<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:11.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello Everyone,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope it’s okay for me to ask a question here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In addition to being part of ATHEN, I also serve as President of Blind Information Technology Specialists (BITS), a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting blind and low vision individuals in leveraging technology to empower themselves
and achieve more in their personal and professional lives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BITS has been focusing on providing a growing number of educational opportunities for its members, including courses on Python, Office 365, web accessibility, Google Suite (this fall), and more.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To date, much of this effort has been homegrown, and we haven’t utilized a Learning Management System (LMS). Now, we’re exploring lower-cost solutions to better support these educational initiatives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">High-cost platforms like D2L/BrightSpace, Blackboard, and similar tools are likely beyond our financial reach. We are currently evaluating Moodle and Google Classroom but are open to other accessible, inclusive, and user-friendly options
that would work well for students and administrators alike.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I would greatly appreciate hearing from others about the solutions they are using for similar purposes, especially if the platform aligns with accessibility best practices and supports diverse learning needs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for taking the time to consider this. This effort is about providing individuals—students, knowledge workers, professionals, and others—with the tools and skills they need to excel in their journeys with technology, all at no
cost.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
Jeff<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>