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<results><page>0</page><page>20</page><page>468</page><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>TAC advances recommendations to strengthen security, innovation, and service delivery</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota issues Technology Advisory Council Report</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Press release</Subject><Subject>Report</Subject><Subject>TAC Report</Subject><Subject>Technology Advisory Council</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota issues Technology Advisory Council Report</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The 2025 TAC report cover and an interior spread</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2025%20TAC%20Report%20-%20blog_tcm38-727680.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The cover of the 2025 TAC Report</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2025%20TAC%20Report%20-%20blog%20thumbnail_tcm38-727679.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2026 - 01 - Press Release for Minnesota issues Technology Advisory Council Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-727678&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-02-25T15:45:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>TAC advances recommendations to strengthen security, innovation, and service delivery</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TAC advances recommendations to strengthen security, innovation, and service delivery&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MINN.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Feb. 19, 2026&lt;/strong&gt;— The Technology Advisory Council (TAC) today released its &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/2025-TAC-Report_tcm38-725832.pdf&quot;&gt;2025 TAC report&lt;/a&gt;, outlining progress and recommendations to strengthen Minnesota’s technology strategy across state government. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TAC brings together leaders from the private sector, state agencies, local government, and labor unions to advise the State of Minnesota on enterprise technology priorities. In 2025, the TAC continued its monthly engagement with Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), advancing recommendations that make government more secure, efficient, and responsive to the needs of Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 2025 report reflects a shift from foundational planning to tangible execution, with focused work in four priority areas: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cybersecurity:&lt;/strong&gt; Advised on operationalizing a whole-of-state cybersecurity model to strengthen collective defense across state and local partners. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Artificial Intelligence (AI):&lt;/strong&gt; Provided guidance on responsible AI adoption, emphasizing governance frameworks that manage risk while enabling innovation and efficiency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Data Sharing and Governance:&lt;/strong&gt; Promoted clear enterprise data governance, secure and lawful data exchange, and stronger data leadership to help agencies deliver more coordinated, person-centered services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Product and Customer Experience:&lt;/strong&gt; Continued to champion a product-based operating model, supporting improvements in how agencies design and deliver digital services to residents. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The report also acknowledges a leadership transition in 2025, as Rick King stepped down as Chair. The Council recognized his vision and service in establishing a collaborative culture and strengthening the public-private partnership that defines the TAC’s work. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking ahead to 2026, TAC will continue supporting MNIT and executive branch agencies as they scale modern technology practices across the enterprise. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read the full &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/2025-TAC-Report_tcm38-725832.pdf&quot;&gt;2025 Technology Advisory Council Report&lt;/a&gt; on the MNIT website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>727678</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Artificial Intelligence</Title><Id>727681</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-25T15:56:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month’s spotlight revisits the “Oh Snap! Startling discoveries when you reflow your PDF” article first published in July 2023. PDFs continue to be a hot topic as government agencies discover just how many PDFs exist on their websites that require accessibility remediation. Reflowing a PDF often reveals accessibility issues that aren’t obvious at first glance.</Description><Audience/><Title>Revisit (Reflow?) the past to prepare for the future</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>PDF</Subject><Subject>Reflow</Subject><Subject>Title II</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Building accessible web maps with Esri’s Experience Builder</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop displaying interactive street map with pins marking various points.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/interactive-maps-blog_tcm38-725165.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop displaying interactive street map with pins marking various points.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/interactive-maps-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-725167.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2026-2 - Building accessible web maps with Esri’s Experience Builder</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-725156&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-02-17T16:44:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Simple steps you can take to make your Experience Builder maps user-friendly and inclusive, so all visitors can navigate and understand your content.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn practical steps to make your ArcGIS Experience Builder web maps accessible and inclusive.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content author: Jason Ewert, GIS Application Analyst, MNIT Partnering with MPCA&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible web maps make government data easier to explore and helping people understand what’s happening in their communities. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-experience-builder/overview&quot; target=&quot;blank&quot;&gt;ArcGIS Experience Builder&lt;/a&gt; (ExB) offers a no-code solution for building web maps on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-online/overview&quot; target=&quot;blank&quot;&gt;ArcGIS Online&lt;/a&gt; platform. While it makes building web applications easier, accessibility still requires intentional design and testing. This article explains simple steps you can take to make your Experience Builder maps user-friendly and inclusive, so all visitors can navigate and understand your content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gutenberg, the WordPress block editor, heavily influences Experience Builder. Block editors construct websites using draggable blocks containing headings, text, and media. Experience Builder follows this model and adds special data visualization blocks including charts and maps. How users stack, label, and configure these blocks directly affects the map’s accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;ArcGIS Experience Builder is a highly configurable solution for building compelling web apps without writing code.&quot; - Esri&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Picture1_tcm38-725162.png&quot; title=&quot;What’s in My Neighborhood&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s What’s in My Neighborhood Experience Builder application.&quot; style=&quot;width: 35%; height: auto; padding-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;What’s in My Neighborhood&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When building web map applications, it’s important to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create well-organized content with clear, descriptive labels and meaningful alternative text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Introduce users to your web experience so they understand how to navigate and interact with it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide alternative content when certain features are difficult to make fully accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web application layout&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility starts with a well-organized outline. Your website should start with a header block, followed by the main content block, and finally, a footer block. Within these primary blocks, add content blocks such as a logo, a title, a widget container (a special block containing map tools like print and query), and one or more maps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the ExB editor, review the page outline and relabel each block with a clear, concise title. Ensure the outline reflects a logical, easy-to-follow flow. To test the flow of your site’s content, open a preview window and tab through the site. Watch the focus ring move between elements. It should move through your blocks in a logical order from top to bottom without getting stuck in a tab trap.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Picture1_tcm38-725163.png&quot; title=&quot;ExB Outline&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the ExB Outline. Each block has been given a meaningful name, as described in the text.&quot; style=&quot;width: 31%; height: auto; padding-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ExB Outline&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When configuring blocks, fill out the tooltips and alt text where available using short, descriptive content. The titles created in the page outline will become labels and tooltips in your site. To view the tooltips, hover over the site’s buttons. Screen readers and voice commands rely on the descriptive labels you create in the page outline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Picture1_tcm38-725164.png&quot; title=&quot;Configuring tooltips and alt text&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of example of configuring tooltips and alt text for an image block, as described in the text.&quot; style=&quot;width: 26%; height: auto; padding-bottom: 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Configuring tooltips and alt text&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer the big questions first. Why am I here?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A web application can take the user on many journeys. It’s important to start with an introduction to the site’s purpose followed by a description of the primary workflow. This introductory text should also contain contact information, providing a useful alternative path for accessing information or completing a task.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creators can accomplish this using:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A splash screen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A text block that opens from the widget controller (set to “open” by default).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The first paragraph of a website (An ExB site can be “full screen” or “scrolling”).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Provide an alternative path&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maps present visual information and often hide key details behind interactive clicks. To ensure access for all users, include a data table that provides an alternative way to access the same information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When adding a table, make sure the first row contains clear, meaningful column headings. Keep the table simple and focused on relevant information. Include only essential columns—such as city name and population—and hide technical fields like FIPS codes that do not add value for most users&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay calm and map on&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible web mapping is still evolving. Clearly organizing your Experience Builder application improves communication for all users. Start with an introduction that orients users to your unique web experience. Provide data in both map and table formats so people can choose how they access information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Happy mapping!