Category: Participate

We’ve made it to 2020! To start the year off right, we’ve made a few updates to the Accessibility Portal that are worth mentioning.

First, some misinformation regarding scooter availability was identified and corrected on the Gameday Accessibility page. We would like to thank all who helped us identify this error and we ask that you all please continue to help us keep this information correct.

Second, the accommodations page was revised to provide additional resources and information about the  offices responsible for managing accommodation requests. Also, this page now includes all of the information that was previously on a separate Accessibility Services page. We hope that, by combining these pages, needs can be met more quickly.

Third, after receiving feedback that the number of links on the homepage was overwhelming, we replaced the links section with a newly made Spotlight video. This video features student testimonials regarding Clemson University’s ability to meet accommodation needs. We are very excited to share this video with you! And thank you to all of the students who participated!

Changes To Come in 2020

It is our understanding that Creative Services plans to release new website guidelines and templates sometime this year. As such, we do not currently have plans to make drastic changes or additions to the Portal. This said, we do hope to add a page that features Clemson’s accessibility related programs and communities (examples include: the Spectrum Program, Adaptive Sports, and Tiger2Tiger).

While we wait to make significant changes to the Accessibility Portal until Creative Services releases its updates, we would love to collect your ideas on how it can be improved. Critiques are also welcomed. Please feel free to use the comment section below to share your ideas with us.

Let’s make 2020 an awesome year for accessibility!

It is that time of year again. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and this year, we have some added events. Unfortunately, some of these events have already occurred but others are still to come. We’ll be updating this post throughout the month so that those who miss any particular event can still be engaged here.

Our keynote speaker, Richie Parker, kicked things off with a presentation on “Driven to Overcome.” If you were unable to attend, be sure to check out the recording below.

• Video link: Driven to Overcome

The next day, Corbin Kolehmainen and Austin Williams gave a presentation on Cascade Accessibility. If you are someone who works on a website for the university, be sure to check out their slides below.

• Cascade Accessibility Presentation Slides

Then we had a presentation and workshop on Video Accessibility by Michelle Tuten. Her slides and workshop instructions are below.

• Video Accessibility Presentation Slides
• Video Accessibility Workshop Instructions
  • If you want to complete the workshop on your own, please be sure to download the files described in the instructions as quickly as possible as the files may become unavailable after this month.

On the 9th, we had a hiring event in the Watt Center from 10:30am – 12:20pm. Hiring Event details can be found on the Clemson Event calendar. As we update this post, if there is a list of employers or other resources we can provide, we will add them here.

On October 23, we had a presentation by Michelle Tuten on Microsoft Office Accessibility Basics. In this presentation, Michelle primarily covered Word and PowerPoint accessibility, but also touched on Excel and on saving these files to PDF. Here are the Microsoft Office Accessibility event details and the Microsoft Accessibility presentation slides.

Wrapping up the month, on October 28 we will have a “Helping Heroes Panel” discuss upstate resources for military veterans in room 100 of Vickery from 5:30-6:30pm. Here are the Helping Heroes event details.

Last, but not least, throughout the entire month of October, Cooper Library has a display of poems by disabled poets along the stairwell. The display is called “Make No Apologies for Yourself: New Poems by Disabled Poets.” Here are more details on the poetry display, and here are some photographs of the display.

From HireMeSC

Advocacy Day for Access & Independence is the only event in South Carolina that’s breaking down barriers for ALL South Carolinians with disabilities. Since its inaugural gathering in May 2014, support has grown to 25 organizations statewide all unified in an effort to ensure people with disabilities have equal access and opportunity. People with disabilities face unnecessary and discriminatory barriers to transportation, employment, and public access. Advocacy Day for Access and Independence will shine a light on these barriers in hopes of improving the lives of all South Carolinians.

To help us plan accordingly, please register now for this FREE event! 

• Thursday, April 4, 2019
  10:00 AM12:30 PM
• SC State House
  1201 Main Street
  Columbia, SC, 29201
  United States (map)

Registration

To learn more about and participate in Clemson’s efforts to break down barriers, keep an eye on Clemson’s Accessibility Portal.

The following post was written by Tammy Wallace. For more information on Clemson’s Accessibility resources, see the Accessibility Web Portal.

February 20, 2019, Columbia, SC – The Governor of South Carolina has proclaimed March 2019 as Assistive Technology Awareness Month throughout the state and encourages all South Carolinians to become aware of the many ways in which assistive technologies contribute to the health, happiness, and independence of families, friends and neighbors.

A press conference will be held in the Lobby of the State House on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to Noon.  Please join us as we celebrate March 2019 as Assistive Technology Awareness Month.

One way to gain awareness of assistive technologies available is to attend The SC Assistive Technology Expo on March 5th, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC.  The event is hosted by The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program, part of the Center for Disability Resources, USC School of Medicine.  The Expo is the only event of its kind in South Carolina that showcases the latest advancements in assistive technology and offers workshops to learn more about how this technology can be used at home, school and work. During the event, individuals with disabilities, parents, school and health professionals can visit over 70 exhibits and attend workshops related to Assistive Technology. The SC Assistive Technology Expo is free and open to the public. Free parking is also available.

