STEM courses often include complex content—equations, graphs, data tables—that can create significant accessibility barriers for students with disabilities. This session provides STEM faculty with a clear, practical overview of how to make STEM materials accessible. The session will focus on common accessibility challenges in STEM and highlight fixes that faculty can implement without advanced technical skills. 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Identify common accessibility barriers in STEM course materials (e.g., math notation, graphs, tables, and PDFs) and explain why these create challenges for students using assistive technologies.

2. Describe practical strategies and tools for improving accessibility in STEM content, including approaches for math equations, visual data, and structured documents that align with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

3. Apply a prioritized approach to remediation by recognizing which fixes are easiest for faculty to implement themselves and where to seek additional support for more complex issues.

The virtual format will be primarily presentational, with brief discussion pauses to address questions and share experiences. Participants will leave with actionable strategies, recommended tools, and resources to begin improving accessibility in their STEM courses. The session will be recorded.

Open to all UMBC and USM faculty, staff, and students. No prior accessibility experience needed.

Presenter: Dr. Sarah Bass, Associate Teaching Professor of Introductory, Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Bass is a dedicated faculty champion for accessibility, promoting inclusive teaching practices to create a more supportive educational environment for every learner.

Helpful STEM Links to Review:

• UMBC's STEM Resources

• CAST's Creating Accessible STEM Materials

• Accessibility in Math chapter (Digital Accessibility Handbook)

• The A11Y Collective's Ultimate Checklist for Accessible Data Visualisations

• Continual Engine's How to Make STEM Content Accessible for Students with Visual Impairments

• Section508's Accessible Equations and Formulas

Brought to you by:

This session was initially presented as part of the USM Kirwan Center Spring Cleaning 2026 series.

• USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation (KCAI) 
• Council for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) 
• USM Digital Accessibility Work Group (DAWG) 
• USM Campus Centers for Teaching and Learning

• Getting Started: Registering with SDS for Accommodations
• Returning students may complete a semester request in Accommodate to communicate approved accommodations to their new classes
• Look over syllabi and schedule accommodated tests early.
• If a need for accommodation has changed, or there is a new request - reach out for an update via Accommodate.
• Get busy with student organizations that are welcoming and inclusive for students with disabilities.  UMBC has the Gamma Kappa Chapter of the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society for Students with Disabilities - join an upcoming meeting.
• Find and use an accessibility checker on documents, presentations, and digital content to assure that all that you are sharing socially, academically and vocationally has ideal accessibility.

• ALLY now supports AI-Generated Image Description - more detail in the link, including details for exploring this impressive feature.
• October 16 Universal Design for Learning 3.0 What's New and Why It Matters
• October 25 Inclusion By Design Virtual Conference