Report by Academic Technology Services
Posted November 2018

About the Event

For the second consecutive year, Amherst organized a keynote on the important topic of accessibility for an inclusive campus. On October 30th 2018, Mr. Kyle Shachmut, (Manager of Digital Accessibility at Harvard University and former president of the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts), gave a talk on Digital Accessibility for an Inclusive Campus. Information Technology had partnered with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, the Office of Communications, Accessibility Services, and the Center for Teaching and Learning to organize this event. This talk was a component of the ongoing professional development initiatives related to digital accessibility. As a follow up to this keynote event, IT ran multiple workshop sessions in November 2018, and provided hands-on training in web-accessibility, document design, and procurement guidelines.

Kyle Shachmut
Mr. Shachmut’s hour-long talk demonstrated how users with disabilities experience technology in an educational context. He also shared concrete strategies that faculty, staff, and students could apply to ensure that the digital content we create and share is accessible for everyone in the Amherst community. The presentation included considerations around accessible documents, websites, and media used for courses, academic projects, and/or college programs. 

There were seventy-eight attendees at this event. The feedback provided by the attendees showed that this event was effective in building awareness about Accessible Educational Materials, and providing useful take-aways that could be applied in our professional work and the classroom.

The Amherst Student newspaper published an article about the event. 

Event Video, Transcript, & Slides (AC Login Required)

Kyle Shachmut Speaking

 

Event Feedback

24 total respondents (approx. 28%)

Common themes in response to "After attending the keynote talk, what is one strategy you would apply in support of digital accessibility for an inclusive campus?" 

  • Consider accessibility first, not after the fact
  • Make sure to use good alt-text
  • Use built-in styling, headings, and structural elements when creating content
  • Generally, be more aware of accessibility in the digital content we create and share

Common themes in response to "What are three key take-aways from attending this talk?"

  • Digital accessibility benefits everyone
  • Understanding the experience of screen-reader user browsing the web 
  • Accessibility is everyone's job, and even small/simple changes can make a difference
  • Appreciation for level of support and expertise on campus for digital accessibility
  • Keep alt-text short
  • Videos need captioning and YouTube can make it easy

Prompt

Average Score 0-4

The event was effective in stimulating my interest in the topic.

3.5

I gained relevant knowledge at this event.

3.2

I understand how I can apply what I learned to my work.

3.2

The presenter communicated effectively.

3.6

The timing of this event was convenient for me.

3.2

The room was easy to find.

3.5

I would recommend this event to a colleague.

3.4