Consider joining one or more of these communities to help you make connections between people interested in building digital learning environments geared to meet the needs of all our students.

Accessibility Network at VT

The Accessibility Network at Virginia Tech is a faculty/staff interest group that brings together Hokies who share a common vision for enhancing digital accessibility across campus. The Network provides information, community, and training to support a wide variety of activities including advancing web accessibility, incorporating universal design practices, utilizing assistive technologies, and choosing accessible learning materials. 

The Network is open to all interested faculty, staff, and students. Meetings are hosted virtually through Zoom on a quarterly basis. Meetings generally take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. 

Interested in participating in the Accessibility Network and joining a community developing best practices in digital accessibility? Login to your Virginia Tech Google account and then join the Accessibility Network Google group. All faculty, staff, and students are welcome!

Accessibility Professional Certification Grants Cohort

Apply to become a certified accessibility professional. The International Association for Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) offers the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC). Through a twice-yearly grant from the TLOS Accessible Technologies group, awardees will receive online exam prep training and covered exam fees. All Virginia Tech employees can request membership in the IAAP.

Digital Accessibility Liaison Program

Digital Accessibility Liaisons serve as a connector, advocate, and facilitator within their department or unit to advance Virginia Tech’s commitment to digital accessibility. Unlike general membership in the university’s Accessibility Network, the liaison role is more defined and includes expectations for communication, resource sharing, and alignment with digital accessibility efforts.

Disability Alliance and Caucus

The Disability Alliance is a Registered Student Organization (RSO) at Virginia Tech that collaborates with the Disability Caucus. The Caucus represents faculty, staff, and graduate student concerns. These organizations provide a safe space for individuals with disabilities within our community and their allies to come together and engage in community building, mutual support, and disability activism. The community accepts the diversity of disability experiences and welcomes everyone with mental illnesses, physical, developmental, intellectual, and learning disabilities, chronic illnesses, and/or other hidden or visible disabilities to meet and work with them to bring accessibility to the forefront of conversations.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Community of Practice

We adopted Wenger’s definition of communities of practice (CoP) for the purpose of forming a faculty professional learning group to integrate instructional design, evidence-based practice, and technology, guided by the UDL framework.¹  We define the UDL community of practice as a group of practitioners with shared interests, interactions, and learnings from one another to figure out best practices to solve problems in learning spaces. A true community of practice works together to create artifacts that add to the organization’s understanding and work around a specific topic. Members are expected to devote time and attention to the group, which includes the exchange of ideas, experiences, and interests. Interested in joining the UDL CoP? Join the UDL listserv/distribution list to receive updates. 

Web Accessibility Brown Bag  

Join colleagues from across the university on Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. for an informal web accessibility brown bag series. Bring your lunch—and any questions you have about creating, evaluating, or improving accessible websites and applications. Participants are encouraged to share accessibility challenges, useful resources, successes, and practical approaches others can learn from. Whether you are new to web accessibility or have years of experience, you are welcome to join the weekly Zoom meeting to ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn.

External Communities

Here is a list of listservs, Twitter accounts, discussion forums, and Slack workspaces where you can ask questions of the broader accessibility community.

•  Listservs
  • WebAIM listserv
  • Access Technology in Higher Ed (ATHEN) listserv
  • The EDUCAUSE IT Accessibility Community Group listserv
• UDL Higher Education SIG
• Twitter: Disability in Higher Education
• IAAP Connections (Virginia Tech employees get free membership to IAAP.)
• Accessibility Network LinkedIn Group
• Slack Workspaces
  • axe Community Slack workspace