Scheduled at 1:45 pm in Penrose 1 on Wednesday, November 19.
#41150Speaker(s)
- Rachel Comerford, Senior Director of Accessibility Outreach and Communication, Macmillan Learning
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: Intermediate
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
With Title II updates emphasizing digital access, this session helps institutions assess media workflows, identify gaps, and implement strategies to ensure video accessibility. Through scenarios and discussion, attendees will explore best practices for captioning, audio description, and user experience, gaining actionable steps to future-proof content and stay compliant.
Abstract
As digital accessibility takes center stage with the recent updates to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), colleges and universities must adopt a proactive approach to video accessibility. This session is designed to help higher education professionals understand how to move beyond basic compliance and embed accessibility into the foundation of their media workflows. With video content playing a growing role in instruction, communication, and campus engagement, ensuring that all students—regardless of ability—can access and benefit from this content is more important than ever.
Rather than providing a line-by-line review of the new Title II requirements, this session focuses on practical implementation. Attendees will learn how to assess their current media workflows, identify accessibility gaps, and build scalable systems that include captioning, transcription, and audio description as default practices—not afterthoughts. The session will walk through real-world scenarios, including common roadblocks and solutions, and provide tools to help institutions future-proof their content strategies in the face of evolving legal expectations.
Participants will leave with a clear framework for creating sustainable video accessibility processes—from content creation and vendor partnerships to internal quality control and user experience enhancements. This session is ideal for accessibility leaders, IT teams, instructional designers, and compliance officers who are looking to drive systemic change and ensure their digital media supports a truly inclusive campus environment.
Keypoints
- Evolving ADA Title II rules demand intentional planning for accessible video across campus systems.
- Captioning, transcription, and audio description best practices are essential for inclusive video strategies.
- Scalable, inclusive video processes ensure long-term compliance and support all learners’ needs.
Disability Areas
Cognitive/Learning, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Vision
Topic Areas
Artificial Intelligence, Assistive Technology, Captioning/Transcription, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Rachel Comerford
Rachel Comerford is the Senior Director of Accessibility Outreach and Communication at Macmillan Learning where she leads cross-functional efforts to ensure students of all abilities have access to their course materials. In 2020, BISG awarded Rachel the Industry Innovator award for her work helping Macmillan Learning to become the first Global Certified Accessible publisher by Benetech. Under her leadership, Macmillan was recognized by WIPO’s Accessible Book Consortium with the International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing in 2020 for their work towards providing educational materials that any student can use. She has over a decade of experience in the print and digital publishing world. Prior to coming to Macmillan as an editor, she held a variety of editorial and sales positions at WW Norton and Pearson.