[Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

[Adam Kosakowski]

Thank you so much for that input, Dan (and others, too)! That makes a lot of sense!  I actually have a decent amount of IT knowledge, not formally as in from a degree, but just from various sources in my everyday life (I am my family's and my wife's family's "Computer Guy").  I've also learned HTML back in the day, but I will definitely look into classes on it to refresh and stay up to date!  Maybe I will even look into getting an HTML certification...

Again, thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adam Kosakowski, M.Ed.
Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant
AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
181 White Street, Higgins Annex 017
Danbury, CT 06810
Telephone: 203-837-8225 TTY: 203-837-3235 FAX: 203-837-8848
Email: kosakowskia at wcsu.edu
www.wcsu.edu/accessability

The information contained in this email is privileged and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email you are hereby notified that the dissemination, distribution or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy this document.


-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 3:01 PM
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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my
      M.Ed. (Adam Kosakowski)
   2. Re: Accessible Online Learning community group (Laura Carlson)
   3. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my
      M.Ed. (Dan Comden)
   4. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my
      M.Ed. (Wink Harner)
   5. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to    my
      M.Ed. (Korey J Singleton)
   6. Re: Accessible Online Learning community group (Scott D. MacLeod)
   7. One or two page tutorials on accessible Word elements and
      other stuff (Karlen Communications)
   8. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to    my
      M.Ed. (Place, Vicki)
   9. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty       to      my
      M.Ed. (Normajean.Brand)
  10. Re: One or two page tutorials on accessible Word elements and
      other stuff (Normajean.Brand)
  11. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty       to      my
      M.Ed. (Leyna Bencomo)
  12. Re: Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty       to      my
      M.Ed. (Place, Vicki)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:25:01 -0400
From: Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>
To: "athen-list at u.washington.edu" <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty
        to my   M.Ed.
Message-ID:
        <B1EE9D28CCB8074BB15C666EDF8338710186D44BB390 at W-DRSHEPHERD.wcsu.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Thank you all for your input! I'm currently leaning towards the ATACP as it seems to be well known throughout all the U.S. Several job postings I've seen ask for it specifically, so that looks like a good sign to me!

Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:12:45 -0500
From: Laura Carlson <lcarlson at d.umn.edu>
To: athen-list at u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Online Learning community group
Message-ID:
        <CA+M9-v_-xic4hnb0RKpLbfUPC89gzehK2EVSNwbdCKrw7_8jYg at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hello everyone,

If you are thinking about joining the W3C Accessible Online Learning
Community Group, which Jennifer mentioned back in April, they are
running an Introductory Survey for current and prospective group
members to try to understand what should be the focus of the group.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AccessLearn

Best Regards,
Laura


> On 4/10/2015, Jennifer Sutton wrote:

> Here's a better link; the group now has enough

> supporters that it's no longer in the "proposed" phase:

>

>  https://www.w3.org/community/accesslearn/



>> On 4/10/2015, Jennifer Sutton wrote:

>> ATHENites:

>>

>> Cross-posted from the WAI-IG email list.

>> Thought some on this list might want to pass

>> this along to your colleagues and/or get involved, yourselves, as appropriate.

>>

>> Jennifer

>>

>> See:

>>

https://www.w3.org/community/groups/proposed/>https://www.w3.org/community/groups/proposed/


>> Here's the group's description:

