204 Build a Team of Online Accessibility Activists
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Monday, November 7
Tracks: Practices
You know it’s crucial to ensure all students can participate in a course with online or digital content, but “online accessibility” seems vague and complicated and you’re not sure where to start. Maybe you’ve scanned the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) but can’t figure out how to apply these concepts to your learning content. As a leader, you want to start a positive shift in your organization by championing online accessibility. Whatever your role, capacity, and budget, there’s a place to start and easy action steps to chart your path, beginning with awareness and education and finally creating plan to start an online accessibility revolution at your institution.
In this session we will start with the big question: What is online accessibility? You will learn to obtain the resources needed to educate your teammates and continue your own learning. You will discover how following online accessibility practices benefits all learners and institutions—and how online accessibility translates to online and digital course content. We will apply these concepts to real examples, like images and videos. We’ll discuss both free and paid tools that allow you to spot and remediate accessibility issues in your courses. Next, we’ll learn how to craft an online accessibility action plan to get your key stakeholders on board and continue to build a team of online accessibility advocates and designers who are excited to build content purposefully. Before you leave, you will learn how you can join professional communities around online accessibility to find and offer support in this exciting journey. You will return to your organization with knowledge and resources to start making strides in online accessibility, feeling confident that you can make a difference in making online learning journeys and content accessible to all!
In this session, you will learn:
- What online accessibility is and why it’s important for all learners
- Where to learn more about online accessibility and educate your team
- How to apply online accessibility to your online and digital course content
- Which tools (free and paid) can empower your team to help spot and remediate accessibility issues
- How to create an online accessibility action plan
Carli Williams
Global Curriculum & Instruction Online Learning Lead
at Generation: You Employed, Inc.
Carli Williams is the Global Curriculum & Instruction Online Learning Lead at Generation: You Employed, Inc. In this role she works with, advises, and trains curriculum and instruction team members to create online learning journeys that are accessible, engaging, innovative, and effective. Carli has seven years of experience working in global and international education, working previously with international programs of Miami University, University of Notre Dame, CIEE, and Butler University, and volunteering with the U.N. Academy of Somalia. Carli holds an MEd in international higher education from Loyola University Chicago and a BS in marketing from Miami University.