CUDE

Administrators at Purdue University look for ways to raise awareness of web accessibility issues and to educate employees on how to create websites that are accessible to individuals with a broad range of disabilities. They have focused efforts through a campus-wide Web Accessibility Committee (WAC). WAC members represent both academic and administrative units across campus. Most are web developers and all are strong supporters of accessible web design. WAC members have:

In a study funded by the National Science Foundation's Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program, a group of three postsecondary institutions used asynchronous online access as a universally designed method of content delivery. In addition to classroom lecture, web-based access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) course content was also offered.

Professional organizations such as the Oregon Science Teachers Association (OSTA) serve an important function in helping their members stay current on relevant issues in their fields. OSTA made a statement about the importance of including students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by partnering with AccessSTEM to provide their members with training and resources for fully including these students in their courses.

California State University has set up faculty learning communities to help their faculty implement universal design principles in their classes, labs, and lectures. The learning communities at Sonoma State University are organized by Ensuring Access Through Collaboration and Technology (EnAct), a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Washington MESA's mission is to assist "underrepresented students in Washington State achieve their full potential and contribute in the fields of mathematics, engineering, and science". MESA—which stands for Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement—is a network of state-level programs with similar goals.

Many information technology (IT) companies provide public statements related to their products' accessibility to people with disabilities. Although some companies are criticized for publicly supporting accessible IT when it is not a genuine part of their practices, other companies provide leadership in the creation and support of accessible products.

Some of the reasons that companies provide public information about their commitment to accessibility are:

Georgia Boatman, a teacher at Southgate Elementary School in Kennewick, Washington, wanted to increase student participation in her classroom, particularly that of students with disabilities. In collaboration with DO-IT's AccessSTEM project, she acquired an interactive learning tool the Classroom Performance System (CPS) using funds from an AccessSTEM minigrant.

Pete Darragh, a sixth grade teacher at Sidney Glen Elementary School in Port Orchard, Washington, was awarded an AccessSTEM minigrant to integrate a large interactive white board, called a Smart Board, and speakers into his teaching. Mr. Darragh says he applied for the grant as a way to add technology that would "hook" more of his students into learning, including those with learning challenges that result from disabilities.

Students with certain types of visual impairments and/or learning disabilities have difficulty accessing printed content. Students may request textbooks and other printed materials in alternate formats such as large print, Braille, electronic text, and/or audio recordings. Both procurement and in-house creation of these alternate formats are time-consuming. For example, even when publishers provide electronic formats of books, it may take several weeks for a student to obtain the materials.

Dr. Jon Gunderson, Director of IT Accessibility Services at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Campaign, provided a web accessibility training event to postsecondary staff and faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. The Tools and Techniques for Accessible Web Content event shared best practices and reviewed accessibility management and visualization tools used to improve the design and verification of the functional accessibility of web resources. After the event Dr.