DO-IT, R&O, and ACE Collaborate to Support the UW's Digital Accessibility Initiative
DO-IT is housed within a UWIT unit called Accessible Technology Services, and has two closely related teams called Remediation and Operations (R&O) and Accessibility Consulting & Engagement (ACE). Together, we collaborate to increase opportunities for those with disabilities and support the UW's Digital Accessibility Initiative.
The ACE team has been hosting monthly online "Accessibility Lunch & Learn" webinars on a variety of topics, such as accessible resources at UW Libraries and how to support faculty in creating accessible courses.
For example, a recent webinar called "Building Space Together: Deaf Students and Hearing Allies in Academia" highlighted the lived experiences of allyship at the UW's Paul Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. The webinar presenters, Sev Huffman and Miya Natsuhara, highlighted that Deaf students bring value, knowledge and ways of learning that matter. They described specific obstacles and promoted support and shared responsibility as ways to help create more inclusive learning spaces. You can view the recording of the webinar on our shared UWIT Accessible Technology Services YouTube channel as part of the Accessibility Lunch & Learn series: Building Space Together: Deaf Students and Hearing Allies in Academia.
During many ACE webinars, DO-IT provides technical and accessibility support, records the sessions, and helps ensure follow-up videos are accessible. The team also partners with ACE to advance UW’s ADA Digital Accessibility Initiative and provides logistics for UW-wide hybrid digital accessibility events, including the Digital Liaisons quarterly meetings and UW’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Beyond events, DO-IT assists with captioning UWIT meetings and processes videos for the UW community through UW’s captioning and audio description services. DO-IT staff are also building their skills in document remediation and are helping support UWIT strategic communications.
