Alison Haynes

Associate Director, Information Technology
Digital Accessibility and Divisional Communications

DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY EFFORTS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Coordinated systematic, enterprise-level accessibility improvement of Kent State's entire digital footprint: webpages, marketing, educational materials, software, applications, portals.
• Built and maintain stakeholder relationships across campus to build consensus and energy around digital accessibility efforts.
• 2025: Launched Ohio Digital Accessibility Working Group, gathering of digital accessibility minded higher education professionals across Ohio focused on alignment in best practices and supporting all statewide efforts towards greater digital accessibility.
• 2024: Co-created a Digital Accessibility track for students in the Digital Leadership Academy, launching at least two graduates into full time digital accessibility work.
• 2023: Created and published "Inside Equal Access", monthly newsletter celebrating accessibility. 5000+ readers per edition, 64% open rate with students.
• 2022: Co-created the Equal Access Cooperative- campus units partnering with the student-facing and digital accessibility staff on initiatives that improve the accessibility of both our physical and digital footprint for all students and staff.
• 2022: Launched the Equal Access Academy in 2022, a semesterly carousel of trainings on accessibility awareness and digital accessibility practices. Over 3000 attendees as of Spring 2025.
• 2020: Created project management cycle around evaluating and monitoring the accessibility of procured technology; revised contract and RFP language; assessed feasibility of adopting new technologies compliant with federal and state policies in Kent State’s procurement space.

COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTENT STRATEGY FOR THE DIVISION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:

• 2024-present: Supported several enterprise level communication campaigns around technology changes.
• 2024: Conducted Information Architecture audit and redesigned divisional website/s. Reduction of over 60% of web pages and adoption of clean design aligned with business goals.
• 2023-present: Created and direct 3–5-person storytelling team which regularly publishes stories and social media content around divisional successes, technical development, AI-based tools/solutions and improved workflow efficiency.
• 2023: Created Technical Writing track within the Digital Leadership Academy. Three graduates of this track as of Spring 2025.
• 2023: Created project management system for the Technical Writing students of the Digital Leadership Academy around building interview questions, conducting interviews, composing drafts, requesting peer review, and then building stories out on the web.
• 2023: Created branding suite for the Division of Information Technology.

TEACHING:

• 2022: Hired as adjunct professor within the School of Information, Kent State University.
• 2022-present: Redesigned and taught undergraduate courses in Usability and Introduction to User Experience Design plus graduate courses in Accessibility Evaluation and Universal Design and Researching the User Experience. 
• 2022-present: Wrote and teach the following Equal Academy Courses
  • The Measurable Intersection Between Digital Accessibility and Business Efficiency
  • Optimizing your Communication at Kent State
  • Creating Accessible Marketing and Social Media
  • Accessibility Awareness 101
  • Accessibility for Webmasters: Strategy

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:

• Reimagining the Academy Annual Conference, Miami, Ohio, October 2024
  “Cross-Campus Partners Launch Accessibility Training Academy”
• Ohio Higher Education Computing Council (OHECC) Annual Conference, Akron, OH, May 2024
  “Creating Clean and Accessible Dynamic Forms”
• California State University Northridge (CSUN) Assistive Technology Conference, Los Angeles, CA, March 2023
  “Deploying Managers as Advocates of Accessible Content”
  “Partners Across Campus Launch Accessibility Training Academy
• Midwestern Higher Education Compact's Technology Community Conference, Virtual, Feb. 2021
  "The Measurable Intersection Between Digital Accessibility and Efficiency"