We want to hear from you! Take the survey.
How do you use It’s Your Yale? How can it be improved? Answer for a chance to win Yale swag.
Ensure that your IT tools are accessible
October 12, 2023
In October, Belonging at Yale invites us to “Be Open to Learning About Accessibility” as part of its celebration of Disability Awareness Month. To honor the occasion, we caught up with digital accessibility expert Michael Vaughn from the ITS Digital Accessibility Team, and he shared a few thoughts on what we should know and do to celebrate this month. First and foremost, we should be aware of the challenges the disability community faces in using software, platforms, and websites.
A few examples of Vaughn’s suggestions include:
- When building new websites, ensure that content, site structure, and documents are accessible to everyone.
- Before buying technology and software from vendors, check to confirm they meet Yale’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- Explore how people with disabilities might use our system or tools.
As you are establishing requirements for new tools, contact the ITS Digital Accessibility Team for guidance, ideally during the project planning phase. This approach was proven successful during the re-launched YaleSites platform, which includes built accessibility into its platform, using tools such as Editoria11y and Siteimprove to flag accessibility issues and help meet web content accessibility standards.
IT practitioners are invited to contact the team, learn more about the accessibility resources available at the university, and access training and information on the team website. A Café IT digital accessibility training is also scheduled for October 26th. To sign up, email itlearning@yale.edu.