Rhonda Weiss Center for Accessible IDEA Data

It was standing room only at the Weiss Center's morning workshop, A Hands-on Exploration of Accessibility Barriers and How to Overcome Them!

Find us at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Conference! 👀 At the Rhonda Weiss Center, our work is about people, not compliance. Improving the state of IDEA data accessibility requires dedicated individuals who share our commitment to achieving equitable outcomes for students and families. We are excited for the opportunity to engage with like-minded educators and professionals at the 2024 OSEP Conference so that we may further this mission together. The Weiss Center will be presenting the following sessions: ▪ Insights From State Collaboration with the Rhonda Weiss Center: Tuesday, August 6th, 3:30 – 4:30 PM. ▪ It's Time to ADAPT Your Publicly Available IDEA Data: Tuesday, August 6th, 3:30 – 4:30 PM. ▪ Rhonda Weiss Center Exhibition Booth: Tuesday, August 6th, 5:45 – 6:45 PM. ▪ A Hands-on Exploration of Accessibility Barriers and How to Overcome Them: Wednesday, August 7th, 8:00 – 9:00 AM. See you there! 👋

A few more pictures from the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired conference. Pictured with Rebecca Sheffield and Fred Edora & Johan Rempel from the Rhonda Weiss Center

Presenting on the Rhonda Weiss Center for Accessible IDEA Data at AER International. It's an honor to serve as Co-Director alongside Fred Edora on this impactful project, with Eric Caruso as program officer.

New webinar on our Accessible Data Analysis and Publishing Tool (ADAPT)! 📽 Join us on Thursday, June 27th from 1:00-2:00 PM ET for our webinar, Developing Accessible IDEA Reports with the ADAPT Tool. ADAPT is freely available to States and makes IDEA data easier to access and understand for everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Reports authored and published using ADAPT meet and exceed Section 508 and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II requirements. Register below!

More guidance on recent ADA Title II ruling 🗞 In case you missed it - On April 24, 2024, the final rule updating the regulations of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was published. This final rule has specific requirements about how to make sure that web content and mobile applications (apps) are accessible to people with disabilities. The recently released Small Entity Compliance Guide is meant for people who work for or with small state and local governments. The guide will help you understand the rule’s requirements for making sure your government’s web content and mobile apps are accessible. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gh-X4Pr8

Question: What do you think is the most commonly detected digital accessibility issue? Answer: Color Contrast! 🔘 🔵 In an annual report, WebAIM shared the results of their accessibility evaluation of home pages for the top 1,000,000 websites. The issue of low contrast text was found on 81% of pages. Remember, colors must have sufficient contrast between text color and background. This includes text on images, icons, and buttons. It also includes colors used to convey information on diagrams, maps, and other types of images. 🚫 Do not use color as the sole indicator of information. When color is used to convey information, add additional labels. For example, rather than just using the color red to indicate required information, add an asterisk and the label “required” as alternative (alt) text. Not sure where to start? Test the color contrasts in your digital spaces with tools like these: https://lnkd.in/gu9FvCW 2024 WebAIM Million Report: https://lnkd.in/gzTaxfR #GAAD #DigitalAccessibility 

It's Global Accessibility Awareness Day! Adding descriptive transcripts to videos helps Deafblind people and others who process information through text. Share this tip. Happy GAAD! Descriptive Transcript: Haben, a Black woman in her thirties with long dark hair, speaks to the camera, a vibrant blue wall behind her. Haben: If you're a creator, add transcripts to your videos. I can't see videos, I can't hear videos, but I can read transcripts. Pins on a Braillenote Touch pop up and down in their Braille cells. Each cell has eight pins that are either positioned up or down depending on the specific Braille letter. Haben: Braille displays connect to phones and laptops, allowing Braille readers to access the internet this way. Descriptive transcripts should have both the visuals of what's happening on screen and speech and key sounds for the video. Really good descriptive transcripts captivate readers just like the best novels. The Braille display disappears and the video shows Haben in the same room. Haben: Once we have widespread accessibility, it'll be easier for deafblind people to share our stories and also participate in conversations. I love learning from lives different from mine and in order for me to do that, I need transcripts. I look forward to reading all your transcripts! #GAAD

🌐🎉Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)!🎉🌐 At the Rhonda Weiss Center for Accessible IDEA Data, our day-to-day is breaking down barriers and ensuring equitable access to IDEA data. But on #GAAD, we amplify our commitment to making digital content universally accessible. In the spirit of digital accessibility, the Weiss Center has recently implemented a series of website enhancements at www.WeissTA.org. These enhancements support diverse users through mobile-friendly designs, improved navigability, and interactive accessibility components. Join us in fostering a more inclusive digital landscape! Let's raise awareness, spark conversations, and take meaningful actions to ensure we are growing as one. Together, we can move accessibility from an afterthought to the forefront. More to come! In the meantime, tune into the White House Global Accessibility Awareness Day Convening: https://lnkd.in/evNZ3gC3 #GAAD #DigitalAccessibility 

At #CEC2024, CECTV talked with OSERS Assistant Secretary Glenna Wright-Gallo about assistive technology's future and rapid advancement.