Accessibility course

When I first started working at Cultivate Learning, I was introduced to a short course that had been modified for our department on accessibility. It had originally been created for professors in Washington state, but because Cultivate Learning staff create resources for educators across the country, it’s understood that these resources need to be created with accessibility in mind. I decided to work on the course along with my other onboarding materials, and it proved to be very practical and helpful. 

The first portion of the course covered the basics: what accessibility is, why it matters, and the overlap and difference between accessibility and accommodation; types of disabilities and barriers; assistive technology; accessible design principles and universal design; and relevant laws and policies. I had some basic understanding of some of this content, but it was incredibly useful having so much of this foundational knowledge bundled together, along with lots of helpful additional links and resources. After reviewing this portion of the course, I felt like I had a much better understanding of accessibility, especially as it relates to educational contexts. 

The second part of the course dove into more specifics around the how of accessibility, focusing specifically on the creation of digital content. We covered information on how to create accessible Word documents, PDFs, PowerPoint presentation decks, videos, images, and websites. Some of this content was a review from when I took the HTML and CSS course in grad school. Since it had been a few years, I was definitely rusty, and it was great having the chance to put accessibility steps into practice with hands-on exercises. In particular, I had never made an accessible PowerPoint presentation before, and I learned where specific tools were located and factors to keep in mind (slide titles, element reading order, etc). I was able to learn more about the creation of helpful alt-text through seeing examples and trying it out myself, and it was drilled home how important the use of headings and structure is across so many different types of digital files. I also had the chance to add captions to a video, a first for me.

Screenshots of different orientation and support materials I created for our digital asset management system, which included both accessibility and universal design principles (upper left: PDF summary structured with headings, upper right and lower left: PowerPoint decks with written instructions and screenshots with alt-text, lower right: captioned narrated video).

Our final assignment for the course asked us to evaluate and commit to ways in which we could make our day-to-day work more accessible. I outlined how I would make email correspondence and documentation on our digital asset management (DAM) system and its surrounding protocol and policies accessible. I also committed to making training materials for our DAM system using both accessibility and universal design principles. I recently followed through with this through the creation of a set of multimedia orientation and support content for standard users of the system. This includes narrated videos, detailed written instructions with screenshots, and brief silent video clips on a range of topics about the system: an overview of what DAM is, a tour of the interface, as well as basics on how to search the system, share and download assets, and create virtual collections. All this content was bundled into PowerPoint decks and a PDF which contained links to all the materials, all of which was made as accessible as possible. It was a fun challenge to think through all of the aspects of this project and find as many ways to make this information clear and engaging. 

I’m grateful to have had the chance to take this course as part of my onboarding, as accessibility is key to my role in making information available to the folks who need it. I knew I was a novice around many of these issues, and while I have a much better understanding of some basics, these modules have fostered an even greater sense of curiosity and excitement around learning more. As is the case with so many factors and identities to be considered in fostering inclusion, lifelong learning and ongoing tangible application is necessary.

Goodbye to AIC

Almost six years to the day after starting working at the Art Institute of Chicago, I said farewell to the museum, my colleagues, and my job last month. It was a bittersweet goodbye, and it’s incredible to look back at everything that’s happened in that time and how much I’ve grown and evolved professionally. The institutional photographic collection will always hold a special place in my heart - it’s the collection that acted as a springboard for me to learn about collections care, preventive conservation, archival best practices, and reference services. I completed a graduate certificate and masters degree using the collection as an opportunity to get hands-on experience and apply what I was learning. And the collection itself was such a joy to work with - lots of mysteries but also so many gems. 

Silent video tour of the archives.

Black and white contact sheets from the archives.

Aside from the images I worked with on a daily basis, I think I’ll most miss working with so many talented, passionate, and thoughtful colleagues. Museum workers truly are a unique breed, and though it took some time to find community, my experience working at the museum completely transformed once I formed relationships with peers across the institution. This was especially true with equity work through Mass Action, through the changes in communication brought about by the pandemic, and through the unionization efforts. Museum staff make a museum, they are the museum, and I feel so fortunate to have worked alongside so many amazing folks. I hope the field as a whole can evolve to better support everyone.

Black and white photograph in the archive; image depicts a photographer on scaffolding in a gallery.

Silent video of a drawer of exhibition image catalog cards from the archive.

I’m moving on in order to better care for myself, and hopefully to make more of a positive and direct impact on the world around me. Perhaps someday I’ll return to museum work someday, but for now, I have lots to look forward to in the form of a new job and entirely new field to learn about: early childhood education. I am going to be working as the digital asset specialist for Cultivate Learning, which is part of the University of Washington. I’m excited to begin this fully remote job and this next chapter in my career.

Open House Chicago 2021

October in Chicago means Open House Chicago, and this year was no exception. After 2020 only featuring sites visitors could view from the exterior, 2021 allowed a return to touring inside buildings across the city and near suburbs. Being fully vaccinated and missing exploring my city, I went out to see a handful of sites in spite of my anxiety about being around strangers for the first time since the pandemic began. I certainly didn’t regret it! We stopped at sites in Logan Square, Wicker Park, Fulton Market, and Back of the Yards, and the current functions of these buildings ranged from comedy clubs to schools to green business incubators. It felt good to get out, enjoy the city, and take some photographs.

Bar at the Lincoln Lodge in Logan Square.

Performance space in the Lincoln Lodge, Logan Square.

Exterior of Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart, Wicker Park.

Library in Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart, Wicker Park.

Interior of the Herman Miller Showroom in Fulton Market.

Framed work and wallpaper on a wall of the Herman Miller Showroom in Fulton Market

Interior break room space in the Plant, Back of the Yards.

Packinghouse Museum in the Plant, Back of the Yards.

Interior detail of plants in the Plant, Back of the Yards.

Plants and shelving inside Plant Chicago in Back of the Yards.

Interior detail of the ceiling in the Plant Chicago, Back of the Yards.