Accommodating Technology Committee

Minutes of December 8, 1999 Meeting

Present: G. Allen, M. Belsky, G. Blievernicht, S. Blosser, J. Eulenberg, F. Gebrekidan, M. Hestenes, D. Kleinhardt, J. Pedraza, J. Renuk, R. Wittick.

Visitors: Prof. Byron Brown, Prof. Leland "Lee" Velicer (Emeritus)

1. The meeting was called to order by Eulenberg at 1:35 pm.

2. Eulenberg reminded the committee that our next meeting would be 1/12/00

3. Visitor introductions: Prof. Velicer worked at MSU for 30 years, studying viruses in the Dept. of Microbiology. Since 1994 he has used a personal scooter because of his multiple sclerosis. He enjoys camping and fly fishing, and he serves on several state and national committees for disabilities, MS, and patients' rights. Prof. Brown has for the past year worked for Vice-Provost Hunt on issues of training with technology. He is visiting to listen and to learn about issues of mutual interest.

4. Minutes of the 11/10/99 meeting were accepted (Belsky; Pedraza) as modified.

5. Hestenes suggested, and Wittick concurred, that we prioritize our annual recommendations to Vice-Provost Hunt. Hestenes noted that Dr. Hunt told the Instructional and Computing Technology Committee that there could be a fund along the lines we discussed at our earlier meeting. We should consult with ICTC so as to make our priorities clearer to Dr. Hunt.

6. Eulenberg introduced the topic of making courses accessible to all students, whether it be, e.g., video captioning, special lab equipment, or publishing to the web. Most faculty members do not have any special training in this area, and Dr. Hunt mentioned, when he visited us last month, that MSU should have the capability of training them quickly and efficiently. Prof. Brown described the experience of looking at his own web page with "Bobby"; this description mirrored very closely what Dr. Hunt reported at our last meeting. Gebrekidan noted that, even with the Window-Eyes screen reading utility, many web pages remain inaccessible to the blind user. He also raised the issue of the similarly inaccessible CD-ROM used in IAH courses; this CD is sold outside MSU, so that its vendor should perhaps be approached with regard to accessibility issues. Renuk further suggested that scrolling a computer screen display can be very difficult; whole-page displays should therefore be encouraged. Hestenes suggested that some of Prof. Brown's faculty seminar series time might be devoted to accessibility issues. Pedraza noted that the US Government has promulgated a new set of regulations for web page design. Eulenberg suggested it might be good for the committee to see a demo (either live or on tape) showing a screen reader being used to view a web site.

7. Eulenberg announced that the changes to our committee's charter regarding Pedraza's position (Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities) have been accepted.

8. The meeting was adjourned (Renuk; Wittick) at 2:34 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

George D. Allen, Recording Secretary