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Finding Our Place: Creating a Culture of Accessibility at the University of Texas at San Antonio

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Presented at 2:00pm in Virtual Room 1 on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

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Speaker(s)

  • RaLynn McGuire, Lead Accessibility / UDL Specialist , University of Texas at San Antonio
  • Vanessa Garza, Learning Experience Accessibility Specialist, University of Texas at San Antonio

Session Details

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

Summary

Can a university shift from a stand-alone accommodation model to a proactive approach to accessibility? This presentation will focus on the journey of creating the role of accessibility specialist, increasing campus-wide partnerships and visibility, gaining support for new initiatives, and creating an accessibility policy.

Abstract

Universities are struggling to find a way to address issues related to the digital accessibility of online course content. This presentation will examine the increased accessibility efforts at the University of Texas at San Antonio over the last 3 years and provide a look at our future plans. The presenters will discuss the university’s evolution to date, detailing a shift from a stand-alone accommodation model to a proactive approach to accessibility utilizing the Universal Design for Learning framework to create a more inclusive learning environment.

Keypoints

  1. History of our university’s approach to accessibility.
  2. Identification of areas of impact and gaps in current roles/resources.
  3. Creating partnerships to increase awareness, create policies, and creating a roadmap for the future.

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

RaLynn McGuire

RaLynn McGuire is a lecturer and the Lead Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning Specialist at her institution, where she partners with faculty to create accessible and engaging learning environments. With a foundation in K-12 teaching and deep experience in higher education, RaLynn is dedicated to advancing campus-wide accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) initiatives. She is currently completing her PhD, and her expertise is further informed by her active service on local and national boards and committees focused on accessibility in education. RaLynn is passionate about empowering educators, fostering inclusive practices, and sharing her lifelong love of learning.

Vanessa Garza

Vanessa worked as an educator, developer, and instruction designer before developing a passion for creating accessible content in higher education. Vanessa currently focuses on training and supporting faculty to create accessible content and promoting a culture of inclusive education.

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