Narrative for requesting resources
Digital accessibility is a topic that touches many areas in the College of Arts and Sciences. Various audiences need additional support to access to teach, learn, work, do research, view performances, etc. Currently, with our minimal team we have been reactive to the requests from the ADA office and attempting to check all the compliance boxes as opposed to being strategic and finding ways to make the most impact on the audiences who need the digital environment to take them into account.
Faculty have pressure to create engaging, innovative classes while also complying with digital accessibility policy requirements. We need to find a balance between the two so faculty can focus on creating quality content and not hit roadblocks that slow them down. Finding that balance will make information available for audiences that previously were excluded and allow them to go further in their education.
Being thoughtful and strategic about the topic of digital accessibility as opposed to reactive will help us make a bigger impact so we can offer education, research, entertainment, and work opportunities to a more diverse group of people and addresses the president’s goal to improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the university.
Impact if we do and don’t invest
If we do invest
- Helps us be more agile in interpreting and applying the digital accessibility requirements from the ADA office.
- Position the college to be one of the premier institutions that is aware of digital accessibility needs and how best to support them.
- Levels the playing field for audiences that are often excluded from higher education.
If we don’t invest
- We only address issues as they pop up and waste energy on items that have less impact.
- Faculty continue to struggle to adopt new teaching practices in their classes because they are bogged down by ADA rules and requirements.
- Lowers our competition with other universities.
- Decreases the audiences we can attract and include in our jobs, classes, research, and events.