>>

>> Accessibility is often provided through

>> accommodations. Schools are legally obligated to

>> provide accommodations to enrolled students with identified disabilities,

>> based on their needs-sign language interpreters

>> in lectures for deaf students, digital copies of

>> textbooks for students who are blind or have reading difficulties,

>> extended time on exams for students who need

>> more time due to cognitive or physical

>> disabilities. With online learning, the obligations are less clear-for

>> example, with MOOCs, where students around the

>> world are taking courses but are not enrolled at

>> the sponsoring school or organization. Also, accommodations

>> are not well established-sign language

>> interpreters and note takers are typically

>> accommodations for the physical classroom. How does an organization ensure

>> they are meeting obligations and giving online

>> students the support they need participate fully

>> and to be successful? Providers of online learning are

>> best off delivering courses that are accessible

>> out-of-the-box, without the need for special

>> accommodations. And many of the features that provide an accessible

>> experience for people with disabilities benefit

>> all learners. For example, lecture transcripts

>> are an excellent tool for study and review. However, without

>> deliberate attention to the technologies,

>> standards, and guidelines that comprise the Web

>> Platform, accessibility may be difficult to achieve, and learners

>> with disabilities may be left behind. The

>> activities of the Accessible Online Learning W3C

>> Community Group take place at the intersection of accessibility

>> and online learning. We focus on reviewing

>> current W3C resources and technologies to ensure

>> the requirements for accessible online learning experiences

>> are considered. We also identify areas where

>> additional resources and technologies are needed

>> to ensure full participation of people with disabilities

>> in online learning experiences.


--
Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 23:55:57 -0700
From: Dan Comden <danc at uw.edu>
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty
        to my   M.Ed.
Message-ID:
        <CAFUsdKQmpTUaP9LFOkq_oq7_4w_u09oNwHc9Tj0RzgaE0SHbGw at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Solid IT experience is lacking from many of the AT programs I've seen. I'd
estimate that half of what I've done (at least) over the last decades has
more to do with troubleshooting and understanding operating systems and
networking as much as specific AT applications. Developing the ability to
write and understand the basics of one or more simple scripting languages
will serve an AT professional well throughout their career. Being able to
know and use those IT skills also lets you get past first-tier support when
seeking assistance from a vendor, increasing your ability to successfully
resolve install issues with better efficiency.

We are increasingly asked to assist in assessing IT accessibility in a
variety of settings, most of which are now web-based. A good foundation of
HTML knowledge will help in understanding and communicating accessibility
problems with apps and sites.

Many of us are in a unique (and really interesting) mix of doing tech,
personal contact, and AT. The tech part often is neglected yet it's a vital
part of our jobs. And for many campuses where the AT person is working
within Student Services and not IT, being able to bridge that communication
gap with local IT resources is a significant -- if not vital -- skill.

-*- Dan



On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>
wrote:


> Hello Everyone!

>

> I have been working in our disability office part time for over a year now

> and I have realized I have a knack and a love for Assistive Technology!  I

> have a Masters of Education, but now I want to augment it with a specialty

> in Assistive Technology so I can one day have a better chance of getting a

> full time Assistive Technology Specialist position.  I have been looking

> into post-graduate programs and it's all pretty confusing to me, so I was

> hoping to get some input.

>

> So far I've found:

>

> 30 credit "Sixth Year" programs like this one:

> http://catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/programs-and-degrees/special-education-sixth-year-professional-diploma-adaptive-technology.html

> 15 credit "Graduate Certificate" programs like this one:

> http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=5460&returnto=1028

> and this ATACP program: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/ATAC  (This

> one is the quickest, so that's a huge plus)

>

> Regardless of what program I complete, after I aim to sit for the ATP exam

> through RESNA:

> http://www.resna.org/certification/certification-directory.dot This I

> already know for sure I want to do!

>

> I guess my questions are: What sort of program would you suggest to get

> the sort of position I want? What post-nominal letters should I aim for?

> What did you do to get such cool positions?

>

> Any input would be greatly appreciated!

>

> Regards,

>

> Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.

> Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant

> AccessAbility Services

> Western Connecticut State University

> _______________________________________________

> athen-list mailing list

> athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list

>




--
-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu <danc at washington.edu>
    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/
    University of Washington      UW Information Technology
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 00:02:21 -0700
From: Wink Harner <foreigntype at gmail.com>
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty
        to my   M.Ed.
Message-ID:
        <CALiy=stqOR37+HVP9JpDpGqeBJPo0JZg3i8uTMqL+mxguusNJw at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

A valuable insight and suggestion, Dan. Thanks.

Wink Harner
Accessibility & Adaptive Technology Consultant
The Foreign Type
On Jun 23, 2015 11:56 PM, "Dan Comden" <danc at uw.edu> wrote:


> Solid IT experience is lacking from many of the AT programs I've seen. I'd

> estimate that half of what I've done (at least) over the last decades has

> more to do with troubleshooting and understanding operating systems and

> networking as much as specific AT applications. Developing the ability to

> write and understand the basics of one or more simple scripting languages

> will serve an AT professional well throughout their career. Being able to

> know and use those IT skills also lets you get past first-tier support when

> seeking assistance from a vendor, increasing your ability to successfully

> resolve install issues with better efficiency.

