Schedule
Monday, March 2
- 9:00 – 9:15 am – Welcome
- 9:15 – 10:15 am – Why Digital Accessibility Matters: A Lived Experience
- 10:15 – 10:30 am – Break
- 10:30 – 11:30 am – Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Accessible
- 11:30 am – 12:30 pm – Lunch (provided for in-person attendees)
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm – Accessible Development: Building Strong Relationships and Communications Practices
- 1:30 – 1:45 pm – Break
- 1:45 – 2:45 pm – Speaker Panel – Shifting the Narrative: Building Accessibility Into Organizational Culture
- 2:45 – 3:00 pm – Day One Wrap-Up
Tuesday, March 3
- 9:00 – 9:15 am – Recap & Welcome Back
- 9:15 – 10:15 am – Accessible Multimedia for All: Practical Workflows, Free Tools, and AI Support
- 10:15 – 10:30 am – Break
- 10:30 – 11:30 am – Our Shared Responsibility: Making PowerPoints Accessible
- 11:30 am – 12:30 pm – Lunch (provided for in-person attendees)
- 12:30 – 1:30 pm – Shift Left and Up
- 1:30 – 1:45 pm – Break
- 1:45 – 2:45 pm – Universal Accessibility Testing
- 2:45 – 3:00 pm – Closing Remarks
Session Details
- March 2 • 9:15 AM
- Hannah Kinsey
Why Digital Accessibility Matters: A Lived Experience
Accessibility has shaped every chapter of Hannah Kinsey’s life, from school to work to everyday independence. Through her personal stories, she highlights the real-world consequences of inaccessible design and the possibilities unlocked when access is prioritized, offering a clear view of how thoughtful accessibility can transform digital experiences.
- March 2 • 10:30 AM
- Lyssa Prince
Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Accessible
Perfectionism has a strong presence in many accessibility professionals’ lives. When Lyssa Prince first entered the field, she struggled with the idea that she would never catch every accessibility barrier. Those feelings eased over time but resurfaced in her current role, where she serves as the sole person responsible for Section 508 compliance on two federal projects. Perfectionism in accessibility work can paralyze both experienced practitioners and newcomers, creating fear that hinders progress. Through personal examples and a practical framework, this session explores how perfectionism can harm accessibility goals and offers strategies for sustainable, imperfect practices that still move the needle.
- March 2 • 12:30 PM
- Karey Jo Wise
Accessible Development: Building Strong Relationships and Communications Practices
Accessible product development is a multilayered journey. How can development teams produce more accessible end user experiences, consistently? Accessibility experts and development teams must be engaged in open, consistent and frequent communication. This is essential to creating and sustaining accessible digital products. When development teams regularly consult accessibility experts for guidance during remediation and the design of components for future releases a product’s accessibility can continue to improve. Routine collaboration and clear communication channels are key to making a meaningful impact in both remediation and the accessibility of future releases.
- March 3 • 9:15 AM
- Clarissa Anderson
Accessible Multimedia for All: Practical Workflows, Free Tools, and AI Support
This session will introduce practical, efficient workflows for writing alt text, adding captions and transcripts, and ensuring images, videos, and audio content are accessible for all audiences. Participants will explore free tools and emerging AI features that can support — not replace — thoughtful accessibility practices. Whether you work in education, government, corporate environments, or nonprofit spaces, you’ll leave with actionable techniques, recommended tools, and examples you can apply immediately to make your digital content more accessible, compliant, and user-friendly.
- March 3 • 10:30 AM
- Kashuan Hopkins
Our Shared Responsibility: Making PowerPoints Accessible
Accessibility is reached in the small choices that everyone makes every day. In this session, we will look at common accessibility issues in PowerPoint presentations and use Microsoft’s Accessibility Checker to spot and fix them. We will cover the importance of alt text, color contrast, table structure, slide titles, and reading order. You will leave with practical steps you can apply to any PowerPoint presentation you create to improve its accessibility and a clearer sense of what accessibility tools do not catch. Join us and see how small changes can make a big improvement in how your information reaches everyone.
- March 3 • 12:30 PM
- Rob Carr
Shift Left and Up
In this session, we will use the “shift left” concept as a jumping off point for a larger discussion about the critical need for organizational leadership to provide active facilitation rather than only supplying passive support. We will begin by (re-)visiting what it means to shift accessibility left in our project work so everyone is on the same page. We will examine some examples of resources and supports that organizations put in place to support those who may find accessibility in their job, whether it’s formally a part of their role or not. We will also dig into the critical role that leadership must play in order for this to happen at scale, so the shift left doesn’t stop before it needs to.
- March 3 • 1:45 PM
- Thomas Patenaude
Universal Accessibility Testing
If you are a digital content creator for the web, this course is tailored specifically for you. In this session, you will gain insights into some of the prevalent digital accessibility challenges and learn how to ensure that your content complies with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). By adopting a testing positive mindset, gaining a fresh perspective, and utilizing freely available tools, we will explore actionable steps you can take immediately, regardless of your level of experience.