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A note from the CAL Accessibility Coordinator and Advocate
Dear College of Arts and Letters Community,
In this March 2026 edition of the CAL Accessibility and Inclusion newsletter, you will find important information and updates about accessibility standards, news related to access and inclusion efforts in the college, support and learning programming across the university, and highlights about available resources to help you expand your inclusive practices.
Thank you,
Caitlin Cornell
CAL Accessibility and Inclusion Team News
Last month, we introduced CAL's new Accessibility Coordinator and Advocate, Dr. Caitlin Cornell (she/her). This month: meet Imari.
Imari Cheyne Tetu is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). She specializes in accessible document and web design, accessible course design, and evidence‑based learning strategies. Her work focuses on helping faculty, staff, and units develop digital materials and learning environments that meet accessibility standards and support equitable engagement for all learners. She brings experience in both remediation and proactive design approaches that embed accessibility into sustainable workflows across campus. Imari is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures at Michigan State University, where she teaches courses such as Information Architecture, Introduction to Experience Architecture, and Introduction to Accessibility. Her research and teaching examine how blended online and in‑person course designs shape the learning experiences of students with disabilities, with emphasis on accessibility, user experience research, and learning experience design. In addition to her teaching and research, she has worked as a graduate research assistant in academic technology with the College of Arts and Letters and has professional experience as a freelance technical writer, editor, and instructional designer. Imari looks forward to supporting the university community in strengthening digital inclusion and accessible learning practices.
Access Spotlight
Did you know that the College of Arts and Letters has a Steering Committee dedicated to access work in CAL? The committee meets monthly and (a) assists the CAL Accessibility Coordinator & Advocate in implementing strategy for the college; (b) explores avenues to assist faculty in their support of disabled CAL students, and (c) has turned its attention to cultivating a culture of accessibility across the college.
Have an item for the committee to discuss? Email the CAL Accessibility and Inclusion team at access@cal.msu.edu.
Support and Learning
Here are some highlights of upcoming support and learning opportunities like workshops, webinars, and drop-in sessions across CAL, MSU, and beyond. Browse more support engagements on the CAL Accessibility and Inclusion web page.
Drop-In Course Accessibility Support
March 10, 2026
2:00-3:00pm Eastern
Virtual; please register
Need help making your D2L course more accessible? In this drop-in session, members of the CAL Accessibility and Inclusion team will be on hand to answer your questions and troubleshoot specific operations.
Designing Accessible Futures–a community conversation with Reginé Gilbert
March 13, 2026
10:00-11:00 AM Eastern
The Michigan State University Office of Civil Rights and the Experience Architecture Program invite you to attend our morning panel on accessibility! Reginé Gilbert is a user experience researcher, educator, and author whose work focuses on systems thinking, accessibility, and human judgment in technology-mediated environments. She teaches design and technology courses at New York University and has advised organizations across the public and private sectors on inclusive design and organizational readiness. She is the author of Inclusive Design for a Digital World and writes about the societal and organizational impacts of emerging technologies. Reginé will facilitate this virtual morning panel of experts: Josie Davidson (MSU OCR), Jesse Earley (MSU NatSci), Alex Guo (XA student), Emily Lin (XA alum), and Rolando Méndez-Fernández (Teach Access). It's going to be a great day, please join us! Email cmcardle@msu.edu if you have any questions.
Digital Accessibility for Educators D2L course
Instructors can self-enroll in this D2L course launched in 2025 by MSU IT Educational Technology. All six self-paced modules are available. The program is based on the Basic Accessibility Checklist. Each module covers accessibility best practices and next steps for applying the concepts to course materials. Participants can earn a badge for each module, and a certificate upon completing all six modules. This program is open to faculty, staff, and students through the Digital Accessibility for Educators self-enrollment page.
Resource Highlight
Watch this video from MSU IT Educational Technology to learn how to access your Spartan Ally report in D2L. Addressing the issues identified in that report will help you make your digital content more accessible in compliance with federal and MSU digital accessibility deadlines.
More resources
Visit the resources section of the CAL Accessibility and Inclusion home page to discover additional resources.
Monthly Tip
Here’s your monthly accessibility tip from CAL Accessibility & Inclusion team member Sarah Wellman:
If you’re creating a syllabus, study guide, or meeting notes, here’s your easiest win: use headings instead of bolded, underline, or large text to organize your content.
Why it matters: Headings help screen readers (and humans!) navigate your document quickly. We often don’t know who is using screen readers or assistive technology—students don’t always disclose, and many rely on these tools silently. Structuring content well ensures everyone has a smoother, more equitable experience. Without them, everything sounds like one long wall of text.
Check out the CAL Accessibility and Inclusion Team’s guide to Accessible Microsoft Word Documents for more instructions related to heading styles.
Contact us!
Have a question about accessibility and disability inclusion, a suggestion for accessibility support in the college, or a topic to highlight in a future newsletter?
Email our team at access@cal.msu.edu.