SFU Galleries Digital Needs Assessment, 2023

Version: 1.2
Modified December 12, 2023 (incorporate tool recommendations, grammar and spelling fixes).

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This report was authored in summer 2023 by Kay Slater with support from Russell Gordon.


Executive Summary

Purpose: Why we do this work

In 2023, SFU Galleries engaged an external consultant to review their digital landscape and processes. The goal was to identify risks and opportunities for growth and community engagement. This assessment focuses on inclusion and accessibility. This work is ongoing. It will constantly shift as technology develops and SFU Galleries' audience changes and grows. This report responds to this particular moment (2023) to provide insight into the largest and most pressing barriers present in existing processes. It does not critique those currently engaged in this work nor those who created it. This report is written from an outside perspective. It highlights opportunities for change and identifies barriers that may not be possible to remove with the available resources to SFU Galleries. The knowledge gained from this report is equally important as solving conflicts or crossing items off a list. When we are made aware of barriers, we better understand those struggling. We can have more informed conversations and moments for inclusion, even when the temptation is to "fix" a problem and check it off a list.


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Presentation: A note about language and format

Writing Style

This report uses a social language writing style. SFU Galleries sits at the intersection of the academic world, the fine arts community, and the public. It is best to consider the audience with the most challenges and centre them when building access into policy. While universal access is not possible, it is always the goal. This report aims for a grade 10/11 reading level and 60% on the Flesch Reading Ease to strike a balance between accessible and professional. A grade 9 reading level is the recommended reading level when writing content for the web.

SFU Galleries may feel pressure to communicate in more academic ways due to its connection to the University and the Fine Arts Community.

Translating contemporary art and concepts into writing requires abstract and complex language. This report presents an opportunity for decision-makers to consider who their primary audiences are, how different audiences have different needs, and how a one-size-fits-all approach may hinder organizational goals. Formal style guides will promote better communication with primary audiences and create a resource for staff to keep writing consistent and on-brand.

Example of academic language in a report:

Although the result of the study was inconclusive, it did confirm the writer's hypothesis, and as such, the committee decided to implement the policy.

Example of social writing at a grade 9 level:

The result of the study confirmed the writer's hypothesis. The committee made a new policy.


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Format

The report uses simple HTML. It is readable on a browser and prioritizes best practices for screen readers. Anyone who uses written or narrated English can follow and understand this report. Colours used throughout the report are accessible for those with colour blindness and to pass contrast tests. There are three main audience tags used:

  • SFUGartsWorkers
  • SFUGaudience
  • SFUGnetwork

The SFU Galleries (SFUG) Arts Workers tag includes those who work behind the scenes at the gallery and who carry out much of the inclusion work. It also includes artists who work as content producers, workshop facilitators, or featured artists in exhibitions. Staff and arts workers are often overlooked in access reporting, perpetuating ableism within gallery systems and services. SFU Galleries must hire, sustain, and support Disabled workers or workers living with disabilities in their staff, or lose the chance to benefit from a rich pool of potential workers and miss out on informed and authentic conversations with their audiences. The goal is not simply to serve inclusively but to be inclusive.

The SFUG Audience tag contains the public audiences SFU Galleries serves by holding events, exhibitions, and arts programming. This audience wants to attend the gallery or programming for their purposes. They are non-academic and may or may not have an arts background, although they are interested in arts and culture. This audience includes non-SFU education contacts, such as teachers and students from other schools.

The SFUG Network tag includes Simon Fraser University students, teachers, and departments. It will also include work and interactions related to the Public Art on campus in Burnaby.

Users of this report can navigate through this report by audience tag by doing a browser search using: SFUGartsWorkers, SFUGaudience, and SFUGnetwork

Digital response to a digital needs assessment

This document was written to be accessible and provide immediate action items that could be responded to in the weeks immediately following the report's delivery. As such, the report author, SFU Gallery staff and interns are approaching this report as a living document, growing as we learn, investigate and document in Fall 2023. This document was also a resource for the Digital Strategies document delivered on December 15, 2023. A version history log was added after September 18, 2023.

The digital response allowed for collaborative writing on a project, intending to practice open and creative ways to deliver information with as few access barriers as possible.


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Recommendations

Specific recommendations will reference W3C Proposed Recommendations from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 (June 2018), the Accessible British Columbia Act, and other best practice recommendations from Disability resources and communities. Because accessibility laws are still in their infancy in Canada, the ADA may be referenced, and American accessibility standards may sometimes be recommended as a goalpost, acknowledging that SFU Galleries is not currently required to conform to any best practices or accessibility standards per Canadian law. These recommendations seek to make SFU Galleries' digital offerings more accessible for users while acknowledging that laws, regulations, and policies are currently being developed within SFU that may eventually require SFU Galleries to use and follow.

This report uses for a minimum conformance of Level A within the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which is a foundational level of accessibility while striving to meet or recommend Level AA conformity whenever possible. While Level AAA Success Criteria is always a goal worth striving for, few developers are practicing accessible code to conform to these standards as it often is not a priority for non-Disabled and hearing-centred organizations and clients. Many of the conformance success criteria prioritize functionality and access over design. Many design firms and developers say they are working to support an accessible web but will not work higher than an A level of conformance unless it is specifically tasked and budgeted for. As such, many software and organizations are still using WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 to set their conformance goals, with a minimum level A conformance.

Some recommendations will be based on user feedback and the author's perspective as an arts worker, audience member, and artist working within the contemporary arts and living with an invisible disability. This holistic approach centres the human experience over design and developer goals. The author of this report prioritizes Disability and Social justice within their recommendations and follows the 10 principals of Disability Justice as defined by Sins Invalid.

Recommendations that conflict with existing policies, procedures, or guidelines at SFU Galleries, SFU policy and procedures, and recommendations currently in development related to the new Gibson Museum planned for 2025 are to be considered, but the author acknowledges that accessibility is a moving target. Use these recommendations as a starting point to begin a conversation whenever possible. When a recommendation creates an access conflict for existing or prioritized users, document and consider the risks and opportunities before overwriting existing systems. Creative access is a process, and accessibility work is ultimately about people gathering with agency on their own time.


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1. Project Scope

This report reviews digital assets and websites that were live and available during May-September 2023. The focus was on sfu.ca/galleries, Facebook and Instagram pages, emails, and newsletters. The assessment of the internal systems is based on conversations between Kay and Russell. Kay also conducted interviews with other staff who work with digital assets within SFU Galleries and hosted five community members in interviews to generate use case data to help give insight into the public that is using SFU Online.

This report aims to identify the current needs for existing digital products. This report does not seek to innovate but to create tangible next steps and assets needed to grow and better serve SFU Galleries administration, artists, and guests.


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2. Internal Systems

The SFU Galleries internal systems are closed within local networks and servers. While the staff connects with and works within the world wide web, most work is done through communal tools through the VPN on SFU Galleries property (desktops and laptops) or via personal devices such as cellphones, laptops and home computers maintained and purchased by staff. SFU Galleries does not use cloud storage; however, gallery staff use the VPN regardless of which locations they are working, whether at one of the gallery locations, from home, or other off-site locations.

SFU Galleries staff are discouraged from using cloud services such as Google Drive and Dropbox, and files are accessible off-site through physical media transfer (data keys), email transfer, or via VPN to a local workstation.

The SFU Galleries team currently has a casual Work From Home agreement, which is not a contracted right or guarantee. Most of the staff work from home on Mondays. If needed, the staff works to cover public engagements (such as gallery attendant or tours) and accommodate their off-site colleagues. Q: regarding IAPRussell/Kim: Does SFU HR policy apply to SFU Galleries? Will it be with the new Gibson, or are you separate from SFU HR?

As staff need to be able to access files in different locations, they inevitably come up with ways to work around the current limitation of a physical server. A lack of file naming conventions or structure around file duplication and the general maintenance of shared files is an identified risk. A procedure guide or plan forward is recommended. In smaller teams, file maintenance and naming seem unimportant. Still, a considered strategy, onboarding tools, and planned maintenance can provide a way to minimize file loss and duplication, assist employees for whom English is an additional language, and increase search success. A plan can make the shared server space accessible to current and incoming team members.

The SFU Data server lives ____________. Russell - any assessment of the server? What about individual computers (are they supplied by SFU or SFU Galleries)?



2.1. File naming and shared folders

When a file is needed, a staff member should be able to quickly find out whether a template exists or if they need to create something new. If templates exist, they should be easy to find and identify. File duplication happens because of the need to work around the physical server and due to simple human error; therefore, the administration must schedule file maintenance each year. The initial process will require more labour and time set aside, but once it has been created and practiced, subsequent years will require less time.

Establishing file naming and folder standards helps staff quickly identify duplicate files. It also builds accessibility. When things follow simple naming conventions, it becomes more intuitive for screen reader users, English as additional language users, and those with cognitive challenges to find files themselves or seek assistance.

Note: This recommendation is for files on the shared server. This recommendation may also apply to collections; however, this author acknowledges that library systems and archives may employ their own file naming to work within the existing collections database and at the discretion of the Collections Manager.

2.1.1. File Names: Recommendation and Process

Filenames should be a reasonable length and strive for a maximum of 31 characters. Dates should not be included in the name of files. Should dating be essential, a new folder should be created, and dates should be contained within the file's content. File names should be lowercase and not use spaces or underscores. Hyphens are recommended.

Example:

Template for communications, event listings on the website, version 2023 of the file, word document.

Folder: communications > templates
This is where the file would live,
Folder: communications > templates > Old
This is where versions before 2023 would be stored if they needed to be kept,
File: eventlistings-website.doc
File contents: contains date and year, states that it's a template in the header.

2.1.2. Versions and Nestled Folders: Recommendation and Process

Multiple file versions may be needed to show the process or when multiple staff and users access the same file. Files should be named sequentially, and when there is a merged file or final file, this should be identified by the word final. It is also recommended that archived versions of any file be captured in a folder to allow people to quickly detect the most relevant file when navigating the file system.

The best way to incorporate organic file dating is to place a date at the top of every document. Make this a policy for all documents created and used by SFU Galleries.

Example:

Planning budget worksheets for each department at SFU Galleries, Excel spreadsheet.

Folder: Budgets > 2023
Master folder,
Folder: Budgets > 2023 > Planning
Planning and non-active documents folder,
File: budget-master.xls
Master file, approved and used by all staff as a reference. This is located in the master folder,
File: budget-communications.xls
Working file contained within the Planning folder where communications built their budget. This information might have been copied into the master but is saved separately and as a duplicate, as there are notes that are important for planning in 2024 but are not needed by the entire staff. This file is also used by communications as a working document during the year to plan and project. This file might also live within the Communications department's 2023 planning folder and has an alias within the Planning folder so that other staff can find it without needing a duplicated file,
File: budget-communications-1-review.xls
A duplicate file was made by someone on the communications team working in the office and dropped quickly into this folder. They didn't have time to check if it existed, but they wanted to have it on the server before deleting it from their laptop. The information might have been copy/pasted into the current master. It will be reviewed and deleted during the coming year's data maintenance day.

During data maintenance days, encourage teams to eliminate duplicates and add dates to document content.

2.1.3. Project File Maintenance Project

This project's goals will be to restore and consolidate data on the shared server, to put into practice a file naming process and folder structure that is intuitive and consistent across SFU Galleries departments, and to create a schedule for regular maintenance to commit to these best practices and create accountability.

It is recommended that file duplication software be purchased. Programs such as Fast Duplicate File Finder Pro identify duplicate and similar files (file names and contents) so that staff can review and confirm that the server is up to date.

In the initial phase, staff will find and restore all files from off-site locations to the shared server. Following this phase, a duplicate file audit will be run and distributed.

The second phase will schedule time for departments to implement the file naming procedure and update file names and folders. Duplicates will be manually reduced. Once the folder and initial file maintenance concludes, an audit to find similar or duplicate files will confirm that all duplicates have been removed or that similar files are updated with dates and placed into non-active folders with the most recent or active version.

Once this stage is complete, a schedule for annual maintenance will be developed and added to shared calendars for current and new staff. In anticipation of this event annually, staff should be given a deadline to get off-site data back onto servers, and a duplicate file audit can be run.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.2. Microsoft Office

All staff have a Microsoft Office account associated with their SFU Galleries email and login. It is now rare for someone to enter the workforce without a rudimentary understanding of word processors, spreadsheets, presentation slides, or email, and while it may be a minimum requirement to work at SFU Galleries, it is up to the employee to maintain a working understanding of these tools during their lifetime.

Microsoft is a large company that works to prioritize and add accessibility tools to its productivity suite. Still, many non-Disabled and "pro users" are unaware of the available tools for users and consumers.

It is recommended that all staff be provided with a professional development budget specific to updating their knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite within the context of their current needs and becoming familiar with the accessibility tools available to them. The easiest first step would be to review the accesibility tools built into the current Microsoft 365 suite.

It is worth considering additional licenses for current staff, as new versions of Microsoft Office can be used on Screen Reader devices, laptops and mobile devices, and home computers that may more easily run a local copy than a virtual copy through the VPN.

While Microsoft Office is used, Skype and Teams (truth?) is not (see video conferencing).

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.3. Teleconferencing and Video Conferencing

The SFU IT department has set up Zoom Education accounts for all faculty, staff, and students for teaching, meetings, and learning. An SFU Computing ID and password is required. SFU Zoom offers Live streaming on third-party applications (e.g. YouTube Live or Facebook Live). This feature is only available for public events, i.e., events including non-SFU members, such as Convocation and StreetFest. Classes or internal events at SFU are NOT eligible for using live streaming. Russell: Are SFU Galleries able to use this service/have you used this service? Are their procedures around staff signing up for this?

It is recommended that all staff use SFU Zoom to generate meeting URLS and to ensure that this information is included in Calendar Events (digital calendars) or emails as a plain URL.

Some consideration on whether or not to use Zoom as a meeting or webinar should be given before hosting public events, as webinars restrict access to access workers such as signed language interpreters. While restricting access to the chat provides accessibility to those using screen readers, it limits the ability for others to ask questions, get technical support, or reach out for information clarification.

Consider the following when setting up a Zoom meeting or event:

  • Are phone numbers for teleconferencing local? If hosting outside of Canada, are there international numbers available?
  • If there will be screen reader users participating, and chat is turned off, what alternatives are available for users to get support or ask questions?
  • If the chat is turned on, is it being moderated?
    • If it is unknown who is in the audience, are pauses scheduled into the script when links are shared in the chat to acknowledge the disruption for screen reader users?
  • If translators such as ASL interpreters are in attendance, can ASL users communicate and be seen by interpreters? Can co-host status be given to translators and transcribers?
  • If auto-captions are enabled, are they being monitored?
    • How are you updating the live captions or correcting proper names mispronounced during the meeting or event?
    • Is a transcription program running (will you download the live captions after the event)?
    • Do you plan to edit and share the live captions/transcript?
  • Are you recording the session?
    • Will it be edited or made available after the event is concluded? How can people access this information?

The list is hardly exhaustive and only gives some potential challenges and opportunities that may arise when hosting online sessions. It also highlights the potential access conflicts that pop up when different audiences come together simultaneously. With a digital videoconference, more opportunities and potential challenges exist. Review the current procedures around video conferencing for meetings and public events to ensure you prioritize inclusion. If you cannot support specific groups, consider making this explicit in your event listings, meeting invitations, and planning sessions.

It is recommended that a template is created for SFU Galleries video and teleconferencing that identifies priority groups, what access supports and methods will be employed, and when using VOIP (video and voice over internet), so help those using these technologies know what the current minimum standard of access SFU Galleries is striving to accomplish each year. For example, in year one, SFU Galleries may only be able to prioritize hearing English as their primary and target language users. The goal for that year is to incorporate non-visual communication in their gathering procedures as they are currently engaged with some Blind or non-visual community members or staff. During 2023, SFU Galleries will strive to include visual descriptions of participants or presenters and to describe any shared screens, regardless of the stated visual acuity (or assumptions about their audience). They acknowledge the way the chat can both support and challenge their primary and target audiences, and so have developed a script at the start of sessions to explain how the chat will be used and have committed to always having two staff members in hosted sessions so that one person can be monitoring chat, and waiting for or prompting pauses when things are added to the chat. There is no commitment to make events or meetings available afterwards unless requested and confirmed before the event, nor is there a goal to edit or transcribe events in the archive. A wish list could be generated in future years, with new target groups identified and added to the digital strategy.

Recorded sessions on Zoom are saved to the SFU Zoom cloud account and must be downloaded manually by staff (or a request from the ???). Are downloaded sessions, edited or not, stored on the physical server for all staff?

If video or audio from a video or teleconference is recorded to be shared with an external participant, consent is collected by SFU Galleries in writing or live during the meeting through a unanimous showing of hands or other agreed upon, accessible communication.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.4. Staff Meetings

This chapter is not designed to analyze the current Staff Meeting structure but to suggest ways digital tools and a commitment to hybrid staff meetings can provide more equitable access to all team members. Regardless of who is in the room, having tools that prioritize accessibility and transparency can promote wellness and efficiency. By providing alternative ways that staff can participate and access staff meeting information, SFU Galleries allows its team agency to make decisions based on their daily dynamic needs and reduces the reactive accommodation scramble that may need to happen when a guest or distanced participant needs to attend. Arguably, having systems for staff meetings meant to empower those in the room can also help break up power imbalances (whether acknowledged or unacknowledged) and give those in attendance more authority to speak up and respond when they previously could not. The goal is to keep the length of staff meetings the same. Still, it is worth noting that when introducing new procedures into systems that have previously prioritized non-Disabled hearing participation and efficiency, things will slow down as people practice, make mistakes, and are confronted with their own internalized ableism!

The simplest way to practice hybrid staff meetings is to invite Zoom into all staff meetings, regardless of whether they are held in person or online. Schedule a Zoom meeting event for each staff meeting and set up a speakerphone, microphone/laptop for all in-person meetings.

2.4.1. Transcriptions and note taking

A transcription tool is a great addition to all staff meetings. Limited AI programs that generate speech-to-text transcriptions have come a long way in the past five years, with much growth following the early days of the Pandemic when more people used videoconferencing and VOIP. Transcription tools not only serve as a record of the conversation but can also allow for asynchronous participation of off-site or absent staff, as well as provide notes for reference.

Transcription tools are most accurate when one person is speaking at a time. Committing to transcription in meetings encourages people who often struggle to wait for others to complete their thoughts or those with more experience and presence in meetings. Creating meeting procedures that require people to speak one at a time and establishing a verbal or physical indicator that someone is done allows those slower to process to finish their thoughts before being interrupted. Modelling this behaviour online, and during in-person meetings using a conference microphone or mobile devices can change the dynamic of speakers in a room.

Live transcription also provides auto-captions as an option to staff. Captions can provide access to the hard of hearing and d/Deaf, assist those who better process reading than listening, and help those for whom English is an additional language. By calling into Zoom for staff meetings, this service becomes available to anyone who needs it and has access to SFU Galleries calendars.

For any visuals presented in-person or online, commit to having someone visually describe what is being displayed. If a transcript runs, this can become the basis for description used in other places, such as memos, external presentations, or online content.

2.4.2. Agendas and calendar events

Agendas are a handy tool for in-person and online meetings. They can help set goals, establish who should be in the room or have access to asynchronous notes and transcripts, and provide clarity for those attending. Agendas are a similar tool typically printed out for in-person meetings but could be distributed via email or through a shared document.

Agendas can also be included in digital calendar invitations. Prioritizing agendas is a great opportunity to practice making calendar events accessible. Modelling and making time to practice accessible content writing internally makes it easier to do when sending out content externally. Consider using a content writing assistant to help with this work as you build this soft skill.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems




2.5. Manuals and Onboarding

While manuals are important for onboarding, they are also a staff resource for important but irregular tasks. Additionally, manuals can provide an alternative way for various learners to access information. It establishes a best practice and consistent way of doing things to help troubleshoot errors quicker, and it can help workers identify or overcome assumptions and biases. In a manual, best practices can be explained or written out so that staff can focus on consistently providing what is needed for their audiences and customers in most cases and not need to strategize a solution live every time. Certainly, manuals should be regularly reviewed, critiqued, and renewed. Still, a systems or procedures manual can help keep things consistent and give staff agency to answer process questions consistent with institutional values and not subject to the whims of the internet or their assumptions.

Two manuals were provided to the report's author to review for this needs assessment.

  • SFU Galleries Website Manual
  • SFU Galleries Campaigner (Email/Newsletter) Manual

These manuals have been consulted to generate feedback for Chapter 4 (website) and Chapter 2.8 Email.

This chapter is focused on recommendations for the format of these manuals, how to make these digital assets more accessible, and how to recommend a project to generate or review written documentation for processes that are either known only to current staff or whose formal process documents require an update.

2.5.1. Format

The PDF format is excellent for preserving style and formatting, and when saved correctly, it can provide a small file size that is easy to share. However, PDFs are more difficult to update, and assets such as manuals should be updated, if not annually, regularly to incorporate new knowledge, best practices, and software or hardware changes.

PDFs are also inconsistently accessible for people with screen readers.

It is recommended that any PDF manuals be converted back into a word processor file as the master file. Once updated, a dated PDF version of the manual can be created as an alternate format saved within the same folder. Still, the Word document is available for updates and changes, or if the PDF format is inaccessible.

Optional: Just as this report has been written in HTML to prioritize accessibility and allow screen readers to be a priority group, HTML or other markup could be considered for SFU Galleries manuals. A wiki such as MediaWiki could be set up on the local network, which staff could access through the VPN while remaining closed to the public. It would be searchable and follow an accessible format that all SFU Galleries departments could use. Alternatively, since the SFU Galleries staff currently uses Asana, an operations project could be started with the Project Brief linking to manuals within the shared drive. Roles could be defined, and the messages system could be used during the year to note necessary manual updates, leave a request for clarification, or update staff when manuals are changed.

For long training manuals, it can also be true that text is a barrier. Some people are better trained through listening and watching. Consider running manuals through text-to-speech tools such as Speechify to ensure that things are following a natural order and to allow staff, especially neurodiverse folks, alternative ways of learning. Speechify has been added to the recommended tools in Chapter 7 of this report.

It's also worth running manuals through a readability tool such as the free Hemingway App or pro tools like Readable.com. Manuals should strive to be simple, where understanding is the goal. Use simple language and short sentences. Expand all acronyms. A readability tool can help.

It can be a great project for new staff, short-term workers, interns, and students to review existing manuals for programs they need to become more familiar with. It provides a space for co-learning, where they can develop a new skill, and it can quickly identify places where the manual is unclear or missing information. This has been recommended as a project within the 2.6 Co-learning section.

For people for whom English is an additional language, having manuals available in an accessible, text-based format can also make it easier for language translation tools to be used to help clarify technical or industry-specific language that is not immediately familiar to the new team member.

Consider creating a manual template for all departments that follow the SFU Galleries style guide and make it simple for people to seek out knowledge from other departments in a familiar way.

Add descriptions for visuals and name how they connect to the step-by-step text. Having fewer pages is less important than type size and an easy-to-follow order on a page. Use two columns maximum and consider stacking images with a centre justification and footnote or caption to describe the images' purpose.

2.5.2. Manuals Maintenance Project

Similar to the File Maintenance Project day/week, it is recommended that scheduled time is made during the year for manual updates. In year one, more time would be required to review existing manuals and update them.

In the initial phase, staff will identify and place all the existing manuals in a shared folder within the server or create an alias link for department-specific manuals that are better kept within relevant department folders. Consider making this a top-level folder or contained within an onboarding or training folder. Administration and IT would consider whether individual manuals or a browser-based (wiki) intranet would be sustainable.

The second phase will schedule time for departments to prioritize manuals that need an update. New manuals may need to be developed from scratch, which can be added to the project list. Students or interns could be invited to take on a specific project to document drafts during this phase.

Once this stage is complete, a schedule for annual maintenance will be developed and added to shared calendars for current and new staff. This annual maintenance can include updates to existing manuals or scheduling development of new manuals during the coming year..

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.6. Co-learning and resource sharing, external

This chapter encourages resource sharing and co-learning opportunities between SFU Galleries staff and SFU students. All staff are responsible for staying up to date with software features or access information, but it is easier when it is scheduled, done as a team, and when space is made to share what is learned. Below are a few co-learning opportunity projects suggested for the coming year.

2.6.1 Microsoft Office, co-learning and pro-D days

Create an annual professional development day specific to Microsoft Office. As the tool used by all SFU Gallery staff, making time to review the available training assets online invests in staff learning. Schedule a follow-up meeting to allow staff members to share something they learned, even as pro users. Encouraging this kind of professional development activities can help staff identify their own biases ("I know how to use this product and don't need to do this") and ensure that the latest accessibility technology built into these programs is used to the fullest by all staff. Most software is updated regularly, and while tools such as Microsoft Office are common in the professional work environment, a push to keep up with new tools and features is not.

