1 00:00:01,717 --> 00:00:03,753 (Michael Young) We are committed to the notion that everyone 2 00:00:03,753 --> 00:00:06,349 should have an opportunity to participate in higher education 3 00:00:06,399 --> 00:00:08,966 whether it be from the learning perspective, 4 00:00:08,986 --> 00:00:10,396 or the research perspective, 5 00:00:10,416 --> 00:00:12,856 or an opportunity to work here at this institution. 6 00:00:13,636 --> 00:00:18,736 We benefit from that because we get to enjoy the talents and the skills 7 00:00:18,786 --> 00:00:21,176 of those people who come in, and also their perspective, 8 00:00:21,235 --> 00:00:25,495 which in many cases will be different from the perspective of others on campus. 9 00:00:25,565 --> 00:00:28,835 So accessibility becomes a very important value at the university. 10 00:00:44,611 --> 00:00:46,825 (Tracy Mitrano) We're a leading university globally. 11 00:00:46,855 --> 00:00:50,579 We want the best talent in the world for our students, our staff, 12 00:00:50,609 --> 00:00:55,674 and our faculty. And we want to be sure if that talent has a disability 13 00:00:55,708 --> 00:00:58,218 that they know that we are a welcoming community. 14 00:00:58,427 --> 00:01:00,039 (Pablo Molino) We're competing with other prestigious 15 00:01:00,039 --> 00:01:06,441 and highly accomplished institutions. We want to make sure that we can target 16 00:01:06,461 --> 00:01:12,874 the right candidates to join our community regardless of their disability status. 17 00:01:12,884 --> 00:01:15,467 (Pete Siegel) We want to do everything we can to ensure that they have 18 00:01:15,467 --> 00:01:21,089 the same access to smart faculty, to fellow students, 19 00:01:21,117 --> 00:01:23,039 and to the resources at UC Davis. 20 00:01:23,039 --> 00:01:25,601 (Edward Ray) In fact, we genuinely believe that 21 00:01:25,601 --> 00:01:27,963 excellence is achieved through diversity 22 00:01:28,743 --> 00:01:31,847 and that a commitment to equity and inclusion 23 00:01:31,867 --> 00:01:34,658 really enriches each of our lives. 24 00:01:35,258 --> 00:01:41,070 (Linda Cahill) It would be inconceivable not to have a social conscience, at least, 25 00:01:41,372 --> 00:01:47,062 and be completely committed to making our resources at Barry University 26 00:01:47,062 --> 00:01:49,132 accessible to all students. 27 00:01:49,778 --> 00:01:54,360 (Edward Ray) We believe that the use of technology can be very powerful. 28 00:01:54,630 --> 00:01:56,222 It connects people to each other, 29 00:01:56,232 --> 00:01:59,846 but it also enhances their learning capabilities; 30 00:02:00,056 --> 00:02:06,010 it increases what they can do through their research and creative work; 31 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:11,426 it really makes it possible for them to have a more powerful impact in the world 32 00:02:11,466 --> 00:02:14,551 and that's basically what we're all about. 33 00:02:14,666 --> 00:02:17,856 And we want that to be true for every member of our community 34 00:02:17,915 --> 00:02:25,985 regardless of limitations, of physical, spacial, time or other dimension. 35 00:02:26,767 --> 00:02:27,987 (Hernan Londono) As an IT professional, 36 00:02:28,020 --> 00:02:34,880 sometimes some of us concentrate in the technical side of the house only 37 00:02:34,902 --> 00:02:39,022 and we forget that finally the technology is to serve the people. 38 00:02:39,090 --> 00:02:42,312 (Michael Young) What the university offers and makes available 39 00:02:42,312 --> 00:02:43,894 has to be offered to everybody. 40 00:02:43,914 --> 00:02:48,646 We can't afford to waste the talents or the brilliance or the minds of anybody 41 00:02:48,664 --> 00:02:53,474 and making things accessible allows everybody to engage in the university. 42 00:02:53,645 --> 00:02:58,545 Equal opportunity is a part of our value system, but it's also required by law. 43 00:02:58,596 --> 00:03:02,336 (Pete Siegel) Compliance is extremely important. Compliance is the law. 44 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,650 But that isn't the motivator for most of us at universities. 