Schedule 2017

Accessible Learning Conference- Friday

8:30-9:15 AM: Welcome Address, with Dean Christopher P. Long and Kate Sonka

Breakout Sessions One- 9:15-10:45 AM

• Mobile Usability Testing, presented by Jennifer Ismirle
  • This presentation will cover mobile usability testing tools and considerations based on mobile UX research conducted at MSU Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting.
• Accessible Live Streaming 101, presented by Alyssa Bradley
  • This 15-minute presentation will cover best practices in the pre-production, production, and post-production of live video in order to craft an inclusive and accessible experience.
• Rhetoric of Accessibility, presented by Anderson Day & Darrell Williams

  • To properly address building digital interfaces with accessibility in mind, we must first learn how to effectively communicate and address the benefits of accessible technology.

• Accessibility Audit Process, presented by Ash Harris & Kim Hodges
  • This session will provide a high-level overview of the audit process, documentation, practical processes, and data collection.
• From Theory to Reality: Implementing an Accelerated Five-Year Plan, presented by John McDaniel & Alexander Seddon

  • The MSUCOM Office of Academic Programs accelerated their five-year plan to accommodate a student admitted halfway through Year 1! See how we made it happen.

• The Good People – Futurizing the Human Experience through Inclusive Learning Design, presented by Keesa V. Johnson
  • This workshop will analogize excerpts from the ABC Show “the Good Doctor” with future thinking of new learning ecosystems.
• Improvising Accommodations in Performing Arts, presented by Kathryn Stahl & Deric McNish
  • This paper presents a case study demonstrating how accommodations for actors with disabilities in performing arts classes require flexibility and effective communication.
• Co-Creation of Museum Experiences for Individuals with Low or No Vision, presented by Max Evjen, Denice Blair & Kirk Riley
  • The MSU Museum and Lansing ITEC 2020 Girls are creating 3D printed objects and audio to promote learning for individuals with low or no vision.

Keynote Speaker- 10:45 AM- 12:00 PM

• Keynote: Cognitive Diversity in Learning Environments, presented by Emily Shea Tanis from the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities

  • In the session you will be introduced to the diverse community of people with cognitive disabilities and their inclusive involvement in higher education settings.

Breakout Session Number 2- 1:15- 2:15 PM

• Using ABBYY FineReader to Create Accessible Library Collections, presented by Emily Howard and Josie Foguth
  
  • This presentation describes the detailed ABBYY FineReader workflow student accessibility interns created and currently use in document/collection remediation at the Michigan State University Libraries.
• The Role of Communications in Accessibility, presented by Danielle Fowler and Heidi MacWan
  • Accessibility isn’t (and shouldn’t) be restricted to information technology. Communications professionals are well-placed to play an important role in an organization’s accessibility efforts.
• Getting to Know the Accessibility Features in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, presented by LaTonya Motley
  • Participants will be introduced to accessibility features in the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Resources will also be shared to assist with the creation of accessible PDFs.
• One-on-One Accessibility Consultations
  • Short, 15-minute individual consultations on website or course material with accessibility student interns and accessibility professionals will be available to conference attendees. Stay tuned for sign up information.
• Coordinating and Tracking Your Accessibility Remediation Efforts: a Simple and Powerful Method, presented by Chris Shaltry
  • This presentation will demonstrate a simple yet powerful method for coordinating the remediation of digital content for accessibility using free tools provided by MSU.
• Field-Based Accessibility in U.S. Geoscience Departments for Students with Mobility and Sensory Disabilities, presented by Ivan Carabajal & Christopher Atchison
  • In this qualitative study, geoscience departments reportedly offer accessible field-based opportunities for students with disabilities using modifications, accommodations, adaptations methods, or accessible options.

Michigan State University Office of Institutional Equity & Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives Sessions- 2:45 – 4:30 PM

• Moving Beyond, presented by Virginia Martz and a panel of students
  • A panel of students will share their perspective of moving beyond perceptions and expectations of others to discover their success in higher education and beyond.
• Exploring Disability Bias and Microaggressions, presented by Paulette Granberry Russell

  • This session with introduce the concepts of implicit bias and microaggressions with particular emphasis of the impact of both on persons with disabilities.

• Facilitating Accessible Note Taking in the Classroom – Best Practices, presented by Leslie Johnson & Angela Sebald

  • Taking notes can be problematic for students with disabilities. Join us as we discuss how notetaking assistance and notetaking technology can provide students with disabilities equal access.

• Creating and Using Accessible Course Materials in STEM, by Stephen Blosser and Lina Wu
  • Join us as we discuss the latest accessible learning tools, including technologies for
    integrating students with vision, hearing and learning disabilities in STEM classes.
• Ensuring Accessibility at MSU– The President’s Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (PACDI), moderated by Jessica Norris, Roundtable members: Kay Granskog, Mo Gerhardt, & Julia Christensen
  • Roundtable discussion by current and former PACDI members discussing the Committee’s advisory role and impact on ensuring accessibility in programs and facilities on campus.
• Universal Design – Supporting Accessibility through Flexibility, presented by Nate Evans
  • This session will introduce the principles of universal for design learning, and discuss how content and new technologies can impact students, and teaching & learning.
• Integrating Accessibility Into Design, presented by Sarah J. Swierenga & Graham L. Pierce
  • This session will discuss how accessibility can be built directly into design and development, saving time and energy, while improving access and usability.

