UAlbany Faculty Accessibility Ambassadors
Background
Providing fully accessible digital course materials is an important best practice for inclusive teaching and supports the success of all students. Accessibility is not only a best practice, but it is also a legal obligation. State and federal rules require that all digital content, including course materials hosted in Brightspace, comply with specific industry standards for accessible digital content by April 2027.
2026 Ambassadors (Pilot)
- Zakhar Berkovich, Rockefeller College
- Susan Cumings, Program in Writing and Critical Inquiry
- Tsveta Dobreva, Department of Sociology (College of Arts and Sciences)
- Eric Keenaghan, Department of English (College of Arts and Sciences)
- Michael Leczinsky, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
- Melissa Tracy, College of Integrated Health Sciences
- Graysen Wolfe, Program in Writing and Critical Inquiry
2026-27 Program Goals
The UAlbany Faculty Accessibility Ambassadors (FAA) is a faculty community focused on helping instructors across UAlbany develop knowledge and skills in digital accessibility. The 2026-27 ambassadors will build on the work of the first cohort, which began their work in January 2026.
We are seeking at least one representative from each school or college across the University and across different fields and areas of instruction (e.g., STEM, arts, humanities, etc.) to serve during the 2026-27 academic year. The ambassadors will work to build awareness of accessibility requirements and resources, provide guidance and support for their colleagues, and curate or develop focused resources for instructors in their fields. Ambassadors work closely with each other and with CATLOE staff.
2026-27 Ambassador Activities – Semester 1
Estimated time commitment = 14-18 hours total
- Complete the asynchronous online course “Access: A quest toward inclusion” in Brightspace (8-10 hours)
- Attend live CATLOE accessibility webinars or review recordings (2-3 hours)
- Meet with the FAA community 3 times during the semester to share ideas, questions, concerns, and project plans (3 hours)
- Develop a written plan for project work to be completed in semester 2 (1-2 hours)
2026-27 Ambassador Activities – Semester 2
Estimated time commitment = 15-20 hours total
After completing initial training, ambassadors will engage in a project designed to further the development of accessibility best practices and compliance in their home college, department, and/or disciplinary area. They will have the support of CATLOE staff in implementing projects and have the option of collaborating as appropriate. Ambassadors will meet as a group 1-2 times during the semester to share their progress.
Projects will include at least two of the following activities:
- Survey faculty in their college and/or department about accessibility and share findings to help the campus move progress toward our accessibility goals
- Create partnerships among faculty in their department and/or college to facilitate remediation of materials
- Conduct research on accessibility best practices in their field of instruction and share findings to support the University’s progress in this area
- Conduct research on technical solutions for ensuring accessibility of commonly-used materials in their field of instruction (e.g., math notation, music notation, maps, etc.) and share findings to support the University’s progress in this area
- Conduct or arrange specialized workshops/trainings for faculty and/or graduate students in their field of instruction
- Offer drop-in support for faculty in their college and/or department
- Other activities as proposed and approved
Compensation
Ambassadors will be eligible for compensation during the second semester of their obligation; details will follow. Ambassadors will also be eligible to apply for a second year of participation.
How to Become an Ambassador in 2026-27
Complete the short application form indicating your interest in the program. Applications will be accepted through September 15, 2026.
Questions
Please contact Billie Franchini with any questions about the ambassadors program.