Book A Room- The Richardson Hotel
The Richardson Hotel
444 Forest Ave, Buffalo, NY 14213
Phone: 716-493-2610
Please call to book! A block of rooms have been reserved at the Richardson Hotel at the State per diem rate. Specify that you are attending the "SUNY Buffalo State Beyond Compliance Conference". Please book by March 21st, 2025. For more information please visit the Richardson Hotel Website.
Welcome
Lisa T. Morrison-Fronckowiak, J.D., Buffalo State Chief Diversity Officer/EITO & Dr. Amitra Wall, Buffalo State Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs will provide opening remarks to lay the foundation for the conference with clear expectations and establish a sense of purpose.
Presentation Title: Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Efforts in SUNY
The SUNY-wide policy on Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2019 and called for campuses to appoint an EIT Accessibility Officer and to establish an EIT Accessibility Plan. Six years later faculty, staff, and campus leaders, along with SUNY System Administration, have been working on improving EIT Accessibility in support of the policy and in responses to recent federal updates to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Attend this session for a review of the SUNY EIT Accessibility policy and an update on the activities at the System Level designed to help and support campuses in their EIT Accessibility efforts.
About Kim Scalzo
Kim Scalzo is the Interim Senior Associate Provost of Digital Innovation and Academic Services (DIAS), former executive director of SUNY Online and Interim Executive Director of Academic Technologies and Information Services (ATIS). For the five years preceding the launch of Open SUNY, Scalzo served as director for SUNY Center for Professional Development. Prior to joining SUNY, Kim was an administrator at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where she started as the director of Professional and Distance Education Programs and moved on to serve as the director of Distributed Education and Multimedia before a four-year term as the director of Outreach Programs.
About Lauren Rodriguez
Dr. Lauren P. Rodriguez is the Director of Resources for Students with Disabilities in the Office of University Life at SUNY System Administration, providing overall leadership to support students with disabilities across the SUNY System and guiding the 64 campuses in adopting best practices in the mitigation of barriers to access for disabled students in all institutional programs, services, and activities. She also assists in developing programs and policies to support equity for students with disabilities. Dr. Rodriguez is the Director of the Universal Design for Learning at SUNY project and co-leads the SUNY System-wide Electronic Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Committee. Lauren completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University at Buffalo and earned a Psy.D. in School Psychology from Alfred University. She is a licensed psychologist in New York and is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) through IAAP.
Presentation Title: Navigating the New ADA Title II Regulations
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued its final rule revising the regulation implementing title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These regulations significantly change how public colleges and universities need to approach web and digital accessibility compliance. This session will provide higher education administrators, faculty, and staff with an overview of the title II regulations, what has changed and why these changes require a new approach, and how these regulations relate to existing federal and state law. The session will also include recommendations on how to update campus accessibility plans and practical guidance on how everyone can incorporate accessibility in their daily work.
About Mark Greenfield
Mark Greenfield is a nationally recognized expert in web and digital accessibility with over 25 years of direct accessibility experience. He spent 35 years at the University at Buffalo (UB), where he held various web and technology roles, most recently serving as Web Accessibility Officer. In this position, he provided strategic leadership, technical expertise, and oversight to enhance digital accessibility across campus. Beyond his work at UB, Mark has 30 years of experience as a consultant. Since retiring from UB in 2022, he has continued his consulting work helping organizations integrate accessibility into their digital strategies, policies, and long-term initiatives. Mark is also an active member of the Accessibility Committee of the ACM USTPC (Association for Computing Machinery US Technology Committee) which educates and informs Congress, the Administration, and the courts about significant developments in the computing field and how those developments affect public policy in the United States.
Presentation Title: SUNY Accessibility Advocates and Allies Faculty Fellows
The Provost's Office and Office of Student Success have created the SUNY Accessibility Advocates & Allies (AAA) Faculty Fellowship program, a community of faculty leaders and champions committed to promoting and growing accessibility practices in and out of the classroom on their campuses. During this program fellows will:
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Explore models and strategies to build and expand a culture of access on their campuses;
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Share their expertise and experience as they identify obstacles and work towards solutions to broaden adoption of accessibility practices;
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Connect with other communities of practice and campus leaders with a shared vision, including but not limited to: Disability/Accessibility Directors, EIT Accessibility Officers, Chief Diversity Officers, Chief Information Officers, Teaching Center Directors, Directors of Online Learning, SUNY Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology, Instructional Designers;
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Grow as faculty leaders as they coordinate with campus leadership to design and execute a plan to engage their campus community in the work of access.
