A range of accessibility improvements in Blackboard Learn Release 9.1 enable blind users to more effectively interact with the platform, creating greater opportunities for students and learners to engage in the education and course experience. The improvements include faster navigation and better form interaction for blind users that make it easier to submit assignments, participate in discussion forums, submit responses to tests, upload files, create content, and more.

In addition to the certification, Blackboard was awarded the NFB's Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award for "groundbreaking work in accessibility". In recognition of the award, presented at the NFB 2010 Convention, Blackboard launched the Blackboard Accessibility Grant to support further work to enable education for students with disabilities. The new program is supported by the $10,000 Bolotin Award and a $15,000 match from Blackboard, creating five separate grants to fund projects that help further access to education for students with disabilities.

As part of its accessibility efforts, Blackboard product development staff meets regularly with an active community of users, the Blackboard Accessibility Interest Group, to incorporate feedback into the product development cycle. The Company also works with this group and several client partners to develop and share resources on supporting more accessible implementations and courses.

The NFB Nonvisual Accessibility Web Certification Program connects website and application developers with leading experts on blindness and accessibility to ensure that their Internet sites or applications are fully accessible to and usable by blind people employing screen access software. Applicants go through a rigorous evaluation and testing procedure and work with a web-accessibility consultant (WAC) to address any accessibility issues discovered during the evaluation. They are subsequently monitored continuously to ensure that they remain compliant with certification criteria.

"We're committed to ensuring our platform is accessible and engaging for all users, whether they use a keyboard, mouse, or screen reader", says Jessica Finnefrock, Senior Vice President of Product Development at Blackboard. "With the help of a passionate group of client advisors, we've enhanced our development process to ensure that everything we build and test supports assistive technologies. We've created companion training materials to ensure our clients have the tools they need to support their users in developing engaging, accessible online courses."