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Universal design (UD) is an idea that developed in the mid-1990s as advocates of making buildings and products accessible to people with disabilities realized that these features often had benefits for a broader population. Examples include curb ramps, automated doors, closed captioning in television sets and accessibility features for computer operating systems.

We are pleased to announce a summer class presented online by Gail McGregor of the University of Montana on Standards-Based IEPS.  It is an excellent and reasonably priced opportunity for graduate credits and meaningful professional development for special education teachers, content teachers, special education directors and coops, and other educators who work with students with special needs. This course is designed to introduce general and special education teachers to the concept of standard-based IEPs and is organized around a series of five webcasts that have been created for the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI).  Supplementary readings and course assignments are designed to complement the information in the webinars.  The course syllabus and webinars are on the OPI website at: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Curriculum/MontCAS/MontCAS_Presents.html#gpm1_3  This course will be offered through the Office of Public Instruction and the University of Montana.  The Office of Public Instruction will provide the environment for the online learning communities that are part of the course.  The environment for the learning communities will be Adobe Connect webinars.  Students will need to have Flash Player and the Adobe Connect Add-in installed on their computers and have a microphone and speakers in order to participate in the learning communities.  OPI will assist participants in connecting and has microphones for check-out if needed.  Participants may take the course for renewal units through OPI or graduate credits through the University of Montana, and the grading option is a traditional letter grade.  Registration and payment for graduate credit is also through the University of Montana. The cost for two graduate credits is $135. We plan to offer this class in the summer, but need information from you regarding which session will work best for the majority of students that plan to take the course either for renewal units or graduate credits.  May 23-June 24..............................First Five-Week Summer Session June 27-July 29............................Second Five-Week Summer Session May 23-July 29.....................................Ten-Week Summer Session Please email Karen Richem if you are interested in the course and the session you prefer by Wednesday, May 11, 2011.  The session with the most interest will be offered.  Contact information for Karen:  krichem@mt.gov or 406-444-0748

Kojiro Hirose, a professor at the Graduate University of Advanced Studies and the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan, and a visiting scholar at the University of Chicago, will present, “The World through Touch: Creating a Museum Everyone Can Enjoy” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in 1-121 Wilson Hall at Montana State University.  Hirose, who is visually disabled, will lecture about his work as an organizer of various exhibitions of “tactile culture” at Japan's National Museum of Ethnology, and his efforts to make museums accessible for everyone.

Click here to register for this event What: The Center for Autism and Related Disorder will host a CARD Montana Autism Conference on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the University of Montana. The one-day conference will take place from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm in the University Center Theater, located at 32 Campus Drive in Missoula. The conference is free and designed especially for parents, caregivers, students and practitioners. Attendees will learn about applied behavior analysis (ABA) and how it can be used to effectively to treat individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), as well as strategic and effective treatment programs for children with ASDs. Attendees also have the opportunity to meet Joe Mohs, who has recovered from autism and is living proof that recovery is possible. Where: University Center Theater 32 Campus Drive Missoula, MT When: Saturday, November 19, 2011 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Mountain Contact: For questions, contact Marcia Kmetz at drkmetz@hotmail.com.

In my work helping to develop policies on accessible workplace technology, I have sometimes fallen into the trap of looking just at the “little picture.”  By that I mean that sometimes I’ve focused too much attention on making sure that information and communications technology is (ICT) is compatible, or interoperable, with assistive technology specifically screen readers.  I know I’m not the only one who has made this mistake, because I come across a lot of information suggesting that once a website is found to work with a screen reader or another type of assistive technology, the accessibility discussion can simply end there.  Millions of people around the world use assistive technology, so it is understandable that interoperability is a very important issue.  But it sometimes commands so much attention that we forget to look at the “big picture” of fully accessible ICT or the biggest picture of all, universal design.