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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor="#C0D4FF" lang=EN-US link=mediumblue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt'>FYI!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt'>Todd<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt'>Subject:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt'> Why Accessibility is Important... in their own words<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span lang=EN style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>It's about INDEPENDENCE!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;undefined: cellspacing=0;undefined: cellpadding=0;role: presentation;undefined: width=60%'><tr><td width=600 style='width:6.25in;border:solid #7B88A3 3.0pt;background:white;padding:15.0pt 30.0pt 15.0pt 30.0pt;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;border-radius: 4px'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><img width=600 height=131 style='width:6.25in;height:1.3645in' id="_x0000_i1042" src="https://katsnet.org/OVRAccessibility/img/VRA11yALT.png" alt="OVR Acessibility logo"></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:125%'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><h1><span style='font-size:23.0pt;line-height:125%;color:#016BA7'><img width=600 height=35 style='width:6.25in;height:.3645in' id="_x0000_i1041" src="https://katsnet.org/OVRAccessibility/img/aui.png" alt="The words Accessibility and Usability with a strikethrough, followed by the word Independence!"></span><span style='font-size:23.0pt;line-height:125%;color:#016BA7'><o:p></o:p></span></h1><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Accessibility is ongoing; it is not a "set it and forget it" construct. It should be considered from the beginning and throughout any project, and everyone plays a part. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>As we close out the week, I want to share some comments that your fellow co-workers, SCVR members and KATS Network Advisory Council members have shared regarding digital accessibility and why it is essential to them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>If I were asked to sum up each of their sentiments in one word, it would be "Independence"! <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><h2><span style='font-size:19.0pt;line-height:125%;color:#016BA7'>Digital Accessibility is important to me because...<o:p></o:p></span></h2><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>...it provides me with the opportunity and independence to gather and review information that is important to me in both my business and personal life. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Digital accessibility provides an opportunity for me to realize the opportunity for a level playing field, if coded and/or marked-up correctly. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'> - Todd Stephens, President, NFB Kentucky, Technology Assistance Division (TAD), KY OVR SCVR Member <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Accessibility means that I am able to magnify images and text and adjust colors with my CCTV or ZoomText software. It allows all users to access content. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>This allows access to banking online, ordering groceries and medicine refills through website or cell phone apps. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>For me, digital accessibility opens doors to access my daily living needs and in being able to do tasks at work. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'> - Lisa McKeown, Personal Care Attendant Program Assistant, Center For Accessible Living, KATS Network Advisory Council Member <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Due to language barriers, our Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities’ perspective is that ASL Interpreters should always be available for meetings and webinars to get the most accurate information given to them. If captions are provided, they should be live CART service over auto-generated captions. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Amanda F. Friend, MRC, CSE, Branch Manager, Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafness Services, KY OVR <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>As a person who is blind, Digital Accessibility to me means that I have the equivalent access to everyday things like the “typical” person. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>For my own life it’s important for the ability to do my work efficiently and independently. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Regarding my personal or leisure life digital accessibility allows me to read menus at restaurants, complete online orders for groceries, household goods, or request a ride to an entertainment venue. This is important for everyone’s mental health to enjoy the labors of life and by gaining access to these platforms individuals who are blind can enjoy those same freedoms. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Derek Allen, Assistive Technologist/Rehab Technologist, Office for Vocational Rehabilitation (AT Branch) <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Digital accessibility allows me to independently accomplish many tasks that I would otherwise need sighted assistance to complete. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>In my professional life, it allows me to respond to emails, fill out forms, read reports, manage cases and many other tasks that would not be possible for me to do independently without digital accessibility. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, I am a huge advocate for digital accessibility in the workplace because it allows people with all types of disabilities to access systems, forms, websites, and other tools they need to be competitive in the job market. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>The Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation should be setting the example and paving the way for other organizations and employers to implement digital accessibility in all aspects of the workplace. We have made huge strides in this area, but we still have a lot of work to do. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>In my personal life, digital accessibility allows me to access information and entertainment independently. It makes things as mundane as choosing and starting a movie possible where it would not be if I only had access to things like DVDs. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>It allows me to manage things such as finances and medical information independently without having to share that information with a sited assistant. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Samanthia Farthing, CRC, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>As a deaf person, digital accessibility is important because the internet is one of the main forms of communication about important information these days. It's great that we can now post videos that explain how to access school registration portals, but they aren't accessible to deaf and hard of hearing folks if they don't include accurate captioning. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>In addition to access to valuable information, digital accessibility means being able to enjoy entertainment that would otherwise be inaccessible- from movies, TV, and the local news to videos by social media creators. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Digital accessibility means that I can keep my family safer, better participate in our democracy, and share common interests or experiences with my hearing family and friends. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Mindy McGirt, KATS Network Advisory Council Member <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><h2><span style='font-size:19.0pt;line-height:125%;color:#016BA7'>What barriers and/or frustrations are you still experiencing today?<o:p></o:p></span></h2><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>If not coded correctly to interface with my screen reader technology, this can be a nightmare of a website or App reflecting no data, extraneous, or nonsensical data. