Meeting & Agendas

Steve outlined next steps – review of Universal Design principles 4-7

Next meeting: October 9, 2020; 9:00 – 11:00

NOTE: Meeting was held via zoom. Introductions with name, position, department and campus Welcomed all members

Additional Item: Elect Co-chair AY 20-21 - Motion to approve agenda: David Ely - Second: Ginger Bennett - Motion approved unanimously Agenda approved

Motion to approve minutes: James Loomis - Second: Teri Villegas-Shipman - Motion approved unanimously June 12, 2020 minutes Approved

Motion to elect Co-Chair Sean Loraas: Teri Villegas-Shipman - Second: Heather Syrett - Motion approved unanimously Sean Loraas Co-chair

Motion to accept membership changes: Heather - Second: Sean Loraas - Motion approved unanimously

 Accessibility for higher Ed in general and for ACC in particular? • Striving to ensure all aspects of college: services, facilities and information, whether internal or external, physical or virtual, are designed for universal access by everyone of all abilities and backgrounds.  To what college populations does accessibility apply? • Everyone Group 1  Describe how a design, including buildings and grounds, instruction, support programs or services, can be useful to people with diverse abilities. Identify some examples. • Planning in advance (more cost effective than retrofitting) for user friendly experience. Diverse population can: o Navigate campus with appropriate signage. o Closed captions are good for everyone. o Interpreters available and instructional designs are in place for participation in live time and not attempting to learn expo facto. o Room designs, computer/furniture placement that is accommodating to all participants. (white board and computer example),Carrying a lot of books can use the automatic door opener. o Bathroom stalls to accommodate students and backpack. Group 2  Describe how a design, including buildings and grounds, instruction, support programs or services, can accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. Identify some examples. • The Design Phase must strive to include the maximum variety of abilities and perspectives, both in the designers and the groups that they consult for input as early in the design phase as possible. o (Heather) Space for assistants in classrooms, don't max the room capacity automatically with students, take into account assistants, etc... o (Michelle) Ramp design by a group that wasn't knowledgeable about ADA specifications built a ramp that was too steep and people in wheelchairs couldn't physically use the ramp. o (Sean) The design and planning process must intentionally incorporate Universal Design Principles, follow accessibility standards, comply with legislation, be clearly defined and consistently applied to not exclude any population either intentionally or unintentionally. College Accessibility as a culture and a work in progress must always strive to improve and be quick to respond to criticism, grievances, unrecognized populations, unidentified barriers and individual needs and issues. Group 3  Describe how a design, including buildings and grounds, instruction, support programs or services, communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities. Identify some examples. • When the Round Rock Campus was built, even though efforts may have been made to make a more modern building with improved accessibility, certain unseen issue related to geographical issue of the land effected accessibility on pathways that created potential safety hazards. • On website sites, usually its recommended to use browser object designs since they are standard and most assistive technologies are designed around them rather than customize code for it. In one situation, Internet Explorer default dialog windows functioned just fine, but the Chrome and Edge default messages we not read by screen readers. Group 4 • Need group notes Reports will be used to develop guidelines for AR 1.01.002 – College Accessibility