Web Accessibility a Major ASU Focus in Remote Modality

by Kathy Marks, UTO Web Accessibility Specialist

Read more Remote Resilience stories.

As ASU continues to monitor COVID-19, the university has transitioned from in-person teaching and learning to remote options. In this challenging time, however, the collective innovation of ASU faculty and staff has demonstrated remarkable adaptability. As a method of celebrating the good during uncertain developments, the University Technology Office is gathering success stories of “remote resilience” from the ASU community. The situation globally and across the country is changing daily, but we also plan to share these stories to keep pace.

As ASU expands its campus virtually in response to the global pandemic, the accessibility of its online content becomes increasingly important. Digital accessibility focuses on removing barriers to digital content for people with disabilities, as dictated by civil rights law. Frequently, however, making content and websites accessible to people with disabilities makes them more usable overall, which benefits everyone.

If you create online content, courses, websites, or applications at ASU, the University Technology Office now offers two free online courses to get you up to speed with digital accessibility.

Introduction to Accessibility: This 30-minute non-technical training gives a brief overview of web accessibility--what it is, why it's important to ASU, and how it affects your role at the university. Anyone can self-enroll in the Canvas course for a digital credential/badge. Faculty and staff who want professional development credit can self-register in CareerEDGE.

Advanced Web Accessibility: This is a 6-hour technical course on accessible coding for developers, although anyone at ASU may take the course. You'll gain a solid foundation in disabilities and web standards, focus management, accessible navigation, styling, semantics, and ARIA. Anyone can self-enroll in the Canvas course for a digital credential/badge. Faculty and staff who want professional development credit in CareerEDGE should email weba11y@asu.edu when they've completed the course. 

In addition to these trainings, the Disability Resources Center offers a Faculty Canvas Accessibility Course that provides a brief overview of access needs and some of the ways faculty may help meet those needs proactively. Faculty can self-enroll in the training through Canvas.

See ASU Web Accessibility for more information on accessibility trainings, best practices, policies and more.