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Contributors

ATHEN E-Journal Issue #2 (2007)

Guest Editor

Dr. Cyndi Rowland is the Associate Director of the Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) at Utah State University; the CPD is part of the national network of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Rowland directs several projects that have a focus on technology and disability. For example she is the Director of WebAIM. This Web accessibility group has worked with postsecondary accessibility efforts since 1999 (see www.webaim.org). She is also the Technology Director of the National Center for Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE). The NCDAE monitors and promotes accessible electronically-mediated distance education policies and practices (see www.ncdae.org); NCDAE was appointed by the U.S. Access Board to serve as a member of the committee that will refresh Section 508 and the Telecommunications Act. Dr. Rowland and Jared Smith sit on this committee.


Article Contributors

Cynthia D. Waddell is the Executive Director of the International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI), a public policy center working for the equalization of opportunities for people with disabilities. She is also a Lecturer-in-Law at Santa Clara University School of Law. By combining her expertise in disability legislation and technology, Cynthia provides professional consulting services for government, higher education and private sector companies. The free Cynthia SaysT web accessibility tool and education portal was named after her and endorsed by the American Council of the Blind. A frequent writer and speaker, she received the first U.S. Government Technology award in 2004 for "Leadership in Accessibility Technology and for Pioneering Advocacy and Education."

Cynthia holds a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law; served as a Rotary International Foundation Fellow at Exeter University, England; and was a USC-Cambridge University Scholar at Cambridge University, England. She received her B.A. cum laude from the University of Southern California.


Dr. Sheryl Burgstahler is the Director of Accessible Technology Services with Computing & Communications at the University of Washington. As part of this position she directs many grant-funded programs organized around a center called DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology, http://www.washington.edu/doit/).


Paul Bohman is Technology Coordinator at the Kellar Institute for Human Disabilities and Lead Architect of Web Services in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. He has been involved in web accessibility since 1999, starting with his role as Technology Coordinator for WebAIM at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction through Utah State University.


Case Study Contributors

Dr. Sandra Sutton Andrews is an educational technologist and researcher with Arizona State University's Applied Learning Technologies Institute as well as a faculty associate with the College of Education. Her research interests have to do with accessibility, universal design for learning, assistive technology, digital equity, technology integration and distance learning. She teaches faculty workshops and graduate courses on web accessibility, assistive technology, technology and research in special education, and distance education. In her current position Dr. Andrews works closely with faculty to research technology issues as they apply to instruction and is Director of User Support for the IDEAL project, an educational learning environment for Arizona teachers, students and parents. She began working in Information Technology as a multimedia developer in 1996.


Kristine Neuber is a Professional Faculty Member working jointly with the Office of Equity and Diversity Services and Kellar Institute for Human disabilities at George Mason University. Her primary responsibilities are to coordinate the Assistive Technology and Web Accessibility services on campus. Kristine earned a Masters Degree in Assistive/Special Education Technology from George Mason University in 1997. She is also an Adjunct Instructor in the Instructional Technology Program. Prior to coming to the Graduate School of Education, Kristine taught in the Public Schools as a Special Education Teacher for students with visual impairments. She is also a Doctoral student studying special education and policy at Mason.


Ken Petri has been Director of the The Ohio State University Web Accessibility Center since Fall 2005. He has a M.A. in English and a B.S. in Computer Science and has worked as a web administrator, developer, and technical writer. In addition to accessibility audits, workshops, and various consulting at OSU, Ken teaches courses on web design and implementation. He has recently begun web usability research focused on persons with cognitive disabilities.


Christian Vinten-Johansen is an Information Technology Manager in Information Technology Services, Teaching and Learning with Technology at Penn State University. He spends most of his (work) time coordinating a project on open source web content management (with a careful eye on accessible content) for Penn State. He is a member of the committee that authored drafts and monitors the implementation of the University web policy that governs standards and accessibility, teaches accessible web development and standards, and works with local nonprofit organizations to improve information technology practices and accessibility. He blogs at http://cjohansen.com/blog/


Melanie Thornton is the Director of Project PACE at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. One of the focus areas of Project PACE has been the implementation of universal design in courses, academic departments and institution-wide. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hendrix College.


Aimee Colmery Dixon, as the Director of faculty support at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), has enjoyed a unique opportunity to collaborate with various other people across campus to provide faculty with support, information, training and networking for teaching students with disabilities. Aimee holds a Masters in Technical Writing and a Bachelor of Art in Fine Art from UALR. She balances her techno-centric day job by being a mud-slinging pyromaniac in the pottery studio on campus the rest of the time.


Jason Morningstar is Quality Assurance Analyst for UNC Chapel Hill's Web Services group. He has addressed accessible electronic content issues at Carolina since 2003, and has presented on accessibility-related topics nationally, including at the CSUN and EDUCAUSE conferences. Jason received an MSIS from the School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill in 2001.


Dr. Kay Lewis is the Senior Researcher at the Accessibility Institute, a research organization at The University of Texas at Austin. She conducts user testing and accessibility evaluations and consults in areas of accessible web design and usability for individuals with disabilities. Kay holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and was a school psychologist in the public schools before joining the Accessibility Institute. Her research interests include the relationship between usability and accessibility, how models and theories applied in usability relate to individuals with disabilities, and accessibility within educational environments.


Alice Anderson is the Director of MIDWEST Alliance in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) http:// stemmidwest.org, and coordinates the Technology Access Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison - working to increase the quantity and quality of students at the associate, baccalaureate and graduate levels in STEM and to help students transition to employment, as well as creating a more accessible campus. Alice holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. Research interests include creating technology resources and training for faculty and staff, including videos on assistive technology http://www.doit.wisc.edu/accessibility/video/