2024-2025 Digital Accessibility Fellows Champion Access and Inclusion at UC Irvine

To enhance the culture of digital accessibility across campus, associate professor of Informatics Stacy Branham partnered with UC Irvine’s Information Technology Accessibility Workgroup (ITAW) to launch the Digital Accessibility Fellowship in the fall 2024 quarter. The fellowship supports the everyday efforts of students, faculty and staff who advance digital accessibility at UC Irvine. Instrumental to the process were IATW members Kelsey Layos, Classroom Technology Support in the Office of Information Technology, and Iain Grainger, Director of Media Services in the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning. “Kelsey and Iain helped with conceptualizing the award, pitched it to the ITAW, drafted emails and the application, reviewed applicants, and notified them”, says Branham, who had contributed the funding and initial proposal.

“We know that digital accessibility is the right thing to do, makes good business sense and is required by the law. Yet, most people are unaware that the digital materials they produce — such as websites, PDFs, Canvas courses, emails — are likely to erect barriers to people with disabilities,” says Branham. “We wanted to celebrate the achievements of Anteaters who are committed to digital access, and invite them to share what they know with our whole community. If we all pitch in, we can make UC Irvine a place where everyone can participate.”

Over 40 applications poured in during the fellowship’s inaugural cycle, highlighting widespread but disconnected digital accessibility efforts across campus. Branham and her colleagues hope to bring these individuals together and create unified efforts.

The fellowship has already led to impactful opportunities for campus-wide collaboration. Digital Accessibility Fellow Tawana Washington worked with Branham to train the Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation’s (DTEI) Digital Accessibility Support and Help team on how to create accessible Canvas courses and PDF documents. Another fellow, Isabella Blake, is now participating in research projects in Branham’s research lab to improve math accessibility for blind students.

“We’re building community, we’re building a network, and we’re accelerating progress toward UC Irvine’s strategic initiative to address ‘accessibility challenges… in our learning environments and online communications to better serve students, employees, and visitors with disabilities,’” says Branham.

Meet the 2024-2025 Digital Accessibility Fellows

Isabella Blake

Isabella Blake is a senior studying social policy and public service at UC Irvine. She has participated as a student panelist in the Disability Services Center’s ZotAbility Ally Training for students and faculty, where she shares her experience in college as an autistic person.

“I want to show other students that you don’t need to be ashamed or embarrassed about having a disability, and taking the time to advocate for the accommodations you need can set your future self up for a better educational experience. I think digital accessibility is so important because today, we live our lives online just as much as we do in the physical world,” says Blake, emphasizing that digital and physical accessibility deserve the same care and consideration.

During the ZotAbility Ally Training sessions, Blake has offered solutions to common digital accessibility problems that she and her disabled peers have encountered using Canvas and while accessing other online content.

“To improve digital accessibility, I would recommend learning about universal design and implementing those steps,” she says. “Simple things like adding a text caption to an image or choosing high-contrast text can make or break somebody’s inclusion. It’s also important for digital creators to be open-minded and responsive when people share their specific accessibility needs and recommendations.”

Blake is involved in accessibility efforts in the local community as well. Since 2020, she has served as a board member of the Orange County nonprofit organization Autism Resource Mom. In 2023, Blake founded the Neurodivergent Roads project to coach autistic teenagers and their families on confidence and independent living skills.
“I hope to attend graduate school in bioethics or disability studies, and I want to teach, research, and/or advise policy in the areas of health and disability,” says Blake.

Lina Carpenter

As a teaching assistant (TA) and lecturer during her Ph.D. at UC Irvine, Lina Carpenter witnessed how her disabled peers and students were often excluded from digital spaces due to the prevalence of digitally inaccessible materials, from missing alt text to the lack of screen reader compatibility.

“Being a Digital Accessibility Fellow provides me with a platform to emphasize the importance of accessibility and explain how integration of accessibility should not be a burden, but should instead be perceived as best practices for general audiences as well as disabled individuals,” says Carpenter, who completed her Ph.D. in education in December 2024.

