EASI Interactive, Live Webinars
Announcing the Dick Banks Memorial Scholarship
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EASI is producing 2 series of Interactive Webinars on specific accessibility-related topics. You can listen to the presenter, and watch as the presenter pushes Web pages and also ask questions yourself. These are hour-long presentations covering general topics and frequently dealing with more advanced materials. One series is free to the public providing an overview of up-to-date information about current events in accessibility. The other series is fee-based, (currently $195), and usually consists of a set of 4 presentations providing detailed, hands-on, skill-based experience with applications that facilitate creating accessible output.
What Hardware and Software Does the Clinic Require?
The webinar software works best with a PC running Windows 98 or above and at least Internet Explorer 6.0, A sound card, speakers and a microphone to interact with presenters and other clinic participants. The microphone is required only if you would like to interact by voice. (A Mac using Virtual Windows also frequently will work.) (When you access the system, a small client is downloaded to your computer.)
EASI Webinar Series Annual Membership
EASI has established 2 programs of Webinar membership: one for an individual and another for an entire institution. For one single, moderate price, members have a discount providing access to the Webinar series for a single year. Members will also have a discount on all EASI's month-long courses (read about them by selecting the Online Courses link on the home page). There is a link at the bottom of this page for annual Webinar members to go directly to the passworded member site.
Read More about the Annual Webinar Membership
Schedule of Future Webinar times Is Normally 2 PM Eastern
Note, registering for an event will provide both live access to it and also provide access to it's recording later. The events listed as "free" are open to the public with no charge. The fee-based events are priced according to how many events are in the series. Each will have the price listed with its description.
Webinars for 2009
April
Managing the Assistive Technology Process: The Nontech Guide for Disability Service Providers.
A 4-part tuition-based series.
April 21, 28, May 12 and 19 all at 2 PM Eastern
REGISTRATION IS FULL! EMAIL NORM IF YOU WANT INFO ON A FUTURE SERIES norm.coombs@gmail.com
Presenter James Bailey, MS, Adaptive Technology Adviser, University of Oregon.
This 4-part supersized Webinar series is an unusual opportunity to experience the same content as James provides in on-site 2-day seminars. The series will combine both live presentations and asynchronous, directed discussions between presentations based on James' book.
Managing the Assistive Technology Process
This workshop is designed to provide tips on managing a comprehensive college AT program. It is particularly designed for AT or DS coordinators who are relatively new to the field. It is also very helpful for a manager who needs to integrate a few disparate AT offerings into an articulated program of services. EASI events are aimed for people with limited technical skills and who will benefit from discussions that remove the technical jargon from the presentation.
Participants will have to get the book from the publisher, LRP,
either online at:
http://www.shoplrp.com/product/p-31149.html
or Toll free phone:1-800-341-7874.
Note: EASI Annual Webinar Members will have free access to this $195 series!
Note: all participants will be expected to attend the Webinars or obtain the archive and to participate in the weekly discussions on the Blackboard discussion which will be an integral part of the Webinar series.
How to Obtain 3 CEUsFor This Series
Anyone wanting to earn 3 CEUS for this Webinar will be required both to do extra work and to make an extra payment.
Read more about the Webinar description and about earning CEUS and also to register online
Course Short Description
(The chapter numbers below refer to readings in the text.)
Live Session 1: Chapter 2 and Chapter 8 This session covers technical accommodations for various physical disabilities and discusses deployment options for college AT programs.
Discussion 1: Chapter 1 This module provides an understanding AT in the context of higher education.
Live Session 2: Chapter 3 and Chapter 5 This session discusses accommodations for students with learning disabilities and AT training issues at the college level.
Discussion 2: Chapter 9 This module covers hiring and managing staff that range from student help to full time credentialed employees.
Live Session 3: Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 This session examines alt-text provision and accessibility issues with the web in higher education.
Discussion 3: Chapter 10 This module offers advice on developing a mutually beneficial relationship with your campus Information Technology (IT) group.
Live Session 4: Chapter 4 and Chapter 6 This session covers the law and AT and the creation of a college AT management plan.
DO NOT MISS THIS UNUSUAL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EQUIVALENT OF A TWO-DAY SEMINAR FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME AND SAVE THE TIME AND EXPENSE OF TRAVEL!
Here is a link to a more detailed description of the series and access to the online Registration
Webinar: Illinois Functional Web Accessibility Evaluator 1.0 and Best Practices for Accessibility
Public EASI Webinar Thursday April 23 at 2 PM Eastern
Presenter: Jon Gunderson
Dr. Gunderson is the Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information Technology Accessibility in the
Division of Disability Resources and Education Services (DRES) at the
University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, Illinois.
He leads the development of the Firefox Accessibility Extension and the Illinois Functional Web Accessibility Evaluator Tool
Firefox Accessibility Extension
Illinois Functional Web Accessibility Evaluator Tool
The presentation will review a best practices approach to web accessibility used by the University of Illinois to implement the web accessibility requirements for the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act (IITAA) for campus web resources. IITAA web requirements is a hybrid of the Section 508 and W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) requirements designed to help state web masters improve the functional accessibility of their web resources. The Illinois Functional Accessibility Evaluator and Firefox Accessibility Extension are free tools to help web developers evaluate their web resources for use of the best practices. These tools have been recently updated based changes to the iCITA HTML Best Practices.
