Commitment to ADA Compliance

Accessibility Update (March 19, 2025)

NW Heat is a collaboration between the Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium to provide webinars and resources focused on digital accessibility in higher education.

Creating accessible digital content isn’t just about compliance—it’s about ensuring equitable access for all users. NWHeat is excited to offer a practical workshop series that will help participants design, validate, and remediate accessible documents using word processing, presentation slides, and PDFs. This series will cover both the “Getting Started” foundational concepts and provide “In Practice” practical application opportunities, ensuring that users have the information and practice needed to make content more inclusive and user-friendly across digital platforms.

The Document Accessibility Series  is being presented by Michele Joy Bromley , MA, ADS, CPWA, a digital accessibility and inclusivity specialist, currently supporting the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at Portland State University (PSU) as the manager of the Digital Accessibility and Content team.

Sign up individually for each of the six workshops. All workshops will be recorded. Learn more about the Document Accessibility Series (including individual session descriptions) at the NWHeat website.

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

  • Gloria Doherty, George Fox University (Chair)
  • Marianne Colgrove, NWACC
  • Van Davis, WCET – the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies
  • Wendy Steele, Washington State University
  • Alice Swift, University of Hawai’i System

Accessibility Update (January 30, 2025)

NW Heat is a collaboration between the Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium to provide webinars and resources focused on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for Collaboration Creates Capacity: Supporting Shared Pathways to Digital Accessibility Maturity, with Michele Joy Bromley and Eleanor Hart of Portland State University

February 11, 11:00am – Noon PST – via Zoom. The webinar will be recorded.

Register now! Registration is free, and open to the public. You are welcome to forward this email to anyone at your institutions who may be interested in accessibility.

Description:  Recent changes to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establish the first two WCAG levels as the federal accessibility standard for all digital resources, whether public- or internal-facing and academic. This can feel overwhelming for publicly funded institutions that have only just begun to make meaningful progress toward accessibility maturity for their websites. No one department is equipped to bring all digital assets and applications into compliance with WCAG 2.1. While there are key differences to consider in establishing protocols for public-facing versus internal resources, a shared framework and strategy across all units is necessary for scaling our institutional digital accessibility efforts.

RSVP Link: Register now via Zoom

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

— NW Higher Education Accessible Technology Group Webinar Team

  • Gloria Doherty, George Fox University (Chair)
  • Marianne Colgrove, NWACC
  • Van Davis, WCET – the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies
  • Wendy Steele, Washington State University
  • Alice Swift, University of Hawai’i System

Accessibility Update (December 30, 2024)

We are pleased to announce two upcoming webinars by Grackle Consulting.  These webinars are open for anyone affiliated with the University of Hawaii to attend.

Digital Accessibility: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Impact Change

Date:  Thursday, January 30, 2025
Time: 9:00am – 10:30am
Where: Click here for the Digital Accessibility zoom meeting link
Description: 

Now more than ever we rely on digital environments that leverage online technology like Learning Management Systems, digital materials, digital and social media marketing, virtual information sessions, and collaboration through online video interaction to provide a robust and engaging environment for all students, perspective students, alumni, stakeholders, clients, customers, employees, and community members. But have we considered equity and inclusion for people with disabilities who must interact with digital and online content differently? With 19% of all undergraduate students and 12% of all graduate students identifying as having a disability and the laws around digital access changing rapidly we, as leaders, must be informed and proactively incorporate digital accessibility practices in our work everyday. This session will provide key information about digital accessibility and techniques that can be immediately applied to increase access.

The 3 D’s: Disability, Diversity, and Digital Accessibility

Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025
Time: 9:00am – 10:30am
Where: Click here for the 3 D’s zoom meeting link
Description:

While not always included at the table, disability is just another aspect of diversity and disability rights are civil rights. This workshop will focus on supporting the civil rights of students with disabilities as they engage in the expanding landscape of digital education from emails to online courses to web content and more. Learn from case studies and examples of what it is like for some students with print-related disabilities to access inaccessible materials and digital spaces that we may be creating unintentionally. More importantly, learn easy steps and gain resources to increase access and equity for all learners while also minimizing your institution’s risk of liability.

Accessibility Update (December 2, 2024)

We are pleased to invite you to a followup Q&A with Judy Risch on December 5 at 11am HST.

During the Q&A Judy will revisit unanswered questions from the November 20 NWHeat webinar. This is also an opportunity to ask more questions and continue the conversation.

Please register for the Zoom Q&A event via GrandRiver Solutions

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (November 7, 2024)

We invite you to join us for ADA Title II Regulations Exemptions and Questions, with Judith Risch, J.D., Ph.D., Title IX & Equity Access Services Special Advisor at Grand River Solutions

November 20, 12:00 – 1:00pm HST – via Zoom. The webinar will be recorded

Register now!

