BARRIER FREE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, led by Dick Banks and Norm Coombs of
Project EASI, a core activity of The TLT Group.

Students and professionals with disabilities have the same right to access
information technology as does anyone else!

A four-week online workshop, beginning Monday, March 13,2000.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Today's distributed computer environment means that providing support for
the technology needs of students with disabilities is an institution-wide
responsibility, requiring extensive planning and cooperation across many
departments.  It is no longer the sole province of the computer staff, nor
can it be relegated to the disabled student office. If "it takes a village
to raise a child," then, it takes the entire campus to support the adaptive
technology needs of students with disabilities.

BARRIER-FREE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY will help participants master the
complex technological, legal, pedagogical issues in this area, resulting in
the creation of a customized barrier-free campus educational technology
plan.   Current adaptive technologies will be critiqued and their
appropriate application explored.  Specific and practical strategies such
as designing barrier-free computer labs, adapting course materials, and
effective staff training will be provided.

AUDIENCE
BARRIER-FREE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY is designed for administrators,
faculty, librarians, computer support staff, ADA compliance officers,
service providers and disabled student support staff.  It will be of
special interest to participants and leaders of local TLT Roundtables, and
others who are charged with developing an institutional technology plan.

REQUIREMENTS
The workshop will be taught over the Internet using an e-mail listserv to
connect the workshop leaders and fellow participants.  Workshop material
will be delivered via the listserv and using multimedia on the web.
Participants will need a recent browser (either Internet Explorer version
4.0 or higher, or Netscape 4.5 or higher, with Java features enabled) and
Internet access.

The recommended textbook, "Information Access and Adaptive Technology"
(Oryx, 1997) by Coombs and Cunningham can be purchased from www.amazon.com

or from EASI by sending e-mail to [log in to unmask]

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS
Three continuing education units from the Rochester Institute of Technology
are available on request. For more information, please contact Norman
Coombs at [log in to unmask]

LEADERS
Richard Banks is Electronic Resource Manager, Project EASI, and technical
advisor to The TLT Group.  Dick was awarded an honorary Doctorate from
Mahidol University in Thailand, where he directed the efforts to establish
an Internet presence for Ratchasuda College.

Norman Coombs, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus at the Rochester Institute of
Technology. Coombs is the co-author of "Information Access and Adaptive
Technology" published in 1997 by Oryx Press. He was awarded the CASE
Teacher of the Year Award for New York State in 1990 for his work in
distance learning.

EASI runs on-site and on-line workshops, maintains three listserv
discussion groups, produces an electronic journal and sponsors a
substantial web site at http://www.rit.edu/~easi. EASI's work has been
supported by three dissemination grants from the National Science
Foundation.

FEES
$275 per individual registrant
$250 per person for teams of 2-4
$225 per person for teams of 5+
$50 off the per person fees for registrants whose institution is a
subscriber to the TLT Roundtable Network.

REGISTRATION
To register, please use our online registration form at
http://www.tltgroup.org/forms/bfreeed.htm
For questions about registration, please see our Registration FAQ page at
http://www.tltgroup.org/online/regfaq.htm

If you still have questions, please contact the TLT Group registration
manager, Nikki Smith, at 212-463-7888 or at [log in to unmask]

WORKSHOP SYLLABUS
Lesson 1:  Introductions and Definitions
-- introductions of instructors and participants
-- overview of the workshop
-- basic definitions
Lesson 2: Four Reasons For Barrier-Free Educational Technology
-- it's the right thing to do
-- it makes economic sense
-- it's the law
-- self-interest
Lesson 3:  Computer Input Problems And Solutions
-- explanation of which disability groups have problems
with keyboard and/or mouse input systems
-- alternative keyboard systems
-- alternative mouse systems
-- voice recognition
Lesson 4:  Computer Output Problems And Solutions
-- text-to-speech synthesizers
-- screen magnification systems
-- refreshable Braille and Braille embossers
Lesson 5: Compensatory Strategies
-- how users with disabilities use computer technology to
compensate for their disability
-- how to use the adapted computer as an interface to scientific and math
equipment
Lesson 6:  Access To Physical Facilities And Staff Training
-- designing a computer lab to accommodate users with different disabilities
-- the importance of both sensitivity and technical training for staff
Lesson 7:  Access To Educational Information
-- how to provide lab manuals and materials in alternative
formats
-- how to provide class materials in alternative formats
-- how to prepare institute materials in alternate formats
Lesson 8:  Planning for an Accessible Campus or Institution
-- developing an implementation plan for your institution

For questions regarding workshop content, please contact Norm Coombs at
[log in to unmask]

EASI's online workshop on accessible Web design,
Barrier-free Web Design, begins Feb. 22.
Making your Web pages accessible is the right thing to do,
and it is the law.  For information, go to
http://www.rit.edu/~easi and click on workshops.