45 00:03:06,699 --> 00:03:12,449 Our motivation has always been to provide easily accessible tools, 46 00:03:12,712 --> 00:03:15,482 excellent experiences for our students 47 00:03:15,506 --> 00:03:19,366 and really to give them the sense that this is a place they want to be, 48 00:03:19,384 --> 00:03:22,014 a place they want to learn, a place where they can thrive. 49 00:03:31,122 --> 00:03:34,462 (Michael Young) Universal design is a very powerful concept because what it means is 50 00:03:34,492 --> 00:03:39,692 we look at the issue of accessibility at the outset rather than buying something 51 00:03:39,692 --> 00:03:42,852 or engaging something, or developing something that we have to retrofit. 52 00:03:42,870 --> 00:03:45,800 Which not only makes it cheaper and more efficient, 53 00:03:45,810 --> 00:03:50,340 it likely makes it much better in terms of both the quality of the product 54 00:03:50,350 --> 00:03:52,281 and the accessibility to those... 55 00:03:52,285 --> 00:03:54,375 all the people that we want to be able to use it. 56 00:03:54,485 --> 00:03:56,941 (Tracy Mitrano) I think the other direction that colleges 57 00:03:56,941 --> 00:03:59,515 and universities could and should take is 58 00:03:59,515 --> 00:04:02,366 to think about accommodation 59 00:04:02,366 --> 00:04:06,397 as really the beginning of the conversation about disability. 60 00:04:06,437 --> 00:04:08,738 It was the appropriate measure that was taken 61 00:04:08,738 --> 00:04:10,822 in the Americans with Disabilities Act 62 00:04:10,842 --> 00:04:12,748 that was passed in 1990 63 00:04:12,748 --> 00:04:15,366 and that's well over a generation ago. 64 00:04:15,501 --> 00:04:20,678 I think now we really have to think less about how we're going to measure 65 00:04:20,688 --> 00:04:23,955 specifically this accommodation or that accommodation 66 00:04:24,095 --> 00:04:28,444 and recognize that we can make accessibility open and available 67 00:04:28,474 --> 00:04:31,424 so that individual staff, faculty or students 68 00:04:31,424 --> 00:04:34,094 do not have to go to get an accommodation. 69 00:04:34,094 --> 00:04:37,631 It will be automatically available in the webpage that they visit, 70 00:04:37,631 --> 00:04:39,608 in the device that they use. 71 00:04:39,888 --> 00:04:44,732 (Brady Deaton) We envision a campus that has a concept of universal design 72 00:04:44,742 --> 00:04:49,816 in all aspects of information technology, that a student is not impeded in any way, 73 00:04:49,816 --> 00:04:54,402 but in fact, that technology is utilized not only directly by those who benefit 74 00:04:54,402 --> 00:04:57,664 because of certain challenges they may have, 75 00:04:57,694 --> 00:05:01,636 but also is illustrative to the broader student body 76 00:05:01,684 --> 00:05:03,934 and to the faculty and to alums . 77 00:05:04,004 --> 00:05:06,824 about what an inclusive learning environment is. 78 00:05:06,854 --> 00:05:08,994 (Pete Seigel) We have some things we have to learn 79 00:05:09,004 --> 00:05:11,204 in order to move into accessibility space, 80 00:05:11,224 --> 00:05:15,675 but the basic goals and the basic values are things we already know and love. 81 00:05:15,685 --> 00:05:18,075 Then we bring in things like universal design, 82 00:05:18,094 --> 00:05:22,378 the notion that if we design things well right from the start, 83 00:05:22,388 --> 00:05:24,882 they actually aren't more expensive. 84 00:05:24,882 --> 00:05:28,276 This is something that we can fit into even our very, very tight budgets. 85 00:05:39,313 --> 00:05:42,383 (Eileen McDonough) We make a great effort in our graduate 86 00:05:42,383 --> 00:05:48,673 and our undergraduate counsel to make sure that faculty and deans are aware that 87 00:05:48,703 --> 00:05:52,703 in program design, in offering a new major, 88 00:05:52,757 --> 00:05:54,497 that they take into account that 89 00:05:54,497 --> 00:05:58,227 they might have to have specialized software available, 90 00:05:58,252 --> 00:06:02,632 and they have to build that into their program development. 