Registration is free, and open to the public. You are welcome to forward this email to anyone at your institutions who may be interested in accessibility.

Description: Everyone is busy getting ready for April 2026 when the ADA Title II Regulations go into effect for most public entities. There are lots of questions about the five exemptions in the regulations. We will spend some time talking about them and what will fall under them. Bring lots of questions and look forward to discussion of the exemptions.

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (October 17, 2024)

We invite you to join us for Updates to Federal Disability Rights Law in the Digital Space, by Mary Lou Mobley, National Disability Expert in the Office for Civil Rights

October 29, 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM HST – via Zoom (the webinar will NOT be recorded)

Register now!

Registration is free, and open to the public. You are welcome to forward this email to anyone at your institutions who may be interested in accessibility.

Description: Everyone is busy getting ready for April 2026 when the ADA Title II Regulations go into effect for most public entities. There are lots of questions about the five exemptions in the regulations. We will spend some time talking about them and what will fall under them. Bring lots of questions and look forward to discussion of the exemptions.

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (July 24, 2024)

We were able to secure training for the JAWS software. Please feel free to join if you’re interested in attending. You can access the agenda here with your UH account.

The training will be broken up into 3 sessions of 2 hours per session. The dates are as follows:
Wednesday, 8/7, 8am – 10am HST
Thursday, 8/8, 8am – 10am HST
Friday, 8/9, 8am – 10am HST

A recording of the sessions is available along with other resources from the training (UH Login required).  Training Recordings and Resources

Accessibility Update (May 14, 2024)

The Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium are collaborating to provide webinars focusing on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for Digital Accessibility – Update on the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II Regulations

May 22, 11:00 AM HST – via Zoom (the webinar will NOT be recorded)

Register now!(Link no longer valid). Registration is free, and open to the public. You are welcome to forward this email to anyone at your institutions who may be interested in accessibility.

Description: Learn from Judith Risch, JD & PhD, an expert in digital accessibility formerly from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) National Digital Access Team. The presenter will cover recent updates to the Title II regulations, and provide suggestions on how to set your organization up for success over the next several years. This is a “can’t miss” session that will help you prioritize your efforts. Bring your questions for a robust discussion!

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (May 14, 2024)

On April 24, 2024 the Federal Register published the Department of Justice’s final rule updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The final rule has specific requirements about how to ensure that web content and mobile applications (apps) are accessible to people with disabilities.

The final rule states the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA is the technical standard for state and local governments’ web content and mobile apps. This includes the University of Hawaii. Therefore, by April 24, 2026, web content that falls under this rule should meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines.

View the final rule Fact Sheet

If you have any questions about whether your web content falls under this rule, please contact itsada@hawaii.edu.

Accessibility Update (April 4, 2024)

STEM programs pose unique accessibility challenges. NWHeat has reached out to STEM experts to share their insights and encourage us in taking another step in accessible practices. We invite you to share these two upcoming webinar opportunities with your colleagues who would like a better understanding of assistive technologies and how to support STEM students:

Accessible Technology: How A Screen-reader Works with STEM content and More

    • Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
    • Time: 8:00 AM (HST)
    • Location: Zoom

Easing the Transition to STEM Higher Education for Students with Disabilities

    • Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2024
    • Time: 9:00 AM (HST)
    • Location: Zoom

NWHeat webinars are free but registration is required. Please visit the event pages to learn more and to register.

Accessibility Update (March 7, 2024)

The Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium are collaborating to provide webinars focusing on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for Accessible Technology: How a Screen-Reader Works with STEM Content and More

Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Time: 8:00 AM (HST)
Location: Zoom (webinar will be recorded)

Register here! Registration is free, and open to the public.

Description: How do students with disabilities access STEM content? What are some common barriers they may encounter when reading STEM content? Want to see how a screen reader actually works? In this workshop you will experience the user’s perspective through both shared user stories and a hands-on screen-reader demo, and learn how students interact with technology to assist their learning.

Presenters:

  • Zach Lattin, Campus IT Accessibility Coordinator and IT Assistive Technology and Web Accessibility Specialist at Clark College

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (February 15, 2024)

The Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium are collaborating to provide webinars focusing on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for Accessibility in EdTech: How Do Your Products Rate? Hosted in partnership with WCET

Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM (HST)
Location: Zoom (webinar will be recorded)

Register here! Registration is free, and open to the public.

Description: Ensuring accessibility in digital learning products is essential to providing all learners with equal educational opportunities. We’ll introduce you to a rubric designed to support institutions and edtech suppliers in their efforts to address accessibility. This tool allows institutional leaders to leverage expertise from accessibility professionals across education and supplier organizations. It provides a common framework for evaluating non-technical aspects of accessibility in technology products and services that can impact purchasing decisions.

