In This Issue

Early Learning Opportunities Support Quality and Access

Director’s Corner

Daring to Dream Awards

New EC Resource

In memoriam: Marcia Lovell

LEARNS: Work Keeps Team Hopping

IDS Curriculum Changes

Dissemination Team Leads Web Accessibility

Collaboration Brings Speaker to Maine

Center Sponsors Exhibit Venue for VSA arts

Center Hosts Visiting Fulbright Scholar

UMaine Students Lead EC Conference

10 Students Graduate TOP Program

Healthy & Ready to Work: Engaging Youth in Their Future

Standards for All Model: Personalizing Elementary Education

Selected Presentations & Publications

CenterPoint Home

Dissemination Team Leads Push for Web Accessibility

Would Helen Keller be able to use your website? This is the question the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies is asking web designers throughout The University of Maine and Maine state government in a campaign promoting the creation of accessible websites to benefit the needs of all on-line users.

Taking the lead to develop and implement an accessible website policy at The University of Maine, Alan Parks, the Center’s Coordinator of Dissemination and Technology, has chaired UMaine’s Universal Design for the Web Subcommittee since its inception in 2001.
Recently, the subcommittee developed the University’s web accessibility policy, created an accessibility help-site, evaluated and recommended accessibility and validation software, and conducted numerous trainings for members of the University community. Today, UMaine is well on its way to having fully accessible websites, assuring that all students, staff, faculty, and members of the public, can access and benefit from the University's on-line offerings.

Because of the work he has done in web accessibility and policy change, in 2005, Parks was invited to join the State of Maine Standing Committee on Accessibility and Web Accessibility Subcommittee. His contributions to this committee include helping the state subcommittee purchase web accessibility validation and repair software, and conducting trainings for state webmasters on the use of the software.

Putting policy into practice ‘at home,’ the Center recently expanded its Early Childhood (EC) website, launching a new, fully accessible EC portal, providing resources to early childhood educators, care providers, and parents. The site includes links to the new Growing Ideas tipsheets. The EC portal is found at: www.ccids.umaine.edu/ec/.

The Center also recently published Long-Term Care Learning Modules, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and developed by Dr. Liz DePoy. This fully accessible CD and companion website, includes four modules disseminated to social work and health administration faculty throughout the country. The HRSA LTC website is located at: http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/resources/hrsaltc/index.htm.

This spring, Kimberly Sawtelle, publications specialist, coordinated two exhibit installations on The University campus. Working with VSA arts of Maine, A Matter of Perception 2005, the Fifth Juried Exhibition by Artists with Disabilities (MOP), was staged in The University of Maine Memorial Union during April and May. In tandem with the MOP exhibit, Sawtelle developed a second, smaller exhibit featuring the work of disabled artists, staged in the University Bookstore to promote inclusive arts curricula. (See related story, page 9.)

In addition to these outreach activities, the Dissemination Team also provides technical support to the Center's staff. The team supports nearly 60 computers and four networks, as well as LCD projectors and other equipment. Andrew Geraghty, technology specialist, working with Quansheng Song of the Research and Evaluation Team, maintains several servers that host public databases, such as Service Tapestry located at http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/resources/servtap/default.htm.

— Alan Parks