Accessible Learning Conference- Saturday

Greetings and Announcements-9:00-9:30 AM, Kate Sonka

Plenary Panel: Software Lessons from the Incredibles- 9:45-10:45, Dave Chesney

• Join University of Michigan faculty and students as they share their experiences in working with children with cognitive and physical disabilities (the Incredibles) over the past decade. In Chesney’s course, students do a ‘mash-up’ of the latest, greatest technology (like skeletal tracking, augmented reality, drones) and disabilities (like cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and muscular atrophy) to come up with software tools and apps that might be of some assistance to users.

Breakout Session Number- 11 AM- 12 PM

• Accessibility Through Collaboration: Building Cross-Campus Ties, presented by Jeremy Van Hof, James Bender & Lydia Merritt
  • Panelists will detail how different collaborative models between colleges and central IT facilitate accessibility for course content.
• Accessibility Best Practices Across An Organization, presented by Ash Harris & Kim Hodges

  • Your institution faces the challenge of maintaining accessibility standards throughout your website. Strategies and governance for implementing and maintaining compliance.

• Essential Tools for Manual Accessibility Evaluation, presented by Graham Pierce
  • You need the right tools to evaluate WCAG 2.0 AA compliance; learn about the ones you’ll need and how to use them!
• Disability and the College Experience, presented by Katie Musial
  • A presentation on the experience of students with disabilities in and out of the classroom.
• Decoding Discrimination: Learning What Accessibility Means Through Human-Centered Research Methods, presented by Celeste Sharpe, Janell Rothenberg & Katherine Jackson

  • Strategies for teaching accessibility in an interdisciplinary course from the perspectives of the co-instructors and a student who researched assistive technologies and awareness on campus.

• How to Use and Interpret WCAG 2.0, presented by Brian Flynn, Phillip Deaton and Mack George
  • Using and interpreting WCAG 2.0 AA documentation can be difficult at first. This presentation shows how these documents were designed and how to effectively use them.

Breakout Session Number 2- 1:15-3:30 PM

• Taking a Close Look at Tone Perfect, a Mandarin Chinese Audio Database, Through the Lens of Accessible Learning in Second Language Studies, presented by Catherine Ryu
  • This presentation focuses on a multimodal approach to optimizing accessible learning in second language acquisition, specifically for Mandarin tone learning, mediated by an interactive database.
• Everyday Accessibility: WCAG in the Real World, presented by John Addis and Irfan Mir
  • Showcasing real-life challenges with practical, detailed solutions, presenters will explore today’s web accessibility landscape by revealing the why, when, and how.
• Microphones & Accessibility – Sitting in a Tree, presented by Dave Goodrich & Rashad Muhammad
  • Ever had a presenter say “Do I need this microphone?” Let us explain why you do and share tips on how to best use it.
• One-on-One Accessibility Consultations.
  • Short, 15-minute individual consultations on website or course material with accessibility student interns and accessibility professionals will be available to conference attendees. Stay tuned for sign up information.
•  One Program’s Initiative to Move Towards Holistically Accessible Learning at MSU, presented by Anali Ramos, Madeline Shellgren, Dustin Petty & Jeno Rivera
• Selecting Accessible Tools for Teaching & Learning, presented by Nate Evans & Scott Schopieray
  • Learn how to select accessible tools for teaching & learning, consider the impacts on you and your students, and discuss best practices to speed up procurement.
• Tips for Website Usability Testing with Individuals with Disabilities, presented by Sarah J Swierenga & Jennifer Ismirle
  •  Want to get design feedback on your website or technology from persons with disabilities? Learn best practices for including diverse users in your design projects.
• Biodiversity and Linguistic Diversity are the Norm: Toward a More Universally Accessible Composition Classroom, by Storm Pillofff
  

• I argue that a pedagogy cannot be considered feminist or universally accessible if it doesn’t engage with concepts of translingualism and disability.
• Accessibility for Google Drive: A Closer Look at Add-ons, presented by Julia VanderMolen
  • Are you taking full advantage of all that Google Drive has to offer? Learn about some Add-ons that can be used as assistive technology supports.
• Remodeling and Renegotiating Accessibility as Inherently Queer, presented by Autumn Laws & Madeline Shellgren
  •  An overlooked component of accessibility is the inclusion of queer practices. We ask participants to engage in activities featuring both accessible practices and queer pedagogies.
• Accessible Videos: Planning Ahead Pays Off!, presented by Geraud Plantegenest & Amy Nienhouse
  • Speakers from the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University will discuss challenges, opportunities, costs vs. benefits and best practices for creating accessible videos.