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Smithsonian Folklife Festival

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Jon Gunderson, coordinator of assistive communication and information technology accessibility in the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services, demonstrates web accessibility tools developed on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

This year, the Smithsonian Museum’s annual Folklife Festival celebrated the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Morrill Act, which founded land-grant universities such as the University of Illinois. Invited to participate, the University chose to highlight Illinois’ contributions to accessibility for people with disabilities. Festival visitors were able to interact with cutting-edge adaptive technologies, participate in wheelchair sports activities, and learn how Illinois has impacted public policy and perception as it relates to persons with disabilities. Presenters included Dr. Brad Hedrick, director of the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES), who spoke on expanding educational and career opportunities for people with disabilities; Dr. Deana McDonagh, professor of industrial design, who discussed empathic design research strategies; Dr. Timothy Nugent, founder and former director of DRES, who shared the history of Illinois’ rehabilitation program; and Jon Gunderson, coordinator of assistive communication and information technology accessibility at DRES, who participated in a discussion of technology development.

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