91 00:06:02,652 --> 00:06:08,084 And then to certainly just be aware of all the different ways 92 00:06:08,084 --> 00:06:10,844 that students can learn, 93 00:06:10,844 --> 00:06:16,124 to help faculty and deans understand the concept of universal design. 94 00:06:16,149 --> 00:06:19,359 (Gerry Hanley) The first step really needs to be an assessment 95 00:06:19,359 --> 00:06:24,859 of where we are, so we can then inform our planning process, 96 00:06:24,894 --> 00:06:27,804 develop plans, implement a project, 97 00:06:27,804 --> 00:06:31,384 and then really assess the results of it. 98 00:06:31,384 --> 00:06:34,294 (Pablo Molino) Key to our approach to making sure that 99 00:06:34,294 --> 00:06:38,274 our campus and our technology is accessible to people with disabilities, 100 00:06:38,274 --> 00:06:40,814 is to ensure we do this by design. 101 00:06:40,835 --> 00:06:46,755 This is not an afterthought that we do after we have implemented a new classroom. 102 00:06:46,755 --> 00:06:48,599 Instead, this is something that we do 103 00:06:48,599 --> 00:06:52,069 from the initial conception of a new project or idea. 104 00:06:52,097 --> 00:06:55,877 The same way we do this for privacy and security, 105 00:06:55,877 --> 00:06:58,107 we do this for accessibility. 106 00:06:58,124 --> 00:07:00,684 (Bruce Maas) It is less costly, in the long run, 107 00:07:00,702 --> 00:07:06,012 to be thinking through the issues of accessibility comprehensively. 108 00:07:06,050 --> 00:07:10,500 Therefore, having a plan for accessibility insures that from the beginning 109 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:15,800 we think through our issues with regard to the delivery of our services. 110 00:07:15,831 --> 00:07:22,611 Doing so in a strategic way means that we can hold down costs over the long haul 111 00:07:22,625 --> 00:07:27,335 and actually deliver better services in the bargain. 112 00:07:27,355 --> 00:07:30,655 (Brady Deaton) It is very important that a university follows 113 00:07:30,655 --> 00:07:33,165 a policy and a process 114 00:07:33,184 --> 00:07:35,794 that is a can-do kind of process. 115 00:07:35,794 --> 00:07:39,234 It assumes that we are going to undertake the investments that we need, 116 00:07:39,248 --> 00:07:41,778 we're going to demonstrate the values that we need, 117 00:07:41,778 --> 00:07:45,858 that not only address the needs of students who may be challenged with vision 118 00:07:45,858 --> 00:07:48,298 or hearing or other disabilities, 119 00:07:48,298 --> 00:07:53,158 but also draw on the technology that is not only exciting 120 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,730 for those people who are developing the technology, 121 00:07:55,730 --> 00:07:58,520 it's intellectually exciting, it provides new jobs for that matter, 122 00:07:58,531 --> 00:08:02,531 and it stimulates learning in so many parts of the university. 123 00:08:02,607 --> 00:08:06,607 So that attitude of the university administration, 124 00:08:06,623 --> 00:08:10,623 as well as faculty and staff and students, becomes very, very important 125 00:08:10,642 --> 00:08:14,642 because everyone gains from this. It's a win-win situation. 126 00:08:14,660 --> 00:08:17,120 (Tracy Mitrano) A policy really is an important way to go, 127 00:08:17,153 --> 00:08:20,613 because it will focus everyone's attention. 128 00:08:20,624 --> 00:08:23,434 It's also probably the way that you have to go now 129 00:08:23,434 --> 00:08:26,884 that there are legal pressures on higher education in this area. 130 00:08:26,884 --> 00:08:32,434 The second thing I would say about policy is there are really two types in general. 131 00:08:32,442 --> 00:08:35,612 One is a policy that you have because you have a law, 132 00:08:35,612 --> 00:08:39,612 for example, the Family Education Rights Privacy Act Policy. 133 00:08:39,649 --> 00:08:42,839 So you want to be clear and sure that 134 00:08:42,839 --> 00:08:45,109 you're going to have compliance on your campus. 