# CSUN 2026 - Preconference Sessions

## General Information

Monday, March 9th, 2026

Full-Day and Half-Day Pre-Conference Workshops will be offered on Monday, March 9, 2026. These workshops are designed to give in-depth training on specific topics.

Participants can register for bundles at the full-day workshop fee (a savings of $175 or more) or register for either portion at the half-day workshop fee. The Workshop Bundles include

ADA Title II and EAA Bundle
  Beyond the Deadline: Manage Digital Accessibility Under Title II and The European Accessibility Act (EAA): Essential Information
AI Bundle
  AI as Your Accessibility Co-Pilot and Setting Up AI-Integrated IDEs for Accessible Code by Default
Intro to Assistive Technology Bundle
  Assistive Technology Basics and Assistive Technology Assessment Principles and Practices.

# Monday

## Workshop Bundle

### Beyond the Deadline: Manage Digital Accessibility Under Title II

- Monday, March 9, 2026
- Length: Bundle (9:00 AM To 12:00 PM)
- Level: Intermediate
- Room: Orange County 3 and 4
- Title: Beyond the Deadline: Manage Digital Accessibility Under Title II

Beyond the Deadline: Manage Digital Accessibility Under Title II

With the ADA Title II digital accessibility compliance deadline just weeks away, colleges, universities, and public agencies face a pivotal moment. While deadlines spur action, true success depends on what comes after. This half-day workshop offers a managed approach: understanding of the revised final rule as the foundation leading to strategies for sustaining compliance, building governance structures, and embedding accessibility practices into daily operations. Participants will learn from systemwide and campus-level case studies, then apply structured planning tools to map out next steps for their own institutions.

- Expert framing: Presenters will clarify Title II requirements, highlighting not only what must be done by the deadline but also what ongoing responsibilities remain.
- Case studies: CSU system and CSUN examples will illustrate sustainable models for governance, procurement, and training.
- Interactive planning: Participants will work through guided exercises to identify immediate post-deadline priorities and build a "managed roadmap" for the next 12–24 months.
- Group reflection: Facilitated discussion will surface shared challenges, creative solutions, and opportunities for collaboration across institutions.

Learning Objectives

- Differentiate between short-term Title II compliance tasks and long-term managed responsibilities that must continue past the deadline.
- Apply system-level and campus-level strategies to build sustainable governance, procurement, remediation, and training frameworks.
- Create a managed post-deadline action plan tailored to their institution’s capacity, identifying immediate and long-term priorities.

#### Presenters:

- Leon McNaught
  Leon McNaught is Director of Digital Accessibility and Equity for the California State University (CSU), where he leads the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) to advance inclusion across 23 campuses in web, instructional materials, and procurement. With more than two decades of experience, he has guided accessibility efforts at Cal State LA and CSU San Bernardino, applying a Capability Maturity Model to drive systemic change. Leon holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.S. in School Counseling, grounding his work in human-centered design and educational equity. He also chairs the Board of Blindness Support Services in Riverside, CA, and consults on accessibility, combining technical expertise with a deep commitment to inclusive higher education.
- Kathryn Tipton
  Kate Tipton is the Program Manager for Accessible Technology at the Universal Design Center at CSU, Northridge. She began her career in software development and management with a focus on user experience development for web and mobile. Her quest for a good user experience led her to accessibility; for the past decade, she has led accessible technology efforts for CSUN. She has presented at Accessing Higher Ground (AHG), the CSUN Assistive Technology conference, and Educause on a range of topics around accessible technology.

### AI as Your Accessibility Co-Pilot

- Monday, March 9, 2026
- Length: Bundle (9:00 AM To 12:00 PM)
- Level: Intermediate
- Room: Orange County 1 and 2
- Title: AI as Your Accessibility Co-Pilot

AI as Your Accessibility Co-Pilot

This three-hour, hands-on workshop shows how to use the latest ChatGPT models as a reliable companion in accessibility testing. Participants will learn to interpret coding choices, map issues to WCAG 2.2 with clear rationale, generate practical remediation in the target tech stack, draft actionable audit narratives, research and link to techniques and failures, and streamline client communications. We finish by building a simple bookmarklet and a starter browser extension that bring AI assistance into the page under test.

