<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1642691813;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:1740292108 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Hey everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Doing accessibility work for so long has taught me that accessibility can be infectious! And who doesn’t enjoy a shout-out for doing great work?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Our college has a monthly e-publication called Notable News. Employees submit stories, accolades, etc. Our Title II Steering Committee decided to start our A11y Champion of the Month and spotlight one employee
each month who does exceptional accessibility work for the campus. Here is the inaugural blurb:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Did you know? Accessibility has 11 letters between the A and the Y? It is abbreviated A11y - and this is our first announcement naming our A11y Champion of the Month! Our A11y Champion
of the Month is... MELISA NELSON! <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Melisa has been an outstanding member of the BTC Accessibility Team for many years and has incorporated accessibility into all her work as Purchasing Director. Just a few examples
of Melisa’s attention to accessibility practices: <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Melisa created a Purchasing SharePoint site using accessibility tools to ensure it can be readable by anyone, including people who use screen readers.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Melisa’s training courses are accessibly constructed, using multiple modes of delivery and Universal Design to ensure folks doing the training can choose the way they learn best.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Melisa partners with Christian Campbell in CISS to make sure BTC complies with accessibility guidelines/law in everything we purchase as a college.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:1.0in"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Congratulations Melisa, BTC A11y Champion, May 2025!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Melisa was blown away and so delighted. We are going to try to get donations from our Foundation so there can be a little prize too. I offer this to you as an idea for your colleges. It’s low effort, makes
someone feel good, bringing them more fully into the work. Be loud! That’s how we make change!!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" href="https://www.btc.edu/" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:-.7pt;width:52.55pt;height:86.4pt;z-index:-251657216;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:page' o:button="t">
<v:fill o:detectmouseclick="t" />
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.jpg@01DBC641.D06D00A0" o:title="" />
<w:wrap type="square" anchorx="margin"/>
<w:anchorlock/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><a href="https://www.btc.edu/"><img border="0" width="70" height="115" style="width:.7333in;height:1.2in" src="cid:image005.jpg@01DBC641.D0F877C0" align="left" hspace="6" style="margin-left:-6px;margin-right:6px" title="" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"></a><![endif]><b>Mary
Gerard, M.Ed.<span style="color:#0076A8;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><i><span style="color:black">Director</span></i><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><i><span style="color:black">Accessibility Resources<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><u><span style="color:#0076A8"><a href="http://www.btc.edu/"><span style="color:#0076A8">Bellingham Technical College</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:black">3028 Lindbergh Ave.
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:105%;color:black">|</span><span style="color:black"> Bellingham, WA 98225<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:black">Call: </span>
<span style="color:#0076A8">360.752.8576 </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:105%;color:black">|</span><span style="color:black"> Office:
</span><span style="color:#0076A8">College Services Room 106C<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:#0076A8"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><a href="https://api.badgr.io/public/assertions/ECIZSYK0QveqjPqOqFzXPw?identity__email=mgerard%40btc.edu"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="76" height="76" style="width:.7916in;height:.7916in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01DBC641.D06D00A0" alt="SBCTC Accessibility Proponent Badge - dark blue flag shape badge reading Accessibility Proponent in white letters on blue background with the SBCTC insignia across a white banner"></span></a>
<a href="https://api.badgr.io/public/assertions/51bDdl7CSMChRvhpb19vAA?identity__email=mgerard%40btc.edu">
<span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="80" height="80" style="width:.8333in;height:.8333in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image004.png@01DBC641.D06D00A0" alt="https://api.badgr.io/public/assertions/51bDdl7CSMChRvhpb19vAA/image"></span></a><span style="color:#0076A8"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:#0076A8"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:#0076A8">Mission: Bellingham Technical College provides student-centered,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:#0076A8">high-quality professional technical education
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:105%"><span style="color:#0076A8">for todays need’s and tomorrow’s opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>