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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="134543" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/134543">
    <Title>REPOST: Accessibility &amp; Usability Resource Site via QM</Title>
    <Tagline>Free Faculty Tools w/UMBC's Instructional Tech +Ally class!</Tagline>
    <Body>
      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><p>In response to institutional and educator priorities for making education accessible for all learners, the Quality Matters peer community created the Accessibility and Usability Resource Site (AURS).  <em><strong>(If you would like to access the original content from Instructional Technology, to add these tools to your instructional toolbelt, click the website link below)</strong></em></p><p><span>Free and open to everyone, AURS provides the online community with important information on addressing key accessibility and usability concerns, including:</span></p><div><ul><li><strong>Universal Design for Learning</strong> - Discover what you need to know about UDL and how it can assist you in creating accessible and usable content to meet the needs of diverse learners.</li><li><strong>Alternative Text</strong> - Find out why alternative text is an important principle in accessible web design and how you can use it to help all learners understand the meaning of the image used in your content.</li><li><strong>Video Captions and Audio Descriptions</strong> - Uncover the specific steps that must be taken to make video content accessible.</li><li><strong>Hyperlinks</strong> - Gain an understanding of how to set up links in the most accessible way possible in order to create accessible content.</li><li><strong>Accessible MS Office products</strong> - Explore the basics of Microsoft product accessibility, including alternative text, document best practices and utilizing built-in accessibility checkers.</li><li><strong>Readability: Color Choice and Contrast</strong> - Dive into the topics of readability and discover why color choice and contrast play a major role in creating accessible digital resources.</li><li><strong>Accessible PDFs</strong> - Take your readability skills to the next level and learn more about how you can make PDFs accessible for your learners.</li><li><strong>Cognitive Accessibility</strong> - Increase your understanding of cognitive accessibility and uncover strategies to combat this common barrier to student success.</li><li><strong>Inclusive Teaching Practices</strong> - Discover design and pedagogical practices to help you foster an inclusive and diverse online learning community.</li></ul><p>Each topic features different resources to assist you with your accessibility challenges. Videos show you step-by-step changes you can make to increase the accessibility of your course. Examples highlight best practices. Articles provide you with additional information and resources. And forums allow you to connect directly with accessibility experts --peers who have expertise in designing accessible courses. There is also a General Accessibility and Usability Questions' Forum where you can ask any question that is unrelated to the listed topics.</p><p><strong>Accessing AURS</strong></p><p>Anyone can register for the site for free by logging into <a href="https://www.qmprogram.org/myqm/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">MyQM</a> and selecting "Workshop - Register" in the side navigation and choosing "Register for Accessibility &amp; Usability Resource Site." <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/a4-LBg" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Need a QM account?</a><span> </span></p><p>If you've already registered, the AURS link can be found on your Dashboard in the <a href="https://qualitymatters.instructure.com/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">QM Classroom</a> after you log in.</p><p><strong><a href="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/118629" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">ADDITIONAL ONLINE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY WITH BLACKBOARD ALLY-MORE DETAILS/REGISTER HERE</a> </strong></p><p>A photo of a leather toolbelt with a hammer and wrench accompanies this post.  Credit: Jesse Orric via unsplash.com</p></div></div>
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    <Summary>In response to institutional and educator priorities for making education accessible for all learners, the Quality Matters peer community created the Accessibility and Usability Resource Site...</Summary>
    <Website>https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/134515</Website>
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    <Tag>accessibility</Tag>
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    <Tag>instructional</Tag>
    <Tag>matters</Tag>
    <Tag>quality</Tag>
    <Tag>technology</Tag>
    <Tag>usability</Tag>
    <Group token="accessibility">Office of Accessibility &amp;amp; Disability Services</Group>
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    <Sponsor>Instructional Tech/Accessibility &amp; Disability Services</Sponsor>
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    <PostedAt>Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:08:26 -0400</PostedAt>
    <EditAt>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:57:07 -0400</EditAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="131130" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/131130">
  <Title>Assistive Tech, Accommodation Letters and Survey Choice</Title>
