Good morning a11ies! Thank you for responding to EDUCAUSE's quick poll last week centered on higher education accessibility. The
results are in! Some important/interesting tidbits:
- Institutions are facing legal and government challenges, and some are facing multiple challenges. Asked about lawsuits, threats of legal action, or government investigations related to technology accessibility, a full 68% of all respondents reported that their institution has faced at least one of these challenges
- Despite the presence of institutional policies and the availability of resources like staff and faculty training, awareness and buy-in at the level of institutional leadership may still be a challenge for professionals supporting accessibility services and initiatives. Asked if the leaders at their institution are knowledgeable about issues related to technology accessibility, a slight majority of respondents (52%) responded that their leaders are not knowledgeable in this area.
- Support for accessibility may still be more reactive than proactive.
- Support for accessibility may still be more "on paper" than "in practice."
- Shore up dedicated staff capacity for supporting accessibility services and initiatives.
- Mandate accessibility training for staff, faculty, and students.
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Trisha Prevett Whiteman
Digital Information Accessibility Coordinator
Rice University
She/Her/Hers
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