This committee will work to make the CfA accessible to all individuals. Specific items to address are the lack of designated funds to respond to accessibility problems— this includes the installation of ramps and other necessary equipment to reach buildings and facilities as well as making sure that the CfA resources are accessible by people with auditory and visual impairments. A draft list of items to consider follows below.

Current Members: Allyson Bieryla, Kimberly Arcand, Nicholas Murphy, Edward DeLuca, Christine Crowley, Lieke van Son, Victoria DiTomasso, Charles Law, Daina Bouquin. Past Members: Amy Oliver

Resource List

• Closed captioning resources at Harvard

• Multimedia accessibility resources at Harvard

• Access Smithsonian office

• Accomodation procedures (Smithsonian)

Materials from Digital Accessibility Sessions

This three-session series was run by Harvard's Digital Accessibility Services. Please email them with any questions at digitalaccessibility@harvard.edu or stop by their Upcoming Office Hours!

• Session 1: Accessible Meetings and Presentations

  • Slides

• Session 2: Accessible Documents (Word, Google Docs)

  • Slides

  • Zoom recording

• Session 3: Accessible PDF Basics (PDF)

  • Slides

  • Zoom recording

Short-term goals for CfA - significant action in 6-12 months

• Building/physical plant

  • Accessible map of each facility

  • Identify elevators and accessible entrances/exits

  • ADA-compliant signs at all CfA buildings. For example, at 60 Garden Street

• Meetings, talks, colloquium

  • Captioning funding

  • Sign-language interpreters

• Administration

  • Clarify/request internal funding

  • For Cambridge and Whipple, research how requests for changes are made

  • Set aside funding for an external group to perform an accessibility audit/get buy-in from leadership

  • Understand if we can use Presto and how it is used

  • Understand how accessibility changes will be funded, what is the process

• Web page

  • Confirm new CfA website meets level 1 (508) accessibility

  • Instructions for how people at CfA can ensure accessible content (i.e. creating alt-text)

Intermediate-term goals

• Physical plant

  • Perform an accessibility audit and make the report available on the CfA website.

    • COVID issues; Across the facilities. HI has an EPO/visitor center.

  • Gender neutral restrooms.

  • Acquiring accessible furniture

  • Specialized computing systems

  • Ensure lighting meets sensitivity requirements for ASD; allow for changes to lighting when needed (also helpful for conditions that are marked by light sensitivity)

  • Lock issue on bottom floor of library

• Administrative

  • Office selection system / office mates

  • Accessibility liaison - someone at HR or in the DO (Harvard/SAO)

  • Advisory board for community input from the affected communities.

• Web site

  • Ensure new CfA website meets level 2 full accessibility

  • Policy to allocate funding for descriptive ALT-text captioning for images and movies.

• Language is an accessibility issue as well as an inclusion issue.

• Funding for translations

Long-term goals

• Accessibility plans for the new building on the Allston campus.