{"id":607,"date":"2026-02-24T10:18:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T15:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/student-accessibility-services\/?p=607"},"modified":"2026-02-24T16:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T21:28:08","slug":"ads-faculty-spring-2026-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/students.austincc.edu\/student-accessibility-services\/news-and-updates\/ads-faculty-spring-2026-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"ADS Faculty & Staff Spring 2026 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click on the links below to learn more about ADS:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Important Reminders! <\/a>
ADS Program Operation Updates<\/a>
Sign Language Interpreting & Captioning<\/a>
About SAS Test<\/a>i<\/a>ng<\/a>
Adult and Continuing Education<\/a>
Alt Text & Media<\/a>
AIM Transition to Version 5<\/a> \u2013 Coming in 2026
Upcoming Events<\/a><\/p>\n

Message from ADS Leadership<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Greetings, faculty and staff colleagues! <\/p>\n

We hope you have had a wonderful start to the Spring semester. This Spring, our team is thrilled to welcome back our Executive Dean, Rosalind Blackstar, who has returned after several months of parental leave. We\u2019re sure you understand that Rosalind will have many things to catch up on and immerse herself in, but we hope you will have the pleasure of interacting with her soon! <\/p>\n

This semester, all Access & Disability Support staff will be engaging with an internal audit in partnership with the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance, and an external audit with Accessibility Experts from our field\u2019s governing body, AHEAD <\/a>re (Association on Higher Education And Disability.) We look forward to the findings informing our efforts going forward.<\/p>\n

There are many fantastic initiatives and projects in progress both in our Department, and in Accessibility overall at the college. We want to be sure to highlight a few here!<\/p>\n

Distance Education Accessibility Drop-Ins
<\/a>TLED\u2019s Faculty Growth Series<\/a>
Guidance on Web Accessibility, with upcoming April Deadline!<\/a>
New AR on accessibility<\/a><\/p>\n

Please take some time to review the information below that our team has thoughtfully pulled together to keep you informed and supported by our team.<\/p>\n

Have a great semester!
-ADS Leadership<\/p>\n

Important Reminders! <\/strong><\/h2>\n

– If you encounter difficulties navigating anything related to accessibility and accommodations for your classes or students, please reach out to SAS@austincc.edu<\/a>. We are here to support you! <\/strong><\/p>\n

– If a student discloses a disability, diagnosis, or history of accommodations, or requests accommodations without official notification from SAS, please submit this Referral form<\/a>. We will contact the student to make them aware of our services.<\/p>\n

– To request a training, presentation, or other form of outreach or collaboration with Access & Disability Support (Student Accessibility Services), please complete the following Request Form<\/a>.<\/p>\n

– Need support or tips on how to best make your instructional materials most accessible to all your diverse learners? Check out Teaching and Learning Education (TLED): Accessibility<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

-Take some time to review our webpage at <\/strong>austincc.edu\/accessibility<\/strong><\/a>!<\/strong> We are in the process of updating much of our content, so continue to check in and familiarize yourself with all kinds of helpful information!<\/p>\n

ADS\/SAS Staff Updates:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The past few semesters have brought many changes to ADS & SAS, including changes with some of our staff. We would like to share some of those updates with you. <\/p>\n

ADS New Hires:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Jamie Coughlin<\/strong>
Director, Program Operations<\/h4>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

Bio: <\/strong>Jamie Coughlin earned her Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership and Policy from The University of Texas at Austin and her bachelor\u2019s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Special Education from The University of Texas at San Antonio. A proud community college alum, Jamie brings a holistic, student-centered perspective to her work and has more than a decade of experience in accessibility, inclusion, and student success.<\/p>\n

Outside of work, Jamie is a self-proclaimed collector of hobbies and an enthusiastic sports fan (Austin FC, UT, and Go Rams!). Most importantly, she loves spending time with her husband, Yodi and Birdie (the dogs), and Samantha (the cat).<\/p>\n

ADS Program Operation Updates<\/strong><\/h2>\n

ADS has updated the way we engage with faculty, students and stakeholders. Because faculty are vital partners in supporting students navigating accessibility at ACC, we have provided detailed information below on how to connect with Student Accessibility Services (SAS).<\/p>\n

SAS Consultation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Need a quick check-in? SAS Consultations<\/strong> are 30-minute meetings with a SAS Advocate, designed for quick support throughout the semester. SAS Consultations can be set-up by reaching out to campus SAS advocate emails on the SAS Campus Contact<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

For Faculty, Staff and Prospective Students:<\/strong> Get answers to general questions regarding accessibility at ACC. Have questions about accommodations in your course<\/mark><\/em>, we are happy to consult with you!
For Enrolled Students:<\/strong> Discuss current accommodations, request updates for new courses, or ask general questions about navigating accessibility at ACC.<\/p>\n

SAS Connect<\/strong><\/p>\n

SAS Connect is the team that supports students submitting accommodation applications<\/strong>. This team is a students first contact in requesting accommodations at ACC. They are responsible for reviewing applications and documentation, and then connecting students with a SAS Advocate to schedule an initial Access Needs Meeting. SAS Connect can also support student questions about what type of documentation is needed.<\/p>\n

Access Needs Meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n

Access Needs Meetings are for students who are enrolled at ACC and are currently experiencing an academic barrier. An Access Needs Meeting is an interactive, confidential, one-on-one session between a student and SAS Advocate to discuss functional limitations and determine reasonable accommodations. Once an Access Needs Meeting is complete students will be able to request Faculty Notification Letters (FNL) and begin utilizing approved accommodations. <\/p>\n

Sign Language Interpreting & Captioning:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Reminder: <\/strong>Please submit a SLIC request<\/a> for all Communication Access services within 3 days of the service!<\/strong><\/p>\n

For captioning requests, please use the handy Media Captioning Request Form<\/a>.
Please visit our new and improved Sign Language Interpreting & Captioning (SLIC) page<\/a> and learn more about our important work!<\/p>\n

SAS Testing:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Below is key information needed to support students with alternative testing accommodations. <\/p>\n

What Faculty Need to Do<\/h3>\n