The Information Management Systems (IMS) Department, along with campus Disability Support Services (DSS) and Information Technology (IT), recently were awarded a $60,000 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) for a proposal entitled, “Adapted Computer Technology and Accessible Web Site Design.”

The highly competitive IBHE grant represents the second round of funding on a three year Higher Education Cooperative Grant cycle. The grant will allow for the campus groups to collaborate on multiple activities within the university and across the state:

• Deliver an undergraduate course in assistive technology and accessible web site design both face-to-face and on-line
• Provide assistive technology and web accessibility training statewide
• Guide a transition camp for new students with disabilities before the semester begins
• Infuse adaptive technology into the educational process from elementary school through secondary and postsecondary education and into eventual employment
• Develop a prototype tool for conducting assistive technology assessments by professionals
Current and potential students with disabilities attending or planning to attend any Illinois university are at the center of the project. SIUC has a long history of excellence in serving the needs of students with disabilities, who comprise 10% of all college students; according to SIUC’s Student Affairs, the campus population of students with disabilities has increased 50% over the past decade.
The project supports engaging the whole student, shaping cooperative ventures and serving others that are among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.