Hypothesis is an open-source annotation platform and browser extension that adds a conversation layer to (almost) the entire Internet. If you are teaching texts from a variety of different Internet sources, Hypothes.is offers a continuity of engagement and conversation across disparate environments.
Publishing Platforms with Social Annotations:
Some digital publishing platforms, like Manifold, have built-in annotation tools that allow professors to create private or public groups to comment on texts within the Manifold environment. These built-in tools are particularly useful if students do most of their reading in that environment or if they are building toward a publication project in that environment.
Collaborative annotation tools, sometimes called social annotation tools, offer a way for students to interact with a text, with a professor, with each other, and (in some cases) with a public audience. By incorporating these tools into low-stakes assignments, professors can model effective reading and annotating strategies, and students can:
The latest external review of Hypothesis functionality by the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) concluded that the annotation client meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA Success Criteria set out by the W3C in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. You can access the most recent Hypothesis accessibility conformance status in the latest Voluntary Product Accessibility Template. You can read more about Hypothesis's efforts toward greater inclusivity and accessibility in the public statement on Accessibility at Hypothesis.
Manifold Press is a distributed software, and accessibility compliance can vary from instance to instance. However, the application is itself accessible and can render standards-compliant accessibility frameworks and metadata to assistive technology in the expected ways. You can learn more about Manifold's progress toward WCAG 2.1 AA compliance in the Accessibility statement on Manifold's Github repository.