Presenters:

  • Kelly Hermann, Vice President for Accessibility Strategy University of Phoenix
  • Kelly Hoyland, Director, Higher Education Programs, 1EdTech

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (October 30, 2023)

Join the Hawaii/Adobe Accessibility Conversation

Agenda: overview of document cloud in the lens of accessibility with specific focus on PDF accessibility

Date: November 8, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm (HST)

Location: Microsoft Teams meeting

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 272 702 927 393
Passcode: VKNu8V

Download Teams | Join on the web

Join with a video conferencing device

128731744@teams.bjn.vc
Video Conference ID: 114 987 361 2
Alternate VTC instructions

Accessibility Update (October 9, 2023)

The Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium are collaborating to provide webinars focusing on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for Library Building Accessibility Assessment.

October 11, 11am HST – via Zoom (webinar will be recorded)

Register now!

Registration is free, and open to anyone from Alliance and NWACC institutions.

Description: How can you determine if your library physical spaces are accessible to users with disabilities? Do you feel overwhelmed when considering how to begin assessing accessibility in buildings? In this presentation, we will review several areas to inspect for common accessibility barriers, as well as some straightforward solutions. For barriers that require planning or significant expense, we will also discuss how to compose an accessibility assessment report to document your findings and assist in long-term planning.

Presenters:

  • Andy Andrews, Assistant Director of Academic Services for the Disability Resources for Students office, University of Washington
  • Hana Levay, Collection Assessment Librarian, University of Washington.

RSVP Link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUlce-hrT4rEtC7aDJ60RW_s0QSH2nroTn1

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October 2, 2023)

Aloha UH ʻOhana,

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is an annual campaign celebrated each October that acknowledges America’s workers with disabilities and reminds employers of the importance of inclusive hiring practices. NDEAM sheds light on disability employment through education and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.

This year’s theme is “Advancing Access Equity,” and our Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) team has put together a webinar series on various topics related to disability employment, reasonable accommodation, accessibility, and our UH commitment to an inclusive culture. The webinars run through the end of October and I strongly encourage your participation in this series. More information is available at the EEO/AA Office website.

We have made significant progress since the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in all areas of public life. And there is still more to be done to reduce barriers, change perceptions, and increase full participation in many aspects of living, learning, and working for individuals with disabilities.

We value all perspectives, including those of individuals with disabilities. Please consider participating in a strictly voluntary two-question survey on your veteran and/or disability status using your UH login. This information will be confidential and submitted directly to the EEO/AA Officers. It will only be used for federal reporting purposes and will not affect your current employment.

If you would like more information on how to request a reasonable accommodation at work, contact your campus ADA Coordinators. You may also refer to the EEO Commission’s Know Your Rights poster.

Mahalo nui loa for your support of this important campaign celebrating NDEAM.

David Lassner
UH President

The 33rd anniversary of ADA (July 26, 2023)

Aloha UH ʻohana,

Thirty-three years ago, on July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities. In the decades since, the ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by prohibiting discrimination, reducing barriers, changing perceptions, and increasing full participation in living, learning, and working. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was the first federal legislation to address access and equity for people with disabilities.

On the 33rd anniversary of the ADA, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act, the University of Hawaiʻi recognizes and celebrates the progress made. UH also reaffirms its commitment to the principles of equality and inclusion and the efforts to be ADA compliant.

Please consider participating in a two-question survey on your veteran and/or disability status using your UH login. This information will be confidential and submitted directly to the EEO/AA Officers. It will be used only for federal reporting purposes and will not affect your current employment. Your response is strictly voluntary.

If you would like more information on the ADA or to request a reasonable accommodation at work, please contact your campus ADA Coordinator. You may also refer to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Know Your Rights poster.

Mahalo for your support of this important campaign celebrating the 33rd Anniversary of ADA, and the 50th Anniversary of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Mālama pono,
David Lassner
UH President

Accessibility Update (July 19, 2023)

Update: Unfortunately, this month’s webinar on July 26th has been canceled. Thank you to those who already signed up and we apologize for any inconvenience or confusion that this causes.

This month, we’ll be discussing the experiences people have when navigating the internet as a screen-reader.

Date: July 26th, 2023
Time: 8:00 AM HST
Location: Hosted via Zoom & Frontier

P.S. If you are unable to attend the live call, please register anyway so we may send you a captioned recording afterward.

Accessibility Update (June 14, 2023)

In our June webinar, we’ll be talking about “color” Contrast for text and non-text components. We’ll be looking at text against background colors, focus indicators, icons, etc., and why contrast matters. We will also be discussing Resizing, both of text and page contents, how we test it, and what to look for.

Date: June 21st, 2023
Time: 7:00 AM HST
Location: Hosted via Zoom & Frontier

Please ‍‍register to save your seat‍‍ today, and feel free to reach out with questions in the meantime. If you are unable to attend the live call, please register anyway so we may send you a captioned recording afterward.

