToolTip “Allows the moderator to change the session mode and end the session."
The Clear button is announced with the ToolTip “Allows moderator to clear either local display or display for all users.” The Instructor can select Clear local display to clear the display on their personal chat window or Clear all users’ display to clear the chat window for all of the participants. When everyone’s chat display is cleared messages that were on the screen are still captured in the archive.
The end button is only available to the course instructor unless you are a student in a group collaboration. The end button is announced with the ToolTip “Ends the current session”.
The Participant Area displays the names of all of the participants in the Chat session and allows the Instructor to manage their participation. This area also displays which participants have requested to speak and which have been recognized.
The buttons available in the participant area and their tooltips are:
When using Blackboards chat capabilities:
This page was last updated on October 20, 2008.
