Web Accessibility: Trick or Treat?
As a part of “The Year of Accessibility,” OLC and WCET collaborated to bring our communities resources on the topic of accessibility.
Since the Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights released the joint “Dear Colleague” letter regarding accessible ebook readers and other educational technology in 2010, colleges and universities have been scrambling to make sure that their online environments and activities are accessible; this process has been an exercise fraught with angst and terror. As of 2018, there are no federal regulations to guide efforts, and it feels like a giant guessing game with multiple right answers and no clear indication of what will protect the institution from a lawsuit or federal complaint. While all of these are true, there are answers and clear guidance that can help instructional designers and faculty ensure they are building accessibility into their online activities and web presence. This panel of “been there, done that” experts shared their tricks, tips, and strategies for making accessibility a treat, and a little less scary.
Speakers:
Adam Nemeroff
Learning Designer, Learning Design and Technology, Dartmouth College
Tina Rettler-Pagel
Faculty Member and Director of Online Learning/Chief Online Learning Officer, Madison College
Kate Sonka
Assistant Director of Academic Technology, College of Arts & Letters, Michigan State University
Torie Wynn
Instructional Designer III, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Moderator:
Kelly Hermann
VP, Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion, University of Phoenix