Shapiro Family Foundation Media Access Workshops
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2005

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Understanding the potential impact of new digital technologies on the lives of people with disabilities requires a vigilant effort by service providers and advocates. Non-profit organizations with scarce resources are interested in understanding how to make their Web sites accessible without costly retrofits. They are also eager to explore how to use accessible media technologies to further the goals of their program areas. Moreover, new media technologies can provide organizations and providers working with people with disabilities with new ways of reaching their constituents and providing services.

To meet this need, the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation provided funds to NCAM to offer free technical training on effective uses of Web and media technologies to the Shapiro Foundation grantees and other Boston-area organizations serving people with disabilities.

Throughout the fall of 2005, NCAM staff conducted five half-day workshops, providing attendees with tools, models, and resources to utilize and apply accessible solutions and specifications within their services and products. The workshops were held at WGBH in Boston, and each participant was given a CD of the session's presentation and other resources. The workshop materials are also available from the links below. We encourage visitors to this site to download and share these resources.

• Web Accessibility for Small Non-profit Organizations - Basic Level
• Web Accessibility for Small Non-profit Organizations - Advanced Level
• Advocacy Makes It Happen, Part 1: Access to Consumer Equipment
• Advocacy Makes It Happen, Part 2: Access to TV and Movies
• Access to Educational Media

NCAM has also established a listserv to provide disability-focused, Boston-area non-profits with a forum to share experiences developing accessible Web sites, using media technologies to better serve their constituents, and in advocating for accessible content. We hope this forum will strengthen relationships among disability organizations and potentially result in strategies to share expertise or services.

To subscribe to the list, please send a message to requests@mail4.wgbh.org with "subscribe boston_access" (no quotes) in the subject. Please do not send subscribe messages to the discussion list address.

To unsubscribe from the list, please send a message to requests@mail4.wgbh.org with "unsubscribe boston_access" (no quotes) in the subject. Please do not send unsubscribe messages to the discussion list address.

To post a message to the discussion list, send e-mail to boston_access@wgbh.org.

To switch to digest mode, send a message to with the subject "subscribe digest boston_access" (no quotes) in the subject.

Funders

Funding for this project was provided by the Carl & Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation.