About Us
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Whether you have a disability or not, the ATI is committed to ensuring equivalent access to all information and communications technology (ICT) resources on our campuses. We provide direct assistive technology assessment, training, and support services to individuals with disabilities in the Mason community who require immediate technology solutions. We also work closely with our campus strategic partners to develop and implement a broad, comprehensive ICT accessibility plan. Contact Us for more information!
ATI Services
- Informal assistive technology (AT) assessments and training (walk-ins or referrals)
- Provision of accessible media (closed captioning and audio description for instructional and front-facing video resources)*
- Provision of accessible textbook and tactile graphics for students, staff, and faculty with print-related disabilities
- Document remediation for any Word, PowerPoint, or PDF documents hosted on front-facing websites or used in the classroom
- Web Accessibility testing, training, and support (for all Mason websites and classroom web-based tools)
- Training and support on creating accessible instructional materials (documents, videos, etc.).
- Course accessibility audits (online, face-to-face, and hybrid)*
- Technical assistance for ITS and Library personnel on ICT accessibility and/or AT-related issues
- Maintenance of Assistive Technology Labs in campus libraries
- Provision of other resources for accessible technology
Choose your Ally — Blackboard Ally!
Since the fall 2020 semester, Blackboard Ally has been made available in all of your online and/or hybrid courses! It is also available in face-to-face courses using Blackboard.
For Students, Ally creates a more engaging and user-friendly experience by enabling you to select the alternate formats (e.g., electronic braille, PDFs, audio/MP3, etc.) that best support your specific learning needs.
For Faculty, Ally is an accessibility tool that is designed to help you build a more inclusive online learning environment and improve access to instructional resources. In other words, Ally assists you with identifying images, documents, and content in your Blackboard course site (or organization) that could be inaccessible to your students.
Want to learn more about how Ally help you?
Contact the ATI Office for more information!
Spring 2021 Update – ATI Virtual Services
ATI Virtual Office Hours
In response to COVID-19, ATI staff will not host in-person meetings or assessments during the spring 2021 semester. We do not, however, anticipate any disruptions to support services for students, staff, and faculty members with digital accessibility needs.
ATI staff members are available via phone and email from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
To schedule a virtual meeting, please email ati@gmu.edu or call 703-993-4329 to connect with an ATI staff member.
Additional Questions regarding COVID-19 Response
For more information on Mason's response, visit Mason’s COVID-19 website.
Students
Should you have any additional questions regarding student accommodations, please visit Disability Services' COVID-19 Response Page.
Faculty
Should you have any additional questions regarding employee-related accommodations, please visit Employee Accommodations.
Mason C.A.RES Guide
To assist with the provision of accessible instructional resources, use the Mason C.A.RES. (Creating Accessible RESources) Guide. Among other things, this resource provides guidance on:
- Making your Blackboard course more accessible and usable
- How to ensure multimedia (i.e., audio and/or video) used online is accessible
- How to create accessible documents (i.e., Word, PPT, PDF)
- and more...
For more information, visit the Mason C.A.RES. Guide