Building a Culture of Accessibility through A11y Idaho’s Community of Practice

Handouts

Presented at 9:00 am in Colorado G-H on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

Speaker(s)

• Laurie Berry, Senior Instructional Designer, University of Idaho
• Sukha Worob, Senior Instructional Designer, University of Idaho

Session Details

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

Summary

A11y Idaho is a statewide community of practice supporting accessible content through collaboration, peer dialogue, and guided training. This session highlights how the initiative brings together educators, instructional designers, and accessibility experts to address accessibility from legal, instructional, and cultural perspectives. Learn how persistent advocacy, open communication, and everyday actions can influence organizational culture and embed accessibility into the work we do.

Abstract

Creating accessible content isn’t just a technical requirement—it’s a cultural shift. A11y Idaho is a statewide initiative designed to foster a community of practice (CoP) that brings together educators, instructional designers, and accessibility experts to share best practices and offer support for developing accessible materials. This session explores how A11y Idaho has built and sustained engagement through peer support, collaboration, real-world application, and guided training.

Our CoP brings together professionals across sectors to tackle accessibility from the legal and instructional perspectives. We’ll share how the CoP supports accessible course design, inclusive instructional development, and ongoing professional growth. A11y Idaho addresses both the compliance side and the human side of accessibility to create the best user experience. Recognizing that meaningful change happens when individuals feel seen and heard, the CoP provides the space to share challenges and frustrations while also learning how to sustain progress, even when the work feels uphill. Through this open dialogue, the community validates experiences, supports persistence, and offers actionable strategies for change.

This session will highlight ways to get institutional buy-in, maintain momentum, and weave accessibility into the fabric of common, everyday practices. We’ll also share how persistent effort—through advocacy, modeling, and celebrating small wins—can shift organizational culture. Attendees will gain practical ideas for integrating accessibility into instructional design, curriculum development, and professional training—all while navigating today’s complex legal landscape.

Whether you're just beginning your accessibility journey or leading systemic change, A11y Idaho offers a replicable model rooted in community, persistence, and shared learning.

Keypoints

1. Build and sustain a community of practice that supports continuous learning and advocacy.
2. Facilitate meaningful conversations about accessibility that center both compliance and user experience.
3. Integrate accessibility into course design, instructional practices, and professional development.

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Accessibility and Accommodation in the Current Political/Legal Environment, Accessible Course Design, Assistive Technology, Faculty Development & Support, Teaching about Accessibility in Curriculum, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Laurie Berry

Laurie Berry is a senior instructional designer with extensive experience working in higher education, specializing in the design and development of online learning materials. She is passionate about accessibility and works to ensure that learning environments are inclusive and equitable for all. Her interests focus on learner motivation and engagement as well as exploring strategies to foster meaningful and effective learning experiences. She has published a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Online Learning on using role-play in online discussions to promote critical thinking and student engagement. Laurie has presented at local and national conferences on the topics of accessibility, course design, learner engagement, and diversity, equity, & inclusion.

Sukha Worob

Sukha Worob is a senior instructional designer with a focus on accessibility. Sukha comes from a fine art, graphic design and education background. His interest lies in the creation of content that blends form and function in an effort to provide the best user experience to the broadest audience. In recent years Sukha has presented at AUCD and given numerous workshops and lectures on accessible content creation to partners around the state of Idaho.

Handout(s)

• Building a Culture of Accessibility - A11y Idaho Community of Practice