  <Tagline>Spring SDS Brown Bag Learning Series</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><em><span>Are you a student looking for assistive technology?</span><br><br><span>Are you a faculty member who received a letter of accommodation and wants to learn more?</span><br><br><span>Are you a student curious about assistive technology?</span></em><br><br><span> </span><br><span>This series is open to all students, staff, and faculty interested in learning more about the intersection of accommodations and technology.  We will be demonstrating low tech, and other assistive technology, demonstration captioning options and document remediation </span><br><span> </span><br><br><span><strong>All sessions will be held from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM in Math Psychology 222</strong></span><br><span> </span><br><br><span><strong>Session 1.   February 22nd, 12:00-1:00 </strong>  This session will focus on an introduction to assistive technology available to all students, staff, and faculty</span><br><span> </span><br><br><span><strong>Session 2. March 22nd, 12:00 – 1:00  </strong> “I received a letter of accommodation…now what?” This session will take a deep dive into accommodations and their relation to functional limitations</span><br><br><br><span><strong>Session 3. April 29th, 12:00 – 1:00   </strong>The subject matter for this session will be determined by survey results of what you, the community, would like to learn more about</span><br><br><span><strong>Session 4  May 17th, 12:00 – 1:00 </strong>This session will focus on preparations for accessible course content. </span><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Have questions, need details, or have questions about access or accommodation for these events, email the event organizer via <a href="mailto:canale@umbc.edu">canale@umbc.edu</a></span></div></div>
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  <Summary>Are you a student looking for assistive technology?  Are you a faculty member who received a letter of accommodation and wants to learn more?  Are you a student curious about assistive technology?...</Summary>
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  <Tag>assistive</Tag>
  <Tag>bag</Tag>
  <Tag>brown</Tag>
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  <Tag>diversity</Tag>
  <Tag>equity</Tag>
  <Tag>inclusion</Tag>
  <Tag>technology</Tag>
  <Tag>training</Tag>
  <Group token="accessibility">Office of Accessibility &amp;amp; Disability Services</Group>
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  <PostedAt>Tue, 21 Feb 2023 17:16:54 -0500</PostedAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="129203" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/129203">
    <Title>International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022 (UN)</Title>
    <Tagline>Disability-inclusive leadership and participation matters</Tagline>
    <Body>
      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><p>December 3rd is the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-3-december.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities</a>, honoring the United Nation's commitment for promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities - more than 1 billion people worldwide are in this demographic, the world's largest minority. The day raises awareness of the political, economic, social and cultural aspects <span>of </span>disability <span>that </span>affects people around the world. </p><p>The theme for 2022 is t<span>ransformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world.  The theme reflects recent consideration of the impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and the invasion Ukraine. More information about <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-3-december/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-idpd-3-december-2022.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">the UN Virtual New York Commemoration event, including registration is linked here</a>.</span></p><div><strong>UMBC is recognizing this important day with the <a href="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/events/111721" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">screening of the documentary,<u> I Didn't See You There</u> on Monday December 5 at 4p in Admin 101 (link)</a> - please join us for this award-winning film, which will be followed by discussion/Q&amp;A.</strong></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Working toward an accessible future is everyone's responsibility. As a campus, we engage together to create a future which insists that people are not needlessly excluded due to health conditions that create substantial limitations in how people engage with the world. Report barriers when you encounter them - at UMBC our <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">accessibility concern form</a> is available 24/7 to report any issues that arise: <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/</a>.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">UMBC's Accessibility &amp; Disability Services</a> partners with the entire campus community -departments, groups, and individuals - to overcome barriers. <a href="https://sds.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Student Disability Services</a>  is a resource for all students with disabilities.</div><div><br></div><div>If there is an <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">accessibility concern on campus - report it via this linked form</a>.  With <a href="https://fm.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Facilities Management</a> maintenance or repair reporting - the best, first step is to report it to Work Control via 410-455-2550 or <a href="mailto:Workorder@umbc.edu">Workorder@umbc.edu</a>.  For residential hall repair conditions, non-emergencies can be reported to <a href="http://fxit.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">http://fxit.umbc.edu</a>, and emergencies can be called in to the FXIT line: 410-455-3948.</div><div><br></div><div>Looking for more content?  <a href="https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-88/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">ADA Live Episode 88 discusses IDPD</a></div><div><br></div><div>Need a theme song?  <a href="https://artscanvas.org/music/collective-voice-of-disability-community-captured-by-new-song-spaces" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Artist James Ian's song "Spaces" and inclusive, collaborative process with his Spinal Muscular Atrophy community were recently featured on CANVAS (link)</a>.  <a href="https://smamyway.com/the-song/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Spaces song link</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>Photo still from <u>I Didn't See You There</u> documentary accompanies this post: Closed reflective doors with fill the screen, showing a large red circus tent with a silouhette of a man in a power wheelchair in the foreground.</div><div><br></div><div><p><br></p><div><span><br></span></div></div><div><br></div></div>
