Advancing our Holistic Accessibility Plan at Penn State

Handouts

Presented at 3:30pm in Colorado G-H on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

Speaker(s)

• Binky Lush, Manager, Discovery, Access and Web Services, Penn State University Libraries
• Philip Voorhees, Manager, IT Accessibility Tea, Penn State University

Session Details

• Length of Session: 1-hr
• Format: Lecture
• Expertise Level: Beginner
• Type of session: General Conference

Summary

At Penn State University, our Accessibility Leadership Coordinating Group has developed a 5-year holistic plan to strategically address accessibility with a common University vision. In this session, we’ll talk about where we are two years into the plan, what’s been accomplished, and our successes and failures along the way.

Abstract

In 2019, we formed the Penn State Accessibility Leadership Coordinating Group, a group of accessibility leaders representing important areas of effort across the University. Our first objective was to develop a five-phase holistic accessibility plan to implement a mature and strategic accessibility model at Penn State to guide our approach to accessibility across all 24 campuses.

Now, two years into the holistic plan, we can reflect on where our work stands, our big successes, and the many, many challenges we’ve faced. In spite of changes in leadership and large budget constraints, Penn State is continuing to move towards coordinated accessibility efforts across the University. We’ll share specifics about our progress, what we’ve learned in the process and how we’ve had to course correct to keep on track.

Keypoints

1. Accessibility Leadership coordination is critical at a large University.
2. It is important to have a strategic, holistic, long-term plan for accessibility at a large institution.
3. A strategic plan for accessibility needs support from University administration.

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Administrative/Campus Policy, Legal, Procurement, Uncategorized, Universal Design for Learning, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Binky Lush

Binky Lush is the Manager of Discovery Access and Web Services for the Penn State University Libraries in University Park, PA. She leads a number of teams in the Libraries focusing on enhancing the Libraries’ web site and discovery platforms to ensure an engaging, accessible, and user-centered search and discovery experience.

Philip Voorhees

Highly effective professional with 23 years of success bridging the access gap by developing and/or implementing accessibility policy and plans for digital access, instructional access, employee access, communications access and accommodation processes in higher education. Manager, Penn State IT Accessibility Team serving the University’s Accessibility consulting, training, and testing needs. Author, Penn State accessibility policy and procedures. Co-Chair, Penn State Accessibility Leadership Coordinating Group. Co-Chair, Penn State Web Liaisons Group. Past President, Tennessee Association on Higher Education and Disabilities.

Handout(s)

• Advancing our Holistic Accessibility Plan at Penn State