Members of the University of Colorado community are eligible for a discounted registration to the 2025 Accessing Higher Ground: Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference. The event will take place from November 17 to 21 at the Hilton Denver City Center.
The conference features more than 42 virtual sessions and 110 onsite sessions, covering topics such as accessible documents, PDFs, video content, Canvas pages, and alternative formats. In addition to technical subjects, the event will address legal and policy matters related to accessibility, including compliance with ADA and Section 508 regulations. Issues around campus accommodations, universal design, and curriculum accessibility will also be discussed. The conference is intended for IT professionals, media specialists, course designers, and faculty members.
The deadline for early registration is September 27. Those interested can find information about pricing and registration at https://accessinghigherground.org/.
CU campus affiliates who register using their university email address will receive a 5% discount on conference fees. Members of the CU Boulder community receive an additional benefit as AHEAD institutional members with a 10% discount.
Mia Ives-Rublee, senior director for the Disability Justice Initiative at American Progress, will deliver the keynote address. According to the announcement: “She previously advocated for disability justice and inclusion at nonprofit organizations and businesses across the United States. She has worked with Women’s March, Families Belong Together, DC Action Lab and numerous other progressive organizations. She will talk about Title II of the ADA regulations, taking effect in 2026, and the attitude of the current administration toward disability and accessibility.”
Highlighted sessions include:
– One-day Accessibility Testing Workshop (2025 update) by Karl Groves of AFixt
– Creating accessible documents in Office 365 by George Joeckel from Utah State University / WebAIM
– Introduction to screen reader use for manual testing by Deneb Pulsipher of SeaMonster Studios
Other main conference topics cover getting started with accessibility testing (Becky Gibson), planning accessible digital materials (Craig Boassaly), artificial intelligence in digital accessibility (Aaron Arvig), inclusive classroom practices (Deanna Ferrante), and strategies for holistic digital accessibility plans in higher education (Binky Lush).
A complete five-day agenda is available online along with registration details at https://accessinghigherground.org/. For questions about the event or registration process, contact Howard Kramer at hkramer@ahead.org or call 720-351-8668.