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pollution Contral Agency’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8258f05029bd45cb95add35e450c92e6&quot; target=&quot;blank&quot;&gt;What’s in My Neighborhood Experience Builder application&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/&quot;&gt;map accessibility&lt;/a&gt; at mn.gov!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Office of Accessibility &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/accessibility-quick-cards.jsp#:~:text=Map%20Accessibility%20Quick%20Cards%C2%A0&quot;&gt;Map Quick Reference cards&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;External resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://doc.arcgis.com/en/experience-builder/latest/get-started/accessibility.htm&quot; target=&quot;blank&quot;&gt;Introduction to ArcGIS Experience Builder Accessibility web page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.esri.com/content/dam/esrisites/en-us/media/legal/vpats/arcgis-experience-builder-10-25-23-vpat.pdf&quot; target=&quot;blank&quot;&gt;Esri’s Accessibility Conformance Report for ArcGIS Experience Builder (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;WordPress &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaaCThv_NNM&quot; target=&quot;blank&quot;&gt;&quot;Creating posts and pages with the WordPress Block Editor” video (YouTube)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>725156</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-19T01:29:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January to December, 2025.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report now available</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Press release</Subject><Subject>Annual Report</Subject><Subject>Report</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report now available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s annual report on a desktop with a pair of glasses and office supplies. The text on the report reads: 2025 Annual Report - Ctrl + Alt + MN</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual%20Report%202025%20Cover%20blog_tcm38-721461.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s annual report on a desktop with a pair of glasses and office supplies. The text on the report reads: 2025 Annual Report - Ctrl + Alt + MN</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual%20Report%202025%20Cover%20blog%20thumbnail_tcm38-721462.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2026 - 01 - Press Release for MNIT 2025 Annual Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-721367&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-01-28T19:03:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January to December, 2025.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modernization delivers stronger services, security, and resilience for Minnesotans in 2025&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 29, 2026&lt;/strong&gt;—Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) released its &lt;a title=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2025-annual-report.jsp&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2025-annual-report.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;2025 Annual Report&lt;/a&gt;, highlighting how focused modernization efforts improve services for Minnesotans. The report details MNIT’s progress advancing artificial intelligence, accelerating modernization through the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), and strengthening cyber defense maturity across the executive branch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The report highlights TMF-funded projects that replace outdated systems, reduce risk, and deliver more reliable, user-centered digital services. It also outlines MNIT’s responsible use of AI, including governance, pilot programs, and practical applications that improve efficiency while maintaining public trust.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In cybersecurity, MNIT reports measurable gains in cyber defense maturity through shared tools, intelligence-driven defenses, and a Whole-of-State approach that strengthens resilience across state, local, Tribal, and critical infrastructure partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, these efforts show how MNIT turns modernization investments into benefits for Minnesotans and builds a secure, connected, and future-ready Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information and to view the full report, &lt;a title=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2025-annual-report.jsp&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2025-annual-report.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;view the MNIT Annual Report site&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,800 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>721367</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-01-29T16:50:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services has published the state’s first Cybersecurity Incident Report, providing a statewide view of cyber threats and trends.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services releases the state’s inaugural report of the Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Press release</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Report</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services releases the state’s inaugural report of the Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s 2025 Cybersecurity Incident Report is open on a desk next to a pair of glasses, a cup of coffee and notepad, and a pen. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2025-CIR-report-social_tcm38-721036.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s 2025 Cybersecurity Incident Report is open on a desk next to a pair of glasses, a cup of coffee and notepad, and a pen. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2025-CIR-report-300x300_tcm38-721038.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2026 - 01 - Press Release for Cybersecurity Incident Report (CIR)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-721034&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-01-27T19:04:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>New Cybersecurity Incident Report provides a statewide view of cyber incidents.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Cybersecurity Incident Report provides a statewide view of cyber incidents&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 27, 2026—Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) released Minnesota’s first statewide Cybersecurity Incident Report, marking a significant step forward in transparency, collaboration, and statewide cyber readiness. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The inaugural report offers a statewide view of cybersecurity incidents affecting public-sector and critical infrastructure partners across Minnesota. It reflects growing cyber defense maturity and underscores the importance of a Whole-of-State approach to protecting the services Minnesotans rely on every day. The report also fulfills requirements of the Minnesota Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law, which established a framework for reporting significant incidents and strengthened the state’s ability to identify trends, coordinate response, and improve preparedness against cyber threats. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The report details how shared security tools, intelligence-driven defenses, and coordinated communication strengthen resilience across state agencies, local governments, Tribal Nations, and critical infrastructure partners. By bringing incident data and trends together for the first time, the report supports shared learning, improves preparedness and response, and helps guide future investments in cyber defense. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Cybersecurity Incident Report also reinforces MNIT’s commitment to collective defense—ensuring that organizations of all sizes can benefit from enterprise-grade security capabilities without duplicating cost or expertise. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/Minnesota-2025-Cybersecurity-Incident-Report_tcm38-721029.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;View the full 2025 Cybersecurity Incident Report&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>721034</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-01-27T19:24:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month’s spotlight revisits the “Oh Snap! Startling discoveries when you reflow your PDF” article first published in July 2023. PDFs continue to be a hot topic as government agencies discover just how many PDFs exist on their websites that require accessibility remediation. Reflowing a PDF often reveals accessibility issues that aren’t obvious at first glance.</Description><Audience/><Title>Revisit (Reflow?) the past to prepare for the future</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>PDF</Subject><Subject>Reflow</Subject><Subject>Title II</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Revisit (Reflow?) the past to prepare for the future</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman working at computer, with screen showing the same article in multiple devices.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/article-revisit-reflow-blog_tcm38-720417.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman working at computer, with screen showing the same article in multiple devices.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/article-revisit-reflow-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-720418.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Revisit (Reflow?) the past to prepare for the future</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-720082&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2026-01-15T19:24:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>This month’s spotlight revisits the “Oh Snap! Startling discoveries when you reflow your PDF” article first published in July 2023. PDFs continue to be a hot topic as government agencies discover just how many PDFs exist on their websites that require accessibility remediation. Reflowing a PDF often reveals accessibility issues that aren’t obvious at first glance.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>PDF accessibility is still a hot topic. Get tips to prepare for April 2026 and beyond. </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Content co-author: Mike Scott, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, State of Illinois&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout this year, we’re revisiting some of our past articles with a focus on refreshing key insights and adding updates to help you prepare for the first major deadline for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ADA Title II Update&lt;/a&gt; coming up on April 24, 2026. This deadline applies for governments serving a total population of 50,000 or more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month’s spotlight revisits the “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/584554&quot;&gt;Oh Snap! Startling discoveries when you reflow your PDF&lt;/a&gt;” article first published in July 2023. PDFs continue to be a hot topic as government agencies discover just how many PDFs exist on their websites that require accessibility remediation. Reflowing a PDF often reveals accessibility issues that aren’t obvious at first glance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this update, we’ll share what’s changed since the original article and offer actionable tips to ensure your documents meet compliance requirements—not just for April, but for long-term accessibility success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A quick background on ADA Title II&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The US Department of Justice (DOJ) added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Minnesota’s state and local government entities. While the final rule spans more than 320 pages, the DOJ also released a clear, practical fact sheet that everyone should read. View the quick summary below: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/docs/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1&lt;/a&gt; serves as the technical standard. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The rule applies to web content and mobile apps that a state or local government provides or makes available, &lt;strong&gt;regardless of whether it is created by the government or a third party&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web content includes electronic documents, videos, and other embedded or downloadable content.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This rule does not include non-web software.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The rule includes several exceptions, such as:  
