A Journey to Accessibility: Temple University's University-Wide Accessible Information and Technology Initiative Implementation (242340063)

8/11/2019 A Journey to Accessibility: Temple University's University-Wide Accessible Information and Technology Initiative Implementation (242340063)

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A Journey to Accessibility

Temple University's University-Wide

Accessible Information and TechnologyInitiative Implementation

Paul PaireExecutive Director



About Temple University

• Based in Philadelphia, one of Pennsylvania’s state-related research

Universities, along with the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State

• 37,000 students and 5,700 employees

• 17 schools and colleges including 8 professional

schools (including Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy and Podiatry)

• 140 bachelor’s degree programs

• 126 master’s degree programs

• International campuses in Tokyo, Rome, and

London with programs in China, Korea, Greece,Israel and more

• 1400 students registered with Disability Resources and

Services



Technology accessibility and the ADA

• “Colleges and universities have specific legal obligations toprovide students, faculty, and staff with disabilities thesame benefits, programs, and services.”

- Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights

U.S. Department of Education

• For the Dept. of Justice and the Dept. of Education, theirmajor compliance interest and enforcement interest forthe foreseeable future is access to technology.

• College and Universities need to get a good handle on thisissue and their role in providing accessible technology.

• The problem is here now, and it is not going away.



Why Now?

• Greater reliance on technology in education.

– Course management systems (Blackboard, Moodle, ANGEL.)

– Smart classrooms with advanced audio visual technology.

– On-line administrative processes.

– Dramatic increase in on-line learning.

– Growing adoption of electronic textbooks and eReaders inclassrooms.

– Proliferation of iPad’s.

– Growing use of Google Apps.• As technology gets more complex compliance is becoming

critical.

• Proliferation of lawsuits.



How to change an organization



Get people motivated



Motivation for Executives

•Desire to be fair & equitable in delivering services

•30 complaints or settlements (and one statement of

interest) involving institutions of Higher Education



Current litigation in Higher Ed# of complaints brought by:

10 National Federation of the Blind

6 Department of Education

5 Department of Justice

4 American Council of the Blind

4 Student Lawsuit

2 Employee Lawsuit

2 Reading Rights Coalition

1 Disability Rights Advocate

1 Texas Civil Rights Project

# types & of ADA issues raised:

8 Accommodations6 eReaders

6 Physical Spaces (Standards for Design)

4 Clickers

4 Policy

4 Websites

3 Library2 application process

2 Course Management System

2 Course Registration

2 Google Apps

2 Instructional Materials

2 Instructor’s Behavior

2 Online course content

2 Procurement

1 ATMs

1 Electronic Textbook

1 Food Service



Self Audit

• Hired outside consultant to review:

– Websites & Web applications (sample size=15)

– Classrooms / Learning Spaces

– Computer Labs

• Results: we were on par with other institutions

that hadn’t addressed accessibility



Our Discovery

• Temple University found out we need to address:

– Overall accessibility policy for information and technology

– Computer labs (128 computer labs & 3,648 workstations)

– Instructional materials

– Learning spaces/classrooms (~700 including labs/studios)

– Library

– Procurement of technology – Web based content

– Web based systems



Pull together a guiding team



Accessible Tech Compliance

Committee• Chair (CIO)

• 1 Staff (Executive director)

• 4 Faculty representatives

• 1 School / College technical (Director of Information Tech)

• 2 Computer Services (Associate Vice President & Exec Director of Academic

Support)• 1 Creative Services (Director of Electronic Communications)

• 2 Disability Resources and Services (Associate Vice President & AssociateDirector)

• 1 Human Resources (Associate Vice President)

•

1 Provost Office (Vice Provost)• 1 Library (Senior Associate University Librarian)

• 1 University Counsel (Associate University Counsel)

• 1 Facilities (Director of Architectural Services)



Project/Working groups

WebLiaisons

University-Wide

Web Review &Audit

Instructional

Materials &

Captioning

Training &Accessibility

Web Site

AssistiveTechnology

OnlineLearning

LibraryAdministrative

Systems

Procurement

AccessibilityLiaisons

ProjectDirector

Project co-chairs

AccessibleTech

ComplianceCommittee





Develop a vision and strategy



Vision = University policy

• We will be accessible

• The person responsible for providing the technology or

information is responsible for making it accessible

•

If it can’t be made accessible we should consider removing it • Accessible Technology Compliance Committee which is

empowered to effectuate change and is responsible for:

