Time: April 10, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speakers: Craig Boassaly Creating truly accessible digital experiences requires more than just passing a validation check; it demands a strategic shift in how we plan, design, and maintain content. This session explores the complete lifecycle of accessible content from web and documents to video, demonstrating why accessibility […]
Event category: 9:45am
Building a Culture of Accessibility Leadership
Time: April 10, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speakers: Michael Harshbarger Accessibility doesn’t thrive on checklists alone — it thrives when leaders create the conditions for inclusion. This session explores how accessibility leadership can transform organizations beyond compliance. Attendees will learn how to set strategy, influence culture, and support teams in driving sustainable accessibility practices. […]
Open Source Web Accessibility Tools from the University of Illinois
Time: April 9, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speakers: Jon Gunderson This session will review the open-source tools developed by the University of Illinois to support web accessibility evaluation, including AInspector for WCAG Evaluation and Headings, Landmarks and Links browser extensions, and the SkipTo.js utility to improve the experience of people with disabilities using Illinois […]
Small Details, Big Impact: Micro-interactions, Accessibility, and When to Call a Specialist
Time: April 10, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speakers: Meenal Dobariya Microinteractions – the small details like button feedback, form error messages, hover states, or loading animations – shape how people experience a digital product. When designed well, they reduce frustration and increase clarity. But when overlooked, they can create serious accessibility barriers for students, […]
The Future of SEO: How AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Search in Higher Ed
Time: April 9, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speakers: Beth Carron and Shaun Spence Higher ed teams have been trying to implement and refine traditional SEO methods for years, but with AI-driven search changing how students find information, it’s time to shift focus. This session will take time to break down what’s changing, what still […]
Anatomy of a Viral Video
Time: April 10, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speakers: Rachel Berry In December 2024, the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering dropped what became the university’s first truly viral video. With fewer than 1,000 Instagram followers at the time, the ME 370 Inverted Crawlers reel rocketed to the top, the second most-watched reel ever across […]
Humans Beyond Hashtags: Building Authentic Connections with Students on Social Media
Time: April 9, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speakers: Reethika Padithala In a world where social media trends change overnight, how can universities avoid getting lost in the noise and instead build meaningful relationships with students? This session explores the “Humans Beyond Hashtags” framework, a storytelling-driven approach to creating authentic, student-centered content that resonates beyond […]
Accessibility Is Maintenance, Not a Project
Time: April 9, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speaker: Anisat Ahmed The common workflow for accessibility fixes is often treated as a project: run an audit, fix the issues, and move on. But on content-heavy websites, problems don’t stay fixed. As new content is added, the site’s content environment evolves, and multiple contributors make changes; […]
SEO in the AI Era: How to Optimize Your Website For Generative Search Engines
Time: April 4, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speaker: Kate McGowan With established search engines such as Google and Bing integrating AI into their algorithms, and entirely new search engines such as Open AI’s Search-GPT new on the scene, the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is shifting towards Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). In this […]
Custom GPTs Demystified: A Seven Step Guide to Building GPTs like a Pro
Time: April 4, 9:45 am – 10:45 am Speaker: Christy Moss Ready to level up your marketing game with generative AI? In this interactive session, we’ll walk you through seven steps to create custom GPTs that speak your brand’s language—and streamline your work. From generating social media posts to crafting web content and more, these […]