1. Integrate Web Accessibility Enhance Quality of e-Learning
Poonsri Vate-U-Lan
College of Internet Distance Education, Assumption University
(poonsri.vate@gmail.com)
barriers for people who live in rural area
ABSTRACT and have less opportunity to access
knowledge in the traditional mode because
The potential of e-Learning relies on many of limited facilities or political and security
factors such as the readiness of Internet difficulties in the three provinces of the
connectivity and accessibility of on-line southern part of Thailand. Thus, the
content. E-Learning opportunities need to be Integration of web accessibility in electronic
extended for all, thus it seems necessary that learning material will surely offer a better
the web administrator, instructional opportunity not only for normal students
designer and e-Learning producer should but also for students with special needs in
learn, develop and disseminate web Thailand.
accessibility design rules for all electronic
learning material. This paper will present Keywords
the current opportunities that students with e-Learning, e-Learning production,
disabilities have in accessing e-Learning in a Instructional Designer, Learning Management
selected developing country, namely System (LMS), Moodle, students with
Thailand, where assistive technology is still disabilities, students with special need,
limited. The study has collected information Internet-based survey, Thailand, web
which described different projects accessibility
implemented to support students with
disabilities: list of existing resources for 1) INTRODUCTION
university students with disabilities, the
policies and plans of both the government “Do the job right the first time.” is an ideal to
and private sectors in Thailand for defect prevention and upgrade the quality of
supporting students with disabilities. It also product (Crosby & Weiss, 2010). Higher
includes a report on the responses of web education institutions where e-Learning already
administrators who have created e-Learning adopted into the system were very much
opportunities in secondary schools and concerned about quality of e-Learning.
universities in Thailand for these students. Integrate web accessibility to e-Learning
In theory web accessibility needs to be definitely added value of education. The terms
introduced and improved, especially of ‘quality through e-Learning’ referred to
regarding e-Learning; however in practice, potential of e-Learning which was able to
there is no research studying web increase educational opportunities for all
accessibility for disabled students and actual (Ehlers, Goertz, Hildebrandt, & Pawlowski,
planning and practice available in Thailand. 2005). Accessibility of e-Learning contents or
The Thai Government is promoting many in the other words, on-line course material was
projects to encourage people to access the an important aspect of e-Learning quality (the
Internet which means including people with Swedish National Agency for Higher
disabilities. It is very obvious that assistive Education, 2008). The reason for this was the
technology is in high demand in Thailand; concept of web accessibility itself that
the reasons for this are that computer emphasized on the equal right of people to
technology and the Internet will play an access to all available on-line information. The
important role for improving and enhancing web accessibility procedure focused about how
quality of education for students with to create, design and develop web sites that
disabilities in developing countries like usable by all people, which included people
Thailand. Distance education can reduce with disabilities. Therefore, it seems necessary

2. that the web administrator, instructional ‘disability’ covers an interaction between health
designer and e-Learning producer should learn, conditions and the environment in the
develop and disseminate web accessibility multidimensional concept. It includes
design rules for all electronic learning impairment of mind or body structure/functions
materials. which cause limitation in activities, a restriction
in participation such as involvement in life
In theory web accessibility needs to be situations such as work, social interaction and
introduced and improved, especially regarding education, and the affected person’s physical
e-Learning; however in practice, there was no and social environment.
research studying web accessibility for disabled
students and actual planning and practice Web accessibility has been introduced to be a
available in Thailand. The Thai Government is standard across nations (Thompson,
promoting e-Learning projects to offer variety Burgstahler, Moore, Gunderson, & Hoyt,
options to educate people through the Internet 2007), thus it was necessary to implicate to be a
which means including students with standard of e-Learning. The statistic indicated
disabilities. The number of Thai Internet users less than 15 per cent of people were born with
who were seeking e-Learning courses was their disability, later in life there are hundreds
increasing dramatically. Thailand Cyber of different kinds of disabilities (Weir, 2010).
