EIT Accessibility at Youngstown State University

Handouts Media

Presented at 8:00am in Waverly on Thursday, November 15, 2018.

Speaker(s)

• Thomas Madsen, Dr., Youngstown State University
• Gina McGranahan, Assistant Director of the Center for Student Progress Disability Services, Youngstown State University

Session Details

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

Summary

In this presentation we will share experiences in making electronic content at Youngstown State University more accessible.

Abstract

The issues with the lack of electronic accessibility on college campuses have been well documented. Efforts are currently underway to correct these deficiencies. In the fall of 2014 Youngstown State University was contacted by the Office of Civil Rights under the Department of Education because our online content was not accessible to people with disabilities. Since then we have come a long way in making our electronic content accessible. In this presentation, we will share our story, experiences and plans for the future. We will share the mistakes we made and what we believe we have done right. We do not claim to have a perfect solution, so we will also share the questions that we still have. We hope that our experiences might be beneficial to other schools and people looking in from outside. In particular we will discuss our study of accessibility of documents containing mathematical notation.

Keypoints

1. Sharing experiences
2. Creating policy
3. Accessibility of mathematics

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Administrative/Campus Policy, Alternate Format, Assistive Technology, Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Thomas Madsen

Thomas Madsen is an assistant professor of mathematics at Youngstown State University. Here he teaches a variety of course in mathematics ranging from Calculus to upper level courses for graduate students. Thomas currently serves on the university’s EIT Accessibility Committee where he provides a faculty voice. In particular he has done informal research in the accessibility of mathematics.

Gina McGranahan

Gina McGranahan is the Assistant Director of the Center for Student Progress Disability Services at Youngstown State University. She graduated from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education. During her career in education, she has worked with students of many age levels both with and without disabilities. Gina enjoys assisting students with disabilities in receiving the necessary accommodations they need to succeed in school and in life. Gina serves on the university’s EIT Accessibility Committee.

Handout(s)

• EIT Accessibility at Youngstown State University