The session blends short talks, live demos, and pair programming. We work in a shared repository and a sandbox site using ChatGPT in the browser or via API. Each segment ends with human verification to reinforce a trust but verify mindset. Privacy, data handling, and cost control are covered so teams can adopt the methods safely and sustainably.

Learning Objectives

- Produce a validated WCAG 2.2 issue list for a target page using model-assisted prompts, citing success criteria, conformance level, and specific user impact.
- Generate actionable remediation guidance with code snippets in the product’s tech stack, and verify model output against manual checks before adding it to an audit report.
- Build and use a working bookmarklet or minimal browser extension that embeds on-page prompts to speed note taking, WCAG mapping, and draft report text.

#### Presenters:

- Jaunita Flessas
  Jaunita Flessas is a digital accessibility director and attorney admitted in Maryland who helps organizations integrate accessibility into everyday delivery and governance. She is the founder of Empower Accessibility and the director of globa11y, a social enterprise that provides strategic consulting and a free accessible development bootcamp serving people with disabilities in the Global South. Previously Head of Technical Accessibility at Navy Federal Credit Union, Jaunita established enterprise accessibility practices, coached engineering teams, and coordinated a cross-functional task force. She contributes to web standards at the W3C through the Accessibility Guidelines and ARIA working groups, bringing her legal, accessibility, and technical expertise into techniques that scale inside even the most complex of organizations.
- Radostina Tsvetkova
  Ina Tsvetkova is a Senior Advisor in Digital Accessibility and Inclusive Design at the Norwegian Directorate of Labour and Welfare (NAV). She is a PhD candidate in Computer Science, IAAP Nordic Advisory Council member, Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA), DHS Trusted Tester, and ISTQB Advanced Level Test Manager and Test Analyst. Ina has participated in two Norwegian standards on accessibility in the procurement process and accessibility in the workplace, as well as the European standard “Accessible Systems for Living Independently.” She is a passionate advocate for an accessible and inclusive world for all, regardless of ability.

### Assistive Technology (AT) Basics

- Monday, March 9, 2026
- Length: Bundle (9:00 AM To 12:00 PM)
- Level: Beginner
- Room: Grand GH
- Title: Assistive Technology (AT) Basics

Assistive Technology (AT) Basics

Assistive Technology Basics includes a wide discussion of the variety of assistive technology, including the vast array seen here at the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. This workshop is especially useful to newcomers to the fields of assistive technology and disabilities.

Learning Objectives

- To have a general understanding of AT and be able to describe technologies that support participation, communication, and learning
- To be able to describe the process for implementation and the conditions that promote growth or challenges the implementation process
- To have a general understanding of how to match appropriate AT features to individuals who need support in the areas of participation, communication, and learning

#### Presenter:

- Mike Williamson
  Mike has worked in the fields of accessibility, assistive technology, and disability services for over 15 years. Mike has a Master of Science degree in Assistive Technology and Human Services from California State University Northridge. Throughout his career, Mike has worked as a certified assistive technology trainer, accessibility consultant, and director of a low vision and blindness support center.
  At the University of Colorado, Mike oversees the digital accessibility assessment, usability, training, and outreach activities within the Digital Accessibility Office, his portfolio includes supervision of accessibility testing, procurement, training, and consulting efforts. Mike also teaches multiple courses in accessibility and assistive technology at California State University, Northridge.

### The European Accessibility Act (EAA): Essential Information

- Monday, March 9, 2026
- Length: Bundle (1:30 PM To 4:30 PM)
- Level: Intermediate
- Room: Orange County 3 and 4
- Title: The European Accessibility Act (EAA): Essential Information

The European Accessibility Act (EAA): Essential Information

This workshop offers a comprehensive overview of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), a landmark directive requiring all 27 EU member states to implement minimum accessibility standards. Building upon global frameworks such as Section 508, the ADA, and W3C/WAI guidelines, the EAA expands accessibility requirements across key sectors in both the public and private domains.

