Digital A11y Newsletter
 November 2024 Issue
Welcome to the Digital A11y Newsletter, your go-to resource for staying informed about the tools, best practices, and upcoming trainings to help us make digital content accessible to all. Whether you're a project manager, developer, or content creator, this newsletter will provide valuable insights so your websites, applications, and digital communications are inclusive for users of all abilities. Each edition will feature tips, updates, and trainings on digital accessibility to help you make accessibility a core part of our process. Let’s work together to create a more inclusive digital experience for everyone!
Empowering Inclusion: Introducing MnDOT’s Digital Accessibility Team
A few years ago, MnDOT stakeholders conducted extensive research and presented the “Accessibility Gap Analysis” to leadership. Within that report, the workgroup proposed the establishment of a new Digital Accessibility Team to lead the development of this crucial strategy and work plan.
Today, we're excited to introduce the MnDOT Digital Accessibility Team and Program. Team members include Emily Lu, Digital Accessibility Coordinator; Aaron Arvig, Lead Accessibility Training Coordinator; and John Robnett, Accessibility Technologist.
Aligned with the gap analysis recommendations, this team and program aim to enhance user experiences and foster a more inclusive digital environment for all Minnesotans. The team has developed a work plan, timeline, and many activities to help MnDOT mature in digital accessibility. One of the key components to the work plan is a maturity model. The Digital Accessibility Maturity Model also known as DAMM, is a matrix scorecard to help MnDOT see how we are performing in people/leadership, business process, and technology, in terms of accessible technology. The Digital Accessibility Assessment (DAA) is based on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C’s) Accessibility Maturity Model. MnDOT’s DAA consists of 4 dimensions: Vision & Culture, Knowledge & Skills, Processes, and Leadership. For each of these areas, we will rate them on a scale of 1 (Initial) to 5 (Optimal), which will give us a sense of where we are at on the accessibility journey. We will get a tangible output to help us identify achievable steps to reaching each roadmap milestone and know what we need to prioritize against our business strategy. This is one of the many strategies the team is using to improve digital accessibility at MnDOT.
Our team is hosting biweekly drop-in sessions, welcoming all to raise questions, discuss issues, and share insights on accessibility projects and questions. These sessions serve not only to foster collaboration but also to inform our future training offerings and facilitate peer-to-peer learning.
For a comprehensive list of upcoming events, including trainings and Lunch & Learn opportunities, please visit the Accessibility Resource SharePoint site. For any accessibility-related inquiries, feel free to reach out to the team at digital.accessibility.dot@state.mn.us. We look forward to working collaboratively with all staff to ensure that digital experiences are inclusive and equitable for everyone.
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Accessible Word Training Now Available in the Learning Management
We are excited to announce that the updated Accessible Word Training is now live in the ! For those interested in enrolling, simply type in the search code: G46ACCWORD01 in LM module. This essential training has been refreshed to align with the latest advancements in technology, updated standards, and best practices for accessibility.
Please take advantage of this valuable resource to enhance accessibility knowledge and support inclusive practices across our organization!
Become a Champion of Accessibility!
The A11y Champions Program is an exciting opportunity for MnDOT staff. The program enables staff to become champions of accessibility and provides a roadmap to become accessibility leaders. The program encourages staff across MnDOT to commit to accessibility in all content created, including electronic, print, and for both internal and external audiences. The program emphasizes accessible design and development, disability etiquette, and empathy for users.
How can I become an A11Y Champion?
Help Us Improve Our Digital Accessibility Program
On Monday, 11/4, we emailed an invitation to all staff to participate in an anonymous survey to help advance our digital accessibility efforts. Responses will remain confidential, with data gathered in aggregate to ensure no individual is identified.
This survey aims to understand perceptions of digital accessibility within MnDOT offices, districts, and programs. It focuses on the accessibility of digital content, including emails, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and websites.
The results will be shared across office, district, and program areas as part of the next phase of our digital accessibility maturity assessment. These insights will serve as an important benchmark for improving accessibility.
The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Please submit your responses by 4:00 PM on Monday, November 18.
Upcoming Events
Accessibility Drop-In Sessions
The digital accessibility drop-in sessions are held bi-weekly on the first Tuesday and third Thursday of each month. The next few sessions are scheduled on Thursday, 11/21 from 9:30 to 10:30am, Tuesday, 12/3 from 1:30-2:30 pm, and Thursday, 12/19 from 9:30-10:30 am. Join us during these times to participate in discussions and receive assistance with accessibility concerns.
Not sure where to start on the topic of accessibility? Don’t worry - you're not alone. Getting started can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. That's what this training is for - to introduce you to accessibility. We’ll provide some background on accessibility and show you how to make your content more accessible.
Session is scheduled for November 27th at 10:00 am. No Registration required.
Join us to learn what it means to make a PDF accessible, how to set up Acrobat to work on PDFs for accessibility, and the conversion process from a source document to a PDF.
Session is scheduled for November 20th at 10:00 am. No Registration required.
Interested in becoming a Champion of Accessibility? Together, we will complete the tasks in Level A.
Session is scheduled for November 15th at 10:00 am. No Registration required.
The A11y SharePoint site is open to all state employees. Check out the site for accessibility-related resources, upcoming trainings, testing tools and more. Be sure to explore the site to enhance your understanding and implementation of accessibility practices.
Contact Us
Submit Accessibility Support Request on the BIS Resource Dashboard.
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