A Business Case for Digital Accessibility: Addressing Barriers, Ensuring Consistency, and Creating a Strategic Digital Accessibility Plan

Digital accessibility is of critical importance in today's business landscape. Dr. Ann Knettler, Vice President of Consulting at GrackleDocs, will explore how addressing accessibility barriers not only fosters inclusivity but also enhances user experience and customer satisfaction. By emphasizing consistency in accessibility standards and practices, Dr. Knettler will demonstrate how organizations can mitigate legal risks and strengthen their brand reputation. Moreover, the session will outline the strategic framework necessary to develop and implement a comprehensive digital accessibility plan, aligning organizational goals with ethical imperatives and regulatory requirements. Join us to learn how investing in digital accessibility is not just a legal obligation but a strategic imperative for sustainable growth and innovation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain an understanding of the legal frameworks governing digital accessibility
• Identify the Business Value of ROI of Inclusive Content
• Evaluate Third-Party and Vendor Liability
• Analyze the “Curb-Cut Effect” on General Usability

About the speaker:

Dr. Ann Knettler - Vice President, Consulting

Ann currently serves as the Vice President of Consulting for GrackleDocs, a world leader in digital accessibility. An accessibility strategist with over 19 years of experience as an ADA and 504 Compliance Officer, Director of Disability Resources offices, and global corporate policy advisor; Ann is a sought-after speaker, educator, and consultant.

As a member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), Ann currently represents the Association as a member of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) where she has co-authored and updated policy and standards for the entire field of higher education. As a member of W3C and the PDF Association, she also actively serves on the working groups for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and PDF/UA.

A published researcher, Ann regularly presents and consults globally on topics such as the depth and breadth of digital accessibility, disability rights, assessment and the use of data as an advocacy tool, disability policy and policy reform, strategic planning for organization-wide access, creating and using policy and accessibility standards, program review, ableism, and the social justice model of disability.

Ann is an active faculty member in the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Master of Public Administration Programs at Delaware State University. She received a Masters of Arts in Counseling in Higher Education with an emphasis in Mental Health from the University of Delaware and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Delaware State University. Her dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of ableism and able-body privilege by students with disabilities in higher education and the impact that experience has on their receipt of an accessible versus equitable education.

Continuing Education (CE) Certificates will be provided.

Reasonable accommodations (CART Captioning and ASL Interpreting) will be provided.

If you have questions about this training, please call 602.728.9534 or email us at AskAzTAP@nau.edu