University, is an organization who response to The numbers of people with learning
provide on-line education for higher education disabilities were increasing by many reasons.
in Thailand, have more than 44,318 members The form of learning disability can be derived
applied to participate in on-line courses in July from characters of students which categorized
2008. Two years later, in July 2010, the into 3Ds groups (Robson, 2007): “A/
numbers of members has been increased 64.5 Disabilities” refers to disabilities or
per cent per year approximately, as recorded impairments viewed in medical terms as
that there were 101,574 members applied organic disorders of students attributable to
(Thailand Cyber University, 2008, 2010). organic pathologies, “B/Difficulties” refers to
Interestingly, there was none of a study to behavioral or emotional disorders, or specific
record about how many Thai people with difficulties of students in learning and “C/
disabilities access to e-Learning and what kind Disadvantages” refers to disadvantages arising
disabilities. Thus, the Integration of web primarily from socio-economic, cultural, and/or
accessibility in electronic learning material will linguistic factors of students.
surely offer a better opportunity not only for
normal students but also for students with Situation of assistive technology in Thailand
special needs in Thailand. was similar to other developing countries; there
were both web accessibility policy and assistive
This paper will present the current technology support projects. Ministry of
opportunities that students with disabilities Information and Communication Technology
have in accessing e-learning in a selected Thailand (2008) for example, conducted ‘Web
developing country, namely Thailand, where Accessibility Contest’ as a part of ICT
assistive technology was still limited. It Equitable Society Project which introduced and
includes a report on the responses of web encouraged web masters to concerned web
administrators who have created e-Learning accessibility. There was also an annual contest
opportunities in secondary schools and for innovative technologies and applications for
universities in Thailand for these students. people with disabilities in Thailand (NECTEC,
2008). Disabilities rights have been provisioned
2) LITERATURE REVIEWS on the section 55 of Thailand’s former
The consequence of web accessibility occurred constitution; however, most people with
by the fact that all people include people with disabilities did not yet have full benefits from
disability, have equal right to access to all kinds the law (Anantho, 2007). Education has been
of information. According to the Australian concerned as one of top five social risks among
Institute of Health and Welfare (2010) Thai people with disabilities since most people

3. with disabilities were undereducated, especially (2008a), is the main department of the Thai
the blind (Anantho, 2007). A strong need for Government that aims to serve basic education
better opportunity in education from Thai to people with disabilities and tailored special
people with disability reflected from a better needs to fit individuals. This office provided
job required a better education (Anantho, 169 special education schools and centers that
2007). In Thailand, people with disabilities can be categorized into three groups: special
were limited of job opportunities, health care, education schools (43 schools in 35 provinces),
and adaptive equipments (Simchareon, 2005). special education centers (76 centers) and
There were only 20.39 per cent of people with Suksasongkhro Schools for disadvantages
disabilities employed after completed degrees students (50 schools in 42 provinces) (Bureau
in vocational education (Mahidol University, of Special Education Administration, 2008a).
1998 cited in Simchareon, 2005). This bureau provided only two reports on Key
Performance Indicator of Students Quality; 43
The evidences of students with disability in special education schools and 50
Thailand according to the Office of the Basic Suksasongkhro Schools but special education
Education Commission, Ministry of Education centers (76 centers). According to Bureau of
of Thailand (2006) report, there were 3,023 Special Education Administration (2008b), in
students in K-12 who were people with 2006 only 36.8 per cent (111 students) of
disabilities. Students with disabilities in students with disabilities in 43 special
Thailand included nine groups of disabilities: education schools were enrolled in post
motor disabilities, blind or vision impairments, secondary education in Thailand. Thus,
deaf or hard of hearing, attention deficit approximately three fifths (63.2% or 191) of
hyperactivity disorders, autistic disorder, students with disabilities in 43 special
cognitive disabilities, verbal and linguistics education schools were neither continue their
disabilities, mental retardation and multiple education nor working. On the contrary, in
disabilities (Office of the Basic Education 2006 almost nine tenths or 87.8 per cent (2,194
Commission: Ministry of Education of students) of students in 50 Suksasongkhro
Thailand, 2007). In Thailand, hill tribe students Schools were enrolled in post secondary
have been categorized into one of student group education in Thailand (Bureau of Special
who had limited opportunities. Students with Education Administration, 2008c). Thus only
limited opportunities in Thailand included 11 12.2 per cent (304 students) in 50
kinds: youth forced to work, youth in sexual Suksasongkhro Schools were neither continue
business, abandoned youth, youth in detention their education nor working (Bureau of Special
center, homeless youth, youth who affected Education Administration, 2008c). According
from AIDS, hill tribes youth, youth who was to this information, approximately three fifths
mistreat, poor youth, youth who was addict to or more than half of students under the service
drugs and others (Office of the Basic Education of Bureau of Special Education Administration
Commission: Ministry of Education of continued study in Thai education system.