      ]]>
    </Body>
    <Summary>December 3rd is the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, honoring the United Nation's commitment for promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities - more than 1...</Summary>
    <Website>https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/events/111721</Website>
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    <Tag>day</Tag>
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    <Tag>international</Tag>
    <Tag>nations</Tag>
    <Tag>person</Tag>
    <Tag>service</Tag>
    <Tag>technology</Tag>
    <Tag>umbc</Tag>
    <Tag>united</Tag>
    <Group token="accessibility">Office of Accessibility &amp;amp; Disability Services</Group>
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    <PostedAt>Tue, 15 Nov 2022 18:14:33 -0500</PostedAt>
    <EditAt>Wed, 16 Nov 2022 15:00:04 -0500</EditAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="126983" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/126983">
  <Title>Calling All Faculty: Course Material Accessibility Help 8/26</Title>
  <Tagline>Get ready for the new semester with Instruct'l Tech (repost)</Tagline>
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    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div><div>Sign Up for this Sprint by clicking on the Website button to get to Instructional Tech's event page below!</div><div><br></div><div>Instructional Technology will host <strong>a 90-minute support sprint on Friday, August 26, 2022</strong> (noon-1:30) for faculty to virtually drop-in and receive a customized consult on key topics to finalize course prep including:</div><div><ul><li><span>Checking your course materials for accessibility: Use Ally to check your accessibility meters and review alternative formats. </span></li><li>Recycling &amp; reusing your course content. Quickly stage your upcoming course from semester to semester with the Ultra Course Copy tool.</li><li><span>Engaging with students: Schedule, deliver &amp; record virtual classes with Collaborate.</span></li><li><span>Delivering &amp; configuring virtual tests: Create online tests and assignments using Bb tools.</span></li><li><span>Tuning up your Blackboard gradebook: Create columns, drop scores, check calculations, verify weighted totals, etc.</span></li><li><span>Preparing for Ultra: Plan your course roadmap to optimize your transition to the new course interface.</span></li></ul></div></div><div>Please note that this is not formal training. If you are interested in more formal training opportunities with our staff, please see our schedule of events posted on <a href="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Instructional Technology’s myUMBC group</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>Students (undergraduate and graduate) who have health conditions that may qualify as a disability can find more information about academic accommodation on the <a href="https://sds.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Student Disability Services website:</a>  sds.umbc.edu.</div><div><br></div><div>Faculty and other employees seeking disability-related accommodation can find <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/employee-accommodations/requesting-work-related-accommodations-at-umbc-procedures/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">resources for work-related accommodations on the ADS website</a>.</div><div><br></div></div>
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  <Summary>Sign Up for this Sprint by clicking on the Website button to get to Instructional Tech's event page below!     Instructional Technology will host a 90-minute support sprint on Friday, August 26,...</Summary>
  <Website>https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/107738</Website>
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  <Tag>instructional</Tag>
  <Tag>material</Tag>
  <Tag>technology</Tag>
  <Group token="accessibility">Office of Accessibility &amp;amp; Disability Services</Group>
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  <Sponsor>Office of Accessibility &amp; Disability Services</Sponsor>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="126804" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/126804">
  <Title>5 Things Ally Can Do For Bb Course Accessibility (IT Repost)</Title>
  <Tagline>Making Bb Courses Accessible &amp; Disability Friendly 8/16 10a</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><strong>REPOST from Instructional Technology, <a href="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/106859" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">click here or </a>on the Website button to register for the 8/16/22 10:00a online session.</strong><div><br><div><p><span>Learn about </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Ally" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Ally</a><span>, a tool available in Blackboard Original and Ultra courses, that improves the accessibility of your course content. Attend this session to see Ally's remediation capabilities and file conversion tools that generate alternative formats for you and your students. </span></p><p><span>This workshop will offer ideas for developing a strategy to improve your course usability and accessibility and how to get started with </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Ally" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Blackboard Ally</a><span>. Available in both Original and Ultra courses, Ally scans content in Blackboard and provides feedback and tools to identify and fix accessibility issues. </span></p><p><span>Leverage </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=77431280" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Ally's