Alison Haynes

Alison directs digital accessibility, user experience, and divisional communications for the Division of Information Technology. Her first three years on the Systems Development and Innovation team (which does custom app development, including FlashLine and KSUmobile) were completely focused on digital accessibility. Under her leadership, digital accessibility’s profile has grown exponentially. In tandem with Student Accessibility Services, Alison launched The Equal Access Academy in 2022, which had over one thousand attendees in accessibility-related trainings. The Inside Equal Access newsletter, also launched in 2022, reaches thousands each month and serves as a platform for storytelling, inspiration, and accessibility tools. Creating the Equal Access Cooperative and co-chairing the Equal Access Committee have provided an umbrella under which many teams on campus work together to remove barriers for students and employees. With the 2023 relaunch of the User Experience team in DoIT, Alison spreads her scope to serve all Kent State users. She also creates focused communications for the Division of Information Technology. Her focus remains on advocating for both abled users and those with disabilities by teaching clear storytelling, plain writing, and accessible design. Alison’s master’s degree is from Kent State University in User Experience Design.