By: Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer

A 2009 law created the Office of Accessibility, which now operates as part of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). The Office of Accessibility sponsors cross-agency work and collaborates with digital accessibility coordinators who represent many agencies, boards, and commissions.

With all that work, did you know that there’s a committee that provides the Office with strategic direction and guidance?

The Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee (TAAC) is part of the MNIT governance structure. Members of the TAAC are leaders from one of three groups: state agencies, state disability organizations, and MNIT. It also includes one representative of the state’s Digital Accessibility Coordinators. Coordinators do the day-to-day work of implementing accessibility policies, procedures, and best practices.

The legislature created the first TAAC in 2009. That committee designed the digital accessibility and usability standard. It officially disbanded after an initial extension from the legislature in 2013. However, state agencies and state disability organizations thought it was important to maintain a committee focused on governance of the statewide accessibility program.  So MNIT relaunched the new TAAC within its governance operations. While the new TAAC does not include external stakeholders, it includes state agencies that represent the perspectives of people with disabilities.

The role of the TAAC:

• Set direction. TAAC members help set the strategic direction of the Office of Accessibility.
• Provide feedback. They provide feedback on how the Office of Accessibility impacts their respective organizations.
• Act as champions. Effectively implementing accessibility requires a culture shift in how organizations work. TAAC members have a responsibility to promote that change and champion accessibility at their organizations.

“As the State’s Chief Procurement Officer, it’s important to me to remain involved and help ensure that our organizations continue to do everything possible to provide accessible and usable information and services to our citizens and employees.” - Betsy Hayes, Chair of TAAC 2009-2011, member 2009-present. 

A great example of how the TAAC functions in relationship with other accessibility initiatives was the development of the Office of Accessibility’s five-year strategic plan (PDF). The plan represents a collaboration between the TAAC, the digital accessibility coordinators, and the Office of Accessibility. The coordinators identified challenges and recommended priorities to resolve them. The members of the TAAC viewed these recommendations from the lens of agency needs and priorities. Together, with the Office of Accessibility, everyone had input into the strategic plan.

As Lolly Lijewski, Digital Accessibility Coordinator for the Department of Human Services and TAAC co-chair noted, “The iterative process ensured that the strategic plan made sense to everyone.”

Currently the TAAC, which meets quarterly, is looking at how accessibility intersects with other statewide diversity and inclusion efforts. They are also discussing the one- and two-year priorities for the Office of Accessibility.

TAAC Current Membership

As of March 30, 2021

MNIT Representatives

• Jon Eichten, Deputy Commissioner, MNIT
• Paul Weinberger, Business Solutions Director, MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Brian Allie, Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO), MNIT partnering with Department of Economic and Employment Development
• Matthew Porett, CBTO, MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Education
• Jay Wyant, Co-chair, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, MNIT’s Office of Accessibility

Agency Representatives

• Betsy Hayes, Chief Procurement Officer, Minnesota Department of Administration
• Kate Awsumb, Deputy Communications Director, Minnesota Department of Health
• Dori Leland, Deputy Commissioner, Enterprise Human Resources, Minnesota Management and Budget
• Janelle Tummel, Assistant Commissioner, Enterprise Communications and Planning, Minnesota Management and Budget
• Vacancy

Community Representatives

• Amy Perron, Program Coordinator, MN STAR Program
• Darlene Zangara, Executive Director, Commission of Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans
• Natasha Jerde, Director, State Services for the Blind
• David Fenley, ADA Director, Minnesota Council on Disability
• Lolly Lijewski, Co-chair, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services