In this session, Kathy will share how this program supports faculty as they apply the latest policies surrounding inclusivity and accessibility.
About Kathy Doody
A Professor in Exceptional Education and Chair of Graduate Studies, Dr. Kathy Doody has taught at Buffalo State University since 2004, first as an adjunct instructor and then as a full-time professor. As a former special education teacher, her professional areas of interest include special education work in all areas, with an emphasis on autism spectrum disorders and students with complex support needs. Kathy is particularly interested in diversity and inclusive practices, including differentiated instruction and UDL. Additionally, Kathy works with area high schools and community colleges to prepare youth with disabilities for successful and meaningful university experiences.
Kathy consults with many community partners to promote accessibility and inclusion including the Explore & More Children's Museum, and the Aquarium of Niagara, to tailor their venues to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. As a result of these partnerships, Kathy co-created a series of "AuSome" events, fully inclusive activities, tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities.
After extensive training and discussion within her courses, which are all designated as service-learning, Kathy's teacher candidates attend AuSome Evenings and other community events, under her leadership and supervision, to provide support to children/families at each venue.
Kathy's role as a professor at Buffalo State University provides her with a platform to showcase SUNY's dedication to accessibility within neighboring communities and beyond, allowing others to see SUNY leading the UDL/DEI charge by example.
Presentation Title: Cultivating a Culture of Access: RAMPS Tactics for Universal Digital Accessibility
This session will introduce the RAMPS tactics and illustrate how everyone can implement them regardless of their role. These tactics promote a cultural shift within an organization, moving from a mindset of mere compliance to one that values and prioritizes accessibility as a shared responsibility.
About Sean Moriarty
Sean Moriarty is the Chief Technology Officer at SUNY Oswego. He came to SUNY Oswego from the University of Windsor, Canada, in April 2013. As Chief Technology Officer, Moriarty provides leadership for the continued development of a client-centered, agile, robust, accessible, and secure digital campus environment that advances the university's strategic goals. The primary responsibility of this position is the planning, developing, and using technology in support of SUNY Oswego's vision of excellence and goal of being a learner-centered environment.
Moriarty holds a Bachelor of Science in math and computer science, a Bachelor of Commerce, and an MBA from the University of Windsor.
About Rebecca Mushtare
Rebecca Mushtare is the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and a Professor of Interaction Design at SUNY Oswego. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the Tea for Teaching podcast. At SUNY Oswego she has been involved with a number of institutional accessibility initiatives including the co-founding the Workgroup on Accessibility Practices, facilitating the first cohort of the SUNY Oswego Faculty Accessibility Fellows program, as well as co-facilitating the 10-Day Accessibility Challenge. Rebecca is currently serving as the facilitator for the SUNY Accessibility Advocates & Allies Faculty Fellowship Program.
Presentation Title: Refining the Technology Acquisition Review Process”
At SUNY New Paltz, the IT department felt like it was the last to know when new technology or software was being evaluated for purchase. This led to products being requested without consideration of critical components like security, accessibility, or support and integration needs. We got ahead of this cycle by partnering with our purchasing department and implementing a Technology Acquisition Review process through our TeamDynamix ticketing system. This session will discuss how we implemented and evolved the process; what we evaluate during the review process; how we use TeamDynamix to implement the request for review and facilitate the review process; and challenges we face for the future.
About Kate Bohan
Kate Bohan is the Director of the Office of Instructional Technology at SUNY New Paltz and also serves as the campus EIT Accessibility Officer. Kate has a long history in Higher Ed and has served both as an adjunct faculty member teaching primarily online courses in English and Literature, and more recently as professional staff specializing in educational technology, online course development, and digital accessibility. Kate holds a MA in English from SUNY New Paltz, and a MS.ED in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University, Bloomington.