SUNY ESF Strengthens Leadership in Accessibility with $10,000 SUNY Grant

07/06/2026

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — July 6, 2026 — The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is pleased to announce it has been awarded $10,000 through SUNY’s Educational and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Grant, supporting ongoing efforts to improve digital accessibility across campus. ESF extends its sincere appreciation to the State University of New York (SUNY) for its continued leadership and commitment to advancing accessibility across its campuses.

The grant has enabled several impactful initiatives designed to enhance access to digital content and foster a culture of accessibility for students, faculty, and staff. The effort represents a collaborative, cross-campus partnership led by Erika Blair, coordinator, Teaching and Learning Center); Seth Thompson, chief diversity officer/Affirmative Action officer; Renee McNamara, dean of students; and Mona Maharjan, lead programmer/analyst.

“We are grateful to SUNY for its leadership and investment in advancing digital accessibility across our campuses,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “This grant allows ESF to build critical infrastructure, empower our faculty and staff, and ensure that all students have equitable access to the academic materials they need to succeed.”

A key initiative supported by the grant was “Countdown to Compliance,” a week-long series of digital accessibility remediation sessions held this spring. The event combined hands-on support with engaging activities, including friendly competition among departments.

The effort was supported by a network of Accessibility Champions, faculty and staff from across campus, who provided guidance during the event and will continue to serve as resources within their departments to promote best practices and ongoing accessibility efforts.

Grant funding has also supported the procurement of specialized remediation tools and software, including MathPix, a tool designed to convert math-heavy content and handwritten materials into accessible formats. The purchase of MathPix directly supports ESF’s approved Title II EIT Accessibility Grant plan to improve digital accessibility, particularly for math-intensive disciplines. As outlined in the proposal, ESF faculty identified the remediation of equation-based content as a primary barrier to accessibility, making this investment a critical component of the institution’s broader accessibility strategy.

Additional tools are being implemented to convert handwritten notes into fully accessible PDFs, further ensuring all learners can engage equitably with course materials.

In addition to grant-funded activities, ESF is actively participating in broader SUNY accessibility initiatives. The institution has been selected as one of the SUNY campuses to participate in the beta testing phase of a new PDF remediation tool being developed by SUNY’s ITEC. This tool is designed to support bulk remediation of PDF documents, further expanding the campus’ accessibility capabilities.

Locally, innovation continues with the development of a custom AI-powered assistant that helps convert handwritten notes, scanned PDFs, and other inaccessible materials into accessible Word documents. This approach allows faculty and staff to review, edit, and share accessible versions of their content, streamlining the remediation process more easily.

About SUNY ESF

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.