Thailand, 2007). The Office of the Basic Therefore, the demand of integrate web
Education Commission, Ministry of Education accessibility into e-Learning will be obviously
of Thailand (2006) reported only 513 students benefit to students with special need since they
in K-12 who were hill tribes. There was none were in the education system.
of report, paper or study of how many hill tribe
students were enrolled in post secondary The Commission on Higher Education of
education in Thailand. However, in practice, it Thailand became aware of importance and right
might be only few or none of students with of people with disabilities in higher education
limited opportunities in Thailand pass through levels since they need to have opportunities for
the post secondary education level since the education and facilities. In 2007, the first
demand of work force in agriculture field. survey that gathering data regarding to support
and develop service systems to serve students
Bureau of Special Education Administration with disabilities in higher education had been
within Ministry of Education in Thailand conducted; this was to prepare necessary

4. information for institutes in Thailand to (Vate-U-Lan, 2007).
improve education quality. According to the In summary, web accessibility is the global
Commission on Higher Education of Thailand standard which extended its scope to cover e-
(2007), there were 1,928 university students Learning. In Thailand, there were
with disabilities, male 60.3 per cent and female approximately three fifths of students with
39.7 per cent. These data were derived from special need enrolled into the formal education
187 higher education institutes under the system. Moreover, 65 per cent of universities in
jurisdiction of the Commission on Higher Thailand had students with disabilities but only
Education of Thailand. Approximately three a small portion or one tenth of university had
fifths (61.50% or 115 institutes) of institutes in some responsible units for service these
Thailand participated to the survey. The students.
summary of this report were 64.35 per cent of
higher education institutes in Thailand had 3) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
university students with disabilities. The
majority of institutes in Thailand who Web administrators for e-Learning might be the
participated in this survey also disclosed that most importation sectors who respond to create
approximately seven tenths (68.75%) had none and provide accessible e-Learning. Thus the
administrative center responded to serve pioneer project using an on-line questionnaire
university students with disabilities. which investigate situation of the usage of web
Remarkably, only one tenth of universities accessibility features for e-Learning in
included services for students with disabilities Thailand has been conducted. The objective of
in Student Affairs, Disability Support Service this survey was to investigate opinion of e-
Office and Office of Educational Services Learning web administrator in Thailand about
(10.72, 9.82 and 9.82 % respectively). The the usage of web accessibility. This current
Commission on Higher Education of Thailand survey gathered data via on-line questionnaire
indicated nine types of disabilities as same as in Thai. It was conducted during December
Office of the Basic Education Commission, 2007- February 2008. The invitation employ
Ministry of Education of Thailand which differ for this survey was a message posted on web
from general kinds of disabilities that can affect sites where e-Learning web administrators visit
access to on-line information. The university regularly such as the resources web sites in
students with motor disabilities were the open source of learning management systems,
biggest group (28.3 %) followed by blind or thai.moodle.net and similar on-line
vision impairments (17%), deaf or hard of communities such as Thai educational
hearing (15.1%), attention deficit hyperactivity technologist web sites.
disorders (10.7%), autistic disorder (10.3%),
cognitive disabilities (9%), verbal and 4) RESULT AND DISCUSSION
linguistics disabilities (4.4%), mental
retardation (3.3%) and multiple disabilities Participant’s profiles, there were 118
(2.1%) respectively. participated, 58.5 per cent were female and
41.5 per cent were male. Majority or seven
e-Learning opportunity need to be opened for tenths of the participants were web
all, thus web administrator, instructional administrators for e-Learning who work in
designer and e-Learning production officers Bangkok, only three tenths lived in other
should educate, consider and perform web provinces (72.9% and 27.1% respectively).
accessibility design rules for all electronic Similarly, majority or seven tenths (72%) of the
learning material. In theory web accessibility participants were working in higher education
need to be implemented especially in e- institutions, only three tenths (28%) of
Learning section, however in practice, there is participants working in a school level.
only few studies start to focus about situations
of web accessibility in Thailand. Even though, The questionnaire included questions regarding
the biggest groups or about seven tenths of to the usage of Learning Management System
Internet users in Thailand were in institutions (LMS) of Thai Internet-based instructional

5. designers and web administrators of Figure 1: Current situation of Web
institutions. LMS is an on-line application Accessibility
management system which plays a role as a The future directions of web accessibility of e-
simulation of on-line virtual environment for Learning in Thailand still not clear as shown in
on-line learners. LMS comprises of wide range Figure 2. This is because slightly more than
of systems that provides access to Internet- half of the web administrators working for e-
based learning facilities such as deliver the Learning projects (55.9%) indicated that they
learning materials, track and report results of will use features of web accessibility in LMS in
on-line learning activities and communicate the future. However, 43.2 per cent indicate not
among learning communities. Typically, LMS sure to use it and less than one per cent (0.8%)
is an on-line learning space constructed by web indicate will not use it. The influences of web
administrators for students and teachers use in administrator who indicated not sure about the
academic purposes (Education Resources, usage of web accessibility on their work might
2006; Massachusetts Institute of Technology affect situation of e-Learning contents to
Open Knowledge Initiative, 2009; Ostyn educate people with special need.
