Accessibility+ Toolkit for Moodle

Note: this guidance is for the current version of Moodle 4.3.6 

What is Brickfields?

Accessibility+ Toolkit is a plugin for Moodle that will help staff find and correct errors and issues in their Moodle content. Much in the same way as the Microsoft Office accessibility checker, it will scan your material and indicate where there are potential accessibility issues.

The Accessibility+ Toolkit will catch errors in six key areas: image, layout, link, media, table, and text. When clicking on the fix button, you can start to see the errors that have been found and the toolkit’s suggestion for fixing them. This will include the option to bulk fix some of the simpler errors such as unnecessary or outdated html codes that may have occurred from copy-pasting.

For a comprehensive guide on how to use the Toolkit, please follow Brickfield’s Teacher guide.

Accessibility+ Toolkit Training

There are two types of training available for using the Accessibility+ Toolkit - they're available for all staff who use Moodle for teaching and learning content:

Accessible Moodle content - by Learning Technology 

Learning Technology are running regular training sessions on how to use the Brickfield Accessibility+ Toolkit - these can be found on Central Short Courses, with dates running throughout the year - please sign up if you want to learn more. 

Brickfield training

Brickfield offer Accessibility+ Toolkit training every Monday at 4pm. Use your institutional email address to sign up and ensure that this email is registered to Zoom.

How to find the Accessibility+ Toolkit

The Accessibility+ Toolkit will be visible under the actions menu.

• First, on your module page, on the module navigation bar click on the “more” drop-down menu.

• Click on Brickfield Accessibility+ toolkit from this list.

Analysing your Module

• If the module has not been analysed by Brickfields yet, you will have to submit it for analysis. The modules might have already been submitted for analysis, and you can skip this step.

• After the course has been analysed return to the toolkit.
  

• The Accessibility+ Report should now show any errors or warnings that the course might have. 
  

Using the Toolkit

To start fixing errors or to view click on the icon to 'View' or 'Fix'.

Viewing Errors

• ‘View’ shown by the paragraph and list icon will show what error has been registered by the report.

• It will display some contextual information in HTML format. Clicking edit will take you to the place within the page where the error has been detected.

Bulk fixing wizard

‘Fix’ will bring up options for fixing within the accessibility checker.

• Not all errors will provide options to automatically fix en mass - check the view option in order to edit each individually.

• Some errors in your module might be automatically fixable via “bulk fixing”. A bulk fix view will appear on some of these errors, such as empty headings. It is advisable to check first if these errors are authentic, it is not advised to bulk-fix items which are not actually errors. If all errors can be bulk fixed, click submit for bulk fixing.

• Otherwise, the fix tool will present options to fix common accessibility problems.

Hiding incorrect errors in the Bulk Fix

Sometimes the bulk fix will identify something that is not necessary to Bulk Fix. 

This could be because:

• It might have identified a Module code as an improper use of Capital letters.

  • UNUK-AUT for instance in some older modules might be identified.

• It might have identified an emoticon where there is none.

  • Such as (Group B) or >3).

• It is not a real error, and Brickfield is mistaken.

If the wizard has incorrectly recognised an element that does not require correction, you can hide it from the bulk fixing wizards by selecting “Hide”. This will remove it from view inside the wizard, but it can be restored via the “Exceptions management tool” that Learning Technology can access.

Check guides for further information indicated by the little help button.

Protecting module codes using the hide tool. 

With the modular code - always use the Hide tool. Do not bulk fix this issue.

Once all errors have been fixed within the fixing tool, click submit Bulk Fixing.

How to apply the Accessibility+ Toolkit block

The Accessibility+ Review block is also available to be added. When added to a module it will be located on the right pane of the Moodle Course and will only be available to editing teachers. If it is not present in your module you can add it:

• First, on your module page, click on 'Turn editing on'.

• If not open, open the block draw using the “Open block drawer” button.

• The option to add the block in the right-hand pane will now be available.

• Now click on Accessibility+ Review to add the block to your module.

• You can move the block to where you wish on the module using the "arrows" icon – it will not be visible to students. Turn editing off when you have found where you want to place it.

• Now that the block is enabled, you can 'Submit for analysis.'

• After the course analysis has been completed, the review block will summarise the errors within a few minutes.

• If there are no accessibility errors: congratulations! However, this might indicate that you have very little or no content in the module and therefore no accessibility issues.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Toolkit

Can students see the accessibility+ toolkit, block or the heatmap?

No, the heatmap, the review block and the toolkit are only visible to editing teachers. Students will not be able to see any part of the toolkit. This toolkit is designed to be only available to module owners and category managers to improve accessibility.

Is there training for the toolkit available?

Yes, there is training specifically for the toolkit available to all university staff members. See the training page for more details.

My review shows that there are no errors?

If there are no accessibility errors: congratulations! However, this might indicate that you have very little or no content in the module and therefore no accessibility issues.

How do I enable the heatmap?

The heatmap is available by activating the block and clicking on the eye button to toggle it.

Teaching Guide from Brickfields

A teaching guide is available for the Accessibility+ Toolkit from Brickfields. 

Finally, take a (Nottingham Accessibility Practice) NAP!

The Accessibility+ Toolkit is like a spellchecker or the accessibility checker in Microsoft Office – it will catch errors held by Moodle. Files within Moodle will not be checked by the toolkit - the Accessibility+ Toolkit will only highlight issues within Moodle content. Follow the Nottingham Accessibility Practices as you create material and you will have fewer issues to report.