Presented at 9:00am in Colorado G-H on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
#39767Speaker(s)
- Christa Miller
- Dawn Hunziker, Associate Director, University of Arizona
Session Details
- Length of Session: 3-hr
- Format: Panel
- Expertise Level: Expert
- Type of session: Pre-conference
Summary
With the closure of Access Text Network (ATN), many seasoned professionals need to refresh their knowledge of applicable laws, best practices on creation, and methods of acquiring alternative format (alt format). This half-day pre-conference focuses on just-in-time information for offices looking for a rapid review of what to know about making and creating alt format.
Abstract
Many advancements in the law and technology have made it possible to streamline the creation and acquisition of alt formats for students with print disabilities. The loss of ATN as a consolidated resource for acquiring textbooks is forcing institutions to re-examine their processes. Despite this the community of experts continues to stand in the gap to minimize the impact to students with print disabilities. If your alt format process needs a refresh, this session is for you.
During this interactive discussion the presenters will showcase: 1) The historical/legal context of alt format, 2) Tools for manual creation of alt format (chop, scan, tag, and deliver), 3) Automated tools for alt format, 4) Preferred file format discussion (RTF, DOC, PDF, EPUB, BRF, etc), and 5) Best practices for working with publishers.
Attendees should plan for a lively discussion of the merits and drawbacks of various approaches to providing alt format.
Keypoints
- It's time to refresh our knowledge of go-to resources for acquiring alternative format.
- Taking advantage of the ATN service shut down can be an opportunity for innovation.
- Print-based disabilities are not going away and neither is alternative format.
Disability Areas
Cognitive/Learning, Vision
Topic Areas
Alternate Format, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Christa Miller
Christa H. Miller is an accessibility professional, engineer, and educator whose work connects technical implementation with disability inclusion and civil rights compliance. She serves as co-chair of the Accessing Higher Ground conference planning committee and is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC). She currently works as an accessibility analyst at Virginia Tech, where she evaluates websites, web applications, software, and documents; reviews vendor accessibility conformance reports; and collaborates with stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and remediate accessibility barriers.
Christa holds a master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, with a concentration in Human Factors, and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Her engineering background leads her to rely on a practical, systems-oriented approach to accessibility. She considers both if a product meets technical standards and how accessibility is incorporated into the larger system (i.e., institutional processes, procurement, instructional practices, content creation, and ongoing maintenance).
Over more than 20 year in higher education, Christa's multifacted experience covers everything from transcribing Braille to strategic leadership in disability inclusion, which gives her a unique perspective on how to champion accessibility. Her early work in information technology included assistive technology management and Braille transcription. After transitioning to educational technologies, she focused on teaching professional development using Universal Design for Learning, strategic leadership of captioning initiatives and spearheading more robust support for document remediation. She expanded her knowledge through leadership in disability services under student affairs. Today, she's working under civil rights and enjoying a return to her earlier technical training by conducting web accessibility auditing. The culmination of these experiences is seen in her passion and deep understanding of the challenges to making science, technology, engineering, and math content accessible.
Christa is a regular presenter at Accessing Higher Ground and has contributed presentations and publications on topics including accessible professional development, inclusive communication, Braille and STEM content, PDF accessibility, captioning, and training others on accessibility. Her work and collaborations have also appeared as practice-oriented contributions in AHEAD’s Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability. Through conference leadership, professional development, consultation, and technical practice, she works to help institutions move beyond accessibility as a final compliance checkpoint and toward accessibility as an integrated, sustainable part of design and operations
Dawn Hunziker
Dawn collaborates with Disability Resource Center staff and the UA campus community around physical, digital, and event access which also includes alternate format production (e-text and captioning), and communication access (ASL Interpreting and CART Real-Time Captioning services).