15 Years After an OCR Suit: NC State University’s Accessibility Refresh

Media

Presented at 2:15pm in WB I on Wednesday, November 16, 2016.

#4582

Speaker(s)

  • Grey Reavis, University IT Accessibility Coordinator, NC State University
  • Rebecca Sitton, Assistive Technology Coordinator, NC State University

Session Details

  • Length of Session: 1-hr
  • Format:
  • Expertise Level: Not provided
  • Type of session: General Conference

Summary

In this session, we will provide a brief history of accessibility at NC State, including the OCR suit in 1999, and an overview of our current risk assessment process and the accessibility initiatives, including an update to the campus-wide accessibility policy and faculty training program, being developed to make accessibility more proactive.

Abstract

NC State University resolved a suit from OCR in 1999 (actually 17 years ago) that resulted in the creation of a campus-wide IT accessibility policy, an accessibility coordinator position, and other essential accessibility resources that were relevant at the time. A decade and a half later, we could easily fall behind in accessibility, but we are creating a proactive strategy to address the current risk areas on campus. In this session, we will provide a short overview of the history of accessibility at NC State, including the suit and major initiatives over the years, and we will show our risk assessment process and current initiatives, including an update to campus-wide accessibility policy and a faculty training program, to make accessibility a proactive priority on campus.

Keypoints

  1. Participants will consider how awareness of OCR suits influence campus climate and changes over time
  2. ...recognize the need for continuous assessment of accessibility climate and needs on campus
  3. ...Consider risk assessment options and goal setting on their campus

Disability Areas

Cognitive/Learning, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Mobility, Vision

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Administrative/Campus Policy, Legal, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Grey Reavis

Grey Reavis serves as the University IT Accessibility Coordinator at NC State University, where they oversee accessible technology, promote awareness of accessibility across campus, and establish policies and practices relating to the university’s IT systems, websites, and course materials. They create workshops for faculty and staff on accessibile IT and course materials, as well as Universal Design for Learning. They received their MA in English from the UNC at Greensboro in 2005 and taught face-to-face and online English and Humanities courses for over ten years. In addition, they served as an Instructional Technology Specialist in DELTA at NC State while completing their MEd in Instructional Technology. They have presented at ATHEN’s Accessing Higher Ground Conference, the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Conference, and a number of other higher ed conferences. Much of their time outside of work is devoted to their work as a beekeeper and mentor within the beekeeping community.

Rebecca Sitton

Rebecca Sitton, BS, ATP, RET is currently Assistant Director and Assistive Technology Coordinator at NC State University. She has 16 years of experience recommending technology accommodations for individuals with disabilities in Employment and Education as a Rehabilitation Engineer and Assistive Technologist. In the NC State Disability Services office, she provides technology matching and training for approximately 1500 students each semester. She provides alternate format and arranges all CART and interpreting services for students and also provides assistance and training to faculty, staff, and the university community on creating accessible content. She also serves as a Technology Consultant for Heyward and Associates. She has presented nationally at the Assistive Technology Industry Trade Association Conference and the Association on Higher Education and Disability Conference.