Low vision assistive technology for discussion board posts

A list of strategies for accessing discussion board posts for online classes with low vision assistive technology.

Discussion board posts are a key part of college experiences, especially in online classes and in graduate school programs. I love discussion boards because I often learn so much from students and instructors alike about different topics, problem solving ideas and areas of interest, but most discussion board posts and interfaces are inaccessible to me as a student with low vision, as they often require a lot of reading or block other reading extensions or tools that I use in other contents. Here are examples of how I use low vision assistive technology and accessibility tools for discussion board posts, based on my experiences taking 60+ online classes across multiple platforms.

Reading posts in large print: Google Chrome Reading Mode

Out of all of the technology I talk about on this list, this simplified reading display is my all-time favorite tool for reading discussion board posts in large print! Especially since other simplified reading displays like Immersive Reader and Snap&Read aren’t compatible with some learning management software programs. With the free Reading Mode extension in Google Chrome, I can easily view initial discussion board posts, replies and prompts from my classmates and instructors in large print formats or have them read out loud with text-to-speech. I can also highlight text with my cursor and select the Reading Mode shortcut to open the selected text in a simplified reading display as well.

I have tested Reading Mode with Blackboard, Canvas and Moodle in the Google Chrome browser. While Reading Mode did not work at all with Blackboard, it worked fantastic with Canvas and Moodle, displaying initial posts and thread replies in a large print format that I could easily read and follow along with. One caveat with Moodle is that I sometimes have to highlight the names of students or their profiles as Reading Mode does not automatically detect this, but this is quick to do.

Using screen magnification: Docked view

When I’m using screen magnification with discussion board posts, I find it helpful to use a docked view so I can reference other posts while writing. In docked view, the zoomed image is shown in a fixed area on the screen and will follow the mouse cursor, keyboard focus, text insertion point and/or screen reader cursor unless otherwise modified in settings. I find this especially helpful when authoring content because I can move my mouse and enlarge discussion board prompts without having to resize my entire display and potentially distort text boxes or other display items.

Text-to-speech is an accessibility tool that reads text content selected by the user out loud, usually with word-level highlighting to assist with line tracking. I prefer to use text-to-speech over screen readers when reading discussion board posts because I don’t need the additional navigation or alternative input options provided by screen reading software, but I do find it helpful to have a nonvisual option for accessing text if I’m unsure about what something says or I can’t enlarge it well. With discussion board posts, I typically highlight text and then activate the Read Aloud shortcut (Ctrl-Shift-U) in my web browser to listen to the text as it is read out loud, or activate Speak Text on my iPad. I have an entire post on text-to-speech options below for students who don’t want or need to use a screen reader, but still want to have text read to them.

Positioning the display at an angle: iPads and tablets

When I am viewing detailed images or reading long passages of text, there are many scenarios where I prefer to read from my iPad instead of my computer because I can position the display at an angle underneath the bifocal in my glasses. I can also use pinch-to-zoom and drag across images or screenshots with a touchscreen more naturally than I can with a mouse or keyboard, which is helpful when enlarging text or math equations. I still prefer to use my computer keyboard for drafting initial posts and extended replies when possible, but I love that I can bring the screen closer to my face or interact with discussion boards while away from my desk.

Reading with another application: File attachments

Some of my math and assistive technology instructors have requested that students attach a file either in lieu of or in addition to text in a discussion board post so that responses can be viewed in another application. I personally find it helpful when students post a copy of their replies to a discussion board in a DOCX file format, as I can easily enlarge this in another application or use assistive technology tools to read it more easily than if it was posted as text in a discussion board alone. I also share copies of my own discussion board posts as attached documents to show allyship to other students who may have print disabilities like I do, as I personally find it easier to access text in this format.

Displaying content on a larger screen: Chromecast, airplay and external monitors

Another strategy for accessing discussion board posts with low vision is to display content on an external display. This can be done by connecting a computer or tablet to a TV or larger monitor using specialty cables, or using wireless casting tools like Chromecast or AirPlay on compatible smart TVs to mirror the display. I personally have used Chromecast to display content on a larger screen, especially non-text content like videos and images. I also have a Surface dock for displaying content from my laptop on a larger monitor, which was extremely useful for checking messages posted on Teams and viewing screenshots on a larger display.

The text boxes for discussion board posts are often small and don’t offer support for larger font sizes, so I prefer to draft my discussion board posts in another application like Microsoft Word, Notes or Google Docs and copy/paste text into the text box after I am done writing. Sometimes I will paste my replies as plain text and adjust the formatting before posting my initial post, while other times my headings and list structures remain intact when copy/pasting.

If I have to read a long discussion board post or reply (5+ paragraphs) that wasn’t posted in another format, I will copy and paste it into Word and enlarge the text with Read Mode. This is more common when I am reading posts in Blackboard, since I can’t use a simplified reading display for that application.