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25 YEARS OF ADA CELEBRATION

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  • 25 YEARS OF ADA CELEBRATION

University Student Commons (907 Floyd Avenue)-Richmond Salons I-II

07/14/2015 – 07/14/2015

25 YEARS OF ADA CELEBRATION
Posted on July 14, 2015

Please join the Virginia Commonwealth University Community as we celebrate 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are excited about this celebration to reflect upon the progress and challenges that individuals face on and around our campuses.

Everyone is invited, University students and all employees, as well as local community partners. Please register yourself and please also feel free to register a guest and share the link with interested parties: whoozin.com/UD9-ATR-73YT

1:30-1:45p.m. – Introductions

Paula McMahon-Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator – VCU
Jenson Larrimore-President, Students for Disability Advocacy Awareness – VCU

1:45-2:30p.m. Speaker-Marian Vessels-Director, Mid-Atlantic – ADA Center

2:30-4:00pm – Panel Discussion and Questions from the Audience

Joyce Knight-Director, Disability Support Services – VCU
Kelly Hickok-Community Services Manager, Resources for Independent Living
Jack Brandt-Disability Policy Specialist, Partnership for People with Disabilities
Paula McMahon-Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator – VCU
Colleen Bishop-Director, Academic Technologies – VCU
Jim Yucha-Director of Web Services – VCU
Idella Glen-Director for Diversity Education and Retention Initiatives – VCU
Stephen Ross-Director of Military Student Services – VCU

4:00-5:00pm – Reception – Richmond Salons III

Sponsored by: VCU Equity and Access Services

For more information and for accommodation requests, please contact Paula McMahon:

Phone: (804) 828-8532
E-mail: mcmahonpl2@vcu.edu

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    • www.virginiaability.org
    • November 22, 2024

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    We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

    To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

    This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

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      These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

    2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.

      Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

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    • Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
    • Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
    • ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
    • Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
    • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

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    Notes, comments, and feedback

    Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to