– Setting standards & guidelines

–

Setting Timetables – Enforcement

– Granting exceptions



Scope & Budget Planning

• Initial assessment – Hire a consultant

• Instructional materials – Tools for DIYers

– Farming out remediation

• Learning spaces & ComputerLabs – Software

– Hardware

– Remediation of physical spaces

•

Library and it’s components – Online catalog

– Journals

– Alt Format for Course reserves

• Multimedia

– Captioning/Transcripts

– Audio Descriptions/Transcripts

– Captioning of live & live

streaming of events• Web

– Web auditing solution

– web based systems

(replace/fix?)

– Tools for testing

– Accessibility Q&A staff as part

of the software development

lifecycle



Survey other institutions

• Join Athen & EDUCAUSE’s “ITACCESS” listservs

• Attend conferences to learn from other

institutions• Conference call with Cal State about how they

launched their initiative

•

Talk with San Francisco State about theirprocurement process



Working groups develop standards

• Web group – Developed standards for web content

• WCAG 2.0 AA for internally developed/sponsored sites

• Section 508 for vendor controlled content

• Established deadlines for compliance

– Issued an RFP for a web auditing tool• Assistive Technology group

– Developed standards for Computer labs

– Developed standards for Classrooms (evolved into Learning Spaces)

• Instructional Materials group* –

Started working on standards (abandoned in favor of how-tos) – Developing checklists

*Need to get faculty involved in Instructional Materials workgroup



Learning space standards

• Worked with Disability Resources & Services to develop standards

• Standards address: – 2010 Standards for Accessible Design specifications (i.e. reach distances &

kick space for podiums)

– Software

– Hardware (including control panels for lights & AV equipment)

– Smart carts

• Types of spaces – Auditorium/Theater space

– Classrooms

– Lecture hall – Seminar room

– Studio space

• Developed a checklist based on the standards



Computer lab standards

• Standards address: – 2010 Standards for Accessible Design specifications

• Reach distances (counter/workstation heights, peripherals)

• Route to workstation

•

Kick space for workstations• # of accessible workstations

• Signs & documentation

– Assistive Hardware (e.g. keyboards, trackballs, etc.)

– Assistive Software

– Pay to Print stations – Training student workers

– Deadline for compliance

• Developed a checklist based on the standards



Purchasing

• Added language to purchasing policies requiring

procurement (purchase or otherwise) of

accessible information and technology

• Added language to RFP and contracts for

accessibility & remediation

• Developed an Exceptions Request form and

process workflow



Exceptions Request form

• Name & description of the product or resource

• Who is the audience? (and indicate approximately how many of eachtype)

• What is the cost? (single year and/or recurring)

• Accessibility Roadmap? (and if so what's the timeline for compliance?)

• Describe how it is used.

• Is it currently in use?

• Which of the 508 category(ies) is relevant to the product?

• Is it required for coursework or job function?

•

What exception category (specified in section 508) are you requesting?• Explain why it meets the exception.

• Describe the reasonable accommodation you will provide.



Exception Request work flow

InitialRequest

ATCC

Review

• Accessibility Liaison (or individual if there is no Accessibility

Liaison) submits request to [email protected]

•Proof to make sure everything’s OK (may request clarificationon some items or revision to request if it is incomplete)

• Write up an executive summary of the request

• Request form and executive summary sent to ATCC for

review and decision (decision is requested within 6 business

days)

• ATCC may request clarification on some items

• Decision is sent to Accessibility Liaison (or initial requestor)

mailto:[email protected]




Library• Workflows are in place render video course reserves accessible (mixture of

purchase and captioning in Ensemble.)

• Conducting an year-long review of all 500 database platforms and alerting

vendors to compliance issues.

• Remediated primary website (library.temple.edu) and several secondary sites.

•

Engaged vendors of several major systems (e.g., Innovative for OPAC, OCLC forCONTENTdm) to press with other universities for improvements in their

platforms.

• Library programmers working with vendors to make products accessible:

– Springshare’s LibChat.