Participants will explore the principles, scope, and implementation timeline of the EAA, its four core accessibility pillars, and the seven covered product and service areas. The session also examines the EN 301 549 standard, its alignment with WCAG, and the challenges of achieving harmonized implementation across Europe. Attendees will gain insights into monitoring, compliance, and enforcement processes, and have the opportunity to discuss the EAA’s broader impact and its relationship to U.S. and international accessibility initiatives.

Learning Objectives

- Understanding the EAA
- What makes EAA comparable, what makes it different to other standards
- The challenge: European Wide Standard – 27 National Implementations

#### Presenters:

- Klaus Miesenberger
  Klaus Miesenberger is the Head of Institute Integriert Studieren, and R&D and teaching in Computer Science: Assistive Technology, Accessibility, Design for All, Usability, Human-Computer Interaction, Socio-technical Inclusion. Founder/CEO of JKU’s Centre for Students with Disabilities, which is part of the institute. More 250+ peer-reviewed publications and more than 120+ R&D grants/projects. Chair ICCHP (Int. Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs). CSUN AT Conference Program Chair, Journal Track. Founder/chair ICC (Summer school for disabled university beginners, Founder/chair Regional Competence Centre IT for People with disabilities. Founder/chair BookAccess (Accessible teaching/learning materials. Past-President and secretariat of AAATE. Expert role for the European Commission and the Austrian Government for AT, Accessibility and eInclusion.
- Klaus Höckner
  Klaus Höckner is CEO of the Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen/Access Austria, based in Vienna. With more than 7000 members and about 70 employees it is the leading privately funded organisation helping visually impaired persons in Austria, existing since 1935. He is member of the board of the Austrian Disablity Forum – the Austrian umbrella for organisations for persons with disabilities, representing more the 80 organisations with 1.4 million members, in IAAPs Global Leadership Council and in several conference boards (ICCHP, AAATE). He works together with Access Israel and Zero Project, acting as an Ambassador in this world wide-initiative. Klaus has an ICT background, working for nearly 20 years in ICT and standardisation in the context of european (i.e. in the European Disability Forum EDF) and inter/national level (CEN, CENELEC/ISO/ITU). From 2018 to 2020 he was a member of the High Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence at the European Commission. Recently he was selected as Expert of the Accessible EU platform. His mission is to make the world accessible for all.

### Setting Up AI-Integrated IDEs for Accessible Code by Default

- Monday, March 9, 2026
- Length: Bundle (1:30 PM To 4:30 PM)
- Level: Intermediate
- Room: Orange County 1 and 2
- Title: Setting Up AI-Integrated IDEs for Accessible Code by Default

Setting Up AI-Integrated IDEs for Accessible Code by Default

This workshop is designed to empower developers to use AI-integrated IDEs, such as Cursor, to generate accessible code. As artificial intelligence increasingly assists in coding tasks, there is both an opportunity & a responsibility to ensure that the outputs of these tools align with accessibility & inclusive design principles. We will open with a discussion of common accessibility shortcomings in AI-generated code, such as missing semantic elements, improper ARIA attributes, inadequate color contrast, or inaccessible form structures. Participants will explore how to configure IDE environments & AI assistants to mitigate these issues, shifting accessibility from a corrective task to a proactive default. Through guided demonstrations & hands-on exercises, attendees will learn practical methods to influence AI code generation, including writing prompts, applying custom rulesets, and integrating automated accessibility checkers directly into the development workflow. Participants will also examine how extensions, linters, and team-level standards can reinforce accessible coding practices. The workshop will be interactive & solution-oriented, blending technical configuration with real-world scenarios.

Learning Objectives

- Learn how to configure AI-integrated IDEs such as Cursor to prioritize accessible code generation, ensuring outputs align with standards like WCAG and ARIA while reducing reliance on manual retrofitting for inclusivity.
- Gain hands-on experience in prompting, customizing, and extending AI coding assistants to suggest accessible patterns by default—covering areas such as semantic markup, contrast compliance, keyboard navigation, and screen reader support.
- Develop strategies to integrate automated accessibility checks, linting tools, and AI-driven recommendations into daily workflows, fostering a culture where accessible design and coding practices are embedded from project inception.

