This section recognizes the contributions of those who sponsored or participated in the Accessibility in Distance Education Web site and provides a record of responsibility for the content and design of the Web site.
The Accessibility in Distance Education Web site would not have been possible without the generous support of NEC Foundation of America and Verizon Foundation.
The Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM) project, Utah State University, served as Subject Matter Expert through the duration of the site's development. WebAIM is directed by Dr. Cyndi Rowland; Cyndi, Paul Bohman, and Jared Smith provided assistance and expertise in selecting content and conducted phased technical reviews of all sections of the site.
The project thanks three external contractors who developed significant sections of the site's content:
- Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler, Director of the DOIT and ACCESS-IT Projects at the University of Washington, who developed content for the "Understanding Disabilities" section.
- Kynn Bartlett, Idyll Mountain Internet, who wrote content for the "What is Accessibility" and "How-to" sections.
- Scott Lissner, ADA Coordinator, Ohio State University, who wrote content for the "Legal Issues" section.
We are also grateful to:
- Diane Finley, Department of Psychology, Prince George's Community College, for working to make her Web site accessible so it could be featured in the "Best Practices" section.
- Paul T. O'Neill, General Counsel, Charter Schools Institute, State University of New York, who reviewed the "Legal Issues" section for clarity and accuracy.
- Maureen Conley, who copyedited the site's contents.
- Maryland Technology Access Program and the National Federation for the Blind, who kindly allowed us to photograph their assistive hardware so it could be featured in the site.
University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Participants
The project is most grateful to UMUC faculty and students who participated in the site, especially:
- Professors Warren Johnson, Sociology, European Division; Roberta Bush, Computer Studies, School of Undergraduate Studies; and Robert Beauchamp, Environmental Management, Graduate School.
- Students David Beard, Ted Figueroa, Stephanie Petrow, Susan Pollack, and Sharon White.
The project also thanks all members of the UMUC Advisory Group on Accessibility for their contributions, in particular:
- Noelle Atwell, Director of Veteran and Disabled Student Affairs, who provided extensive guidance in reviewing and clarifying significant sections of the site.
- James Rawson, Webmaster, who provided Web space, logistical support, technical review, and maintenance services for the site.
- Ernest Santos-DeJesus, Director of Diversity Initiatives, who suggested significant clarification notices with respect to the home page and other sections.
UMUC Project Staff
The following project staff members played key roles in the development of the site:
- Dr. Claudine SchWeber, Associate Provost, Office of Distance Education and Lifelong Learning, served as overall project director and provided leadership in making accessibility an issue of rising importance in distance education.
- Dr. Theodore Stone, Assistant Provost and Director, Center for the Virtual University, served as associate project director and aided in scheduling staff, oversight, and resources for the project.
- Jeff Finlay, Associate Director, Center for Accessibility in Distance Education, wrote the grants upon which the site is based, provided administrative support throughout the project, and assisted in content selection, editing, and development.
- Michael Smith, Manager, Video Production and Cable Services, Center for the Virtual University, aided in scheduling staff, oversight, and resources for the project and in facilitating discussion and resolution of problems with staff and tasks.
- Carrie Gahagan, Multimedia Producer, Center for the Virtual University, was responsible for the design, development, and delivery of all aspects of the site; supervised the production schedule and staff; and arranged and extensively rewrote significant portions of the content.
- Andy Joyce, Multimedia Graphic Artist, Center for the Virtual University, created the specialized icons, photos, and other graphic materials for the site.
- Justus Baumgartner and Christian Guirreri, Web Multimedia Specialists, Center for the Virtual University, served as technical consultants to the project; programmed templates, pages, and specific features (such as the search page); developed audio files and captions; resolved technical issues; and aided in testing the site for accessibility.
- Brad Alldredge and Prosasty Ghosh, Student Multimedia Programmers, developed the HTML pages and aided in testing the site for accessibility.
- Susan Pollack, Digital Communications Specialist, Center for the Virtual University, developed HTML templates, created interactive exercises, and edited content for sections of the site.
- Evelyn Marren, Producer, Media and Cable Programming, Center for the Virtual University, assisted with content research and development.
- Todd Larson, Video Production Specialist, Center for the Virtual University, provided video clips for use on the site.
The project is also very grateful for help received from the following UMUC staff members:
- Carmel Owens, Director of Administration, Office of Distance Education and Lifelong Learning, coordinated the project's relationship with the University of Maryland Foundation and coordinated payments to external contractors.
- Mary Ann Zimmerman, Director of Procurement, provided guidance and expertise in developing contracts for the site and facilitated the hiring of temporary workers.
- Wendy McDermott, Assistant Director of Procurement, aided in purchasing assistive software and accessibility repair tools used to test the site.
- Kathy Bradley-Wells, University Counsel, helped develop and review contracts for external content developers.
