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In the past few years, and more so, the last few months, AI has matured into a vital tool and critical role in our lives, affecting the way we learn, work, interact with each other, and even relax. It is powerful and yet still in its infancy. The possibilities of how AI can assist and … Read more

Accessibility is THE hot topic in higher education. And what is the one question all accessibility trainers must be prepared to answer? “Why do I have to do this if I don’t have a disabled person in my classroom?”

Recent university agreements and Office for Civil Rights consent decrees dealing with accessibility have defined instructors as “all individuals who provide course-related instruction to … students….” This means students in many classes may need to be creating certain assignments in accessible ways.  For example student speeches and presentations given to the class, online videos, and … Read more

As instructional staff, when we choose resources for our classes, we need to be able to make a judgement about the relative accessibility of a resource. This guide is intended to provide a place to start thinking about these issues — if you have questions, please contact the Office of Instructional Resources team at OIR@wichita.edu. … Read more

Accessibility in the face-to-face (f2f) classroom is an increased concern since in light of several recent OCR decisions and other binding agreements such as Wichita State University’s 2016 agreement with the National Federation of the Blind. One challenge with f2f accessibility is the lack of vetted standards and regulations.  In an effort to improve f2f … Read more

Notes and resources from my presentation at the Consortium of College and University Media Centers (CCUMC) on October 3, 2019. Slides – Accessibility and the Media Center The Media Resources Center at Wichita State University has been providing leadership on campus and around the state in the creation of Accessible learning environments, both online and face … Read more

An article in the Crimson (Harvard’s student newspaper) reports that the university implemented a Digital Accessibility Policy that went into effect December 1, 2019. The policy requires that all web pages that are created or updated substantially after Dec 1, 2019 be compliant with the WCAG 2.1 AA standards — the most up-to-date version of … Read more

It will surprise no one that I’m a massive gadget nerd. It’s a rare occasion when I can resist the desire to get my hands on a new tool and need to be able to play with it. It’s a need. An itch. Craving. And I’m sure that in a field full of people who … Read more

The Consortium of Title IX and Equity Officers in Higher Ed Conference, 2019 Presentation: “But I Don’t Have One In My Class: Accessibility On Your Campus” This website provides accessible digital versions of all materials handed out or discussed in the October 13, 2019 conference presentation, “But I don’t have One In My Class: Accessibility … Read more

At Wichita State University, we have been struggling to provide effective tactile graphics for students with visual disabilities for some time now. For years, we have been making do with what we could produce using a braille embosser — most of the embossers on the market have the ability to create simple diagrams that are … Read more