Abstract
This study explored how various campus leaders support implementation of an accessible technology initiative in a multi-campus university system. The researcher conducted a mixed methods study to explore leadership approaches to accessible technology policy implementation, perceived factors that facilitate and barriers that inhibit success of accessible technology initiatives and associated culture change. Data were collected from a document review and surveys sent to stakeholders from throughout the university system. The Critical Transformative Leadership, Diffusion of Innovations, and Emergent Change theoretical frameworks were useful in understanding the results. The democratic, bureaucratic, and political leadership approaches were found to be significantly correlated with reported accessible technology initiative implementation levels. Policy type, campus climate, familiarity with Section 508, and campus size also had significant correlations with reported accessible technology initiative implementation levels. Several overall themes emerged from the study, including critical support, critical relationships, leadership capacity, institutional barriers, and cultural inclusion, and a new model emerged: the Critical Collaborative Innovation for Accessibility (CCIA) model. Recommendations for policy and leadership and further study concluded the study.