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Learn how Elise Robinson from the Faculty of Health and the Inclusive Practices Team made ECGs accessible for a student with low vision.
Academic in focus
Elise Robinson, physiotherapy lecturer at the Graduate School of Health, aimed to enhance the visibility and clarity of ECGs in her course to better accommodate a student with low vision.
The access requirement
The student experiences vision loss and finds viewing ECGs challenging due to the small size and intricate details of the waves and grids.
The learning context
ECGs are used in the Week 9 Canvas module (lecture slides & simulation classes) for 96088 Acute Physiotherapy Care. The student is expected to recognise and analyse indicators of cardiac health, in order to determine the most effective treatment for the patient.
The solution
This solution was determined through collaboration with both the student and their Accessibility Consultant. It’s important to note that students with the same disability may have different access needs.
The team focused on making the ECGs tactile so the student could interpret the results by touch. The ECGs were printed on Swell paper using a Zyfuse machine, which raises the black or dark parts of the image. To make the ECGs clearer and easier to read, key parts were enlarged. Adobe Illustrator was utilised to outline over the waves and create grid lines/squares. Line width was varied between waves, grid lines and squares so the student could differentiate between the various elements. A short description of each ECG result was placed under the grid (e.g. ‘ST elevation’) in Size 40 text, to facilitate easy interpretation. Arrows were employed to pinpoint certain areas of interest, which were coloured in red to allow for contrast and clarity. The ECGs were tested with the student, and their feedback was used to improve future iterations.
Future considerations
Things to consider in general
Ask yourself if it’s truly necessary to use tactile paper (Discussing what pictures need Swell paper, this shouldn’t be a normal part of your teaching practice, if you think a student would benefit using Swell paper – engage in consultation with LX & Accessibility to determine if this is a suitable option). Is the tactile paper being used for a specific reason, such as providing details that alt text can’t fully convey?
What to consider when making enhancements for a student with low vision
When deciding whether to use tactile paper to support a student with low vision, start by asking the student if they are comfortable with this alternative. Consider whether the image can be made more accessible by converting it to black and white for improved contrast when printing. Next, assess the image for grid line size and the amount of white space available for clarity. Are there simpler versions of the image that could be used? For higher-quality images, can they be magnified up to 200%? Explore whether the image can be divided into sections or further magnified for easier viewing. If these adjustments still don’t enhance accessibility, think about whether a different type of activity might better suit the student’s needs. Lastly, consider the images used in your exams and assessments—do they meet the criteria discussed above?