powerful alternative format</a><span> options yourself, and let students know they can download content in multiple formats that give them choices in how they watch, read, or listen. </span></p><p><span>Upon completing this online session, participants should be able to:</span></p><ul><li><p><span>Run the </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=87884573" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Ally Accessibility Report</a> <span>for your course (Original or Ultra) to identify accessibility issues  </span></p></li><li><p><span>Use Ally's </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Ally+for+Instructors" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Instructor Feedback Panel</a><span> to preview content and prioritize remediation</span></p></li><li><p><span>Follow Ally's step-by-step guidance to </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=77431315" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">fix accessibility issues</a></p></li><li><p><span>Deploy Ally's alternative formats to support diverse learning preferences</span></p></li></ul><p><span>Following the 45-minute presentation, join us for a closer look at how to use Ally and Q&amp;A.  </span></p><p><span><strong>To RSVP for this event,</strong></span><span> please click the Website button below to get to the Instructional Tech page to "Go virtually" and be sure to add the event to your calendar!</span></p><p><span>This webinar will take place in a Blackboard Collaborate virtual conference room. Enter the webinar up to 15 minutes before the start time. Use the "Join Online Event" link above to join the session.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span>At least 5 registrations are needed for this session to proceed as scheduled. The session will be recorded if two or more people attend and the link will be distributed to everyone who registered.</span></p></div></div></div>
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  <Summary>REPOST from Instructional Technology, click here or on the Website button to register for the 8/16/22 10:00a online session.    Learn about Ally, a tool available in Blackboard Original and Ultra...</Summary>
  <Website>https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/106859</Website>
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  <Tag>instructional</Tag>
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  <Tag>scan</Tag>
  <Tag>student</Tag>
  <Tag>technology</Tag>
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  <Group token="accessibility">Office of Accessibility &amp;amp; Disability Services</Group>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="115440" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/115440">
    <Title>International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021 (UN)</Title>
    <Tagline>Disability-inclusive leadership and participation matters</Tagline>
    <Body>
      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><p>December 3rd is the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities</a>, honoring the United Nation's commitment for promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The day raises awareness of the political, economic, social and cultural aspects <span>of </span>disability <span>that </span>affects people around the world.</p><div><span>More than 1 billion people in the world have a disability. At fifteen percent (15%) of the world’s population, persons with disabilities account for the world’s largest minority. Furthermore, one out of every seven people is affected by disability.</span> </div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Read more from the WHO about <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/why-is-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-important" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Why is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Important?</a></span></div><div><br></div><div>The theme for IDPD this year is "Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world."   The<a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/11/SG-Message-Disability-FINAL.pdf" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> Secretary-General's message on International Day of Persons with Disabilities is linked here</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>Working toward an accessible future is everyone's responsibility. We engage together to create a future which insists that people are not excluded due to their health conditions that create substantial limitations in how they engage with the world. Report barriers when you encounter them - at UMBC our <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">accessibility concern form</a> is available 24/7 to work with any issues that arise: <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/</a>.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">UMBC's Accessibility &amp; Disability Services</a> partners with the entire campus community -departments, groups, and individuals - to overcome barriers. <a href="https://sds.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Student Disability Services</a>  is a resource for all students with disabilities.</div><div><br></div><div>If there is an <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">accessibility concern on campus - report it via this linked form</a>.  With <a href="https://fm.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Facilities Management</a> maintenance or repair reporting - the best, first step is to report it to Work Control via 410-455-2550 or <a href="mailto:Workorder@umbc.edu">Workorder@umbc.edu</a>.  For residential hall repair conditions, non-emergencies can be reported to <a href="http://fxit.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">http://fxit.umbc.edu</a>, and emergencies can be called in to the FXIT line: 410-455-3948.</div><div><br></div><div>Looking for more content?  <a href="https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-88/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">ADA Live Episode 88 discusses IDPD</a></div><div><br></div><div>Need a theme song?  <a href="https://artscanvas.org/music/collective-voice-of-disability-community-captured-by-new-song-spaces" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Artist James Ian's song "Spaces" and inclusive, collaborative process with his Spinal Muscular Atrophy community were recently featured on CANVAS (link)</a>.  <a href="https://smamyway.com/the-song/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Spaces song link</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>Photo of two parallel rows of flags of over 100 nations on a grass path leading to a brown United Nations building  illustrates this post. Credit: Mat Reding via Unsplash.com</div><div><br></div><div><p><br></p><div><span><br></span></div></div><div><br></div></div>