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt; Archived web content.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt; Pre-existing conventional electronic documents.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt; Content posted by a third party that’s not part of a contract or licensing arrangement.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Individualized, password-protected (or otherwise secured) electronic documents.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pre-existing social media posts.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There’s a phase-in period:  
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;April 2026 for entities with populations of 50,000 or more.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;April 2027 for entities with populations under 50,000. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, PDFs&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like many government organizations, your website likely has a large number of PDFs. If those are scanned or untagged PDFs, then they are not accessible. Even tagged PDFs can present issues if the tags are not accurate or if the document lacks headings and other key navigation components. Add in that PDFs must resize content to meet &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/resize-text.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Resize Text&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/reflow.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Reflow&lt;/a&gt; standards, and the challenge becomes clear. These requirements ensure documents remain usable across devices and assistive technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unfortunately not much has changed in regard to the issues we outlined in our original &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/584554&quot;&gt;July 2023 article&lt;/a&gt;. As we noted, improvement depends on the vendor – Adobe – to improve support for reflow within the Acrobat platform.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, with the ADA Title II deadline approaching, it’s more important than ever to keep accessibility requirements in mind as you review your documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So how do you get started? You can tackle this systematically. The Title II rule does offer some flexibility. It requires the PDF to be accessible if:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It is “currently used to apply for, gain access to, or participate in services, programs, or activities.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It is posted after the appropriate deadline (April 24, 2026, or April 26, 2027).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a PDF does not meet either of those criteria, it can go to the back of the line. &lt;strong&gt;Important Note:&lt;/strong&gt; If a person wants to read the document and can’t, then you are required to provide an alternative, which may mean making it accessible. Including contact information on your PDF or website can allow users to request these alternatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General process&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can break down the process into five steps:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inventory – get the complete list of PDFs on the website&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify – find the owners &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prioritize – active, archive, other &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan – retire, replace, remediate &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prepare – guides &amp;amp; training&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PDF inventory&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How you inventory the PDFs on your website depends on the tools you have. Your content management system (CMS) may be able to generate a list, or you may already use a scanning tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, decide how you will assess accessibility. Will you assume all PDFs are inaccessible, or do you have a tool that identifies which PDFs are tagged and which are not? Check with your web team—they may already use these tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also ask the document owner to confirm whether a PDF is accessible. That step leads naturally to the next phase of the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identify PDF content owners&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you have a list of inaccessible or potentially problematic PDFs, next step is to identify who—or at least what department—owns the document. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The most effective way to remediate an inaccessible PDF is to rebuild it from an accessible source document. Ideally, the document owner has the source document or can recreate it, if needed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How you contact document owners may depend on the authority you use to address these PDFs in the first place. Referencing that authority can help encourage cooperation. If your work spans multiple agencies or departments, partner with their webmasters or communications teams. They often own many of these documents and have established relationships with other document owners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prioritize&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once the documents have been assigned, work with the owners to help them classify the documents:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Active (currently used to apply for, gain access to, or participate in services, programs, or activities)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Archival&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Other (e.g., redundant or out-of-date)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is no single required way to label a document as “archived.” The Title II rule simply requires that it be clear to the audience that the content is archived. For example, creating an archive page on your website or adding text “archive” to the link to the PDF. (Do not add “archive” or any other text to the document – otherwise that alters the document and it is no longer an archive. It must be remediated.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that you’ve identified the documents, assigned them to the owners, and helped them prioritize, the next step is to set a plan to meet the accessibility requirements. There are 5 general steps:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Retire:&lt;/strong&gt; Can you remove or unpublish the document from the site? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Archive:&lt;/strong&gt; Can you designate it as archival?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Replace:&lt;/strong&gt; How about making it a web page (more on that below).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recreate:&lt;/strong&gt; Use a source document to rebuild a new accessible document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Remediate:&lt;/strong&gt; Fix in Adobe Acrobat Pro as a last resort.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web page alternative&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PDFs are a great way to create a static document that looks the same regardless of computer or browser. Which is why government agencies rely on them. However, in some cases, the information works just as well—or better—as a web page. Web pages are also more:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessible:&lt;/strong&gt; Once you create an accessible template, you can update the content and it’s automatically accessible. In addition, it reduces the number of steps people need to access the information. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mobile-friendly:&lt;/strong&gt; A responsive web page is easier to read on a mobile device. It would also make it more likely to meet the Reflow standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Translatable:&lt;/strong&gt; It’s much easier to automatically translate web pages than to translate (and update) multiple PDFs in different languages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, if you can migrate a PDF to a web page, you solve a lot of issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remediation: Roll your own or outsource?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the remediation stage, you’ll have to decide whether to handle the remediation work in-house or outsource and work with a vendor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Outsourcing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When evaluating vendor capabilities, whether manual or automatic, we recommend using this &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/Expectations%20for%20Accessible%20Documents_tcm38-628507.pdf&quot;&gt;Expectations for Accessible Documents (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; checklist.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; Some vendors claim they can scan hundreds or thousands of PDFs and remediate them all with AI or other automated tools. At this time, the Office of Accessibility does not have any personal experience with such tools. If you are considering a vendor that makes these claims, ask them to demonstrate their solution using several sample documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In-house&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For in-house remediation, Adobe Acrobat Pro provides good built-in accessibility checkers and tools. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For larger or more complex documents, &lt;a href=&quot;https://allyant.com/pdf-accessibility-software-solutions/commonlook-pdf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Allyant’s CommonLook PDF tool&lt;/a&gt; offers a plug-in that enables a deeper dive and faster remediation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prepare&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that you have a plan, you may have to train people how to identify accessible and inaccessible PDFs. If you’re remediating in-house, you’ll have to get licenses for Adobe Acrobat Pro and other tools. Here are some resources to get you started:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://doit.illinois.gov/initiatives/accessibility/guides&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Illinois Accessibility Guides&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents&quot;&gt;Minnesota guidance on accessible electronic documents&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot;&gt;Free accessible Word training&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mass.gov/info-details/creating-accessible-electronic-documents-and-communications&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Massachusetts Creating Accessible Electronic Documents&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking ahead&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you remediate existing documents, put processes in place to ensure all future documents are accessible from the start. Work with your training department and leadership to encourage everyone to learn how to make accessible documents. Promote workflows that funnel accessible source documents to specialists who can convert them to accessible PDFs or to the web team for web pages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether you reach full compliance by the deadline or continue working to catch up, remember that digital accessibility is an ongoing journey. New documents, applications, and websites will always follow, so it helps to adopt an organizational policy that requires all content and web applications to be accessible. A clear policy drives the processes and procedures that help ensure any new content or websites you build or buy meet accessibility requirements. Revisit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/653553&quot;&gt;Update to ADA’s Title II article&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/710227&quot;&gt;Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II series&lt;/a&gt; for policy implementation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay tuned for more updates and resources designed to make your accessibility journey smoother in 2026.