Consider inviting visiting artists, interns and SFU students who are currently engaged with SFU Galleries work to participate in the co-learning and sharing sessions. Share experiences and user tips with each other and build capacity within the network!

2.6.2 Manuals and Documentation Project, co-learning and ongoing support

Following the internal Manual Maintenance Project in year one, SFU Galleries could schedule a yearly co-learning event or themed staff meeting where departments share the major updates or items they learned or were refreshed about. New manuals could be written as a draft documentation project by students or interns and then reviewed by departments to edit and adapt as training and department resources. Consider reaching out to creative writing or tech writing departments at SFU.

In onboarding, ask new staff to give feedback when using manuals, as they can give an unbiased review on whether the content is useful. Consider pairing a student with a new staff to engage in co-learning/mentorship and provide a research assistant to the new staff as they acclimate to their position.

2.6.3 Asset Description Project

This project is designed to bring in students or project contractors to focus on building descriptions associated with all public-facing assets on both the SFU Galleries website and Collections database.

This will be a long-term project that spans multiple years and can be renewed annually as new assets are generated by SFU Galleries and new acquisitions are brought into the SFU Art collection.

If more robust funding can be found, this project can include captions and transcriptions to make audio-visual assets more accessible and searchable.

External funding can be found in creative writing, accessibility support, and professional development grants. However, the first phase of this project should be to develop a best practices or style guide that workers can follow to maintain consistency and to achieve SFU Galleries/Collective communication goals.

Best Practices for Descriptions and Translations

The following is a list of recommendations to be added to a style guide or best practices manual for writing descriptions. Many resources are available for free online; however, the Collections and Communications teams should approve the final guide before the description project begins in earnest.

This guide should be titled Best Practices for Descriptions and Translations to recognize that the purpose of this exercise is to describe the objects and assets in detail and to translate visuals into text. The act of translating visuals into text can be very subjective. The guide is designed to help writers distinguish between inclusive description (creative access) and functional description (brief, focusing on keywords). This project will also generate alt tags for online media. Existing media captions should inform this process; however, media captions and descriptions should have very little in common with each other. They should complement each other, and there should be minimal repetition.

If captions and transcriptions are included in this project, style standards should be detailed within this guide. Link to process documentation where tools like otter.ai or auto transcript can be used to generate content, and then how style guides can be used to edit captions and transcripts to be consistent and meaningful.

Descriptions should employ an information hierarchy that starts with the broadest information and then moves into details. This gives readers and listeners the agency to continue engagement with the description or to move on if it is irrelevant.

  • Images: If an image is meant to convey information, a feeling or emotion, or a purpose, follow the best practices for image description from the W3C. If writing about a physical object within the collections, write with enough description such that if the object was lost, it could be described to someone who has never seen or felt it so that they could identify it.
  • Videos: Describe videos as a synopsis. Media captions for video should contain the duration information. If there are chapters or specific sections of a video that are thematically different, a description should cover each theme. Content warnings can also be contained here. Use high-level keywords to help people locate this media. If transcriptions are available, these can be linked within the description or should immediately follow this content.
  • Audio: Describe the audio as a synopsis. For interviews, name the speakers. If there is a transcription available, this should immediately follow the description.
  • Alt tags: What is the purpose or role of this digital asset? An alt tag does not describe the content but its purpose. When an asset is to provide decoration for a sighted viewer, it is essential that the alt tag either be designated as a null attribute (alt="") and by way of the wai-aria attributes (role="presentation"). If an asset immediately includes a description, alt tags can also be left as a null attribute.
  • Media Captions: A media caption should include a title, creator or artist name, a year, and potentially a line to explain its purpose.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.7. Contracts and agreements

Contracts and agreements are documents that many now expect to be able to handle digitally. Through signing software such as Adobe Acrobat, Dropbox Sign, or Docusign, draft contracts can be provided for review and signed without needing a printer, fax machine, or in-person meeting. SFU Galleries maintains an Adobe Cloud subscription for all staff, which includes Adobe Sign. There would be no additional cost to standardize this use, and a manual should be created for onboarding and consistent use across departments. However, Adobe Sign is not always accessible to all, especially those who are Blind or have older technology incompatible with Adobe programs. It is recommended that a program such as DocuSign be considered either as the primary tool or backup for accessibility.

SFU Galleries has existing templates for Supplier Contracts, which Simon Fraser University has approved; that is to say, they follow current national and provincial laws. These contracts were designed for commercial services and were written with the understanding that SFU cannot be held liable. There is no space to shift within the current contract for a worker to confirm accessibility and to ensure that harm also does not come to the worker by SFU and its network. While this does not have an easy solution, conversations around equity and inclusion within the current boilerplate began when the author of this report was brought into this project. While contract audits and reviews are a larger project and fall outside of a digital needs assessment, it is worth being involved in this discussion, especially as SFU and other Universities across British Columbia complete their Accessibility Plans associated with the new Accessible British Columbia Act. Having digital access to contracts, centring bodies who may require digital access for payment, communication, and file sharing, and updating these agreements to be accessible (providing simple word explanations to inform and promote fairness, not to confuse with inaccessible language), would be a worthy project to pursue.

For accessible digital contracts, ensure that all draft contracts are created in Microsoft Office and then pass an Accessibility Check. A well-structured digital contract will be more easily navigated through assistive technology. Avoid PDFs unless they meet ISO standards, and even then, it is best to send drafts as Microsoft Office or plain text files for review.

Draft plain language summary documents to go with larger, common contracts to create a place for artists and contractors to ask questions. These are not legally binding documents, but they give both the SFU Gallery staff and external signing partners a chance to confirm they understand what is being agreed to honestly and to recognize that legal language represents a barrier to anyone not regularly engaged in the legal process. These work summaries are not agreements but an accessibility tool (this must be stated specifically).

Agreements made specifically between SFU Galleries and contractors may allow for more flexibility; however, SFU Galleries is still connected to the university, and agreements must be acceptable to SFU legal before an agreement can be made. SFU Galleries handles contracts between the Institution, artists, and arts workers within their budgets and administration. These contracts are managed and ultimately signed by the director. Changes to the SFU Gallery contract template are reviewed by SFU procurement.Kim - please confirm

2.7.1. SFU Galleries payments, e-Transfer.

It has been documented a few times that attempts to have e-transfers set up by SFU have failed, and physical cheques have been mailed. This creates a barrier for those with physical challenges and those for whom getting to a bank incurs a cost. Consider, for example, a Blind artist or Disabled contractor who must be driven to a bank to deposit a cheque physically. This requires them to pay someone to be able to be paid. This note is to flag the confusion around how to set up eTransfers with SFU properly, and a review of this process, followed by the creation of a procedures manual which can be shared with external contractors, is highly recommended.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.8. Emails and footers

SFU Galleries staff have mostly consistent email footers. All footers contain three upcoming exhibitions or projects and a link to the sfugalleries.ca website. There is some inconsistency around the contact information, and footers use tiny fonts with a low contrast colour (fig 2.8a), except for one staff (see Fig 2.8a-1 and Fig 2.8a-4), which uses black for contact information and blue links. It is recommended that all staff shift to this format. Any grey text should be replaced with black or moved to grey with a 1:7 contrast ratio. It is also recommended that the font size be a minimum of 12 for all footers. Remove all underlined text that is not a link (see Fig 2.8c for recommended format).

Fig 2.8a: 4 email footers from 3 SFU Staff across four months.

Email footer from June 2023, Staff 1
2.8a-1: June 2023, Staff 1
Email footer from July 2023, Staff 2
2.8a-2: July 2023, Staff 2
Email footer from August 2023, Staff 3
2.8a-3: Aug 2023, Staff 3
Email footer from Sept 2023, Staff 1
2.8a-4: Sept 2023, Staff 1

Some staff have begun to adopt the addition of personal pronouns, but there needs to be a consistent placement. The option to add personal pronouns will be a decision made by the staff or as an act of allyship by the Institution, but the position should be consistent. It is recommended that it directly follows the name and post-nominal letters. The option to include the label "pronoun" is optional (but should be consistent across all profiles that indicate their pronouns (fig 2.8b).

Fig 2.8b: 2 examples of pronouns within a signature.

Crowley Breem, PhD (they/them, ze/zer)

Pelly Domber, MI (she/her)

It is recommended that a clean version of the email template be created with static links, as some of the source code within current email footers contains old links. Remove capitals, and use full abbreviations for dates (i.e., Sept, not Sep). Ensure location links (outside the contact.html page) are current and go to contact pages with addresses or emails. When a landing page is not available for an external location, link to a map (see fig 2.8c, Belzberg library)

Fig 2.8c: Recommended Email Footer Template

Lake Gordon, MBA (he/him)
Technology and Access Manager
Direct: 778-888-88X8

SFU Galleries
website, map
----------

Autofictional: MFA Graduating Exhibition and Festival
Sept 6 - Sept 23, 2023
Audain Gallery, Vancouver

Introducing the Gibson Art Museum
Sept 19 - Sept 30, 2023
SFU Gallery, Burnaby

Francisco-Fernando Granados: who claims abstraction?
Jan 20 - Dec 16, 2023
Teck Gallery, Vancouver

who claims abstraction? Echoes from the SFU Art Collection
Jun 9 - Dec 16, 2023
SFU Belzberg Library, Vancouver

----------

sfugalleries.ca

SFU Galleries uses Microsoft Outlook on their desktops. There needs to be more consistent use of Outlook on mobile devices. Many employees use the default mail browser on their phones. It is recommended that the Microsoft Outlook tool be downloaded onto mobile devices used for SFU Galleries work (whether on personal devices or an institutional asset). This will allow for consistent message appearances, a separation from work and personal messages, and accessibility tools available within Microsoft Office. In particular, all staff should turn on and familiarize themselves with the Accessibility Checker within Outlook.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.9. Working Offsite

SFU Galleries has multiple office locations and scheduled work-from-home days through VPN. Its staff supports artists through community events, studio and gallery visits, co-learning opportunities and more. SFU Galleries also maintains and activates off-site public artwork. Additionally, staff have some casual flexibility to work away from office locations when health and wellness are a concern.

Working off-site is now so different than during the pre-mobile or web era or even before 2021. Adjacent to considerations around physical location is the ability to switch between and use mobile devices owned by the Institution or the staff. Formalized agreements, procedures, and inventory associated with working off-site and through mobile devices are things to be considered in future digital strategy and operations planning. Without a formal procedure or policy related to working off-site, the burden of planning and coverage is subject to the fluctuating capacity of staff, it puts the burden of managing safety, health and wellness on employees, and it is only sustainable while the current staff is employed and "well". It represents a risk to productivity and capacity as staff must rely on something other than an impermanent system subject to the current administrative staff makeup.

Cellphones are now ubiquitous in office culture and are used by SFU Galleries employees to do their work, including emails. While still being informally considered as extra or up to an employee, they are now common enough to examine how these tools are being used, move beyond assumptions, and document how much cellphone and personal device use is happening and the cost. It has been identified by multiple staff that their cell phones are essential for their jobs, from documenting and installation to artist visits and off-site meetings. In particular, the SFU Collections is stored in a vault where staff are required to go down a set of stairs, often solo, with no cell reception and a single phone that does not dial out.

Without a policy or formalized set of procedures, personal device use poses a potential security risk, requires employees to be self-motivated and update or upgrade their phone for minimum security (i.e., OS updates,) and unjustly benefits employees with more opportunity and privilege. To assume all employees could afford a cell phone is not advised. However, it is worth considering how an employee with access to a cell phone might be more efficient, mobile, reachable, and rewardable when reviewing output.

The author does not recommend SFU Gallery prohibit personal device use from the office, nor to punish or disrupt those who have integrated their phones into the productivity and safety systems, but to conduct a deeper investigation into personal device use. It may reveal that mobile or other personal digital devices are, in fact, essential for work now conducted at SFU Galleries (i.e., website and app development, conferencing, file transfer, testing, photography) and should be considered within operations.

A cellphone and personal device use survey of current employees would be a good first step to get a picture of the tech requirements and cost of maintenance that is held by staff, and how cellphones are being used such that it is more convenient to use personal assets than ones provided by SFU Galleries.

Adding cellphone processes to operations manuals and policy helps manage security and expectations for all staff, and updating contracts to confirm that cellphone use is the choice of the employee also minimizes risk when it comes to privacy and scams that many small businesses do not consider until they are threatened.

If cellphone use proves considerable, a security audit and a use policy should be created. It may be worth having all SFU Galleries hardware and cellular data for staff bundled into the same agreement with current internet service providers. Working off-site comes with risks and opportunities to consider outside the scope of a digital assessment, but working off-site is no longer analog. It will only become more feasible with the ever-growing IoT (Internet of Things).

Specific action items for this project have been added to 2.11 Action Items for Internal Systems



2.10. Simple Language Summary: Internal Systems

Practice accessible and consistent file and folder naming. Rename files, find duplicates, and return errant files to the server.

Microsoft Office has many accessibility features. SFU Galleries staff must regularly update their knowledge of the new tools. Host a professional development event.

Make video conferences accessible. Generate assets for asynchronous access.

Staff meetings are more accessible with digital agendas. Incorporate transcription and auto-caption tools.

Manuals are important. They keep processes consistent. Written documentation reduces risk. Keep manuals up to date.

Engage students and seasonal workers in content writing projects.

Subscribe to a readability tool to help ensure language is accessible.

Leverage content writing assistants to help write concise, simple language based on existing documents.

Generate simple language explanations for contracts. Use an accessible tool for digital contract signing.

Update the internal email footer.

Create a formal working off-site policy. Enforce tech and internet allowances. Incorporate mobile devices into the digital strategy.



2.11. Action Items for Internal Systems

The following checklist are some action items that can be addressed directly through quick fixes, focused projects, or policy changes. The checklist does not store anything within this report, but if you feel good checking something off when it's done, check the box!

Internal Systems Checklist

  • Create a file naming memo and circulate to staff.
  • Schedule a file maintenance day/week (annual)
    • Set a deadline for staff to review and update the server with all files that have been created, edited, or deleted off-site. Do not delete duplicates, but append all files returned to the central server with "-REVIEW".
    • Invest in and run a Duplicate Media program on the server in anticipation of file maintenance day to provide teams with specific files that need attention.
    • Create and share a file naming convention guide with all staff. Add to staff meeting agenda to discuss.
    • Set time in the schedule specifically for file maintenance work for this update/merge. Create a deadline for all staff and review.
    • Use the annual file maintenance day to discuss program changes and to offer training to staff for skill updates.
  • Host a Microsoft Office Professional Development event. Follow-up with an opportunity for staff to share something they have learned. Specifically, spotlight accessibility tools are available within the suite.
  • Review access to Microsoft Office suite for employee use on personal devices.
  • Review mobile and personal device use by staff.
    • Conduct an anonymous survey of all staff on mobile and personal device use. Include questions about monthly plan costs, percentage of use within office or business hours, tasks performed on mobile devices, upkeep and maintenance questions, and pressure to use personal devices. Ask about applications that are used and specifics around how they use the device in their current role with SFU Galleries.
    • Create a report summarizing mobile and personal device use in the office to determine whether or not there is a security risk or assess whether personal device use is assisting in productivity and accessibility due to other existing barriers within the internal systems at SFU Galleries
    • Optional: Hire a security expert to assess whether personal device connectivity to the servers poses a risk to the closed server environment or argues against the need for the closed system.
    • Contact the current internet service provider and look into quotes around tech and internet plans for staff and moving away from phones or desktops. Make a cost comparison of costs of office computer maintenance versus mobile computers and cellphones for staff.
  • Identify priority groups for teleconference and video conferencing from SFU Galleries. Identify groups that are currently not served with budgets and staff capacity.
    • Create a staff-use template for meetings and events hosted through video and teleconferencing.
    • Create a text-based version of video and teleconference recording consent forms (non-PDF).
  • Create a Zoom link for every staff meeting whether in-person or online. Include it in staff calendar events.
  • Practice transcription in staff meetings (subscribe to a transcription or speech-to-text tool, or download live captions files generated during meetings). - Read more about the otter.ai tool in resources.
    • During in-person staff meetings, have one person call into Zoom, either using a laptop or telephone, to provide live auto-captions, an audio recording, and transcription. Download transcript files from Zoom or subscribe to a transcription tool such as Otter.ai to generate an editable transcript for your files. Store transcripts on the server for staff review.
    • Discuss meeting practices that would benefit both an online and in-person audience. Establish speaking orders that allow all speakers to complete their thoughts before someone else speaks, and consider establishing who is speaking if using a transcription tool.
    • Communicate to team members that awkwardness is to be expected when trying something new! Give people time to adjust and make mistakes, but be firm in your commitment to accessible practices in both in-person and digital meetings. Transcriptions can help hold people accountable during reviews.
    • Purchase a microphone for staff meetings. Designate a computer or staff person to connect to Zoom and ensure that the captions and transcription are working. Have this staff member download Zoom files and upload them to the server. Consider a rotating person to do this, and name them a digital secretary.
  • Provide staff meeting agendas within calendar invites, which include a link to Zoom for captions and teleconference options, and to practice writing accessible calendar events.
  • Create a manual project memo and circulate to staff. Choose a date, and ask that process manuals be consolidated into one shared folder by that time.
  • Review current digital contract procedures and policy. If none exist, document current procedures and decide on a single program and procedure for all staff. Consider using Adobe Sign (existing subscription) or use an accessible document signing program such as DocuSign for digital contracts (created in Microsoft Word).
  • Contact SFU Procurement about developing a plain language accessibility document for all boilerplate contracts to acknowledge the barriers in legalized and immovable contract agreements.
  • Review the steps needed to set up e-Transfer for contractors and artists. Document this process.
  • Schedule a procedures manual maintenance day/week (annual)
    • Have departments identify processes that need documentation (create).
    • Have departments identify processes that need documentation updated (review).
      • Convert existing PDF manuals into word documents. Prioritize accessibility and convert manuals to a single column.
      • Review manuals that have visual content and create image captions or legends that connect them back to the text.
      • Run a manual through a text-to-speech tool (such as Speechify) to test comprehension by listening, and consider subscribing annually and made accessible to any staff who better understands by listening (or listening and reading) long texts. These tools can also be used as a screen reader or audio version of text printed for exhibitions.
    • Schedule time in the staff meeting agenda following manual update day to share process changes and identify updated manuals.
  • Formalize SFU Galleries Working Off-site procedures into an operations procedures manual, begin steps for a Working Off-site Policy, and create an inventory of digital assets available and subscribed to for current staff. Move away from the language "work from home." (large task)
  • Update all staff email footers to include higher contrast fonts, larger text sizes, consistent pronoun spaces, updated links, and consistent date abbreviations.
  • Encourage all staff to turn on Accessibility Checker within Outlook.
  • Encourage all staff to download Outlook for their mobile devices (including phones) to separate email from personal accounts and to encourage a consistent look and access standards for professional emails.
  • Seek out funding or project partnerships with SFU writing, communications, or art students to begin the Asset Description Project (chapter 2.6.3).

Jump back to the top of section 2: internal Systems.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.

3. Programming

The SFU Galleries public programs consist of Exhibitions, Public Projects, Events and Performances, Workshops, and Publications. Exhibitions and Public Projects represent most of the programming, with events, workshops, and publications supporting these main initiatives. Occasionally, an event, workshop, or publication may be a special project.

This chapter specifically is specific to content around public programs and digital listings, not limited to the sfu.ca/galleries website. For more details on website and newsletter-specific recommendations, view chapter 4.



3.1. Exhibitions

Exhibitions at SFU Galleries are presented by physical location and contained within a single landing page. Each exhibition has one main image, a date range, an abstract, and artist information. A manual list of upcoming events is included if event information is available when the exhibition information is published.

There are many avenues to explore digital interactivity within modern Exhibitions. The possibilities are numerous, from the visitor's own mobile devices to technology available in the Gallery for loan or by exhibition, to digital explorations within the exhibition itself conceived by the artists or collective to digital alternatives created by gallery staff.

SFU Galleries must consider their exhibition goals through a calendar year or multi-year program so that digital interactivity complements rather than overwhelms. Consistency is important, and it's important to remember that not all technology or opportunities will be immediately adopted by all visitors and that some will require time and promotion before they are noticed and used.

The digital exhibition is something that many galleries and museums were forced to consider during the early pandemic era. For some, photographing the exhibition with more didactic notes was enough. For others, immersive 360 tours, augmented and virtual environments, and online audio-visual participation allowed galleries and museums to radically change how they connected with local and international visitors. As distancing regulations and restrictions were lighted, it was up to the institution to find the capacity to continue their new digital programming or sometimes abandon the temporary online spaces altogether to prioritize the physical and local visitors. The past few years have shaken up expectations around what is possible in public presentation spaces, whether due to capacity and resources or attitudes toward the value of in-person versus online offerings.

The following is a list of opportunities for the SFU Galleries staff to consider for exhibitions moving forward and ways to incorporate digital participation in exhibitions offsite and online.

3.1.1 Digital Exhibition: In Person/In Gallery

Personal devices in gallery
The Exhibition landing page should be easy to navigate and mobile-friendly for someone who wishes to learn more from their phone. Provide wifi for visitors.
QR Codes
Using scannable prompts in the Gallery, at the docent/welcome station, or within didactics allows visitors to go more in-depth, have text scaled for their reading comfort, or run through text-to-speech programs. Video or audio clips could be included where an artist has more to say about a piece.
Walking and audio tours
Provide devices or allow visitors to stream a walking tour by the curator, artist, or other gallery staff for self-directed walks. Provide a transcript for those who are better able to follow text or who will run text through a translation app.
Hashtags and calls for feedback
Provide a consistent way for people to post feedback or photos in a way that communications can find and respond. Either through a common gallery hashtag or by advertising the SFU Galleries social handles with prominence at welcome stations.

Introduce digital items to exhibitions one at a time and make them a consistent part of all forthcoming programs. Once the curatorial and visitor teams feel confident with a digital feature and it is featured and promoted to visitors consistently, consider adding something new.

3.1.2 Digital Exhibition: Online/Website

Exhibition Publications and Didactics
Any printed catalogues or publications provided to visitors for free should be available for download on the website. This practice allows for asynchronous participation of visitors (either pre/post visit or virtual only) and a place to archive texts with their associated exhibition. It also allows for translation tools (either language or text-to-speech).
Exhibition Galleries
Provide more than a single image or take shots specific to the installation at SFU Galleries. If the pretended work tours or is on loan from other collections, provide gallery shots that show the work as it relates to the site rather than as a close-up of the work itself.
Exhibition Walk-Throughs
Through video, a series of stills, or an interactive 360 tour, visitors can walk the exhibitions online. It allows visitors with limited mobility, health challenges, or visitors who are distanced from the Gallery to experience the show during and after it has been taken down.
Audio Tours
Store audio tours online to allow someone to walk through the show through audio or download tours on their devices before going to the Gallery.
Publications, Editions, Commissions
Create a consistent place on each exhibition page for visitors to find associated texts, books and editions for sale or to contact the artist/curator for commissions, talks, or media interviews. Be sure to link to recent acquisitions or the collection if objects are purchased from an exhibition.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 3.5 Action Items for Programming



3.2. Public Art

This chapter is related to SFU Art Collection works, which are permanently and publically installed and referred to as SFU Public Art. While there are works from the SFU Art Collection that are installed across SFU campuses, this chapter focuses specifically on works installed at the SFU Burnaby campus.

The primary way to access this work digitally is through a free PDF guide on the SFU galleries website. The PDF is not interactive but is keyword-searchable. The PDF is not listed anywhere else on the SFU.ca website, although it is called the SFU Art Collection. It may be a resource that needs to be shared and promoted to other SFU departments that take care of visitor and student services, especially school tours that may wish to access the resources and whose point of contact is not the SFU Galleries.

While the PDF may be accessible to sighted users on a desktop, the PDF is a resource that needs to be accessible through a mobile device and screen reader, especially if a visitor comes upon a work while at the SFU Burnaby campus, and not on wifi. It is recommended that the SFU Public Art Guide be translated into a plain text or webpage equivalent, with the PDF being an alternate, downloadable resource. This translation will make the content more searchable and accessible across devices and translation accounts. The styled art guide is beautiful but is styled to limit the content per work to a single page and doesn't have room for accessibility content. A webpage could also allow an interactive map to be downloaded as a walking tour.