The SC Assistive Technology Program is a federally funded program that helps people with disabilities identify assistive technology that will improve their daily living, their ability to work and learn and be a more independent part of the community. We provide device loans and demonstrations, an on-line equipment exchange, AT reuse, training and technical assistance.  We link people with technology and work with consumers, service providers, state agencies and policy makers. Learn more at http://scatp.med.sc.edu/.

[NOTICE: The registration page for this event says that the training will be over at 3:30, but we’ve received an agenda saying that it could last until 4:30. Please plan accordingly.]

Access South Carolina IT (ASCIT) is providing a free training seminar to those interested in testing websites and digital content for accessibility issues.

ASCIT has crafted this training so that persons of all levels of technical experience should be able to learn from it. In other words, you should not need to know HTML, CSS, or other programming languages in order to understand what is being taught. To learn more, see ASCIT’s event detail page which includes a link to the schedule.

This training has a virtual attendance option for those who do not want to travel to Columbia, SC. Also, we are in the process of finding a place on Clemson’s campus where virtual attendees who prefer a face-to-face experience may gather.

If you are interested in joining the Clemson campus gathering, please inform Michelle Tuten (mtuten@clemson.edu) and indicate how comfortable you are with attending virtually if the room has already met capacity. Michelle will follow up with you.

No matter how you attend, please be sure to fill out ASCIT’s registration page. If you are planning to join the Clemson campus gathering, please register as an online participant.

Also, if you’re eager to start checking the accessibility of your digital content, Clemson’s Accessibility Portal has a page on Do-It-Yourself Digital Accessibility Auditing that can help you get started.

Happy New Years and Congrats to our football champions!

Continuing to start 2019 on the right foot, the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, the Office of Human Resources, and the Office of Inclusion and Equity have developed a new search advocacy program that promotes inclusion and equity. This program is currently looking for participants.

Learn more from Inside Clemson’s article.

For information about other ways you can make Clemson a more inclusive place, be sure to visit Clemson’s Accessibility Portal.

For the past 3 years, the Accessibility Commission has been hosting events in October in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year, we welcome speaker Vilissa Thompson who will present “Pay Me What I’m Worth: Valuing the Work of Disabled People” at the Watt Family Innovation Center on October 23 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. We look forward to Thompson sharing her insights and experience as a licensed master social worker; founder and CEO of Ramp Your Voice!; and accomplished disability rights consultant, writer and activist. This event is open to faculty, staff, students, and the community, and will feature a Question and Answer session at the end.

Additional information for this event is provided below, and a recording of the session will be made available.

• NDEAM 2018 Event in Clemson Calendar
• Inside Clemson NDEAM 2018 blog post

Who Is The Accessibility Commission?

The Accessibility Commission is a group representatives from different areas across campus, including the Office of Access & Equity, Student Accessibility Services, Facilities, Parking and Transportation, Campus Planning, Libraries, CCIT, Creative Services, Undergraduate and Graduate Studies, the faculty body, the student body, and more. Each member have a passion for making sure that students, employees, and visitors with a diverse range of abilities have the tools and environments needed to be successful.

What Does The Accessibility Commission Do?

The Accessibility Commission promotes accessibility, equal opportunity, and quality of life for persons with disabilities by advising and making recommendations to Clemson University’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CUCDI) regarding all developments that could impact accessibility and the University’s commitment to equal opportunity and access. In some cases, members of the Commission are also involved in the implementation of these recommendations. Such implementations include:

• Providing enhanced access on campus to programs and facilities through wheelchair ramps, door openers, elevators, etc.
• Adding captions at home football and basketball games.
• Offering American Sign Language interpreters at applicable public events.
• Developing the Accessibility Web Portal which provides information about accessibility resources.
• Promoting and increasing awareness of accessibility.

To learn more about the Commission’s implementations and accomplishments, be on the look out for our next blog post, “5 Things You Didn’t Know The Accessibility Commission Did.”

When And How Did It Get Started?

As a way to reach Clemson University’s accessibility goals, President Barker established an Accessibility Task Force in 2010. Later, in November 2016, Lee Gill, Clemson University’s Chief Diversity Officer, commissioned the group to become the President’s Accessibility Commission, creating representation on the Council for Diversity and Inclusion.

Where Can I Get Involved?

If you would like to become a member of the Commission or would like to see additional representation from your area, please contact Priscilla Harrison. Members are encouraged to work in sub-committees throughout the year then share relevant progress reports and recommendations during Commission meetings held four times each year. If you think you are unable to participate in the Commission, but are interested in promoting accessibility, you can:

1. Use the design standards and guides on the Accessibility Portal to design accessible objects, content, and environments.
2. Increase accessibility awareness in your department or area of campus.
3. Report accessibility barriers (physical and digital).
4. Conduct your own accessibility-related research and share it with the Commission.
5. Keep an eye on this blog and on the Accessibility Portal for additional opportunities to contribute and participate.