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>720082</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-01-27T19:25:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>2025 was a big year for digital accessibility in Minnesota. From preparing for the ADA Title II update to exploring inclusive hiring and alternate formats, our monthly newsletter covered practical ways to make digital content more usable for everyone. In this recap, we highlight the top articles, tools, and takeaways—and we’d love your ideas for what to cover next year!</Description><Audience/><Title>2025: A Year in Review</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>2025 Year in Review for Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Inclusion</Subject><Subject>Office of Accessibility Year in Review</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Update</Subject><Subject>Department of Justice ADA Title II Update</Subject><Subject>DOJ ADA Title II Update</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>2025: A Year in Review</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of large font &quot;2025&quot; with a person sitting on the zero holding a briefcase and looking through a telescope, highlighting looking back.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2025-in-review_blog_tcm38-716350.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of large font &quot;2025&quot; with a person sitting on the zero holding a briefcase and looking through a telescope, highlighting looking back.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2025-in-review_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-716347.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-12 - 2025: A Year in Review</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-716211&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-12-17T18:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>2025 was a big year for digital accessibility in Minnesota. From preparing for the ADA Title II update to exploring inclusive hiring and alternate formats, our monthly newsletter covered practical ways to make digital content more usable for everyone. In this recap, we highlight the top articles, tools, and takeaways—and we’d love your ideas for what to cover next year!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>2025 was a big year for digital accessibility. See what we covered—and help shape what’s next.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;margin-bottom:50px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content author&lt;/strong&gt;: Office of Accessibility &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each month, we share tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility. This year, over 3,700 subscribers joined us from across Minnesota and beyond. Thank you for being part of our accessibility community! We’d love to hear from you! What topics should we cover in 2026? Share your ideas with us by emailing &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What We Covered This Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2025, we focused on helping state and local governments prepare for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) adding digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The update requires digital content to meet WCAG 2.1 standards—a big step toward more inclusive public services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ADA Title II Update Series&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We ran a multi-part series to help teams get ready for the new rule and prepare for the April 2026 compliance deadline: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/694312&quot;&gt;Self-Audit&lt;/a&gt; (June): We encouraged teams to review their websites and digital tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/698989&quot;&gt;Strategize and prioritize&lt;/a&gt; (July): We shared ways to build accessibility into your roadmap.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/702120&quot;&gt;Implement changes&lt;/a&gt; (August): We offered tips for making updates and tracking progress.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/706623&quot;&gt;Build into your workflow&lt;/a&gt; (September): We showed how to make accessibility part of everyday work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/710227&quot;&gt;Final resource guide&lt;/a&gt; (October): We wrapped up with a toolkit of standards, training, and testing tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Exceptions and Risk&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In February and March, we explored how &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/669671&quot;&gt;Minnesota handles accessibility exceptions&lt;/a&gt;. We talked about how to assess risk when full accessibility isn’t possible—and how to document those decisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GAAD 2025 Highlights&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/690437&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)&lt;/a&gt; was a big moment:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We hosted a public panel and experience lab.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We spotlighted accessibility work by our partners at the legislative and judicial digital branches.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We shared alternate accessible formats and how to use them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inclusive Hiring and Design&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In October, we looked at &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/710228&quot;&gt;how digital accessibility supports inclusive hiring&lt;/a&gt;. We shared ways to make job applications and onboarding more accessible from the start.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quick Tips and Tools&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/706741&quot;&gt;updated our Accessibility Quick Reference Cards&lt;/a&gt; in September.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/680276&quot;&gt;explained hover states&lt;/a&gt; in April—how they affect users with motor or vision disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In November, we introduced a decision tree to help teams know &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/713296&quot;&gt;when to request an accessibility review&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s Next in 2026?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ll keep sharing practical tips and updates. Topics may include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Office of Accessibility website updates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WCAG 2.2 and what’s new&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How AI tools affect digital inclusion&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We’d also love to hear from you!&lt;/strong&gt; Share your success stories or ideas for future articles with us. Email our team at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>716211</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-12-17T21:23:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This article explores how to make data visualizations more accessible by focusing on color choices. Learn why color matters, how to test contrast, and what design strategies help users with different visual abilities—including those using screen readers. Includes practical tips, examples, and links to tools and resources.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Data Visualization Accessibility: Focus on Color</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Accessible data visualizations</Subject><Subject>Charts, graphs, bar charts, infographics</Subject><Subject>tableau, powerbi</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Data visualization accessibility: Focus on color</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing examples of data visualizations—bar charts, a line chart, and a donut chart—using varied colors and patterns to show how visualizations can supplement an article about making color-aware, accessible data visualizations.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessible-data-visualization_blog_tcm38-716348.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing examples of data visualizations—bar charts, a line chart, and a donut chart—using varied colors and patterns to show how visualizations can supplement an article about making color-aware, accessible data visualizations.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessible-data-visualization_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-716346.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-12- Data Visualization Accessibility: Focus on Color</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-716215&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-12-17T16:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>This article explores how to make data visualizations more accessible by focusing on color choices. Learn why color matters, how to test contrast, and what design strategies help users with different visual abilities—including those using screen readers. Includes practical tips, examples, and links to tools and resources.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Make your data visualizations more inclusive—starting with color.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Content authors: Nancy Rice, Research Scientist, Minnesota Department of Health and Angela Sechler, Business Intelligence Product Manager, Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is data visualization?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data usually consists of numbers and categories. Examples of numerical data are number of people in an area or dollar amounts in a budget. Examples of categorical data are geographic regions (like counties) and types of bills to be paid (like office supplies or food).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data visualization presents information in visual formats rather than relying only on text or tables. These visuals can be interactive, allowing people to filter or select categories such as age, gender, or Minnesota county. We typically show results through bar charts, line graphs, maps, and other visual displays that make trends and patterns easier to recognize. Because visuals rely heavily on color to convey meaning, creating them requires careful attention to color use and accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why do we need to consider accessibility for data visualizations?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data visualizations are meant to be viewed, which can create barriers for people with limited or no vision. Without accessible features, these users may not be able to understand or interact with the information. Accessibility also matters for interactive data visualizations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not everyone accesses information visually, and people have a wide range of visual abilities. Some individuals are blind, while others may have low vision, color blindness, double vision, or other visual conditions. Even people with full vision may prefer or require non-visual formats, such as using a screen reader to listen to content. Because people interact with information in many different ways, it’s important to apply basic accessibility principles so the data is usable for as many people as possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do I make a visualization accessible? Color considerations.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; Accessible data visualization involves many considerations. Here, we’ll focus on color and provide a few tips below. For more thorough information, refer to the “Resources” section at the end. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State of Minnesota employees can also connect with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3APPknHfJiCt-zf64y4oV6yX0WdVIdxWWy0NXbGSt6grI1%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=217150ee-6db1-4efe-b49d-8c2e7772e483&amp;amp;tenantId=eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Data Visualization community&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color Choices&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color can help distinguish elements in a visualization but is not accessible to everyone. Consider how the visualization would look in black and white, or without visual cues at all. Would the information still be clear and understandable?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example: Line graph&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Option 1&lt;/strong&gt;: The line graph below displays rainfall in inches from Site A and Site B from May to August 2022. The colors of the lines are similar making it hard to distinguish Site A from Site B. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/data%20viz%20blog%20article%20-%20rainfall%20chart%20example%20-%20option%201_tcm38-716344.png&quot; title=&quot; Illustration of A chart for inches of rainfall by month, with two lines across the page, one for Site A and one for Site B. The top line color is dark, but the bottom line is also a dark color. There are no labels. Hard to distinguish between the two lines and associate the site to its line.&quot; alt=&quot; Illustration of A chart for inches of rainfall by month, with two lines across the page, one for Site A and one for Site B. The top line color is dark, but the bottom line is also a dark color. There are no labels. Hard to distinguish between the two lines and associate the site to its line.&quot; style=&quot;width: 62%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible data viz-rainfall chart example-option 1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Option&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;2&lt;/strong&gt;: The line graph shows the same information as Option 1, but it adds distinct shape markers and clear labels for each line. These changes make the differences easier to see and more accessible to a wider range of users. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/data%20viz%20blog%20article%20-%20rainfall%20chart%20example%20-%20option%202_tcm38-716345.png&quot; title=&quot;Illustration of A chart for inches of rainfall by month, with two lines across the page, one for Site A and one for Site B. The top line color is for Site B and is now orange with square markers, and the bottom line is for Site A and is now a dark blue with triangle markers. The lines are also labeled. Much easier to distinguish between the lines in color and in grayscale.&quot; alt=&quot;Illustration of A chart for inches of rainfall by month, with two lines across the page, one for Site A and one for Site B. The top line color is for Site B and is now orange with square markers, and the bottom line is for Site A and is now a dark blue with triangle markers. The lines are also labeled. Much easier to distinguish between the lines in color and in grayscale.&quot; style=&quot;width: 62%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible data viz-rainfall chart-option 2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tips to remember when using color&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t use color alone&lt;/strong&gt; to communicate information within the visualization. Use labels, shapes, or patterns in addition to color, when needed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure colors placed next to each other have enough contrast to easily be distinguished&lt;/strong&gt;. Color contrast can be tested with the online &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM: Contrast Checker&lt;/a&gt; or other tools like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://vispero.com/color-contrast-checker/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Colour Contrast Analyser&lt;/a&gt;.  
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For text less than 18 pt font or 14 pt bold font, the color contrast ratio should be 4.5:1. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For larger text or for non-text features (like bars or areas in a map), the ratio should be 3:1. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: Not all Minnesota Brand colors provide sufficient contrast when used together. For example, the brand’s primary green doesn’t have enough contrast against white (ratio is 2.3:1). You’ll need to darken it if you’d like to use it next to white. Check the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/branding/minnesota-state-brand-style-guide.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Brand Style Guide - 2025 Edition (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; for more information and options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Include a table with the data&lt;/strong&gt;, when possible. Including the full data set helps ensure more users can access and understand the information in your visualization. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color Palettes&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; Color palettes can be useful, but no palette will work for everyone. To test accessibility, view the visualization in grayscale. If you can’t distinguish between components, others may struggle as well. You can also test color combinations with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://color-contrast-checker.deque.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Color Palette by Deque&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have questions or want to know more? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore the resources below to get started:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/data-visualization/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessible Data Visualization web page&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery#/detail/appId/1/id/607342&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Data Visualization with WCAG 2.1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: Content on Hover or Focus, and Pointer Gestures&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit-accessibility/AccessibleDocs/Module3/story.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessible Word Document eLearning, Module 3&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: Working with Colors&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-534351&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Improve Non-text Contrast&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: Color Schemes and Interface Components (Understanding Success Criteria 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-544858&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More Attractive, Engaging, Accessible&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: How to Use Color with Intention&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Employees only&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3APPknHfJiCt-zf64y4oV6yX0WdVIdxWWy0NXbGSt6grI1%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=217150ee-6db1-4efe-b49d-8c2e7772e483&amp;amp;tenantId=eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Data Viz A11y Community of Practice&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; - This group is open to all State of Minnesota staff who would like to learn more about data visualization accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;External resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/Understanding/contrast-minimum&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Success Criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum), Level AA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#non-text-contrast&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Success Criterion 1.4.11 - Non-text Contrast, Level AA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: The visual presentation of the following has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent color(s).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/articles/contrast/evaluating&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WebAIM Contrast and Color Accessibility&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: Understanding WCAG 2 contrast and color requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tools&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM Contrast Checker&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://color-contrast-checker.deque.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Deque Color Palette Contrast Checker&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://vispero.com/color-contrast-checker/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vispero (formerly TPGi) Colour Contrast Analyser&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.color-blindness.com/coblis-color-blindness-simulator/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Colblindor Coblis (Color Blindness Simulator)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>716215</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-12-17T21:23:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota celebrates 40 years of accessibility progress — read how the Commission and MNIT are making government work better for everyone.</Description><Audience/><Title>40 years of progress: Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility implementation</Subject><Subject>Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Subject><Subject>The Commission</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>40 years of progress: Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota logo accompanied by the text: Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing - 40 years</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Commission-40th-anniversary_blog_tcm38-713739.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota logo accompanied by the text: Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing - 40 years</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Commission-40th-anniversary_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-713740.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-11 - 40 years of progress: Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp; Hard of Hearing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-713471&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-11-20T15:06:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota celebrates 40 years of accessibility progress — read how the Commission and MNIT are making government work better for everyone.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-commission/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/a&gt; celebrates 40 years of advocacy and increased accessibility for all Minnesotans. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has partnered with the Commission for more than a decade to improve digital accessibility across state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Select the image below to watch:&lt;/strong&gt; Jay Wyant, Minnesota IT Services’ Chief Information Accessibility Officer, honors the 40th anniversary of the Commission of Deaf, Deaf Blind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/jH-9Wm2GdTs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Jay%20thumbnail%20play_tcm38-713472.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Jay Wyant&quot; alt=&quot;Jay Wyant&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Jay Wyant&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission is making Minnesota a national leader in accessibility. In 2009, it led efforts to pass the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Accessibility and Usability Standard&lt;/a&gt; requiring all state agencies to follow digital accessibility standards. MNIT implemented this standard in 2010, helping ensure websites, documents, and digital tools are easier to use for everyone — including people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2011, the Commission secured funding to establish &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Office of Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;, which now leads statewide efforts to make digital government services more inclusive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why this matters to Minnesotans&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.disability.state.mn.us/technical-assistance/digital-accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility benefits everyone.