It is recommended that the PDF map be converted into text data. First, an address or landmark description of the location should be added to each item listing (see Fig 3.2a) so that those who cannot access a visual map have more details to share with SFU Burnaby campus staff or students to find their way. Second, specific geographic coordinates of the works allow users to place this into a map service without a specific address. Third, this text alternative also provides a space for visual description, allowing both sighted and low-vision or non-sighted visitors to engage with the work and draw attention to specifics that might be overlooked.

As this work invites solo public engagement, a text version of the art guide also gives a place for curators and gallery staff to include questions to visitors to deepen their experience with the works further.

Fig 3.2a: an example of Geert Mass Listing as a text listing.

Geert Maas(1)

Geert Mass, On the Beach, SFU Public Art
On the Beach, n.d., bronze. Purchase, 2000

Location (2): Blussen Hall, SFU Burnaby. The work is installed outdoors in the Blussen Hall courtyard. Wheelchair accessible. Click for google maps, coordinates 49°16'46.1"N 122°54'45.4"W.

Visual Description (3): This bronze sculpture depicts five sunbathers arranged as a family. It is installed on a square of marble 2ft high plinth in the centre of the walkway.

About: Multiple patinas were used to achieve the unique textures of swimsuits, hair, and skin. In 2002, Maas installed a similar sculpture in downtown Kelowna.

Biography: Geert Maas (1944–) was born in The Netherlands, where he attended the Academies of Art in The Hague. Mass moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, with his family in 1979. With his wife Elly, Maas created the Geert Maas Sculpture Gardens and Gallery (Kelowna, BC), which features one of the largest collections of bronze sculptures in Canada and a diverse selection of other works. Geert Maas is an internationally renowned artist who works in two and three dimensions in a variety of media. His disciplines include sculpture, painting, reliefs, and metallic art. His works have been shown in numerous exhibitions and are represented in prestigious public, corporate, and private art collections worldwide.

Critical thinking: (4) Would this piece work inside, or does it need to be installed outdoors? If you were to copy this sculpture into another medium, how would you do it?

Author changes of note: (1)The Artist's name is not in all caps, (2) Landmark, address, or coordinate description, (3) Description of the image provided, (4) Critical thinking questions.

Many community interviews revealed that it would be a challenge to find a specific piece of public art without wifi or access to the PDF. A few people stated that they would ask admissions or campus security. Have other SFU visitor services departments been updated on SFU Public Art, and how do they help people with different needs arrive at their desired destination?

Specific action items for this project have been added to 3.5 Action Items for Programming



3.3. Special Projects and Events

Events and Special Projects are separated and duplicated inconsistently across the current website. Events are mostly contained within the events calendar section and widget but are also sometimes written out in detail at the bottom of exhibition pages or special projects. Special projects have their section within the navigation menu but contain both events, news or blog-type events that are otherwise hosted on other websites or are associated with publications and editions, screenings, or media.

It is recommended that Special Projects become a content tag. For projects that are programs of a similar scale to exhibitions but are separate from a gallery show or specific location, having a landing page within the chronology of the gallery section makes sense. Examples of these would be the Listening to Pictures Projects, or Witnessing Tsēmā Igharas: Hughadēsłēł — give it all away. For special projects with single programs or external programs in partnership with SFU Galleries or local communities, these should be articles listed within News or Updates (a consolidated category of news, blogs, and media). Any project with an event where the public is specifically invited should be in the events section and link back to landing pages (and vice versa), but should never exist isolated from the events page.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 3.5 Action Items for Programming



3.3.1 Special Projects and Event listings

Special Project and Event landing pages should contain information that excites site visitors. Specific information not already available within site information pages (above SFU Audain) should be detailed here, such as specific access information, visitors, ticket details, and contact persons. Do not duplicate information contained within the events listing within the calendar widget, but link to event listings there to allow people to add these dates to their calendars or to see the date in line with the rest of the month.

The following is a list of opportunities for the SFU Galleries special projects staff to consider when organizing special projects and events, engaging with public audiences, and creating landing pages.

3.3.1.1 Public Events: In Person/In Gallery

Is digital registration required?
If handled by an external site (or linked to within the event listing), state this specifically. If someone needs to cancel suddenly, do they need to inform you? Is it closed registration?
Will there be wifi? What are you able to provide in terms of in-person access support? Can anything be downloaded before the event?
List these. If you are willing to do more, ensure that contact information is available for people to ask for help. If you cannot do more, state this and save your audiences some time.
Are hybrid options available?
Could you stream the event? Will you be recording or taking footage of the event? When will this be shared or posted? Will people be able to opt out of being recorded?

3.3.1.2 Public Events: Digital

Will you be recording the event?
Will it be available later? Will you be providing captions or transcripts?
What are you able to provide in terms of in-person access support?
List these. If you are specifically not doing something (i.e., no translation or captions), state this.
Will the chat be active?
This is important for those who use screen readers to know before they join an event.
Will you have ASL?
Ensure you plan for a meeting, not a webinar, or allow Deaf participants to register and become co-hosts so they can be seen and interact with interpreters.

Specific information and consideration around the events section within the website can be found in chapter 4.5.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 3.5 Action Items for Programming



3.3.2 Social Media

Social media engagement will constantly be shifting and changing, and is no longer a small part of any communications plan and requires considerable staff commitment. In this department, having access to a mobile device or camera is not just nice but necessary. It reinforces the recommendation that SFU Galleries have a tech budget to supply staff either with company mobile devices or an internet and tech allowance. Having devices that run the most up-to-date software allows staff to record, document, and engage with their communities as peers and in real-time without the risk of accidentally using their personal accounts or data while engaged with professional work.

In the community interviews, Instagram and Facebook were visited with varying success levels. Some users were very familiar with the platforms, but their personal access barriers kept them from being engaged or able to understand the posted content. However, it is worth mentioning that recent social media posts on both Facebook and Instagram have included auto-captions, image descriptions, and camelCase hashtags. This work is being done, and now the next step is to move some of this work back into the main SFU galleries website.

Fig 3.3.2a: Tai G. shows an example of a social media post within Facebook that referenced a user name that was inaccessible to him using his screen reader. "@r0n___7r4n ) drives my screenreader nuts." Tai also mentions that the media caption language inviting people to tap an image within Facebook is difficult for blind users. Facebook post screenshot

Specific action items for this project have been added to 3.5 Action Items for Programming


3.4. Simple Language Summary: Programming

De-silo exhibition content by physical location. Present Exhibitions and Special Projects together.

Integrate digital within the physical Gallery with mobile engagement.

Share printed and physical assets available in the Gallery online. Take visitors on virtual walks before they enter the Gallery. Develop audio tours.

Create a non-PDF version of the public art guide.

Expand event information and keep it on the events page. Link to event listings from other pages. External events are blogs or news posts.

Social media content is well done.


3.5. Action Items for Programming

The following checklist are some action items that can be addressed directly through quick fixes, focused projects, or policy changes. The checklist does not store anything within this report, but if you feel good checking something off when it's done, check the box!

Programming Checklist

  • Confirm Exhibition priorities with SFU Galleries Staff. What are important, consistent digital deliverables to the curatorial and visitor experience teams?
  • Review list of exhibition opportunities with curatorial and online content staff. What is the capacity to generate these assets? Does additional funding or hands need to be found?
  • Translate the SFU Public Art Guide PDF into a web page. Convert all data to text, remove all caps, and include an address or landmark information and a visual description for non-sighted participation. Consider engaging curators for critical thinking and slow-looking for self-directed interactivity.
  • Contact SFU Student Services, the Burnaby Campus Switchboard, Security offices, and @sfu social media accounts. Ask what they would do if someone asked for information about public art installed at the SFU Burnaby campus. Inform these departments of SFU public art resources.
  • Consolidate Special Projects into the Gallery section (chronologically), and move all events into the events section. Link to events from landing pages (and vice versa).
  • Create a Special Projects tag to identify them within exhibitions. Rename smaller "special projects" as events or news.
  • Copy image descriptions written for social media back into website listings.


Jump back to the top of section 3: Programming.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.

4. Website

The SFU Galleries website needs to serve visitors and currently feels siloed and challenging to navigate as an outsider. The staff team has also mentioned many ways the site feels cumbersome and typically avoids it, except to navigate to specific places through an external search or a landing page related to a recent project. The website needs a refresh and a new direction, designed to excite visitors and encourage them to explore what the gallery and museum offer. The current website structure is tied with the physical locations of the gallery and breaks up content into separate sections that require an unreasonable expectation of motivation from a visitor. A site architecture audit is suggested to make an inventory of online assets so that a new structure can be developed that prioritizes discovery.

Continuing on the theme of a siloed approach, the Collections database is an unpolished gem isolated from the content on the SFU Galleries website except through a navigation link. Exhibitions and their assets are not contained in the database, nor are current and upcoming artists, and this causes a visitor to wonder if they haven't stumbled into a non-public part of the website. The collections team is excited at the prospect of beefing up existing object records to be more accessible and detailed and to explore how the collections and archive can be more engaging to both the SFU Galleries visitor and the serious researcher. While that content work is being done, it is recommended that the focus of the collections is downplayed within the SFU Galleries website and that a time of development, exploration and research be undertaken before the Collection is promoted to the community. A few content writing projects (with student participation) have been recommended, and there are co-learning opportunities that should be done with the collections, curation, and communications teams so that work is not repeated and can be used in various places. Ultimately, an important question must be asked and answered by SFU Galleries: What is the scope of the SFU Collections Database, and who does it serve?

It has been recommended by this report's author and team members at SFU Galleries that the CMS system is too robust and clunky for the needs of the public-facing cultural website. It is worth considering a move towards a CMS or restructuring within the existing CMS that prioritizes exploration and browsing. The integrations within the SFU.ca website present many challenges and easily confuse visitors in ways that might benefit SFU but not the galleries or the user. SFU Galleries is not SFU, and its website should reflect that. SFU Galleries needs to be focused on a visitor experience, whereas SFU needs to provide a huge wealth of information for a wide variety of users. Making this distinction will help SFU Galleries to better serve their audiences as a gallery and museum rather than as a department of SFU (regardless of how it is on paper).

As SFU Galleries is going through a redesign process right now, the scope of this chapter is restricted to existing pages and content. Design feedback has been kept to a minimum, and the author of this audit is in discussion with the design firm and current staff to provide feedback in the early days of the redesign.

However, a major recommendation is that the website move away from a physical site-specific content organization and towards one presented chronologically. SFU Galleries should consider more broad and simple categories, with fewer needs to click, with the topmost hierarchy being date, followed by exhibition or special project. Subtopics or categories would be presented as links or tags familiar to a web user. They would encourage people to explore by a linked interest rather than requiring those interested to do more searches or make intuitive leaps of logic. For example, if an artist had previously worked with SFU for an event, workshop, or exhibition, it is up to the SFU Gallery staff to manually create links to other content the artist has worked on. Additionally, some items are located in the special projects or publications (sales) areas that are not listed (unless requested by the content manager) and require the visitor to be self-motivated to search for related content. The goal is to provide the end user with intuitive and low-effort options. While the design project is in development, it is recommended that the content team do an information architecture audit to identify content that could be connected and better served to visitors via tags and cross-linking.

It is becoming increasingly common for visitors to access content through an infinite scroll (scroll down and more context is listed) or navigation that makes content connections or serves the next relevant content in chronological order. The current site requires someone to navigate back to the side menu within the current site and choose from multiple categories (upcoming, upcoming SCA, past, past SCA). SCA means nothing to the author of this report and requires more labour than the average visitor needs to browse casually.

Since a site architecture audit and move to a new CMS represents a major website project initiative (that might also require independent funding), this report focuses on access and specific content based on the current website; however, the CMS and architecture projects have been added to the action item checklist.

It is recommended that all section landing pages have a short how-to-use paragraph drafted and made available, either via a show/hide link, a separate page, or an accessible modal pop-up. How-to pages can help anyone struggling to use the site and provide insight from the staff who are more familiar with the information and purpose of the page. Here, quick visual descriptions can be shared. If Deaf participation becomes a priority for SFU Galleries, it is also a good place for an ASL video primer to help navigate the site. Specific details on what would be helpful in how-to pages are recommended below.

Some of the recommended changes will not be immediately possible or simple because of the CMS, SFU Galleries ties to the master sfu.ca site, and the ongoing design project. For example, the search bar that searches within the galleries pages or the entire SFU.ca site requires a form label to be accessible. Recommendations that seek to reduce user barriers must be addressed in a how-to-use/FAQ or the accessibility commitment.

General feedback:

Fig 4a: The home page of sfu.ca/galleries. When visitors arrive, it shows the carousel and the SFU-specific branding at the top of the page. Every piece of text is in all caps. Where does one go if not to the carousel objects?
looping image of front page carousel


4.1. Contact Page

The contact page is one of the most important static contact pages for any site serving an audience. It's a place to get answers, connect, inform, and get help. It should be easy to find and intuitively laid out.

SFU Galleries has 3 locations and a fair number of staff listed on the contact page. The goal for this page should be to minimize the stress that an already confused or frustrated visitor may have and to move people from this page feeling satisfied with an answer.

For visitors who do not know who they want to contact, they will contact the top listing. The current page shows the director at the top, who is not the one to field general inquiries. There is a general inquiries email, but it is listed at the bottom of the first column, below the site listing information. This placement is not intuitive for screen reader users (see Tai's interview) or for people with low vision. The information becomes conflated with the Teck Gallery listing. Move this listing to the top of the Staff column. All three galleries have a separate email address on the Collection site - either repeat this on the contact page or update the Collection site to match.

This page has two content sections in 2 columns, so it deserves two headings. Adding a header to the staff column allows a screen reader or keyboard navigation user to move between headings and access staff details more easily. Consider putting a skip jump link to the staff column that appears for mobile media breaks.

A repeated note to consider removing capitals from the headings, especially since they are already bolded.

Accessibility information about each physical site should live on this page and be accessible through a hyperlink. Under the three sections, a link to information about events and the minimum access provided would also be useful (such as all events having sanitizer and gender-neutral washrooms and the email address where to request specific access tools and support). Accessibility is oddly represented on this page, with two staff members listed as working in accessibility, but neither has an email address or way to contact them. To those who live with a disability, there is an easy assumption to be made that disability services are not a priority and are listed as lip service. If this is true, that is fine, but if accessibility is important and something visitors can access SFU Galleries about, consider allowing for direct contact with these staff or specifically stating where people can get help.

Since details about each site are also listed on the About Us page, once the contact page links to accessibility information, similar links from the About page should also direct visitors there.

There is a sudden jump when the Contact Us page loads, which takes the visual focus down to the email newsletter sign-up (Fig 4.1a). Regardless of whether or not this is the SFU Gallery goal for the page, this isn't very clear for visitors who need more time to read or who have found the information they need for the page to have it suddenly jump down. For visitors who are already frustrated and seeking to contact staff for help, this is not a page where you want unexpected behaviour.

Fig 4.1a: An animated clip of the contact page loading and suddenly jumping down to the newsletter form at the bottom of the page.
screenshot

Since the newsletter sign-up is a contact form only available on the Contact Us page, this needs to be clarified for any English as an additional language user or those with cognitive challenges. Consider adding an icon to this section to provide more clarity. It might also be worth placing this content on its page with details on what users might expect, the frequency of messages, links to the most recent newsletters and or accessible versions of newsletters, or to explain what Post Mail lists are.

4.1.1 How-to content:

This content could inform visitors of two columns or point out the general inquiries email. Direct visitors to accessibility information. If the newsletter sign-up field is to remain on the contact page, some details about these forms could also be added.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 4.9 Action Items for Website



4.2. Search

The search functionality on SFU.ca/galleries is not intuitive. It breaks with the site's style, is jarring to sighted visitors, and lists minimal results. Next to the search is an A-Z directory unrelated to the gallery and extremely confusing for those for whom English is an additional language or anyone who thinks they can navigate the gallery site by keyword. It is recommended that the A-Z directory be hidden on sfu.ca/gallery pages as it removes someone from the site and can easily be used by clicking the SFU icon in the upper right-hand corner. This act has more intention to move within the larger SFU website.

It has been named by a few SFU Galleries staff and witnessed within the community engagement project that external search is the primary way people navigate the website. This strongly implies that navigation through the website is not intuitive for staff and visitors. While the search engine navigation is not wrong (and maybe more accessible in general to users with disabilities), it is more important that cross-linking and consistent information that may be found on another page be easily accessible through search results. For example, navigating to an Exhibition page with a manual text listing for upcoming events is more likely to contain errors or be outdated than a link listing all events or via a dynamic list of upcoming events tagged similarly to the active article or page.

If possible, the search results page must be styled to match the rest of the site.

4.2.1 How-to content:

A visual description of the page or information about how content is served would be helpful. Point out how a visitor might accidentally search the entire SFU.ca website and how to change that.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 4.9 Action Items for Website



4.3. Accessibility Information

SFU Galleries can't be everything to everyone. While universities need to strive for universal access due to the large population and cross-section of demographics they serve, SFU Galleries should focus on their primary audiences and be clear about whom they are serving and their capacity.

If SFU Galleries are not going to invest in ASL resources, then they don't serve the Deaf community, which is OK because it is the truth. If SFU Galleries identifies the Deaf community as a target audience they want to serve, they must authentically commit to it. A relationship with cultural groups not represented on staff or without considerable work and consideration will always have a higher chance of harm and misunderstanding, even when the goal is to be inclusive. Once SFU Galleries knows who they want to serve, consider the needs of these groups. Get it right with these audiences first, and then, when the goal is to build relationships and accessibility for more visitors, address each of these communities with a focus and care that allows for feedback. Building capacity within the staff is also essential to consistently serving communities- something essential to those who live with barriers and who must constantly adapt to move within a non-Disabled, hearing world.

This isn't to say that SFU Galleries should assume that their current visitor or artist community are non-Disabled, hearing, and without access needs. Instead, consider the cultural groups and communities with whom SFU Galleries has an ongoing relationship, and consider those who are struggling or least served by current processes here first.

Don't do things part ways. Don't offer ASL for workshops or talks if the rest of your site is inaccessible to Deaf communities. Consider co-hosting events with another group in a relationship with those communities you want to serve rather than positioning yourself as ready to hold a relationship you cannot or cannot serve.

4.3.1 Access Information By Location:

Draft accessibility information per location. Go for brevity, but have the more detailed information readily available for your public-facing staff. The most important information is health, safety, mobility, and access.

A robust accessibility audit of each location has been conducted by the Communications and Accessibility Manager. The template for this audit is from the Radical Access Mapping Project, a local Disabled artist who posted their template online to encourage all presentation spaces to consider the wide range of accessibility barriers their audiences face. A donation to the RAMP project was provided as part of the Digital Needs report initiative. The report is huge and available on the SFU Galleries' linktree. This report could also be linked to the access information or contact page. However, it is recommended that a smaller summary of access information be readily available on contact or about pages, with a link to the more in-depth report. The report information should also be removed from a spreadsheet and put into plain text to be searchable and more readable with assistive technology and translation tools.

Sample considerations for SFU Galleries site access:
What barriers exist that would keep someone with health challenges from each location, or what is important to know?
Allergies (fragrance, soap, or air-born particles), masking policies and sanitation services, work-from-home policy, etc.
How would someone be able to find out if access or wellness information changes quickly?
If a mobility device user arrives, will they be able to navigate to all publically accessible locations that someone without a mobility device could?
Are certain "publically" accessible areas temporarily not accessible due to construction?
If there is an "accessible" entrance, is it different than the main location?
Is there an accessible drop-off or parking location? How are the sidewalks to this entrance?
Are there sufficient wayfinding tools to get someone to the site?
What landmarks can you provide?
What are the dimensions of the washroom?
Can all bodies use the washroom on site?
If there are accessibility tools or services available for each location, what are they?
Who should people contact with access questions?

If there is one place for an ASL video, it is here, as it allows signing community members to know they can request more information in sign. Do not include a video if the team is unprepared to engage with sign language requests.

4.3.2 Access Information By Exhibition:

Any specific sensory and mobility challenges presented in each exhibition should be clearly stated with the exhibition information. If there are scents, sounds, physical items to move around, visuals, or interactivity, detail these. Make this a creative access project per exhibition to consider all bodies and either place it directly within the exhibition text or as a link to a separate article.

Sample considerations for exhibitions with sensory elements:
Is the entire exhibition or gallery space accessible?
Are certain "publically" accessible areas temporarily inaccessible by an exhibition or exhibit?
Are there temporary sensory elements that are not normally in the space, such as a scent, flashing or low light element, repetitive or loud sounds?
Are there alternative or accessible tools available specific to the exhibition?
Where can they be found? Do they need to be requested? Can they be requested upon visit, or must they be requested in advance?
Are there content warnings or considerations for young visitors?
Is the exhibition appropriate for youth, school trips, or people dealing with or carrying trauma? Does the show provide support when presenting traumatic content?

If SFU Galleries wishes to serve a more general public and an academic one, it is also an excellent creative writing project and access tool to summarize exhibitions in simple language. Consider making an alternative description of each exhibition at the top of the abstract text or link to a simple language summary. Use a content writing assistant to help quickly translate dense or complex language into broadly accessible summaries or reading level or duration legends. Use a readability tool to check that your reading level is consistent across all communication to your intended audience(s).

Alt tags or visual descriptions are essential to low-vision visitors. Since Exhibitions are available to the public, provide richer details of what can be seen or what needs to be understood under the visuals in image captions, and consider that alt text information should not simply be a repetition of an event (or file name), but details of what the image or object is relative to the other content on the page.

Consider adding show views or links to social media where a preview of the show can be seen for those who better navigate spaces they are familiar with (and who may be able to determine access barriers with this pre-visit information).

4.3.2 Access Information By Event:

Moreso here than any other site placement, event listings must have access information. Link to existing information and specifically state how people can reach you. Currently, events at SFU Galleries are not accessible as they require interested parties to do the labour and make a guess as to whom to contact.

By creating access information by location, events can link to the site where events will occur, and visitors will have access to general information. Information must only be duplicated if the event is not hosted at an SFU Galleries site.

Sample considerations for events that are hosted offsite:
Is the path to the event accessible?
From the parking lot, bus station, or the drop-off location.
Is there parking available?
Is parking free? Are there accessible parking spots?
Will access supports be available, or can they be requested?
Is there a budget to provide access support?
Is there registration?
Will registration be checked when people arrive? Are tickets or ID required to enter? Is there an age restriction?

Specific action items for this project have been added to 4.9 Action Items for Website



4.4. Pre-Visit

Providing visitors with information about what to expect when they visit SFU galleries can be a great comfort to visitors, job applicants, and artists. For visitors, knowing if their access needs will be met, if they experience any sensory challenges, what they should wear, etc., can give visitors a sense of belonging. Consider that many visitors to contemporary spaces, even practicing artists, can feel intimidated by galleries. Not knowing where to look, what to touch, or where to leave their things are common things that docents will report as challenges for the average gallery visitor. For artists, knowing more about the potential audiences they might reach can also help shape an exhibition proposal, or it could be a place to send visitors interested in their work and want to visit.

Centralize the accessibility information. To help avoid inconsistent updates for each exhibition, create one place specific to site accessibility and link to this within each exhibition page. For exhibition-specific information, such as sounds or lights, place these consistently throughout all exhibition posts.

If there are exhibition programs or write-ups, provide a link to text-only versions within exhibition pages so that people without data or who use screen readers can preload assets before arriving on-site. By making the didactic text available in exhibitions online, this can also be accessed by voiceover technology or provided by the gallery through the use of a text-to-speech app, such as Speechify and can be provided as a link for both digital and physical visitors. More information about the Speechify tool can be found in recommended tools in Chapter 7.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 4.9 Action Items for Website



4.5. Post Visit

Social media is now the repository for most post-event content, especially for visitors. Unfortunately, that creates more work for companies interested in following up on how a visit went or learning from the observations of their audiences. The burden of keeping track across the wide web often falls to communications teams and their capacity to do more than react to things that are posted, tagged, or linked back in easily detectable ways.

Collecting information on a visit can provide insight into how to improve pre-visit information online. However, a balance needs to be struck when requesting, receiving, and using feedback. Not all feedback is equally convertible into action, nor should it be, but receiving feedback is a gift and deserves a place of respect within the digital landscape.

The web allows for anonymous interactivity, which can lower a user's inhibitions. In face-to-face conversations, it's easier to see the people you are speaking with. Although the screen still creates distance in an email, you are directing your feedback to a specific person. In a form, feedback can be hostile or a place for people to leave emotional and less than constructive comments. It's also worth noting that people who live with chronic illness, Disability or who are disabled by society are often frustrated - with few places to get help. Emotions can make it difficult to express constructive feedback in a way that can be understood or used by teams inexperienced at moderating and distancing themselves from the content, so care and patience must be practiced. Sometimes, feedback cannot be used. Sometimes, feedback is harmful. Sometimes, feedback is uncomfortable. All three of these are different, and having a digital risk plan to deal with feedback is a tool that helps a team make decisions quickly in volatile situations and also makes a plan to support team members who may be subject to harm, intensional or not.