      ]]>
    </Body>
    <Summary>December 3rd is the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, honoring the United Nation's commitment for promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The day raises...</Summary>
    <Website>https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-3-december/idpd2020.html</Website>
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    <Group token="accessibility">Office of Accessibility &amp;amp; Disability Services</Group>
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    <PostedAt>Fri, 03 Dec 2021 10:19:52 -0500</PostedAt>
    <EditAt>Fri, 03 Dec 2021 10:20:19 -0500</EditAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="113236" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/113236">
    <Title>Free Webinar: The True Impact of Digital Accessibility 10/20</Title>
    <Tagline>Discover how inclusion helps others and you (now or later)</Tagline>
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      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><div><span>Many of us have heard about digital accessibility but what would it really be like to walk in someone else's shoes — to need alt text, captions, audio descriptions, and more. Find out! Join </span><a href="http://www.qualitymatters.org/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Quality Matters</a><span> on October 20, from 3-4p EST </span><span>to experience the true impact of digital accessibility. Participants will also:</span></div><div><ul><li><span>Discuss strategies for eliminating barriers so all students can experience success in high-quality online courses</span></li><li><span>Develop plans to address equity and access in online course design and teaching</span></li><li><span>Investigate digital tools and techniques that prioritize equity and access in the digital classroom</span></li></ul></div><div>Don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about creating courses that are accessible for all students in this free webinar from <a href="http://www.qualitymatters.org/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Quality Matters</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>The webinar will be live captioned. </div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.qmprogram.org/qmresources/registration/index.cfm?goal=0_355a0627da-d40f95bfdf-33661433&amp;sid=21870" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Register online via Quality Matters</a>.</div><div>NOTE: You must <a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/dY-LBg" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">have a QM account affiliated with UMBC</a><span> to register.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Can't make it? All QM Success Stories are recorded and available to subscribers after the session in <a href="https://www.qmprogram.org/myqm/index.cfm?option=webinars&amp;program=0" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">the QM Reference Library</a> approximately two-weeks after the session.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>The above is a repost from Instructional Technology (original post is linked below), and is accompanied by a photo of letter tiles spelling out You Can Do It on a pink background. Credit: Sincerely Media via unsplash.com</span></div></div>
      ]]>
    </Body>
    <Summary>Many of us have heard about digital accessibility but what would it really be like to walk in someone else's shoes — to need alt text, captions, audio descriptions, and more. Find out!...</Summary>
    <Website>https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/98011</Website>
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    <Tag>digital</Tag>
    <Tag>disability</Tag>
    <Tag>inclusion</Tag>
    <Tag>instructional</Tag>
    <Tag>matters</Tag>
    <Tag>quality</Tag>
    <Tag>technology</Tag>
    <Tag>training</Tag>
    <Tag>webinar</Tag>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="113158" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/113158">
  <Title>Attention Faculty:  Ally Event on 10/29 with Instr. Tech</Title>
  <Tagline>Accessible content is a win for students of all abilities</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><p><span>Join our campus partner, Instructional Technology for<strong><em> Five (5) Things You Didn't Know that Blackboard Ally Can Do</em></strong> and learn about </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Ally" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Ally</a><span>, a tool available in Blackboard Original and Ultra courses, that improves the accessibility of your course content. Attend this session to see Ally’s remediation capabilities and powerful file conversion tools that generate alternative formats for you and students.</span></p><p><a href="https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/97697" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Click here to see their full post and sign up!