Conference Schedule 2025

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Sessions will be held on June 10, 2025, via Zoom webinar. All sessions will be 45 minutes long, with time for questions. All times listed are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Keynote: Judy Risch, Grand River Solutions

9:00-9:45 a.m. (EDT)

Built-In, Not Bolt-On: Designing for Accessibility with a Strong Foundation

10:00-10:45 a.m. (EDT)

In this session, we’ll explore how to design for accessibility with the same intentionality and durability as a well-built structure. Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought, but rather a core part of the design process. Just like the foundation of a building, accessibility needs to be integrated from the start. We’ll dive into strategies for ensuring content is accessible, from video and audio to social media, with a focus on captions, audio descriptions, and transcripts. The session will also highlight essential tools and technologies for embedding these features, along with best practices for collaboration between stakeholders to ensure accessibility is truly built-in, not bolted on.

Presenter

Brittany McLeod is an accessibility advocate with nearly a decade of experience supporting individuals with disabilities across diverse settings. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Accessibility Resources at Forsyth Technical Community College, where she leads professional development initiatives focused on creating inclusive, digitally accessible learning environments. Brittany holds a CPACC certification and a certification in Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Design from the University of Michigan. She also serves on the NC AHEAD Board of Directors as Communications & Engagement Officer and incoming President-Elect. Brittany is passionate about equity and inclusion and empowers faculty, staff, and students through strategic communication and collaborative leadership.

Doing the Work: Making Accessible Videos and Other Media

11:00-11:45 a.m. (EDT)

Learn to make videos with captioning and audio description using platforms such as Panopto, Microsoft Stream, ClipChamp, YouTube, PowerPoint, and Windows Movie Maker. Learn how to potentially navigate accessibility barriers when certain platforms are limited in their features.

Presenter

Alysia Leak is an Assistive Technology Specialist based in Charlotte, North Carolina, who has been transforming lives and tech setups since 2013. With over a decade of experience in the field, Alysia is passionate about bridging the gap between accessibility and innovation—making sure that technology works for people, not the other way around.
When she’s not busy customizing devices or decoding the mysteries of adaptive software, Alysia enjoys diving into creative craft projects. Whether it’s a glue gun or a gadget, she’s always hands-on and full of ideas.
Known for her sharp expertise and even sharper wit, Alysia brings a touch of humor to every challenge—because in her world, accessibility should be empowering and a little fun.

Share the Journey: Accessible Communications in an Evolving Media Landscape

1:00-1:45 p.m. (EDT)

This session will introduce foundational skills and essential questions to consider when incorporating accessibility into your marketing and communications. Given the widespread use of social media and other mass communication platforms, we are all communicators in our professional and personal lives, and principles of accessibility can help us hone our communication skills and expand our audience.

Presenter

Davita DesRoches (pronouns: she/her/hers) is the Alternative Media Specialist for the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Davita has been working with students at Wake Forest to support their access to the academic environment by providing assistive technology and course materials in alternative format since she joined her team in 2019 as a graduate student employee. She believes that accessibility work is at its best when done collaboratively and wants to thank her students and her colleagues at Wake Forest and in the Collaborative for their immeasurable impact on her professional practice.

Virtual Event Accessibility

2:00-2:45 p.m. (EDT)

This presentation explores how to make virtual and hybrid events accessible by covering key features like captions, and mindful communication strategies. Attendees will learn how to choose accessible platforms, plan inclusively, and ensure both live and recorded content is easy to access—creating a more engaging and inclusive experience for all participants.

Presenter

Chelsea Porter, Head of Digital Accessibility at UNC – Chapel Hill (she/her). Chelsea has been in NC higher education for nearly 20 years as an instructor, web professional, and digital accessibility consultant. She has been with UNC-CH since 2020 in the digital accessibility office and rose to head of the office in 2023.