P.S. If you are unable to attend the live call, please register anyway so we may send you a captioned recording afterward.

Accessibility Update (May 16, 2023)

The Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium are collaborating to provide webinars focusing on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for Untethered teaching and lecture capture. Promoting inclusion and universal design for learning.

June 14, 8:00 AM HST – via Zoom (webinar will be recorded)

Register now! Registration is free, and open to anyone from Alliance and NWACC institutions. You are welcome to forward this email to anyone at your institutions who may be interested in accessibility.

Description: Untethered lecture capture (ULC) is defined as the integration of multimedia resources which permit faculty to be freely mobile within the classroom while simultaneously teaching and producing audiovisual digital recordings of lecture. The integration of cognitive load theory with multimedia instructional design principles promotes accessibility, universal design and facilitates student learning.

Presenters:

  • Lorretta Krautscheid, PhD, MS, RN, CNE. Associate Professor, George Fox University
  • Samuel Williams, MSEd. Chief Information Officer, Linfield University

Please visit the NWHeat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (April 14, 2023)

After wishing Keith a fond farewell last month, we will be discussing best practices for Alternative Text during the first full month of spring. If you are interested in attending, you can register below.

Accessibility Education Webinar: Alternative Text
Date: Wednesday, April 19th, 2023
Time: 8:00 AM HST
Location: Hosted via Zoom & Frontier

Please ‍‍register here to save your seat‍‍ today.

If you are unable to attend the live call, please register anyway so we may send you a captioned recording afterward.

Accessibility Update (March 16, 2023)

The Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium are collaborating to provide webinars focusing on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for Lessons Learned on the Journey Through a Website Accessibility Audit, Co-hosted by WCET
April 12, 7:00 AM HST – via Zoom (webinar will be recorded)

Register now! Registration is free, and open to anyone from Alliance and NWACC institutions.

Description: WCET, a leader in the practice, policy, and advocacy of digital learning in higher education, recently partnered with WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind), to conduct a comprehensive website review for accessibility across the WCET website. For an organization who recently launched a new website and keeps accessibility on the forefront of all content creation, the results of the WebAIM audit were incredibly insightful. During this webcast, panelists will discuss the process of the website audit, results, and strategies for ensuring websites are accessible. They will also highlight major changes implemented to improve accessibility.

Please visit the NW HEAT website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (March 8, 2023)

This is an exciting but bittersweet Accessibility Education Community webinar; Keith is retiring in early April, which means that this will be his last webinar! He has had a profound impact to the Accessibility community, Siteimprove, and all the customers he has worked with. Please use this link if you would like to share a message, or quick thank you. We will be using this form to compile notes that will be shared with him after this month’s webinar.

Join us, via Zoom, on March 22nd, 2023 at 8:00 AM HST. You can save your seat here.

Accessibility Update (January 18, 2023)

This month Meghan Whalen will be hosting with Keith to show how she uses a screen reader to navigate the web!

Join us, via Zoom, on January 25th, 2023 at 9:00 AM HST. You can save your seat here (Link no longer valid).

Accessibility Update (December 16, 2022)

In case you missed the ARIA Basics webinar held on December 7th, you can access the webinar recording here. The webinar covered what ARIA is and what ARIA is not, how to being implementing ARIA techniques efficiently, and ARIA code examples.

Accessibility Update (November 30, 2022)

Keith Bundy and special guest Christina Adams, invite you to join them for the last session in December discussing ARIA. ARIA is a complex set of tools that can help create accessible digital experiences, however when implemented improperly can create a negative user experience or even prevent access altogether. In this session, they will go over what ARIA is, what ARIA is not, and how to begin implementing ARIA techniques efficiently.

This webinar will be hosted on December 7th, 2022 at 9:00 AM HST.

Accessibility Update (November 2, 2022)

The Orbis Cascade Alliance and Northwest Academic Computing Consortium are collaborating to provide webinars focusing on digital accessibility in higher education.

We invite you to join us for a Digital Accessibility Workshop from Microsoft
November 15, 10:00 AM HST – via Zoom (webinar will be recorded)

Register here! Registration is free and open.

Description: We are a team of passionate individuals that formed a virtual team to take Accessibility on the road. Our goal is to make individuals pause to think about Accessibility, reflect on who they can empower within their circle by making their world more inclusive through Accessibility and how they can leverage technology to achieve that goal.

Please visit the NW HEAT website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (October 26, 2022)

Thank you for your interest in this month’s webinar, National Disability Employment Awareness Month – Panel Discussion. Due to a family emergency, Keith is unfortunately unable to lead the presentation this week. Once Keith returns, we will work on rescheduling our next session, stay tuned, and thank you for your patience.

For those of you interested in a recording of the session presented on making PDFs accessible that was presented on October 5th, you can find the recording here.

