Digital Accessibility Awards

On May 18, 2023, as part of a full day of activities commemorating Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the UW IT Accessibility Task Force presented UW Digital Accessibility Awards in a hybrid ceremony to honor individuals and departmental units who have demonstrated a commitment to digital accessibility over the last year.

See below for specific criteria, eligibility, and submission information for two of the awards:

• UW IT Accessibility Capacity Building Award – For a UW departmental unit that has demonstrated a commitment to digital accessibility.
• UW IT Accessibility Trailblazer Award – For an individual UW employee who has demonstrated a commitment to digital accessibility.

Criteria and Eligibility for UW IT Accessibility Capacity Building Award

Criteria

Selection of recipient of the UW IT Accessibility Capacity Building Award is based on the degree to which a UW departmental unit exemplifies and provides evidence of the following:

• Impact- The unit’s’ work has produced tangible results to improve digital accessibility.
• Longevity- The unit’s work has included institutionalizing accessibility by establishing policies, procedures, and/or workflows that ensure digital assets will continue to be accessible in the future.
• Collaboration- The unit’s work has involved collaboration with other individuals, departments, or units throughout the UW, thereby helping to build bridges and community in support of digital accessibility efforts.
• Alignment with UW’s Aspirational Policy Statement on IT Accessibility – The unit’s work contributes to the UW’s goal of “striving to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the same services and content that are available to people without disabilities, including services and content made available through the use of information technology”, as expressed on the UW policy- IT accessibility web page.
• Alignment with UW’s Diversity Blueprint Goals – Unit’s work contributes toward the Diversity Blueprint Goals defined by the UW Diversity Council, especially those goals related specifically to access and accessibility.

Eligibility

• Nominations must be made by members of the UW community (UW NetID is required).
• Nominated departmental units must be affiliated with UW Seattle, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, or UW Medicine.
• Self-nominations as well as nominations of other units are accepted.
• Winners of the IT Accessibility Capacity Building Award from the past two years are not eligible.
• Departmental units with representatives on the IT Accessibility Task Force are eligible, but if nominated their Task Force representatives must abstain from voting.

Criteria and Eligibility for UW IT Accessibility Trailblazer Award

Criteria

Selection of a recipient for the IT Accessibility Trailblazer Award is based on the degree to which a UW employee exemplifies and provides evidence of the following:

• Impact- Nominee’s work has produced tangible results to improve digital accessibility.
• Longevity- Nominee’s work has included institutionalizing accessibility by establishing policies, procedures or workflows that assure digital assets will continue to be accessible in the future.
• Collaboration- Nominee’s work has involved collaborating with other individuals, departments, or units throughout the UW, thereby helping to build bridges and community in support of digital accessibility efforts.
• Alignment with UW’s Aspirational Policy Statement on IT Accessibility – Nominee’s work contributes toward the UW’s goal of “striving to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the same services and content that are available to people without disabilities, including services and content made available through the use of information technology”, as expressed on the UW policy- IT accessibility web page.
• Alignment with UW’s Diversity Blueprint Goals – Nominee’s work contributes to the Diversity Blueprint Goals defined by the UW Diversity Council, especially those goals related specifically to access and accessibility.

Eligibility

• Nominations must be made by members of the UW community (UW NetID is required).
• Nominees must be affiliated with UW Seattle, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, or UW Medicine.
• Nominees must be employed at UW in May 2023.
• Self-nominations as well as nominations of other individuals are accepted.
• Winners of the Trailblazer award from the past two years are not eligible.
• Individual members of the IT Accessibility Task Force are eligible, but, if nominated, must abstain from voting.

Nomination Process and Deadline

Nominations for the 2023 Awards are now closed.  The nomination process for the 2024 Awards will be announced in Spring 2024.