To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Academic & Research Libraries Group Scotland are hosting an online, half-day event on Wednesday 25th May, 1-3.30pm. The event will focus on digital accessibility and the role academic libraries have in supporting this. After our keynote speaker, Kellie Mote from JISC, we have three workshops :

‘What’s in the box?’ The tech available to you right now.

In this session, AbilityNet's Innovation Consultant Adam Tweed will introduce and demonstrate the free and in-built assistive technology and productivity tools available on computers, tablets and smartphones. It will focus on the general support this widely-available technology can provide for permanent, temporary and situational impairments as well as transitions into the workplace. The session will focus on live demonstrations to give a realistic view of what the tech can do and where it can (potentially) go wrong!

Alternative Formats: how is technology changing the way we support learners’ needs?

This is a discussion-based workshop where we will share knowledge and thoughts about how our provision of alternative formats for learners is changing with the new technologies that are available. How do we develop resilience in the learners, so that they rely less on specialist formatting? Which cases will still require adjustments? Who can prepare alternative formats and which technologies can simplify the job?

Come with your own experience and be ready to hear from others!

Session facilitator: Ros Walker is currently employed as Digital Accessibility Adviser at the University of St. Andrews. From a background in languages and teaching, she has spent 25 years working in learning technologies. Ros now specialises in assistive technologies, digital accessibility and alternative formats – a role which changes lives every day. She is currently overseeing major changes to the way in which alternative formatting is managed at the University of St Andrews.

ASPIRE, accessibility statements, searchBOX, and accessible procurement

In this session, we’ll hear from Huw Alexander, Managing Director of textBOX. textBOX is a London-based company + they describe images. Every image. They write image descriptions and alt-text for publishers and art galleries and universities and search engines and audiobooks.

Managing Director Huw has worked in the publishing industry for over 20 years. His passion for promoting accessibility has developed over the last decade through listening to the stories and issues of users and content providers. Huw is a member of the Publishers Association Accessibility Action Group and the Further and Higher Education Digital Accessibility Working Group. He is a regular conference speaker + writer on image description + accessibility issues. He now describes things for a living.

The workshops will be followed by a plenary session.

Please note that numbers for this event are capped at 36 to allow the workshops to be as interactive and engaging as possible. Please register here and a Zoom joining link will be emailed to you a few days in advance.