Workshops and Training

Ensure your digital content and events reach everyone in your audience! This comprehensive workshop offers practical strategies for designing accessible meetings, documents, presentations, videos, and websites. Join this workshop to gain access to resources and checklists that will help you incorporate accessibility best practices into all your future projects.

Presenter: Beth Valentine, Equal Opportunity and Title IX Office 

Are you looking to better support students with disabilities and understand your role in the accommodation process? Sign up to learn more about Student Disability Resources' approach to determining reasonable accommodations. This session will clarify student rights and responsibilities protected under the ADA, provide practical guidance on referring students for services, and empower you to effectively implement common accommodations in your classroom. 

Presenter: Sara Kaiser, Student Disability Resources

Are you looking to make your Blackboard Ultra course materials accessible to all learners? Join this interactive workshop to learn how to utilize Blackboard Ally in evaluating and improving the accessibility of your course content. Gain hands-on practice with image descriptions, document formatting, and content optimization. Bring your course materials and leave equipped with the skills to create an inclusive learning environment, complete with personalized assistance in making your documents accessible.

Presenter: Kristi Embry, Instructional Designer

Want to make your PDFs accessible to all users? Join this introductory workshop to learn how to use Adobe Acrobat’s accessibility tools to evaluate and improve the accessibility of your documents. Gain hands-on experience with configuring Acrobat’s interface for accessibility, using the Accessibility Checker to identify common issues, and addressing the “Big Three” problem areas in PDF remediation—tags, reading order, and metadata. You’ll also explore Acrobat’s auto-tagging feature, understand its limitations, and discover why manual remediation is often necessary. Leave with practical next steps and curated resources to continue developing your PDF accessibility skills.

Presenter: Martha Grace Dettweiler, Instructional Accessibility Specialist

Note to the Participant

This workshop is designed to be interactive. All participants are encouraged to follow along on their own screens. A sample document will be provided so you can complete each step in real time.

Claiming Your Adobe Acrobat Account

All current UND faculty and staff members have access to Adobe Acrobat Pro as part of the university’s Adobe licensing agreement. Acrobat Pro allows users to view, create, edit, sign, manage, and remediate PDF documents. Prior to this workshop, you will need to claim and install an Adobe Acrobat Pro license. UIT’s Knowledge Base article on  Adobe Acrobat Pro provides links and instructions on how to do so.

Learn the art to creating accessible images in this two-part workshop series. Journey from foundational principles of alt text to advanced techniques for complex visuals, and discover how to leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline your workflow.

Presenter: Kristi Embry, Instructional Designer

Making Simple Images Accessible

This introductory workshop offers an overview of alternative text (alt-text) and its role in making images accessible to screen readers and assistive technology. Participants will learn the definition of alt-text and be introduced to best practices for creating effective alt-text, focusing on techniques for crafting clear, concise, and accurate descriptions. This session also includes a demonstration on adding alt-text to images in Blackboard Ultra and Microsoft Office.

Making Complex Images Accessible

This workshop focuses on best practices for creating alt-text for complex images, such as charts, graphs, infographics, cartoons, etc. Participants will learn techniques for crafting detailed descriptions and see demonstrations in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint on how to integrate these long descriptions into their documents.

Prerequisite: Must have attended the Making Images Usable/Accessible workshop.

Elevate your Microsoft Office skills with comprehensive training on digital accessibility in Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint. Learn to craft inclusive emails, build structured documents, and create engaging accessible presentations using built-in tools. Join us to refine your everyday communications, improve content accessibility, and ensure your content is accessible to all members of our university community. 

Presenter: Martha Grace Dettweiler, Instructional Accessibility Specialist

Accessible Email Practices in Microsoft Outlook

Discover how to make your communications more accessible with Microsoft Outlook’s built-in accessibility features. Learn practical tips to improve accessibility in everyday email communication, benefiting both senders and recipients at the University of North Dakota.

Word Document Accessibility 101: Identifying and Fixing Common Issues

Wondering why your Word document is receiving a low score in Blackboard Ally? This workshop will guide participants through identifying and addressing common accessibility issues in Microsoft Word documents. Issues include alt-text for images, heading structure, tables, links, and lists. A hands-on tutorial will walk you through addressing these issues in a sample document, demonstrating how to leverage Word's Accessibility Checker tool to fix accessibility errors.

PowerPoint Accessibility 101: Identifying and Fixing Common Issues

Curious why your PowerPoint presentation is receiving a low score in Blackboard Ally? This workshop guides participants through identifying and addressing common accessibility issues in Microsoft PowerPoint, such as reading order, missing alt text, and color contrast. A hands-on tutorial will walk you through a sample presentation, demonstrating how to leverage PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker to fix accessibility errors.

Discover how Simple Syllabus simplifies the process of creating and updating course syllabi. This dynamic tool allows instructors to seamlessly add course-specific content while maintaining consistent and accurate institutional policy information. Integrated with Blackboard, Simple Syllabus features an intuitive layout that makes it easy to adjust dates and details without requiring a new version to be shared. Plus, syllabi created with Simple Syllabus are fully accessible on any mobile device.

Presenter: Katie Benton, Instructional Designer

Have you ever wondered how accessible your assigned textbooks are for students using assistive technologies? Join us in demystifying the textbook evaluation process as we explore practical testing techniques using publishers' built-in tools. Register now to gain practical skills in assessing textbook accessibility, and ensure your course materials serve all students effectively.

Presenter: Kristi Embry, Instructional Designer

Are you ready to create an inclusive learning environment that works for everyone from day one? Discover how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles can help you design courses that naturally accommodate diverse learning styles, abilities, and needs, minimizing the need for extensive modifications. Sign up today to learn how these practical design strategies can both enhance the learning experience for students and save you time and effort in the long run.

Presenter: Kristi Embry, Instructional Designer

Learn how to create inclusive and accessible digital documents in Microsoft Word 365 that comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the 2024 updated final rule of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This course covers key techniques for improving document accessibility.

Making Word Documents Accessible (2025)

In this course, you will learn how to create presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint 365 that comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the updated 2024 Final Rule of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You’ll learn tools and practices that ensure your content is usable by all audiences, including those with disabilities. 

Making PowerPoint Presentations Accessible (2025)

In this course, you will learn how to identify and describe common learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia; recognize their signs in educational settings; and apply appropriate accommodations, instructional strategies, and assistive technologies to support affected students.

Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities