Ep02: Lesley University - Technology for Social Justice

Bringing accessibility and inclusion into the wider conversation as empathy driven culture change.

Learn how the second-largest community college in the United States uses inclusivity and diversity to enhance success-driven education.

As a University as well as a hospital, the Medical University of South Carolina doesn’t only look after its students but also its many patients. During this fifth episode, we learn how a medical University faces some unique accessibility challenges, ranging from complex medical images, to linking to medical journal articles. We hear from Melissa Hortman and Alex Walters how MUSC approached this and how liaising with key stakeholders such as librarians, as well as using Ally’s ‘hidden gem’ feature the Library Reference, helped contribute towards a successful accessibility journey.

During the fourth episode of the Ally Tour, we learn from the team at Gaston College, North Carolina, how a serendipitous encounter at a conference turned into a success story of bringing accessibility and inclusiveness to their college. We hear from Karen Duncan and Kim Gelsinger how the importance of working with deans, building a great team and making sure processes are in place, allows for all students to be able to navigate their courses successfully.

As the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement, advocacy for minorities and people with disabilities is at the core of UC Berkeley. During the third episode of the Ally Tour, we learn more about Berkeley’s rich history of inclusion and equity, and how accessibility fits into the bigger picture. We hear from Lucy Greco and Joseph Feria-Galicia about their involvement with Ally, and how faculty and students reacted.

In this second episode of the Ally Tour, we speak with the team at Lesley University and how they’ve experienced their inclusivity journey. Built on the core principle of social justice, Lesley University truly embraces an accessibility and inclusivity mindset. About 3 years ago, the school’s general counsel office embarked on a mission on how to be more proactive with making digital content more accessible. Since then, the team has rolled out various accessibility initiatives successfully and Ally helped them do this in a more streamlined and holistic way.

After receiving a complaint from the Office of Civil Rights, a Community College faces the tall task of becoming accessible in three years. How did they respond in the face of adversity? In the first episode of the Ally Tour, we hear from the team at Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey their journey on the pathway to inclusion. Now three years later, inclusivity has become a core part of their campus culture. Their story is an inspiration for the many institutions out there facing similar challenges in becoming more inclusive, and a lesson about how in the end, it really is about student success.

The 2019 Ally Tour Trailer is an overview of our plans to visit as many institutions around the globe as possible for 2019. It includes some of the activities we are planning carrying out and how to follow the tour. Join the tour along with the rest of the Ally Community at tour.ally.ac. You can catch the latest updates on Instagram and Twitter at #AllyTour2019. And listen to stories of inclusion from our Community Champions on the Ally Tour 2019 Podcast series available on SoundCloud or in your favorite podcast app. We’ll look forward to seeing you at the next stop on the road to IncluCity.