Accessibility: Unlocking Our Potential

[John Locke]

Dear Colleagues,

All of us want to feel welcome and comfortable on campus, no matter who we
are or what our individual needs might be. And of course, we want our
students to feel welcome. All of them.

We know that we, as a campus community, are at our best when everyone is
welcomed, respected, and included, no matter their background or
disability. But sometimes, especially when we are confronted with
unfamiliar situations, we find ourselves ill-equipped to accommodate a
person’s unique needs. That's particularly true when those needs involve
disabilities, which may not even be apparent.

*Aquiring accessibility skills *is a good way to be a well-prepared
colleague in our diverse community. Such skills are valuable to teaching
faculty and anyone who creates digital content.

The good news is that SUNY has recently negotiated a second year-long
contract with *Deque University *for all faculty and staff. Deque
University offers training and on-demand reference materials for every
level and every area of expertise in digital accessibility.

These courses are excellent for both establishing new skills and expanding
existing ones. You can take single interactive, online courses or complete
entire curricula, culminating with a certificate of completion.

Our campus Electronic & Information Technology Accessibility committee
urges you to consider signing up for a course or a certificate in any one
of a number of relevant courses or programs.

   - *Enroll now * <https://dequeuniversity.com/>or view the full list of
   courses and certificate programs on the Deque website.
   <https://dequeuniversity.com/>

*As an added incentive,* the first 20 individuals to email a copy of their
certificate of completion to jlock004 at plattsburgh.edu will receive a
custom-designed *Accessibility: Unlocking Our Potential* t-shirt. The
completion certificate must be for one of the following options:

   - Customer Service for People with Disabilities 1.0
   - Accessibility Program Management Curriculum 2.0
   - One of the other eight available curricula.

Please don't delay. We have a limited number of T-shirts available, and
only a year before we lose access to these valuable Deque courses. First
come, first-served.

To enroll, simply go to Deque University <https://dequeuniversity.com>,
click on the Login button, and use your Plattsburgh email address for your
user name. Then, click the "forgot password" link and create a password
you'll remember.

Should you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.

Regards,
John Locke, Ph.D.
EIT Accessibility Officer
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