Accessibility Liaisons

About Digital Accessibility Liaisons Initiative

The Digital Accessibility Liaisons Initiative is aimed at helping prepare faculty to meet the university’s obligations under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). There are two parts to this initiative, the Liaisons Program for those interested in representing their departments, and the webinar series which is open to all at IU.

 

LIAISONS PROGRAM

The A11Y Accessibility Liaisons Program is an eight-month UITS Learning Technologies Faculty Fellow program that dives into different areas of accessibility. Participants attend monthly sessions and serve as an accessibility liaison and advocate to their departments and schools. The program is led by UITS Accessibility experts, in collaboration with members of the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and University Libraries. 

Applications are now open for the 2026–2027 Accessibility Liaisons Program. Faculty and instructional staff who want a hand in shaping how IU supports accessible course materials should read the details below and fill out the application if interested. 

All Accessibility Liaison Sessions will meet on Fridays at 2:00pm ET for one hour. 

  • Oct 09, 2026 | Seven Simple Steps Using Blackboard Ally
  • Nov 13, 2026 | Making Video Content Accessible: Tools, Tips, and Best Practices
  • Dec 11, 2026 | Making STEM Accessible: Visuals, Notation, and Inclusive Design
  • Jan 15, 2027 | Writing Meaningful Long Descriptions
  • Feb 12, 2027 | Sourcing and Creating Accessible Course Materials
  • Mar 12, 2027 | Leveraging AI for the Creation of Accessible Content
  • Apr 16, 2027 | Celebrating Progress: Closing Session

  • A clear picture of what's possible across the full range of course content: documents, slides, video, STEM notation, and complex visuals
  • Familiarity with the tools and resources available to you — Ally, Kaltura captioning, Word and PowerPoint accessibility checkers, and library databases — and a candid look at what each one does well
  • Real influence over the accessibility training and support IU builds next, with your discipline's needs as the focus 
  • Regular time with ATAC specialists and campus librarians who can support your work well beyond the program 
  • A digital badge and formal letter upon completion, recognizing your work and shareable on your CV, teaching portfolio, and LinkedIn profile 
  • A cohort of colleagues across disciplines thinking through the same challenges from different perspectives 

Faculty and instructional staff at any experience level are welcome — no prior accessibility background is needed. The program is especially valuable if you want to become a resource for accessibility within your department or program. What matters most is a willingness to talk candidly about how your discipline actually works and where accessibility gets complicated within it. 

If this is you, please select the "I am interested in becoming an A11Y Liaison" button below! 

I am interested in becoming an A11Y Liaison

ACCESSIBILITY WEBINAR SERIES

Indiana University is committed to fostering inclusive learning environments, and accessibility is a key part of that mission. This yearlong webinar series is designed to help faculty and staff understand the tools and resources available at IU to make digital course materials more accessible.

Each session will focus on how various IU tools—such as Anthology Ally, Kaltura, and library integrations—can support your efforts to design accessible documents, videos, and course content. Register to attend live, or if you cannot attend, register to have the recording sent directly to your inbox once available.

 

Coming soon...

Our first webinar of the 2026–27 academic year will take place in October. Check back soon for the complete schedule and registration details.