A University-wide strategy for Document Accessibility

Handouts Media

Presented at 11:30am in Virtual D on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

#38047

Speaker(s)

  • Shilpi Kapoor, CEO, 247 Accessible Documents

Session Details

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

Summary

Are you looking to make your university's training material, marketing collaterals and education content accessible to all stakeholders including students with disabilities?

Speaker will cover key components of a comprehensive strategy, including planning, thinking across departments, training people & on-demand remediation & legacy documents and accessibility of various file formats.

Gain knowledge & insights you need to create a more inclusive and accessible environment at your university

Abstract

Document accessibility has become a hot topic in higher education, as universities work to ensure that all stakeholders including students, educators, staff and parents including those with disabilities, have equal access to information and resources online.

Ensuring document accessibility is particularly important in higher education, where people with disabilities are protected by laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 & Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws require that universities provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

This presentation will focus on a university-wide strategy for document accessibility, covering key areas: planning, embedding the strategy across all departments, training people, and implementation by providing remediation on-demand & for legacy documents. The presenter will offer guidance on how to provide on-demand remediation for inaccessible documents and how to address legacy documents that may not meet accessibility standards.

Additionally, the presentation will offer guidance on best practices for ensuring accessibility of various formats, including SCORM, Articulate Rise and Storyline Courses, epub, PPT, PDF, Word, and other file formats.

This presentation will focus on the importance of document accessibility in higher education, as well as strategies & best practices for improving accessibility. Discussion would include:

  1. Understand the importance of document accessibility for creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment in higher education.
  2. Recognize common barriers that inaccessible documents can create for students with disabilities.
  3. Understand legal requirements that universities must adhere to in providing equal access to educational resources.
  4. Develop an action plan for implementing a comprehensive strategy for document accessibility in your universities.

Keypoints

  1. Documents must be made available in accessible formats for all students with disabilities.
  2. Documents must be tested for conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
  3. Universities establish policies and guidelines for document accessibility, which are regularly reviewed

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Accessible Educational Materials, Alternate Format, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Shilpi Kapoor

A serial entrepreneur with a passion for technology and disability, Shilpi Kapoor is the founder of BarrierBreak & 247 Accessible Documents that focus on digital accessibility. With a team of 240+ accessibility experts and 65% of them having a disability, she has grown this to scale. An accessibility evangelist, Shilpi is looking for ways to make digital accessibility a priority! She has been recognized as one of the Top 15 Women Transforming India by Niti Aayog 2019 and as one of the Top 20 Most Powerful Women in Business in India for the year 2017 by Business Today magazine. An Ashoka Fellow and a recipient of “NCPEDP – Shell Helen Keller Award 2008” – Non-disabled role model supporter of increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities, she has successfully built a sustainable business model in disability products and services.

Handout(s)