Accessibility Update (September 29, 2022)

NW H.E.A.T (Northwest Higher Education Accessibility Technology) will be hosting a webinar on October 12th, 2022 at 8:00 AM, presented by Dr. Cyndi Rowland, the Executive Director of WebAIM, who will be giving a talk on “What can we be doing better? Anxiety and Accessibility Initiatives 2.0.” Register for a seat here.

Visit the NW H.E.A.T website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (September 28, 2022)

Join us in two upcoming Siteimprove webinars.

On October 5th, 2022, at 8:00 AM join us in a session where a digital expert will discuss best practices for accessibility within PDFs. Register for a seat here.

In addition, on October 26, 2022, at 8:00 AM, you can jump into a panel discussion focused on National Accessibility Awareness month. Register for a seat here.

Accessibility Update (August 4, 2022)

If you missed Keith Bundy’s July webinar that covered how to write descriptive alt text for your website, you can watch the recorded webinar here. The Alt Text and Multimedia webinar slides can be found here.

Accessibility Update (July 15, 2022)

Join us in Siteimprove’s July webinar over Zoom on July 27, 2022 at 8:00am where they will be discussing writing good alt text. Register here to save your seat today.

Accessibility Update (June 8, 2022)

Join us in Siteimprove’s June webinar over Zoom on June 22, 2022 at 8:00am where they are going to revisit their screen reader demo. Register here to save your seat today.

Accessibility Update (June 2, 2022)

If you missed Keith Bundy’s May webinar that covered the upcoming release of the WCAG 2.2 guidelines, you can watch the recorded webinar here.

Accessibility Update (May 20, 2022)

Join Kapi’olani CC in their free professional development event. All UH employees (including student employees) are invited to enroll in the free, online professional development program focused on digital accessibility. Register here.

This is a low-pressure, self-paced learning resource with the option to complete a competency assessment to earn a digital badge and/or certificate. Learn about important fundamental concepts of accessibility and how to apply your new knowledge to your digital content! For more about this program, see this video overview.

Accessibility Update (May 12, 2022)

Keith Bundy from Siteimprove will be hosting a webinar over Zoom on May 25, 2022 at 8:00am where he will be discussing the upcoming release of the WCAG 2.2 guidelines, which are set to be completed and published by September. Register for a seat in this webinar. If you cannot make the webinar, you can still register to get access to a captioned recording of the webinar.

Accessibility Update (May 9, 2022)

If you missed Keith Bundy’s April webinar featuring guest speaker Katie VanDixhorn on an overview of how manual testing is done and why it’s important, you can watch the recorded webinar here.

Accessibility Update (April 27, 2022)

Mitchell Ochi, Director of Client Services and Operations Center at University of Hawai’i will be hosting a webinar over Zoom on May 17, 2022 at 11:00am. Please join this discussion on the University of Hawai’i’s journey to improve the institution’s digital accessibility program. The discussion will focus on the institution’s experience working with the Office for Civil Rights, and how that has helped to shape the current state of their program. Register for a seat in this webinar.

Visit the NW Heat website for additional information.

Accessibility Update (March 15, 2022)

There are two upcoming accessibility webinar opportunities for faculty and staff.

Keith Bundy from Siteimprove will be hosting a webinar over Zoom on March 23, 2022 at 8:00am where he will be discussing What is ARIA? and will be reviewing how to use it for accessibility. Register for a seat in this webinar. If you cannot make the webinar, you can still register to get access to a captioned recording of the webinar.

NW H.E.A.T (Northwest Higher Education Accessibility Technology) will be hosting a webinar on March 31, 2022 at 11:00am entitled An Introduction to Document Accessibility. Register to reserve a seat in this hour-long webinar. This webinar will not be recorded, but a summary will be posted.

Accessibility Update (November 10, 2021)

NW H.E.A.T (Northwest Higher Education Accessibility Technology) will be hosting a webinar on December 2, 2021 at 12:00pm entitled Common Issues and Best Practices in Working with Vendors and Procurement. Register to reserve a seat in this hour-long webinar. This webinar will not be recorded, but a summary will be posted.

Accessibility Update (September 16, 2021)

NW H.E.A.T (Northwest Higher Education Accessibility Technology) will be hosting a webinar on October 14, 2021 at 11:00am entitled An Overview of OCR and How Accessibility Laws Apply to Digital Accessibility in Higher Education. Register to reserve a seat in this hour-long webinar.

Accessibility Update (July 30, 2021)

Travis Vermeulen of Siteimprove will be conducting a hands-on overview of the Siteimprove platform on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at 10am. This webinar will cover the following topics:

  • What does Siteimprove do, and how does it collect data?
  • How often is data updated in Siteimprove? How can you force scans on pages, groups, and sites?
  • Quality Assurance – How can you troubleshoot broken links?
  • Creating and scheduling a custom dashboard
  • Siteimprove Scoring model – How can you assess and prioritize based on score weight?