Set aside space within newsletters to ask for feedback if someone has visited a show or performance. Make it easy to find where people can and should provide feedback. The contact page is where people will contact the galleries, so state that people can provide post-visit feedback here. Newsletters should link back to this page or invite people to respond directly to the email.

One way to encourage post-visit feedback is with an online survey; however, these passive surveys are only used by a very small visitor population and tend to invite critical or negative feedback rather than a place to discuss or share positive experiences. Unless the SFU Galleries has a specific request to ask of visitors and subscribers, a generic survey is not recommended. Additionally, surveys and forms are difficult to make accessible, creating another avenue for spam.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 4.9 Action Items for Website



4.6. Events and Newsletters

When coming to the SFU Galleries website after receiving an external communication, such as a newsletter, prompt from a social media post, or link from an article, the user must be directed to the most relevant content page. No external link, unless the communication is to invite exploration, should ever lead to the main landing page. This is especially important because the current website's main page does not have a menu and relies on an inaccessible carousel that requires 3 to 4 pieces of content to answer every visitor's need.

On a few occasions, specifically within the community feedback interviews, event data tied to an exhibition was found on the Events page but not listed on the exhibition landing page. It was also up to the visitor to click Events from the side menu when looking at an Exhibition rather than being served event data within that page. Consider users who have low vision or other cognitive barriers, including language barriers, who will not instinctively click on events to find out if there are any associated events with an exhibition. Serve data rather than require users to make intuitive leaps.

Keep event data in one place and link to the event from relevant exhibitions and projects.

If possible, within the events listings (within the events section), it would be excellent to have more information here rather than requiring users to click to other websites or pages elsewhere on the web by link name only.

For example, a screen reader user clicking on an upcoming event where the event information is listed as a raw link, such as the example in fig 4.6a (image) and 4.6b (sound file), requires a user to understand that they are going to an external website, and may require them to listen to each character spelled out or a computer attempting to make sense of the words within the URL. This listing shows the location information as "Room 4365 (SCA Sound Stage) – SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 W. Hastings Street," but does not link to a map or access information. This is likely due to the limitations of the event software on the current site, which does not allow for more information to be listed. It is another reason to consider moving away from the current CMS to a system with more modern and integrated events listings within the site hierarchy with prioritized access.

Fig 4.6a: A screenshot of the events.html page with a listing for a performance. The date and location are listed, followed by a long URL.
screenshot fig 4.6, events page
Fig 4.6b: audio of the URL from the example event listing, read through voiceover.

Within the main navigation menu are Events, Special Projects, News, Media, and Blog sections. The number of options caused confusion and frustration during staff interviews and community feedback sessions. As this report recommends moving towards a site hierarchy that prioritizes a timeline rather than site-specific categories, it is also recommended that some of these categories (which can remain as tags for cross-linking and navigation) be collapsed into one category, News or Outreach. Here, visitors can expect to find anything in order by date that is not specifically an Exhibition listing, an Event (although this information also being served here would not be unwelcome), or a Publication. Tag blog articles or tag news articles to maintain a specific voice, but do not require users to visit different places on the website to get the information they seek.

It is recommended that old events be moved out of this section (and menu) and instead placed as articles within the website's chronology or cross-linked to exhibitions. Users will not click on 2017 menu data for events, creating more content to tab for screen readers. The Events menu should link to the most recent events, and the events page should show the upcoming events. All other past events can be found within the blog/news/article timeline or by searching the website. This recommendation is designed to streamline the visitor experience.

4.6.1 How-to content:

An explanation of how to use the events page would be helpful. Describe how the calendar works and how it links to other pages. Make a note about leaving the site for tickets, and create an easy-to-find link to get help with events. Detail how people can get event information into their calendars.

4.6.2 Newsletter

All newsletter content should be connected to a landing page within SFU Galleries. This way, should an email fail to load or a user wish to look up the information later, it is separate from their inbox. This content can be linked to and shared more easily by a user through socials, SMS, or even email, and can be found by searching.

SFU Galleries uses Campaigner to manage their eNews outreach. Email campaigns are referred to as e-vites within the SFU Galleries campaigner manual (2021) and are used to communicate upcoming exhibitions, events, announcements, and closures. E-vites are sent out ten days before each event unless it is a time-sensitive message such as an event cancellation or unexpected closure. E-vites are created using a template called MASTER DO NOT DELETE WITH HOURS to maintain consistency.

SFU Galleries newsletter templates are not responsive and are designed to 2 columns. On mobile, the text is tiny, and the spacing is irregular. It is recommended that a new template be generated in 2023 to prioritize mobile screens.

Underlined text has become the standard decoration of HTML hyperlinks, and as such, underlined text is read as a link automatically by sighted users. It is recommended not to use underline styles for anything else. Both all-caps and underlined text with no links are used in the sidebar of the newsletter. The only feature link in the September 14th, 2023 newsletter featuring the Gibson Art Museum exhibition is an image with no descriptive text. The visitor is taken to the main SFU Galleries page. More calls to action both assist in click-through rates for the gallery but also assist users in knowing what to do and where to go.

It is also recommended that the footer information within the newsletters be simplified and link people to the contact page for more detailed information on all the SFU Galleries locations. Aim for a concise email footer with a single URL and phone number or email if direct contact from the newsletter is impossible.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 4.9 Action Items for Website



4.7. Collections

The SFU Galleries Collections is the institution's permanent art acquisitions and archives. It comprises a few different collections, is managed by the Collections Manager and uses PastPerfect as its database. It does not archive SFU Galleries exhibitions or assets generated by special projects, and there is a major disconnect between the current curatorial projects and the physical art collection owned by SFU. To access the database from the SFU Galleries website, a user must first click on Collections in the side menu and then again in an expanded menu called Collection Online. If a user misses the expanded menu, they must intuit to click an image with a hidden-link caption that reads Collection Online (not unlined) below a paragraph describing the SFU Art Collection. The expanded menu also links to recent acquisitions, which keeps the user on the sfu.ca/galleries site. This can also be navigated to by an image of a phone with an image caption link (not underlined) called Recent Acquisitions.

There is a major opportunity for the Collections database to archive projects by the gallery. By archiving current and past exhibitions and creating creator/artist records that include bios linked to objects from the exhibition and the collection, the Collections database would become a major content asset for the sfugalleries.ca website. It would make the Collections content more interesting for a gallery visitor to browse. Currently, the database is a manifest of objects owned by SFU, with an uncompelling presentation to the casual browser, requiring a visitor to know exactly what to search for.

In community interviews, a few people made assumptions about what kind of Collections and Exhibition data they could find within the website but never made it to the Collections database. The two who made it to Collections found the site difficult to navigate or not helpful due to its sparse forward-facing object listings on the initial landing pages and linked collections.

It is recommended that menu navigation be simplified to a single link to the Collections landing page on sfu.ca/galleries.

Aquisitions have not been updated since 2022 due to the new hire within the Collections department. Recent acquisitions should be linked by a tag that allows for the dynamic display of all acquisitions but should be listed individually as chronological content that can be seen within the News or Updates feed.

In conversations with the new Collections Manager, there is a hesitation to immediately move away from the PastPerfect Database and instead focus on updating listings with more robust descriptions. However, a research project is proposed where the Collections Manager and Communications Manager could explore options through interviews with other institutions and get a sense of the available options. Following this research and discovery phase, with the object records continuing to be updated, conversations around the future of the database would be more welcome.

4.7.1 How-to content:

A how-to-use walkthrough of the Collection site could be an introduction and feature. This would act as an accessibility resource and declare for whom this Collection database serves. A video introduction from the Collection Manager or an artist or researchers could discuss how they use the database. A walkthrough of the different searches, or an example search for someone struggling to find content, will be useful. This section should also include a staff contact link for any questions or assistance with an object record search.

4.7.2. PastPerfect Database Navigation

The PastPerfect Collection Database requires that you know the name of the artist for whom you are searching or know precise details about the object. The report's author was only able to find Creator Records and Object Records (which are the only links between Records).

The external PastPerfect Database can be navigated by search, random images, or an "object" listing. This is ultimately misleading as records are only displayed by Creator Record (artist name). On the first page of Objects, 22 objects across duplicated artists are all called "Untitled" with a record type "Object". It appears that all items have the record type of "object". Should an object not have an image associated with the entry, a generic icon associated with the current SFU branding appears. Of the first 50 entries on this page, 2 have images, and both of these images' alt tags are the artist's name. Due to how inaccessible this page is and how it does not compellingly present the collection, it is recommended that the Objects menu be removed until more work can be done.

The Random Images collection shows object records with duplicate names, as all the entries are listed by Creator Name. This navigation requires someone to be sighted and ultimately familiar with artists, and it is not particularly useful for someone searching for similar objects. It is also recommended that this menu be removed.

Since the PastPerfect website is outside the sfu.ca/galleries website, a separate contact page should be added to the navigation menu. Within object records, there is a link to send feedback, but a general contact page is needed for more general inquiries or to inquire about an object that cannot be found.

As the object records only allow the artist as a linked element, it is difficult to present the content beyond the search or as an object list. While many suggestions can be made based on other museums and galleries with online collections, the PastPerfect system (or available listings) does not appear to be designed for a public audience.

During the community feedback interview with blind artist Tai G., he lamented that he couldn't use this to browse as he didn't know an artist's name and was more interested in the objects first. When he tried to find object information, he had to navigate a list of search results that only showed names and object titles. It was meaningless. While more frustrating to a non-sighted user with no context when browsing the search listings, the results for a sighted individual were also very underwhelming. They required the user to be motivated to click through on multiple object records.

PastPerfect does not accept many non-English systems or Unicode. A limited range of "special characters" can be used, and ultimately, there is a limit to how non-western/non-English names, communities, cultures, and nations can be represented. While PastPerfect remains the system used for the Collection and is an asset available to the public, it is recommended that a content page or paragraph on the About Us page be written to recognize this limitation and for objects/people that are forced to have their proper names to anglicized that a notice about this be included within the record.

There is considerable work to be done within the database to catch up to the current Collection and a backlog due to a lack of staff over the past year. It is important to note that any recommendations made within this report must be discussed and considered by the Collections Manager as they develop their goals for the database and its role within the gallery. It is recommended that the first goal for SFU Galleries is to determine the purpose and scope of the database. If the PastPerfect database is to be limited to the SFU Arts Collection, specifically objects collected in the vault, and not include exhibitions and assets created or commissioned by SFU Galleries, the database is of limited use to a general visitor audience and its visibility within the website should be reduced. If the database can act as an archive, including assets and the history of SFU Galleries, following a major data entry project, the Collection could be integrated into the SFU Galleries website as a glossary, archive, and artist director.

4.7.3 Research and Discovery

While the Collections Manager acclimates and catches up with the database, and SFU Galleries reviews its online presence, goals, and strategies for the next few years, it is recommended that funding be found for a research and discovery project. Such a project would allow multiple databases and archives to be reviewed, archivists and conservators consulted, and future goals for the collection to be consolidated. With a clearer picture of what is available, what capacity would be needed for SFU Galleries to undertake such a project as it transitions into the Gibson Museum, and who the collection needs to serve, it will be easier to recommend the next steps for the database and its front end presentation.

In particular, the Canada Council Research and Creation grant (rolling intake) would allow for interviews and demos from major institutions, as well as fund labour to help answer some questions about the future scope of the collections database.

4.7.4. PastPerfect Object Record Updates

Searching the PastPerfect database can be extremely frustrating because many object listings lack broad keywords. Currently, the database prioritizes searches that are seeking something in particular. Work can be done to add more content to object entities to make more entries discoverable within a search, and linking object records through fields like Object Name will allow visitors to continue their search adjacently rather than trying to guess at relevant keywords.

Activating a field for Keywords will allow collection staff to group records in custom categories that could respond to common queries, popular object types, or even by curatorial theme.

While exhibitions are not logged as unique records (or categories) within the database, they are also not represented within object records previously presented in an exhibition. Even if SFU Galleries does not wish to archive exhibitions and special projects (and their assets) within the collection, a field should be activated within object entries that have been borrowed or used for SFU Galleries exhibitions to inform the researcher that historical data beyond the object exists elsewhere on the website. If the database does move to begin archiving exhibitions as entities, these collections could link together objects and provide a more detailed history to explore.

A major description project has been recommended within the co-learning chapter to update and expand the description field within existing and new object records. For some records, it's adding details for consistency (one listing's medium states "gouache" and another "gouache on paper"). For others, more work can be done within the Description fields to add detail and prioritize access. Adding more details that include non-sighted audiences makes the collection database more accessible to low-vision or blind audiences, records without images become easier to understand, and more keywords are added to help visitors and researchers find content. As the current Collections Manager recommends: "I like to write descriptions that allow someone who has never seen the object, should the object be misplaced, to know exactly what they are looking for."

For more details, please see Chapter 2.6.3 Co-learning for the Asset Description Project.

If possible, allow Object Name and Medium to be linked so that users can browse by like objects. To find connections between objects, users must first access an object record, identify data within a listed field, and then back out to the search and intuit the correct search syntax (such as "painting and gouache"). The only linked field within an object record is the artist (allowing a visitor to view all records with a similar artist). The proposed Keyword field should also link records with the same keyword.

Specific action items for this project have been added to 4.9 Action Items for Website



4.8. Simple Language Summary: Website

It is easy to end up on SFU.ca pages. Navigation is confusing.

Conduct a site architecture and asset audit.

Decide the scope of the Collection database. Decide if the Collection database can include exhibitions and its assets. Research and explore options for the Collection database. Update collection Object Records fields to link common Object Names and Medium.

Review other CMS after establishing site goals. Prioritize the visitor. Display exhibitions and special projects content chronologically. Use tags and categories to cross-link content. Consolidate the navigation menu and categories.

Create how-to pages or paragraphs. Write accessibility information about physical sites. Determine priority audiences. Make an annual accessibility goal and commit to it. Don't overcommit to being accessible to all communities before you serve your primary audiences right.

Update the contact page.

Put a menu on the front page. Get rid of the carousel.

Update the newsletter for mobile devices.

Start a description writing project. Leverage content writing assistant tools like chatGPT and use readability tools to help keep descriptions clear and understandable.


4.9. Action Items for Website

The following checklist are some action items that can be addressed directly through quick fixes, focused projects, or policy changes. The checklist does not store anything within this report, but if you feel good checking something off when it's done, check the box!

Website Checklist

  • Define Site Language, W3C Success Criterior 3.1.1, Language of Page (Level A). Set html lang="en".
  • Remove all capital letters from site headings and replace them with Title or Sentence case. Use semantic headings.
  • Add a quick launch menu or link above the front page carousel to welcome visitors who do not know which item to choose. Consider removing the landing page with the carousel and going directly to the Exhibitions* or Presentation page with a side menu.
  • Draft an FAQ or how-to-use the gallery page content to provide visitors insight into how to use the website. A general FAQ or How-to-Use page can live on the Contact Us page, or smaller informational pages can be added to each section landing page. Consider audiences who have barriers to written English languages or who rely on a screen reader to navigate. Upload to current website.
  • Move the general inquiries email to the top of the Staff column on the contact page.
  • Repeat the general email address under each site listing within the contact page, or change "general inquiries" here to "all location general contact:"
  • Create a heading above the location column on the contact page to match the h3 Staff heading.
  • Review newsletter sign-up form behaviour. Content should not jump. Include a symbol that explains this section, or move the section under the Contact Us menu item and go into more details about the newsletter on a dedicated page. Leave a link to sign up on the contact page.
  • Remove contract staff from the staff page unless they can be contacted. If they are still working, provide them with an email or a way for people to reach them.
  • Create a note within contact pages to invite feedback post-visit.
  • Create a risk plan for the communications team that deals with feedback and web content from visitors and external users.
  • Generate accessibility information for each SFU Galleries site. Create edited versions of simple information for general visitor information, for more in-depth information that allows people with physical challenges and more nuanced access needs, and an internal version that goes into details and can be checked by staff when there is an access request.
  • Upload and link site-specific access information from the contact page relative to each gallery location.
  • Use CSS to hide A-Z Directory from gallery pages within sfu.ca.
  • Style search results page to match SFU Galleries styles, or add a note that explicitly states how the search uses Google and results may navigate users away from SFU Galleries.
  • Take snapshots of current shows and list them within Exhibition landing pages to provide a visual walkthrough and prepare visitors. These snapshots could also be uploaded to social media.
  • Consider investing in a text-to-speech program for didactic text or longer articles (also can be used by staff).
  • Consolidate News, Media, and Blog into one category - News or Updates. Create a tag or keyword system if the articles need this distinction internally.
  • Consolidate SFU Gallery, Audain Gallery, Teck Gallery, and Special Projects into one category - Exhibitions or Exhibitions and Projects. Create a tag or keyword system if the articles need this distinction internally.
  • Media items, now their own pages with dates, should be linked back to their associated Exhibitions or special projects.
  • Move all event data into the events page or widget, and link back to this page from with exhibition and project pages.
  • Expand details of events within event listings, and when a full URL needs to be pasted, provide a link context first (such as an external link, reserve your seat, etc).
  • Redesign campaigner (newsletter) template to a single column or responsive design for mobile.
  • Remove capitals and underlined text from the newsletter template and create call-to-action links to provide clearer direction to readers.
  • Simplify the campaigner template footer to a single web address and phone number (and email address if a direct reply to the email is not possible).
  • Create an underlined link within the landing page for Collections and Recent Acquisitions, and update the images links with an aria-label, or add aria-labelledby to direct the screen reader to the image caption.
    • Create an inventory of all site content (site map).
    • Date this content relative to projects, exhibitions, and events, not creation dates. Sort exhibition/project data first, then in reverse chronological order.
    • Identify (keywords) artists, events, projects, and physical sites that are common to exhibitions.
    • Identify assets that are connected to exhibitions and events, such as maps, images, videos, or social media posts, that will deepen a visitor's experience.
    • Remove multiple main navigation links by site location, and merge individual gallery and special project pages into "Exhibitions" or "Presentations," with subcategories current and past.
    • Review archived content for content warnings, and consider a writing project to create simple summaries using accessible language. Update current exhibitions to show simple language summaries for articles and abstracts. Use content writing assistants like chatGPT or readability tools.
    • Manually cross-link pages from keyword findings or use generated architecture document to seek out funding for a new CMS and site development.
    • Review tech requirements of the website with communications and SFU IT teams to determine a CMS that will be secure, modern, and accessible. Create a memo detailing findings and use it in grant narratives for upcoming website updates.
    • Contact grant officers to review eligibility, set deadlines in staff calendar and review internal grant competition at an upcoming staff meeting, and begin applications for digital funding assistance such as the Canada Council for the Arts Concept to Realization grant (October intake), BC Arts Council Project Assistance for Museums and Indigenous Cultural Centres grant (May intake), Canadian Heritage: Canada Arts Presentation Fund (April intake), or City of Burnaby Community Grants (November, multiple intake dates)
  • Website alt tag project - in place of co-learning description project (see chapter 2.6)
  • Create a how-to section with visual descriptions or a use walkthrough for major sections of the website (and for the Collection database).
  • Discuss and decide the scope and function of the Collection database. Determine if it should include content generated by SFU Galleries (such as special projects and exhibition assets).
  • Activate a keyword field within all PastPerfect database entries. Include Exhibition titles here if Exhibitions and assets are determined to not be within the scope of the Collection database.
  • If possible, create links by Object Name and Medium for Object records in PastPerfect.
  • Activate a keyword field within all PastPerfect database entries.
  • Contact Canada Council for the Arts and inquire about eligibility for the Research and Creation grant to interview Institutions with a front end/public facing collection and archive and review database options.

Jump back to the top of section 4: Website.
Jump back to the Table of Contents.

5. Case Studies

For the community consultation, artists who identified as living with a disability or as Disabled artists were contacted and asked a series of questions about SFU Galleries and their digital properties. Each of the participants had varying levels of technical skill and completely different artist practices. The questions varied slightly to account for ability and translation. Two additional community consulations were held with non-artists. An elder living in the downtown Eastside in proximity to SFU Galleries Downtown (Audain) was consulted in collaboration with a Chinese speaking peer from the Yarrow Society to ensure that they felt comfortable and were able to communicate in the language of these choice. An active SFU student not enrolled in Arts & Culture, who had some familiarity with the gallery but who didn't consider themselves an artist was also contacted.

Names have been changed to protect the identity of the artist when they wanted to submit answers but not to have their real names in this document.

Questions specificly asked of each community member can be found in the edited transcripts found under each case study summary. Keywords associated with how the community member self-identifies is also listed for context. Each community member has provided consent to have their conversation recorded and shared in this report. Each participant was paid a CARFAC professional service fee for their participation.

Format

Each participant was provided links to the SFU Galleries website, the collection page direct link, and the instagram and facebook (including linktree) pages.

If requested, the questions were also sent in advance.

Preceeding the main interview, each participant was asked the following grounding questions:

  • Question 1: What are some facts you know about the SFU Gallery?
  • Question 2: Have you ever been to SFU Galleries?
  • Question 3: Have you ever had a discussion about SFU Galleries with your friends or other artists?
  • Question 4: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as an artist?*
  • Question 5: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as an immigrant or BIPOC artist and visitor?
  • Question 6 (if queer): Do you think SFU Galleries is a safe place for you to visit as a Queer Deaf artist?
*Artists were asked question 4 in relationship to how their artistic practice relates to their identity living with a disablility. Example: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as a Deaf/Hard of Hearing artist?

Edited transcripts can be fully revealed within each case study by clicking the view transcript button.

The main interview consisted of questions from the list below. The questions were altered to allow for specificity as it related to the participant's abilities and identities, and some questions were either not asked or not included for all participants due to time, permission, or relevance.

Main interview questions were pulled from the following list:

  • Question 1: Your friend told you about a new show at the SFU Gallery in Burnaby. They don't really remember the details, but when they learned about the show, they knew you would be interested. What is the first thing you do?
  • Question 2: You and a friend are going to meet at SFU in Burnaby later today. You are headed there by taxi. Your friend was texting you and said "Let's meet at the Geert Maas sculpture" and then they stopped texting you. Now your texts are not being answered. Your friend always forgets to charge their phone, so you decide you will meet them there. How do you find the Geert Maas sculpture?
  • Question 3: You are working on a new print project and curatorial proposal. One of the artists you are interested in is a Salish artist named lessLIE, who mentioned they had worked with SFU galleries in the past. How do you find out more about their work?
  • Question 4: You recently found out about a improv dance workshop that focuses on the awareness of bodies. Your friend posted an Instagram online and said "I can't wait for this workshop". They didn't give any more details and you want to sign up. They aren't responding to DMs. What do you do?
  • Question 5: There is an upcoming workshop with artist Guadalupe Martinez that your friend is interested in attending. You want to learn more about it and see if it is accessible. How do you find out more? What steps do you need to take to see if it's accessible to you?
  • Question 6: One of the arts newsletters you receive said that SFU galleries is getting a new location. Where do you go to find out more? Can you find out more?
  • Question 7: You want to email the SFU galleries curator to ask if you can submit one of your pieces for consideration in an exhibition. What do you do?
  • Question 8: What is happening in this video?
  • Question 9: Who is this person? Why would you ever need to contact them?
  • Question 10: Why would you go to SFU Gallery? Is there any reason?
  • Question 11: Do you know where the SFU Gallery is?
  • Question 12: You want to propose a project to work with SFU Gallery. How do you contact them? Who do you contact?


Case Studies Transcripts and Summaries


5.1. Yasmin S.

Yasmin S. (She, Her) an Iranian-Canadian Deaf female film maker. She is the first deaf filmmaker in Iran, where she has made several short films, as well, two feature documentaries made in Canada. She has received awards and honours for her work. Filmmaking is her passion and is an avid supporter of the visual and performing arts, painting, and film in disability. Yasmin loves to make films and documentaries. She enjoys traveling around the world and meet people from a different cultures.

Self-identity keywords: Deaf, English as Additional Language, Immigrant, BIPOC, Queer, Established Artist, Actor, Filmmaker.

Summary, Yasmin

Yasmin and Kay conducted this interview in ASL. It is worth noting that ASL is Kay's third language, and that it is Yasmin's forth language. Both communicate with an understanding that the other may not understand, and with the invitation to ask for clarification without fear of judgement. The materials captured (video) in these interviews are included in the report's support materials.

Unlike other spoken or written languages, ASL (and other signed language users) are at a particular disadvantage when it comes to Institutions serving the public. There is no way to translate spoken or written languages automatically into signed language, and therefore, it requires that the Deaf visitor/artist or ASL user learn an entirely different language to be able to understand transcripts, captions or other translations of audio. When Institutions decide to have relationships with Deaf communities within Canada, it is important to recognize that English captions or transcripts are not a point of entry for ASL users. English sign, English captions, English transcripts are not accessible to the Deaf whose primary language is ASL or LSQ (in Canada).

Transcript, Yasmin

Click the hide transcript button to hide the edited transcript and easily navigate to the support materials from the conversation between Yasmin and Kay Slater.

Conversation between Kay and Yasmin S., August 1st, 2023

Establishing Questions: Yasmin S.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 1: What are some facts you know about the SFU Gallery?

[Yasmin:] I don't know anything.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 2: Have you ever been to SFU Galleries?

[Yasmin:] No.

[Kay:] Establishing Question Question 3: Have you ever had a discussion about SFU Galleries with your friends or other artists?

[Yasmin:] No.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 4: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as a Deaf artists?

[Yasmin:] No.

[Kay:] Question 5: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as an immigrant artist and visitor?

[Yasmin:] No.

[Kay:] Question 6: Do you think SFU Galleries is a safe place for you to visit as a Queer Deaf artist?

[Yasmin:] No. In particular, there is some discussion around SFU not being a safe place to be queer.

[Kay:] But this is SFU, and not SFU Galleries...

[Yasmin:] Right.

[Kay:] Still don't feel safe?

[Yasmin:] Correct.


Use Case Questions: Yasmin S.

[Kay:] Question 1: Your friend told you about a new show at the SFU Gallery in Burnaby. They don't really remember the details, but when they learned about the show, they knew you would be interested. What is the first thing you do?

[Yasmin:] ( Yasmin begins the interview on her phone, and so things are very small. She doesn't sign while responding to this question, and simply navigates from via Google Chrome and types in "SFU Galleries". She then indicates that she would try and read the front page - but really, she's just looking for a Date, Time, and where to go. It's too much work to try and translate the rest. If there is no ASL, she doesn't bother. )

Kay's notes and observations: It's important to keep in mind that Yasmin is a respected artist with an education who might be interested in what is happening at SFU Galleries, but that English is her fourth language that she uses due to necessity, rather than it being her primary language of communication. Her spending time translating a bunch of text that may or may not be useful is not something she (or many other people for whom English is an additional language) is going to do.

[Kay:] Question 2: You and a friend are going to meet at SFU in Burnaby later today. Your friend was texting you and said "Let's meet at the Geert Maas sculpture" and then they stopped texting you. Now your texts are not being answered. Your friend always forgets to charge their phone, so you decide you will meet them there. How do you find the Geert Maas sculpture?

[Yasmin:] ( Yasmin brings up the Google Maps app and types in SFU Galleries ). There, is that it?

[Kay:] Yup, that's a gallery, but you need to find the Geery Maas sculpture. What would you do?

[Yasmin:] Oh, that's hard... ( Yasmin types SFU into the search and ends up at sfu.ca )

[Kay:] Hey, I'm gonna text you in the chat the name, as if you got the text. ( types: Geert Maas sculpture )

[Yasmin:] ( She puts the text directly into the Search (which does say that the search is contained within SFU Galleries) and gets no results. ) So, nothing.

[Kay:] So what would you do?

[Yasmin:] Probably go wandering about myself...

Kay's notes and observations: Having been something who has invited Yasmin to events and to meet up, we might text a little, but in general, we'd either facetime or video chat to convey information.

[Kay:] Question 3: You are working on a new film project. One of the artists you interviewed, Paul Wong, referred to an installation he did with SFU in 2008. You even learned there was an interpreter involved in the project, so you know it will be accessible to you. You want to find the video? What do you do? show me!

[Yasmin:] ( Yasmin types sfu galleries into her search and clicks on the first link. When she arrives at sfu.ca/galleries.html, she goes to the upper right hand search and types "film". She scrubs through the results, and doesn't see the name "Paul Wong". She goes back to the search and types in "paul wong film". A single result "Through a Window: Visual Art and SFU 1965 - 2015 - SFU Galleries..." shows up with the name Paul Kajander and industrial film bolded in the results. She returns to the search. ) I can't find anything.

[Kay:] Ok - your search didn't work, what would you do next? Where would you go? Who would you ask for help?

[Yasmin:] ( she tries to search "Paul Wong" this time. Multiple results come up with Paul highlighted, but never Paul Wong together. Lukas Paul, Carmen Wong, or Wong Experimental Theatre... She clicks on the A-Z Directory and chooses the letter P. Now she is outside of SFU Galleries, but doesn't realize it. Not understanding the listings, and not seeing the name Paul, she clicks on the W. Scrolls up and down. ) I don't know what to do.

[Kay:] Hey, you don't have to stay on this website. You can leave and try other places if you want...show me what you'd do next.

[Yasmin:] ( She opens Google Chrome and searches within Google.com for "paul wong film", and the top result shows Paul Wong musician, and a bunch of asian film links. She appends her search to "paul wong sfu film". She naviates to a current project on the sfu.ca site headed by Professor Helen Hok-Sze Leung. There are a few picture stills ) Is this it?

[Kay:] Maybe? Do you see the film? What can you watch here?

[Yasmin:] ( She scrolls up and down the page, and goes back to the top. There is a submenu that she clicks through, and clicks on podcast. She makes a face - ) Sorry.

[Kay:] Hey, no. Remember, you do not have to be embarassed. You're helping me. If you can't answer this question, it's ok - I accept that. It's not a failure.

[Yasmin:] Ok. ( She continues to click through the podcast page.. ) I can't find it. Is that ok? ( Kay says of course ) Ok - I can't find it. I give up.

[Kay:] Let's another challenge here against you Yasmin. Their collection isn't contained to one place, but they have a primary collection area - but you need to know the English word "Collection". Without that word, you are at a disadvantage. Don't be upset, you did this great. You showed me your path and that is perfect.

Kay's notes and observations: Yasmin is embarassed that she can't find the video. It's important to name this emotion as it relates to access. I personally get angry, and my priviledge, whiteness, education, and comfort with English allows me to be vocal when I am unable to access resources that I know exist. Yasmin is embarassed rather than upset here, and this also will keep someone from reaching out an engaging. It's a more quiet response to inaccessible content, but it's real.

[Kay:] Question 4: You recently found out about a improv dance workshop that focuses on the awareness of bodies. Your friend posted a picture on Instagram and said "I can't wait for this workshop". They say they are going to go, but didn't give any more information. They are unresponsive when you ask about the details. What do you do?

[Yasmin:] ( She goes to the SFU Galleries instagram and is not able to find anything when she navigates visually through the pictures or videos. She doesn't click on anything, and when none of the pictures match what she is expecting, she gives up )

[Kay:] Ok, this isn't very helpful unless I actually share a sample picture. Sorry Yasmin. Ok - I'll pick the picture that your friend would have posted.

[Yasmin:] Ok. ( She looks at the picture and shrugs. ) I don't see the workshop information.

[Kay:] Cool. Thanks - there are multiple barriers against you here. First, there is a huge wall of text in English that I know you wouldn't read, and that workshop has passed, so this question didn't really set you up for success. Sorry about that Yasmin.

Kay's notes and observations: There is a workshop connected to the improv dance, but it's not on instagram. I didn't push this one because I know that the workshop page on the website will be extremely inacessible to Yasmin, and assume the next question will show that more clearly.

[Kay:] Question 5: Frustrated that you couldn't make it to the improve workshop, your hearing friend informs you that there is another upcoming workshop with artist Guadalupe Martinez this month. Their signing isn't great, and you struggle to communicate with each other. You try and get them to tell you if the workshop will be accessible or not, but they don't understand what you are asking, and they give up. Now it's up to you You want to learn more about it and see if it is accessible. How do you find out more? ( Kay signs the artist's name again ) I'll type the name into the chat.

[Yasmin:] ( She navigates to google.com and copy pastes the name "Guadalupe Martinez" and adds "sfu accessibility services" into the search. She clicks on the 2nd link that is on the sfu.ca website. It's the SFU news and events page, but there are multiple listings. Not seeing the name or workshop, she goes back to the google search. She scrolls up and down, but closes the browser. ) I can't find it.

[Kay:] Cool, that's ok. Do you mind if I give you one more piece of information? ( Kay adds the word Workshop into the chat for Yasmin to add to the search. ) This should help - "accessibility services" - won't really help you, so try and find the workshop first.

[Yasmin:] ( she puts "workshop" into the search field and gets served a SFU link on the School for Contemporary Arts. Not finding anything, she puts workshop into the general search on sfu.ca, but it doesn't show her anything . She adds "Guadalupe Martinez" to the search and more items from the SChool for Contemporary Arts appears, but she doesn't know where to go. )

[Kay:] One more tidbit - do you see the address line? You are in sfu.ca, and not sfu.ca/galleries. Try going out and add the term "galleries" to your search. Where does that take you?

[Yasmin:] ( Yasmin goes into Google, and searches SFU Galleries. Then in the SFU galleries search, she types "Guadalupe Martinez workshop" and comes to the exhibition page. She finds a list of events - but they are all past events - the workshop she is looking for isn't there. )

[Kay:] You found it - oh wait what? The event isn't even there? You did all the work, and the event we are looking for isn't listed!

[Yasmin:] Seriously? Then I give up.

[Kay:] That. I don't blame you. You did all that work, you found the Artist and their show, you found listings, but how could you even find out about access information if the event isn't there. This is another case where the fact that I know English and am more familiar with the site gives me an advantage. Let me show you. ( Kay shares their screen on sfu.ca/galleries and indicates the side menu that says "Events" ) Here, this is the English word for ( Kay signs EVENT in ASL. They click the link and it's the first event that shows up. ) Because I know English, that was easy. ( Kay clicks on the event and scrolls down to the date and highlights it )

[Yasmin:] I don't see any access information -

[Kay:] Yup, there isn't any.

Kay's notes and observations: After a considerable effort to get to the right place, Yasmin finds events associated with the show, and the workshop date isn't there. Kay knows that it is listed within the "Events" section of the website, but it is missing from the list under the exhibition. If this is hand coded, it needs to be on a check-list so that information is consistent, or there needs to be link back to the Events page here.

[Kay:] Question 6: One of the arts newsletters you receive said that SFU galleries is getting a new location. Where do you go to find out more? Can you find out more?

[Yasmin:] ( Yasmin browses through the website and clicks "Special Projects". She scrolls up and down. She clicks "Collections" and scrolls up and down.

[Kay:] Hey. Try the word "News" ( Kay spells this in the manual alphabet )

[Yasmin:] ( She clicks on "News." She scrolls down, and then clicks on a picture of some people on scaffolding. It's an article about a Mural Removal. ) I can't find anything.

[Kay:] Agreed. It's not there. You know, I've only found the news on site connected to the gallery so far...Facebook.

[Yasmin:] It's not on the website?

[Kay:] Not that I've found so far. Hey...do you mind going to Facebook and seeing if you can find it?

[Yasmin:] ( She navigates to Facebook, and types in the search "SFU Galleries". It doesn't show up as the top three listings (for groups/account), and she scrolls past SFU undergrands, SFU Film Student Union, and SFU Student Trade Centre, then past "See All". She continues to scroll past posts that have SFU somewhere in the content. She removes "gallery" from the search and then just types in SFU into the search. Similar results, only this time, she does click "see all" and SFU Galleries is not in the top 10 groups/people that are listed. )

[Kay:] Hey - try adding "Galleries" to your search again.

[Yasmin:] ( She goes back to the search, but types "Simon Fraser Gallery" this time. No groups or people, but the same Bill Reid Gallery post keeps popping up. )

[Kay:] Hey - no, type SFU gallery.

[Yasmin:] ( She searches SFU Gallery but only SFU (Simon Fraser University) shows up. She clicks on that, and browses. She finds a picture of some construction sites and clicks, but doesn't find anything. She decides to give up.) I'm sorry Kay.

No no, no apologies. Hey, I HATE Facebook, like HATE it, but because I know English, let me know you what I would do - mostly just to compare the experiences. ( Kay goes to Facebook, types SFU Galleries ) - so this is where I have the advantage. Because I know that SFU Galleries is plural and how they identify, I know to type Galleries and not Gallery-

[Yasmin:] Oh, I didn't know -

[Kay:] Ya, you didn't know. That's ok! ( Kay clicks on the FB page for SFU Galleries that comes up as the first search item in the predictive search, and doesn't bother clicking to see the full list of results. They get to Facebook.com/SFUGalleries immediately. The first, and top post is the Gibson announcement. Kay makes a dramatic gesture to the post, and clicks. The new gibson.sfu.ca page comes up). So a whole new website. ( They scroll down and show the text on the page ) No ASL. It's cool, but it's not accessible for you. You can't get this information - it means nothing to you. Great. Thank you.

[Yasmin:] I need to know more English.

Kay's notes and observations: Is gibson.sfu.ca even linked from sfu.ca/galleries?

[Kay:] Question 7: You want to email the SFU galleries curator to ask if you can submit one of your videos for consideration in an exhibition. What do you do?

[Yasmin:] ( Yasmin navigates to the contact page ) There!

[Kay:] Who would you contact?

[Yasmin:] I don't know... ( she scrolls up and down the list - she gets to the bottom of the page, and then circles the Newsletter list. ) Oh, here!

[Kay:] Oh ya? You'd use this? It's for the newsletter subscription.

[Yasmin:] Ok, maybe the top listed name here.

[Kay:] Thank you - ya that's perfect.

Kay's notes and observations: With English as an additional language, Yasmin chooses the top most contact person and email address. If a less than professional (non-English) email was to come to the director, would it be responded to?

[Kay:] Question 8: What is happening in this video?

[Yasmin:] It's kind of boring.

[Kay:] That's fine. Watch it and however you feel - whatever you think is happening describe.

[Yasmin:] It's in the gallery?

[Kay:] What do you think is going on? A performance, a workshop, something?

[Yasmin:] A workshop?

Kay's notes and observations: The workshop post is inaccessible to basically anyone except those who attended. Why was it posted? For archive, for those who attended, or to drive interest in future workshops?

[Kay:] Question 9: Who is this person? Why would you ever need to contact them?

Kay's notes and observations: Yasmin wouldn't contact Sidney, even if she had a question about the archive or collection because she doesn't know who she is, or why she should care. The picture doesn't mean anything, and she doesn't speak English.

[Yasmin:] I don't know. I don't know why I would contact them.

[Kay:] Question 10: Why would you go to SFU Gallery? Is there any reason?

[Yasmin:] Because they have an accessible workshop or show? But I probably wouldn't.

[Kay:] Question 11: Do you know where the SFU Gallery is?

[Yasmin:] No.

Support Materials, Yasmin
Interview Questions, translated into ASL (by Kay Slater)
Jump back to the Case Study quick nav menu.

5.2. Tai G.

Tai (He, Him) is a Blind, partially deaf martial arts instructor, singer, songwriter, therapist, filmmaker and founder of Night Strike Self Defense for the Blind. Tai works with tactile drawings and raised etchings which allow non-visual patrons to feel shapes and designs (both abstract and representational). Instead of employing colour as a means of delineating form, Tai uses various textured lines and blocks to convey depth, materials and elements. The subject matter of the pieces themselves are rather eclectic in nature and range from everyday personal experiences, the natural realm and traditional Chinese folklore.

Self-identity keywords: Blind, Hard of Hearing, English as Additional Language, Immigrant, BIPOC, Tactile, Emerging Artist, Outsider Artist, Musician, Consultant, Community Programmer.

Summary, Tai

Tai: "When I take on projects like this one, I try to put myself in the position of a newly Blind person; someone who is just not very comfortable with using their technology and how that read. For someone like me, I browse the internet daily, and I do a lot of online work so (the website) is usable, but from the perspective of someone who is less techie, less comfortable with finding out different ways to do things...yeah, it needs a lot of a lot more work."

As Tai mentions, he has considerable tech skill and enjoys coming up with ways to find the answers he is looking for. With a stubborness, and desire to push through barriers, Tai is keen to work with institutions to figure out how to include community members who have never even considered that they would be welcome into the conversation.

Transcript, Tai

Click the hide transcript button to hide the edited transcript and easily navigate to the support materials from the conversation between Tai and Kay Slater.

Conversation between Kay and Tai, August 7th, 2023

Establishing Questions: Johnny

[Kay:] Establishing Question 1: What are some facts you know about the SFU Gallery?

[Tai:] Prior to you sending me on this adventure, I knew pretty much nothing - I knew they existed. When I attended school, I went to UBC and so I know next to nothing about SFU, although I have done a few research projects for SFU in the past but nothing to do with art. So I literally knew nothing until I was engaged for this project. But now I know they have an Instagram page. I know they have a Facebook page. I know they have three campuses. I know that they have quite a few different websites that have different functions and one of those website houses a whole bunch of - basically a collection of images and objects for their collection, which could definitely be very cool for future references, if that was tightened up and streamlined a little bit and descriptions definitely need a lot of work. This is the extent of my knowledge about SFU gallery.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 2: Have you ever been to SFU Galleries?

[Tai:] Off the top of my head I'm inclined to say no but like I said, I have done work for SFU in the past so it is possible that I have been through the gallery. I've been to SFU but I have never actually interacted with the SFU galleries.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 3: Have you ever had a discussion about SFU Galleries with your friends or other artists?

[Tai:] Prior to this project? No.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 4: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as a low vision/Blind artist?

[Tai:] Are we specifically talking about the physical location or are we talking about the websites?

[Kay:] That's the question. Answer however you would like but specifically as an artist - as a low vision or Blind artist. Do you do you feel that the galleries are accessible whether digital or in person... it's up to you?

[Tai:] Seeing that I have no memory of actually having been to one of the physical locations, I can't really speak for that. As far as the website go, "Is it accessible?" I would say not really. The bare bone structure is there. It's a lot better than a lot of websites out there but once you actually start to try and enjoy what's there, then it become a very frustrating experience - I say that as a person who was browsing the website and not really as an artist, because I have not interacted with SFU in an art capacity. But just off of what I've seen on the website and how things are laid out, I'm going to say probably not accessible.

Kay's notes and observations: This is another moment where I feel like knowing who SFU's primary audience is would be helpful. You can't have 2 primary audiences with different access and communication needs, although you can have a secondary, and tertiary audience to keep in mind and try and include them - but it gets too confusing to be everything to everyone. Does SFU want to appeal to the general public (non-arts background) with a goal for universal access, a fine arts audience (access to education) with a goal to ensure that content can be accessed by that audience, or an academic fine arts audience with access to education, and academic interest/knowlege with the desire to be an access leader within a category that has traditionally been physically inaccessible to students and other academics?

[Kay:] Establishing Question 5: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as an immigrant or BIPOC artist and visitor?

[Tai:] Honestly some of the stuff that was written on the website and the way it was worded - even being a fluent English speaker - it's still hard for me to understand. So it's gonna be really hard for an immigrant person. I would say no.


Use Case Questions: Tai

[Kay:] Question 1: Your friend told you about a new show at the SFU Gallery in Burnaby. They don't really remember the details, but when they learned about the show, they knew you would be interested. What is the first thing you do?

[Tai:] As is often the case, the first thing I do is let that information sit in my head for about two days before I finally say, "let's go check it out."" I sit at a computer and type into Google SFU Burnaby gallery and then see what pops up there. And then I follow the lead from there on to see if I can spot what my friends talking about.

[Kay:] Google is your search engine of choice? Does your search engine tell you when links are sponsored or not? And if something's a sponsored link, do you click on it? Do you care? Or do you go to the first non sponsored link?

[Tai:] Because I'm a little bit of a rebel, even through Google tells me sponsored links and recommended links, I usually just blow right past those and go to the first most normal looking link that I can find. For sponsored links, I assume it's probably full of advertisements and it is trying to sell me something, so I tend to just ignore those right off the bat.

In addition to Google, if I am out and about, I might just use AI on my phone. I might just ask Siri, "Hey, what's the website for the SFU Burnaby gallery?" and do it that way as well. But if I can sit down, I generally just open a search engine and it will either be Google or Bing. It is usually Google

[Kay:] Do you use Bing because the AI brings it up or like do you actually have Bing as a shortcut on your computer and you would choose Bing over Google?

[Tai:] I use Bing sometimes because I like to occassionally step away from Google to see what other search engines are gonna show me because I don't want to fall into that trap where what Google shows is all there is. When you use a different search engine, it will give you a fresh perspective; however, I do tend to stick to Google just because of how accessible Google is. When I jump over to Yahoo or Bing or other search engines, sometimes there's a little bit of a frustration like, "where it's a bloody search field?" ( laughs ).

[Kay:] I am curious what browsers you use.

[Tai:] Generally on the PC, I stick to Google Chrome. I was an avid Internet Explorer, and stuck with it for its entire lifespan until it was no longer supported and finally went over to Google Chrome. On the iPhone, I stick to using Safari just because that's what's comes with the phone. Although I did download the Google app onto my iPhone just in case because there are times when Safari will glitch and refuse to open some websites. That's when I pull out the secondary browser.

This is what I was talking about earlier. For someone like me who's been kicking around the tech world for a good part of 20-25 years, it's a no brainer to troubleshoot and download this app or install another tool, but for a lot of people like my girlfriend for example, she would just end up getting so frustrated and want to throw her phone across the room. I think it's something to always keep in mind when we assess websites to remember the people like your (Kay's) father, my girlfriend, and other people who will just get frustrated and they'll leave. They'll quit.

Kay's notes and observations: For the reader, Tai's girlfriend is also Blind and is not an aritst Kay's father uses hearing aids and is very keen to explore tech - until it's new tech that replaces tech they are familiar with. This conversation talks about aging away from technology, even when it is assistive technology, as well as the need to consider that the newest tech is not always the tech that is available those a general Disabled population.

[Kay:] Question 2: You and a friend are going to meet at SFU in Burnaby later today. You are headed there by taxi. Your friend was texting you and said "Let's meet at the Geert Maas sculpture" and then they stopped texting you. Now your texts are not being answered. Your friend always forgets to charge their phone, so you decide you will meet them there. How do you find the Geert Maas sculpture?

[Tai:] This is an interesting one because things like this happen to me all the bloody time with some of my friends and it is - especially a totally blind person who is not very familiar with SFU...anything...not just galery... I'm not really familiar with SFU in general...( trails off )

( Tai continues thoughtfully ) I would probably look at that text like three or four times and I would spent the next ten minutes cursing, saying very nasty things about my friend, and finally after I got my temper under control, I would ask the driver, "Do you know this sculpture?", and I am pretty certain that most of the drivers won't and would say "what sculpture?" so that's not going to be helpful.

So the next thing I would most likely do since I'm already in the taxi, I would ask the driver to take me to the administrative building or the front office, wherever that may be.

I would ask people from there and if that does not result in anything, then I also have a data plan on my phone so I would find a quiet place to sit down, text my friend some more and pull up Safari or Google. I would type, "Where is this sculpture?" Or I'd try to find a description so I can tell the taxi driver to take me there. That would be my plan of attack.

[Kay:] I want to explore some things here. So the taxi driver takes you to the Administrative Office, and someone there says, "Oh, that's public art. We have a we have a map that we can give you." What do you do?

[Tai:] If I was in the US, I would bring out the ADA but unfortunately, and I want this on record, we don't have that here in Canada - we really do need it - guaranteed service for disabled people in these places. But I'm usually very vocal, so if they say they have a map, I would tell them, "This is my first time here. I'm totally blind. I have no idea where I'm going. I don't want to risk getting injured while exploring or falling down stairs you know - like that would usually result in negative publicity and lawsuit - you guys understand what I'm talking about. So maybe it will be a lot easier for you guys and for me if someone can give me a hand getting there and just guide me there." That would be how I go about it.

[Kay:] One of the things that I am going to be talking about in my report is the newly minted a BCAC, which is the Accessible British Columbia Act, which is in its infancy and came from the Accessible Canada Act which only came into being four years ago, and which doesn't have any jurisdiction over provincially funded universities. So because this is the year that this newly minted Accessible British Columbia Act is being enforced, universities are now required to submit to the province what their accessibility plan is.

I have deaf students who reach out to me sometimes and ask, "What can I do?" and I have a template that I usually send back and say you don't actually have any rights beyond...if somebody has hurt you and you go to court, and then you have the right for an interpreter. You have the right for an interpreter in a medical situation, but that doesn't mean you're going to be treated well, and that we just really don't had any laws in place. It's wild how many people believe that the ADA applies in Canada. So unfortunately, this comes on the backs of you, your friends, me, anyone who has ever tried to succeed by paying in blood or who has dropped out because life's too short to fight institutions who wield their ableism with a side of capitalism. Now that laws are coming into play that force universities to do sometimes, my hope is the work goes beyond liability or fines, and there is a chance to really spotlight how inaccessible things have been and that they can make a change for the better.