>

> We are increasingly asked to assist in assessing IT accessibility in a

> variety of settings, most of which are now web-based. A good foundation of

> HTML knowledge will help in understanding and communicating accessibility

> problems with apps and sites.

>

> Many of us are in a unique (and really interesting) mix of doing tech,

> personal contact, and AT. The tech part often is neglected yet it's a vital

> part of our jobs. And for many campuses where the AT person is working

> within Student Services and not IT, being able to bridge that communication

> gap with local IT resources is a significant -- if not vital -- skill.

>

> -*- Dan

>

>

>

> On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>

> wrote:

>

>> Hello Everyone!

>>

>> I have been working in our disability office part time for over a year

>> now and I have realized I have a knack and a love for Assistive

>> Technology!  I have a Masters of Education, but now I want to augment it

>> with a specialty in Assistive Technology so I can one day have a better

>> chance of getting a full time Assistive Technology Specialist position.  I

>> have been looking into post-graduate programs and it's all pretty confusing

>> to me, so I was hoping to get some input.

>>

>> So far I've found:

>>

>> 30 credit "Sixth Year" programs like this one:

>> http://catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/programs-and-degrees/special-education-sixth-year-professional-diploma-adaptive-technology.html

>> 15 credit "Graduate Certificate" programs like this one:

>> http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=5460&returnto=1028

>> and this ATACP program: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/ATAC

>> (This one is the quickest, so that's a huge plus)

>>

>> Regardless of what program I complete, after I aim to sit for the ATP

>> exam through RESNA:

>> http://www.resna.org/certification/certification-directory.dot This I

>> already know for sure I want to do!

>>

>> I guess my questions are: What sort of program would you suggest to get

>> the sort of position I want? What post-nominal letters should I aim for?

>> What did you do to get such cool positions?

>>

>> Any input would be greatly appreciated!

>>

>> Regards,

>>

>> Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.

>> Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant

>> AccessAbility Services

>> Western Connecticut State University

>> _______________________________________________

>> athen-list mailing list

>> athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu

>> http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list

>>

>

>

>

> --

> -*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu <danc at washington.edu>

>     Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/

>     University of Washington      UW Information Technology

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> athen-list mailing list

> athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list

>

>

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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:34:38 +0000
From: Korey J Singleton <ksinglet at gmu.edu>
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty
        to      my      M.Ed.
Message-ID: <265c91eb-7d3b-4915-9b82-1873135cf326 at email.android.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Very well put, Dan!  I completely agree.

Korey Singleton
ATI Manager
Assistive Technology Initiative
Aquia Building RM 238 MSN: 6A11
Fairfax Campus
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-2143
Fax: 703-993-4743
http://ati.gmu.edu
Twitter: @AccessibleMason

On Jun 24, 2015 2:56 AM, Dan Comden <danc at uw.edu> wrote:
Solid IT experience is lacking from many of the AT programs I've seen. I'd estimate that half of what I've done (at least) over the last decades has more to do with troubleshooting and understanding operating systems and networking as much as specific AT applications. Developing the ability to write and understand the basics of one or more simple scripting languages will serve an AT professional well throughout their career. Being able to know and use those IT skills also lets you get past first-tier support when seeking assistance from a vendor, increasing your ability to successfully resolve install issues with better efficiency.

We are increasingly asked to assist in assessing IT accessibility in a variety of settings, most of which are now web-based. A good foundation of HTML knowledge will help in understanding and communicating accessibility problems with apps and sites.

Many of us are in a unique (and really interesting) mix of doing tech, personal contact, and AT. The tech part often is neglected yet it's a vital part of our jobs. And for many campuses where the AT person is working within Student Services and not IT, being able to bridge that communication gap with local IT resources is a significant -- if not vital -- skill.

-*- Dan



On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu<mailto:kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>> wrote:
Hello Everyone!