–

Contributed to Omeka (open source software for online exhibition.)• Joined HathiTrust and set up proxy system for print disabled so they can have

full-text access to the 13 million books, journals, etc.

• Adopted Ares as new course reserve platform to improve accessibility of textual

course reserves scanned in the library. (Accessible content still challenging.)

http://library.temple.edu/

http://library.temple.edu/



Instructional Materials

• Surveyed file types on Learning Management

System (Blackboard)

• Prioritized creation of checklists for the top four

types of content first:

Word PowerPoint

Excel PDF

• Incorporating Universal Design aspects in

checklists



Launching the initiative

• Communicate for buy in:

– CIO went on a road show presenting to:

• Council of Deans

• Faculty Senate

• Business Managers

• Collegial assemblies

–

Presentation consisted of:• Overview of policy & project

• Who is responsible (content creator is responsible)

• We’re here to help & what we’ve done so far



Empower others to act



Launched Website

• Website launched to act as a clearinghouse for:

– Policies

– Guidelines

– How-to materials

– Quick tips

– Link to community

http://accessibility.temple.edu

http://accessibility.temple.edu/

http://accessibility.temple.edu/



Empowerment – in many forms

• Had Deans appoint “Accessibility Liaisons” in

each school or college & formed committee

• Purchased a tool to allow users to audit their

own web content/sites/systems

• Distributed guidelines for computer labs and

learning spaces

• Bi-weekly meetings with Accessibility Liaison

committee



Make it easy in the beginning



Quick wins

• Survey and remediate Computer Services’ centrally owned/managedlearning spaces & computer labs first: – Largest and most heavily used labs were remediated first

– Received feedback on the standards and checklists to improve and clarifyrequirements

– Early remediation allowed us to determine average remediation costs• Update all control panels in smart classrooms owned by Computer

Services so they ‘talk’

• Launched new web accessibility standards at university wide webdesigners meeting

•

Creative Services works with contractors to make sure new websites areaccessible

• Hired a visually impaired student worker to assist with testing new webbased applications developed in-house



Stay with it



Sometimes things take time

• Instructional materials guidelines

– 12 months and they still weren’t finished

– Reboot after 5 months

– Switched from policy to checklists with How-To’s – Engaged larger group of faculty to assist with determining

how to tweak them for better adoption

• Web auditing software

– Slow adoption rate from web masters/designers

– Used a university wide broken links initiative to introducestaff to the software



Annual Reports

• Understand how each school/college is

progressing via annual report. Addresses:

– How well we communicated the initiative

– Web sites

– Instructional materials

– Learning spaces

– Computer labs



Budget – how much was spent?

• Central funding covered $600,000 to date for: – Remediating computer labs (central and schools/colleges)

– Remediating learning spaces

– Software to audit websites

– Consulting and training

• Individual Schools/Colleges and Administrative Unitsspent $83,000 the first year for: – Remediating computer labs

– Captioning

Note: figures do not include personnel costs



Lessons learned

• Sometimes it takes a while to get a workablesolution

• Deadlines are good, but be flexible

•

Communication is key (particularly top down)• Spread out the work (form working groups)

• People want to help, make it easy for them

• Don’t come with all the answers, let people be a

part of the process• Include representatives from facilities

• Be flexible (i.e. exceptions request form)



On your journey

• Enjoy the good

• Don’t let the bad drag you down

•

Accessibility, like penguins,isn’t always black and white



Questions?

[email protected]





Photo credits

• “Penguin” by cnystrom © 2005 and made available under a Attribution-NoDerivs Generic 2.0 license

• “Penguin Group Small”, “Trekking across the Antarctic Ice and Snow”and “JV-091112 4425” by Antarctica Bound © 2010 and made availableunder a Attribution-NoDerivs Generic 2.0 license

• “Adelie Penguin Dive on Paulet Island, Antarctica” by nick_russill ©2007 and made available under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivsGeneric 2.0 license

• “Ice cased Adelie penguins after a blizzard at Cape Denison”photograph by Frank Hurley provided by State Library of New SouthWales

• “King Penguin Chick at Salisbury Plain” by Liam Quinn © 2011 under aAttribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en






http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en





http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en























Documents

A Journey to Accessibility: Temple University's University-Wide Accessible Information and Technology Initiative Implementation (242340063)