Purposeful Sampling of Technologies Employed in K-12 Online Education
The Center reviewed an array of software products and digital materials currently used to develop or distribute elementary and secondary instructional materials. The purpose of the review was to identify the extent to which product developers or publishers offered readily discoverable and publicly available information about product accessibility. Using the Section 508 standards for physical and sensory access as a benchmark, the Center has color coded products green, yellow, or red.
We contacted or attempted to contact a representative of each product reviewed in order to verify that the product’s designation was accurate.
Last updated March 2016
Green | A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) was available on the product’s website |
Yellow | Product accessibility information was available but no VPAT information was listed |
Red | No product accessibility information was listed |
Read the Center’s white paper which details the recent history of accessibility legislation and several examples of VPAT best practices.
Product & Vendor | VPAT | Note | Category | Distribution | Updated | Responded |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adobe Acrobat XI Pro Adobe Systems Incorporated | VPAT Info | PDF Converter | Commercial | 6/27/2013 | Y | |
Adobe Digital Editions Adobe Systems Incorporated | VPAT Info | eBooks/eReader | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Adobe Reader XI Adobe Systems Incorporated | VPAT Info | PDF Viewer | Commercial | 6/27/2013 | Y | |
ATutor ATutor | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
BlackBoard (Elluminate) Blackboard, Inc. | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Canvas K-12 Instructure | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Cengage Learning Cengage Learning, Inc. | VPAT Info | Variety | 7/10/2013 | Y | ||
CourseAvenue CourseAvenue | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Desire2Learn Desire2Learn | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Final Cut Pro X Apple Computer | VPAT Info | Multimedia Creation | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
GarageBand Apple Computer | VPAT Info | Multimedia Creation | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Google Docs | VPAT Info | Document Creation | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
iBooks2 Apple | VPAT Info | Document Creation | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
iMovie Apple Computer | VPAT Info | Multimedia Creation | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Inspiration Inspiration Software | VPAT Info | Organizational/Concept Mapping | 6/25/2013 | Y | ||
iWork Pages Apple | VPAT Info | Document Creation | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Keynote Apple | VPAT Info | Presentation | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Kidspiration Inspiration Software | VPAT Info | Organizational/Concept Mapping | 6/25/2013 | Y | ||
Microsoft Word Microsoft | VPAT Info | Document Creation | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
Moodlerooms Moodlerooms, Inc. | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Open Source | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
MovieMaker Microsoft | VPAT Info | Multimedia Creation | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
PowerPoint Microsoft | VPAT Info | Presentation | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
Sakai Sakai Project | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Open Source | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
SoftChalk SoftChalk LLC | VPAT Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
VoiceThread VoiceThread LLC | VPAT Info | Multimedia Creation | 6/26/2013 | Y | ||
Advanced Academics Advanced Academics | Not Listed | Committed to updating all courses to be Section 508 complient; has TTS reader -- See their accessibility adjustments referenced here - Accessibility Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N |
Blogger | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here -Accessibility Info | Blogs & Hybrid CMS Systems | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N |
Capstone Digital/ MyON Reader Coughlin/Capstone Publishing | Not Listed | Digital books offer recorded audio, highlighting & controls are keyboard mapped; magnification options. See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N |
Compass Learning Compass Learning | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
Connextions Rice University | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Instructional Content | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | Y |
Diigo Diigo | Not Listed | >See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Social Networking | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | N |
Edgenuity (formerly E2020) Edgenuity, Inc. | Not Listed | Formerly E2020: See E2020's Foundation Paper outlining accessibility here --Accessibility Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
Edmentum (Formerly Plato Learning) Edmentum Inc. | Not Listed | Plato Learning stated they are Section 508 complient and provided a document outling accessibilty. | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y |
EduBlogs Edublogs | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Blogs & Hybrid CMS Systems | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Epsilen Epsilen, LLC. | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N |
Facebook | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Social Networking | 6/25/2013 | N | |
IStation IStation | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Content Area Products | Commercial | 7/10/2013 | Y |
Kindle Fire 2nd Generation Amazon | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here- Accessibility Info | eBooks/eReader | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
Kindle for PC with Accessibility Plug-In Amazon | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here- Accessibility Info | eBooks/eReader | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
Kindle HD 7Ó Amazon | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here- Accessibility Info | eBooks/eReader | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