No registration is required. To join the webinar:

Microsoft Teams (web or client): http://go.hawaii.edu/PSp
Call in (audio only):

  • +1 612-263-7231 (Minneapolis)
  • +1 323-553-2605 (Los Angeles)

Phone Conference ID: 699 962 915#

Accessibility Update (May 19, 2021)

There are two upcoming accessibility webinar opportunities for faculty and staff.

Keith Bundy from Siteimprove will be hosting a webinar over Zoom on May 26, 2021 at 8:00am where he’ll walk through how he navigates the world using assistive technology. Register now for a seat in this webinar. If you cannot make the webinar, you can still register to get access to a captioned recording of the webinar.

NW H.E.A.T (Northwest Higher Education Accessibility Technology) will be hosting a webinar on June 9, 2021 at 8:00am entitled Creating inclusive classroom spaces in which students thrive. Register to reserve a seat in this hour-long webinar.

Accessibility Update (April 20, 2021)

Keith Bundy from Siteimprove will be holding a webinar on accessibility best practices for hosting virtual events on April 28, 2021 at 8:00am hosted via Zoom. Register now for a seat in this webinar.

Accessibility Update (April 12, 2021)

NW H.E.A.T (Northwest Higher Education Accessibility Technology) will be hosting a webinar on April 27, 2021 at 8:00am entitled Accessibility in Procurement: How to Read a VPAT. Register to reserve a seat in this hour-long webinar.

And, if you missed Keith Bundy’s webinar last month on accessibility best practices for Google Documents, a recording of this webinar is now available.

Accessibility Update (March 15, 2021)

Keith Bundy from Siteimprove will be holding a webinar on accessibility best practices for Google Documents on March 25, 2021 at 7:00am hosted via Zoom. Register now for a seat in this webinar.

If you missed Keith’s webinar last month on accessibility best practices for Microsoft Office, a recording of the webinar is now available.

Also, a recording of Travis Vermeulen’s March 5 webinar is now available.

Accessibility Update (February 24, 2021)

Here’s more details for the Siteimprove webinar on March 5, 2021 (no registration required):

Who: Travis Vermeulen (Principal Customer Success Manager)
What: a “hands-on” overview with the Siteimprove platform as it relates to your responsibilities with the website. Focus topics will include…

  • how Siteimprove collects data and what the scores mean.
  • creating a custom dashboard.
  • Quality Assurance issues (spelling and links).
  • updates to Accessibility, including what’s happening in the industry and how Siteimprove is involved.
  • an introduction to Policy – create custom rules to find unwanted content, code, scripts.
  • an overview of our Help Center and Academy.

When: March 5th, 2021 @ 10:00 AM HST
Where: Virtual Session via GoToMeeting

You can also dial in using your phone.
(For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.)

United States: +1 (571) 317-3122
– One-touch: tel:+15713173122,,161981909#

Access Code: 161-981-909

Accessibility Update (February 17, 2021)

Several upcoming virtual training opportunities are available for UH faculty and staff.

Keith Bundy from Siteimprove will be holding a webinar on accessibility best practices for Microsoft Office. The webinar will be on February 25, 2021 at 8:00am hosted via Zoom. Register now for a seat in this webinar.

Travis Vermeulen from Siteimprove will be holding a “hands on” overview with the Siteimprove platform on March 5, 2021 at 10:00am. More details, including registration information for this session, will be posted soon.

Axe-con is a digital accessibility virtual conference being put on by Deque Systems. The conference is March 10-11, 2021, and registration is free.

Accessibility Update (October 19, 2020)

The UH Data Governance Office and UH ITS will be holding UH’s semesterly Data Governance and Information Security Briefing, which includes a section on accessibility updates. The briefing will be offered as two identical Zoom webinar sessions:

  • Friday, October 30, from 9:00am to 11:00am
  • Monday, November 9, from 12:00pm to 12:00pm

Register online for the October 30 session or the November 9 session. A session recording will be made available at the Data Governance website at a later time.

Accessibility Update (May 13, 2020)

UH faculty and staff now have access to Augusta ADA Solution, an automated captioning tool which creates caption and/or transcript files from uploaded video or audio files. Augusta ADA Solution also provides a built-in editing tool for the generated caption and/or transcript files.

Accessibility Update (April 15, 2020)

On April 7, 2020, Travis Vermeulen and Keith Bundy from Siteimprove presented an online training for UH faculty and staff covering the Siteimprove accessibility module, including what issues to prioritize now, and Siteimprove dashboard reports. A recording of this Siteimprove training is now available.

Accessibility Update (September 19, 2019)

The UH Data Governance Office and UH ITS will be holding Data Governance and Information Security Briefings this fall. Briefings are scheduled to be held at each campus, and include a section on accessibility. You can check for the date and time the briefing will be on your campus at the UH Data Governance Training and Presentations page (UH Username login required).

