1. Postsecondary Accessible Technology Programs: From Reactive to Proactive
Presenters:
Cheryl Pruitt, California State University
and
Bill Welsh, Rutgers University

2. Group discussion:
In regards to accessible technology and information, what are your institution’s:
Greatest Challenges?
Greatest Successes?
Strategies for moving forward?
What do you want to take away from this session?
Cheryl

3. Bill Welsh
Executive Director, the Office for Disability Services Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. (April 2013-Present)
Director, the Office for Disability Services Penn State University (1999 – April, 2013)
Former member co-chair, Penn State’s Accessible Technology & Information (ATI) committee ( ).
Access4All, LLC Consulting owner and consultant
20 years working in disability services in higher education
Provides trainings, seminars, webinars and consultation on accessibility and usability; transition to college; and disability services on a local, state-wide and national level.
Bill

4. Cheryl Pruitt
Director, Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI), California State University System (CSU) (2011 – present)
Special Consultant to ATI, California State University System (CSU) ( )
Part-time Faculty, Computer Engineering and Computer Science Dept., CSU Long Beach ( )
Cheryl oversees the ATI implementation across the CSU 23 campus system. She has been involved with the ATI since the beginning in 2007, first at the campus level, then at the systemwide level. The CSU system has made significant progress towards implementing ATI process improvement in the areas of web accessibility, accessible procurement, and accessible instructional materials.
Cheryl

5. Session Goals
Share insights into strategies that have worked at other institutions (No need to reinvent the wheel).
Share information and templates on policies, organization, effective resources and tools, and assessment that could be replicated.
Overall Goal: Provide participants with a road map to create a cultural change from reactivity to proactivity!
Cheryl

6. Think About It….
Bill

7. The Impact of the ADA
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed.
Prior to the law being enforced, this was the norm.

8. Design that Helps Everyone
Bill

9. Moving your institution towards accessibility…
Cultural change +
Institution-wide effort =
Really BIG Job
CSU Accessibility Implementation Tools and Resources
Cultural change involves changing the way the people think about their jobs – how to create, build, buy, and adopt products and services that universally serve the greatest number of people regardless of how they interact with that product.
Institution-wide effort – integrating accessibility into all the campus business processes – looking at how the campus is doing things now and what needs to done to make accessibility part of the everyday work – not a bolt-on or after thought
At the CSU we realized that the institution-wide effort would require a continuous process improvement approach
Strong Executive Support at each of our campuses there is an ATI Sponsor at the VP level who oversees the campus ATI implementation
Here are a few general strategies that you might find helpful

10. RATE Your College: The Rating Game!
A fun way to develop a plan:
• Step 1: Rank your college.
• Step 2: Assess your college’s commitment.
• Step 3: Train your personnel.
• Step 4: Evaluate often.
Game Rules:
For every question you answer YES, give your institution 1 point. For every answer that is a NO, or I’m not sure. Give your institution a 0 for that question. There are 35 total points possible.
Cheryl

11. Policy (Total 6 Points):
Our administration is supportive of accessible technology and information?
We have a policy on Web Accessibility?
We have a policy or standards for accessible on-line courses?
We have a policy for captioned videos?
We have a policy on accessible course materials?
We have a policy on procurement of accessible technology?
Cheryl

12. How to Get Administrators to care about accessibility
Technology lawsuits
Textbooks
Web content
Classroom technology
Course management system, assignments, live chat, discussion boards, videos with captions, quizzes
Library resources
Banking services, registration services
Applications, , calendars, etc.
TEACH Act
Accessible technology may also mean usable by most
It’s the right thing to do!
Bill

13. General Comments Too much emphasis on the law
Need more emphasis on usability and design for everyone
Knowledge is very Powerful!
Being proactive increases revenue and provides access for people from many groups
Vision for the future: Proactive design for everyone rather than accommodations
Bill

14. Organizational (Total 5 Points):
We have an accessible technology team or group?
Our web developers have regular meetings and trainings?
We have someone or personnel responsible for accessible technology?
We have a yearly plan for training Faculty/Staff/Students on accessible technology?
We have a web site dedicated to accessible technology and information?
Bill

15. Practice Groups
Practice group: a group of people who share an interest ...in a particular domain or area. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other, and have an opportunity to develop themselves personally and professionally (Lave & Wenger 1991).
Knowledge and understanding is key to success of any organization for a cultural shift to occur.
Bill

16. PSU committee: The Accessible Technology and Information (ATI) Committee:
Charged by the Dean, University Libraries; the Associate Vice Provost, Information Technology Services; and the Vice Provost for Educational Equity.
Coordinate efforts on Web accessibility, accessible technology, accessible instructional materials and procurement practices.
Coordinate efforts to comply with all policies and develop a strategic plan for implementation and reporting of NFB resolution.
Modeled somewhat on California State University plan Cal State Accessibility Plan link:
Bill

