2025 Digital Accessibility Summit

Join the Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA) for a welcome session to our first annual Digital Accessibility Summit. We will share our progress toward our strategic goals, outlined in our Digital Accessibility Strategic Plan; look at how our efforts have evolved from where we started to where we are today; and share our plans for the coming year. We will discuss the tools and vendors that are helping us build a more inclusive digital environment, some of the challenges we are facing, and collaborations with internal and external partners to advance digital accessibility goals. This is more than just a progress report—it’s a look at our shared commitment to creating a more accessible future together.

Presenters

Khaled Musa is the Director of the Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA) at the University of Minnesota, where they lead efforts to make digital spaces inclusive and accessible for all. A recognized advocate and expert in accessibility, Khaled collaborates across industries to implement innovative strategies that empower individuals of all abilities. Passionate about mentoring future accessibility leaders and amplifying underrepresented voices in tech, Khaled brings practical insights, creative problem-solving, and an unwavering belief in the power of technology to foster connection and equity. In their free time, they enjoy sports, exploring nature trails, and reading about inclusive design and code development.

DM Lavoie joined Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS) and the Office of Digital Accessibility in October 2024. As an academic technologist with a digital accessibility focus, they enjoy helping faculty and staff create accessible course content for all learners across campus. DM is able to help content creators create and remediate digital course content utilizing UDOIT, accessibility checkers in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat, and video captioning services. DM championed user-focused digital content throughout their career, including working in customer support for an email marketing product, product manager for an internal CMS in e-commerce, running a user research and digital accessibility testing lab, and consulting on digital accessibility for non-profit organizations, healthcare and finance companies, and edutech products.

Luke Kudryashov is the Senior Digital Accessibility Analyst and Deputy ADA Coordinator at the Office for Digital Accessibility. Luke performs digital accessibility consultations, evaluations, trainings, and purchasing reviews to ensure the University’s digital resources are accessible to all. His interdisciplinary background in disability studies, gender studies, user experience, and library science allows him to merge cultural and technical approaches to digital accessibility.

Note: Session was not recorded.

Making PDFs accessible can often feel complex and time-consuming—but it doesn’t have to be. In this session, we’ll introduce you to PREP, a powerful solution designed to simplify and automate the PDF remediation process. You’ll see firsthand how PREP streamlines accessibility work, reduces manual effort, and ensures compliance with accessibility standards. From tagging structures to handling common barriers, STEM content, writing alt texts for images, we’ll demonstrate just how automated and efficient the process can be. Whether you’re new to accessibility or looking to optimize your workflow, this session will equip you with practical insights on how PREP helps you save time while making your documents inclusive for everyone.

Presenters

Shubham Doval brings over six years of expertise at the intersection of digital accessibility, client experience, SaaS marketing, and customer success. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with global clients to help them adopt accessible technologies, streamline workflows, and meet compliance standards with confidence. With a strong background in accessibility solutions and a passion for building inclusive digital experiences, Shubham bridges the gap between technology and user needs. His unique blend of technical understanding and client-focused strategy makes him a trusted voice on how organizations can save time, drive efficiency, and deliver impact through accessibility.

Watch Save Time and Enhance Inclusion: Automating PDF Accessibility with PREP recording

Not sure where to start when it comes to making a collection of digital documents accessible? Already started the process, but looking to get guidance on the next steps? Learn from a variety of departments from across the University on how they have approached guiding document accessibility. Following the presentations, there will be a 20-minute Q&A session, where participants can ask questions.

Presenters

Kelly Auxier is an experienced content strategist with a diverse background spanning over 12 years in higher education and web services. As a passionate advocate for content strategy and accessibility, she not only develops and leads a variety of OHR projects that elevate user engagement but also leads the Web and Email Digital Coordinator Community of Practice for all UMN campuses.

Eva Young serves as the Policy Librarian for the Office of Institutional Compliance/Policy Program.  She has worked on accessibility for this office for the last 10 years.

Kari Adams is the creative manager in the Office of Communications and Marketing at the University of Minnesota Morris. Adams is a 2003 graduate of the Morris campus with majors in English and studio art and has been part of the communications office since 2010. She has been working with constituents across the Morris campus to spread the word about digital accessibility for several years. As the April 2026 accessibility deadline approaches, the small team at Morris has implemented a document accessibility plan that allows for adequate work time and input from subject matter experts. The team strives to bring everyone along on the accessibility journey, while also making the process as stress-free as possible. Outside of work, Adams enjoys hiking Minnesota's state parks with her hound and snapping photos to submit to the MN State Parks and Trails social media accounts.

Shakti Silwal is the Web Manager and Strategist at the University of Minnesota Morris. In his role, he manages the campus's digital presence, focusing on web strategy, analytics, accessibility, and user experience.

