Learn to make and share graphs, maps, charts, icons, and more using a range of accessible tactile formats in the next boutique from the National Federation of the Blind. Tactile graphics are a critical component of information literacy for blind and low-vision people from early education to the workplace and everyday life. Join the National Federation of the Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Accessibility on Tuesday, November 30, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., Eastern, to learn the basics of tactile graphics creation and why it matters. Topics to be covered include:

• High and low-tech approaches: What are accessible drawing tools, embossers, swellform and thermoform machines? How does 3D printing fit in? What expense, benefits, and limitations come with each format?
• What makes a tactile graphic meaningful, legible, and effective?
• Which approaches to graphics creation are most accessible to blind people?

The NFB looks forward to bringing together blind professionals interested in creating tactile graphics, teachers of blind students, and colleagues, family members, and other allies of blind people for a lively exploration of tactile graphics, why they matter, and how to widen their adoption and availability.

This boutique is presented by the National Federation of the Blind’s Center for Excellence in Nonvisual Access in collaboration with Chancey Fleet. Chancey is president of the NFB’s Assistive Technology Trainers’ Division and directs the New York Public Library’s Dimensions Lab, a free and open community space where blind and sighted people can come to access skill-building workshops, equipment, and mentorship for creating tactile graphics and 3D models.

Register Now for Creating and Using Tactile Graphics!

If you missed Season 2 of the Center for Inclusive-Community Development (CDICD) podcast series, Keys to Financial Inclusion, you can still listen to all six episodes! Listen to the series by visiting KeysToFinancialInclusion.org or through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. 

The podcast series showcases thought leaders from federal regulators, financial institutions, universities and national organizations who offer their perspective on the inclusion of people with disabilities in community development and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) activities.

Featured guests include:

• Rodney Hood, Board Member and Former Chairman, National Credit Union Administration
• Rebecca Cokley, Disability Rights Program Officer, Office of the President, Ford Foundation
• Lael Brainard, Governor, Federal Reserve Board of Governors
• Marjorie Baldwin, Author and Professor, Arizona State University
• Karen Tamley, President and CEO, Access Living – Chicago
• Aimee Wehmeier, President, Paraquad – St. Louis; Jeff Mazur, Executive Director, LaunchCode; and Kathy Lovell, Manager of Disability Services and Outreach, Regions Bank

We Need Your Input!

                                                     

                                       

The Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI) at the Georgia Institute of Technology is developing tools to help people with disabilities and their support networks decide what assistive technology might help them reach their goals. These decision tools will be digital and accessed through web-based interfaces. The goal is to provide resources that could be used to help decide what assistive technology to use and they would like your help in designing and developing the web-based interfaces for the tools. 

If you use assistive technology, they invite you to participate in small group interviews. These interviews will be no more than 90 minutes in length and held over Zoom’s virtual platforms. They want to know how you go about finding information on assistive technology, which web based interfaces you commonly use, what type of information is helpful to you, what features of these interfaces are beneficial and which ones aren’t so beneficial, and how you might use specific types of information to make decisions about assistive technology use. You will be paid $40 for your participation.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Maureen Linden at Maureen.linden@design.gatech.edu or 404.894.0561

Efforts to be inclusive in higher education are being driven by the need for students to be exposed to accessibility concepts as part of their mainstream curriculum in order to be better prepared to address the needs of those with disabilities.

The National Federation of the Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access invites you to apply for the 2022 Accessibility Inclusion Fellowship. This is an opportunity to empower educators with the knowledge and ability to teach their students about accessibility today to ensure it is integrated into the tools of tomorrow.

We will help you to integrate accessibility concepts into an existing course through this program; no previous experience is required.

What is Accessibility and Nonvisual Access?

Accessibility means full and equal access to the information and other content available online to the blind at the same time that it is made available to the rest of the public.

What is the Accessibility Inclusion Fellowship?

• One-year fellowship: You will work with the experts of the National Federation of the Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access for one year to integrate innovative accessibility concepts into your existing curricula.
• Course enhancement: Accessibility concepts will be blended into your existing course to allow students to acquire the knowledge and awareness of accessibility as an integral part of their learning and a necessary consideration as they practice their profession.
• Benefit to your students: The students that complete your course will be better equipped to meet the evolving needs of the industry, earn higher salaries, and create greater access for all.
• Financial compensation: One award of $2,000 will be made to a professor or instructor of a University System of Maryland (USM) school or independent Maryland college, and two awards of $1,500 each will be made to Maryland community college instructors.

Here is what a former fellow has to say:

“When I learned I’d been selected as a recipient of the Accessibility Inclusion Fellowship, I was floored! I … was so intrigued by the idea of gaining a better understanding of how to incorporate accessible and inclusive practices into course design … I have received excellent feedback and strategies for how to improve the accessibility of both my syllabus and course site. Additionally, I have learned a number of best practices for ensuring that my course is welcoming for all of my students…” Dr. Renee F. Hill, Principal Lecturer, Director, School Library Specialization, University of Maryland, College of Information Studies

How to Apply

Take advantage of this free opportunity to start including accessibility concepts in your course offering.

Apply today by completing the brief application by November 15, 2021. The application requires copies of your class syllabus, the course description from the college catalog, and two professional references.

Apply for the Accessibility Inclusions Fellowship Today!