Lina made it a priority to implement accessible practices in her own teaching. She designed lecture content using accessible colors and fonts, created accessible PDF documents and structured assignments to be accessible regardless of student background or disability status. Beyond her own classrooms, she raised awareness about accessibility at an institutional level by engaging in mentorship programs and training TAs through the UC Irvine TA Professional Development Program.

Alongside the many inclusive strategies she adopted, she focused on creating a safe and supportive learning environment.

“I make a particular effort to be open with students about my disabled identity, which has, in my experience, led students to engage and be more open about their own challenges and help identify gaps in accessibility,” she says.

For Dr. Carpenter, leading with acceptance and compassion in accessibility work creates the conditions for lasting change.

“Nobody can do everything perfectly, and if you allow ‘perfection’ to prevent you from putting in effort then you’ve already failed. It’s important to try to make your work accessible to others, as best you can, and be open to feedback,” says Carpenter. “Remember that feedback is someone else’s perspective — rather than something to defend against — and that creating content is inherently about presenting to others and thus relies on their perspectives.

Scott Lerner

Continuing lecturer Scott Lerner has led or participated in numerous initiatives in the UC Irvine School of Humanities to advocate for underserved student populations, including first-generation students, transfer students, commuter students and those navigating health-related challenges. Across the Composition Program, he incorporates digital accessibility practices to empower all instructors and learners.

“My home program is especially dedicated to this work, so I am proud of collaborating with colleagues over the past several years on these topics,” he says. “Some of these efforts include making sure instructors, such as graduate student workers, have up-to-date resources to make their Canvas spaces and other materials accessible.”

Lerner’s commitment to digital accessibility and inclusive teaching deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic when he learned of the remote learning-related challenges his students faced: unreliable internet access, screen fatigue, time and place constraints and more. Their struggles motivated him to build more flexibility into his courses to meet diverse student needs.

“I feel especially proud of collaborating with students on these important topics. Taking a broad view of digital accessibility, one specific example is a student who worked on a project with me about creating course policies, and course materials, accessible for students with long COVID or who practice COVID safety measures. It was incredibly rewarding to work with such an engaged student and to share our different experiences and perspectives while collaborating,” says Lerner.

His advocacy work throughout the years has taught him that progress starts with dialogue, whether by contributing to ongoing conversations or initiating new ones.

“I work with dozens of dedicated instructors in the Composition Program, and each time I (or someone else) raise a concern or ask a question — it can be about pedagogy, developing materials, helping a student — I am almost always met with valuable insights and a willingness to collaborate. And the same goes for talking with students. Each time I ask their perspectives — what they need or what would help — I usually receive invaluable feedback and ideas,” says Lerner.

Tawana Washington

Before joining UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology as an instructional designer, Tawana Washington spent over a decade teaching middle school students with diverse needs, which taught her the importance of inclusive accommodations and accessibility.

“My skills in this area have only grown since becoming an instructional designer. In this role, I’ve discovered that eliminating barriers for students in online courses can significantly enhance their learning experience,” says Washington. “As a Digital Accessibility Fellow, I’m proud to work at a university that prioritizes accessibility.”

In her day-to-day work, Washington develops online course content and supports faculty and staff by providing consultations on how to create accessible and engaging digital materials. She also designs and facilitates workshops on online teaching with an emphasis on accessibility.

“One digital accessibility initiative I’m particularly proud of is developing and delivering comprehensive presentations to student workers within the DTEI on creating accessible content in the Canvas Learning Management System. These sessions not only raised awareness about digital accessibility but also provided practical skills for implementing accessibility features, ultimately improving the learning experience for all students, including those with disabilities,” she says.

While Washington brings years of specialized knowledge and education to her accessibility work, she believes that creating inclusive digital spaces is within everyone’s reach, and even small steps can make a big difference.

“I would advise anyone interested in improving accessibility within their own work to start small with achievable goals. Guidelines for comprehensive accessibility can be overwhelming. It is best to begin by focusing on one or two key areas, like adding alt text to images or using proper heading structure. Then, incorporate additional accessibility features as you become more comfortable with these practices.”

— Karen Phan