[Tai:] Yeah, I hope this will eventually extend to high schools and private schools and that something like this will hopefully open up more job opportunities because when you want accessibility, you need to hire some Disabled people to assess things for everybody involved.

[Kay:] I have a huge grin on my face. I am agreeing. All right. I'm gonna go on to question three unless you would like to ask Siri about the Gert Maas sculpture? Are you interested in doing that?

[Tai:] I can't use Siri while we're on Zoom, but I am typing that into Google. Let's let's see what it gives us. And that's a G-E-E-R-T.

[Kay:] Yep. M-A-A-S

[Tai:] That's not how voiceover on my screen reader pronounced it. It says "G-urt".

[Kay:] You know what? That could actually be how it's pronounced because I haven't heard it spoken aloud. I believe it's German.

[Tai:] I mean this is a good exercise because I can just assume that the text my friend sent me is mistyped because a lot of time that's something I have to content with.

The first result came up with a PDF.

I've been hammering at this one for years and years - PDF document no good for Blind people. Anytime people stick a PDF document on the website, it an F-U to Blind people right there. It's extremely hard for Blind people to navigate. There are ways I can probably get it to work after about two hours of messing around, but it's frustrating. It's very hard.

[Kay:] I have a question about PDFs. If the university had gone through the work to make that PDF OCR, so wtih had open character recognition, and it had image descriptions in it, would you even bother clicking or at this point, you see PDF as an extension and you don't even bother.

[Tai:] If I had seen some good examples of that working, then that might restore my faith because I'll tell you this - when PDF first came out, I was a strong supporter of it because I saw this cool, more concise and organized and universal format than Microsoft Word. So when when I first read about it, I was like "sold!" and I was so looking forward to it. And then it came out, and it didn't work for Blind users and I was still hopeful. You know, maybe screen readers just needed a couple of years to catch up. You know, it's normal. But 20 years later, it still doesn't work so yeah, I don't know. I think it's going to take some very strong examples to restore my faith in PDF. It also depends on the screen reader you use. For my device, you hit ENTER in a PDF, and it will freeze or glitch and you won't be able to read what's going on it. It will get stuck on the loading screen and I have to hard reboot. So when I see PDF, I just automatically will bypass it because I don't want to go through that glitch nonsense,

[Kay:] Okay, excellent. What would be an accessible way for them to serve you the public art map that you would click on?

[Tai:] I have mentioned this in my report as well that any map unless it's a tactile map is just not going to be all that easy or accessible for Blind people. For example, if I know SFU campus really well, then on the map you can say, "Okay, go from main entrance to this place, to that place, turn left from this building." But if I don't know the campus, or the gallery, that's just gibberish. I have a similar experience where I go to a shopping center. I walk into a shopping center and the first thing I do is go to the Help Desk. I'll say, "Where do I go to the body shop?" They'll reply, "Oh, Body Shop is down the hallway, turn right, then left, and it's across the hallway from White Spot." My response is to ask "How far turn right and if it's only one intersection, and how far do I walk before I get to the White Spot?" This information is a no brainer to a sighted person, but for a Blind person, it's a lot of confusion. I will say that for the Blind traveler, the labour is all on us because we need to do our homework ahead of time to learn a little bit about the lay of the land but sometimes, like in this scenario, my friends sends me a text in the middle of my trip, and I'm already on my way, so I don't have a prep time. In cases like this, the best thing to do for me is to be able to open that map and stick it in front of the taxi driver.

[Kay:] That was my instinct as well. At the end of the day if you're going to create assets for sighted people, then you better make it easy for the person who is Blind to be able to show it to a sighted person, whatever that is. And if you've just put up all these barriers that you can't even bring it up on the phone to get assistance then you've basically said, to quote you, "Fuck you you're not invited." Awesome. Well, I think we have figured out that I am never to ask you to meet at SFU at the Geert Maas sculpture. ( Kay and Tai laugh )

Kay's notes and observations: In this conversation, Tai mentions that he would ask a Taxi driver to take him to the "administrative office" at SFU to get more information. It's worth considering this within the context of a digital assessment especially since the website is still so tied to the SFU site. Is SFU administration or Student Union or Security able to help someone to SFU Galleries or to one of the Public Arts works? When considering the risk and opportuniites of bringing people to visit the public artwork, how is SFU working to get visitors to the gallery?

Tai also mentions having a dataplan on his phone. When visitors arrive on campus, can they access free wifi? Can they access SFU Gallery content through that wifi?

Tai says that a PDF is going to break his screen reader. How can you have a PDF asset that is still helpful for a sighted visitor that won't break this assistive technology? What else can you do to help a non-visual audience member get to the Public Art?

[Kay:] Question 3: You are working on a new tactile project. One of the artists you interviewed, Keimi Nakashima-Ochoa, referred to a tactile artist named Sue Gruel, who did a weaving purchased by SFU galleries in 1969? How do you find out more about that piece?

[Tai:] I type into Google "Sue Gruel, weaving, 1969" and let's see what we get. I'm pretty sure Siri wouldn't have this information. A lot of people don't realize that not all AIs are built equal and Siri is good at some stuff, like Siri is made for navigation. Amazon Alexa is made for games and fun and mostly it gets you to buy things from Amazon. What do we get here? Yes. It looks like there's not many good matches. And that's not a good sign.

Not many great matches. ( Tai reads some of the titles from Google ) I'm pretty sure that not it.

Ohio State law and Title and Title. Okay let's let's try this. We will add SFU art, artist

Yeah, search didn't match anything. So I am totally out of luck there. So in that case, if I'm really really interested, I would reach out to the campus. I would probably go to the campus website and then send them an email and say, "Hey, my friend mentioned to me that you have a piece of weaving by this artist and I am tactile artists myself and my friend said that I would be interested in. What can you tell me about it?" That would be my next follow up to not finding anything on Google.

[Kay:] Can you pretend like you were really excited and show me where you would find the contact information? You don't have to send it but I'm interested in the path you would take to get to somebody who you could ask. Are you okay doing that?

[Tai:] So we go SFU Art Gallery. Ah, that looks promising. Collections...oh, that's a search field right here. We try to type in the artist name. No results for that last name? Okay, so much for that.

Contact us. This is wonky. Gallery open during the campus hours, that doesn't tell me anything. Nope. So generally, I am guessing we where we go...oh, that's a list of staff! I'm guessing the curator would actually be the right person to speak to in this case. So what we do is, we copy this and why isn't it copying ( cursing ) There we go. I'll open a new message pasted in there. Perfect

This is the draft email that Tai would have sent:

Subject Line: inquary about sue gruhl art

Hello there; I am a totally blind tactile artist in Richmond. My friend Keimi mentioned to me that you have a piece of art by an artist named Sue Gruhl that I would be interested in. Can you possibly give me more info about that or direct me to where I can read up about the piece. Is it possible I can come in in person to check it out? Thanks

The email sent from Tai

Kay's notes and observations: From a sighted perspective, it was paintful to watch Tai try to navigate the contact us page. He had to navigate through the three locations addresses first, which were in a left column (tab order) and then I wasn't sure if he was going to make it to the staff list. This page would benefit from having a jump link at the top. And since he didn't google the site, but tried to navigate the site, getting to the contact page, both from the menu or footer wasn't intuative at all. Tai mentioned that he had spent a good 45 minutes before our interview to try and get a sense of the page first because he was worried it would slow down our conversation. 45 minutes of pre-work, and then still more than 5 minutes to get to an email.

I got Tai to send a version of the email he would write to the curator to get more information about the artwork. Would it be taken seriously? Would it make it through the spam? What are the steps that SFU Galleries takes when getting inquiries from the public?

[Kay:] Question 4: You recently found out about a improv dance workshop that focuses on the awareness of bodies. Your friend posted an Instagram online and said "I can't wait for this workshop". They didn't give any more details and you want to sign up. They aren't responding to DMs. What do you do?

[Tai:] Back to Google. Typing "SFU new gallery location news" and let's see what it pulls up. New art museum... Burnaby campus opening 2025...

Kay's notes and observations: Tai was able to find this because his instinct was to go to Google. In other interviews, this question has been long to be answered (or not at all) because it can't be found on the SFU Galleries website via search or news.

One of the things we discussed in relation to this question was how boring the artile was and how this article and news was obviously not for a high art consumer - so why was the language still so inaccessible. It is worth noting that press releases benefit from having summaries or simple language summaries to preface articles to help those who have to do more labour reading to be served before scanning through a long winded article that may or may not be worth their time. In response to that, Tai sent an audio clip [KAY LINK HERE AND PUT IN SUPPORT MATERIALS] to give an idea why something like this can be super tedious for a blind person to read/skim. It's an entirely different when you have to listen to your synthetic voice for a half hour to get the news.

[Kay:] Question 5: What is happening in this video?

[Tai:] So because it's Instagram, so it's already glitching the hell out of the screen reader. That's really the one thing for screen reader users to know is that you have to constantly refresh your page, on Instagram, for your screen reader to be able to load properly.

( the video plays )

Wait, I'll go to original audio to see what's the image description is - that doesn't help me.

Finally, let's see what is playing...I can barely hear - it sounds like voices. Music, but everything is super super faint. Almost like it's recorded from a different room. and that's that.

So what happened in this video? I have no idea. You know, it took a bit of finagling to just to find that audio, and then you can barely hear it and it doesn't really tell you anything. Now if I was to just go by his description...

Some moments of performance invitation to breathe - yadda yadda yadda together on June 24 SFU gallery. So you know if I have to just draw references from that I would just say it's video probably showing some of their performances, but as to what the performances were doing? No idea.

Kay's notes and observations: I wanted to share Tai's struggles with instagram, and show that the descriptions are more than a place to just drop or copy/paste text. They are places of possibility to bring in more understanding to those who don't have access to all of the pieces of media. Hannah and I couldn't hear the sound, but we could see the performances. They were ...interesting? but this post was more as archive than anything. For Tai, he eventually understood that it was archive, and probably not for him, but he had to do so much labour to figure that out. In summary, if this was the first instagram post for someone who wasn't at that workshop - the account doesn't seem like something worth following for someone who needs to fight with accessible tools native to social media. In marketing terms, each post can make or break a subscription, so no post can just be a "throw away" if numbers and subscriptions are the goal.

[Kay:] Question 6: Who is this person? Why would you ever need to contact them?

[Tai:] Stephanie Leigh is the new collections manager...has...Anthropology experience in handling ancient materials - that sounds cool.

Why would I ever need to contact them? I guess if I had questions about a specific piece in the collection. I see again that the article here is a bit wordy especially when it comes to this quote here: "Our inaugural collections manager blah blah blah."" Actually, when I was just quickly scanning through this article, everything made sense up until this quote. It makes me do a double take and I have to read it two or three times. Why is this here? I know because I'm reading about [ Sidney ] and suddenly you pop out with a quote about "our inaugural Collection Manager Christina - I don't even know how to pronounce that name - ( tries to pronounce ). So you know this quote kind of throws me off a little bit. But I guess going by what I quickly read is Sydney is their new collections manager and we contact her if we have questions regarding the collection.

Kay's notes and observations: - I decided to keep in some of the conversation here regarding the instagram post because Tai talks a bit about visual description.

I confirm that Sidney is the person that Tai would talk to. I also go on to talk about how SFU Galleries has a challenge, especially in social media, because their voice needs to balance academia and the average gallery viewer (which most galleries in town talk above anyways) but social media is not academic. So what balance do they strike? Who are they talking to online? I also talk about the pressures that people working in or adjacent to academic have when being quoted - they want to sound smart - so then it's up to the communications team to consider whether or not the quote will do what the quote is supposed to. If the goal is "sounding smart" then great - but if that ultimately distances their audience, that works at cross purposes.

I do have one other follow up. Do you know what Sydney looks like? Is there any kind of visual description anywhere in this post

[Tai:] So far, all we have is her academic achievements. Very impressive. There's no description of any kind.

[Kay:] Is there any alt text provided in this post and do you know where to find it?

[Tai:] It just says frame with picture yeah. I will say on the iPhone - my iPhone is customized to give an attempted AI generated description of a photo - so sometimes that will come through but even that usually is something very rudimentary like "photo, blonde woman, chair, gray background," something like that. So not really all that interesting.

[Kay:] Perfect. ( kay describes Sydney ) Sydney is a medium build woman with sandy hair wearing a floral blouse. She is a white woman and she is on a beach and there's a pier behind her. I don't know if you really got anything else out of my description other than knowing that she is a white woman, probably in her 20s, but does that change something for you, knowing that description? Were you any more inclined or less inclined to reach out to her as the collective or collections manager?

[Tai:] I don't really get influenced by what people look like or how they are described, but you know what? I'm a water person. I love beaches and piers, the ocean, so you know that in that description, that she is standing on the pier kind of makes me mentally want to focus more towards the pier and the beach in the background. Her being a white female in her 20s? No, I mean, I'm sure if you make it interesting and tell me she was really good looking and stuff like that, that might perk my interest more but now as it stands, the beach is more interesting than her.

[Kay:] I mean, beauty is subjective, so that's why I don't tend to say that in my descriptions, but I agree. I think you knowing - especially now that I know that water and beaches are something that appeals to you - it also gives you this chance to connect if you were ever to reach out or to meet them at a party. You could be like "hey, the picture you posted on Instagram, was it a beach? What Beach is it?" Or "why were you on that pier or why did you pick that picture?" So I felt like describing where the picture was was important, but that insight is really appreciate it.

Kay's additional notes and observations: This is a conversation around information gathering and sighted priviledge. We might not think that it's important to describe an image, but we picked an image to go with the words. When I described the image to Tai, he was interested in the background. In a social content, which I talk about above, I would have an advantage when I meet Sidney, knowing that she was at a beach. I have an entry point into the conversation - and social media is a conversation. Adding visual details to give people all the information regardless of their abilities, allows them to equally participate.

[Kay:] Question 8: Why would you go to SFU Gallery? Is there any reason?

[Tai:] Good question. Right now, I have no reason to go to any of them, and because the collection page descriptions are so shoddy, I have nothing that interests me enough to want to go there. However, as is the case with most galleries, I don't know what's going to happen in the future. Maybe a few months down the road they will have something accessibility focused, or some kind of show or event that's accessibility focused and that will definite perk my interest. So, as of now, no. In the future, who knows?

Kay's notes and observations: If SFU wanted to invite Tai and other non-visual artists to visit the gallery - how would they go about inviting them? Which networks? What language?


General Questions, Tai

[Kay:] What is the hardest thing about being a Blind artist in the GVRD (Greater Vancouver Regional District)?

[Tai:] I think the hardest thing about bringing a blind artist is you produce something that tactilely feels good to you, but you have very little reference as in whether it looks okay. And depending on your goal, or your practice, that might not matter. For me, I just do art for myself, and I don't care what other people think it looks like. Now that's great. Nothing wrong with that. But because I need to try to pay rent and I, like many disabled people, struggle just below the poverty line, I also need to try to sell my artwork. I unfortunately, have to try to be a little bit more commercial about it. And that means I constantly fight an uphill battle to produce something that I like and something that can be visually captivating or appealing or even, I hate to say this but even visually understandable, comprehensible. It's a bit of a challenge sometimes. So I think as a Blind artist, for me, that's it's the biggest challenge. How to do things that are (visually) comprehensible and enjoyable.

[Kay:] Are there any other comments you want to share about this process about the galleries about the digital space, or any other kind of pieces of wisdom or criticism?

[Tai:] I think I mentioned this in the report, but I really believe that where they have the list of collections - there was over 3000 of them catalog! That's pretty cool, but it's not useful right now. The bare bones structure is there, but when you look at these collections, it lists things by artists names, but it doesn't tell you what it is until you click on it. And for Blind and visually impaired people, the fewer things we have to click on, the better. If I want to go in there I have to deal with really bad AI generated descriptions of... circles surrounded by white dots with a line on the bottom. Blue, yellow, green, black. That's that's supposed to mean? You know it is not enjoyable. It doesn't convey anything. So I think if the gallery is serious in wanting this to be enjoyable for Blind and visually impaired people, these descriptions need to be written out by someone. That's a real person. So yeah, hire Kay to do it.

[Kay:] I think you mean hire Kay and Tai to do it ( laughs ).

[Tai:] I won't say no to that. I mean the bottom line is you need people that can actually write these descriptions and make them, even if it's not that "pleasing". We always want them to be meaningful because there's no point for me to read about a piece of art if I just walk away, and when my friend asks me "what was that?", I respond with "I don't know! Some random art by some guy I never heard of before that made a circle and some dots." That's not a good impression.

Yeah, there's still a drive to hire sighted people to do visual description and then no follow up afterwards with non-visual arts consumers. There's a bit of a self congratulatory action happening adjacent to the visual description that happens without ever going and talking to the people who it's supposed to serve. Yes, it was labor. Congratulations! But does it actually help who you want it to help? So you have to go and and be critical of this thing that you did.

Going back to the Accessible BC Act is that hopefully, what this does is, it generates jobs so that you can actually hire Blind, low vision, Deaf, Disabled, and Mad artists to come in and give critique on the things that are designed for inclusion and accessibility. Participation right? That's going to be at the core of the report that that I write, but it can't just be me saying it. It has to be all of us, you know, invested in it.

End of edited transcript of conversation with Tai.

Support Materials, Tai

Google Drive folder of video screenshots for Kay's responses to Main Questions 1-9

Question 1 - mp4

Question 2 - mp4

Question 3 - mp4

Question 4 - mp4

Question 5 - mp4

Question 6 - mp4

Question 7 - mp4

link to Tai's report

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5.3. Hannah C.

Hannah C. (She, Her) is a Hard of Hearing printmaker and emerging curator based in Vancouver, BC. Her artistic practice seamlessly blends in themes of utopia and dreams with silkscreen print media and projection installation. Hannah has been working as an arts worker for over a decade with an academic focus of museum curation and accessible programming.

Self-identity keywords: Hard of Hearing, BIPOC, Curator, Emerging Artist.

Summary, Hannah

Hannah is an emerging artist working locally as artist and arts worker with a few different institutions. Hannah is deeply engaged in developing her professional career and regularly seeks out training. Hannah, when put into positions of power and with access to budget, will prioritize her needs by hiring CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation/Transcription) services. Otherwise, Hannah weighs and measures the labour she will have to do at an event to understand and hear against how much she wants to attend an event. When it isn't accessible, there are other things she can and will do.

Hannah was moderately tech-saavy, especially when using her own laptop, and was very comfortable moving through these questions. She did not have much familiarity with SFU Galleries and would occassionally conflate the University with the Galleries as the same entity.

Transcript, Hannah

Click the display transcript button to reveal the edited transcript and support materials from the conversation between Hannah C. and Kay Slater.

Conversation between Kay and Hannah C., August 10th, 2023. This conversation is edited for clarity and to include information shared with permission.

Establishing Questions: Hannah

[Kay:] Establishing Question 1: What are some facts you know about the SFU Gallery?

[Hannah:] I don't know anything about SFU galleries. I have heard of the art department and of people pursuing their masters there. That's the extent of what I know.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 2: Have you ever been to SFU Galleries?

[Hannah:] I have not. No, I don't think I have.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 3: Have you ever had a discussion about SFU Galleries with your friends or other artists?

[Hannah:] I have not. I feel like I have come across it on a promotion featuring a very specific artist, but I could be wrong and mistake it for another gallery. Otherwise, no.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 4: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as a hard of hearing/deaf/Deaf/HOH/Deaf Disabled artist?

[Hannah:] I would say no because I have not received any information about it. So if they're not promoting it anywhere in the community, I will have access to it. So I would say it's not accessible at all.

[Kay:] Establishing Question 5: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as an immigrant or BIPOC artist and visitor?

[Hannah:] I would say ( pause ) probably not, but I am assuming - big assumption - that they would be more catered to new or immigrant artists because SFU - it's a school. And so I would assume there'd be international students and many people coming in. But then again, I don't have access to SFU galleries. So how would I know?


Use Case Questions: Hannah

[Kay:] Question 1: Your friend told you about a new show at the SFU Gallery in Burnaby. They don't really remember the details, but when they learned about the show, they knew you would be interested. What is the first thing you do?

[Hannah:] Okay, so the first thing I would do is I would go on to Instagram assuming they were promoting the event. So then I will log on to Instagram and then because I am not subscribed to SFU galleries, I would hit the search button and type in SFU and then click the dropped down to SFU galleries option - that's the first listing. I would look for a workshop. Looks like there's a workshop happening. And that's where I will get all of the information and then if I wanted more information, I would assume there's a Contact button for more details, but it doesn't look like there's any... Oh, there is an RSVP to SFUgalleries@sfu.ca so that would be where I would contact them.

Kay's notes and observations: Shanna doesn't go to a website if she can find the answer on social media.

[Kay:] Question 2: You and a friend are going to meet at SFU in Burnaby later today. You are headed there by taxi. Your friend was texting you and said "Let's meet at the Geert Maas sculpture" and then they stopped texting you. Now your texts are not being answered. Your friend always forgets to charge their phone, so you decide you will meet them there. How do you find the Geert Maas sculpture?

[Hannah:] As someone who does not have data, I automatically look for wifi. I am assuming that there is a public wifi and once I log into that I would do a Google Search... Maas Geert...sculpture...assuming I get the spelling correct...

[Kay:] Or that it wasn't auto corrected incorrectly when your friend sent it...

[Hannah:] Yeah. So it even if it auto corrects, I can find Gert Mass sculpture. It sends me to Geert Maass Sculpture Gardens...but it is in Kelowna, which is not SFU campus. So then I will go back to the search and then type in SFU galleries to be more specific. And then it's showing me Simon Fraser University Gallery. I click and it's only given me a CV and exhibition information, which is not what I'm looking for. So I'm gonna go back and continue scrolling down and I see the art collection. I'll click on that. And it's sending me to a PDF, which I have a feeling is not what I'm looking for...it's a public art guide... I'm waiting for it to load. But it does show the Simon Fraser University art collection. SFU Burnaby campus map...oh it goes down to a map -which is not as helpful as I thought it would be because I'm seeing numbers and names of buildings but I am not seeing the Geert Maas sculpture. So I'm just going to continue scrolling down until I see the sculpture I'm looking for... Oh! On the Beach bronze sculpture, but it does not give me the location. But it says 10, So I'm assuming that is on the map. But this is not helpful because I don't know where I am on the map. I'll go to google maps. It says Blussen Hall near the bus loop. So I have an indicator that is close to the bathroom and I can navigate myself there. But if I don't have WiFi I would go to the reception admissions office or art department, assuming they will have more information and I'd ask them.

Kay's notes and observations: SFU's Public Art Guide takes a bit to load, and on data that's going to present a challenge for some people. Would SFU admissions or art department be able to help Hannah find a public art work?

[Kay:] Question 3: You are working on a new print project and curatorial proposal. One of the artists you are interested in is a Salish artist named lessLIE, who mentioned they had worked with SFU galleries in the past. How do you find out more about their work?

[Hannah:] I would automatically look at SFU gallery archives if they have one. I will Google search SFU galleries and then I'll click the first button SFU.ca/galleries and I am seeing not very much but there is an A - Z directory which I will click and then navigate to L. And I end up on "school days listening Gordon Diamond Family auditorium", which is confusing. I don't find any of that information, so back to Google search which has quite a few articles on events and galleries. Hrmmm, acquisition collections - that is definitely what I want and what I'm looking for. I think I wouldn't stay here very long. I'd go to Instagram. I also think I would just use a search because the artist's website will be updated quicker than the archives of SFU galleries.

Kay's notes and observations: When looking for an artist, Hannah assumed the top menu A-Z directory would help them find an artist. Hannah is a curator and didn't find the Collections site helpful or intuative.

[Kay:] Question 4: You recently found out about a improv dance workshop that focuses on the awareness of bodies. Your friend posted an Instagram online and said "I can't wait for this workshop". They didn't give any more details and you want to sign up. They aren't responding to DMs. What do you do?

[Hannah:] I will not come assuming that. I would go to the organization that's hosting it and then look for the public programming page. But if they don't do any of that, and I have maybe a name of this improv dance workshop, that's when I'll Google search and type in "sfu dance workshop" and if that doesn't show anything, I would go search "impact and workshop, assuming locations... Vancouver".

Kay's notes and observations: Hannah does not go to the sfugalleries website unless taken there by search.