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>A regular encounter which creates a level of resentment for me is when a website or iOS App is interfacing just fine with my screen reader and/or Apple Voiceover, respectively, and then the author or Web Master introduces an update which renders the website or App inaccessible. This is a situation that can easily be remedied by including those who are proficient in the assistive technology that they use on a daily bases to participate in beta testing prior to the new release. Failure to do so results in annoyance and a perception of exclusion. We know that this is not intentional; however, those using assistive technology only ask to be included in these beta tests. Most web designers are not experts, nor are they proficient in assistive technology devices, but we are. We ask those technologists who do not have the experience in assistive technology to rely on all of their resources…Not only the resources pertaining to their mainstream population – those who do not have a print disability! </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'> - Todd Stephens, President, NFB Kentucky, Technology Assistance Division (TAD), KY OVR SCVR Member <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Area’s I feel that need work are medical portals, self-check in, and kiosk’s, along with medical portal apps on cell phones to access medical information or telehealth. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'> - Lisa McKeown, Personal Care Attendant Program Assistant, Center For Accessible Living, KATS Network Advisory Council Member <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>...if I have a referral for a consumer and receive a quote for a wheelchair that is not in an accessible manner, meaning my screen reader can’t detect the text, then I am in a position of waiting for my sighted peer to read this to me. This causes frustration for not only me, but for the consumer by delaying the process and even potentially the peer who must stop performing their own task to read or transpose an inaccessible document. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>One common misconception about Digital Accessibility is that “it’s accessible and we’re done.” </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>...being “accessible” is not always the same as “user friendly.” Making a website, document, presentation etc. “user friendly” goes beyond just passing an accessibility checker. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>The more education and light that is shown on this topic, the more involved companies, agencies, and individuals will consciously make accessibility changes along the way for access across all platforms. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Derek Allen, Assistive Technologist/Rehab Technologist, Office for Vocational Rehabilitation (AT Branch) <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Accessibility needs to be one of the first aspects that we consider in any system, form, email, website, etc. that we implement. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>One of the biggest frustrations for me is knowing how easily accessibility can be built in to an app or website, and still having so many that are not accessible because they haven’t considered it at all or have tried to add accessibility in after it has been completed. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>If accessibility is made a priority in the beginning of development, it will make the app, website, email, or form a better experience for everyone who uses it whether they use assistive technology or not. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Samanthia Farthing, CRC, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Many forget to include any [captions] at all, or rely on AI to automatically caption things and it can be very inaccurate. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Government officials who are sharing important information that impacts the lives of everyone everyday- if it isn't accompanied by highly-skilled, qualified ASL interpreters and CART captioning-- are missing a huge chunk of our population and can mean real people are harmed by lack of access to the same information as people who can hear, whether that is information about severe weather-related preparations, public health emergencies, access to funds to rebuild after disasters, or information about either sheltering in place or evacuating due to chemical spills, etc. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Mindy McGirt, KATS Network Advisory Council Member <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>Digital Accessibility is important to me as a deaf individual and I see that there is an increase in webpages and videos being captioned. I am really excited about the access but I see that there is a lack of videos on social media being captioned. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>I always have to advocate for myself as a deaf individual and technology is always a big part of my life. </span><span style='font-size:15.5pt;line-height:125%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Jessica Endler Smith, Telecommunications Access Program Coordinator, Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, KATS Network Advisory Council Member <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width=640 style='width:480.0pt' align=center></span></div></div><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>I hope we have provided you with some great information and resources throughout the week and challenged you along the way to step outside of your comfort zone. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>The mission statement for the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation is: "To empower Kentuckians with disabilities to maximize independence and economic security through competitive, integrated employment". Accessibility is vital to providing that independence and can mean the difference in someone becoming aware of or accessing our services, or in obtaining or maintaining employment. We all have a part to play. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>In terms of the general population, most conservative stats show that you could be missing out on reaching up to a quarter of your potential customer base due to a lack of accessibility. Considering that our primary audience is individuals with disabilities, many of whom rely on Assistive Technology to access information, I would venture to guess that number would be quite a measure higher for us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='line-height:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:15.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>Every aspect of everything we do (both internal and external) must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. That is not something that will happen overnight, nor can it be fixed once and be done. It is not something that can be done by one person alone. The phrase "it takes a village" comes to mind. We must do better, lead the way, and ensure that we are not creating barriers that keep the very individuals we are all here to serve from accessing those very services. <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=600 style='width:6.25in;border:solid #C0D4FF 3.0pt;border-top:none;background:#C0D4FF;padding:15.0pt 30.0pt 15.0pt 30.0pt;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;border-radius: 4px'><p align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:14.4pt'><span style='font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#444444'>This email is being sent to all Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation staff on behalf of the agency's Accessibility Coordinator to help promote and raise awareness of accessibility within the agency. If you have questions or concerns regarding accessibility, please email <a href="mailto:OVRAccessibility@ky.gov">OVRAccessibility@ky.gov</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%'></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='letter-spacing:.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>