[Athen] Advancing Digital Accessibility: From Strategy to Practice in Higher Education - International Ally User Group – 27 February 2025

[Matthew Deeprose via athen-list]

[With apologies for cross-posting]

Ever wondered how to make digital accessibility less of a mountain to climb? Join us for an eye-opening event where our speakers from Tampa and Southampton share their secret weapons for institutional change and content transformation. Perfect for learning technologists and academic staff who want to turn accessibility challenges into wins - without needing a superhero cape.

Join us in the International Ally User Group on Thursday 27 February 2025 at 07:00 PST / 10:00 EST / 15:00 GMT / 16:00 CET / 18:00 TRT / 19:00 GST.

# Session synopses

## Advancing Accessibility in Higher Education: A Collaborative Approach

Irene Sidede, Academic Accessibility Technologist, University of Tampa.

“This presentation highlights key initiatives aimed at fostering accessible and inclusive learning environments in higher education. Participants will explore strategies to empower faculty through a combination of cohort collaborations, training programs, and personalized support.

Key Topics Include:
* Faculty Cohorts: Collaborative efforts with instructional designers to integrate inclusive design practices into Canvas courses and boost student motivation through interactive activities.
* Academic Accessibility Course: Introducing a mandatory course to equip faculty with foundational accessibility knowledge.
* Course Reviews: Regular semester reviews of faculty courses, with the goal of achieving an 80% accessibility compliance score to meet institutional standards.
* Training Sessions: Themed and engaging workshops on tools like ALLY and techniques for file remediation, using innovative themes such as "The Universe of Universal Design for Learning."
* One-on-One Support: Personalized sessions tailored to specific courses, offering a hands-on approach to accessibility challenges.

Through these initiatives, this presentation will showcase a roadmap for driving meaningful progress in accessibility across higher education institutions.”

## Is 'plus one' enough? Addressing accessibility challenges in legacy resources 

Anna Ruff, Learning Designer, University of Southampton.

“Discover practical strategies for updating legacy learning resources, overcoming common accessibility challenges, and fostering sustainable content creation.
Learn how small, incremental changes can significantly improve user experience and accessibility, within real world constraints of time and resource.

This presentation will focus on legacy content created in Articulate Storyline.”

# Sign up or watch the recording
Find sign-up and joining details on the Ally Community site: https://usergroup.ally.ac/content/perma?id=64422

# Missed an earlier session?
If you missed a previous session, all recordings and slide decks are available at https://tinyurl.com/AllyUserGroupSessions

Hope to see you there!

Matthew Deeprose
University of Southampton, UK