Join us on Thursday, September 24, for OFDIT’s virtual Digital Accessibility Day. Through demonstrations, practical workshops, discussions, and an accessibility clinic, you’ll explore tools, strategies, and resources for creating more accessible learning experiences. Whether you’re just getting started or building on existing accessibility efforts, this event offers opportunities to expand your knowledge, sharpen your skills, and connect with colleagues committed to inclusive teaching and learning.
Registration Links:
- Digital Accessibility Day (12 PM – 3 PM) [Register Here]
- UDL Collaborative Meeting (3 PM – 4 PM) [Register Here]
- Digital Accessibility Clinic (5:30 PM – 7 PM) [Register Here]
Event Schedule
Accessibility Starts Here: Documents and the Screen Reader Experience
12:00 PM – 12:55 PM
Have you ever wondered how a screen reader navigates your course materials? Through demonstrations of screen readers in action, you’ll see how our accessibility practices affect students’ experiences and then learn practical techniques for creating accessible content in Word, PowerPoint, and Brightspace.
LevelUp! Accessibility at SPS and CUNY
1:00 PM – 1:55 PM
Join us for a welcome and overview of the accessibility initiatives, resources, and support available across CUNY and SPS as we work together to create more inclusive learning experiences. The session features a keynote by Laura Todd, CUNY CIS Technology Trainer, and introduces SPS’ upcoming Accessibility Challenge and Open UDL Workshop starting in October, along with other opportunities to build your accessibility knowledge and skills.
Keynote: Digital Accessibility: What It Is, Why It Matters, and What We Can Actually Do About It
For more than three decades, we’ve been building a digital world…and somehow, we still haven’t made all of it usable for everyone. This engaging presentation explores what digital accessibility really means, why it matters to all of us, and why new federal accessibility requirements have made this work more urgent than ever. Most importantly, we’ll talk about what we can actually do about it, including CUNY’s Digital Accessibility Initiative and a new self-paced Brightspace course designed to help faculty and staff build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to create more accessible digital content, so that anyone can learn, teach and work here at CUNY.
Making Accessibility Manageable: Captioning, Ally, and Addressing Common Issues
2:00 PM – 2:55 PM
Not sure how to prioritize your accessibility efforts or where to focus next? This practical session will explore captioning, interpreting Ally accessibility reports, identifying the issues that matter most, and addressing common challenges in course materials, including PDFs and other frequently flagged content.
UDL Collaborative: Building Inclusive Learning Together
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Whether you’re new to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) or have been incorporating accessibility practices for years, the UDL Collaborative offers a welcoming space to connect with colleagues, share ideas, and explore inclusive teaching strategies. Join fellow SPS faculty and staff for this session, where we’ll introduce the Collaborative and its OpenLab community, reflect on insights from Digital Accessibility Day, discuss the work we’re doing this semester, and look ahead to accessibility training needs and opportunities.
Visit the SPS UDL Collaborative page for more information.
Accessibility Clinic
5:30 PM – 7 PM
Can’t attend Digital Accessibility Day sessions, or have questions about applying what you learned? Join us for an informal clinic where SPS faculty can get guidance on accessible syllabi and Word documents, PowerPoint or other Office files, video and multimedia captioning, accessibility in Brightspace, interpreting Ally reports, and addressing common issues in online course content. Bring your questions, challenges, and works in progress, and we’ll help you identify practical next steps.
