Scaling Alternative Format Output: In-House vs. Vendor Support

Scheduled at 10:15 am in Mattie Silks on Friday, November 15.

Speaker(s)

• Rachel Comerford, Senior Accessibility Project Manager, Macmillan Learning
• Danae Harris, Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist, University of North Texas
• Ramya Karthikeyan, Alternative Format Specialist, UCLA Center for Accessible Education

Session Details

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

Summary

With the use of digital platforms and course materials on the rise, disability services offices are oversaturated with alternative format requests. Given the limited capacity of many disability services teams, there is an increasing need for scaling initiatives to satisfy student accommodation requests. This session will provide tangible tips and comparisons between scaling your in-house remediation efforts and building a strong partnership with an accessibility remediation vendor.

Abstract

Students often come to disability services staff with requests that are urgent. Often, exams are approaching, and a student needs an alternative format for their interactive online assignment by…yesterday. Given the rise in self-identification, more students with disabilities are requesting accommodations; thus, the demand for alternative format materials is rising.

In this presentation, we’ll compare the benefits of remediating educational materials in-house versus working with a remediation vendor.

1. Internal Remediation - Danae Harris, a Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist at a higher education institution in Texas supports faculty and staff to provide accessible materials for students. Danae will share tips and tools for scaling your remediation efforts in-house as the need for alternative format materials climbs.
2. Vendor Support - Deanna Ferrante, a Senior Accessibility Project Manager at an educational publisher supports students, faculty, and staff by managing accessibility and accommodation requests. Deanna will uncover how to build a successful partnership with a remediation vendor and how a remediation vendor supports Macmillan Learning’s customer service initiatives.

Don’t struggle to keep up with the needs of your students. Check out this session to learn about how you can scale your alternative format output.

Keypoints

1. Is your mighty disability services team struggling to keep up with the demand of alternative format requests?
2. Does your team have the resources to scale remediation initiatives in-house?
3. How can your team prepare for a successful partnership with a remediation vendor?

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Alternate Format, Faculty Development & Support, Procurement, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Rachel Comerford

Deanna Ferrante is a CPACC-certified Senior Accessibility Project Manager at Macmillan Learning. In her role, she delivers exceptional customer service to students, instructors, and disability/accessibility services offices. To better understand her customers' needs, she conducts UX research sessions aiming to create inclusive digital courseware experiences. With disability inclusion experience spanning higher education, non-profit, and financial services industries, Deanna is driven by a passion for ensuring access and inclusion for all. Outside of work, you can find her engaged in activities like training guide dogs or teaching group exercise classes.

Danae Harris

Danae Harris, a Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist at the University of North Texas brings 11 years of experience to her role. Danae has long prioritized accessibility for all learners. Before settling in Texas, she served as a Coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis in the Department of Sociology. Additionally, Danae has worked as a part-time Support Professional, aiding individuals with diverse disabilities. Danae has a proven ability to utilize academic resources effectively to meet the needs of students and faculty. She holds a master’s degree in Adult Learning and Higher Education from Northern Illinois University.

Ramya Karthikeyan

Ramya Karthikeyan is the Alternative Format Specialist at UCLA Center for Accessible Education.