[Kay:] Question 5: There is an upcoming workshop with artist Guadalupe Martinez that your friend is interested in attending. You want to learn more about it and see if it is accessible. How do you find out more? What steps do you need to take to see if it's accessible to you?

[Hannah:] Okay, I'm going to look up the artist. (spells out) Guadalupe - Martinez - it sends me to a website. I'm assuming to their website but I'm looking for a workshop, so I'm just going to search in Google - Oh adding the word workshop after the name and it says Research Lab pedagogy and performance workshops. So I am assuming that would be the workshop? It sends me to a website and it says Research Lab pedagogy and performance workshops. This gives more context and more information about the artists but doesn't tell me the workshop time date or any access information. I would want to see some text to support someone who is hard of hearing, like CART or type well services to be in this workshop. But I don't see any information. Maybe I can the contact the artists directly? I see contact link which gives me the email... but I will look for the organization that is hosting, or who the facilitator that who hosting this workshop and find their contact email them ...but I don't know who that is. -

[Kay:] I'm gonna give you one more piece of information. There's a workshop with SFU galleries with this artist...

[Hannah:] Okay, SFU galleries, My instinct is to go to SFU galleries website. I would again search for the artist name + workshop and then I will add "SFU galleries" to my search and it sends me to "SFU galleries senatorial visual, visual ologies" and clicking I get information about an opening reception and underneath that is a workshop, so I'm going to click on this workshop, which if not with the artist...Oh. Guadalupe Martinez project ...which is not one I want to attend. So there is a drop bar on the side menu that says events 2023 which I'm going to click and then shows me a list of workshop that's happening in June with older workshop all the way to August 19. I am not seeing visual realities. But I'm going to click on workshop "transformation of the self which is Workshop led by Juliana Markovic" (reads) ...held in conjunction with by Luca Martinez exhibition since toy visuality and now then I found the title it still doesn't give me information. It gives me the day. There's no map - there's no access options. There's no contact button to ask about access options. Which doesn't help at all. But there's a contact button in the menu but I don't see the facilitator name on here, which is not helpful at all. So if I have to ask for access options... I see Keimi's name, as accessibility as creative practice intern, and Cheryl green as disability consulting - no contact information. I don't think they're a part of SFU galleries so my instinct would be to look up Keimi's email address which is not on here... So then I would have to go to SFUgalleries@sfu.ca which in the for general inquiries...which has a lot of steps but what other options do I have?

[Kay:] So I feel like this is a no brainer, but you went through all of this information and all of this. Do you still want to find out access information?

[Hannah:]If I have a connection to the artist and want to support the art and attend this workshop, I will go through all the steps. But if this is just a passing like, "oh, there's a workshop happening, cool..." I will probably not go through all that effort just to find any contact information for access options.

Kay's notes and observations: It was really obvious the disconnect here between staff who are listed as access experts on the contact page, and staff who are available to be contacted for access help. It says SFU Galleries is not accessible, unless you do the work.

[Kay:] Question 6: One of the arts newsletters you receive said that SFU galleries is getting a new location. Where do you go to find out more? Can you find out more?

[Kay continues:] This is a bad web newsletter. That they didn't actually link you to any news sources but they drop the news that SFU galleries is getting a new location. So where do you go to find out more? Can you find out more?

[Hannah:] If this newsletter has a contact email, that's how I find out more. But if they don't have a link sending me to any of the pages telling me where this new location is I would have to go on either Facebook or Instagram or any other social media platforms to see if they've updated on there because it is big news. So I'm assuming it will be on social media to promote this new location. So I'm gonna go on Instagram and then search Instagram for SFU galleries and then I would scroll through there but if there's no information, I would go to Facebook. I'll click on SFU galleries and then scroll through their social media post...

I see it says SFU galleries at Burnaby Mountain - announcing that Maryann and Edward Gibson Art Museum, which is under construction. On Burnaby campus gives me all the information I need when it opens. Purpose Built space and then what their looks like their vision mission and then acknowledging their $20 million gift donation.

Kay's notes and observations: I feel like this should be the easiest piece of information to get across all SFU Galleries online properties right now...

[Kay:] Question 7: You want to email the SFU galleries curator to ask if you can submit one of your pieces for consideration in an exhibition. What do you do?

[Hannah:] If I want to find SFU galleries' curators contact, I will go straight to SFU galleries website. I'm going to type in Google SFU galleries click on SFU gallery, I'm on the home page and I scroll down -

I was hoping to find a menu button that sends me to staff contacts ... oh it's at the bottom but is that going to direct me to SFU not the gallery? I'm going to see what happens if I search curator in the search. It gives me news which is not what I am looking for - oh wait, (reads an appointment article) Kristy Triner joins SFU galleries as curator - that gives me some information. But this is from February 28 2022. So I don't know if that information has been updated and it still does not give me any information or contact. I see a menu button on the side which is what I'm looking for! I'll click on SFU gallery. I see contact at the bottom and oh! This is the same page where I found Keimi as the accessibility as creative practicing intern. Hey, I found a curator. Luckily there is a contact email and then I will copy and paste and then email Christy directly. Perfect.

Kay's notes and observations: During the conversation, I again observed that the menu on the front page was not showing up. It's just a carousel.

[Kay:] Question 8: What is happening in this video?

[Hannah:] I'm gonna turn on the volume.

I'm not hearing anything.

I'm just seeing people standing. I'm assuming they are participating in a performance? I'm assuming they is supposed to be audio or music playing which I am not hearing.

It looks like a collection of videos? I'm not seeing much. The text says "moments about performing an invitation to be touch to move together". I'm not really given me any context to what's happening, which is kind of disappointing. I feel like I'm just watching something I don't understand.

Kay's notes and observations: Hannah does not have auto-captions turned on and was not served any captions through the browser. This likely would have been different if she had used her phone.

End of edited transcript of conversation with Hannah C..

Support Materials, Hannah

Video of Hannah's path to answer question one:

VIDEO PLACEHOLDER

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5.4. Amari B.

Amari B. (Sha-von/Sio/They/She) is of a stolen people living in solidarity on the stolen, unceded, and ancestral land of the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, Hwlitsum, Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem, Matsqui, Qayqayt, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, and Stó:lō Nations. Sio is a published, nationally recognized, bilingual, equity and accessibility consultant also sought as a spokesperson, storyteller, and community organizer. Amari B. is an Unlearning Dramaturgy, S.E.A.R.A., Start the Wave, and Bankability Awards recipient. Sio advocates recognizing the impact of intersectionalities in moving toward equity, decolonizing practices, and collective liberation. As a non-binary person, of mixed ancestry, living with disability, they recognize and value the intersection of identities that inform disability justice, artistic practice, change-making, and honouring ancestral teachings.

Self-identity keywords: Queer, BIPOC, Disabled, Established Artist, Storyteller.

Summary, Amari
Transcript, Amari
Support Materials, Amari
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5.5. Kay Slater

A more fulsome bio about Kay Slater, author of this report, can be found in the supprt materials.

Self-identity keywords: Queer, Mad, Hard of Hearing, Established Artist, Arts Worker, Access Consultant and Activist.

Summary, Kay

Kay is a white, middle aged arts professional who has been working in contemporary galleries for more than a decade, and has a background in digital media, and specifically in communication, communication design, accessibility, and web and app development. They have designed and developed websites, and use several digital tools for their own access needs. They are a knowledgeable web user, read manuals, and enjoy pushing tools to see what is possible. They have worked in search advertising, as well as content design. English is their first language. Kay is hard of hearing, and will avoid the telephone although new auto caption services on mobile devices allow them to participate in phone calls in a rudimentary way. Kay deals with an Anxiety Disorder along with mental illness. They primarily use text and email, and will go voice-off to many public environments. They use increase size defaults (+2/20%) on their displays, both mobile and desktop, and use corrective lenses for reading. Kay is queer and uses they/them pronouns.

Transcript, Kay

Click the hide transcript button to hide the edited transcript and easily navigate to the support materials from the use case response by Kay Slater.

Kay Slater - self-directed response, August 30th, 2023. Responses were written, and all clips are generated without audio.

Establishing Questions: Kay

Question 1: What are some facts you know about the SFU Gallery?

[Kay:] Full disclosure, I'm the author of this report. I am aware of the Galleries based on my learning over the past 3 months writing this report, and before that I was a very occasional audience member to the Audain gallery. I never go to SFU Burnaby for the gallery due to being a transit user and uninterested in leaving the city. I struggle with anxiety and going to events where I am required to hear is a challenge. I am more likely to attend things online, but until this past summer when I attended some workshops that were designed to be accessible, I had not participated in SFU Gallery programming.

I was a member of the OAFAC (Open Access Foundation for Arts & Culture) until August 2023, and participated in the site audit of the Gibson plans. I have provided feedback for that project.

I know some of the staff due to being an arts worker in Vancouver and having worked with different folks at different institutions over the past decade.

Question 2: Have you ever been to SFU Galleries?

[Kay:] I have been to the Audain downtown. I have not been to the Burnaby campus. I have recently visited the SFU Teck gallery (this past summer).

Question 3: Have you ever had a discussion about SFU Galleries with your friends or other artists?

[Kay:] I have chatted with a few colleagues and artists about SFU Galleries when they have an upcoming exhibition or workshop. I don't tend to chat about SFU Galleries unless there is a specific exhibition, and usually refer to the exhibition more than that the gallery or museum. I also find that people call it the Audain downtown more than SFU galleries.

I have discussed how I don't feel like I am supposed to be in the building when I go into the Woodwards building, and have had the feeling echoed by other friends who are not students.

Question 4: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as a hard of hearing artist?

[Kay:] I tend to force through to make things accessible if I am really keen to do something. I don't find SFU Galleries to be particularly accessible or inaccessible to my needs, but I am an established arts worker who has practice advocating for my access needs. If there is audio or video that does not have transcripts or captions, I will use my own subscription programs. If I really am engaged with the work, I might reach out for more information, but in general the tools I have allow me to understand most content online.

I would not attend an event or workshop that didn't already state that captions, CART, or ASL were going to be provided. I don't ask anymore for a few different reasons, but mostly because I do not want to be "held responsible" for access tools and supports being put into place and then not be able to to attend.

I have my own tools that I pay for, and go to things ready to have an experience that will make me feel nervous or will make others nervous. As such, I don't find most galleries accessible. Due to my most recently experience with workshops hosted by SFU Galleries on the subject of accessibility where I was supported, and access needs were prioritized, I know that this needs to be reassessed.

Question 5: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as an immigrant or BIPOC artist and visitor?

[Kay:] I am a white settler.

Question 5: Question 6 (if queer): Do you think SFU Galleries is a safe place for you to visit as a Queer hard of hearing artist?

[Kay:] I have no specific reason to feel unsafe as a queer hard of hearing artist, but I do expect to be misgendered. I recognize that I am more safe than many in my peer and professional circles being white and queer both in universities and arts spaces. I expect universities to dead name me, or to provide me barriers to access based on my own experience with Universities and colleges. This is a prejudice that I carry when dealing with most institutions and I tend to expect that treatment and am surprised if it is different.


Use Case Questions: Kay

Question 1: Your friend told you about a new show at the SFU Gallery in Vancouver. They don't really remember the details, but when they learned about the show, they knew you would be interested. What is the first thing you do?

[Kay:] I type in "sfu galleries" into my browser url field. I click on the first result in Google "SFU Galleries - Simon Fraser University". I can see that this is a sfu.ca domain website. I arrive at the main page. There is a carousel. I click through the dots, and not seeing the name of the show, I decide to click the one that reads "Autofictional: MFA Graduation Exhibition & Festival". I notice there is no menu or listing for shows. Clicking on this link brings me to information about a show I am not interested in, but a left hand menu appears. There I can click upcoming shows under the Audain Gallery, and the upcoming show Kasper Feyrer shows up. In the first line I note that the artist is local, and they research mycology, both of which interest me, so I assume this is the show. I read.

Question 2: You and a friend are going to meet at SFU in Burnaby later today. You are headed there by taxi. Your friend was texting you and said "Let's meet at the Geert Maas sculpture" and then they stopped texting you. Now your texts are not being answered. Your friend always forgets to charge their phone, so you decide you will meet them there. How do you find the Geert Maas sculpture?

[Kay:] I would never travel by taxi. The fact that I am in a taxi means I am either late or someone has paid for this trip for me. Even so, I would take an evo or car share. Failing that, I would take the skytrain, bus, or walk up the mountain before taking a taxi. Taxis are not accessible to me and cause me extreme anxiety.

Responding exactly to the question however, I am in a taxi. My friend texts me and I am panicking. I am now in hyperdrive and I go into my phone, I type in "google maps" into my iOS search. Within that app I type in "Geert Maas sculpture". The first result is in Kelowna, so I try again with +burnaby. Nothing. I leave the app and go into safari and type in "Geert Maas Sculpture". Same Kelowna results for top 5 results. I add + Burnaby. I get links to the Burnaby Art Gallery Collections and try clicking here. I might be convinced that this is what I want, but I know my friend is at SFU. I remove Burnaby from the search, and add SFU instead. Past the images, and the first listing that goes to geertmaas.org, I see sfu.ca and a PDF. I launch this within Safari. I use the search within this page option from safari mobile and type in "Geert Maas". It takes me to page 19 of 32. There is no address information but there is a picture. I notice the number 10 and scroll back in the PDF. Page 7 has map and notice the all-caps Blussen Hall. I swish over to Google Maps, still open, and time in "blussen hall sfu". I zoom out to confirm it's on campus. I start by typing into my Cardzilla text app and then remember I am in a taxi and the driver needs to hear. I open my NaturalReader text to speech app and type in "Excuse me. Please take me to Blussen Hall at SFU." I anxiously check back on Google Maps for nearby landmarks. I see the Museum of Archaeology but mistype it as Museum of Anthropology. I turn on my caption app to listen to their reply. I hope I get there without needing too much more by way of interaction with the driver who is facing away from me, and in my experience, gruff with anyone who isn't hearing and able-bodied.

Question 3: You are working on a research project for grunt gallery. You know that one of the artists you're interested in researching, Carmen Papalia, has recently done work with SFU Galleries. How do you find out more about their work?

[Kay:] I visit google and type in "sfu galleries carmen Papalia". The top 3 search results are interesting to me so I open them each in different tabs. I also open one from an external domain, akimbo.ca. Nothing else in the results really appeals. I click on the first one and see a long series of images, all bright red. I am delighted by all of the information including an image description. I click on the series link, but get a 404 error.

Next I click on a result for a podcast. Not usually my thing, but since it's with Carmen, I ready to keep reading. A large red button takes me to a transcript. I begin reading with a grin on my face. This text is even accessible!

Next tab shows me a reading group with dates but no year. I'm immediately suspicious and scroll down looking for a date. I scroll to the bottom and see the article was printed in 2021. The reading group series has ended.

The fourth tab on akimbo.ca is all text, so I skim it. This article is also accessible to me. I can see it's an interview between Kimberly Phillips, Christopher Lacroix, and Blea Zamora from the galleries. I see that Blea is the Accessibility Assistant at the galleries and wonder if I knew that. Do they still work there?

I click back to the 404 error and decide I'll contact the gallery to let them know about the error and see if I can get more information. I try deleting everything in the address bar after sfu.ca/galleries and type /contact. Forbidden access. I try again with /contact-us. 404 error. Once more /contactus. Nope. Fine, I click to sfu.ca/galleries and immediately click on the first image that comes up in the carousel so I can access the menu. I scroll down to contact and navigate to Sydney in the collections and copy/paste their email into my mail browser.

Question 4: You recently found out about a improv dance workshop that focuses on the awareness of bodies. Your friend posted an Instagram online and said "I can't wait for this workshop". They didn't give any more details and you want to sign up. They aren't responding to DMs. What do you do?

[Kay:] Does my friend sign or respect that I am voice-off in community spaces and workshops? To be honest, unless this friend is someone who has gone out with me before and can sign or communicate voice off, I won't bother. If this is a friend who is also deaf/hard of hearing, or has access needs, I'll look into it.

I would navigate to the search within instagram, and type in sfu galleries. In this instance I hit enter too soon and got a bunch of visual requests, but I did see the predictive search flash and account, so I go back to the search again and before clicking enter, wait for the account to show up. I select that and click message. I would then begin a DM conversation here and ask about any access supports planned for the workshop.

Question 5: There is an upcoming screening of work done by artist Mina El Shazly in September that your friend is interested in attending. You want to learn more about it and see if it is accessible. How do you find out more? What steps do you need to take to see if it's accessible to you?

[Kay:] I type in "mina el shaley sfu galleries" into google (chrome browser by the way, logged into my personal google account). I've been to the second link in the results which goes directly to the Audain-gallery within sfu.ca/galleries. I decide I'll try the first link as the url preview says events-news. It's not actually relevant and talks about 2022.

I go back to the 2nd link and it takes me directly to the grad show at SFU. I scrub down visually, and find the show second from the bottom. There is no access information here, but I know that the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts has shown different films in the past and I have a vague memory of them having an audio aid. I copy/paste "SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts" and add "accessibility" into the url field of a new tab. The first result that comes up on Google is called Accessibility - Goldcorp Centre for the Arts Production... Yes!

I scroll down past mobility information, and Hearing Assist Headsets is listed second on this page. It says they are available for the Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema and the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre. I highlight the first theatre name, and then go back to the other tab to confirm that it's the theatre. It is. I keep scrolling down on the page to the washrooms and notice I will have access to gender neutral washrooms. Huh - I think I'm going to go to this show.

Question 6: One of the arts newsletters you receive said that SFU galleries is getting a new location. Where do you go to find out more? Can you find out more?

[Kay:] It's a poorly designed newsletter if I can't just click to a relevant article from the newsletter itself.

I also have a double advantage that I have been tooling around the website and know that the Gibson news is featured on the front page, last image of the carousel. I know there is no way anyone else would know that unless they had clicked through like me before and am curious if google will get me to the same place. Even though I know it's called the Gibson - again, inside knowledge because I have been working with the Gibson team since before construction was confirmed - I decide to type "sfu galleries new location". I scroll down to the first listing under the three google maps listing. I get to the front page with no menu again - ugh, this home page. Whatever, I know it's on the last bullet of the carousel. I click that and it takes me to an article. It's only this time, after visiting this a few times that I make the connection that this article is actually an exhibition AT the SFU Gallery at Burnaby/SFU Campus and not in fact a news announcement. I scroll down to see that there are some tours coming up.

I feel like the menu item "SFU Galleries" is even less helpful since it does go to an article named "Introducing the Gibson Art Museum". My insider knowledge actually did me less of a service here and I was confused.

Question 7: You want to email the SFU galleries curator to ask if you can submit one of your pieces for consideration in an exhibition. What do you do?

[Kay:] It's a poorly designed newsletter if I can't just click to a relevant article from the newsletter itself.

It's fastest for me to just go to google.com and type in SFU Galleries curator. I skip the top result which is an appointment notice and click on the contact link. I scroll down to Kristy and notice they don't have a phone number listed. I smile - I don't have a phone number listed to contact me either. Nice.

Out of interest, I scroll down to who else is on the list to see if someone besides the curator is someone I should contact. As I work as a Preparator and exhibition designer, I make a note of the Preparator, and then notice the Accessibility Intern and Consultant positions listed...with no contact information. Odd.

Question 8: What is happening in this video?

[Kay:] I text the url to myself. The video opens up in my app for instagram. Autogenerated captions play. I watch all video with sound off and have it set to automatically play captions. I look down at the description which gives me context of what I'm seeing in the video. This looks pretty interesting.

What is happening? It's archived footage from a workshop, in a room that has a pink tint. People are spread out around the room and move slowly but within purpose. It's obviously being led by someone. I'm more interested in the write up after a few moments since I wasn't in the performance, but I'm glad that the write up thanks the person who documented it.

Question 9: Who is this person? Why would you ever need to contact them?

[Kay:] I text the url to myself. This is Sydney Laiss, the new collections manager. I will probably reach out to them in the future if I need to access any of the SFU Galleries collections, or if I am helping an artist who is struggling to access the website.

Question 10: Why would you go to SFU Gallery? Is there any reason?

[Kay:] If there was a show on that I was interested in, I would attend. I'd likely attend either on the weekend, or late in the day during the week. My anxiety is a factor in my social life.

I would go to SFU Galleries for a collaboration, to share materials and supplies between art centres and exhibition spaces, or co-learning initaitive. I would, and have gone to accessible workshop where I felt like my access needs were not a burden, or needed me to do more work than others attending.

Question 11: Do you know where the SFU Gallery is?

[Kay:] I know where the Audain and Teck galleries are. I know conceptually where the gallery is in relationship to where SFU is on Burnaby Mountain. I am otherwise unfamiliar and would rely on a map to get there.

Question 12: You want to propose a project to work with SFU Gallery. How do you contact them? Who do you contact?

[Kay:] I would likely begin casual conversations with Russell or Kim as these are the staff with whom I am most familiar, but if it was a project between grunt gallery and SFU galleries, I would likely direct it to Kristy as well. I would begin with an email.

Support Materials, Kay

Google Drive folder of video screenshots for Kay's responses to Main Questions 1-9

Question 1 - mp4 (silent)

Question 2 - mp4 (silent)

Question 3 - mp4 (silent)

Question 4 - mp4 (silent)

Question 5 - mp4 (silent)

Question 6 - mp4 (silent)

Question 7 - mp4 (silent)

Question 8 - mp4 (silent)

Question 9 - mp4 (silent)

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5.6. Chris O.

Chris (He, Him) is a Black, non-Disabled man in his twenties, enrolled as a student at SFU in 2023. He is currently contracted by SFU Galleries as an Engagement Assistant.

Self-identity keywords: International student, English as Additional Language, BIPOC, Emerging Artist, SFU Staff.

Summary, Chris

Chris conducted his own interview, self-directed using a set of questions written by Kay which followed the format of previous interviews. He recorded himself using Otter.ai for auto-transcription, and Kay edited this text based on their understanding for the sake of this report. Chris engaged in this interview while working as a docent and was on site at the Audain site. He is interrupted a few times by members of the public who visited the gallery.

Transcript, Chris

Click the hide transcript button to hide the edited transcript and easily navigate to the next interview.

Conversation recorded by Chris, November 17th, 2023

Establishing Questions: Chris

Establishing Question 1: What are some facts you know about the SFU Gallery?

[Chris:] I know is that it is Vancouver. Canada. It's two galleries. One is on West Hastings and the other is on the Burnaby Mountain

Establishing Question 2: Have you ever been to SFU Galleries?

[Chris:] Yes, I have been to SFU galleries. I currently work for there, part time.

Establishing Question 3: Have you ever had a discussion about SFU Galleries with your friends or other artists?

[Chris:] Yes, I have had a discussion with my friends and other artists about it. Me and my classmates talk about it a lot. Our third year exhibition was held at SFU galleries. And also our upcoming fourth year exhibition is going to be in the gallery as well. So we have a lot of discussions about the gallery space and how it's gonna accommodate the entire cohort and how it is not.

Establishing Question 4: Do you think SFU Galleries is accessible to you as an BIPOC artist and visitor?

[Chris:] But as a visitor, I think it's it's accessible and there could perhaps be some bathrooms nearby where guests on off to those who are disabled don't have to travel too far to use that bathroom but for me it's accessible enough.

Kay's notes and observations: I really appreciated the honesty of this answer, because it illustrated one of the ways the word "accessibility" has a quick and common, but ultimately limited, association with physical barriers or facility related access. Chris is right that access to washrooms is a huge priority, and should be accessible not only for proximity, but also in terms of wayfinding, and knowledge of whether or not those washrooms will acomodate all bodies after a visitor or staff have made the journey to get there. However, accessibility goes beyond physical barriers, and when non-Disabled professionals make decisions based on assumptions or surface level understanding of "access", it can contribute to societie's othering or disabling of bodies and visitors. I am disappointed that this question was copy-pasted without language on how he felt cultural accessibility was handled as a out-of-town student and guest on these lands.


Use Case Questions: Chris

Question 1: Your friend told you about a new show at the SFU Gallery in Burnaby. They don't really remember the details, but when they learned about the show, they knew you would be interested. What is the first thing you do?

[Chris:] Well, the first thing I would do would be to ask them more details. At that point, I would gather some details and do my own research via the internet to see - you know - to grasp, when is it happening? Where is it? How do I locate it on the campus? What time is it open? You know, because the mountain campus is a bit ways away from society. So just going is a task so you don't want to go and miss the opening time, or that there be some sort of issue...

Question 2: You and a friend are going to meet at SFU in Burnaby later today. You are headed there by taxi. Your friend was texting you and said "Let's meet at the Geert Maas sculpture" and then they stopped texting you. Now your texts are not being answered. Your friend always forgets to charge their phone, so you decide you will meet them there. How do you find the Geert Maas sculpture?

