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Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (Accessible IT)

Ivy+ GAAD 2026 Accessibility Event

Zoom (details in registration)

Accessible IT page

Ivy+ GAAD Accessibility event promo graphic

9 a.m. - 1 p.m. PT | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. CT | 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET

In preparation for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), join your Ivy+ peers for a high-energy virtual event on digital accessibility! This half-day event will include presentations and lightning talks, plus insights from subject matter experts, on how to make digital content more accessible across your institution.

 

Whether you can attend for only a few sessions or stay for the entire program, learn about the strategies and ideas for building a campus-wide culture of accessibility so everyone can fully engage with your digital resources.

 

Register below!

SESSIONS:

Note: There will be a 5-minute break after each session

9 AM PT / 11 AM CT / Noon ET (10 minutes)

Welcome

Introductions and opening remarks

9:10 AM PT / 11:10 AM CT / 12:10 PM ET (50 minutes)

Session 1: From Launch to Maturity: Embedding Accessibility Across the Institution

This panel discussion will bring together leaders from different roles and institutions to explore both the “why” and the “how” of embedding accessibility into the very fabric of university operations.

  • Mary Albert, Senior Director, Digital Accessibility, Princeton University
  • Nick Taylor, Accessibility Engineer, Yale University
  • Melissa Lesica, Senior Director of Content Strategy, Harvard University
  • Moderator: Teggin Summers, Assistant Dean and Director of Educational Technology, Stanford University School of Medicine

10:05 AM PT / 12:05 PM CT / 1:05 PM ET (55 minutes)

Session 2: Lightning Talks (10 minutes each with microbreaks between each session)

  • Talk #1 - Accessibility of QR Codes
    Kevin Murphy, Stanford University
  • Talk #2 - Piloting Harvard's Canvas Accessibility Assessment Tool (CAAT)
    Andy Hollenhorst, Harvard University
  • Talk #3 - Who Is the Default User?
    Anushka K Jajodia, Johns Hopkins University
  • Talk #4 - A Practical Approach to Accessible Math
    John Williams, Harvard University
  • Talk #5 - InSightFull - The Impact of Math Accessibility on Equitable Access to STEM
    Sara Shunkwiler, Johns Hopkins University
    Ailee Dixon, Disability Advocate

11:05 AM PT / 1:05 PM CT / 2:05 PM ET (25 minutes)

Session 3: Including External Partners in Testing

Discover the model for supplementing internal campus accessibility testing and how to partner with external agencies who employ people with disabilities. Learn University of Chicago's approach for managing budget and workflow to create real, impactful change.

  • Pat Kogos, Director of Digital Accessibility, University of Chicago

11:35 AM PT / 1:35 PM CT / 2:35 PM ET (25 minutes)

Session 4: How we talk to colleagues about Accessibility

Accessibility work can be complex, with limited institutional budgets and new demands arriving daily. Explore how to answer the tough question, "Why prioritize accessibility now?", by reframing it not as another obligation, but as a strategic solution that directly aligns with your institution's core priorities, from budgets and legal concerns to student expectations and new technology.

  • Kyle Shachmut, Senior Director of Digital Accessibility Services, Harvard University

12:05 PT / 2:05 PM CT / 3:05 PM ET (55 minutes)

Session 5: Lightning Talks (10 minutes each with microbreaks between each session)

  • Talk #6 - Embedding Accessibility into Drupal Editor Workflows: A Dashboard Approach
    Albert Hughes, Stanford University
  • Talk #7 - Editoria11y 3.x: from Sweet to Suite
    John Jameson, Princeton University
  • Talk #8 - AI-Assisted Alt Text for Digital Exhibits: A Stanford University Libraries Pilot
    Alan Lundgard, Stanford University
  • Talk #9 - We Still Need Your Humanity: Manual Accessibility Testing AI Can't Do
    Joel Crawford-Smith, Duke University
  • Talk #10 - Beyond AI: Why Sign Language Requires Human Interpreters
    Suany Casson, Harvard University

12:55 PM PT / 2:55 PM CT / 3:55 PM ET (5 minutes)

Closing Remarks