Whose job is it anyway: Accessibility of websites and their content

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Whose job is it anyway: Accessibility of websites and their content

Web accessibility requirements can be overwhelming if you haven't tackled them before. One of the things that makes it confusing is that—on top of knowing what to do—it can be difficult to know who should take care of what. Thankfully, web accessibility doesn't need to remain a mystery; nor does it need to be expensive to implement. This workshop is for anyone who creates websites or their content. We will discuss the basic principles of creating and maintaining an accessible website. You’ll leave knowing the scope of web accessibility concerns, what questions to ask, and who to task. Come explore!

Presenter:

Keith Hays is the first ADA IT Coordinator for campus. He works closely with Allison Kushner, the ADA Coordinator for the ADA Division of OAE, in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Keith has been tasked with coordinating and educating about IT Accessibility across the Urbana-Champaign campus. Keith began his career at the University of Illinois after working eight years as a software engineer for a local security startup and then earning a master’s in family studies from Northern Illinois University. Over the last ten years, he has been an interface designer and accessibility specialist at Technology services. While there, Keith has played a key role in IT accessibility efforts on campus; creating educational resources and training opportunities, consulting with units on the accessibility of their websites, working with software vendors to correct accessibility issues, helping craft campus policy, and more. Keith was a co-creator and instructor of the award-winning Information Accessibility Design and Policy professional certificate program, offered by Applied Health Sciences; and he works with the Big Ten Academic Alliance CIO IT Accessibility Group to help determine best practices and shared approaches for all of the member institutions. Keith is a recognized subject matter expert in IT accessibility for persons with disabilities, and he brings his eclectic skillset to bear on creating a more inclusive culture on campus.