[CATO] Letter of Support on Global Accessibility Awareness Day

[Hanscom, Michael]

May 15, 2025

Dear SBCTC Community:
Accessibility in the ctc system:

On this Global Accessibility Awareness Day<https://accessibility.day/> (GAAD), we wish to reaffirm our continued commitment to supporting the disabled community at all colleges in the SBCTC system. Please share this message with your councils and groups and to our SBCTC college leaders.

Many federal institutions and programs that support the disabled community are at risk. Among these are programs and laws that support and ensure equitable access in education and employment for individuals with disabilities.

SBCTC and the Committee for Accessible Technology Oversight (CATO<https://www.sbctc.edu/about/task-forces-work-groups/stac/cato/>) are committed to fostering a culture of inclusiveness and equity when supporting our students and employees with disabilities. Some key elements of this commitment include:


  *   The SBCTC Accessibility Learning Center, including:
     *   The eLearning Accessibility Micro Courses<https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/educational-technology-open-education/training-registration>, nine short self-led training courses on accessibility basics.
     *   Guidelines on creating accessible documents<https://www.sbctc.edu/about/accessibility/accessible-documents> and media and video<https://www.sbctc.edu/about/accessibility/accessible-media>.
  *   The new Accessible IT Coordinators e-list community<https://lists.ctc.edu/mailman/listinfo/atcoord_lists.ctc.edu>.
  *   Monthly forums and information on ctcLink accessibility<https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/it-support/ctclink/ctclink-accessibility> status and updates.

The federal ADA Title II rules for web accessibility<https://accessibility.highline.edu/title-ii-rule-on-digital-accessibility/about-the-title-ii-rule/> are still in effect. Additionally, all colleges and SBCTC must follow the state's digital accessibility policy, Washington State Technology Policy USER-01<https://watech.wa.gov/policies/digital-accessibility-policy> (formerly Policy 188).

Our commitment remains strong in support of our students, employees, and the wider community with disabilities. This includes the many intersections of identities and lived experiences that can affect an individual's access to equitable and accessible services.
What you can do (calls to action):

  *   Check that your college's identified accessible IT Coordinator is subscribed to the AT Coord email list and participates in training opportunities offered by SBCTC.
  *   Request faculty to review their Canvas courses for accessibility and work with instructional design for assistance.
  *   Take or review the accessibility micro courses<https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/programs-services/educational-technology-open-education/training-registration> to brush up on your accessibility knowledge. Some colleges are providing modest stipends to faculty that earn their Accessibility Proponent Badge.
  *   Review the Section508.gov accessibility training materials<https://www.section508.gov/create/>.
  *   Ensure the documents and web content that you create is accessible before sharing it.
     *   Prioritize the most visible and most used documents in Canvas courses and websites.
     *   As accessibility improves, move on to less commonly used resources.
  *   Take one or more of the DSHS Section 508 training program<https://www.dhs.gov/508-training> courses.
     *   Authoring Section 508 Compliant Documents covers creating accessible documents with Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat and is available self-paced or instructor-led.
     *   Trusted Tester Certification Program goes in-depth into evaluating and testing web-based materials and applications.

In community,


  *   CATO (Committee for Accessible Technology Oversight)
  *   Michael Hanscom, CATO Co-Chair, Highline College Accessible Technology Program Manager
  *   Doug Hayman, IT Accessibility Coordinator, Olympic College
  *   Zach Lattin, CATO member and Clark College IT Accessibility Coordinator
  *   Andy Duckworth, Technology Innovation Officer, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC)
  *   Vicki Walton, SBCTC, Web Accessibility Specialist/IT Assurance Tester
  *   Meridith Hatch, SBCTC Digital Accessibility Task Force Co-chair
  *   Monica Olsson, Accessibility Policy Associate, SBCTC
  *   Bryan Fauth, Director of Accessibility & Student Support Services, Cascadia College
  *   Cecilia Macías, Universal Design & Accessibility Coordinator, Yakima Valley College
  *   Amy Rovner, Director of eLearning, Accessible IT Coordinator, Shoreline Community College and CATO member


Michael Hanscom (he/him), Accessible Technology Program Manager, Highline College
mhanscom at highline.edu | Building 25-516 | https://accessibility.highline.edu
Accessible Technology Zoom Lobby: Wed. 3:30-4:15 p.m., Thu. 3-3:45 p.m. https://highline.zoom.us/my/mhanscom
Access Services: 206.592.3857 | access at highline.edu | https://access.highline.edu

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