</a>  Want more detail? Read on:</p><p><span>This <em>30 minute </em>workshop will offer ideas for developing a strategy to improve your course usability and accessibility and how to get started with </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Ally" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Blackboard Ally</a><span>. Available in both Original and Ultra courses, Ally scans content in Blackboard and provides feedback and tools to identify and fix accessibility issues. </span></p><p><span>Leverage </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=77431280" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Ally's powerful alternative format</a><span> options yourself, and let students know they can download content in multiple formats that give them choices in how they watch, read, or listen. </span></p><p><span>Upon completing this online session, participants should be able to:</span></p><ul><li><p><span>Run the </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=87884573" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Ally Accessibility Report</a><span> for your course (Original or Ultra) to identify accessibility issues  </span></p></li><li><p><span>Use Ally's </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/display/faq/Ally+for+Instructors" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Instructor Feedback Panel</a><span> to preview content and prioritize remediation</span></p></li><li><p><span>Follow Ally's step-by-step guidance to </span><a href="https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=77431315" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">fix accessibility issues</a></p></li><li><p><span>Deploy Ally's alternative formats to support diverse learning preferences</span></p></li></ul><div>Click on the links to get to Instructional Technology's event page signup.  We hope to see you there.</div><div><br></div><div>The post is accompanied by a photos of a neon sign stating "Do Something Great" in white letters on a black background. Credit: Clark Tibbs via Unsplash.com</div></div>
]]>
  </Body>
  <Summary>Join our campus partner, Instructional Technology for Five (5) Things You Didn't Know that Blackboard Ally Can Do and learn about Ally, a tool available in Blackboard Original and Ultra courses,...</Summary>
  <Website>https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/events/97697</Website>
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  <Tag>material</Tag>
  <Tag>men-s-basketball</Tag>
  <Tag>pdf</Tag>
  <Tag>technology</Tag>
  <Tag>training</Tag>
  <Tag>wicag</Tag>
  <Group token="accessibility">Office of Accessibility &amp;amp; Disability Services</Group>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="97584" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/97584">
    <Title>International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020 (UN)</Title>
    <Tagline>Building Back Better - disability-inclusive+ post-C-19 world</Tagline>
    <Body>
      <![CDATA[
          <div class="html-content"><p>December 3rd is the<a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-3-december/2019-2.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> I</a><a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-3-december/idpd2020.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">nternational Day of Persons with Disabilities</a>, honoring the United Nation's commitment for promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The day raises awareness of the political, economic, social and cultural aspects <span>of </span>disability <span>that </span>affects people around the world.</p><div><span>More than 1 billion people in the world have a disability. At fifteen percent (15%) of the world’s population, persons with disabilities account for the world’s largest minority. Furthermore, one out of every seven people is affected by disability.</span> </div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://youtu.be/-KRbRAmR1no" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Video Message from Ms. María Soledad Cisternas Reyes</a><span>, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Disability and Accessibility for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December 2020</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Read more from the WHO about <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/why-is-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-important" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Why is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Important?</a></span></div><div><br></div><div>Working toward an accessible future is everyone's responsibility. We engage together to create a future which insists that people are not excluded due to their health conditions that create substantial limitations in how they engage with the world. Report barriers when you encounter them - at UMBC our <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">accessibility concern form</a> is available 24/7 to work with any issues that arise: <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">https://accessibility.umbc.edu/report-campus-accessibility-concern/</a>.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">UMBC's Accessibility &amp; Disability Services</a> partners with the entire campus community -departments, groups, and individuals - to overcome barriers. <a href="https://sds.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Student Disability Services</a>  is a resource for all students with disabilities.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Looking for more content?  ADA Live Episode 88</div><div><br></div><div>Photo of two parallel rows of flags of over 100 nations on a grass path leading to a brown United Nations building  illustrates this post. Credit: Mat Reding via Unsplash.com</div><div><br></div></div>
      ]]>
    </Body>
    <Summary>December 3rd is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, honoring the United Nation's commitment for promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The day raises...</Summary>
    <Website>https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-3-december/idpd2020.html</Website>
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    <Tag>accommodation</Tag>
    <Tag>day</Tag>
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    <Tag>international</Tag>
    <Tag>nations</Tag>
    <Tag>person</Tag>
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    <Tag>umbc</Tag>
