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Keynote: Accessibility is a Journey, Not a Destination

Bree Callahan, ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, University of Washington

September 26, 2023 marks the 50th Anniversary of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Like any milestone birthday, there is a period of reflection about our younger years and perceptions of the eras we matured through, while also looking ahead and wondering where our next adventures await. On Section 504’s golden birthday, we honor the political and societal trials it endured as it challenged the perceptions of ability/disability, while also establishing a career of innovation and evolution of accessibility practices that have become part of our institutional fabric and systems. However, we also reside in a state of collective curiosity about what awaits us in the work and how to deepen a connection to inclusion and belonging in our campus communities. Come explore our past of revolution and regulation connected to our current state of transformation to explore where our accessibility journey will take us next.


The Role of Collaborative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies for Document Accessibility

Vijayshree Vethantham, Senior Vice-President, Growth & Strategy, Continual Engine US LLC
Sean Poley, Director of Accessible Technology, Miami University

PREP is a robust and intuitive solution for document remediation. It is designed to make document remediation intuitive, quick, and easily scalable. PREP reduces the time required to make complex documents accessible by limiting the need for manual decision-making during the remediation process, especially for complex STEM content, tables, and lists. Come learn about our recent pilot of PREP and our plans for implementing this tool at Miami.


Exploring Ableism, Inspiration Porn, and Disability Microaggressions

Annastashia Blesi, Assistant Director, The Miller Center for Student Disability Services, Miami University

In an increasingly diverse and inclusive world, it is essential to understand and address the various forms of discrimination and bias that persist. This workshop provides an opportunity to delve into critical topics related to disability awareness and advocacy.

Key Takeaways:

  • Enhanced awareness of ableism and its manifestations in society.
  • A critical perspective on inspiration porn and how to promote genuine support for disabled individuals.
  • Practical tools for identifying and addressing disability microaggressions.
  • Insights into becoming effective allies for disability inclusion.

Web Accessibility 101

Laura Fathauer, Senior Web Accessibility Specialist, Miami University

This session will cover basics of web accessibility, including keyboard accessibility, structuring content, supporting text adjustments, color and color contrast, and more. The accessibility testing tool Level Access will be demonstrated, which is available to Miami University. This session will also review the training courses available through Level Access AMP.


Get Your Gauges Up with Ally: Because Accessible Content is Better Content

Cyndi Govreau, Instructional Design & Technology Specialist, Miami Online
Eliza Quinn-Alger, Accessible Technology Coordinator, Miami University

Improve the accessibility of your course content. Anthology Ally works seamlessly with Canvas to gauge the accessibility of your course content. Ally provides guidance and tips for lasting improvements to your content accessibility.

  • Receive feedback on the accessibility of your content
  • Improve content accessibility with Ally's step-by-step instructions

In addition to providing you with insight into your content accessibility, Ally automatically creates alternative versions of your files.


Multi-Line Braille: A Refreshing Era in STEM Accessibility

Greg Williams Ph.D.

Come learn about advances in STEM access both for written and lab content. We will discuss methods of converting STEM material. I will demonstrate the Cadence Braille Tablet and discuss some ongoing projects exploring its application to STEM. There will be opportunity to experience dynamic tactile images first-hand and possibly more bad puns.


Creating Accessible Branding Materials

Courtney O'Banion, Director of Digital Marketing, Miami University
John Rizzo, Director of Creative Services, Miami University
Jessica Rea, Director of Web Marketing, Miami University

Creating communications materials that are in brand and accessible is essential to ensure that all users can access and fully experience the content acrossthe array of marketing channels while building positive relationships with the Miami brand. This session will review common methods to create accessible print, social, and web content.


Newsletter Accessibility

Laura Fathauer, Senior Web Accessibility Specialist, Miami University
Polly Heinkel, Web Communications Specialist, Miami University

This session will provide best practices for making your e-newsletters accessible! We'll cover accessibility considerations for images and text and review the accessibility support in newsletter services like Emma. If e-newsletters didn't have images, they would just be email; so this session will include creating appropriate text alternatives for images in your e-newsletters.


Disabili-Tea

Students with Disabilities Advisory Council (SDAC), Miami University

Disabili-Tea, one of our signature initiatives, is a panel-style event designed to allow students with disabilities to share their Miami experience with faculty, staff, and students. This event strives to establish open lines of communication between disabled students and the Miami community by encouraging community members to ask questions and learn more about the student experience of disability. Those who have attended in the past have found Disabili-Tea to be an eye-opening hour and we hope you have the same experience!


Miami University is committed to providing an inclusive and equitable event experience. If you need disability related accommodations (e.g. interpreter, captioning, materials in an accessible format) to facilitate full participation please contact the Miller Center by phone at 513-529-1541, Ohio Relay 711 or SDS@MiamiOH.edu at least three business days prior to the event.

Contact AccessMU Center

316 Shriver Center
701 E. Spring St.
Oxford, OH 45056