Why attend the Accessibility Summit?
The HighEdWeb Accessibility Summit 2021 is coming to a computer near you on July 20, 2021! This one-day, online event is completely focused on advancing digital accessibility in higher education. So, why should you attend the Summit? Read what the event committee chairs have to say about this exciting conference!
The Accessibility Summit 2021 is chaired by Karen Hackett from Penn State along with Erin Jorgensen from the University of Missouri as vice-chair.
What is the goal of the Accessibility Summit?
Karen: The overarching goal of the Summit is to provide an event experience for attendees that covers all aspects of digital accessibility in higher education — not just for websites, but for all digital communications. It’s our hope that attendees will leave the conference with the tools they need to ensure that accessibility is part of their daily workflow and never an afterthought!
Erin: The Accessibility Summit will share best practices, success stories and more about digital accessibility in a higher education context. We hope attendees will come away from the event with a new or renewed vigor for incorporating accessibility into their everyday work, and practical knowledge they can implement to improve accessibility of the digital space. We also hope attendees will build connections with colleagues across the HighEdWeb community to share ideas and inspiration, ask questions and find support in the work they are doing.
Who should attend the Accessibility Summit and why?
Karen: Anyone in higher education who works with any aspect of digital communications at any level! We welcome beginners, experts, techies and non-techies — and everyone in between! I think everyone benefits from learning about digital accessibility. We know this community is passionate about the topic, and there is always something new to learn in this space no matter what you do. We all benefit from learning about accessibility to ensure inclusive, accessible and equitable digital experiences.
Erin: Anyone who works in higher education and uses digital tools to communicate! Accessibility goes beyond tools and processes — it’s a mindset that can inform every aspect of working in a digital space. The Accessibility Summit will offer something for everyone at any level of knowledge or technical expertise.
What part of the Accessibility Summit are you most excited about?
Karen: Can I say all of it?! Two things that stand out, of course, are the content of the sessions and the networking opportunities through the community group topics. The two program tracks this year cover “Training, Culture and Community” and “Workflow and Web Content.” The Community Groups are designed to encourage attendees to connect with one another during the Summit. It’s our online version of those conference center hallway conversations we love and miss! Also, I am thrilled we were able to team up with the Annual HighEdWeb Conference committee to select an online conference delivery platform for both events and create desirable sponsorship packages that benefit both events. Without the support of our sponsors, we wouldn’t be able to offer such great online conferences!
Erin: It’s hard to choose one thing! We have an amazing lineup of sessions to learn from. If I had to pick, I think I’m most excited about the Community Groups. We have a variety of topics that will be led by great moderators. And these sessions really highlight one of the strengths of the HighEdWeb community — its breadth and depth of knowledge and experience and the generosity to share that with others.
Are you convinced yet? Sign up today!
Accessibility Summit registration is $75 and provides live access to the event, as well as on-demand access to session recordings for two weeks after the event. A discount is available for paid HighEdWeb members.
Register today, and we’ll meet you online on July 20!