Digital Accessibility Liaisons Volunteer Service Opportunity

The Digital Accessibility Liaison program offers KU faculty and staff interested in universal design and accessibility the opportunity to serve as liaisons to others as we do the important work of making all of our digital materials accessible to all users.  

Digital accessibility is required for all active online material (including course materials in D2L) by spring 2026 as a matter of federal law. In addition, this work positions us even more clearly as a university that is responsive to the needs of all students.  

DAL volunteers can be faculty or staff at any level. All that is required to volunteer to serve in this way is an interest in digital accessibility and willingness to engage in the training. Staff should engage with their supervisors before accepting the opportunity, as some in-person meetings will be necessary for training and for offering support to others.  

The initial group of DALs will be limited to the first 30 volunteers, to allow for sufficient training and mentoring to occur. As that group proceeds through the process and we further our campus knowledge about digital accessibility, additional spots are likely to be added. 

A liaison can complete additional training to become an Advanced Digital Accessibility Liasion (ADAL).

To volunteer for the DAL program, please send an email to digitalaccessibility@kutztown.edu with your name and your home office/department.

Digital Accessibility Liaison Description

A Digital Accessibility Liaison (DAL) is a staff or faculty member who serves as a point-of-contact for digital accessibility. The DAL Community of Practice promotes and supports the university’s digital accessibility efforts, helping us ensure that digital content and communication meet accessibility standards. 

The primary responsibilities of a DAL include: 

  1. Communication and Coordination
    • Act as a liaison between campus members and the University’s Digital Accessibility Coordinator (DAC).
    • Share university-wide updates, guidelines, and resources related to digital accessibility with staff and faculty.
    • Communicate accessibility concerns or needs to the DAC.
    • Escalate questions or issues in the DAC queue.
  2. Awareness and Training
    • Promote awareness of accessibility best practices in digital content creation (e.g., documents, websites, multimedia, and learning materials).
    • Encourage colleagues to complete accessibility training and utilize university-provided resources and tools.
  3. Monitoring and Support
    • Provide guidance on how to correct or improve accessibility issues, referring complex matters to the DAC as needed.
  4. Training
    • Complete Accessibility 101 course online to be listed as a liaison in training (5 hours)
    • Complete 5 hours of in-person training sessions to be listed as a liaison:
      • Accessibility Fundamentals (1 Hour)
      • Content Creation:
        • Creating Accessible Documents (3 Hours)
        • Accessible Document Challenges (1 Hour) 

Advanced Digital Accessibility Liaison Description

An Advanced Digital Accessibility Liaison (ADAL) is a staff or faculty member who has completed an advanced level of training related to digital accessibility. The ADAL Community of Practice promotes and supports the university’s digital accessibility efforts, providing training to campus constituencies and ensuring that digital content and communication meet accessibility standards. 

The primary responsibilities of a ADAL include: 

  1. Communication and Coordination
    • Act as advanced liaison between campus members and the University’s Digital Accessibility Coordinator (DAC).
    • Communicate accessibility concerns or needs to the DAC.
    • Escalate questions or issues in the DAC queue.
  2. Awareness and Training
    • Promote awareness of accessibility best practices in digital content creation (e.g., documents, websites, multimedia, and learning materials).
    • Encourage colleagues to complete accessibility training and utilize university-provided resources and tools.
  3. Monitoring and Support
    • Assist departments/offices in reviewing its digital content and identifying areas for improvement related to accessibility compliance.
    • Provide guidance on how to correct or improve accessibility issues, referring complex matters to the DAC as needed.
  4. Policy Alignment
    • Help ensure departmental/office practices align with Kutztown University’s Digital Accessibility Policy and relevant state and federal regulations (e.g., ADA, Section 504, Section 508).
    • Maintain awareness of institutional accessibility initiatives and assist with documentation or reporting as requested.
  5. Training
    • After liaison status is reached, volunteers will complete additional training sessions to be listed as advanced liaisons:
      • Complete virtual courses through KU Advance:
        • Introduction to Accessibility and Universal Design
        • Learn Accessible Web Design
        • (Optional) Accessibility Web Design Tutorial
      • Complete additional in-person training in advanced tools and technologies:
        • Accessibility with D2L/Panorama
        • Accessibility with DocHub
        • Web Content Accessibility
        • Testing and Evaluation

Questions and Feedback 

For questions or to offer feedback about the DAL program, please email digitalaccessibility@kutztown.edu.