Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2024

Welcome to Global Accessibility Awareness Day, 2024 and thank you for joining us in celebrating all the ways faculty and staff are creating a more accessible and inclusive campus! By ensuring course materials, syllabi, documents, images, websites and physical spaces are accessible, we’re breaking down barriers to learning on our campus. 

Please view the sections below for faculty and staff videos and resources for further exploration!

Even small changes can make a big difference in our students’ learning experiences. 

Check out the official Global Accessibility Awareness Day webpage for events happening today! Schedule a consultation with an eCampus Instructional Designer to explore course design and accessibility best practices.

Faculty and Staff Videos

• The Benefits of Ally

  • The Benefits of Ally (3:43 min video)

    In this video, Shawn Vecellio, Lecturer and Student Teaching Supervisor for the Teacher Education and Mathematics and Statistics Departments, describes why he uses Ally to create more accessible and inclusive content for his courses. He emphasizes how accessible content like having video captions benefits everyone. 
    

    Ally Resources:

    Introducing Ally and Its Benefits (7:24 min video) demonstrates how to get started using Ally. SJSU Ally Instructor Resources for guidance on Ally, Alternative Formats, Creating Accessible PDFs, Color Contrast and more. 

    Consider enrolling in the Accessibility with Ally: A Self-Directed Course. You can use the modules as a resource or complete all eight assessments for a badge. 

    Additional Related Resources: 
    PDF Accessibility (brief overview) 
    LinkedIn Learning: Creating Accessible PDFs (in-depth) SJSU login required.
    Reach out to your SJSU Subject Librarian for assistance finding accessible course content.

• Accessibility Power Up - Getting Started with Alternative Text

  • Accessibility Power Up - Getting Started with Alternative Text (4:45 min video)

    Adding alternative text (ALT Text) is the quickest and easiest way to begin creating accessible content! In this video, Kara Stanley, SJSU Online Instructional Designer, provides a succinct explanation of the importance of ALT text in our increasingly visual world. Kara also gives multiple useful examples of how to write clear and concise ALT text and long descriptions for more complex images.
    

    Additional Related Resources:
    Easy Fixes: ALT Text and Headings (6:54 min video) demonstrates how to use Ally to add ALT Text and fix headings.
    

• Taking Flight with Grackle towards Accessibility

  • Taking Flight with Grackle towards Accessibility (4:38 min video)

    Are you using slides in your classes? Do you wonder if they’re accessible to all? In this video, Holly Quinones, Manager of Organizational Development and Enrichment Programs with University Personnel explains how she uses GrackleDocs and GrackleSlides to ensure her training materials and resources are accessible. It is essential that we create accessible content from the start because we really never know what accommodations students, faculty and staff might need.

    The Introducing GrackleDocs (5:26 min video) provides an overview of how to install the GrackleDocs Add-on and how to check and remediate the accessibility of your Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. Note: You will need to install the add-on for each tool separately following the same instructions as described in the video. The SJSU GrackleDocs Webpage offers additional details.

• GrackleDocs: Accessibility & Google Docs 

  • GrackleDocs: Accessibility & Google Docs (1:48 min video)

    Sarah Schraeder Cisneros, Associate Director of Academic Scheduling and Space Management, explains how she uses GrackleDocs to seamlessly get feedback and tips to improve the accessibility of everyday and broadly shared GoogleDocs. She strongly believes access to easy-to-use tools, like Grackle, are the key to reducing and overcoming digital barriers for our campus community. 
    

• Website Accessibility

  • Website Accessibility (8:03 min video)

    Are you adding content to SJSU websites? Have you checked your content for accessibility? In this video, Klaus Trilck, Instructional Designer at eCampus, explains how to create accessible web content at SJSU and demonstrates Site Improve which is an easy and useful tool to check web accessibility at SJSU.

    Additional Related Resources: 
    SJSU Web Design Standards
    SJSU Digital Oversight Resources 
    Site Improve Website 
    Site Improve Account Request 
    Web Editor Access Resources 
    Web Accessibility at SJSU Libguide 
    Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 
    

    LinkedIn Learning: Accessibility for Web Design SJSU login required.
    LinkedIn Learning: Accessibility-First Design SJSU login required.

• SJSU Official Syllabus 

  • SJSU Official Syllabus Overview (2:18 min video)

    The SJSU Official Syllabus is a standardized syllabus template so students can easily find the content they need and it is fully accessible to students using screen readers. In this video, Anthony Bolanos, SJSU Online Instructional Designer, demonstrates just how easy it is to get started! 

    Additional Related Resources:
    SJSU Official Syllabus Webpage 

• Accessibility at EBSCO - an SJSU Library Database 

  • Accessibility at EBSCO - an SJSU Library Database (3:00 min video)

    EBSCO is one of SJSU MLK Jr. library’s major content providers and as the video demonstrates, the EBSCO databases are accessible to all of the SJSU community.

    Essential Library Resources:
    Accessibility services at the library
    Adaptive equipment at the library
    Partner library San José Public Library accessibility services
    SJSU Subject Librarian 
    Request accessibility support at the library

Additional Accessibility Resources

• Essential Campus Resources

  • Accessibility at SJSU is a comprehensive, easy to use webpage for students, faculty and staff. It outlines how to get accommodations, how to assist students who have requested accommodations, how to be an ally for those on our campus with disabilities and additional tips on how to create accessible learning environments.

    Accessible Education Center (AEC) supports our students with disabilities by providing services and tools to bolster their academic success.
    

• Accessible Media

  • For videos to be accessible to all, they must include corrected captions. For guidance on captioning, see the SJSU Panopto FAQ webpage.

    LinkedIn Learning: Creating Accessible and Inclusive Video SJSU login required.

• Self-Directed Training Opportunities

  • Audit Your Syllabus Course - Public Version
    Accessibility with Ally: A Self-Directed Course You can use the content as a resource or complete all eight assessments for a badge. 
    Disability Sensitivity Training (source GAAD website)
    LinkedIn Learning: Inclusive Learning Design SJSU login required.

A to Z: A Complete list of Accessibility Resources

• General Accessibility Resources

  • Accessibility at SJSU
    Accessibility with Ally: A Self-Directed Course
    Ally
    Accessible Education Center (AEC)
    Audit Your Syllabus Course - Public Version
    Accessibility at EBSCO 
    Global Accessibility Awareness Day 
    GrackleDocs
    SJSU Panopto FAQ webpage
    PDF Accessibility
    Site Improve Account Request
    SJSU Official Syllabus
    SJSU Web Design Standards

• Library Accessibility Resources

  • Accessibility services at the library
    Adaptive equipment at the library
    San José Public Library accessibility services
    Web Accessibility Libguide 
    Local accessibility training resources 
    Collections in alternative formats 
    Library Liaison: Find Your Subject Librarian
    Request accessibility support at the library 

• LinkedIn Learning Courses on Accessibility (SJSU Login Required)

  • Accessibility for Web Design
    Accessibility-First Design
    Inclusive Learning Design
    Creating Accessible PDFs
    Creating Accessible and Inclusive Video