I have been working in our disability office part time for over a year now and I have realized I have a knack and a love for Assistive Technology!  I have a Masters of Education, but now I want to augment it with a specialty in Assistive Technology so I can one day have a better chance of getting a full time Assistive Technology Specialist position.  I have been looking into post-graduate programs and it's all pretty confusing to me, so I was hoping to get some input.

So far I've found:

30 credit "Sixth Year" programs like this one: http://catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/programs-and-degrees/special-education-sixth-year-professional-diploma-adaptive-technology.html
15 credit "Graduate Certificate" programs like this one: http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=5460&returnto=1028
and this ATACP program: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/ATAC  (This one is the quickest, so that's a huge plus)

Regardless of what program I complete, after I aim to sit for the ATP exam through RESNA: http://www.resna.org/certification/certification-directory.dot This I already know for sure I want to do!

I guess my questions are: What sort of program would you suggest to get the sort of position I want? What post-nominal letters should I aim for? What did you do to get such cool positions?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.
Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant
AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
_______________________________________________
athen-list mailing list
athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu>
http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list



--
-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu<mailto:danc at washington.edu>
    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/<http://www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/>
    University of Washington      UW Information Technology

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------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:13:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Scott D. MacLeod" <sdmacleo at svsu.edu>
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Online Learning community group
Message-ID:
        <1912446119.71069767.1435151589952.JavaMail.zimbra at svsu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Laura,
My birthday is December 27, 1960
Thanks
Scott

----- Original Message -----
From: "Laura Carlson" <lcarlson at d.umn.edu>
To: athen-list at u.washington.edu
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 4:12:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Online Learning community group

Hello everyone,

If you are thinking about joining the W3C Accessible Online Learning
Community Group, which Jennifer mentioned back in April, they are
running an Introductory Survey for current and prospective group
members to try to understand what should be the focus of the group.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AccessLearn

Best Regards,
Laura


> On 4/10/2015, Jennifer Sutton wrote:

> Here's a better link; the group now has enough

> supporters that it's no longer in the "proposed" phase:

>

>  https://www.w3.org/community/accesslearn/



>> On 4/10/2015, Jennifer Sutton wrote:

>> ATHENites:

>>

>> Cross-posted from the WAI-IG email list.

>> Thought some on this list might want to pass

>> this along to your colleagues and/or get involved, yourselves, as appropriate.

>>

>> Jennifer

>>

>> See:

>>

https://www.w3.org/community/groups/proposed/>https://www.w3.org/community/groups/proposed/


>> Here's the group's description:

>>

>> Accessibility is often provided through

>> accommodations. Schools are legally obligated to

>> provide accommodations to enrolled students with identified disabilities,

>> based on their needs-sign language interpreters

>> in lectures for deaf students, digital copies of

>> textbooks for students who are blind or have reading difficulties,

>> extended time on exams for students who need

>> more time due to cognitive or physical

>> disabilities. With online learning, the obligations are less clear-for

>> example, with MOOCs, where students around the

>> world are taking courses but are not enrolled at

>> the sponsoring school or organization. Also, accommodations

>> are not well established-sign language

>> interpreters and note takers are typically

>> accommodations for the physical classroom. How does an organization ensure

>> they are meeting obligations and giving online

>> students the support they need participate fully

>> and to be successful? Providers of online learning are

>> best off delivering courses that are accessible

>> out-of-the-box, without the need for special

>> accommodations. And many of the features that provide an accessible

>> experience for people with disabilities benefit

>> all learners. For example, lecture transcripts

>> are an excellent tool for study and review. However, without

>> deliberate attention to the technologies,

>> standards, and guidelines that comprise the Web

>> Platform, accessibility may be difficult to achieve, and learners

>> with disabilities may be left behind. The

>> activities of the Accessible Online Learning W3C

>> Community Group take place at the intersection of accessibility

>> and online learning. We focus on reviewing

>> current W3C resources and technologies to ensure

>> the requirements for accessible online learning experiences

>> are considered. We also identify areas where

>> additional resources and technologies are needed

>> to ensure full participation of people with disabilities

>> in online learning experiences.


