Free AIA-accredited course for NOMA PDX and UO/PDX NOMAS members! Join over Zoom during lunch on Fri 12/13/24. 

NOMA PDX/NOMAS members don't need to do anything besides show up, participate, and share AIA/contact info in the chat to receive credit.

If you have questions, email Hannah Silver.

About this Course

Architecture engages all of our senses, but the way most AEC firms share their work online is very dependent on sight. Alt-text is an essential component of overall digital accessibility - it describes digital images for folks who are low-vision or have cognitive disabilities. As we expand our understanding of disability justice in the built environment, digital and physical accessible design choices become interwoven. Alt-text makes buildings more accessible to blind people by describing photos and layouts of spaces online, which brings predictability, comfort, and safety to their in-person experiences. This workshop is based off of the Alt-Text as Poetry project by Bojana Coklyat and Shannon Finnegan, which challenges us to think about access as a creative opportunity, not just a box to check. Students will participate in fun, engaging activities to hone their alt-text-writing skills, expand their understanding of access, and build relationships with other inclusion-minded folks.

Learning Objective 1:
Summarize how alt-text fits into the movement to shape digital and physical spaces that are not only accessible, but also joyful, for disabled people.

Learning Objective 2:
Compose alt-text for architectural images that is both expressive and explanatory.

Learning Objective 3:
Share examples of how alt-text can help make architecture more inclusive as built space, a profession, and an art form.

Learning Objective 4:
Determine next steps for advancing disability justice in the built environment through personal and/or professional practices.