Digital Accessibility UpdatesNews you can use to make your digital resources, classrooms, and events more inclusive and accessible to the Mason community!
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"Accessibility allows us to tap into everyone's potential."
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Tools and SUpports for Spring 2021
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aLLY identifies Inaccessible documents and images in your course
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Go for the GReen!
Use Ally to identify any documents or images uploaded directly to your Blackboard course site that have accessibility issues.
Look for the GREEN, ORANGE, and RED Accessibility Score icons to determine which documents (e.g., syllabus) and images (e.g., infographic) need to be fixed (i.e., ORANGE, RED) and which ones are fine (GREEN).
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Click below to get started!
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Create Accessible Word Documents and PowerPoint Presentations
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Accessible documents benefit everyone...ensuring our students, staff, and faculty are afforded equivalent access to the electronic resources hosted on our websites and in our classrooms (e.g., course syllabus, HR forms, applications, etc.). The most common document formats used in Mason classrooms are Word, PowerPoint, and PDF.
For step-by-step guidance on creating accessible electronic documents, select the link below.
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Create a more accessible and inclusive Website...Dubbot can help!
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DubBot is Mason's new web governance solution, continuously checking your website for accessibility issues, broken links, and misspelled words among other issues.
DubBot also provides an overall score for issues related to accessibility, spelling, broken links, and flagged words. This allows you to easily track and remediate issues they may result from changes to your website.
The ATI can help you understand the accessibility standards tested through DubBot and how to proceed with remediation.
Select the link below to get your own DubBot account.
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USE ZOOM FOR MORE INCLUSIVE SYNCHRONOUS CLASSROOMS AND VIRTUAL MEETINGS
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Zoom is one of the most universally accessible video conferencing platforms, supporting both those who use assistive technology and those who do not.
The ATI recommends those hosting synchronous classes or virtual events use Zoom whenever possible.
Features of note:
- Zoom recordings are automatically transcribed and searchable
- Hosts and participants can spotlight multiple video streams (e.g., interpreter)
- Support for keyboard-only and screen reader users
- Zoom recordings are automatically stored in Kaltura (this makes requesting professional captions at Mason much easier)
Want to learn more? Select the link below.
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Create accessibleSocial Media Content
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Similar to general web accessibility considerations, follow best practices as much as possible to ensure your social media content is accessible and inclusive. We have compiled a brief list of usability and accessibility tips/strategies
- Use good color contrast
- Whenever possible, use shortened URLs
- Provide captions for videos/transcripts for audio
- Limit your use of emojis
Select the link below to learn more...
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Need help making your course videos more accessible?
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The ATI offers captioning, transcription, and audio description support to Mason faculty and staff hosting audio or video on front-facing websites or in classrooms.
Why should I do this?
- To ensure media used in the classroom and/or online is accessible to individuals with sensory impairments, learning/cognitive challenges, or who speak English as a second language
- There is no cost to faculty or academic units as long as the resource is primarily for members of the Mason community
- Ensures compliance with relevant disability laws
Seletc the link below to make your media content accessible!
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Having trouble?
Mason is committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities are afforded equivalent access to all of the university's programs and services. Any member of the Mason community encountering digital (e.g., websites that do not work with your assistive technology) and/or physical accessibility barriers (e.g., automatic doors not working, block walkways/doorways, etc.) can report the issue to the ATI.
Select the link below to report an issue.
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In case you missed it, the Fall 2020 edition of the DAU newsletter (12/16/2020) featured the ATI's Fall 2020 Digital Accessibility Champion (Susan Campbell, Stearns Center) and highlights from Mason's first semester implementing Blackboard Ally. Mason students downloaded over 47,000 alternative formats using Ally.
Select the link below to see what you missed.
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DS Faculty Workshops, Jan. 14 - 25
Over the next two weeks, Disability Services (DS) c/o ATI will be hosting pre-semester training workshops for faculty members who have students with sensory impairments (i.e., blind, low vision, deaf, and hard of hearing) enrolled in their courses. Sessions will highlight resources and services in place to help faculty better support our students.
If you have a student with a sensory impairment enrolled in one of your courses, Lisa Coats (DS, Access Consultant) and/or Aja Puopolo (DS, Manager of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services) will contact you with details.
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ATI VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE, Jan. 22
ATI Staff will be hosting 30-minute open house sessions highlighting the supports and services in place to assist you with creating accessible digital content.
Select the link(s) below to access the sessions:
- Jan. 22, 10:00am - 10:30am (Accessible Documents & Media, Robert Starr) - Join Meeting
- Jan. 22, 1:00pm - 1:30pm (Web Accessibility, Kristine Neuber) - Join Meeting
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Basic Questions about Accessibility and Usability in Online Courses, Feb. 17
In partnership with Darlene Smucny (Stearns Center), ATI staff will be hosting a webinar highlighting resources and services for digital accessibility available to Mason faculty (http://ati.gmu.edu). We also will demonstrate how to use Blackboard Ally, an accessibility tool available in all Mason Blackboard courses.
- Facilitators: Korey Singleton (ATI) and Darlene Smucny (Stearns Center), (Faculty facilitator, TBA)
- Date: Wednesday, February 17, 1:00pm – 2:00 pm
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The Digital Accessibility Updates newsletter will be published at the beginning and end of the fall and spring semesters. The next issue will be distributed on Monday, May 3rd.
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Assistive Technology Initiative
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