--
Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
_______________________________________________
athen-list mailing list
athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu
http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list

--
Scott MacLeod
Assistive Technology Specialist
Disability Services
112 Curtiss Hall
E-mail: sdmacleo at svsu.edu
Phone:989 964 4054



------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:43:16 -0400
From: "Karlen Communications" <info at karlencommunications.com>
To: <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Athen] One or two page tutorials on accessible Word elements
        and     other stuff
Message-ID: <001801d0ae83$ba703910$2f50ab30$@karlencommunications.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi Everyone!



I pulled some of the content out of my longer documents and made one or two
page tutorials out of them for quick access.

http://www.karlencommunications.com/handouts.html



They are all tagged accessible PDF.



I hope they will be used in conjunction with the longer documents as I've
cut out some of the explanations as to why you do things this way and just
give you the steps. Sometimes "why" is important.



Feedback always welcome.



Cheers, Karen

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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 14:12:45 +0000
From: "Place, Vicki" <VPlace at columbiabasin.edu>
To: "'Access Technology Higher Education Network'"
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty
        to      my      M.Ed.
Message-ID: <441226AA86D8224F87AF2837F9C5C4F4CF75D0D0 at NARDOL.arda.cbc>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

We have IT with AT and it works out fabulously. We had Dan come do an evaluation of our college and we did as he suggested; added IT to AT. I came from IT and it takes the burden off IT and our AT people. Plus, I still get to be a geek. ?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vicki Place
Information Technology Technician II
Department: Assistive Technology Center
Phone: (509) 542-4428
On-Campus Ext.: 2428
Location:  TD422
Mail Stop: MS-S4

  [cbc logo for email]

Assistive Technology Center (ATC)
(509) 542-5529
On-Campus Ext.: 2329
atc at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:atc at columbiabasin.edu>

The hardest thing to open . . . is a closed mind

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Dan Comden
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 11:56 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

Solid IT experience is lacking from many of the AT programs I've seen. I'd estimate that half of what I've done (at least) over the last decades has more to do with troubleshooting and understanding operating systems and networking as much as specific AT applications. Developing the ability to write and understand the basics of one or more simple scripting languages will serve an AT professional well throughout their career. Being able to know and use those IT skills also lets you get past first-tier support when seeking assistance from a vendor, increasing your ability to successfully resolve install issues with better efficiency.

We are increasingly asked to assist in assessing IT accessibility in a variety of settings, most of which are now web-based. A good foundation of HTML knowledge will help in understanding and communicating accessibility problems with apps and sites.

Many of us are in a unique (and really interesting) mix of doing tech, personal contact, and AT. The tech part often is neglected yet it's a vital part of our jobs. And for many campuses where the AT person is working within Student Services and not IT, being able to bridge that communication gap with local IT resources is a significant -- if not vital -- skill.

-*- Dan



On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu<mailto:kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>> wrote:
Hello Everyone!

I have been working in our disability office part time for over a year now and I have realized I have a knack and a love for Assistive Technology!  I have a Masters of Education, but now I want to augment it with a specialty in Assistive Technology so I can one day have a better chance of getting a full time Assistive Technology Specialist position.  I have been looking into post-graduate programs and it's all pretty confusing to me, so I was hoping to get some input.

So far I've found:

30 credit "Sixth Year" programs like this one: http://catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/programs-and-degrees/special-education-sixth-year-professional-diploma-adaptive-technology.html
15 credit "Graduate Certificate" programs like this one: http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=5460&returnto=1028
and this ATACP program: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/ATAC  (This one is the quickest, so that's a huge plus)

Regardless of what program I complete, after I aim to sit for the ATP exam through RESNA: http://www.resna.org/certification/certification-directory.dot This I already know for sure I want to do!

I guess my questions are: What sort of program would you suggest to get the sort of position I want? What post-nominal letters should I aim for? What did you do to get such cool positions?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.
Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant
AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
_______________________________________________
athen-list mailing list
athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu>
http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list



--
-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu<mailto:danc at washington.edu>
    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/<http://www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/>
    University of Washington      UW Information Technology

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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 15:46:26 +0000
From: "Normajean.Brand" <normajean.brand at hccs.edu>
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty
        to      my      M.Ed.
Message-ID:
        <18AB6E837CD5444FAECD90FCCDBFF545EEE1C595 at sy-facmbx01.ad.hccs.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Exactly Vicki! I work in IT, assigned to the Disability Services (because my fellow IT geeks didn?t have an interest or want to know), LOVE the AT side of the house and the win is still being a geek! ?