&lt;/a&gt; When digital tools are designed to be clear, consistent, and easy to use, they work better for all Minnesotans — whether someone is using a screen reader, navigating with one hand, reading on a mobile device, or simply trying to find information quickly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This work supports:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parents &lt;/strong&gt;accessing school or health records.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Job seekers &lt;/strong&gt;applying for state employment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seniors &lt;/strong&gt;managing benefits or services online.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Businesses &lt;/strong&gt;interacting with state agencies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Educators and students &lt;/strong&gt;using digital learning tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission’s leadership guides MNIT’s work with state agencies to:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build and maintain accessible digital tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide training on creating accessible content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support programs that improve access to services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborate on long-term strategies that benefit all Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commission’s leadership has helped shape a more inclusive Minnesota. MNIT continues to support efforts that improve access to technology and services for everyone — because when government works better for people with disabilities, it works better for all.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>713471</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-20T15:23:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article summarizes the Office of Accessibility’s multi-part series, designed to help agencies prepare for the April 2026 compliance deadline and build sustainable accessibility practices.</Description><Audience/><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Final recap &amp; resources guide</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility implementation</Subject><Subject>Implementation toolkit</Subject><Subject>ADA Title II preparation</Subject><Subject>Preparation for ADA Title II</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>When is an accessibility review required?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>“Accessibility review?” showing branching logic with checkmarks and Xs.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility-review-decision-tree_blog_tcm38-713623.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>“Accessibility review?” showing branching logic with checkmarks and Xs.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility-review-decision-tree_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-713622.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-11 - When is an accessibility review required?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-713296&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-11-19T18:11:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>When your organization buys software or application services, it should go through a governance process to ensure that it meets your organization’s requirements for security, integration, AI, accessibility, and overall architecture. To determine whether an app needs to go through an accessibility review, follow these steps</ShortDescription><Subtitle>It’s not always obvious, particularly for back-end technology. We provide a high-level decision tree to help you decide.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When your organization buys software or application services, it should go through a governance process to ensure that it meets your organization’s requirements for security, integration, AI, accessibility, and overall architecture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, administrators may manage the app through a text-based command-line interface (CLI). Or they manage it through a different app’s interface, connecting to it via an application programming interface (API).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To determine whether an app needs to go through an accessibility review, follow these steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;High-level decision tree&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;API question&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does the app rely on an external control for installation, and does it function without a user interface to perform application programming interface (API) calls without generating any formatted output?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If yes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility evaluation &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; required: Close this process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If no:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proceed to the CLI question.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CLI question&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do users control the app via a command line interface (CLI)?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If yes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proceed to Subtree (A).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If no:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proceed to the Library question.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Subtree (A)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does the app offer an alternate graphical user interface (GUI)?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If yes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Does the GUI offer more functionality than the CLI?
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If yes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility evaluation is required, and the app continues through the accessibility review process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If no, proceed to Subtree (B).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If no:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proceed to Subtree (B).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[End subtree (A)].&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Subtree (B)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does the app create digital content or user interface components (e.g., a command results in a modal that requires an end-user to perform an action)?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If yes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility evaluation is required, and the app continues through the accessibility review process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If no,
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility evaluation &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; required: Close this process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[End subtree (B)].&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[End CLI question].&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Library question&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is the app solely a set of libraries for an existing system?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If yes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do the libraries contribute to a user interface?
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If yes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility evaluation is required, and the app continues through the accessibility review process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If no,
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility evaluation &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; required for this app. Close this process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If no:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility evaluation is required, and the app continues through the accessibility review process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: In situations where users can choose to use either a CLI or GUI to operate the app, if the GUI provides more functionality than the CLI, then you need to review its accessibility. It goes against the purpose of accessibility to offer CLI as an alternative for people with disabilities if the GUI users have more options, ease of use, or other functional advantages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final Takeaway&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When evaluating tools that aren’t for the end-user — whether backend systems, libraries, or plug-ins — consider how users interact with the technology. The decision tree outlined above provides a structured approach to determine when an accessibility evaluation is necessary. By distinguishing between APIs, CLIs, GUIs, and libraries, this process ensures that you can focus your accessibility efforts where they matter most: on interfaces and outputs that impact human users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of digital accessibility is equity. If a graphical interface offers more functionality than a command-line alternative, it must be accessible to everyone. This review process helps uphold that principle, ensuring that all users have equal access to the tools and technologies your organization adopts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>713296</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-19T21:30:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>November is Native American Heritage Month when MNIT celebrates Indigenous peoples&apos; history, culture, and contributions. Discover events, resources, and ways to engage with Minnesota’s Native communities.</Description><Audience/><Title>Native American Heritage Month</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Native American Heritage Month</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Native American Heritage Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A scatter of colorful feathers are the background to the text: &quot;National Native American Heritage Month November.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NativeAmerican_HeritageMonth_blog_tcm38-712193.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A scatter of colorful feathers are the background to the text: &quot;National Native American Heritage Month November.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NativeAmerican_HeritageMonth_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-712194.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 11 - Native American Heritage Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-652915&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-11-06T19:57:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>November is Native American Heritage Month when MNIT celebrates Indigenous peoples&apos; history, culture, and contributions. Discover events, resources, and ways to engage with Minnesota’s Native communities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;November marks &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/11.01.2025%20Native%20American%20Heritage%20Month_tcm1055-711421.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Native American Heritage Month&lt;/a&gt;. First recognized federally in 1990, National Native American Heritage Month invites us to appreciate the history, culture, and contributions of Indigenous people.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about Indigenous cultures &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;November hosts a variety of events and opportunities celebrating the month. