Vice President of Access, Equity and Inclusion Kelly Hermann discusses new guidelines and accessibility standards at 1EdTech Member Meeting

University of Phoenix is pleased to announce that Vice President of Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion Kelly Hermann co-presented at the 2024 1EdTech Member Meeting on November 12-14 at the North Charleston Marriott in North Charleston, South Carolina. The presentation, titled “US Department of Justice Guidelines and the 1EdTech Accessibility Rubric,” focused on the importance of ensuring mobile apps and web content are accessible and compliant with the newest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

“It is crucial for educational institutions to stay informed about the latest accessibility guidelines to help ensure that all learners have equal access to digital resources,” Hermann stated. “Our discussion at the 1EdTech Member Meeting provided attendees with valuable insights into the new guidelines and how tools like the 1EdTech accessibility rubric can support institutions in creating accessible ecosystems.”

Hermann’s presentation delved into the new guidelines and offered practical advice on making learning resources, websites, and mobile apps accessible for users. The discussion also emphasized the importance of understanding and leveraging the guidelines to help foster an inclusive educational environment.

Hermann chairs the Accessibility Taskforce for 1EdTech and collaborated on the project to develop an accessibility vetting rubric to help institutions improve access for students with disabilities, and to improve trust by evaluating the non-technical aspects of accessibility that can impact purchasing decisions and helping to establish a common tool evaluation framework.

Outside of her work with 1EdTech, Hermann’s accessibility leadership is broadly recognized in the education technology community, and she has co-authored a chapter on accessibility to the Routledge text, Leading the eLearning Transformation of Higher Education, as well as other organizational texts by Anthology, D2L, WCET, and OLC, and by leading educational publications including Inside Higher Ed, EdSurge, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, The evolllution, and eCampus News.

Earlier this year, Hermann was instrumental in developing and deploying a survey on workplace accessibility awareness, understanding, and development opportunities. University of Phoenix commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct a study of 459 managers across the fields of information technology, healthcare, and education to better understand workplace commitment to accessibility, accessibility understanding and skills of workers, and opportunities for development of accessibility skills. The survey was developed in collaboration with Teach Access, a national non-profit organization strategically partnering with students, educators, industry, government, and nonprofit advocacy organizations.

In her role at University of Phoenix, Hermann serves as the Vice President of Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion. She has oversight of the university’s accessibility initiative, including the evaluation and remediation of curricular resources, the Student Accommodations office, which provides accommodations to students with disabilities, and the Office of Educational Equity (OEE), which works with University stakeholders, community partners, and corporate sponsors to create an inclusive educational environment for the students, faculty, and staff. The OEE supports students and faculty year-round with programs like the Inclusive Leadership Summit and an internal offering for staff and faculty, The Inclusive Café. Earlier this year, Hermann received global recognition as a 1EdTech Leader for her work in creating open, trusted, and innovative digital ecosystems that power learner potential.

Learn more about accessibility at University of Phoenix here.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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