#### Presenters:

- Ken Bigler
  Ken Bigler is currently the Head of Accessibility Engineering at Intuit where he improves accessibility across all of Intuit's products. With his previous employers, he was primarily creating web applications with React.JS, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3. While working full stack at most positions, the primary focus has always been on Frontend Software Development. Ken Bigler earned his Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Santa Clara University.
- Gavin Bennett
  Gavin is an interdisciplinary digital tactician who enjoys filling the void between pure utilitarian function and innovation, including creating an accessibility semantics engine being used in multiple financial institutions’ front-end architectures. He has worked with four out of the “Big 5” Banks, e-Health Ontario, Telus, Rogers, TSN, Cineplex, and Penguin Publishing, amongst other notable brands. Gavin attended OCAD University for their Digital Futures, MDes program.

### Assistive Technology (AT) Assessment Principles and Practices

- Monday, March 9, 2026
- Length: Bundle (1:30 PM To 4:30 PM)
- Level: Beginner
- Room: Grand GH
- Title: Assistive Technology (AT) Assessment Principles and Practices

Assistive Technology (AT) Assessment Principles and Practices

Assessments offer a platform for service delivery that provides consistent, usable data, justification, and accountability for the organization, end user, and service provider. It is essential to effectively match a user’s needs, characteristics, and preferences to the correct technology. The purpose of the workshop is to provide AT practitioners with an overview of and experience with AT assessment methodology and practice. Participants will be provided an in-depth look at and in-workshop use of several (AT assessment tools that can be utilized at various stages of the lifespan.

Learning Objectives

- Learn the concepts of AT services and AT assessments
- Identify obstacles to adoption or factors that might lead to abandonment
- Understand factors which make up an AT assessment

#### Presenter:

- Mike Williamson
  Mike has worked in the fields of accessibility, assistive technology, and disability services for over 15 years. Mike has a Master of Science degree in Assistive Technology and Human Services from California State University Northridge. Throughout his career, Mike has worked as a certified assistive technology trainer, accessibility consultant, and director of a low vision and blindness support center.
  At the University of Colorado, Mike oversees the digital accessibility assessment, usability, training, and outreach activities within the Digital Accessibility Office, his portfolio includes supervision of accessibility testing, procurement, training, and consulting efforts. Mike also teaches multiple courses in accessibility and assistive technology at California State University, Northridge.

## Half-Day

### Demystifying Digital Accessibility: Starting with the Basics

- Monday, March 9, 2026
- Length: Half-Day (1:30 PM To 4:30 PM)
- Level: Beginner
- Room: Elite 3
- Title: Demystifying Digital Accessibility: Starting with the Basics

Demystifying Digital Accessibility: Starting with the Basics

New to digital accessibility? This half-day workshop provides a practical, jargon free introduction to digital accessibility for educators and professionals who want to create more accessible digital experiences. Participants will learn techniques for building accessible experiences and practice identifying common issues through hands-on exercises. We will demystify key terminology like WCAG standards, conformance levels, VPATs and ACRs and review key foundations like document accessibility and semantic HTML. We’ll also explore how accessibility impacts procurement decisions and why evaluating vendor accessibility claims is critical. By the end of the session, attendees will have a clear understanding of accessibility fundamentals and actionable strategies to build more inclusive digital experiences.

Learning Objectives

- Learn practical approaches for creating and testing digital content for accessibility.
- Understand the purpose and structure of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and its role in accessibility compliance.
- Gain insight into procurement requirements, including Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs) and Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs).

#### Presenters:

- Jonathan Whiting
  Jonathan Whiting is the director of training at WebAIM.org and a Digital Accessibility Specialist at NCADEMI.org. His main passion is helping others learn to make the web more accessible for people with disabilities. With a master's degree in Instructional Technology and over 20 years of experience in the field of web accessibility, Jonathan has published dozens of articles, tutorials, and other instructional resources on the WebAIM site. He has traveled extensively to train thousands of web developers and other professionals who develop or maintain web content.
- Christopher Phillips
  Christopher Phillips is a technical assistance specialist with WebAIM and the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI) at Utah State University. He has over 20 years experience working directly with learners with disabilities and helping organizations to implement inclusive practices focused on meeting the needs of all users. Christopher has worked as a special educator, instructional designer, product manager, and digital accessibility officer to identify, implement, and share strategies to create accessible spaces for everyone.