Consulting, 2007). The demographic
Will not use
information of this survey found that half of 1%
participants (51%) have experiences in using
LMS approximately one-three years. About two
fifths (37.3%) of participants have experiences
in using LMS less than one year. The last group Not sure
about one fifth (19.5%) of participants have 43%
Will use
experiences in using LMS more than three 56%
years. Thus, it might be assumed that majority
of participants have involved in product
process of e-Learning sufficiently. Majority
(54.2%) of participants indicated as MOODLE
users, one fourth (25.4%) of participants used
Blackboard and only few (5.1%) used ATutor. Figure 2: Future situation of web accessibility
All the rest, which about one fifth of
participants were using other kinds of LMS. The participants have been asked to describe
The key finding of this survey is revealing in about their experiences regarding to web
Figure 1, majority of participants did not know accessibility. Majority (61.9%) stated clearly
about web accessibility (67%). Only three that they lack of knowledge of web
tenths indicated that knew about web accessibility. Almost half (48.3%) stated that it
accessibility. Less than one fifth stated used is very interesting but their lack of knowledge.
web accessibility before. Remarkably, more About two fifths (39%) stated lack of time
than four fifths (83.1%) stated never used web spend to learn what is web accessibility. 34.7
accessibility before. per cent indicated lack of understanding of web
accessibility. About 16 per cent of participants
indicated rationales that why they ignore web
Use web
accessibility accessibility such as only few students were
3% students with disabilities and misunderstood
that applied web accessibility rule in the on-line
projects required more time than usual. Almost
Know web 12 per cent stated that they lack of motivation
accessibility
30% to use it. Less than one tenth (8.5%) understood
that web accessibility was complex. Interesting
that only few per cent (3.4%) thought web
Do not know
web
accessibility was meaningless. Participants
accessibility who indicated their own reasons were quite
67%
positive for example ‘it is very interesting to
learn more but depending on time consuming

6. and opportunity’.
The survey also included questions asked what 5) CONCLUSION
will be the possible way to deliver knowledge
on web accessibility for e-Learning to web In conclusion, integrate web accessibility
administrator. Referring to Table 1, the most implementation will surely enhance quality of
interesting option was a training follow by on- e-Learning and benefit to students with
line self learning and onsite training plus help disabilities not only in Thailand but also other
center (34.7, 33.9 and 21.2 % respectively). developing countries where similar situation
Less than one tenth (8.5%) preferred to attend occurred. However, many projects and
seminar and workshop. These reasons reflected supported policies might not enough since it is
that web accessibility knowledge in Thailand still in the early stage and lack of reliable data.
was need and it should be provided in the Additionally, features of people with
blended mode which included both traditional disabilities, types of disability and the usage of
training and on-line training. web accessibility for e-Learning in Thailand
were not clear. This paper has been reported an
Table 1: Delivery web accessibility method on-line survey result of Thai web administrator
Options Percentage who working for e-Learning projects. The
A training 34.7 finding indicated that knowledge of e-Learning
On-line self learning 33.9 production teams which included web
Onsite training plus help center 21.2
Seminar and workshop 8.5
administrators, instructional designers affect
directly to integrate web accessibility to
All web administrators have been asked to enhance the quality of e-Learning. The
indicate the factors that most influence to use distribution of web accessibility training in
web accessibility guideline to produce e- both traditional and on-line method was the
Learning projects in future. This question was a most important need to be considered. The
five-scale-rating. It has been found that the connection between knowledge and attitudes of
most influence factors was a moral support e-Learning production teams will play the
toward students with special need since society significant role to expand better qualify of e-
should not ignore students with disability (3.8 Learning.
out of 5), and follow by commercial concern
since it will extend more opportunity (3.6 out REFERENCES
of 5). Then, the last influence was legal issue
with punishment (2.9 out of 5).
The last question on the survey was the open-
ended question. The answer of the open-ended
question can be categorized into three main
groups;
• There is a high demand of training in web
accessibility for e-Learning
• Students with disabilities have a right equal
to all
• On-line information of web accessibility
should be developed and distributed.
This should be implied that web accessibility
for e-Learning was needed and should get
support from both public and private sectors in
Thailand. The implementation will be very
useful to students with disability in Thailand.