Name
WORKSHOP: Making Accessibility Accessible to All: How to Build and Modify Online Courses to be Accessible
Date & Time
Friday, June 23, 2023, 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Location Name
Room 7
Description

Matt May, the head of inclusive design at Adobe, stated, “What we have are a few people who know a lot about Accessibility. What we need are a lot of people to know a little about it.” According to the World Health Organization, approximately 20% of individuals have a documented disability, and creating accessible content is critical for ensuring equitable access to education. According to WebAIM’s 2022 report, 96.8% of homepage websites had Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 errors, including those that fall into the .edu domain. While not inclusive, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires videos, word docs, PDFs, PowerPoint files, assignments, and course content pages to be accessible. While agriculture and higher education institutions are committed to accessibility, instructors are often not provided with clear directions on creating accessible online content. This workshop aims to provide a brief overview of how teachers, administrators, and staff can build and modify accessible content for online instruction. The objectives of the presentation are to discuss the benefits of creating accessible content for online courses and websites, explore key accessibility practices that can be incorporated into building online content and practice implementing key accessibility practices. Using WCAG 2.1’s four principles of accessibility as a guide, attendees will be able to begin their accessibility journey by learning and then practicing skills such as writing descriptive alt text, checking color contrasts, and remediating documents and files. Online courses and websites that are accessible benefit not only those with a documented disability but all users. Educators need to be proactive in removing barriers for users with disability by creating websites, documents, and materials that are accessible to all. Improving accessibility improves teaching and learning by focusing on the student experience, and colleges and teachers of agriculture need to start their accessibility journeys today.