Accessibility: Unlocking Our Potential

[John Locke]

“An individual has not started living until [they] can rise above the
narrow confines of [their] individualistic concerns to the broader concerns
of all humanity.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King's observation that we, as individuals, can unlock our potential by
rising above our narrow self interests is an old idea, and a timeless one.
It's a message especially relevant to our campus community as we strengthen
our efforts to ensure that *all *students have access to the resources they
need to unlock their individual potentials. No one can do it alone. We're
all in this together.

In 1990, President George Herbert Walker Bush signed into law the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is an "equal opportunity" law for
individuals with disabilities. It's modeled after the Civil Rights Act of
1964 (prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, or national origin,) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Countless articles describe the consequences faced by businesses and
institutions who have violated various aspects of the ADA. The federal
government documents thousands of complaints, briefs, settlements, letters
of resolutions, and letters of findings. Legally and financially, ADA
compliance is a serious matter.

But our college adheres to ADA requirements not only because it's the law.
We do so because, in accord with our values, we know it's the right thing
to do.

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends fully to
supporting students with disabilities. We have complied with SUNY's mandate to
establish an *Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility *
*Officer*. And in April, President Enyedi announced the formation of an *EIT
committee *to evaluate the current campus situation and make plans to
address any deficiencies.

On July 26, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced the creation of a
SUNY-wide *Empowering Students with Disability Task Force *to address
challenges faced by students with disabilities and provide additional
educational
opportunities for them.

The work of the task force and committees across the state will benefit
everyone, no matter their ability. As former Microsoft CEO Stephen Ballmer
observes, “Accessible design is good design - it benefits people who don't
have disabilities as well as people who do. Accessibility is all about
removing barriers and providing the benefits of technology for everyone.”

Throughout this academic year, SUNY Plattsburgh’s EIT Accessibility Committee
will be sharing important information with you concerning issues,
challenges, and solutions that will help make our campus a more accessible
environment. Ultimately, this work will help our graduates contribute to a
more just, equitable, and accessible world.

Please watch the Faculty Digest for our updates and activities. For more
information about our committee and the work in which we are engaged,
please email Dr. John Locke at jlock004 at plattsburgh.edu.

¡Salud!

John Locke, Ph.D., :~{)>
Chair, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Committee
Coordinator, Technology Enhanced Learning and Distance Education
t. 518-564-4537
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