Ditto what Dan said. ?

NJ

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Place, Vicki
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 9:13 AM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

We have IT with AT and it works out fabulously. We had Dan come do an evaluation of our college and we did as he suggested; added IT to AT. I came from IT and it takes the burden off IT and our AT people. Plus, I still get to be a geek. ?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vicki Place
Information Technology Technician II
Department: Assistive Technology Center
Phone: (509) 542-4428
On-Campus Ext.: 2428
Location:  TD422
Mail Stop: MS-S4

  [cbc logo for email]

Assistive Technology Center (ATC)
(509) 542-5529
On-Campus Ext.: 2329
atc at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:atc at columbiabasin.edu>

The hardest thing to open . . . is a closed mind

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Dan Comden
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 11:56 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

Solid IT experience is lacking from many of the AT programs I've seen. I'd estimate that half of what I've done (at least) over the last decades has more to do with troubleshooting and understanding operating systems and networking as much as specific AT applications. Developing the ability to write and understand the basics of one or more simple scripting languages will serve an AT professional well throughout their career. Being able to know and use those IT skills also lets you get past first-tier support when seeking assistance from a vendor, increasing your ability to successfully resolve install issues with better efficiency.

We are increasingly asked to assist in assessing IT accessibility in a variety of settings, most of which are now web-based. A good foundation of HTML knowledge will help in understanding and communicating accessibility problems with apps and sites.

Many of us are in a unique (and really interesting) mix of doing tech, personal contact, and AT. The tech part often is neglected yet it's a vital part of our jobs. And for many campuses where the AT person is working within Student Services and not IT, being able to bridge that communication gap with local IT resources is a significant -- if not vital -- skill.

-*- Dan



On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu<mailto:kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>> wrote:
Hello Everyone!

I have been working in our disability office part time for over a year now and I have realized I have a knack and a love for Assistive Technology!  I have a Masters of Education, but now I want to augment it with a specialty in Assistive Technology so I can one day have a better chance of getting a full time Assistive Technology Specialist position.  I have been looking into post-graduate programs and it's all pretty confusing to me, so I was hoping to get some input.

So far I've found:

30 credit "Sixth Year" programs like this one: http://catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/programs-and-degrees/special-education-sixth-year-professional-diploma-adaptive-technology.html
15 credit "Graduate Certificate" programs like this one: http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=5460&returnto=1028
and this ATACP program: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/ATAC  (This one is the quickest, so that's a huge plus)

Regardless of what program I complete, after I aim to sit for the ATP exam through RESNA: http://www.resna.org/certification/certification-directory.dot This I already know for sure I want to do!

I guess my questions are: What sort of program would you suggest to get the sort of position I want? What post-nominal letters should I aim for? What did you do to get such cool positions?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.
Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant
AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
_______________________________________________
athen-list mailing list
athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu>
http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list



--
-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu<mailto:danc at washington.edu>
    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/<http://www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/>
    University of Washington      UW Information Technology

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------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 15:48:01 +0000
From: "Normajean.Brand" <normajean.brand at hccs.edu>
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] One or two page tutorials on accessible Word
        elements and    other stuff
Message-ID:
        <18AB6E837CD5444FAECD90FCCDBFF545EEE1C5A3 at sy-facmbx01.ad.hccs.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Thank you Karen! Quick one or two page tutorials are great little refreshers, with the longer guidelines for backups!

NJ

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Karlen Communications
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 8:43 AM
To: athen-list at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Athen] One or two page tutorials on accessible Word elements and other stuff

Hi Everyone!

I pulled some of the content out of my longer documents and made one or two page tutorials out of them for quick access.
http://www.karlencommunications.com/handouts.html

They are all tagged accessible PDF.

I hope they will be used in conjunction with the longer documents as I've cut out some of the explanations as to why you do things this way and just give you the steps. Sometimes "why" is important.

Feedback always welcome.

