When it comes to accessibility at your institution, how confident are you that administration, faculty, and disability services are all on the same page? Utah Valley University's (UVU) Accessibility Services Department is working to promote universal access for all students by tying accessibility for students with disabilities to the university's Inclusion Initiative action plan. Based on a campus-wide faculty survey at UVU, this session will strategize ways to get buy-in from the top down by getting familiar with institutional and departmental goals, clearly demonstrating the close connection between accessibility and fulfillment of those goals, and understanding it’s not always what we say but how we say it that matters most. Covered in this session: How to alleviate faculty concerns regarding accessible curriculum How to tie accessibility to institutional and departmental goals What to say and how to say it to get buy-in from the top down

1. Bridging the Accessibility Gap:
Improving Communication and Collaboration with Faculty
Laura Loree
Accessibility Services Counselor
Utah Valley University
www.3playmedia.com
twitter: @3playmedia
live tweet: #a11y
 Type questions in the control panel during the presentation
 This presentation is being recorded and will be available for replay
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Patrick Loftus (Moderator)
Marketing Assistant
3Play Media
patrick@3playmedia.com

2. Bridging the
Accessibility Gap:
Improving Communication and
Collaboration with Faculty

3. Objectives
How can we alleviate faculty concerns regarding
accessible curriculum?
How do we tie accessibility to institutional and
departmental goals?
What to say and how to say it to get buy-in from
the top down

4. How Do We Get There?
Get Buy-
In
• Institutio
nal
Goals
• Vehicle
Faculty
Input
• Survey
• Outreac
h
Respon
d to
Needs
• Faculty
Training
• Provide
Support
Follow-
Up
• Set
Goals
• Reasses
s
• Continue
Conversa

5. Top Down
Getting Buy-In

6. Institutional Goals
UVU – Serious, Engaged, Inclusive
Campus Wide Inclusion Initiative
Written into Inclusion Plan
Campus Wide Access Plan Committee

7. The Faculty
Survey
What We Found Out

8. Completed Surveys
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Full-Time Tenured
Tenure Track
Non-Tenured
Adjunct
[CELLRANGE],
Full-Time Tenured,
56
[CELLRANGE],
Tenure Track, 29
[CELLRANGE],
Non-Tenured, 14
[CELLRANGE],
Adjunct, 45
Full-Time Tenured Tenure Track Non-Tenured Adjunct
Completed Surveys 56 29 14 45
Completed Surveys

9. Receipt of Accommodation Letters
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Yes
No
I'm Not Sure
[CELLRANGE], Yes,
137
[CELLRANGE], No, 10
[CELLRANGE], I'm Not
Sure, 2
Yes No I'm Not Sure
Respondents 137 10 2
Respondents

10. Know How to Implement
Accommodations?
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
[CELLRANGE],
Strongly Agree, 46
[CELLRANGE],
Agree, 69
[CELLRANGE],
Neutral, 12
[CELLRANGE],
Disagree, 9
[CELLRANGE],
Strongly Disagree,
0
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Responses 46 69 12 9 0
Responses

11. Format Preference?
0 20 40 60 80
Electronic
Paper
Other
[CELLRANGE],
Electronic, 79
[CELLRANGE],
Paper, 62
[CELLRANGE],
Other, 8
Electronic Paper Other
Response 79 62 8
Response
Response

12. Accessible Documents/Accessibility
Services Support
0 100
Strongly…
[CELLR
ANGE],
6
[CELLR
ANGE],
10
[CELLR
ANGE],
9
[CELLR
ANGE],
52
[CELLR
ANGE],
70
Stron
gly
Dis…
Disag
ree
Neutr
al
Agre
e
Stron
gly
Agr…
Responses 6 10 9 52 70
Know What an
Accessible
Document Is
Responses
0 100
Strongly…
[CELLR
ANGE],
16
[CELLR
ANGE],
52
[CELLR
ANGE],
35
[CELLR
ANGE],
34
[CELLR
ANGE],
10
Stron
gly
Dis…
Disag
ree
Neutr
al
Agre
e
Stron
gly
Agr…
Responses 16 52 35 34 10
Know How to
Create Accessible
Document
Responses

