Free Webinar: Making Complex STEM Visualizations Accessible at Scale
Sponsored by the Summer of Access Webinar Series
What does it actually take to make highly visual STEM content accessible?
In this session, hear about lessons learned from writing alt text and accessibility notes for over 200 figures in a biomolecular visualization textbook. This work surfaced a critical insight: accessibility is not just about adding alt text -- it’s about rethinking how complex visuals (e.g., molecular models, Venn diagrams, screenshots, and tables) are communicated across multiple modalities.
Explore common challenges in making dense, technical visuals accessible, including:
- When alt text is not enough (e.g., complex diagrams and 3D representations)
- How to handle screenshots, tables, and interactive tools
- Designing with color, structure, and cognitive load in mind
- Deciding when to describe, simplify, or mark visuals as decorative
Grounded in real examples and before/after revisions, this session offers practical strategies for faculty, instructional designers, and content creators working with complex visual materials. Leave with a set of transferable strategies and decision-making frameworks to improve accessibility in their own courses, documents, and learning materials.
Speaker:
Dr. Cristen Monroe
Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning (CITL)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign