Patricia Diaz

Bridging the accessibility gap in Open Educational Resources: https://lnkd.in/dsGp-k37 🚀 Creating Truly Inclusive Open Educational Resources (OER) 🌍 🎓 Open Educational Resources (OER) offer amazing opportunities for global learning, but accessibility remains a challenge—especially for people with disabilities. ♿ How can we ensure that OERs are truly inclusive? 📚 🔍 In our latest research, we’ve developed a design proposal that personalizes the User Experience (UX) of OER websites based on disability profiles. This approach allows users to self-identify their needs and receive not only customized interfaces, but also educational resources tailored to their specific sensory, cognitive, and functional abilities. ♿ Our design goes beyond traditional compliance with WCAG 2.0 guidelines, by integrating usability and resource adaptation for a more accessible and equitable experience. We’ve even built a prototype website and conducted UX testing with users of varying disabilities, and the results are clear: this design works! 🚀 This is a step toward making OER truly inclusive, exempting users from the burden of manual configurations, and ensuring that everyone—regardless of ability—can benefit from educational resources. 🏆 #OER #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #EdTech #UX #WebAccessibility #OpenEducation #DigitalInclusion #DisabilityInclusion

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I'm pleased to share Elsevier's 2026 CSUN Accessibility Conference decks presented at the 41st CSUN Assistive Technology Conference March 9-13 2026.   Collaborating with UX to embed accessibility in design workflows Amy Li, Nicola Richardson, and Bill Bernstein created a new guide and process to demystify and simplify accessibility for UX design practitioners. Sure, designers know the color contrast requirements of WCAG, and are Aces with principles of consistency and clarity. But how about the lesser known design areas such as focus order?  This guide establishes standardized and scalable accessibility design guidance for consistent application across all UX teams. Its goal is to enable UX designers, researchers, and others who create user-facing experiences to effectively evaluate accessibility across the design lifecycle. https://lnkd.in/eaah8KgN   Crafting Accessible 3D Nursing Simulations in Unity WebGL Eric Crozier and Nick Seow worked together to develop a creative, innovative solution to ensure the Shadow Health 3D nursing simulations are accessible to nursing students with situational or permanent disabilities. This was especially innovative in that the underlying Unity WebGL 3D software needed many customizations beyond what was is traditionally available to more traditional digital technologies. The team collaborated to develop a custom screen reader, immersive audio description, and enhanced keyboard access. Shadow Health and other nursing education resources must be accessible to allow people of all abilities to pursue nursing and health education careers. https://lnkd.in/edd5wCzw Automatic Descriptions for Interactive Charts (presented by Jay Nemchik, Øystein Moseng, Ted Gies) This was a very special CSUN in that it celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the Highcharts and Elsevier accessible data visualization collaboration. We are grateful to all of the fellow data viz thought leaders and end users who have shared this journey together. Working together with Highsoft for over 10 years on accessible charts and graphs has been a career highlight for me. This program has united talented, creative people from all over the globe to help solve a key problem. Access to key data isn't exclusive. Access to charts and data is fair and equitable, especially around (health and safety, personal finance, science, politics, law, etc.( https://lnkd.in/e4M4RKTd

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Feeling pulled in a lot of directions right now? Your learners are, too. Grace Chang, PhD, and Karina Freitag, PhD, explain how cognitive load affects learning and how designers can use AI thoughtfully to reduce noise and support focus. Key takeaways: • High cognitive load undermines attention, retention and transfer. • Learning works better when it’s prioritized, structured and relevant. • AI can reduce mental strain when used to simplify, not add complexity. Read the article in the Winter 2026 issue of Training Industry Magazine: https://hubs.ly/Q049s47F0

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Calibrated Post for “Hands-On AI Animation Production Expert" The conversation around AI in animation often focuses on fear or hype. In this Animation World Network article, former Disney executive Kevin Geiger argues that AI is dissolving the traditional production moat. From a hands-on production standpoint, I think that’s partially true. After building and testing AI-assisted animation workflows, here’s what I’m seeing: • Rendering is no longer the bottleneck. • Asset generation is no longer the bottleneck. • Iteration speed has increased dramatically. The real constraint now? Creative direction and decision-making. I recently completed a short animated piece using AI tools after initial scripting and visual development. The technology didn’t eliminate production challenges — it shifted them. The moat isn’t gone. It’s moved upstream. Worth reading if you're actively building in this space. https://lnkd.in/gE4-bKQ7 #AIAnimation #AnimationProduction #CreativeTechnology #FilmmakingWorkflow #AICreators

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Moving a K-12 STEM program from foundational audit to successful execution requires discipline: systematizing complexity and validating strategy with data. https://lnkd.in/gXGUc7wK We focused on two key areas: 1. Management & Mindset: Systems Thinking Centralization: We implemented Coda as our K-12 STEM department hub to manage all projects (redesigns, standards, PD), eliminating fragmented spreadsheets and ensuring a single source of truth. Systems Thinking: We guided the department through a strategic "zoom in, zoom out" exercise. The goal: understand how a change in one area (e.g., Middle School coding) strategically impacts the entire K-12 pathway (e.g., High School CS readiness). This ensures holistic decision-making. 2. Validation: Data as Our Mandate To define the program’s "ideal state," we gathered essential external and internal data: Peer Best Practices: A survey of 22 international schools provided external benchmarks for program scope and scheduling. Real-World Context: Strategic school visits (Taipei American School, UWCSEA, ITE College Central) provided tangible evidence of the cutting-edge skills and environments we need to build. Stakeholder Voice: A Parent Coffee listening session gathered community aspirations, ensuring our vision aligns with their goals for student success. The Result: 8 Guiding Strategic Themes This comprehensive data synthesis resulted in eight non-negotiable strategic themes that now mandate our execution phase. They define the criteria for all future course redesigns and proposals. Industry Partnerships Real-World Applications Inclusive STEM Program Strong STEM Pathways Relevant & Flexible Curriculum Supporting STEM Integration Investing in STEM Teachers Strong Leadership Commitment

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