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    <PostedAt>Thu, 03 Dec 2020 12:50:20 -0500</PostedAt>
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  <NewsItem contentIssues="true" id="91739" important="false" status="posted" url="https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/accessibility/posts/91739">
  <Title>She Lived: Notable Women with Visual Disabilities</Title>
  <Tagline>Saving Inclusive Women's History from COVID-19</Tagline>
  <Body>
    <![CDATA[
    <div class="html-content"><div>As we end Women's History Month during this period of COVID-19 remote work, learning and social distance, we find ourselves looking for diversions and engagement while we are staying-at-home.   We've curated a global who's-who of women who identify as having a vision-related disability and have led historic and noteworthy lives and provided links for a deeper dive into their lives and experiences:</div><div><br></div><div><strong>Helen Keller</strong> has spent her life as a speaker, author and advocate for people with disabilities, and her <a href="https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/biography-and-chronology/biography" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">biography is posted on the American Federation of the Blind's website (link)</a>.  She is also the namesake for <a href="https://www.helenkeller.org/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Helen Keller Services (link)</a>, which has a Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults, as well as services for people who are blind.</div><div><br></div><div><strong>Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell</strong> was the first woman to receive a medical degree in 1849, and lost sight in her left eye while treating an infant with an infection.  In 1875 she helped found the London School of Medicine, where she taught as a professor until 1907. More about her life can be found on the <a href="http://amazingwomeninhistory.com/elizabeth-blackwell-first-female-doctor/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Amazing Women in History site (link).</a></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Trischa Zorn</strong> was born without irises and is the most medaled Paralympian of all time. When not working in athletic endeavors, she taught science as an educator and went on to become an attorney. She shares more about her journey <a href="https://trischazorn.weebly.com/biography.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">on her website (link)</a>. Team USA writes of her as <a href="https://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/March/23/The-Most-Decorated-Athlete-Youve-Never-Heard-Of-Meet-55-Time-Medalist-Trischa-Zorn-Hudson" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">The Most Decorated Athlete You've Never Heard Of (link).</a></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Sabriye Tenberken</strong> lost her vision to retinal disease at the age of twelve, and went on to found <a href="http://www.braillewithoutborders.org/ENGLISH/index.html" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Braille Without Borders (link)</a>.  She was<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL33KfPtf3Y" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> interviewed by Oprah (link)</a> and <a href="http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Phenomenal-Woman-Sabriye-Tenberken" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">featured in O Magazine (link)</a>, and has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5C18qh48v8" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">a fascinating TED talk on the right to be different (link)</a>, which shows more of her work in  Tibet and nearby countries.</div><div><br></div><div><strong>Matilda (Tilly) Aston</strong> was born in 1873 with a vision impairment, becoming blind by the time she was seven.  She is described as<a href="http://www.womenaustralia.info/leaders/biogs/WLE0416b.htm" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> the "Helen Keller of Australia", given her many accomplishments as a disability activist, teacher, and poet. (link)</a>. She was honored more recently with the <a href="http://www.sounddesign.unimelb.edu.au/web/biogs/P000590b.htm" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Tilly Aston Bell (link</a>).</div><div><br></div><div><strong>Sinead Kane</strong>, with 5% vision, is legally blind, and lived through bullying and discouragement during her schooling. She went on to earn a law degree and found <a href="http://http//sineadkane.ie/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">The Kane Ability (link)</a> to address bullying and adversity.  She has now moved on to study bullying towards earning her PhD, and can be followed on Twitter via @blindrunner777.</div><div><br></div><div><strong>Haben Girma</strong> was the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2013.  She has recently written a book about her life and experience, as well as advocated for accessible design, including this<a href="http://https//habengirma.com/2016/06/28/disability-innovation-the-universal-benefits-of-accessible-design-by-haben-girma-apple-wwdc-2016/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo"> 2016 presentation at Apple (link)</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>These women have navigated grief, loss, and uncertainty, as well as their successes, progressing with academic accommodations, work accommodations, and assistive technology.  UMBC's <a href="https://sds.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Student Disability Services (link)</a> and <a href="https://accessibility.umbc.edu/" rel="nofollow external" class="bo">Accessibility and Disability Services (link)</a> are resources for students, faculty and staff with disabilities who wish to explore accommodation in academic endeavors, employment, and while visiting UMBC.</div><div><br></div><div>Photo of smiling woman with sunglasses was shared by Philip Cavalcante on Unsplash.com</div></div>
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