Web Accessibility: Trick or Treat?

As a part of “The Year of Accessibility”, the Online Learning Consortium and WCET continue to collaborate 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. And it has been an exercise fraught with angst and terror. 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 will share their tricks, tips and strategies for making accessibility a treat, and a little less scary.

The webinar format will be a 45 minute panel presentation with 15 minutes for Q & A at the end of the hour.

We encourage webinar registrants to complete a pre-webinar survey before the event so that we can learn more about our attendees. Please complete the 2-minute survey as soon as you have registered for the event.

 

Speaker Bio

Event banner

 

Adam Nemeroff is a Learning Designer in the Learning Design and Technology group at Dartmouth College. He works with faculty across the undergraduate Arts and Sciences to advance their teaching and technology needs. Adam works on a variety of projects across institutional initiatives for digital learning, experiential learning, large course redesign, and issues of accessibility and inclusion. Two years ago, Adam was one of the founding members of a cross-department team named Team Access. The group charged itself to improve access and inclusion in undergraduate courses and learning environments and our work and collaborations continue today. Before Dartmouth, Adam worked on online learning projects at the University of Connecticut. He received his B.A. in History, B.S. in Secondary Social Studies Teaching, and M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction, all from the University of Connecticut.

 

Tina Rettler-Pagel serves as a Faculty member and Director of Online Learning/Chief Online Learning Officer at Madison College, in Madison, Wisconsin. Tina also serves as one of the college’s Quality Matters (QM) Coordinators, as QM Master Reviewer, and QM online facilitator. Tina holds a B.S in Education with an emphasis on Emotional Disabilities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.S. in Administrative Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is currently working on a Student Affairs Administration Doctorate through the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Additionally, Tina has completed an Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Teaching Certificate, as well as OLC’s Institute for Engaged Leadership in Online Learning (IELOL) in 2017. Her research interests include factors that influence retention and persistence in the online classroom, women in higher education leadership and governance, digital equity, and community college approaches to teaching and learning.

 

Kate M. Sonka is the Assistant Director of Academic Technology at the College of Arts & Letters (CAL) at Michigan State University (MSU). She is especially interested in how technology and experiential learning intersect through both accessibility and study-abroad programs. Ms. Sonka improves teaching and learning with technology through course design and support, experiential learning, and training and mentorship for faculty members and students. She has helped guide remediation efforts per the MSU Web Accessibility Policy, developed a 5-year plan for CAL to address accessibility within the College, mentored undergraduate and graduate students in accessibility work, presented at national accessibility conferences, is a leading member of Teach Access, and has consulted with the U.S. Department of Labor on hiring persons with disabilities. Kate is the founder and Director of the Accessible Learning Conference (ALC) at Michigan State University.

 

Torie Wynn has worked as an instructional designer since 2015. Before coming to UMKC as an Instructional Designer III, she served as Senior Instructional Designer at Wichita State University where she transformed the instructional design training model used at WSU while supporting faculty, staff, and students with online programs, Blackboard assistance, and accessibility. Torie has also worked as an Instructional Design and Video Consultant for various institutions including St. Mary’s College of California, Ft. Scott Community College, and KU Med. Torie has taught online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses in Social Media, Business Writing, Composition, and American Literature. Torie is a Quality Matters Master Reviewer and holds both BA and MA in English Language and Literature from WSU. She is passionate about creativity in course design and training resources. She has an Online Teaching Certificate from the OLC Institute for Professional Development.

 

Moderator:
Kelly Hermann is the vice president for accessibility strategy at the University of Phoenix. Hermann oversees services to students with disabilities and guides accessibility initiatives to ensure all students with disabilities are granted equal access to the University’s programs and activities. She chairs the special interest group on online learning and distance education for the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and frequently presents on the topic for AHEAD, OLC, and other national organizations.