17. CSU Shared Governance
A shared governance strategy led to an overall approach that empowers the CSU faculty and staff to take ownership of their campus’ accessibility strategy.
Systemwide
Executive Sponsors Steering Committee that actively shapes the ATI strategy and projects
Communities of Practice that bring together stakeholders from Procurement, Instructional Materials, and Web Accessibility
All of these groups meet monthly
Campus
ATI Steering Committee comprised of representatives from Campus Administration (Presidents, Provosts, CIO’s), Academic and Faculty Senate, Centers for Faculty Development, and ADA Compliance Officer)
Sub Committees that include the implementation personnel on campus
These groups meet at least 2 times per year. They update the campus ATI plan and monitor the progress throughout the year.
An overall continuous process improvement approach gives each campus the flexibility and support to manage their ATI implementation.
Cheryl

18. CSU Accessible Technology Network (CSUATN)
Established to leverage the accessibility expertise across the CSU system.
Includes members from 6 CSU campuses, the CO ATI Staff, and also contracts with experts like Lucy who are outside our system.
Provides shared accessibility evaluation services to the CSU system by reviewing IT products that are used systemwide and also does accessibility reviews for outside entities
Chery

19. CSU Accessibility – Organizational Change
Discovery
Defining the problem
Creating a plan that defines processes that produce organizational change
Implementation
Establishing business procedures that institutionalize the process
Continuous business process improvement
Assessment
Measuring progress
Assessing effectiveness of process/procedures
Refinement
Revising processes/procedures based on lessons learned
Define the problem by doing a self assessment and an evaluation of the resources available to implement accessibility changes in your organization.
Institutional accessibility is an iterative process that will never by fully completed.

20. Accessibility – An Iterative Process
Refinement
Assessment
Implementation
Discovery
Creating the cultural change to integrate accessibility into all your organization’s business processes is an iterative process.

21. Resources and Tools (Total 8 Points):
We provide regular trainings for instructional designers on accessibility?
Faculty?
Staff?
Administrators?
We send our IT staff to accessibility trainings and conferences?
ODS Staff?
We have online training resources for accessible technology?
Cheryl

22. First Year Plan at Penn State
Conduct central audits report results back to ATI committee.
Conduct scans on main blockers for screen readers: Blocker Training Materials . KISS
Trained web liaisons on using JAWS and other screen readers. Started using human checks.
Focus training on using validation tool (HiSoftware’s Compliance Sheriff).
Work with Web Liaisons on conducting scans and remediating Web sites for NFB and WCAG Used social media and meetings.
Assess remediation efforts through reports from Web Liaisons.
Bill

23. Second Year Plan: Build Infrastructure
PSU built an accessible technology and information infrastructure within ITS.
Several new positions created
Reorganization of current positions to have a key role within ITS infrastructure and university structure.
ITS developed 5 year strategic plan, accessibility is key part of the plan.
Bill

24. Proposed First Year Plan at Rutgers
Timeline
Goals and Tasks
Various university departments met to discuss plans for developing web accessibility and online course accessibility.
Web accessibility policy to be finalized
Online course accessibility to be finalized
First meeting of online accessibility group
Participation with ITAG groups
University-wide accessible technology group to be formed.
Begin formation of practice groups -faculty and students
University-wide accessibility tool implemented
Training sessions to be developed and piloted
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Summer 2014
Fall 2014
Bill

25. Future Goals and Plans at Rutgers:
Creating lynda.com-like training videos for F/S/S. Focus first year on easy checks from W3C:
Create a model online course and obtain buy-in to have it required. r Offer to faculty or staff as a certificate program possibly through Human Resources as well. Get faculty involved.
Meet with units one-on-one to assist in implementation plans, reports, and assessment.
University-wide trainings, webinars and conferences to assist in developing knowledge base. Continue training plan throughout the year.
Look at infrastructure of IT and other departments and where resources can be shared to assist in efforts. Utilize student organizations and interns.
Focus on purchasing policies and vendor relations.
Bill
Training, ITS, disability services, ATI are all part of the training planning committee. Developing lynda.com types of webinars.

26. Planning and Assessment (Total 6 points):
We assess our web sites for accessibility regularly?
We have a plan to accomplish web accessibility?
We asses our library materials, databases, and search engines for accessibility?
We have a plan for how to accomplish library accessibility?
We assess our procurement practices to include accessibility?
We have a plan to integrate accessibility into our procurement process?
Bill

27. CSU ATI Framework CSU ATI Framework
Do a Self- Assessment
Work the Campus Plan
Make a Campus Plan
CSU ATI Framework
Strategies/Goals & Success Indicators/Priorities
Continuous Process Improvement with Strong Executive Support
Cheryl
We implement our framework by implementing our strategies, applying continuous process improvement guided by our goals and success indicators. There is strong Executive support which is one of keys to success. Each year our campuses follow the implementation cycle
Planning – Each campus establishes a plan based on priorities such as impact and capacity to guide their work on Success Indicators
Working the Plan - the ATI System team organizes projects to address specific high impact Success Indicators. These projects are collaborative efforts across our campuses that produce deliverables that can be adopted and adapted by individual campus’. Each campus works on their own projects and adopts systemwide deliverables as needed.
Measuring Progress - ATI Annual Reports that cover all the goals and success Indictors measured by status level are submitted by each campus. Systemwide Aggregate reports are compiled from the individual campus reports.
We are concluding the third year of measuring systemwide progress. We have seen improvement each year and we have been able to determine where campuses are experiencing difficulties.

