ATI Newsletter - Spring 2024

April 22, 2024

A Message from our Accessibility Technology Initiative (ATI) Steering Committee Sponsors

In today’s digital age, accessibility is not just a legal requirement; it’s a fundamental aspect of equity and inclusion. As we strive to create an inclusive campus environment, it is imperative that our technology solutions cater to the diverse needs of all students, faculty, and staff, including those with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Chancellor’s Office Executive Order on Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) mandate that we make our websites and other technology services accessible to individuals with disabilities. The ATI newsletter aims at providing the latest update on our efforts to select and implement ADA-compliant technologies and services, fostering an environment where everyone can participate fully and equally.

Beth Lessen, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs
Accessible Technology Initiative Sponsor & Co-Chair

Min Yao, Ph.D.
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Accessible Technology Initiative Sponsor & Co-Chair

ADA Title II Rule Update

The U.S. Department of Justice just signed the updated ADA Title II rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps. This will simplify the requirement of accessibility for state and local governments including Universities. These rules will come fully into effect in April 2026.

Many aspects of this updated rule are already best practices at CSU Long Beach. We expect minor changes in process for most employees. Sufficient training and reference material will be available well ahead of deadlines in the regulation. If you have specific questions, feel free to reach out to ATI Compliance.

Vimeo and HTML5 video captions can now be checked in Canvas using Anthology Ally

As part of our efforts to expand our support for more types of video content, Ally now can flag Vimeo or embedded HTML5 videos that do not have captions or may have automated captions. This helps instructors quickly identify if video content is accessible and increases the awareness of the importance of accurate captions for student video content.

Source: Ally 2.9.0 Release Notes

Captions check with Anthology Ally tool

Coming Soon: Create Well Designed Accessible Pages in Canvas

In the next few months, Canvas will be launching a new feature experience called block editor. Block Editor will make it easy for faculty to create content in Canvas using the rich text editor. The interface will allow users to use blocks to compose and format content in a layout and leverage common design practices to reduce cognitive load. This new feature will allow for users to create pages within Canvas and will not require them to have prior knowledge in design or have html skills. This solution enables faculty to design Canvas pages that meet accessible guidelines, work with the existing Ally checker, and have the opportunity to leverage AI in page design and templates alongside the block editor.

Source: Canvas Product Roadmap

Coming Soon: Speedgrader Accessibility Integration

Up until now, generating captions was exclusive and available only through requesting it manually. However, now faculty who use video-based feedback in Speedgrader to highlight and annotate student submissions will have their videos captioned automatically in Canvas. This means that every video-based feedback or response left from either a student or faculty will now be captioned.

Source: Canvas Product Roadmap

Summer ATS Accessibility Workshops

Looking to enhance the accessibility of your course or content. Register for an accessibility ATS workshop to help you gain a better understanding of how you can implement accessibility guidelines in your course and teaching. For more information visit ATS Events and Workshops.

  • Best Practices for Accessibility in Canvas: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
  • Advanced HTML page building in Canvas: Friday, August 2, 2024, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
  • Anthology Ally and Other Accessibility Tools in Canvas: Thursday, August 15, 2024, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Procurement Compliance Review – Year End Processing

The end of the FY 23/24 is quickly approaching. The final submission deadline for requisitions is May 31, 2024. Please remember that all information technology purchases must be reviewed and approved through the submission of the Procurement Compliance Review (PCR) Form before submitting requisitions. Please submit your IT purchases as soon as possible to ensure that the review is completed before the requisition deadline.

Tips and Tricks: Communication

According to the National Assessment of Education Progress, about 37% of incoming freshmen are considered proficient with a high school reading level. As an institution that recognizes equity gaps, it is important to remember your audience when creating content – in class, online, or on paper. Sometimes language must be made simpler for your audience.

How can you create more effective communication?

  • Use headings to separate your content.
  • Headings in the form of a question can make them more informative in certain situations.
  • Prioritize lists.
  • Assume your readers will not understand complex language. Try to use the simplest terms.
  • Eliminate unnecessary words.
  • When writing for a public audience, try to reach a 6th grade reading level to ensure the largest impact.

For more advice for simplifying your writing style, see the GSA Plain Language website. One of the most effective tools to implement simpler language is Microsoft Editor.

Did You Know…

Captions and transcripts for videos are both important, but they have different purposes. Captions are text alternatives of the audio content and should be synchronized with the video. Transcripts are text alternatives of the audio as relevant on-screen information – think of transcripts as text versions of your video. – Bureau of Internet Accessibility.