Accessibility and life beyond the ALT tag

Date: Friday, July 13, 2018
Time: 10:30 - 11:15 am (CDT) (UTC-05:00)
Location: Simon Hall 112
Format: General Lecture Session

Session description

When we talk about design and the web, for some reason we don't believe we can have our beautiful cake and access it too. Sometimes, the idea of accessibility seems like a bucket of water on a campfire—not the kind of sizzle we are want for our website. And yet I tell you, there’s hope. We’ll explore the human aspect of our work and discover how to approach accessibility in a practical manner (and with less pain that you thought possible). Learn how to create digital content that anyone can access, no matter how they do it. See a real world example of an accessible course offering, and why it works. Let’s leave behind the idea of accessibility as an afterthought, and bring it into the forethought where it belongs.

What you’ll learn:

  • Who you’re actually designing for
  • What you can do right now that doesn't require destroying your current site
  • Where to find tools that won't break your budget
  • When is the best time to incorporate accessibility
  • Why you should even care about any of this

This session brought to you in partnership with the HighEdWeb Association.

Presenter

Robin Smail

Headshot of Robin Smail
UX designer, Penn State

Robin Smail [noun]: An authentic voice who is never afraid to dissent. Passionate about inclusive user experience. Enthusiastic in that infectious way you just can't escape. A user experience designer, Robin's mission is to connect people and technology in accessible ways. Whether advocating for accessibility, helping to shape conferences and communities of practice, or designing user-friendly interfaces, her goal is always to collaborate, motivate and transform. Robin holds a BS in information sciences and technology from Penn State, knows a thing or two about higher ed and can be found online everywhere misbehaving as Robin2go.

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