Cheers, Karen
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------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 15:57:31 +0000
From: Leyna Bencomo <lbencomo at uccs.edu>
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology      Specialty
        to      my      M.Ed.
Message-ID: <104AC9451DBB7F4C9D0951BF2CF2C4C4D25108 at UCCS-EX3.uccs.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

I fifth that or however many.  Dan was right on the money.  Having an IT background has helped me quite a bit and I could still use more current IT skills.  However, I also help train faculty in my job and I believe my instructional design/training skills are at least as important.


Leyna Bencomo
Assistive Technology Specialist, Information Technology
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
[cid:image003.jpg at 01D0AE64.2F3F13D0]
lbencomo at uccs.edu<mailto:lbencomo at uccs.edu>
(719) 255-4202




From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Normajean.Brand
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 9:46 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

Exactly Vicki! I work in IT, assigned to the Disability Services (because my fellow IT geeks didn?t have an interest or want to know), LOVE the AT side of the house and the win is still being a geek! ?

Ditto what Dan said. ?

NJ

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Place, Vicki
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 9:13 AM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

We have IT with AT and it works out fabulously. We had Dan come do an evaluation of our college and we did as he suggested; added IT to AT. I came from IT and it takes the burden off IT and our AT people. Plus, I still get to be a geek. ?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vicki Place
Information Technology Technician II
Department: Assistive Technology Center
Phone: (509) 542-4428
On-Campus Ext.: 2428
Location:  TD422
Mail Stop: MS-S4

  [cbc logo for email]

Assistive Technology Center (ATC)
(509) 542-5529
On-Campus Ext.: 2329
atc at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:atc at columbiabasin.edu>

The hardest thing to open . . . is a closed mind

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Dan Comden
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 11:56 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

Solid IT experience is lacking from many of the AT programs I've seen. I'd estimate that half of what I've done (at least) over the last decades has more to do with troubleshooting and understanding operating systems and networking as much as specific AT applications. Developing the ability to write and understand the basics of one or more simple scripting languages will serve an AT professional well throughout their career. Being able to know and use those IT skills also lets you get past first-tier support when seeking assistance from a vendor, increasing your ability to successfully resolve install issues with better efficiency.

We are increasingly asked to assist in assessing IT accessibility in a variety of settings, most of which are now web-based. A good foundation of HTML knowledge will help in understanding and communicating accessibility problems with apps and sites.

Many of us are in a unique (and really interesting) mix of doing tech, personal contact, and AT. The tech part often is neglected yet it's a vital part of our jobs. And for many campuses where the AT person is working within Student Services and not IT, being able to bridge that communication gap with local IT resources is a significant -- if not vital -- skill.

-*- Dan



On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu<mailto:kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>> wrote:
Hello Everyone!

I have been working in our disability office part time for over a year now and I have realized I have a knack and a love for Assistive Technology!  I have a Masters of Education, but now I want to augment it with a specialty in Assistive Technology so I can one day have a better chance of getting a full time Assistive Technology Specialist position.  I have been looking into post-graduate programs and it's all pretty confusing to me, so I was hoping to get some input.

So far I've found:

30 credit "Sixth Year" programs like this one: http://catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/programs-and-degrees/special-education-sixth-year-professional-diploma-adaptive-technology.html
15 credit "Graduate Certificate" programs like this one: http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=5460&returnto=1028
and this ATACP program: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/ATAC  (This one is the quickest, so that's a huge plus)

Regardless of what program I complete, after I aim to sit for the ATP exam through RESNA: http://www.resna.org/certification/certification-directory.dot This I already know for sure I want to do!

I guess my questions are: What sort of program would you suggest to get the sort of position I want? What post-nominal letters should I aim for? What did you do to get such cool positions?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.
Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant
AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
_______________________________________________
athen-list mailing list
athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu>
http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list



--
-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu<mailto:danc at washington.edu>
    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/<http://www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/>
    University of Washington      UW Information Technology

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------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:54:17 +0000
From: "Place, Vicki" <VPlace at columbiabasin.edu>
To: "'Access Technology Higher Education Network'"
        <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology      Specialty
        to      my      M.Ed.
Message-ID: <441226AA86D8224F87AF2837F9C5C4F4CF75D2BD at NARDOL.arda.cbc>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

IT doesn?t know what they are missing, NJ!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vicki Place
Information Technology Technician II
Department: Assistive Technology Center
Phone: (509) 542-4428
On-Campus Ext.: 2428
Location:  TD422
Mail Stop: MS-S4

  [cbc logo for email]

Assistive Technology Center (ATC)
(509) 542-5529
On-Campus Ext.: 2329
atc at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:atc at columbiabasin.edu>

The hardest thing to open . . . is a closed mind

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Normajean.Brand
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 8:46 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

Exactly Vicki! I work in IT, assigned to the Disability Services (because my fellow IT geeks didn?t have an interest or want to know), LOVE the AT side of the house and the win is still being a geek! ?

