Elizabeth Killinger - Fashion Institute of Technology
Kim Scalzo - SUNY System Administration
The State University of New York (SUNY) recently established a system-wide EIT Accessibility policy, which is aligned to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and states that ""individuals with disabilities and individuals who are temporarily disabled have equitable access to electronic information resources."" This includes new procurements as well as existing electronic platforms and tools. As part of the SUNY System's implementation of Brightspace, we are centralizing the review for EIT Accessibility Compliance of all tools being integrated with Brightspace at the System level to streamline the review process for tools being used at multiple campuses and minimize duplication of effort.
This session will be presented by Kim Scalzo (co-lead for the SUNY DLE), Mark Greenfield (SUNY EIT Accessibility Consultant and nationally recognized expert in this area), and Lauren Rodriguez (Director of Resources for Students with Disabilities for SUNY). The work at SUNY spans five different work streams and is designed to deal with the immediate need to review and approve more than 150 unique tools as part of the initial implementation and also to establish process and mechanisms that will return this responsibility to the campuses and be sustainable in the long term.
The Presentation will include the following topics:
1. An overview of SUNY and the DLE project including the importance of accessibility
2. The five workstreams for EIT Accessibility for the SUNY DLE
Establishment of criteria and process for centralized review of tools for all campuses
Identification of trusted sources to minimize duplication of effort for review of tools
Creation of a repository and dashboard to provide visibility into the status of tools
Professional development and training to build campus capability
Recommendations for a shared service for campuses
3. The accessibility evaluation process with an emphasis on how this work differs from traditional procurement processes with an emphasis on lessons learned
4. How to involve Disability Services Offices and the value of addressing both accessibility and accommodations
Key audience takeaways will include:
• Understanding of SUNY's EIT Accessibility policy standards
• Understanding of the criteria and process being used at SUNY to evaluate the EIT Accessibility compliance of tools
• Concrete examples of what the outcomes of an evaluation looks like
• Example of what to include in a repository of tools being reviewed
• What to include in a professional development program for staff who will be reviewing tools
• Considerations for a shared service to do this work
• Successful outcomes of the work to date
• Challenges and how we overcame them
• Lessons learned that can be applied in other systems or even at the campus level
Delivery still will be presentation with question and answer with multiple opportunities for the audience to share their own experiences and lesson learned.
The State University of New York (SUNY) is two years into a system-wide project transitioning all SUNY campuses to its new Digital Learning Environment (DLE). With the Brightspace LMS serving as its foundation, the SUNY DLE includes a robust suite of tools that are integrated with Brightspace.
The SUNY DLE is being designed and implemented against the backdrop of SUNY level policies, including EIT Accessibility. To minimize duplication of effort from campus to campus, SUNY has streamlined the process for reviewing tools being integrated into the DLE for EIT Accessibility compliance and is conducting the review of these tools at the System level for all campuses.
Attend this session to hear how SUNY is approaching this work at the System level, including the evaluation process and how it differs from traditional procurement processes, how disability services offices are involved, the development of training and professional development to build campus capability, and the establishment of “trusted sources” to minimize duplication of effort. The presenters will also share lessons learned over the past year of doing this work and seek to learn from attendees how this work is being done in other systems and at other institutions.