Kara Zirkle, Accessible Technology Coordinator, Miami University
Korey Singleton, ATI Manager, George Mason University
Disability Area: Topic Area:
Length of Session (in hours): 2-hr
Format: Lecture
Expertise Level: All Levels
Type of session: General Conference
Summary of Session
This presentation will highlight the ATI’s efforts to incorporate accessibility into the Office of Distance Education’s Course Portfolio Review Process. We will cover the current state of Mason’s DE offerings, our ongoing accessibility training efforts, and the evolution of our online course accessibility review process.
Abstract
In this presentation, we will detail how Mason’s Office of Distance Education, Instructional Design Team, and Assistive Technology Initiative have worked together to integrate accessibility into the online course development process. We will highlight a pilot of an online course accessibility review that was conducted at the end of the spring semester 2015 and how that is informing the integration of accessibility into the online course development process going forward. Additionally, we will discuss the positives and negatives of our current process, the lessons learned, the ATI’s own internal efforts to address this need, and next steps.
Keypoints
How to build accessibility into course development;
Using resources readily available instead of rebuilding the process;
How auditing can change accessibility progress.
Speaker Bio(s)
Kara Zirkle
Ms. Zirkle has over 15 years experience working with individuals with disabilities. Kara has worked in Government and Higher Education. She is currently working at Miami University building accessibility procurement and policy. She worked at George Mason University prior for 9 years working closely with Enterprise Architecture reviewing accessibility. She works to ensure that Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 compliance of electronic and information technology (E&IT) is accessible to faculty, staff, students and public both with and without disabilities.
Korey Singleton
Korey Singleton is the Manager of GMU’s Assistive Technology Initiative (ATI). The ATI operates under the Compliance, Diversity, and Ethics Office and is charged with developing and implementing a university-wide strategy for addressing the electronic and information technology accessibility needs of students, staff, faculty, and visitors with disabilities. For almost 20 years, Korey has worked as an assistive technology specialist/rehabilitation engineer supporting the use of assistive technology by individuals with disabilities in the home, in the workplace, and in the classroom.
