The Rutgers Office of IT Accessibility (OITA) is partnering with Princeton University to offer learning and networking opportunities about web accessibility, user experience (UX), and related issues.
The OITA and Princeton team members will host Zoom meetings throughout the winter and explore topics such as universal design principles, creating inclusive video conferences, and accessibility testing.
“Accessibility is not something unique to Rutgers or higher education, in general, but rather all aspects of our digital lives,” said Charles Collick, associate director of learning technology and IT accessibility. “The collaboration between Rutgers and Princeton is just one example of our efforts to partner with other institutions and consortiums to pool resources, co-develop content for the community, and generate awareness around accessibility.”
Upcoming meetings will lay the groundwork on the best practices in web accessibility, with presentations from Rutgers and Princeton experts.
Meetings during early 2021 will serve as preparation for the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) exam, a certification provided by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) that is intended to cover the skills needed to evaluate accessibility according to published guidelines, then provide detailed recommendations for remediation.
These events will follow along with content from Deque University, which is a self-paced online web accessibility training tool available to members of the Rutgers community for free.
Meetings are open to the public. You can learn more about upcoming events or register to attend a meeting by visiting the Meetup webpage for the group. If you have any questions for OITA about web accessibility, please email accessibility@rutgers.edu.
Upcoming meetings:
November 24, 2020: Disability Etiquette
Techniques and best-practices to employ when working with or communicating with a person with disabilities. Participants will explore frameworks of disabilities; disability culture and how it varies from group-to-group; and scenario-based suggestions and recommendations in order to yield equitable and respectful results for all
December 8, 2020: Accessible Online Meetings and Events
How to help ensure video conferences are welcoming and accessible, including best practices for improving the experience for all participants.
January 5, 2021: Web Accessibility Specialist Preparation Series Kickoff
Beginning of sessions on topics that align with the IAAP’s Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) certification curriculum offered by Deque University.