Ditto what Dan said. ?

NJ

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Place, Vicki
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 9:13 AM
To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

We have IT with AT and it works out fabulously. We had Dan come do an evaluation of our college and we did as he suggested; added IT to AT. I came from IT and it takes the burden off IT and our AT people. Plus, I still get to be a geek. ?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vicki Place
Information Technology Technician II
Department: Assistive Technology Center
Phone: (509) 542-4428
On-Campus Ext.: 2428
Location:  TD422
Mail Stop: MS-S4

  [cbc logo for email]

Assistive Technology Center (ATC)
(509) 542-5529
On-Campus Ext.: 2329
atc at columbiabasin.edu<mailto:atc at columbiabasin.edu>

The hardest thing to open . . . is a closed mind

From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Dan Comden
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 11:56 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Input? Adding an Assistive Technology Specialty to my M.Ed.

Solid IT experience is lacking from many of the AT programs I've seen. I'd estimate that half of what I've done (at least) over the last decades has more to do with troubleshooting and understanding operating systems and networking as much as specific AT applications. Developing the ability to write and understand the basics of one or more simple scripting languages will serve an AT professional well throughout their career. Being able to know and use those IT skills also lets you get past first-tier support when seeking assistance from a vendor, increasing your ability to successfully resolve install issues with better efficiency.

We are increasingly asked to assist in assessing IT accessibility in a variety of settings, most of which are now web-based. A good foundation of HTML knowledge will help in understanding and communicating accessibility problems with apps and sites.

Many of us are in a unique (and really interesting) mix of doing tech, personal contact, and AT. The tech part often is neglected yet it's a vital part of our jobs. And for many campuses where the AT person is working within Student Services and not IT, being able to bridge that communication gap with local IT resources is a significant -- if not vital -- skill.

-*- Dan



On Sat, Jun 20, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Adam Kosakowski <kosakowskia at wcsu.edu<mailto:kosakowskia at wcsu.edu>> wrote:
Hello Everyone!

I have been working in our disability office part time for over a year now and I have realized I have a knack and a love for Assistive Technology!  I have a Masters of Education, but now I want to augment it with a specialty in Assistive Technology so I can one day have a better chance of getting a full time Assistive Technology Specialist position.  I have been looking into post-graduate programs and it's all pretty confusing to me, so I was hoping to get some input.

So far I've found:

30 credit "Sixth Year" programs like this one: http://catalog.southernct.edu/graduate/programs-and-degrees/special-education-sixth-year-professional-diploma-adaptive-technology.html
15 credit "Graduate Certificate" programs like this one: http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=5460&returnto=1028
and this ATACP program: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/ATAC  (This one is the quickest, so that's a huge plus)

Regardless of what program I complete, after I aim to sit for the ATP exam through RESNA: http://www.resna.org/certification/certification-directory.dot This I already know for sure I want to do!

I guess my questions are: What sort of program would you suggest to get the sort of position I want? What post-nominal letters should I aim for? What did you do to get such cool positions?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,

Adam Kosakowski M.Ed.
Math Specialist and Assistive Technology Specialist, University Assistant
AccessAbility Services
Western Connecticut State University
_______________________________________________
athen-list mailing list
athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu>
http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list



--
-*- Dan Comden                       danc at uw.edu<mailto:danc at washington.edu>
    Access Technology Center   www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/<http://www.uw.edu/itconnect/accessibility/atl/>
    University of Washington      UW Information Technology

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------------------------------

Subject: Digest Footer

_______________________________________________
athen-list mailing list
athen-list at mailman13.u.washington.edu
http://mailman13.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list


------------------------------

End of athen-list Digest, Vol 113, Issue 22
*******************************************