[Webpub] Accessible Media Workshops -- free

[Kathleen Cahill]

Dear Colleagues;

Please forward this notice to any colleagues you think may be 
interested.  Contact Mary Watkins at the address below if you are 
interested in participating.

Thanks,
Kathy

----- Original Message -----
 >TO:     Paul Parravano, MIT and MAG Consumer Advisory Council
 >FR:     Mary Watkins, WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
 >DT:     October 5, 2005
 >RE:     WGBH-Shapiro Family Foundation Media Access Workshops
 >
 >I would like to issue this invitation for 5 individual workshops on
 >topics related to access to media for people who are deaf, hard of
 >hearing, blind or visually impaired.  The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family
 >Foundation has generously funded these workshops, listed below, so that
 >Boston-area nonprofit organizations can best serve people with
 >disabilities in our community.
 >
 >The deadline for registering for the workshops is October 13.  Each
 >seminar will last 2 hours, and will be held at WGBH.  The topics to be
 >addressed are:
 >
 >1. Making Web Sites Accessible: Part 1: Identifying and repairing most
 >errors on Web sites, session open to nonprofits and to those Web
 >development agencies they contract with. (Thursday, October 27, 9-11AM)
 >
 >2. Making Web Sites Accessible: Part 2: For those already familiar with
 >the basics, this session will address issues with PDF, JavaScript and
 >Flash.  We will also cover incorporating external media onto your sites
 >while maintaining full accessibility. Attendees will also be trained on
 >how to use WGBH's MAGpie, free, do-it-yourself software for captioning and
 >describing digitized media. (Thursday, November 3, 9-11AM)
 >
 >3. Advocacy Makes it Happen: Part 1:  People with disabilities, parents
 >and social service professionals are often the first source of information
 >on assistive tech for everyone from the salesperson at Best Buy to the
 >person on the phone at Comcast, and even for some educators in mainstream
 >settings. Come learn the current facts, what's on the horizon and how to
 >make technology serve the needs and desires of people with sensory
 >disabilities. Co hosted with Brian Charlson of The Carroll Center for the
 >Blind (Tuesday, November 15, 9-11AM)
 >
 >4. Advocacy Makes it Happen, Part 2:  Access to TV and Movies:  Great
 >strides have been made in the area of television and movie theater
 >access.  While the technologies for captioning and description are solid,
 >advocacy from the community is absolutely crucial to "getting to
 >equal."  Come learn tips from those on the front lines. Co hosted with Pat
 >Hill from the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Program (Tuesday,
 >November 29, 9-11AM)
 >
 >5. Access to Educational Media:  Educational media is moving online.  How
 >do state and federal standards apply? Attendees will hear about access
 >challenges, solutions and work still to be done from NCAM's director of
 >Research and Development.  (Wednesday, December 14, 9-11AM)
 >
 >Please e-mail Mary Watkins, mary_watkins at wgbh.org for the registration
 >form. Questions? Call me at 617 300-3700 (voice), 617 300-2489 (TTY), or
 >e-mail me at Mary_Watkins at wgbh.org

Kathleen Cahill
MIT ATIC (Adaptive Technology) Lab
77 Mass. Ave.
Cambridge MA 02139
(617) 253-5111
kcahill at mit.edu