HighEdWeb Conference Addresses Accessibility, Inclusivity and Neurodiversity
Career development is crucial, especially in the IT world. The Web Services team recently attended the 2021 HighEdWeb online conference to sharpen our skills, skills that are sure to help us make Carleton University’s web experience better for users of all types.
Web Design and People Who Are Neurodivergent
A pivotal session many attended was called Web Accessibility & People who are Neurodivergent: We are Your Faculty, Staff and Students! The session’s speaker, Chris Lastovicka from Cornell University, spoke about web design as it pertains to neurodivergent students, staff, and faculty.
There are likely more people in higher education who are neurodivergent than many realize. As the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) evolve, more attention is given to neurodivergence. With these lessons in mind, Web Services will stive to ensure Carleton’s web content conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA while employing tools that make a difference in how neurodivergent students, staff, and faculty interact with our content.
Web Design and First-Generation Students
Another key session, called Bridging the Divide: Digital Recruitment of Underserved and First-Generation Student Populations, discussed students that may have needs and circumstances that require a thoughtful, thorough approach.
First-generation university students, for instance, may have no one close to them who has gone through a college admissions process, which may leave admissions, financial aid, and coursework feeling alienating. Beyond first-generation students, there are other underserved student populations, such as those from low-income, homeless, underrepresented, or otherwise marginalized populations, who may have insufficient or inconsistent access to the resources they need to succeed.
The session speakers, Georgy Cohen and Kelly O’Foran from OHO Interactive, discussed the use of digital tactics ranging from website architecture and content to search engine marketing to meaningfully engage with underserved student groups. This is a valuable perspective Web Services will continue to employ while designing Carleton’s web infrastructure.
Web Design and an Inclusive Mindset
Another key session, called Inclusive Design: Thinking Beyond Accessibility, was delivered by Mike Miles from MIT Sloan. Miles took us through his Four Pillars for an Inclusive Mindset:
- No user is average
- Every user deserves equal access
- Provide understandable content to every user
- Every user deserves our trust and respect
Miles summed up these four concepts with a quote from Todd Rose, author of The End of Average: “If you design for the average, you’re designing for nobody.”
These and many more sessions made it clear that there is no typical or average Carleton audience member. Our audience is comprised of people who experience the web in many ways, and this underlines the importance of thinking inclusively when designing web solutions to serve our community.
Learn more about our ongoing web accessibility efforts.