135 00:08:45,109 --> 00:08:49,009 There's another kind of policy that I would call aspirational policy 136 00:08:49,009 --> 00:08:52,289 and maybe accessibility fits a little bit in both 137 00:08:52,289 --> 00:08:56,539 but you most certainly can err on the aspirational side. 138 00:08:56,555 --> 00:09:00,735 An aspirational policy is something you establish for your institution 139 00:09:00,735 --> 00:09:03,645 as a path moving towards something, moving forward. 140 00:09:04,094 --> 00:09:06,794 It does not have to have one hundred percent compliance 141 00:09:06,820 --> 00:09:10,390 because it's really a direction that you're setting strategically 142 00:09:10,390 --> 00:09:11,520 for your institution. 143 00:09:11,526 --> 00:09:16,296 (Gerry Hanley) I'd say another critical aspect around our strategy is 144 00:09:16,296 --> 00:09:19,002 a shared governance strategy. 145 00:09:20,189 --> 00:09:25,699 Because education is a shared responsibility 146 00:09:25,703 --> 00:09:30,533 across faculty, staff, students, vendors, 147 00:09:30,537 --> 00:09:35,907 all of us working together have to share in that responsibility. 148 00:09:35,952 --> 00:09:42,312 Now, a shared governance process means if you are responsible in delivering 149 00:09:42,312 --> 00:09:48,552 the service, then you have an opportunity to share in governing how we're going to 150 00:09:48,552 --> 00:09:51,142 manage the implementation of these services. 151 00:09:51,142 --> 00:09:54,082 (Brady Deaton) The administrators of the university must reflect the values 152 00:09:54,082 --> 00:09:57,492 that demonstrate the importance of this to the learning environment 153 00:09:57,513 --> 00:10:00,583 and it has to be built in then to every aspect of what we do. 154 00:10:00,583 --> 00:10:03,623 (Michael Young) Right now we have a number of projects and initiatives 155 00:10:03,623 --> 00:10:06,813 underway at the UW in which we're testing new technologies. 156 00:10:06,835 --> 00:10:10,305 Accessibility is an important consideration in these evaluations. 157 00:10:10,868 --> 00:10:13,208 Many of the vendors we work with have completed 158 00:10:13,208 --> 00:10:16,788 Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates or VPATs, 159 00:10:16,798 --> 00:10:19,578 which offer a checklist of accessibility criteria and vendors' self-assessment 160 00:10:19,579 --> 00:10:23,099 as to how well they meet those criteria. 161 00:10:23,157 --> 00:10:24,827 It's a good starting point, 162 00:10:24,827 --> 00:10:27,827 but we go beyond that to ask a vendor specific questions 163 00:10:27,849 --> 00:10:30,959 and to test their products with respect to accessibility. 164 00:10:30,979 --> 00:10:37,669 (Gerry Hanley) We begin with our vendors saying "hey this is not only important 165 00:10:37,687 --> 00:10:41,527 that this is required for working with the CSU. 166 00:10:41,577 --> 00:10:45,147 Every student who comes into our institution, 167 00:10:46,234 --> 00:10:50,024 we have to provide equally effective access to those services 168 00:10:50,042 --> 00:10:54,342 and you are a partner in delivering those services to us." 169 00:10:54,382 --> 00:11:01,742 So we will tell you what we need and then we will help you inform your staff, 170 00:11:01,770 --> 00:11:05,640 educate your staff, provide them some consultation and guidance 171 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:10,870 in partnership with us, so you can deliver the successful 172 00:11:10,870 --> 00:11:11,990 service for us. 173 00:11:11,990 --> 00:11:15,390 (Pat Burns) So we work with our vendors to try to put pressure on them 174 00:11:15,419 --> 00:11:19,319 to make things accessible. We actually have a purchasing 175 00:11:19,319 --> 00:11:26,499 process where we work through and ask the issues about accessibility for software 176 00:11:26,499 --> 00:11:29,489 and hardware that we buy as well. 177 00:11:29,489 --> 00:11:33,269 (Bruce Maas) Individual efforts really need to be able to scale well. 178 00:11:33,841 --> 00:11:37,611 If we go about things in an ad hoc approach, one by one, 179 00:11:37,633 --> 00:11:41,633 we're not likely to get the same results as if we work together as a community 180 00:11:41,847 --> 00:11:43,507 in higher education, 181 00:11:43,522 --> 00:11:47,522 to work with vendors to improve accessibility for everyone 182 00:11:47,589 --> 00:11:49,869 with regard to the products that are offered. 