Defining The Profession: Tomorrow's Accessibility Specialists

Presented at 2:15pm in Lakehouse on Thursday, November 16, 2017.

Speaker(s)

• Samantha Evans, Customer Experience Manager, AMAC Accessibility
• Christopher Lee, Director, AMAC Accessibility

Session Details

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

Summary

This session will discuss what accessibility specialists are, what they need to know (their training needs), their responsibilities in higher education organizations, and considerations when hiring them. Current state of higher education institutions in terms of accessible ICT will also be discussed.

Abstract

ICT Accessibility is a fast-growing area bringing the need for professionals who are knowledgeable and skilled about adoption and implementation of accessible technology, services, and content for people with disabilities. It is very important to define specific job responsibilities/roles for ICT accessibility to increase the quality and consistency of the work performed by accessibility professionals.

This session will provide a clear description of accessibility profession and required training for accessibility specialists to acquire necessary skills. How to position accessibility specialist in a higher education organization will also be discussed with providing examples from the globe. Finally, suggestions for employers who will be hiring an accessibility specialist will be provided.

Keypoints

1. Defining Accessibility Specialist as a profession
2. Required training and competence/licensure for Accessibility Specialist
3. Identifying qualified accessibility professionals to hire and positioning them in higher education institution

Disability Areas

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

Topic Areas

Administrative/Campus Policy, Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Samantha Evans

Sam is responsible for cultivating and maintaining current AMAC client relationships, marketing, as well as management of the IAAP certification process. A graduate of the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University with an MBA in Marketing, Sam began her non-profit career leading membership associations. Sam has spent her professional career helping non-profits and educational institutions develop strategies and tell their authentic and distinctive stories to build long-lasting relationships. Sam brings a background in certification, item question writing and item reviews to assist in IAAP's certification programs.

Christopher Lee

Dr. Christopher Lee serves as Department Head of AMAC Accessibility Solutions and Research Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this capacity, he oversees a wide range of educational initiatives, with emphasis on technology services, products and research. Dr. Lee has been an advocate and pioneer in promoting social justice and entrepreneurship to benefit humankind and to strive for sustainable social change in the field of disabilities. His work has centered on the innovation of new models and techniques to support the integration of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Accessibility in corporate, governmental and nonprofit entities. Responsible for securing millions of dollars to support social justice causes, Dr. Lee has raised the standard for others, thus promoting and emphasizing the importance of ensuring equal and timely access to services and products for individuals with disabilities.