Accessibility Updates

Shattering the silences: Words matter: The evolving language of disability

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A Disability Equity Week Event
Shattering the Silences:
Words Matter: The Evolving Language of Disability

Tuesday, October 30
5:00pm-7:00pm
PSU Ballroom East

When is person first language appropriate?
Professor of English and Coordinator of the Disabilities Studies Program, Dr. Shannon Wooden, will elaborate on how even widely acceptable language reflects pervasive, and not always positive, attitudes toward people with disabilities. Noting that stigma that can be reinforced by certain language choices, Dr. Wooden will also discuss how fear of using the wrong words may silence what should be insightful and productive conversations about disability.

Sponsored by Missouri State University Division for Diversity and Inclusion and Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning

Register through MyLearning Connection
For additional information, contact the FCTL at 836-3059 or fctl@missouristate.edu.
To request disability accommodations, please contact the Office for Institutional Equity and Compliance at (417) 836-4252, toll-free at (877)967-8636 or equity@missouristate.edu.

This post was originally published to the diversity blog.

Document accessibility training on Sept. 18 and Nov. 2

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The Disability Resource Center/Access Technology Center will be hosting free document accessibility training sessions.

The training sessions will focus on basic accessibility for digital documents and communication. We will discuss the importance of each standard and demonstrate how to resolve common accessibility issues. We will focus on Microsoft Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.

Session dates and times

These sessions are not a series, so participants will not need to sign up for multiple dates. All training sessions will be in Cheek 100 on the following dates:

Registration

Space is limited due to the number of the computers in the room. Please register through My Learning Connection.

If you have any questions, please contact Kristeena LaRoue.

Fall 2018 Web Accessibility Clinic and Web Press training schedule announced

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The fall 2018 Web Accessibility Clinic and Web Press training schedule have been released.

Web Accessibility Clinic

Learn how to identify and fix accessibility issues with your website. We will review the five most common issues affecting accessibility–and search engine results–on your website. Held on GAAD in May and early in the fall and spring semesters, the fall 2018 clinic will be held at the following time:

  • Friday, August 31, 2018, 1 – 2 p.m., Siceluff 411

Web Press training sessions

Sessions will be held at the following times:

  • Thursday, August 16, 2018, 1 – 3 p.m., Cheek 100
  • Tuesday, August 28, 2018, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., Library 106
  • Tuesday, September 4, 2018, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., Cheek 100

Advance registration is required.

Self-guided training

Self-guided training modules are available at any time. In-person assistance is available during weekly open lab sessions held every Friday 2:00 – 4:00. Telephone and email support is available weekdays at 417-836-5271 and webpress@missouristate.edu.

Update on textbook initiatives

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Work has continued on both the affordability and accessibility of materials used by our students since the president’s announcement last spring of our five major affordability initiatives.  The bookstore has worked diligently and collaboratively with our faculty to secure agreements and resources that will enable our faculty to provide high-quality textbook materials that are both accessible and affordable for our students.

In terms of accessibility, this is just one effort tied to accessibility. It hopefully will help the university comply with changing regulations, along with other options under review tied to the accessibility of Blackboard and other information management systems.

Learn more about textbook affordability and accessibility

Recap: Web Accessibility Summit

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Web and new media staff attended the inaugural Web Accessibility Summit last month. The conference focused on website accessibility for professionals in higher education.

Key takeaways

Universal design considers the needs of a diverse human population. We must consider these needs during every step of the project. From backbone (code) to the voice (content). It’s much easier and less expensive to design for accessibility from the beginning.

Poor heading structure and lack of video captioning trigger the most user complaints.

Alt text reminder: Context matters. Ask yourself why the image is on the page. You’ll write better alt text that way. 

An OCR (Office for Civil Rights) complaint is not a lawsuit; it’s an opportunity to resolve a complaint. Open communication between legal counsel and the OCR is key.

  • Users can request accessible document alternatives. We have five business days to provide one.
  • We should remove old/outdated, inaccessible documents from the web. We actually risk more complaints and legal issues by keeping them on your site.

Crafting strong content is as much a vital part of good accessibility as anything else.

The W3C WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices document offers examples for creating accessible widgets.

An accessible modal dialog must: 

  • Show independence from the rest of the page,
  • Trap keyboard focus within the modal only, and
  • Be closeable via a button and the escape key.

The mission of higher education and accessibility are hand-in-hand. We are making education and information usable for all people. Being passionate about one is being passionate about the other.  

Slides

The Web Accessibility Summit schedule links to the session slides.