Kindle HD 8.9Ó Amazon | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here- Accessibility Info | eBooks/eReader | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
Kindle Keyboard Amazon | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here- Accessibility Info | eBooks/eReader | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
McGraw Hill Inkling Inkling | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y |
McGraw Hill Online McGraw Hill Education | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N |
Moodle Moodle | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Content/Learning Management | Open Source | 6/26/2013 | Y |
Ning Ning | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here- Accessibility Info | Social Networking | 6/27/2013 | N | |
Open Office Open Office | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info> | Document Creation | Open Source | 6/26/2013 | Y |
PDF Adobe | Not Listed | See accessibility informaiton referenced here - Accessibility Info | Document Creation | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | N |
Pearson My Lab/Mastering Pearson Education Inc. | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here for MyWritingLab - Accessibility Info | Instructional Content | 6/26/2013 | N | |
Prezi Prezi | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info | Presentation | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
Scholastic Education Scholastic Inc. | Not Listed | See accessibility information for System 44 and Read 180 referenced here - Accessibility Info | Instructional Content | 6/27/2013 | N | |
Schoolnet Pearson Education | Not Listed | The underlying framework and technology for content management abides by the principles of W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and Section 508. - Accessibility Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | N |
Twitter | Not Listed | See accessibility add-on here -Accessibility Info | Social Networking | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
WordPress Wordpress | Not Listed | See accessibility information referenced here - Accessibility Info and Accessibility Info | Blogs & Hybrid CMS Systems | 6/26/2013 | N | |
Academy of Math School Specialty Inc. | Not Listed | Content Area Products | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Academy of Reading School Specialty Inc. | Not Listed | Content Area Products | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Achieve3000 Achieve3000¨ | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
Adaptive Curriculum Adaptive Curriculum | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Apex Learning Apex Learning | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
Brain Hive Brainhive.com | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
BrainHoney Agilix Labs | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
cK-12 cK-12 Foundation | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Class.com Cambium Learning | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
ClassDojo ClassTwist, Inc. | Not Listed | Progress Monitoring | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | N | |
Connections Academy Pearson Education | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
Curriki Curriki.org | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
CyberLearning NatÕl Ed Foundation | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
DiscoveryEducation Discovery Education | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Commercial | 7/15/2013 | Y | |
EdisonLearning EdisonLearning | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
Edmodo Edmodo | Not Listed | Blogs & Hybrid CMS Systems | 6/25/2013 | Y | ||
Evernote Evernote | Not Listed | Organizational/Concept Mapping | 6/25/2013 | N | ||
GoalBook GoalBook | Not Listed | Progress Monitoring | 6/25/2013 | Y | ||
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/MBS Direct HMH/MBS Direct | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
K12 (Aventa Learning) K12 Inc. | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | N | |
Khan Academy Khan Academy | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Open Source | 6/25/2013 | N | |
Learning.com Learning.com | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/25/2013 | Y | |
Lucidchart Lucid Software | Not Listed | Organizational/Concept Mapping | 6/25/2013 | Y | ||
Mosaica Online Education Mosaica Education, Inc. | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/28/2013 | N | |
My Reading Coach Mindplay | Not Listed | Content Area Products | Commercial | 7/10/2013 | Y | |
NaMaYa NaMaYa Education | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | N | |
Odysseyware Odysseyware | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
OER Commons ISKME | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Open Source | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
PBS LearningMedia PBS & WGBH Educational Foundation | Not Listed | Instructional Content | 6/27/2013 | N | ||
Pearson Etext Pearson School | Not Listed | Instructional Content | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
Pearson Online Learning Exchange Pearson Education | Not Listed | Instructional Content | 6/26/2013 | N | ||
Pinnacle Online High School Pinnacle Education | Not Listed | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | N | |
Scratch MIT Media Lab | Not Listed | Multimedia Creation | 6/26/2013 | Y | ||
SuccessMaker Pearson Education, Inc. | Not Listed | Content Area Products | 6/26/2013 | Y | ||
Symphony Math Symphony Learning | Not Listed | Content Area Products | Commercial | 6/27/2013 | N | |
Triumph Learning, LCC | Not Listed | Test Preparation | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y | |
Unity Unity Technologies | Not Listed | Multimedia Creation | 6/26/2013 | Y | ||
Vschoolz Vschoolz, Inc. | Not Listed | Vschoolz has an “ADA Statement” link on its homepage, but the associated information provided is unclear - Accessibility Info | Content/Learning Management | Commercial | 6/26/2013 | Y |
xLi Agilix Agilix, Inc. | Not Listed | Application Programming Interface | Commercial | 6/27/2013 | N |