The 3 Ds: Disability, Diversity, and Digital Accessibility in Australian Higher Education

While not always included at the table, disability is just another aspect of diversity and disability rights are human rights. This workshop will focus on supporting the rights of students with disabilities as they engage in the expanding landscape of digital education, from emails to online courses to web content and more. Learn from case studies and examples of what it is like for some students with print-related disabilities to access inaccessible materials and digital spaces that we may be creating unintentionally. More importantly, learn easy steps and gain resources to increase access and equity for all learners while also minimizing your institution’s risk of liability.

Learning Outcomes

As a direct result of participating in this workshop, attendees will:

1. Gain a better understanding of learners with disabilities.
2. Be able to articulate the relationship between disability, diversity, and digital access.
3. Understand the requirements for digital accessibility set by the Disability Discrimination Act and guidance from the Department of Education and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
4. Leave with actionable tools they can apply directly to their work that will remove barriers to digital equity for students with disabilities and increase access for all.

Background and Evidence:

The Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 requires public and private organisations, like institutions of higher education, to provide reasonable accommodations that ensure equal access for employees and customers with disabilities and prohibits disability discrimination. While this has been applied to brick-and-mortar environments regarding physical accessibility – the same proactive access is needed in the digital and online environment. We must work to protect the rights of learners with disabilities and ensure true inclusion and equity for all.

Dr. Ann Knettler is the Vice President of Educational Leadership at AbleDocs, the world leader in digital accessibility. An accessibility strategist with over 16 years of experience in leadership positions overseeing disability resources, education, legal and human rights compliance, strategic planning, and digital accessibility, Ann is a sought-after speaker, educator, and consultant.

A published researcher, Ann currently sits on the Council of Representatives for the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) where she has co-authored and updated policy and standards for the entire field of higher education. She regularly presents and consults globally on topics such as the depth and breadth of digital accessibility, disability rights, assessment and the use of data as an advocacy tool, disability policy and policy reform, strategic planning for organization-wide access, creating and using policy and accessibility standards, program review, ableism, and the social justice model of disability.

Ann currently serves as the Vice President of Educational Leadership for AbleDocs, the largest digital accessibility company in the world. An accessibility strategist with over 16 years of experience as an ADA and 504 Compliance Officer and Director of Disability Resources offices, Ann is a sought-after speaker, educator, and consultant.

As a member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), Ann currently represents the Association as a member of the Council of Representatives for the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) where she has co-authored and updated policy and standards for the entire field of higher education and currently sits on their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

A published researcher, Ann regularly presents and consults globally on topics such as the depth and breadth of digital accessibility, disability rights, assessment and the use of data as an advocacy tool, disability policy and policy reform, strategic planning for organization-wide access, creating and using policy and accessibility standards, program review, ableism, and the social justice model of disability.

Ann is an active faculty member in the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Master of Public Administration Programs at Delaware State University. She received a Masters of Arts in Counseling in Higher Education with an emphasis in Mental Health from the University of Delaware and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Delaware State University. Her dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of ableism and able-body privilege by students with disabilities in higher education and the impact that experience has on their receipt of an accessible and equitable education.