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Information Technology is has announced that the Assistive Technology Center (ATC) will become the Digital Accessibility Center (DAC), with the transition taking place during the spring and summer months.

The change in name reflects a realignment of the center’s services to meet evolving campus needs for support, particularly around website accessibility and procurement assessment of digital platforms, with changes that align with the university’s federated approach to support compliance with ADA Title II and Massachusetts state law requirements.

“This work is about more than compliance,” says Chris Misra, vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer. “We’re working to build a campus where accessibility and inclusion are foundational to everything we do, supporting every member of our community to fully participate in the work and life of UMass Amherst.”

The center supports UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff with assistive technologies, provides campus departments with website accessibility reporting and audits, and assists with evaluating the accessibility of new technologies or applications through VPAT/ACR reviews. These services complement the efforts of other campus units, including Disability Services, the Equal Opportunity and Access Office, Instructional Design, Engagement, and Support (IDEAS Group), and the UMass Amherst Libraries.

The center will expand student support roles for peer engagement as well as support for accessibility analysis and hands-on assistance, with new positions that include student ambassadors for digital accessibility, student interns for web accessibility and DAC support students for lab and triage assistance – expanded student roles that help meet the university’s mission to provide career pathways for students through professional opportunities and career development.

The center’s six-seat computer lab in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library will continue to provide a dedicated space for community and support for students with disabilities, offering access to assistive technology resources in a central campus location, while the center will expand its assistive technology loaner inventory to offer a more inclusive and flexible experience for all users.

Updates about the transition will be shared on the center’s website, umass.edu/it/assistive-technology.