TEACHx 2025: Full Schedule

1:00pm CDT

Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT

Currently, there are vague digital accessibility requirements in Section 504 and in the Americans with Disability Act (Title II and Title III). By spring of 2026, there will be specific digital accessibility requirements for most public higher education institutions and any entity receiving funding from the Department of the Health and Human Services, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (Title II) and Section 504 respectfully. Regardless, whether these regulations happen or not, now is the time to be thinking about digital accessibility. We will be discussing the different legal frameworks, what does accessible in the digital environment mean, what content is covered and what are the small and large steps that need to be taken to improve your accessibility.

Speakers

Judith Risch

Title IX & Equity/Access Services Special Advisor, Grand River Solutions

Judith Risch, J.D., Ph.D., is the Title IX & Equity Access Services Special Advisor at Grand River Solutions. Judy brings over two decades of invaluable experience from her tenure at the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education. Judy’s role at Grand River... Read More →

Wednesday May 21, 2025 1:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Louis Room A

Featured Workshop

Subject Accessibility and UDL

2:45pm CDT

Demystifying Document Accessibility

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT

Wildcat Room B

When it comes to digital accessibility, documents are often overlooked. You take the time to create a professional, rigorous course, but are your documents accessible? Do you know what to look for and how to fix them? Adding another requirement seems daunting. Where do I begin? How can I find the time?

Getting started is much easier than it seems. Join our hands-on workshop as we break down the steps to fixing accessibility errors and creating accessible versions of your documents. Bring your laptop to practice the accessibility steps on sample documents.

What's in this Workshop:

What is an accessible document?
What does accessibility look like in Word and PowerPoint?
What does an accessible PDF look like?
What can we do to fix common types of documents?
What does the future look like?

Speakers

Christine Colwell

Accessible Document Specialist, Northwestern University

Rigel Anthis

Accessible Document Specialist, Northwestern University

Wednesday May 21, 2025 2:45pm - 4:15pm CDT
Wildcat Room B

Workshop

Subject Accessibility and UDL

3:40pm CDT

Kindred Spirits: Collaborating Across Multiple Universities to Enhance Digital Accessibility

Wednesday May 21, 2025 3:40pm - 4:25pm CDT

Arch Room

Recent updates to the Department of Justice digital accessibility regulations mandate that all public institutions comply with WCAG 2.1AA standards by April 2026. This has prompted universities to find swift and effective ways to ensure all their digital materials meet these standards. For many institutions, this is a daunting task that is challenging to tackle alone.

Although these updated regulations do not yet apply to private institutions such as Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, they are anticipated in the future. Both universities aim to be well-prepared when the regulations take effect. As similar institutions located in the Chicago area, Northwestern and the University of Chicago have formed a collaborative partnership to share successful strategies for improving digital accessibility on their campuses.

This presentation will explore the approaches, tools, and outcomes related to ensuring the accessibility of Canvas course sites and documents at both institutions. It will also highlight how their collaboration has facilitated the implementation of effective accessibility solutions.

Speakers

Jim Stachowiak

Accessible Technology Strategy and Operations Lead, Northwestern IT Teaching & Learning Technologies

Emily Baker

Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist, University of Chicago

Wednesday May 21, 2025 3:40pm - 4:25pm CDT
Arch Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject Accessibility and UDL

8:30am CDT

The Digital Accessibility Coach (DA Coach): AI-Powered Inclusion Support

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT

Big Ten Room

This session presents the Digital Accessibility Coach (DA Coach), an AI-powered assistant designed to support faculty and staff in ensuring digital accessibility compliance within university course materials. Developed by the Innovation in Digital Accessibility (IDA) Working Group, this initiative aligns with ADA Title II regulations, providing a scalable solution for achieving 100 percent accessibility compliance across diverse pedagogies and course materials.

Participants will explore the AI-driven accessibility assessment tool, built using Python and API integrations, which provides one-on-one personalized support for digital accessibility learning and compliance. The DA Coach will guide users through step-by-step accessibility checks, improving usability, user experience, and WCAG compliance through an iterative design process.

This approach not only enhances faculty accessibility practices but also drives long-term student success in a fully digitally inclusive learning environment.

Speakers

JaEun Jemma Ku

Director, IT Accessibility & Technology Solutions, University of Illinois at Chicago

Jeremy Riel

Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Rocco Catrone

Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Andrew Nichols

Director of Information Systems, Security, and Compliance, University of Illinois Chicago Division of Specialized Care for Children

Andrew Nichols is the Director of Information Systems, Security, and Compliance at the University of Illinois Chicago Division of Specialized Care for Children. With extensive experience in higher education IT leadership, he oversees enterprise information systems, cybersecurity strategy... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 8:30am - 9:15am CDT
Big Ten Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject Accessibility and UDL

10:45am CDT

Designing Data Infographics for Adaptive Learning: Enhancing Engagement

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am CDT

Rock Room

I did a study to investigate how learners with diverse cognitive abilities process data stories presented through infographics, focusing on the impact of visual and verbal data representations. Conducted in a controlled lab setting using an eye tracker, the experiment examined how individual cognitive differences -- such as working memory, visuospatial abilities, and inhibitory control -- affect infographic comprehension. I used Machine Learning algorithms to analyze learners' eye movement data and explored how they engage with data presented through both visual (graphs, charts) and verbal (textual descriptions) formats.

The results suggest that learners engage more effectively with data stories when critical information is communicated verbally rather than through data visualizations, especially when the content requires comprehension of complex data relationships. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the need to minimize seductive details in graphical representations, as these details can distract learners and hinder their ability to extract key information.

The study also highlighted important implications for educators and developers. Teachers should implement strategies to enhance learners' visuospatial abilities to improve overall engagement with graphical content. Developers should consider using eye-movement data to create adaptive infographics that cater to individual cognitive strengths, ultimately improving accessibility and comprehension for all learners.

Speakers

Kristine Zlatkovic

Mellon Postodctoral Fellow, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

Hi!I am Kristine, and I’m excited to share with you my presentation, "Designing Data Infographics for Adaptive Learning: Enhancing Engagement." This presentation is based on my research aimed at understanding how people generally comprehend visual data and make decisions in learning... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
Rock Room

Interactive Presentation

Subject Accessibility and UDL

12:01pm CDT

KISS (Keep It Short and Simple) and AWE (Accessible with Examples)

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:01pm - 12:08pm CDT

Louis Room

It's easier than you might think to create an accessible Northwestern Canvas course with links to free, high-quality course materials. The secrets: KISS (Keep It Short and Simple). And use tools like SensusAccess to make sure your site is AWE (Accessible With Examples).

By the end of this session, participants will know how to use SensusAccess to make PDF's of magazine articles and book pages so they're easier for visually impaired students to read. They will also know how to streamline their syllabi and link to "Mission Accessible"-certified course materials hidden on "pages." They will understand why underlining is a no-no because it looks like a hyperlink.

Speakers

Karen Springen

Professor, Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications

Karen Springen directs Medill's Journalism Residency program, leads the graduate journalism Magazine Specialization, and teaches undergraduate and graduate reporting and writing classes. She advises several student groups, including the student-run North by Northwestern magazine.Springen... Read More →

Thursday May 22, 2025 12:01pm - 12:08pm CDT
Louis Room

Lightning Talk

Subject Accessibility and UDL

TEACHx 2025

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