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.

We've recently renewed our college commitment to ensuring access for all
students by forming the *Electronic and Information Technology (EIT)
Accessibility Committee*. This group will be sharing important information
with you as the semester progresses.

Our immediate focus is on issues, challenges, and solutions that will help
make our campus a more accessible environment. Our ultimate goal is to help
you, our students, become successful graduates, fully equipped to
contribute to a more just, equitable, and accessible world.

*Why is equal access important?*
Access to a college education can provide individuals with life-changing
opportunities. Unfortunately, many persons who are disabled do not get the
chance to obtain higher education based on their physical, mental, or
emotional health—not their credentials. Supporting equal access, no matter
one’s physical or cognitive challenges, means making sure students who
require additional support, get that support.

Support examples include screen readers, captions, and the ability to
enlarge text. If someone has a hearing impairment, or their computer
speakers just aren't working*,* captions can allow them to watch a video
and still understand what's going on. Screen-readers help the sightless,
but also help ease any student's busy schedule by allowing them to
multitask and take notes while listening to an article or textbook.

Technology is always changing. Yet each new development brings with it both
challenges and benefits, providing more options for all students to access
the resources they need to succeed.


*What can I do to help?*
Be an advocate for accessibility. Watch the Student Digest for updates and
activities. We'll post some fun trivia questions for you to test your
knowledge. This month’s trivia question:

   - What percentage of the US population has a physical or cognitive
   challenge? a. 50%, b. 42%, c. 26%, d. 11%

For the correct answer, watch for our next installment of Accessibility:
Unlocking Our Potential in the Student Digest.

For more information about our committee and how you can get involved,
please email Dr. John Locke at jlock004 at plattsburgh.edu.
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