USM Announces Formation of Digital Accessibility Working Group
University System of Maryland Announces Formation of Digital Accessibility Working Group
Teach Access Announces Academic Hub at Kirwan Center
Teach Access, a nonprofit dedicated to making digital accessibility fundamental to higher education curricula, proudly announces its newest academic hub, the University System of Maryland’s (USM) William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. This collaboration aims to advance accessibility education, research, and practice by integrating accessibility-focused initiatives into faculty development, curriculum design, and institutional strategy across USM.
Call for Applications for the 2025 Elkins Fellowships for SoTL
The Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation is pleased to announce this call for applications for Elkins Fellowships for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Up to 10 Elkins SoTL Fellowships of $1,000 each will be awarded for 2025-2026 (May 1, 2025-June 30, 2026).
NFB-MDTAP Resource Guide for Accessible Classrooms
Resource Guide for Making an Accessible Classroom
This resource guide was created for USM institutions in support of the digital accessibility goals. For more information or resources, please contact the MDOD IT Access Initiative via email at: mdod.nva@maryland.gov or via their website mdod.maryland.gov.
Digital Accessibility
Digital accessibility refers to the intentional design of electronic technologies and materials so that they are usable by all people, including people with disabilities. In the case of our increasingly technology-enhanced courses, digital accessibility means equal access to educational opportunity.
The Kirwan Center is exploring ways USM institutions—individually and collectively—can support faculty and other educational staff as they work to ensure that the instructional technologies and digital materials they use in their courses are accessible to all learners.
Supporting Digital Accessibility for Learning
The William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation has been collaborating with the National Federation of the Blind for several years to support digital accessibility efforts across the System. We are excited to announce that we are now collaborating to co-host an upcoming meeting to discuss how to build support for faculty around digital accessibility for learning on Thursday, September 29 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the National Federation of Blind’s offices in Baltimore.
Ensuring Accessibility
In 2021, the Kirwan Center curated a list of resources for ensuring accessibility in support of the sudden shift to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Balancing Student Privacy and Accessibility | Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation
Provides guidance on best practices for balancing student privacy and accessibility in an online environment.
