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Building an Accessibility Initiative: A Case Study from The University of Oklahoma

Proposal No: 204

Bios & Handouts

Speaker(s)

Disability Area:          


Topic Area:                


Length of Session (in hours): 1Format: Lecture Expertise Level: Not providedType of session: General Conference

Summary of Session

I will discuss my experiences as a new accessibility professional who wanted to lead an accessibility initiative 2.5 years ago. We will talk about learning the trade, reaching out around campus, shaping your message and some aspects of implementing a plan on campus.

Abstract

Now is the time to lead your campus to accessibility. Recent legal action has primed university administrators to be receptive to accessibility professionals. Faculty and staff listen if the message is right. There are pockets of people throughout institutions that are passionate about accessibility. The difficulty is often tailoring your message to different audiences, figuring out who needs to be on board and sometimes how to get them there. This session will walk through the accessibility initiative at The University of Oklahoma as it has grown over the past 2.5 years. Even if you are brand new to accessibility, you can still spearhead an effort if you are willing to take steps to find your voice, engage others on campus and, craft your message and find or create force multipliers to help you implement your plans.

Kepoints

Speaker Bio(s)

Rob Carr

Rob Carr, CPACC, is the Web Accessibility Manager at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Rob provides expert guidance to the UAB University Relations team with respect to accessibility in design and development. He also collaborates with groups across campus, working toward a comprehensive and sustainable digital accessibility program. Before working at UAB, Rob led Oklahoma ABLE Tech’s technology accessibility program. There he worked with state agencies and higher education institutions across Oklahoma. Rob has also spoken about and trained on technology accessibility at events and conferences throughout the U.S., and even once in Canada. Rob still calls Oklahoma home with his wife, 2 boys, dog, and cat.

Handout(s)