28. PSU Assessment
Create and conduct a survey of all visually impaired F/S/S regarding technology, information and systems related to accessibility.
Reports from Web liaisons on their respective budget units go to the Provost and their budget executives ( healthy competition).
Assess remediation efforts through reports from Web Liaisons.
Use evaluations from trainings to determine effectiveness and future training modules.
Bill

29. PSU Assessments Yearly progress reports
Reports of training sessions, attendance, what departments attended and evaluations at each event.
Reports from units
Feedback and collaboration using Yammer, social media site.
Purchasing is working with ITS to vet all technology purchases for accessibility.
Bill

30. CSU Assessment Campus Annual Reporting process
Each campus submits a report for each priority area
Web
Procurement
Instructional Materials
Report includes all goals & success indicators for each priority area
Progress in measured by status levels
Systemwide Aggregate Report
Reporting results from each campus are aggregated into one report
We can monitor progress and make a plan based on the report data
Cheryl

31. Web Accessibility Self-Assessment: Example
Web Accessibility Evaluation Process Area ( 7 goals and 69 Success Indicators)
Goal 1.0 Identify and repair or replace inaccessible websites, web applications, and digital content.
Success Indicator
Status Level
1.1 Assigned responsibility for the evaluation process to a body (person(s) or business entity).
1.2 Inventoried all campus websites and web applications
1.3 Established a process to perform regularly scheduled accessibility audits using established criteria to identify websites that need remediation.  
Cheryl
We have a goal for identifying and repairing or replacing inaccessible websites, web applications and digital content. On this slide, for the purpose of discussion, we provide 3 sample success indicators for this goal. (There are more in reality.)
The first success indicator is assigning responsibility for the evaluation process to a body (persons or business entity)
The 2nd success indicator is to inventory all campus websites and web applications
3rd success indicator is to establish a process to perform regularly scheduled accessibility audits using established criteria to identify websites that need remediation; and
For each item, you will assign a current status such as “not started”, “initiated”, etc. As I mentioned, those status levels are listed in the provided document with some criteria to help you decide which one applies.

32. Levels of Assessment Cheryl Documentation is generally absent.
Status Level
Description for Procedures
Description for Documentation
Description for Resources
Optimizing
The campus has a mature practice. Additional procedures are in place to conduct regular administrative reviews of success indicators to gauge effectiveness and implement improvements.
Documentation is continually revised to reflect the managed practice. Periodic administrative review of documentation is conducted.
Resources have been both identified and allocated. Periodic administrative review of resource allocations is conducted.
Managed
Campus has a mature practice. Additional procedures are in place to track and capture success indicators (milestones and measures of success).
Documentation is complete and fully reflects the standard practice.
Resources have been both identified and allocated.
Established
Campus has a standard practice. Procedures are consistent and formal.
Defined
Campus has a common practice. Any procedures in place are consistent but informal.
Documentation, if present, is in working draft form.
Resources have been firmly identified but not yet allocated.
Initiated
Campus has an ad hoc or developing practice. Any procedures in place are generally ad hoc.
Documentation is generally absent.
Resources have been tentatively identified but not yet allocated.
Not Started
No action has yet been taken.
No documentation has yet been generated.
No resources have yet been allocated.
Cheryl

33. CSU Systemwide Aggregate Report: Example

34. Who To Involve? Form a committee! Develop Practice groups!
Obtain buy-in from:
IT staff/Web developers/Instructional Designers
Disability Services Staff
IT Administrators
Academic Administrators
Faculty and Faculty Senate
Online Course Administrators
Procurement Management
Training Services
Bill

35. Road Map to Success Obtain Buy-in from administrators.
Create practice groups for oversight charged by administration.
Assess current initiatives and resources.
Benchmark with similar institutions and share with administrators.
Develop policies and procedures.
Develop strategic plans.
Determine responsible parties or units.
Develop strategies for assessing progress.
Report progress publicly and to administrators.
Bill

36. Final Thoughts-Bill
Assessments of current baselines for web accessibility are critical, and then establish obtainable, reasonable, measurable goals and timelines. Start with initiatives that are already established or go for the low hanging fruits. KISS
Develop an institution-wide practice groups with representation from all departments and colleges. From this group, other smaller practice groups can be formed that tap into knowledge base of current employees and faculty. What are the areas of expertise. Who are your champions? Provide incentives.
Bill

37. Final Thoughts
Develop a university-wide strategic plan, policies, and initiatives with realistic goals and timelines and obtain buy in from highest levels
Plan Implement Measure progress
Integrate accessibility into your business processes
Develop resources, tools, trainings, workshops and best practices to train faculty, staff and students on how to make technology and information accessible.
Knowledge allows change to happen!
Cheryl

38. Think About It Again….
Bill