183 00:11:49,872 --> 00:11:55,282 That's a much more pragmatic approach rather than institution by institution. 184 00:11:55,327 --> 00:12:01,157 (Gerry Hanley) Making accessibility a priority in their development roadmap 185 00:12:01,177 --> 00:12:05,417 is going to be driven by the market demand. 186 00:12:05,451 --> 00:12:08,921 And if an institution never says a word, 187 00:12:08,921 --> 00:12:12,851 the vendor isn't going to do anything about it. 188 00:12:12,862 --> 00:12:16,722 So if we begin to communicate our demands collectively, 189 00:12:16,731 --> 00:12:20,731 then the vendor will recognize the market value of accessibility. 190 00:12:20,769 --> 00:12:23,259 (Joel Hartman) As we acquire IT resources, 191 00:12:23,269 --> 00:12:26,119 we have to embed accessibility in our contracts. 192 00:12:26,119 --> 00:12:31,256 As we develop resources, we have to employ universal design in our thinking about how 193 00:12:31,256 --> 00:12:35,086 to make these resources available and we have to continue to monitor students 194 00:12:35,091 --> 00:12:38,841 to see if we're really delivering to them the resources in a form 195 00:12:38,841 --> 00:12:39,931 that they can actually use. 196 00:12:50,144 --> 00:12:52,764 (Michael Young) Accessibility requires effort on the part of everyone 197 00:12:52,764 --> 00:12:56,434 in the higher education community - faculty, staff, technology vendors. 198 00:12:56,450 --> 00:13:00,090 If we all do our part, our institutions can provide everyone 199 00:13:00,090 --> 00:13:04,740 with an equal opportunity to participate. And we all benefit from the perspectives 200 00:13:04,740 --> 00:13:06,270 of a diverse group. 201 00:13:06,270 --> 00:13:09,180 (Hernan Londonono) Having that peace of mind that we are doing all we can 202 00:13:09,180 --> 00:13:13,320 to provide an accessible campus is -- gives us a lot of pride 203 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:17,840 and we feel very happy about what, what we do. 204 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:20,930 (Linda Cahill) Why wouldn't we make our campus accessible 205 00:13:20,930 --> 00:13:24,450 to students with disabilities and why wouldn't we do everything we could 206 00:13:24,450 --> 00:13:27,550 to see the technology is accessible to our students? 207 00:13:27,579 --> 00:13:31,339 (Tracy Mitrano) The spirit of what has made higher education 208 00:13:31,344 --> 00:13:33,784 the jewel in the crown of American society 209 00:13:33,784 --> 00:13:37,254 is part and parcel of the message of accessibility. 210 00:13:37,315 --> 00:13:41,115 (Ed Ray) Every way in which we touch the lives of others, 211 00:13:41,115 --> 00:13:46,645 whether it's in the classroom, the laboratory, through live performances, 212 00:13:46,645 --> 00:13:50,235 through events on campus, we want everyone 213 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,968 who comes here and creates those experiences 214 00:13:54,968 --> 00:14:00,418 to be as fully engaged and as fully benefited 215 00:14:00,420 --> 00:14:02,910 by the activity as possible. 216 00:14:02,910 --> 00:14:08,410 And that simply can't be done if people have artificial challenges 217 00:14:08,410 --> 00:14:10,600 or barriers to try to overcome. 218 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,250 (Ed Ray) I would say to those out there who are just getting started 219 00:14:14,268 --> 00:14:19,358 or maybe struggling to figure out how to use technology to advance 220 00:14:19,358 --> 00:14:22,908 accessibility on their campuses that 221 00:14:22,908 --> 00:14:26,908 there's no such thing as a bad time to start.