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/indian-affairs/tribal-nations-in-minnesota/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Tribal Nations&lt;/a&gt; on the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council’s website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit the new augmented reality exhibit, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.exploreminnesota.com/event/dakota-sacred-hoop-walk/29010&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dakota Sacred Hoop Walk&lt;/a&gt;, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://native-land.ca/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Learn about the land you occupy&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://birchbarkbooks.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Birchbark Books &amp;amp; Native Arts&lt;/a&gt; for stories from Indigenous authors. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mniba.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Indigenous-led businesses&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.exploreminnesota.com/things-to-do/culture-heritage/best-native-shops-makers&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota shops and makers&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow &lt;a href=&quot;https://izea.com/resources/top-indigenous-influencers-on-tiktok/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Indigenous content creators&lt;/a&gt; on TikTok. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Events in the Twin Cities shared by &lt;a href=&quot;https://edit.wcm.mnit.mn.gov/WebUI/minneapolis.org/calendar/holidays/native-american-heritage-month/#jlevents:~:text=E%20Franklin%20Ave-,Events%20%26%20Exhibits,-Check%20back%20soon&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Meet Minneapolis&lt;/a&gt; and the&lt;/span&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.maicnet.org/upcoming-events/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minneapolis American Indian Center&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s 11 Tribal Nations  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The area known today as Minnesota is the ancestral and contemporary home to many Tribal Nations, including the Anishinaabe, Dakota, Ojibwe, Ho-Chunk, Cheyenne, Oto, Iowa, Hidatsa, Arikara, A’aninin, Cree, Blackfeet, Assiniboine, and the Sac and Fox peoples. The State of Minnesota is committed to appreciation, reconciliation, understanding, friendship, and continued partnerships with Tribal Nations.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about Minnesota’s 11 Tribal Nations: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.boisforte.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Bois Forte Band of Chippewa&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.fdlrez.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.grandportageband.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.llojibwe.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lowersioux.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lower Sioux Indian Community&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.millelacsband.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://prairieisland.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Prairie Island Indian Community&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.redlakenation.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Red Lake Nation&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://shakopeedakota.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.uppersiouxcommunity-nsn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Upper Sioux Community&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://whiteearth.com/home&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;White Earth Nation&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>652915</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-11-06T22:17:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Lead Service Line Mapping Project earned the Governor’s Certificate for advancing public health, transparency, and geospatial innovation.</Description><Audience/><Title>​Minnesota Lead Drinking Water Service Line Mapping Project earns Governor’s Certificate for geospatial innovation </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Governor’s Certificate</Subject><Subject>geospatial information technology</Subject><Subject>Lead Drinking Water Service Line Mapping Project</Subject><Subject>Lead</Subject><Subject>Drinking water</Subject><Subject>MnGeo</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>​Minnesota Lead Drinking Water Service Line Mapping Project earns Governor’s Certificate for geospatial innovation </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A laptop displaying the state of Minnesota with map locations indicating locations for Lead Drinking Water Service Line Mapping</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/lead-service-line-map-application-blog_tcm38-710636.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A laptop displaying the state of Minnesota with map locations indicating locations for Lead Drinking Water Service Line Mapping</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/lead-service-line-map-application-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-710637.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 10 - Governor’s Certificate for Lead Drinking Water Service Line Mapping Project</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-710635&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-24T14:37:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Lead Service Line Mapping Project earned the Governor’s Certificate for advancing public health, transparency, and geospatial innovation.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Lead Service Line Mapping and Data Display Project has received the &lt;a href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.mngeo.state.mn.us%2Fawards%2Fgov_commendations%2Findex.html/1/01010199e530af02-2a39bd56-386a-4aa3-be24-0bbd965aeb24-000000/iSxciKEpKGpbybRGkmr7YnZQWvNAOpAVwz-60_52840=427&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Governor’s Certificate&lt;/a&gt; in recognition of its outstanding contribution to public health, transparency, and geospatial innovation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presented on Oct. 3 at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngislis.org/mpage/annualconference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2025 Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium Annual Conference&lt;/a&gt; this honor marks the first geospatial project to earn a Governor’s Certificate since 2022. The award celebrates a statewide collaboration led by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) that brought together nearly 1,000 public water systems, 18 consulting engineering firms, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mrwa.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Rural Water Association&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://rc.umn.edu/uspatial&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;U-Spatial&lt;/a&gt; at the University of Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mapping Minnesota’s path to safe drinking water &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The initiative pinpoints where drinking water service lines may pose a risk of lead contamination and need to be replaced. Together, partners created a centralized, user-friendly &lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.umn.edu/LSL/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lead Service Line Mapping Application&lt;/a&gt;—an interactive website that allows anyone to search for the type of service line material and potential replacement need at any of Minnesota’s 1.5 million public water system addresses. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The application also provides statewide summaries, showing the progress of lead service line replacement efforts across every public water system. Since launch, the map has been viewed more than 100,000 times, helping residents, parents, and decision-makers easily access vital information about their water systems. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaboration across communities &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each water system contributed to the statewide database by conducting field visits, reviewing records, and documenting both utility- and customer-owned service lines. Consulting engineering firms and the Minnesota Rural Water Association offered technical assistance, particularly for smaller water systems. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;U-Spatial harmonized the data into a single, standardized geospatial database and built the interactive web map that now serves as the state’s most comprehensive tool for tracking lead service line information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This large-scale effort engaged more than 2,000 Minnesotans and demonstrates how collaboration and shared geospatial data can transform government transparency, improve health outcomes, and inform statewide decision-making. This type of work exemplifies the benefits of working together and the importance of geospatial data - both topics advanced by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/councils/statewide/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Geospatial Advisory&lt;/a&gt; Council (GAC) and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Geospatial Information Office&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The GAC and Governor’s Office extend their sincere appreciation to the partners and contributors who made this achievement possible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/awards/gov_commendations/GovAwardNomination_Lead_Service_Line_Mapping_2025.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;View the Lead Service Line Mapping application&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Project Lead:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota Department of Health 
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Supporting Organizations:&lt;/strong&gt; U-Spatial, University of Minnesota; Minnesota Rural Water Association &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consulting Engineering Firms:&lt;/strong&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;
AE2S • Apex Engineering Group • Bollig, Inc. • Bolton &amp;amp; Menk • DGR • ISG • JPJ Engineering, Inc. • Karvakko, P.A. • Moore Engineering, Inc. • MSA Professional Services, Inc. • NERO Engineering • Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH) • Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. • TKDA • Ulteig Engineers, Inc. • WHKS &amp;amp; Co. • Widseth • WSB &amp;amp; Associates, Inc. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Public Water Systems that contributed geospatial data:&lt;/strong&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;