[Chris:] well, to find the Geert Maas sculpture...I guess I can use the internet to help in locating it. I believe Google Maps if you type in landmarks, they also help you locate them too. So that's a another good tool for locating landmarks such as the sculpture.

Kay's notes and observations: I don't think that Chris actually tried using Google Maps as a tool or attempted to find this sculpture. I am unsure of their dataplan, or which phone they use.

Question 3: You are working on a new print project and curatorial proposal. One of the artists you are interested in is a Salish artist named lessLIE, who mentioned they had worked with SFU galleries in the past. How do you find out more about their work?

[Chris:] So to find more about their work, the first thing I would do would be to actually use the internet. You use the internet with the artist's name. Also typing in keywords like SFU galleries Salish artists L-E-S-S-L-I-E, just keywords like that. Also checking SFU galleries website and checking through whatever database they have. That's publicly available that may contain past artists which they worked with.

Kay's notes and observations: Once again, Chris is operating under assumptions and did not try to find actual information on this specific artist. He assumes there would be a database and it would function a certain way. While this might not specifically show the path he took or the barriers he faced, Chris' response shows a disconnect between his expectations and the reality of what he might have found if he had tried to search for this artist.

Question 4: You recently found out about a improv dance workshop that focuses on the awareness of bodies. Your friend posted an Instagram online and said "I can't wait for this workshop". They didn't give any more details and you want to sign up. They aren't responding to DMs. What do you do?

[Chris:] Well, to find out about the workshop a first thing I do is try to contact people who are organizing it, whether it be via email or there may be some phone number available. Awareness of bodies workshop, see if they have a website. I'm googling key words again to find out information on how I can subscribe to newsletters that pertain this thing and future events related to it. I'd want to see if there's a ticket I need to buy or purchase online and seeing if I can purchase that beforehand. You want to do that before the event comes and then you find out that you can't access be a part of it because you didn't purchase a ticket or you didn't register early.

Kay's notes and observations: I was really surprised and impressed to see Chris mention that he would look for a phone number. It is important to see that a phone call would still be a method he would use to get more information if the web didn't provide him with what he wanted to find out. The RSVP is also an important note - it is not always a barrier but a way to confirm your seat, or to get it in the calendar.

Question 5: There is an upcoming screening of work done by artist Mina El Shazly in September that your friend is interested in attending. You want to learn more about it and see if it is accessible. How do you find out more? What steps do you need to take to see if it's accessible to you?

[Chris:] Steps I need to take is finding out what time in September it is. September is a, I guess, a broad term it could be anytime in a month, so I need to discover which date it is so I can know if I'd be available. Yeah, just like number of question number four. Figuring out if I need to purchase a ticket, finding out what the attendance will be like - to see if space will be available for me and my friend. I'm discovering if it's showing up multiple days because we don't have an exact date. Yeah, to find out more, I guess I can search up the term Mina El Shazly in September in Vancouver, to see if I could find a ticket or more information so I can attend. Right? (chris re-reads the framing question) What steps do you need to take to see if it's accessible to you? Yeah, seeing if there's some sort of organizer, an email where I could personally speak to people who are in charge of organizing said event. If I have some sort of access need, you know, messaging organizers to discover if there's gonna be any extra measures required to help and to aid me - [Chris is interrupted by a visitor in the gallery and pauses.]

Question 6: Why would you go to SFU gallery? Is there any reason?

[Chris:] I would go to SFU Galleries to see different exhibitions on display. As a student, it would be a learning experience. There's always some sort of different artists from different racial backgrounds or different world perspectives. And it's always been a learning experience whenever I've come here, you know, as an artist to see other artists and their practices. That's a reason I will go to SFU galleries.

Kay's notes and observations: This response is reinforced by the fact that Chris is a currently enrolled student and works at SFU Galleries. I can't help but wonder if he would make time to visit the show if he didn't work there, or if his work hadn't previously been on display (or will be forthcoming). It may be suggested that proximity is a low-hanging fruit visitor that doesn't need much work to maintain and that putting efforts into communicating with audiences who would otherwise not be aware of the exhibitions or facilities are worth exploring to grow visitor numbers and engagement.

Question 11: Do you know where the SFU Gallery is?

[Chris:] Yes, I do know where the SFU galleries are. One of the SFU galleries is on Burnaby Mountain; it's in the science quadrangle. I think it's called the BD science block. And the other one, is at 149 West Hastings Street in Goldcorp Building at the Hastings entrance.

Kay's notes and observations: It was excellent to hear how the gallery was situated relative to a student's perspective at the SFU campus.

Question 12: You want to propose a project to work with SFU Gallery. How do you contact them? Who do you contact?

[Chris:] I guess I would go to the website and they would have a list of the members and their post (position) and possibly how to contact them. Particularly - who I would contact - I would contact the director Kimberly. I would, at that point, I would send my proposal, whether it be email, or perhaps I can get a number for her. There's multiple options.

Kay's notes and observations: Again, a disconnect between expectations and recording what would have happened. Because Chris has an on-going relationship with SFU Galleries staff, the hurdles or barriers to get in contact with staff are lower, but I was disappointed to not see how he would have reacted to seeing his expectations not be met in the actual experience in seeking the information he assumed would be there.

End of edited transcript of self-directed interview with Chris.

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5.7. SFU Galleries Staff - pending

The author was able to meet with a few different SFU Galleries staff members both in person and digitally throughout the project. They were asked questions about the tools and tech that were essential for their jobs, any access needs that were being met or not being met by current digital strategies, and to dream about what would be possible with more digital integration in their work flow, the galleries, and the upcoming museum.

This report seeks to address digital needs, with recommendations and action items based on research, converation, and community practices. However, these recommendations, distilled down, still are connected to people and staff currently working at SFU Galleries who must maintain good working relationships, acknowledge the hierarchy and power structure within a system with directors, managers, and coordinators. As such, relevant feedback from staff about digital systems and needs was collected and summarized into recommendations throughout the document.

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6. Conclusion

This report has been built from a review based on a specific moment in time, designed to identify needs that can be addressed in the immediate future to better serve SFU Gallery staff, artists, and audiences. A new museum will be built in the coming years, and technology will not stand still. This report is designed to bridge a gap and assist with current programs and procedures while providing insight into the how and why of digital accessibility so that it can inform future decisions.

This author recommends that two resources be consulted and be brought into the onboarding process for all SFU Galleries staff, but especially those who will be working with the public and online content. These resources are updated regularly and are primers to help build an understanding of the challenges faced by those with Disabilities and d/Deafness. By always designing digital strategies around those with the most needs, we shift the attention away from the non-Disabled majorities for efficiency. Instead, we plan for accessibility to prioritize inclusion and care from the beginning.

W3C: Introduction to Web Accessibility

Free class on edX.

This self-paced, accessible workshop provides insights for anyone designing for and using the web! From workshop hosts and communication and content writers to tech and design departments, this workshop provides a strong foundation in digital accessibility. Learn why we must make websites and apps work well for people with disabilities, meet international standards, and provide a better user experience for everyone.

Sins Invalid Disability Justice Primer

Skin, Tooth, and Bone, The Basis of Movement is Our People, 2nd Edition.

During the writing of this report, it was specifically mentioned that vocabulary and best practices feel like a constantly shifting target. The author of this report agrees but reflects that accessibility and vocabulary shift not to others but to include and acknowledge the dynamic nature of the bodies to whom we seek to provide access. As such, the Disability Justice Primer, written by Sins Invalid, is a recommended reading resource for all staff and program facilitators to build a foundation for hosting mixed-ability programs and concrete access suggestions for events.

Hardware upgrade

Wifi and cell service upgrades must be prioritized within the SFU Collections vault. It represents a safety risk and does not allow for work to be conducted without travelling up and down stairs. It is worth contacting the BC Arts Council and asking about SFU Galleries' eligibility within the Arts Infrastructure Grant, specifically with the category of Capital Improvements.

Accessibility Committee

Any working groups with goals towards digital access and needs will inevitably need to be discussing access. While physical access and facility needs are ultimately still separate from the digital world, they become less and less every year. As the internet becomes more a part of our society and working culture, it becomes more important to position digital accessibility with priority when planning operations, budgets, and programming.

Following a staff commitment to review these assets, it is strongly recommended that an accessibility committee be formed of SFU Galleries staff and, if possible, 2-3 community members associated with the gallery. This could be a local artist, enrolled student, or guest ambassador keen to discuss accessibility-related to internal systems and programming. Consider writing a grant to support the first year of this committee to build staff capacity and to apply for accessibility assistance so that accessible meeting practices are modelled by the committee, and allow for Disabled and d/Deaf participation.

This committee must understand the Social Model of Disability. The social model of Disability diverges from the dominant medical model of Disability (prioritized by policy within SFU and thus already reflected in HR policy followed by SFU Galleries), where a functional analysis of the body as a machine needs to be fixed to conform with normative values. This committee does not need to repeat the work already done by systems prioritizing efficiency and ableism. Instead, it has the opportunity to focus on systemic barriers and social exclusion, which make it impossible for disabled people to be valued fully.

This committee could gather exclusively online and would be required to consider accessibility within the digital and in-person spaces. As digital connectivity becomes ubiquitous in professional work, accessibility work cannot be restricted to physical spaces.

It is recommended that the first job tackled by the accessibility committee is to create an accessibility statement. This statement would represent the abilities and goals of the SFU Galleries team and be a first draft of creating something shareable that could live online. Be realistic. What can SFU Galleries do with their current resources, and what do they strive to do? What can they promise, and where can they acknowledge risk or scarcity?

SFU is engaged in publishing an accessibility plan, especially as the Accessible BC Act goes into effect, and all Provincially funded Universities now require accessibility committees and plans as of September 2023. The SFU Galleries accessibility committee would be informed by the conversations happening within contemporary art, as well as the public, and could be a place for co-learning between SFU and the Galleries in coming years.

Accessibility is not one person's job, and forming a committee, even an informal one, to discuss barriers or challenges in an open forum both affirms SFU Galleries' commitment to accessibility and provides an opportunity for the work to be shared by people across departments and responsibilities within the gallery.



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7. Tools and Resources

Throughout this document, specific digital tools to help generate accessible content and promote accessible workflows have been recommended. This second consolidates these recommendations as well as direct links to the services. It has been recommended that these services be subscribed to before the start of 2024 Q1, which aligns with the 2024 Digital Strategy report.

Many digital tools employ automation and limited AI, adhering to US privacy laws. As Canada progresses in developing a regulatory framework for AI, it's important to recognize the absence of specific Canadian AI regulations. While Canadian privacy laws protect personal information, they don't always extend to business data. Therefore, SFU staff should be cautious when sharing personal information with services hosted on US servers, as these systems and AI technologies are not bound by Canadian privacy laws, and there are notable differences in copyright and fair use laws between the two countries.

For instance, Grammarly, a tool recommended for enhancing writing clarity, stores content on cloud servers. Although the company actively pursues security compliance certifications in the US to protect user data and has made significant progress, users should remain aware that any data uploaded to the cloud is potentially at risk of breaches. As of December 2023, these compliance efforts align with US standards.

It is advisable that content not intended for public sharing or that contains proprietary or sensitive information should not be uploaded to any cloud-based service or to services outside Canada to ensure data security and personal privacy.

The report's author is unaffiliated with these recommended tools and services. Alternative services that satisfy the intended outcomes when using the following recommendations are acceptable; the following tools are recommended based on the consultant's ongoing personal and professional use.

Otter.ai

Otter.ai (automated transcription) is recommended as a multi-purpose tool. Digital transcription allows for a text translation of real-time and recorded conversations and audio. The Otter.ai tool has the added benefit of creating draft captions from edited transcripts. While captions require some edits after their auto-generation, the pre-work is reduced.

Otter.ai has the advantage of being a note-taker, summarizer, and equalizer in meeting and live event spaces. With the transcription tool in the room, speakers and participants should be mindful of speaking slowly and clearly and not practicing over-talk. The best transcripts are generated when there is a single, active speaker. This tool can cement respectful meeting and conversation practices, requiring speakers to be allowed to complete their thoughts before being interrupted by other speakers. The tool also identifies how much time speakers are taking up as a percentage of the entire meeting, which is helpful for governance and administrative teams looking to see who is being neglected in group settings and who may benefit from taking a listening role in upcoming sessions. It is an essential tool for asynchronous access, allowing staff more control over their time. It allows for health and wellness or emergencies to be prioritized over live attendance as the data is available to be listened to or read after the fact. Finally, auto transcription provides accountability through documentation, much like email. Transcription is not a monitoring tool; it simply records what is given. By establishing agreements and procedures for accessible meetings and gatherings, staff and event participants will know the scope of what is acceptable and respectful when transcription is turned on. Transcripts can still be generated or offered as an access tool for private conversations but must be deleted following private meetings. When text access is not required or requested, it can be turned off. Using tools like live transcription, transcripts or emails to create a permanent record of conversations is a mechanism to promote responsible and respectful behaviour, ensuring a traceable, documented record of interactions and decisions. When interpersonal conflict or unbalanced power dynamics are identified in a workplace, transcripts can help illustrate the importance of being mindful of words and actions and encourage people to be accountable for what they say.

There will be a learning curve as it is integrated within SFU Galleries processes; the AI will initially be unfamiliar with industry and site-specific words, spelling, and names and is most accurate at transcribing Western, English, educated speakers with enunciated speech. It creates an excellent draft resource that can then be revised by a human editor to annotate and correct errors and to add a visual description for transcripts published without visuals or original audio for access to Blind and low-vision readers.

Action:

Subscribe for one year to otter.ai (business pricing) for communications or programs department. Use the tool for transcripts, captions, live meeting summaries, and to record meetings for archive, asynchronous use, and to hold staff at all levels accountable and mindful of power dynamics when gathering.


ChatGPT

A content writing assistant, such as ChatGPT, can help translate complex language to plainer and more accessible language. While ChatGPT is not a content-writing tool, it can assist in the content-writing, translation, and summary process. ChatGPT will be particularly useful in the coming year in creating language summary keys such as estimated reading times key summaries from complex or lengthy abstracts or in helping to shorten content to fit word, and character counts when writing for the web or social media.

While not widely available or dependable, the technology to translate visuals into text is coming. However, most of this work is done by sighted content writers who are often required to exert considerable creative and cognitive labour to translate what is seen, what is contextually essential, and what is enough without being too much.

For more complex or complicated visuals, initial draft descriptions could be generated through newer free tools such as Seeing AI (apple app store, google play store), which Blind and low-vision mobile users use but are still unreliable and long-winded. Using ChatGPT, longer access descriptions can be condensed and more effectively written.

The communications and curatorial teams and artists remain the content writers and contextual experts. AI content assistance from services like ChatGPT quickly cuts down and summarizes these in-depth texts for broader online audiences or audiences with specific needs. For stills pulled from video or where a transcript exists, this text can be summarized to create video descriptions that allow visitors to quickly understand what they will experience in a video or find content from the adjacent media summary through search.

ChatGPT works well as a co-pilot when writing code or troubleshooting errors. SFU Galleries employs a small team with a tech-savvy and proficient communications manager keen to explore and try new technology to connect with SFU Galleries' audiences. Coding solo is possible, but it is more efficient to work in a team, and this AI tool has shown to be an excellent resource for the solo developer who wears multiple hats in a small organization.

This recommendation was initially written by the report's author, after which they asked ChatGPT if this was accurate and whether or not it could be written more clearly or concisely. ChatGPT responded with: "Your recommendation for using ChatGPT at SFU Galleries is quite comprehensive and well-thought-out. However, to enhance clarity and conciseness, consider focusing on the key benefits and applications of ChatGPT in your context. Here's a revised version:"

"ChatGPT serves as a valuable content writing assistant for SFU Galleries, particularly in translating complex language into more accessible, plain language. While not a substitute for human content writers, it effectively aids in content writing, translation, and summarization. ChatGPT's utility extends to creating language summary keys, such as estimated reading times and concise abstracts, and optimizing content for web and social media constraints.

As we anticipate advancements in AI's ability to translate visuals into text, ChatGPT can assist in refining initial drafts of visual descriptions. This is particularly useful for complex or detailed visuals, streamlining the process of creating accessible content for blind and low-vision users.

The tool complements the expertise of our communications and curatorial teams and artists by efficiently summarizing in-depth texts for diverse online audiences, including those with specific accessibility needs. It also proves beneficial in summarizing video transcripts to enhance understanding and searchability of video content.

Furthermore, ChatGPT is a practical resource in coding and troubleshooting, acting as a 'digital teammate' for our small, tech-savvy team. Its ability to assist with coding tasks makes it an invaluable tool for solo developers or staff managing multiple roles in a resource-limited environment."

ChatGPT condensed the original recommendation from 340 words to 193 words.

Action:

Subscribe for one year to chatGPT for communications department. Use tool content writing assistance, summaries, and reading keys, and provide a digital teammate to tech-savvy accessibility and communication writers.


Readable.com

Readability measures how easy a text is to read. While academic language is used to explain complex ideas, it is not always the most accessible. Readable.com is a tool that can help SFU Content writers improve their readability for a broader audience when calling to visit the gallery or engage with public programs. When people understand, making a positive emotional connection is also easier. For staff who write for external communication, it is recommended that texts be checked on a readability service such as readable.com or the free Hemingway App. It is recommended that all SFU Galleries staff use this tool when writing manuals and documenting processes. Process documentation must employ simple language, as consistent and clear understanding is the most important goal.

Readability.com can also be used for academic or audience-specific writing as the tool scales to different reading levels. Readability tools are excellent when translating teaching resources for different grade levels and can be used by program managers, artists, and communications writers.

Action:

Subscribe for one year to https://readable.com/pro/ (contentPro) for communications department. It can be used for free for casual use by all staff. Use to ensure communications and marketing content are accessible. Use to check the reading level of content designed for younger audiences. Employ across departments when writing documentation.


Speechify.com

Speechify is recommended as an accessibility tool for SFU Galleries staff. It allows access for those who need an audio accompaniment for long texts or are best served by consuming text data in an audio format. It gives freedom to hearing individuals to leave their desks and listen to reports or to have their writing read back to them in a more natural voice than a voice-over or screen reader text. When communicating with artists, staff, or academics with cognitive challenges such as dyslexia, emails can be translated for additional support.

Speechify voice-over is an additional add-on that is a powerful tool for generating audio content. The AI voice-over tool can create an audio file of text that can be added online. It can also be used to create clips with voices from different cultural and language communities, allow for names and places to be read phonetically for pronunciation assistance and in anticipation of conflicts with assistive technologies such as screen readers.

For exhibition texts and didactics, audio of these files can be generated and provided to visitors by scanning, serving both sighted and non-sighted audiences who benefit from having the audible text.

Video clips for social media can easily have visual descriptions generated as audio and embedded into files so that the AD or audio description can be listened to along with the video rather than only being available as a text caption or description.

Action:

Subscribe for one year to SpeechifyVoice-Over (studio) and Text-To-Speech Services (premium) for communications department. Use it to have documents read out to team members and to facilitate comprehension. Use it to generate clips, exhibit didactic audio, and create social media voice-overs.


Grammarly is a cloud-based typing assistant that reviews English text for spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery mistakes. It also allows users to customize their style, tone, and context-specific language, which is desirable for SFU Galleries and must satisfy both the academic community and the public. This tool is excellent for concise writing and can ensure that writing done by specific departments remains consistent in tone for its intended audience.

Grammarly allows users to choose from MLA, Chicago, and APA stylebooks. The SFU Galleries communications department follows the Chicago Manual Style (per 2020 manuals), and the SFU Department of English follows the MLA style. Neither the School for Contemporary Art handbook nor the program pages state what the SCA uses; therefore, it is assumed that it varies by course and professor.

Note: This resource is softly recommended to SFU Galleries as it does involve sharing data via the cloud. SFU Galleries also subscribes to the Microsoft Office suite, which gives access to Microsoft Editor. While an inferior service, it is still a powerful tool, and when employed alongside readability tools and content writing assistants like chatGPT, it will suffice. It is also important to acknowledge that any automation tool serving the English-speaking and writing community will still prioritize colonial and medical English and may not represent non-English words, names, or places or suggest oppressive or incorrect language suggestions for Indigenous and Disabled community keywords. None of these tools should be used without attention, and all work still requires a careful human eye.

Action:

Consider subscribing for one year to Grammarly (Business) for communications, curatorial, and programs departments. Review use, and be clear on what files it can access on a system and within which programs. Alternatively, use Microsoft Editor with readability tools and ensure each department is clear on tone and which writing styles to follow.



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Appendix

Biographies

Kay Slater, author

Kay Slater is an arts worker and multidisciplinary artist focused on access and inclusion. They have worked as a developer, accessibility consultant, and community-engaged arts programmer for the past few decades. Kay is queer, white, middle-aged, and hard of hearing. They grew up as fourth-generation Canadian settlers and have lived most of their professional life as an uninvited guest on Coast Salish land. They identify as mad, both angry at ableism and a survivor of mental illness. They cannot hear you in busy spaces and prefer to communicate in writing. Kay subscribes to the New Sincerity philosophy, a philosophy or trend that tries to expand upon and break away from concepts of postmodernist irony. It also strives to "be more awesome."

Kay was the primary writer, researcher, and designer of the 2023 Needs Assessment Report.

Kay's Website

Russell Gordon, SFU Staff - communications and access manager

Russell Gordon is an artist and administrator. Russell was the primary SFU Galleries staff contact and support for the 2023 Needs Assessment Report.

Christopher Outten, SFU Student Researcher

Christoper was the SFU student researcher on the 2023 Needs Assessment Report, joining the project in September 2023.

References

Accessible BC Act

The Accessible BC Act is the government of BC's commitment to supporting people with disabilities to participate in their communities meaningfully. The act was developed less than five years ago and is currently being implemented, which means there are no formal standards. Effective September 1, 2022, many public sector organizations were required to establish an accessibility committee, an accessibility plan and a build tool to receive feedback on their accessibility. Provincial Universities were required to submit their accessibility plan on September 1, 2023. When writing this report, SFU had not published their accessibility plan to the public.

SFU: The Centre for Accessible Learning

"The Centre for Accessible Learning exists to serve the student body of all Simon Fraser campuses." "We provide disability-related information and support to the SFU community and campus visitors and act as liaison between students and faculty in implementing disability-related services and accommodations. We facilitate student growth and leadership skills. The Centre advocates on diversity, educational equity, and academic achievement issues."

The author of this report attempted to make contact and work with the Centre for Accessible Learning. It was unsuccessful, and after a few tries, the attempt was abandoned.

SFU Website - Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL)

Accessibility for Students with Disabilities Policy

"Simon Fraser University recognizes and affirms the rights of students with disabilities who are academically qualified, to have full, fair and equal access to all University services, programs and facilities and to be welcomed as participating members of the University community."

SFU Website - Policy GP 26A, Revised September 25, 2003

SFU Organizations Heath Policy

"The purpose of the Organizational Health office is to help create safe, healthy, inclusive and engaging work environments, reduce absenteeism, and provide meaningful opportunities and accommodations for those with ongoing illness and disabilities. Our goal is to help employees stay at work and, when illness necessitates absences, integrate them back into the work environment safely, expediently, and respectfully."

It is up to the employee to file IAP for accommodation.

Note:

SFU is currently* implementing interim accommodation procedures (IAP) due to an anticipated increase in applications for the accommodation of limitations associated with protected characteristics under the Human Rights Code, other than physical or mental disability, in the workplace. "For some time, the University has had a policy – GP40 (Disability Accommodations in the Workplace) – to address applications for the accommodation of limitations associated with a physical or mental disability. However, Policy GP40 and its associated process, managed by Wellness & Recovery, do not address applications for the accommodation of a limitation associated with the Protected Characteristics. These requests were typically addressed directly between an employee and the employee's supervisor or manager with, in some cases, the involvement of Human Resources or Faculty Relations and the employee's Union or APSA. The IAPs are designed to replace this informal approach with a timely, effective, consistent, and transparent process, especially when the University anticipates an increase in Applications."

As such, current SFU policy requires that they determine the needs of the SFU staff member (medical model of Disability) and does not allow for the individual's self-identification. SFU may hire professionals to assess the employee's physical or mental capacity.

This information may be out of date. This procedure was meant to be implemented on an interim basis because the University was revising Policy GP40 to address the accommodation of limitations associated with the Protected Characteristics. Once the revision of Policy GP40 has been completed, the revised Policy GP40 will replace the IAPs. It was estimated that this would be completed by 2021, but the procedure remains active on the website.



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