Keynote - Teaching Accessibly and Teaching Accessibility: A Case for Both
Think back to when you were in school. Chances are, you didn't learn much about disability and accessibility.
Most of the focus in higher education has been on making sure things like class materials and technology are accessible for students with disabilities. But, less has been done to teach students about what accessibility is and how it connects to their fields of study. A survey in 2017 showed there's a big gap in accessibility skills. Even now, six years later, that gap is still there.
So, what can schools do to make sure students are ready for the workforce? The answer is to change the way we teach. Instead of just making things accessible, we should also teach students about accessibility itself. This way, when they start working, they can create products and services that are accessible to everyone.
Join Teach Access (www.teachaccess.org) for a discussion on how you can drive transformation at your institution, so that teaching accessibly and teaching accessibility are at the forefront of everything.
Speakers
Kate Sonka is the Executive Director of Teach Access. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of Inclusion and Academic Technology at the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University. She holds a M.Ed. in Bilingual/Bicultural Education from DePaul University and has more than 12 years of experience in higher education. She has worked to improve teaching and learning with technology through course design and support, experiential learning, and training and mentorship for faculty members and students.
Rolando Méndez is the Director of Education of Teach Access. Previously, he worked at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico in various roles related to online learning. He has over 18 years of experience in higher education, managing projects related to faculty development, instructional design, student services, quality assurance, and technology adoption. He is an advocate for accessibility, equity, and inclusion in education.