Expanding access through University wide Licensing of Assistive Technology Software A national model & Web Accessibility.

Accessibility and Usability Many believe that because their websites are usable it’s also Accessible, and because the website is accessible its also usable. This is false because users are not just accessing the web for content, but for INFORMATION.

What is Web Accessibility? Web Accessibility creates an equal platform for All Users to access web content/information for: Health care Employment Higher Education Government Social Media

Why Web Accessibility? 19.4% of the U.S. population has some forms of disabilities. Meeting the users where they stand is important to ensure that they can access your content and information.

Learn Accessibility Video Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996

Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) (Continue) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is developed through the W3C process in cooperation with individuals and organizations around the world, with a goal of providing a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.

Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) The WCAG documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Web "content" generally refers to the information in a web page or web application, including: natural information such as text, images, and sounds code or markup that defines structure, presentation, etc. WCAG is a technical standard, not an introduction to accessibility.

Benefits University wide licensing allows for: •Access for all students with disabilities throughout CUNY •Access to the software at home or on the go •Access for students with learning challenges •Access to students who may not want to self-identify as having a disability University wide licensing allows for:

City university of New York The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in 1847, the University comprises 24 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, CUNY Graduate Center, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, CUNY School of Law, CUNY School of Professional Studies and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. The University serves more than 272,000 degree-seeking students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 400 high schools throughout the five boroughs. The University offers online baccalaureate and master’s degrees through the School of Professional Studies.

VFO Group AT Product Brands Ai Squared ZoomText Fusion Freedom Scientific JAWS MaGIC WYNN Optelec Optical and Video Magnifiers The Paciello Group Consulting

CUNY Students with disabilities Approximately 10,000 students are registered with CUNY DS offices across multiple campuses Staffing levels vary from campus to campus Most Assistive Technology staff are part time workers Staff work directly with students and in supporting accommodations

Disability services across CUNY Central Office for Student Affairs (COSA) Council on Student Disability Issues (COSDI) advisory Campus Disability Services Special Projects CUNY Assistive Technology Services Media Accessibility Project Learning Disabilities Project COSA COSDI Special Projects

CUNY Assistive Technology Services project (CATS) Researches and tests AT products Negotiates with vendors Supports deployment across University Trains the campus AT staff Maintains CATS website as University resource and training archive (www.cats.cuny.edu)

CATS goal: Our goal at CATS is to help promote universal design by giving equal access to all students with disabilities. By having an unlimited license to JAWS, Zoomtext. WYYNN and Open Book we can install these software on all computers across CUNY which will give students the tools they require at any workstation of their choice.

Media accessibility Project (MAP) Provide Faculty and staff training and resources on media accessibility. Provides captioning services and transcripts Creates accessible digital documents, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and PDF documents for online course content

Learning disabilities project The mission of the Learning Disabilities Project is to develop CUNY students’ self-understanding of their own strengths and limitations. The Learning Disabilities Project addresses these needs by assisting students in receiving educational evaluations. Live training and online resources are provided to faculty and staff at CUNY to support students.

How AT is purchased at CUNY Local Purchasing CATS volume Purchasing Students often come with basic training from VR agencies Campus by campus Software Maintenance Agreements lack of home access Allows for specialized training Sets standards and testing Recommends specific products University wide licensing expands access to home usage

which AT is purchased brand Type Reading and writing suites Screen enlargement Optical character recognition Screen readers Wynn; Kurzweil 3000, Text Help ZoomText, MaGIC Open Book, Kurzweil 1000 JAWS

CUNY Accessibility Conference We are pleased to invite you to the 9th Annual CUNY Accessibility Conference! Our Annual Conference brings together over 300 attendees that include professionals and other important figures in higher education. This Conference is an essential pathway to sharing information and cutting edge ideas throughout CUNY.

Cuny I.T. Accessibility Task Force Members include senior level staff and managers from Legal Counsel, Student Affairs, IT Services, Communications and Marketing, Disability Services, Library Services and Human Resources Tasked with assessing the accessibility of IT products and services and reporting back to University CIO. Established Campus liaisons across all CUNY campuses

CUNY I.T. Accessibility Task Force (continue) IT Steering Committee allocated $1,000,000.00 Strategic Technology Initiative (STI) to purchase of University wide licensing of assistive technology software and fund demonstration projects Multiple pilots projects have been funded, including: STI demonstration pilots CUNY Start Blackboard LMS based Faculty Accessibility training Web auditing and remediation training School of Education learning modules at Lehman College

License allows for Extending value throughout CUNY departments Basic skills literacy development / remediation (installed in all learning labs) Educational opportunity uses for tutoring and academic supports CUNY Start Testing services Web content accessibility testing CLIP ELL students Special programs throughout the CUNY system

Deployment considerations •Created a script with the authorization key for easier deployment • Install with any imaging software to multiple computers Provide IT and Techs with software and installation documents

Deployment considerations (continue) •Reaching out to AT Specialist/ IT •Held a “Train the Trainers” workshop to demonstrate the new features •Help a meeting with Director/Chairperson of the departments to inform them of what we are trying to achieve. These efforts lead to better understanding and coordination of services in other areas

Recommendations Basic skills literacy / remediation installed in all learning labs College discovery uses for tutoring and academic supports Staff usage (anyone with a cuny.edu email address CUNY Start (college prep) Testing services Web content accessibility testing ELL students Special programs throughout the CUNY system

CUNY Unlimited Wide Assistive Technology Software http://cats.cuny.edu/assistive-technology/at-installation-guides/