The Florida State EIT Consortium. A collaborative approach to electronic accessibility, advocacy, and support.

Handouts

#32531

Speaker(s)

  • Steven Kolberg, Coordinator, Accessibility and LMS Administration, Florida SouthWestern State College
  • Craig Levins, Associate Vice President and ADA Coordinator, Broward College

Session Details

  • Length of Session: 1-hr
  • Format: Interactive/Discussion
  • Expertise Level: Intermediate
  • Type of session: General Conference

Summary

The Florida State EIT Consortium provides support, education, and advocacy to institutions of higher education throughout the state of Florida. The presenters will share the process of developing the consortium and its goals, and will utilize group exercises to guide participants with developing a collaborative EIT consortium.

Abstract

In 2018, three employees of the Florida State College system met at a conference and discussed issues surrounding EIT accessibility. From this conversation, a grass roots consortium was developed that has grown into a state-wide collaborative group, affiliated with Florida AHEAD, that provides virtual state-wide meetings, training, and support throughout the state. The presenters will share the blueprint utilized to form the consortium and discuss its ongoing goals, which include fostering state-wide collaborations, establishing technical standards, lobbying, and professional development opportunities. The presenters will facilitate interactive group exercises throughout the session to assist with developing a collaborative EIT consortium.

Keypoints

  1. Facilitating state-wide networking opportunities to improve local service delivery.
  2. Providing resources to assist with federal and state compliance.
  3. Establishing state-wide electronic standards ensures consistency and compliance.

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Administrative/Campus Policy, Assistive Technology, Faculty Development & Support, Legal, Procurement, Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Steven Kolberg

Steven Kolberg is the Coordinator of Accessibility and LMS Administration serving Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) from the College's Office of Information Technology (OIT) since August, 2018. He works closely with the Office of ADAptive Services, Teaching and Learning Center, Learning Technologies, and other areas. He holds a MA in Educational Technology from Florida Gulf Coast University and a Bachelors of Applied Science in Supervision and Management from FSW and has been with the College for 15 years. His work centers on web accessibility, eLearning content, Assistive Technologies, and providing resources and guidance to promote increased access. Prior to working for OIT, he served the College’s Library Services as a Library Technology Systems Specialist integrating technologies for improved library services and workflows.

Craig Levins

Craig Levins is the Associate Vice President for Institutional Accessibility at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, FL where he oversees the Accessibility Resources and EIT/AT departments and serves as the college’s ADA Coordinator. Craig currently sits on the Executive Board of FL-AHEAD and is a founding member of the Florida State EIT Consortium. Craig has over twenty years of higher education experience working within accessibility, and as an adjunct professor of psychology both in-person and online. Craig holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology and is a certified assistive technology specialist.

Handout(s)