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Developing Faculty Who are Accessibility Champions

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Presented at 2:15pm in Cotton Creek I on Thursday, November 16, 2017.

#9005

Speaker(s)

  • Christa Miller, Associate Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, Virginia Tech
  • Hal Brackett, Director of Accessibility and Universal Design, Virginia Tech

Session Details

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

Summary

How do you develop a lasting interest in accessibility among faculty? This session will explore lessons learned from using two different methods of professional development a cohort and a stand-alone workshop method to develop faculty who go forward and advocate for accessible design.

Abstract

We will address motivating faculty to make accessibility a priority and the messages that develop lasting commitment to inclusion by design. Although, accessible instructional materials and media are a legal mandate, many faculty avoid making instructional materials accessible until a student with a need enrolls. Some of the common reasons given are lack of: time, recognition, institutional policies, and promotion and tenure rewards.

Developing faculty who care and plan ahead--faculty who are intrinsically motivated to achieve accessibility in their classrooms--is not a one-step process. Such transformation only happens through interdepartmental partnerships designed to develop and support training on accessibility. It is not only the presence of training, but also how the training develops a community of practice that makes the difference. This must be combined with tangible short and long term benefits to Faculty (i.e, grants, equipment, awards and certificates). We will share the professional development materials and results from two different methods of professional development, a cohort and a stand-alone workshop method.

Keypoints

  1. Interdepartmental partnerships are key to promoting accessible practices.
  2. Faculty need short and long term benefits, rewards, and awards for adopting accessible practices.
  3. A support system or community of practice must exist to provide opportunities for continued growth.

Disability Areas

Cognitive/Learning

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Teaching about Accessibility in Curriculum, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Christa Miller

Christa Miller is currently the Associate Director for Services for Students with Disabilities at Virginia Tech (VT). She has a BS Electrical Engineering (2008) and MS Industrial Systems Engineering (2012) both from VT. She started working in VT's Assistive Technologies group in 2006 as a student employee teaching students how to use assistive and accessible technologies. From 2010 to 2015, she transcribed STEM materials into Braille, and then transitioned into teaching instructors to create accessible educational materials by design.

For the last several years, she's helped VT grow their digital accessibility footprint by helping to establish the centralized captioning fund, building up the campus' Accessibility Network, creating training on PDF accessibility, and leading cohorts of individuals preparing for the IAAP CPACC Certification.

Christa is an active member of regional and national disability and accessibility organizations (AHEAD in VA, AHEAD, ATHEN, and Accessing Higher Ground). When she has the opportunity, her research interests include accessibility in STEM courses and Universal Design for Learning.

Hal Brackett

Hal Brackett is the Director of Accessibility and Universal Design of Assistive Technologies at Virginia Tech. He provides AT accommodations to students referred to by the Services for Students with Disabilities and to university employees referred by the ADA Services. Hal provides one-on-one trainings to those referred and has expertise in crafting solutions for computer access and access to classroom equipment. He also presents faculty professional development workshops on creating teaching environments that are welcoming to all students.

Handout(s)

Media

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