Accessibility Update (January 14, 2019)

The UH ITS Site License Office is now providing licenses for Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to all UH faculty and staff. Please go to the ITS Site License Office page for more information on the Acrobat Pro DC licenses, including how to request a license.

In addition, Adobe is providing a webinar series on PDF accessibility. There are several upcoming webinars that may be of interest to those working with PDFs, so please check out Adobe’s schedule of upcoming events.

Accessibility Update (December 12, 2018)

Online Accessibility Training

UH ITS has pulled together a number of recommended online accessibility training resources (opens in a new window).

The online training resources includes training videos through Lynda.com. Faculty and staff systemwide can obtain a free account to access Lynda.com by going to the ITS Site License Office.

Our systemwide Siteimprove license comes with access to Siteimprove Academy, a comprehensive e-learning hub for courses about accessibility, analytics, SEO, and more. To get started with Siteimprove Academy, please email itsada@hawaii.edu to create an account.

Recordings of the previously held accessibility training sessions in October are available online:

10/3/2018 Siteimprove Training

Working in Siteimprove
Accessibility Training
Presentation Slides

More Siteimprove resources are available at: https://www.hawaii.edu/its/siteimprove

10/10/2018 Adobe PDF Training

Introductory PDF Accessibility Training
Advanced PDF Accessibility Training
Adobe Exercises

More information about these trainings may be found at: https://www.hawaii.edu/its/adobetraining

10/11/2018 Cyxtera Training

Web and IT Accessibility Recording
Presentation Slides

More information about this training may be found at: https://www.hawaii.edu/its/cyxteratraining

Adobe Acrobat DC Licenses

Licenses for Adobe Acrobat DC will be available soon for all UH System faculty and staff. Another announcement will be made with more details once the licenses are available.

Accessibility Update (September 29, 2018)

UH ITS has coordinated accessibility training sessions led by Siteimprove, Adobe, and Cyxtera. The following sessions are available to UH system faculty and staff.

Siteimprove, a WCAG 2.0 compliancy optimization platform, training sessions on October 3, 2018 included:

  • Working in Siteimprove: 10:00am-11:30am
  • Accessibility Training: 1:00pm-2:30pm

For more information on the Siteimprove training sessions, please visit:

https://go.siteimprove.com/university-of-hawaii-manoa-training-landing-page (Link no longer valid)

Adobe PDF accessibility training on October 10, 2018 included:

For more information on the Adobe training sessions, please visit:

https://www.hawaii.edu/its/adobetraining/

Cyxtera training sessions conducted on October 11, 2018 at Kuykendall Hall, Room 201 from 9:00am-11:30am, included the following topics:

  • Legal Introduction to Web & IT Accessibility
  • Practical Introduction to Web Accessibility and WCAG
  • A Four-Part Simple Approach to Web and IT Accessibility

The Cyxtera session recording will be made available following open captioning on the following page: https://www.hawaii.edu/its/cyxteratraining/

Accessibility Update (September 7, 2018)

Siteimprove is now available to all campuses and units to leverage for website accessibility and content scanning. Siteimprove administrators have been identified on each campus to help facilitate access to Siteimprove and the reports generated by the scans. Two rounds of administrator training have been completed, on July 31st and August 28th, and additional training sessions are being planned for October 3rd when Siteimprove representatives will be in Hawaii. Requests for assistance with getting a UH website setup for scanning by Siteimprove can be sent to itsada@hawaii.edu.

UH is continuing to work out and refine our approach to achieve the necessary compliance goals. As a reminder, please coordinate efforts with ITS to help ensure consistency with other UH units.

UH will approach compliance with the VRA in a systematic and coordinated manner. It is important not to make or take any rash or forced steps that might set back our systemwide efforts, including creating unintended consequences such as the ad hoc removal of resources or imposing unreasonable policies on content creation. It is critical that the university community take a rational approach to compliance and ensure that any policies and changes to policies are properly vetted.

Accessibility Update (July 20, 2018)

Thank you to all of the participants at our annual IT All Campus Workshop. The accessibility training track sessions delivered by Tom Conway (UHM-CDS) were well attended. ITS will be scheduling additional training sessions along with updates on deployment of software tools and guidelines.

All UH content creators, managers and owners are reminded that we should continue to take a rational and coordinated approach to both existing and new content. Ad hoc actions and the imposition of unreasonable guidance on content remediation and creation do not help us. One of the important elements of the VRA is paragraph 3:

Undue Burden and Fundamental Alteration. This agreement does not require the University to take any action that it can demonstrate would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program, or activity or in undue financial and administrative burdens. In those circumstances where the University can demonstrate compliance would result in such an alteration or burden, the University will ensure that, to the maximum extent possible, individuals with disabilities receive the benefits or services provided by the University.

