Communicating Accessibility to Partners: Developing a Web Accessibility Communication Toolkit for Editors of Journals and Administrators of ETD Series

Communicating Accessibility to Partners: Developing a Web Accessibility Communication Toolkit for Editors of Journals and Administrators of ETD Series

Cook 206Z/Room B

The new web accessibility requirements under ADA guidelines have prompted a recent large effort to make institutional repositories accessible at many institutions throughout the U.S. In order to meet the ADA guidelines, the administrator of the IR at West Chester University (WCU), like those at many institutions, has found herself developing and overseeing the implementation of a plan for accessibility on the site. This includes planning for continued and future accessibility of both the platform and contents for series and journals managed by campus partners. At WCU, the IR administrator partners and liaises with several individuals and offices on campus who are responsible for the administration of series or journals hosted on the site, including the ETD series. In order to ensure the compliance of these series and journals while respecting the time of partners, who juggle many responsibilities and lack robust technical knowledge of the IR platform, the IR administrator at WCU developed an accessibility toolkit for IR partners. This presentation presents the process for developing this toolkit in collaboration with relevant campus partners, the methods of its communication, and the results of its implementation, as well as the anticipated results as the journals and ETD series increase their publication in the summer and fall months. This presentation is intended as a case study documenting successes and room for improvement in building communication plans for campus partners active in IRs, with accessibility as a relevant example.