13. Accessible Documents/Accessibility
Services Support (continued)
0 100
Strongly…
[CELLR
ANGE],
5
[CELLR
ANGE],
21
[CELLR
ANGE],
52
[CELLR
ANGE],
49
[CELLR
ANGE],
21
Stron
gly
Dis…
Disag
ree
Neutr
al
Agre
e
Stron
gly
Agr…
Responses 5 21 52 49 21
Would Like Training
on Accessible
Documents
Responses
0 100
Strongly…
[CELLR
ANGE],
1
[CELLR
ANGE],
5
[CELLR
ANGE],
26
[CELLR
ANGE],
59
[CELLR
ANGE],
57
Stron
gly
Dis…
Disag
ree
Neutr
al
Agre
e
Stron
gly
Agr…
Responses 1 5 26 59 57
Accessibility
Services is There to
Support Me
Responses

14. Did They Find Any
Accommodations Difficult?
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Yes
No [CELLRANG
[CELLRANGE]
Yes No
Response 40 103
Response
Response

15. Which Accommodations Were
Difficult/Frustrating?
 Extra time for exams in Canvas
 Delivering/picking up exams from
PEC
 Finding note takers
 Alt format materials for new adjunct
who is still developing lesson plans
 Accommodations that impact group
work, as group work is encouraged
 Absence leniency – too
vague/participation requirements
 Extra time for assignments – prone
to abuse/not available on job
 Calculator in developmental math
courses
 Keeping track of accommodations
in large lecture hall courses
 Concerns about extra time for
professional certification exams or
for open note/book exams

16. What Does Accessibility
Services do Well?
 “Provide services for
students, communicates and
helps faculty meet
accommodations.”
 “Taking care of students
needs”
 “Works with students to help
them notify teachers of
needs”
 “Great ASL interpreters”
 “They are professional in
dealing with
professors…They answer my
questions promptly and help
me clarify things”
 Alt format conversions
 Transcription for DHOH
students
 “Advocates for students”

17. What Services/Support Would you Like to
Receive from Accessibility Services?
 Bullet point suggestions for faculty
to utilize in working with SWD
 Better integration
(support/assistance?) with Canvas
 Encourage students to work more
closely with instructors regarding
accommodations
 Faculty information website on
implementing accommodations
 Ongoing dialogue on current
AT/tools
 Annual email reminder of services
available to students and how to
access them
 Updates on changes in
laws/regulations or updated syllabi
declarations
 Make instructions for
accommodations clearer
 More communication between
faculty/departments and ASD

18. What Services/Support Would you Like to
Receive from Accessibility Services?
(continued)
 Training/Short Online Tutorials
 How to make class more accessible
 How to adapt materials
 How to implement accommodations effectively
 Include accessibility training in new Office of Teaching &
Learning (OTL) certification program
 Essential elements and the accommodative process
 How to work with specific populations (i.e. autism spectrum,
DHOH)
 How to encourage “proud” SWD to speak with ASD for
assistance

19. Responding to
Faculty Needs
and Concerns

20. How We Responded
Faculty Training
 Online faculty workshops
 Collaborating with Web
Development Services
 Work with Academic
Affairs and Departments
Faculty Support
 Outreach to Departments
each year
 Speaking at Department
meetings

21. What We Are Working on Now
 Met as a department to discuss survey data in-depth
 Developing improvement plan
 Reviewing accommodations
• Make instructions clearer-may involve faculty
 Review policies/procedures for any needed updates
 Developing trainings
 tailored to faculty needs/requests
 meet accessibility standards
 Collaborate with OTL certification trainings
 Find new and better ways to get the word out
 Website
 Publications/handouts

22. Questions/Discussion
What are you doing on your campus?

23. Contact Information
Laura Loree, Counselor
Office of Accessibility Services
laura.loree@uvu.edu

24. Laura Loree
Accessibility Services Counselor
Utah Valley University
Patrick Loftus
Marketing Assistant
3Play Media
patrick@3playmedia.com
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