It is important that as a part of our systemwide assessment, we can identify and inventory the online content where we can establish and demonstrate the requisite burden. Content owners and creators should also be aware that UH remains responsible for providing the benefits or services to the maximum extent possible.

We do expect to fully deploy our set of assessment tools, including the Siteimprove service, by the end of July. Administrators should already be in conversations with Mitch Ochi to coordinate access and training; the initial training course for Siteimprove administrators will be held on July 31st.

UH Commitment to ADA Compliance Reaffirmed (July 9, 2018)

As a matter of equity and diversity, the University of Hawai’i (UH) stands committed to ensuring that campus computing and information resources are accessible to disabled students, faculty and staff. Accessibility of our services has been a longstanding requirement under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; web accessibility standards are newer, but part of our accessibility obligations and commitment.

Voluntary Resolution Agreement

In the context of an examination of our compliance across the UH System, on May 15, 2018, the UH entered into a voluntary resolution agreement (VRA) with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education. The full text of the VRA is available at https://www.hawaii.edu/access/resources/uhvra/. Additional information relating to our compliance efforts, including current guidelines, will be available at https://www.hawaii.edu/access/resources/vra and will be continually updated there.

The following summarizes key provisions, all of which are consistent with existing federal law.

      1. New Online Content and Functionality. UH agrees that by May 1, 2019, it will establish a plan to ensure that all new online content and functionality developed, procured, or used after the date of this agreement will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. The plan will include any staff training that may be necessary.
      2. Current Online Content and Functionality. UH agrees that by May 3, 2021, it will: develop a strategy for identifying inaccessible content and functionality for individuals with disabilities; provide notice to persons with disabilities regarding how to request access to online information or functionality; and, develop a process to ensure that, upon request, inaccessible content and functionality will be made accessible in an expedient manner.
      3. Undue Burden and Fundamental Alteration. The agreement does not require UH to take any action that it can demonstrate would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of a service, program or activity, or in undue financial and administrative burdens. In those circumstances where UH demonstrates that compliance would result in such an alteration or burden, UH will ensure that, to the maximum extent possible, individuals with disabilities receive the benefits or services provided by UH.

The VRA includes definitions, reporting requirements and other related provisions.

Compliance Steps Underway

UH Information Technology Services (ITS) is the technical lead for the UH System in establishing the required guidelines, training, outreach, and ensuring the availability of necessary assessment and remediation tools to support the above requirements across the university system. Work completed to date and planned includes:

      1. New Online Content and Functionality. ITS has begun work with an initial group of representative content creators, including the UH Mānoa Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS), to draft guidelines for the creation of new online content, including recommended training and tools for producing accessible content that will be acquired by the UH System for use across all campuses. ITS and CDS have been working to test and refine some of the content creation training to be provided across all campuses.
      2. Current Online Content and Functionality. ITS has completed procurement of an unrestricted use, systemwide license for the Siteimprove tool, to support the identification and diagnosis of web content that is not compliant with applicable accessibility guidelines. Siteimprove is now being configured so that all campuses will have access to the tool to provide accessibility assessments for all faculty and staff. In addition to providing diagnostics to identify non-compliance issues with online content, the Siteimprove tool will help UH responsibly monitor overall compliance efforts.

ITS will establish both in-house and external resources to assist campuses in their compliance efforts. ITS and Office of the University General Counsel (OGC) will coordinate any requests for technical assistance from OCR, and the submittal of all reports required under the VRA.

Once the tools, training, and resource requirements are identified, chancellors will be consulted on the best method to resource and finance the costs necessary to ensure compliance with federal law, in accord with the VRA commitments.

What You Can Do Starting Now

UH must approach our compliance with the law and the VRA in a systematic manner. It is not necessary to immediately remove all non-compliant content at this time, nor should individuals issue their own unauthorized interpretations of the law or the VRA to their colleagues without first checking with ITS and OGC.

We are aware from preliminary reviews that the most common causes of non-compliant online sites are the use within web sites of PDF files that cannot be read by screen reading software, the failure to “tag” images, and the use of uncaptioned videos. Many of these have straightforward remedies available. Tools and approaches will be identified and made available as part of our work to establish the plan for new online content as well as existing content, and to provide support across the UH system.

In the meantime, anyone who is creating or updating web content can take the following easy steps to ensure that their web content is accessible:

      1. When creating content from Microsoft Office, use the built-in Accessibility Checker (included in Office 2013 and 2016) to find and address accessibility issues. See more tips on creating accessible documents at:
        https://www.hawaii.edu/access/accessible-content/docs/
      2. Be sure that all images and graphics included on websites are tagged with alternate text, and videos inserted into web content are properly captioned.

Any questions relating to our plans and next steps may be directed to the Vice President for IT and Chief Information Officer at (808) 956-3501 or via email at gyoshimi@hawaii.edu.