Megan Ripka holds an undergraduate degree in marketing and earned her MBA from Penn State. With more than two decades in higher education marketing, she brings a diverse background spanning public relations, traditional and digital marketing, creative direction, and project management. Since 2024, Megan has served as a digital marketing strategist in University Marketing Communications at the University of Minnesota, where she focuses on advancing the University’s brand and digital presence.

Riley Grittinger is the Digital & Multimedia Manager for the University of Minnesota Law School, focusing on digital content strategy & production, along with developing and analyzing key performance metrics. Connecting the law school to the wider digital infrastructure strategy at the U, Riley serves as the school's Web and Digital Accessibility Coordinator (WEDAC), and sits on the Drupal Advisory Board.

Watch Panel Discussion: Accessibility Strategy for Documents recording

This session will provide a quick overview of closed captioning and audio description, and provide strategies for creating content with accurate captions and helpful audio description practices.

Presenters

Tara Wilder serves as a Digital Accessibility Specialist at the Office for Digital Accessibility and Media Captioning Accommodations Coordinator at the Disability Resource Center. She has been working in accessible media at the University of Minnesota since 2015.

Alex Anderson is the Product Owner of Media Management and works with OIT Video and Conferencing Services and the Office for Digital Accessibility on Media Accessibility.

Emily Paul is an assistant director in the Office for Digital Accessibility. She also works closely with captioned media, audio description, and document conversion accommodation requests within the Disability Resource Center. She has worked with the DRC since 2004.

Melissa Olson, a video producer and editor with Academic Technology Support Services, supports instructors in producing accessible, high-quality course videos.

Watch Media Accessibility: Captioning and Audio Description recording

This session will provide a guide to creating and maintaining accessible websites using Google Sites. We will cover the core principles of web accessibility and demonstrate how they apply directly to the Google Sites platform.

Jane Flis and Luke Kudryashov will walk you through practical strategies for building accessible Google Sites from the ground up, including:

• Understanding the 7 Core Skills: Learn how the fundamental principles of web accessibility translate into tangible actions within Google Sites.
• WAVE and Pope Tech for Accessibility Testing: Get hands-on with tools like WAVE and Pope Tech to identify and fix accessibility issues.
• Navigating Google Sites' Limitations: We'll address common questions about the accessibility of complex elements, such as accordions and tables, and provide recommendations on which elements are safe to use and which should be avoided.
• Choosing the Right Platform: Explore alternatives to Google Sites, such as Drupal Lite, and understand the reasons why a different platform might be a better choice for specific needs and accessibility requirements.

Presenters

Luke Kudryashov is the Senior Digital Accessibility Analyst and Deputy ADA Coordinator at the Office for Digital Accessibility. Luke performs digital accessibility consultations, evaluations, trainings, and purchasing reviews to ensure the University’s digital resources are accessible to all. His interdisciplinary background in disability studies, gender studies, user experience, and library science allows him to merge cultural and technical approaches to digital accessibility.

Jane Flis (she/her) is senior director of marketing and digital strategy at Minnesota Carlson. She works with a team to oversee the school's digital channels such as web and email, paid advertising, marketing analytics, search engine marketing, and recruitment marketing content. She serves as the school's Web and Email Digital Accessibility Coordinator. She has a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Minnesota and a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University.

Watch Creating Accessible Google Sites recording

Take a mid-semester pause to explore Equatio, Everway’s digital math and STEM tool designed to make math more accessible, interactive, and inclusive for all learners. In this session, our Higher Education team will walk you through the key tools on the Equatio toolbar and will highlight practical ways to integrate Equatio into your classroom, build engaging content, and support students as they navigate their coursework.  We’ll focus on how to model tool use effectively, speak about it in student-friendly ways, and make the case for why Equatio matters for learning - especially for students who think differently or need alternative ways to show their work.

You’ll come away with:

• A walkthrough of the Equatio toolbar and its most impactful features
• Strategies for introducing Equatio to students and building buy-in
• Use cases for integrating Equatio into coursework, tutoring, or support services
• Language and ideas for encouraging student independence and STEM confidence

Whether you’re supporting students directly or embedding tools into your teaching, this session will ensure you’re ready to help learners get the most out of Equatio from day one.

Presenters

Rachel Kruzel, ATP, is the Strategic Customer Success Manager for Everway (formerly Texthelp) where she supports higher education institutions across the United States and Canada as they explore, adopt, and implement technology based literacy, STEM, and accessibility based solutions to help create more inclusive, equitable, and accessible campuses and learning spaces for all students and campus members. She is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional and spent over ten years working as an Assistive Technology and Accommodations Specialist in Disability Resource Offices prior to coming to Texthelp. During her time in higher ed, she built and developed assistive technology programs at both schools she worked at, as well as coordinated the provision of accommodations. Rachel is a national expert in the areas of assistive technology, digital accessibility, accessible course materials, and accommodation provision around testing and notetaking. Rachel presents both regionally and nationally on these topics and others, as well as consults with students, parents, schools, and organizations.

Watch Creating Accessible and Supportive STEM Learning with Equatio recording