January 2017 Meeting

A recent post on the New York State School Boards Association web site asks, “Is your website accessible to the disabled? Federal law now requires it.” It goes on to cite the example of Warwick Valley School district which was hit with a federal complaint for failure to maintain a website that was accessible to individuals with disabilities. We will hear from former NASTECH colleague Dr. Daniel Brenner, currently Superintendent of Darien Public Schools, who will provide a superintendent’s perspective on ADA Compliance Concerns for K-12.

Kevin Rydberg, Senior Digital Accessibility Consultant for Siteimprove, Inc., will provide an overview of Website Accessibility and Compliance Requirements. Kevin is responsible for guiding and supporting businesses and organizations on their journeys to create accessible websites. With more than 15 years of experience in the multimedia and web development space, including enterprise redesign and accessibility overhauls, Kevin is a critical partner for Siteimprove customers when it comes to creating successful and sustainable accessibility programs. He has recently partnered with many school districts in their Office for Civil Rights complaints and is well versed in what it means for a school districts to take on accessibility. Kevin has spoken at several national and international conferences and events, most recently at the Michigan School Public Relations Association ADA Compliance conference in Lansing, Michigan.

Account Executive Andie Mahalich will wrap up this topic with a brief demo of how Siteimprove Accessibility can give you a complete overview of your site’s web accessibility issues, plus clear explanations of how they affect your users, and specific recommendations on how to fix them.

Tek Data Systems Development and Support Engineer Scott Zientara will show the SNAP Smart Search web application which provides teachers and students a unified search of your district’s curated resources and single sign-on access. SNAP provides users a digital history to quickly find previously used resources and the ability to create and share lists of quality resources from multiple systems. SNAP administrators can view usage reports, manage user accounts, and control access to resources. SNAP’s optional streaming video solution provides a secure way to deliver licensed or self-produced content. For more information visit the Tek Data web site. 

In today's world, students and adults alike are immersed in technology with cell phones, tablets, and social media. Digital Fly taps into Social Media using filtered terms/acronyms/phrases for multiple purposes, including bullying, self-harm, or threats. It can also be useful in gauging community sentiment, using filtered words or acronyms for:

• Opt outs, Common Core
• APPR, Contracts
• Budgets, Passing of a bond, School Closings
• Events (Homecoming, The Prom), School Trips

Another former NASTECH colleague, Mike Richez, now Executive VP of Business Development for OSCWorld, will join us to present.

Pre-Meeting Session (12:00 – 1:00)
TLE Cohort Workgroup
Join your colleagues to review and discuss the Trusted Learning Environment Seal application and best practices.