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Campus-wide Development and Practices of an Independent Accessible Technology Office

Handouts

Presented at 11:45am in Plaza Court 4 on Friday, November 19, 2021.

#34508

Speaker(s)

  • Allyson Bartley, Accessible Content Specialist, CSU, Chico
  • Brandy Cervantes, Instructional Support Assistant, CSU, Chico

Session Details

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

Summary

Participants in this session will learn our approach and strategy in creating a stand-alone accessible technology team. We will share promising practices and resources that have contributed to our growth, as well as trials and tribulations along the way.

Abstract

How do you develop an independent accessible technology office?

The Office of Accessible Technology and Services (OATS) at Chico State serves as an independent office working in collaboration with the Accessibility Resource Center. Typically, offices related to content remediation, accessible technology, and overall inclusive learning tend to live in disability support service areas. This approach is what makes OATS unique. Our mission is to implement campus-wide UDL best practices through the use of accessible technology with a goal to create inclusive content for users of all abilities. Over the last 8 years, through outreach, multiple project management approaches, and education, OATS has elevated the overall campus awareness of accessibility and universal learning. During this period, the OATS office has grown from 4 student employees to 3 staff members and 17 student employees.

OATS acts as a multifaceted department with a number of strategic priorities. One essential priority, similar to other campus’s disability service offices, is to produce alternative media accommodations for students with disabilities. Alongside this service, OATS has expanded outward and created numerous partnerships with Web Services, Technology Learning Program (Faculty LMS Support), and the department of Student Affairs to ensure accessibility of course materials, website content, video captioning, and much more.

Keypoints

  1. Campus relationships and outreach are essential to sustaining the needs of an accessible technology office
  2. Organization and project management should be adaptable to cater to each unique goal
  3. A strong team of student assistants will support a large outreach effort to promote accessible content

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Alternate Format, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Allyson Bartley

Allyson Bartley is the Accessible Content Specialist at the Office of Accessible Technology and Services of Chico State. Her career in accessible technology began as a Digital Content Assistant during her undergrad in 2015. After graduating with a BA in English Education and a minor in Linguistics, she began a full-time staff position as the Alternate Media Coordinator in 2017. As of 2020 she is now the Accessible Content Specialist who oversees 17 Student Assistants, 1 staff member, and supports over 500 students with disabilities. She is an Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) Committee member and provides direct support for the Student Affairs Technology Coordinator.

Brandy Cervantes

Brandy Cervantes is the Instructional Support Assistant (II) at the Office of Accessible Technology and Services of Chico State. She originally started her career in accessible technology as a Digital Content Assistant in OATS during her undergrad. Brandy assisted with content remediation and captioning services, which evolved into being the main content remediator, overlooking the ticketing workflow, and training incoming student assistants on remediation efforts.

Handout(s)