Braille Institute is a century-old organization dedicated to serving individuals experiencing vision loss. With a focus on accessibility and engagement, Braille Institute seeks to empower its diverse user base across seven centers in Southern California. By integrating Canvas LMS into its educational framework, Braille Institute provides inclusive learning experiences that bridge gaps and celebrate the unique needs of its vibrant community.
The Challenge
Braille Institute recognized the need to engage remote users while ensuring accessibility for individuals with varying degrees of vision loss. Initially tackling the challenge with resourcefulness akin to MacGyver, they leveraged existing tools like Teams while keeping their audience’s technical limitations in mind.
Noting participants from diverse time zones and countries, they realized the significance of providing self-paced learning beyond Braille Institute’s local Southern California area, enabling individuals to access materials conveniently, regardless of schedule or location. This experience highlighted the permanence of remote engagement, prompting the search for a more sustainable solution and leading to adopting an LMS.
Key Insights
Braille Institute prioritizes accessibility in education, especially for visually impaired individuals, which led them to choose Canvas LMS for its robust accessibility framework.
Users appreciate Canvas’ flexibility in accommodating diverse learning styles, with features like the immersive reader and customizable text formats.
With Canvas' flexibility and focus on accessibility, Braille Institute is excited for future developments that could further improve content delivery for those they serve.
The Solution
Braille Institute’s decision to embrace Canvas LMS stemmed from a thorough evaluation of its features and alignment with organizational objectives. Canvas’s robust accessibility framework, coupled with ongoing enhancements, positioned it as the optimal platform for delivering inclusive educational content.
“When we started researching different learning management systems, we found that Canvas was the only organization that we talked to that has a dedicated team of accessibility engineers and is continually being improved each year,” said Erin Schalk, Educational Programs Lead.
Canvas is much more user-friendly than many other learning management systems. And then, of course, Canvas has a reputation that once people move to Canvas, they never switch to a different LMS, and that reputation was a key component for us.
Erin Schalk,
Educational Programs Lead, Braille Institute
Accessibility First Approach
Recognizing the unique challenges faced by its students, Braille Institute implemented several key features of Canvas LMS, transforming how it delivers courses and interacts with learners.
A core requirement for Braille Institute was ensuring that all learning materials and courses were fully accessible. Canvas LMS’s inherent accessibility features, including screen reader support and keyboard navigation, were pivotal. Additionally, Braille Institute utilized the platform’s flexibility to incorporate specialized software and tools tailored for visually impaired users, making navigation and coursework seamless for every learner.
“With Canvas, we can be intentional about presenting information in a way accessible to someone who’s blind or someone who’s low vision, but only peripheral vision, or someone who’s low vision, but only sees central vision,” said Schalk.
“With Canvas, the flexibility is incredible. I can enhance videos with audio descriptions and captions, format text into large print, and provide human narration for a more engaging experience. The immersive reader feature allows users to listen to content and translate it into their preferred language. This adaptability addresses the diverse needs of our learners, which can often be a challenge.”
Customized, Remote Learning Paths
Understanding the unique learning journeys of individuals, particularly among visually impaired students, Braille Institute leveraged Canvas LMS to develop personalized learning paths. This innovative approach enabled instructors to tailor course materials and assessments, creating a more inclusive and personalized learning environment.
Moreover, Braille Institute is now empowered to connect with learners on their own terms without being limited by accessibility barriers, including location and transportation.
“We did a recent survey of our students, and they mentioned transportation as a barrier to accessing our services,” said Phillip Reeves, Director of Client Experience. “Canvas is going to allow us to, more than anything, reach people at a point in time of their choosing and be instrumental in maximizing engagement and growth, allowing us to reach our goals.”
The Results
Looking ahead, Braille Institute plans to leverage the success of Canvas LMS to explore new growth opportunities and continue enhancing its educational offerings. The Institute is keen on maintaining and building upon the sense of community it has fostered among its learners. Through the continued partnership with Canvas, Braille Institute envisions further innovations in accessibility and learning outcomes, underscoring its commitment to excellence in education for individuals experiencing vision loss.
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