Read more about Jon Gunderson and about these tools
Register for this April 23 Webinar
May
Public Webinar: Understanding ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Tue. May 26 at 2 PM
Presenter: Glen Gordon, Chief Technology Officer for Freedom Scientific
Co-hosts: Dan Clark of Freedom Scientific and Norm Coombs of EASI
Webinar description: What is ARIA and why is it important? Why is ARIA necessary? What challenges do ARIA and Web 2.0 sites present to screen reader developers and users? Join this Webinar to listen to Glen Gordon describe how Freedom Scientific is preparing JAWS for this new wave of the future. Learn about ARIA features and how JAWS users will interact with these dynamic Web-based applications.
Register for the Web 2.0 May 26 Webinar
June Webinars
Webinar: Accessible Tables in Word and Ranges in Excel - June 24 at 2 PM Eastern
Presenter: Dan Clark, Freedom Scientific Training Department and hosted by Norm Coombs from EASI
This Webinar will be 90 minutes long and involve you in hands-on activities.
Wednesday June 24 from 2 till 3:30 Eastern.
Central time 1 till 2:30
Mountain noon till 1:30
Pacific 11 AM till 12:30
(Note this is the first Webinar in a 2-part series. Part 2 will be on August 26 and will cover Accessible Tables in PDF and HTML)
Description:
People who use tables in Microsoft Word or ranges in Microsoft Excel on a regular basis know how quickly one can get lost in the maze of rows and columns without the use of row and column titles.
Learn to use the bookmark feature in Word and the naming function in Excel to create built-in column and row header names for a cell or a range of cells. JAWS looks for certain specific names to identify which cells contain row and column titles. If the titles are defined in this fashion, the information is stored right in the document rather than in a JAWS file and can be used to speak the title information to anyone using JAWS 6.1 or later. Furthermore, anyone can build these row and column names into a table or range without even having JAWS installed.
Learn some easily applied principles that increase the accessibility of documents you create. In addition, learn how users can more easily access information by knowing helpful features in their adaptive technology.
NOTE: This webinar will be approximately one and a half hours in length (90 minutes) to allow time for interactive practice. Participants will be given the opportunity to switch away from the presentation room (while still listening to the instructor) to use sample practice documents that will be provided. The practice documents open in Microsoft Word and in Microsoft Excel.
Register for the Accessible tables in Word and Excel
Webinar: Accessible Tables in PDF and HTML Documents - Webinar - Aug. 26 at 2 PM Eastern
(part 2 in a series on accessible tables in different formats.)
Presenter: Dan Clark, Freedom Scientific Training Department and hosted by Norm Coombs of EASI
Wed. August 26 for 90 minutes starting at:
Eastern 2 PM
Central at 1 PM
Mountain at Noon
Pacific at 11 AM.
Part two in a series on how to create accessible tables. In this webinar you will learn how to create accessible tables for HTML pages, and convert tables from Word documents or Web pages into accessible PDF. The final documents will have the information (attributes and tags) built-in for screen reader users. This enables them to read and gather information presented in tables without difficulty, and without making changes to any settings on their side.
Learn some easily applied principles that increase the accessibility of documents you create. In addition, learn how users can more easily access information by knowing helpful features in their adaptive technology.
NOTE: This webinar will be approximately one and a half hours in length (90 minutes) to allow time for interactive practice. Participants will be given the opportunity to switch away from the presentation room (while still listening to the instructor) to use sample practice documents that will be provided. The practice documents open in Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer, and Adobe Reader. Participants who have Adobe Acrobat 9 Professional installed will also be able to view and manipulate the tags within the PDF documents.
Register for Accessible Tables in PDF and HTML
Three public Webinars are being finalized. The description, precise date and registration will be here soon.
Overview of the Higher Education Opportunity Act
Presenter: Scott Lissner
Ohio State University
NFB-Newsline Online
Renee West
NFB Marketing and Outreach Manager
More Accessible Tables in Word and Excel
Dan Clark
Freedom Scientific
Topics actively under final planning for Webinar 4-part Series
- The VPAT: Tips on Buying Accessible Hardware and Software (Making Informed Decisions)
This will include tips on how to select the appropriate software for a person and how to make use of the VPAT Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) - Using Web 2.0 to Enhance Web Accessibility
While the expanding interactive uses of the web have changed the environment so much that some have taken to calling it "Web 2.0". Many of these interactive features put up new accessibilities, many of these features can be used to improve accessibility. For one thing, it makes it possible for a Web page to query the application accessing it and then adjust the display for maximum usability for that person. - Update on Advances in Math and Science Accessibility
Higher math and electronic scientific texts have been problems, but there have many people and several NSF grants working to change that. Recently this work has been bearing fruit. This series will explain the problems, the solutions and demonstrate the "how to" of using these solutions in education. - Learning Disabilities and Adaptive Technology
This fee-based 4-part series will be based on an earlier Webinar series from 2 years ago.
The tentative 4 parts will be:
Part 1 Learning Disabilities - Adolescents and Adults
Part 2: K-12 through Transition: One Size Does Not Fit All
Part 3: LD and AT in Post-secondary Education
Part 4: The Matrix: Incorporating Universal Design for Learning in a Post-secondary setting for Students with Learning Disabilities
We are looking for ideas for Webinars and we also would love to have volunteers to be presenters. We will provide a free annual Webinar membership to any such volunteer.
Read More about the Annual Webinar Membership
Note that the membership page now has a different username and password. If what you have does not work, send email to (norm.coombs@gmail.com) and request to get the changed username and password
Go to the passworded Webinar member page
EASI is proud to Use TC Conferencing for all of its Webinar needs.
Web Conferencing with Talking Communities
Talking Communities provides the best web conferencing, webcasting, and webinar software and service
