[wac-announce] News from the WAC: Fall Workshops, New Staff, Resumed Hours

[Ken Petri]

NEWS from the OSU Web Accessibility Center (WAC)
- October 22, 2005 -

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In This Email:
 * Fall 2005 Workshop Schedule
 * Staffing and Other Changes at the WAC
 * Fall Hours
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FALL 2005 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

We are offering a short schedule of five workshops this Fall. The
first one, on strategies for publishing Microsoft Office documents to
the web, is only a week away. Our Fall workshops are all aimed at
beginning web developers and OSU faculty and staff responsible
for updating and maintaining web pages. If you are a developer for a
department, consider pointing some of your faculty and staff to our
workshops this quarter (and coming yourself, of course).

In the middle of our schedule is an informational session which
presents an overview of departmental and teacher rights and
responsibilities for accommodating web users with disabilities. The
session will go over OSU's Web Accessibility Policy and departmental
reporting requirements, in additional to reviewing our Minimum Web
Accessibility Standards (MWAS).

You can register for any of our workshops through our web site:
http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/workshops/

Also, feel free to write to us at wac at osu.edu with any questions
regarding these workshops.

"Publishing MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) to the Web"
- Date: Friday, October 28
- Time: 2:00-4:30 PM
- Location: Science and Engineering Library (SEL) 390
--> Overview: http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/workshops/index.cfm#102805a_desc

"Choosing PDF for Course Readings: Strategies and Techniques for Accessibility"
- Date: Thursday, November 3
- Time: 9:30-Noon
- Location: Science and Engineering Lab (SEL) 390
--> Overview: http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/workshops/index.cfm#110305a_desc

"Do I have to make my web site or online course accessible?: Teacher
Rights and Responsibilities"
- Date: Friday, November 4
- Time: 2:00-4:00 PM
- Location: Science and Engineering Library (SEL) 390
--> Overview: http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/workshops/index.cfm#110405a_desc

"Introduction to Accessible Web Design in FrontPage"
- Date: Thursday, November 17
- Time: 2:00-4:30 PM
- Location: Science and Engineering Library (SEL) 390
--> Overview: http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/workshops/index.cfm#111705a_desc

"Introduction to Accessible Web Design in Dreamweaver"
- Date: Friday, November 4
- Time: 2:00-4:30 PM
- Location: Science and Engineering Library (SEL) 390
--> Overview: http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/workshops/index.cfm#111805a_desc


STAFFING AND OTHER CHANGES AT THE WAC

- New Director Hired -

As most of you know, Lori Bailey left in the Summer to take a position
at Temple University. Ken Petri took the full-time position of
Director of the WAC, starting in late September. Lori was primarily
responsible for building the WAC into what it is today, creating most
of its web site content, running its workshops, authoring many of its
web site reviews, helping establish campus-wide policies, reviewing
technologies, doing campus and community outreach, and performing the
day-to-day business of the Center. She did all of this on appointment
as a Graduate Associate, a truly amazing achievement. She leaves Ken
with a well-established and respected Center.

Ken has degrees in Computer Science and English and has worked at OSU
for five years as a web developer and technical writer. For the last
four years, he has taught a course in web design and implementation at
Franklin University, in downtown Columbus. It is Ken's hope to bring
his development and teaching experience into workshops and
consultations and to broaden the WAC's range of services and areas of
investigation and research.

Ken will be helped in transitioning into his new position by the WAC's
superlative staff and advisors. Indrajit Mukherjee (Jit), a graduate
student in Civil Engineering, was hired in Spring 2005 and has been
helping Ken learn about the WAC's day-to-day activities and services.
Ken will working extensively with Professor Joe Wheaton, faculty in
the College of Education, to begin to develop research and
investigative projects for the WAC. The WAC also works closely with
and is funded through the ADA Coordinator's Office and the Office of
Disability Services (ODS). Scott Lissner, the OSU ADA Coordinator,
oversees Ken's position and works with the WAC to coordinate policies
and presentations. Sean Miller, counselor and assistive technology
specialist at ODS, assists the WAC extensively, helping with
infrastructure and acting as liaison to ODS and its students.

- Some New Directions for the WAC -

The WAC will continue to offer the services and workshops it has in
the past. Also continuing with established patterns, WAC staff will
continue to be active on university committees responsible for setting
and establishing web policies and practices and will be intimately
involved in helping to ensure the accessibility of web-based
technologies deployed at OSU. We also are beginning to develop ideas
for how we might broaden existing services--by reaching out to
government and non-profit agencies within Columbus, for example.

After the new director settles in and gets up to speed with current
operations, the WAC will start looking into new avenues of research
and development. In particular, we would like to begin collecting
ideas for software development and research projects related to web
accessibility. We will also be working to develop courses in
accessible design at many levels through Continuing Education and
other venues.

We will be using this listserv and our web site (which will be
undergoing revisions shortly) to keep you informed as new projects and
services develop and initiatives solidify.


FALL HOURS

The WAC is officially open for business again. During Spring and
Summer 2005 we had shortened hours.

Our office is now staffed from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. Since
it's just Ken and Jit, though, it's a good idea to call ahead to
arrange a consultation, in case we are out at a presentation or
meeting.

Until next time, with kind regards,
Your WAC Staff
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  OSU Web Accessibility Center
  102 Pomerene Hall
  1760 Neil Ave.
  Columbus, OH 43210
  Phone: (614) 292-1760
  mailto:wac at osu.edu
  http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu
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  To add or remove yourself from this list, visit:
     http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/listserv.htm
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-- 
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  Ken Petri
  Director, OSU Web Accessibility Center
  102 Pomerene Hall
  1760 Neil Avenue
  Columbus, Ohio  43210
  (614) 292-1760
  mailto:petri.1 at osu.edu
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