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<font size=3>Terry:<br><br>
You deserve a medal! Now it is up to all of us to find out how we
get involved and actively support this activity.<br>
Norm<br><br>
At 02:45 PM 4/25/2007, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Colleagues, <br><br>
I am writing to announce the formation of the EDUCAUSE Constituent Group
on<br>
Information Technology (IT) Accessibility. This group provides an<br>
opportunity for higher education accessible technology professionals to
have<br>
a voice within the larger higher education IT realm. EDUCAUSE is
the<br>
leading association related to higher education technology, whose
stated<br>
mission is "to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent
use of<br>
information technology." The current membership comprises 16,500
active<br>
members representing over 2,100 colleges, universities, and
educational<br>
organizations, including 200 corporations.<br><br>
As a constituent group, we will have an opportunity to openly discuss
the<br>
important accessibility-related issues that we face, much as we already
do<br>
on the ATHEN list, but within a venue that will include a broader
audience<br>
of EDUCAUSE members, including faculty and staff who are using,
developing,<br>
purchasing, administering, and influencing the direction of technology
in<br>
higher education. <br><br>
As documented in the group's formal description, "The IT
Accessibility<br>
Constituent Group will help the EDUCAUSE community to assess the scope
of<br>
issues of universal IT accessibility, to identify resources and
initiatives,<br>
to develop best practices on policy and assistive program and
service<br>
development, and in general to focus on how to approach campus-wide<br>
universal access of information by engaging in dialogue across
boundaries<br>
within and beyond the campus environment." <br><br>
The Constituent Group has been widely announced in various key
places<br>
throughout the EDUCAUSE website, and upcoming announcements are planned
for<br>
the EDUCAUSE News blog and the EDUCAUSE Online monthly e-newsletter,
which<br>
has over 11,000 subscribers. This is a superb opportunity to expand
the<br>
scope of participation in accessibility discussions beyond our narrow
niche.<br>
Please take a moment to subscribe to the IT Accessibility Constituent
Group<br>
discussion list, and help to get the conversation started: <br><br>
<a href="http://www.educause.edu/groups/itaccess" eudora="autourl">http://www.educause.edu/groups/itaccess</a><br><br>
Thanks! <br>
Terry<br><br>
Terry Thompson<br>
DO-IT, University of Washington<br>
tft@u.washington.edu<br>
206/221-4168 <br><br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Athen mailing list<br>
Athen@athenpro.org<br>
<a href="http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org" eudora="autourl">http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org</a>
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<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=2> ----------------------------------------<br>
Webinar Series on Accessible Powerpoint starting April 19<br>
http//easi.cc/clinic.htm<br><br>
May Courses<br>
Barrier-free Information Technology (4-week online course starting May 7)<br>
http//easi.cc/workshop.htm<br>
Creating and Repurposing More Accessible Content (4-week online course starting May 7)<br>
http//easi.cc/workshop.htm<br><br>
Norman Coombs, Ph.D.<br>
CEO EASI (http//easi.cc)<br>
22196 Caminito Tasquillo<br>
Laguna Hills CA 92653<br>
(949) 855-4852 (Pacific time zone)<br><br>
<br><br>
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