Accessibility Conference - Workshops

Aimée Ubbink, EDP, PMP | Crawford Technologies

Jen Goulden, M.A., EDP, UEB Technical | Crawford Technologies

Theme: Document and Media Accessibility (DMA)
Level: Intermediate

In this workshop we’ll provide a comprehensive approach to testing that ensures both compliance and usability. Just because the font is larger, it doesn’t mean the content is readable by someone with low vision. Just because the screen reader talks or there’s braille on a page, it doesn’t mean your client is getting the information they need.

You can participate in hands on testing with NVDA or JAWS. We’ll demonstrate how to test for content accuracy and compliance with industry standards for each format. We’ll provide some tagged PDF files but you can bring your own as well.

You will learn about the following aspects of the testing process:

• Content accuracy
• The importance of properly structured input files
• Compliance with industry standards for each accessible format
• The benefits and challenges with regard to automated accessibility checkers
• The role of assistive technology in document accessibility testing

Aimée Ubbink, EDP, PMP, is CrawfordTech’s Assistant Director Document Accessibility Operations, specializing in the design and remediation of accessible documents. Since 1999, she has worked with software developers to design systems for automated production adhering to evolving standards, emerging technologies, and formats. Working closely with our research and testing teams Aimée assists in building and launching new innovative solutions. She is responsible for our accessibility operations teams including application development, manual remediation and transcription, sales support, and production.

Jen Goulden, EDP, UEB Technical, is an Accessibility Compliance Support Managerwith Crawford Technologies and has nearly 20 years' experience in the field of document accessibility. She holds a master's degree in linguistics from the University of Ottawa and spent ten years working in the Federal Government. She is a certified braille transcriber and a member of the DAISY eBRF working group. She was the President of Braille Literacy Canada from 2011-2018 and is the Treasurer of the International Council on English Braille. She is CNIB’s representative to the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) and currently serves as the BANA Chair.

Irina Ghilic, PhD 

Theme: Accessible Teaching and Learning (ATL)
Level: Introductory

This session is designed for:

• Educators (from all levels/industries)
• Students/Learners (undergraduate and graduate alike)
• Learning and Development Professionals
• Anyone looking to explore inclusive design practices in any learning experience

Experienced designers have a motto: "great experiences don't happen accidentally". An engaging, accessible, and inclusive learning experience requires intentionality. Whether we are designing an experience or engaging as participants, there are three phases to any experience: anticipation (before), participation (during), and reflection (after).

We will explore how to have an impact in all three phases by applying a Learning Experience Design (LXD) approach.

In this workshop, we will start working with industry-leading practices in LXD and consider how User Experience/User Interface (UX/UI) principles can be applied to (re)designing learning experiences. Together, we will challenge post-secondary education barriers, and promote a learner-centric, accessible, and inclusive lens to our learning design.

As learning professionals or educators, we strive to create memorable and inclusive learning experiences. To do that, we need to understand how people learn, by exploring how our brain identifies and retrieves meaningful information. Throughout this workshop, we will discuss practical examples and case studies related to active engagement, retrieval practice, storytelling, metacognition, and cognitive load. You will discover how to create learning experiences that work with our brains, not against them. By the end of the workshop, you will design experiences that make learning “stick”.

From the LXD/UX/UI lens, you will be able to:

• Understand and apply the elements of the LXD process and UX/UI principles as they relate to accessible learning experience design, through prepared and self-generated examples
• Define and create learner personas to represent your audience’s needs, expectations, challenges, and strengths throughout the design process

In this workshop, you will also learn how the latest research in cognitive science can help you design memorable experiences by:

• Creating accessible engagement using interactivity, immediate feedback, and metacognitive prompts to increase self-awareness in learning
• Using multimedia design principles to make learning stick, decrease information overload (i.e., cognitive load), and increase accessibility

I am a learning experience designer, educator, researcher, workshop facilitator, and creative problem solver. My work practice intersects inclusive design, cognitive science, and technology. I have a healthy crush on process creation and infographics.

Learning is not linear, and as a Learning Experience Designer, I explore a learner’s entire journey and create human-centric solutions that go beyond the traditional boundaries of instructional design. My work with educators and learners is driven by accessibility practices, inclusive design, research-based practices in teaching and learning, and digital learning development practices.

Ask me about: Design Thinking, Journey Mapping, UX, Storytelling, Note-Taking, Workshop Facilitation, MURAL.

I'll say YES to: Popcorn, plants, pets, coffee chats, and design books.

George Joeckel | WebAIM

Theme: Document and Media Accessibility (DMA)
Level: Introductory

This session is designed for content creators who want to learn how to create electronic documents with the optimized visual formatting and document structure needed to support all users—with an emphasis on those in the disability spectrum.

Since 2018 WebAIM has provided accessible document training to over 7,000 participants through face-to-face and virtual workshops, custom webinars, and a video-based online course.

In this full-day workshop, you will receive an overview of principles for creating accessible electronic documents. You will be given step-by-step demonstrations for creating Office 365 documents with the visual formatting and structure needed to support all users––with an emphasis on those in the disability spectrum. You will be shown techniques for optimizing well-structured PDF exports in Acrobat Professional DC. You will practice all demonstrated processes through guided activities. You will also receive a complimentary enrollment for a video-based online course that expands on these principles and processes over the course of five modules. Each module is designed to be completed in one week, in two to four hours.

By the end of this workshop you will be able to:

• Understand basic principles and processes for creating accessible electronic documents in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel 365
• Practice all demonstrated processes through guided activities
• Build on the skills and knowledge gained in the workshop through a video-based online course

Since 2017 George Joeckel has taught dozens of face-to-face and virtual workshops on document accessibility. He holds master's degree in Instructional Psychology & Technology, and has worked as an Instructional Designer at Utah State University since 2008. George manages the online training program at WebAIM and more than 20 years of teaching experience.

He has developed online courses at Utah State University since 2008, and he joined the WebAIM team at the end of 2015. The Accessible Documents video-based course launched in July 2018, and over 7,500 participants have enrolled in this independent-study training. George also conducts pre-conference workshops and delivers presentations at national conferences.