Albert Lea • Alexandria • Apple Valley • Austin Utilities • Blaine • Bloomington • Brooklyn Center • Brooklyn Park • Chanhassen • Chaska • Columbia Heights • Coon Rapids • Cottage Grove • Duluth • Eagan • Eden Prairie • Farmington • Golden Valley • Hutchinson • Lakeville • Maple Grove • Medina • Minneapolis • Minnetonka • Moorhead • North Branch • Norwood-Young America • Owatonna • Plymouth • Prior Lake • Rochester • Rosemount • Saint Cloud • Saint Louis Park • Saint Paul Regional Water Services • Shoreview • White Bear Lake &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>710635</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-24T14:56:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article summarizes the Office of Accessibility’s multi-part series, designed to help agencies prepare for the April 2026 compliance deadline and build sustainable accessibility practices.</Description><Audience/><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Final recap &amp; resources guide</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility implementation</Subject><Subject>Implementation toolkit</Subject><Subject>ADA Title II preparation</Subject><Subject>Preparation for ADA Title II</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Final recap &amp; resources guide</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing progress of the Office of Accessibility&apos;s ADA’s Title II newsletter article series. Check marks appear over Scope, Planning &amp; Priorities, Implementation, Quality Assurance, and Recap &amp; Resources. No empty boxes. A person holding a large pencil points to Recap box.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20Resources_blog_tcm38-710292.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing the Office of Accessibility&apos;s ADA Title II newsletter article series. A large check mark is over Recap &amp; Resources, with a person holding a giant pencil next to it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20Resources_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-710293.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-10 - ADA’s Title II Series: Final Recap &amp; Resources</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-710227&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-22T18:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article summarizes the Office of Accessibility’s multi-part series, designed to help agencies prepare for the April 2026 compliance deadline and build sustainable accessibility practices.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Gathering the series&apos; resources into one place</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The US Department of Justice (DOJ) added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Minnesota’s state and local government entities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This recap and resources guide summarizes the Office of Accessibility’s multi-part series, designed to help agencies prepare for the April 2026 compliance deadline and build sustainable accessibility practices. This series has guided agencies through every step—from initial self-audit to ongoing quality assurance—so teams can confidently meet requirements and build lasting accessibility improvements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Series overview&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/694312&quot;&gt;Conducting a self-audit&lt;/a&gt; :&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Agencies must assess the accessibility of their digital content, including websites, intranets, mobile apps, and digital documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Key steps include understanding applicable standards (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508), assembling a diverse audit team (including people with disabilities), and documenting findings for remediation and reporting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;SMART goals help prioritize high-impact fixes and guide remediation efforts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/698989&quot;&gt;Strategic planning and prioritization&lt;/a&gt; :&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Success begins with executive buy-in and a clear, organization-wide accessibility policy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Designate a digital accessibility lead and convene a cross-functional team (procurement, development, communications, DEI, ADA coordinator).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use audit data to set priorities, focusing on high-traffic sites, frequently used forms, and critical documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Develop a communications plan to keep leadership, staff, and the public informed and engaged.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/702120&quot;&gt;Implementation&lt;/a&gt; :&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Treat accessibility as an ongoing program, not a one-time project.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assign clear roles and responsibilities (e.g., Accessibility Coordinator), set timelines, and measure progress.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use templates and toolkits to streamline work and ensure consistency.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Incorporate both short-term achievable goals and longer-term strategic objectives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/706623&quot;&gt;Accessibility as a workflow: A Quality Assurance (QA) perspective&lt;/a&gt; :&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Integrate accessibility checks into QA and development workflows.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;QA teams play a vital role by retesting fixes, using accessible templates, and sharing success stories.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Early and repeated testing prevents issues from spreading and supports sustainable improvements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Practical advice from QA professionals: Use built-in tools, focus on new requirements, and support teams with quick answers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Actionable next steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every agency’s journey toward ADA Title II compliance will look different. Some may be just beginning their accessibility efforts, while others are refining established practices. The following steps offer a flexible, adaptable roadmap that can guide your organization no matter where you start:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conduct or update your agency’s accessibility self-audit.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Develop or revise your accessibility policy and implementation plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assign clear roles and responsibilities (e.g., Accessibility Coordinator).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Integrate accessibility checks into QA and development workflows.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan for ongoing training and support.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review and use accessible templates and built-in tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following resources connect directly to the topics covered in our articles—from self-audit to implementation and ongoing quality assurance, as well as the DOJ&apos;s website. Note: This is not an exhaustive list, it’s meant to help you begin your accessibility journey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Standard&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Articles&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Preparation for update to ADA Title II Series&lt;/strong&gt; :
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/694312&quot;&gt;Conduct a self-audit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (first part of this series)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/698989&quot;&gt;Strategic planning and prioritization&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (second part of this series)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/702120&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implementation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (third part of this series)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/706623&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility as a workflow: A QA Perspective&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (fourth part of this series)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/683740&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conforming alternate versions and when to use&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Using built-in software accessibility checkers:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650170&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/694305&quot;&gt;Microsoft PowerPoint&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650174&quot;&gt;Adobe Acrobat&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Website accessibility testing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
Check out our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility News page&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;subscribe&lt;/a&gt; for future editions!
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training and tools&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;Accessibility training&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/implementation-toolkit.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s 2010-2012 implementation toolkit&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Justice&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Title II – Full Update&lt;/a&gt;  
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Title II Rule fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/standards/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Standards page&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2 Overview page&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Fundamentals&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Training and Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityonline.org/ao&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Online webinars&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final thoughts&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preparing for the ADA Title II update takes commitment, collaboration, and continuous learning. Use this guide and provided resources to enhance your agency’s accessibility practices. Reach out to the &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; to share your success stories to inspire others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>710227</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-23T15:01:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In honor of NDEAM, explore how digital accessibility can create a more inclusive hiring and onboarding experience for people with disabilities.
</Description><Audience/><Title>NDEAM - Creating inclusive hiring experiences through Digital Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>National Disability in Employment Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>NDEAM</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>inclusive workplace</Subject><Subject>inclusive hiring</Subject><Subject>accessibility and human resources</Subject><Subject>Diversity, Equity &amp; Inclusion (DEI)</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible by design: Creating inclusive hiring experiences through Digital Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), observed in October. Surrounding the text are six icons representing different types of disabilities and inclusion: Mobility, tech access, cognitive, mental health, hearing, visual disabilities. The background features a colorful design with green, teal, and navy blue accents.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NDEAM_2025_blog_tcm38-710289.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), observed in October. Surrounding the text are six icons representing different types of disabilities and inclusion: tech access, cognitive, mental health, hearing, visual disabilities. The background features a colorful design with green, teal, and navy blue accents.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NDEAM_2025_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-710288.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>NDEAM: Creating inclusive hiring experiences through Digital Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-710228&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-22T17:30:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>In honor of NDEAM, explore how digital accessibility can create a more inclusive hiring and onboarding experience for people with disabilities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Celebrate National Disability in Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) by designing for inclusion!</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every October, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/ndeam&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)&lt;/a&gt; celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and promotes inclusive employment practices. The 2025 observance marks NDEAM’s 80th anniversary. In recognition of this milestone, we’re highlighting how digital accessibility can make hiring and onboarding more inclusive for people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inclusive hiring starts with accessible design. At the State of Minnesota, we believe that every step of the employment journey—from job search to onboarding—should be barrier-free. Digital accessibility is more than just a compliance checkbox; it’s a proactive commitment to equity, transparency, and opportunity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The digital hiring journey: Where accessibility matters&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota state government has a framework of laws and executive orders to ensure that its workforce reflects the state’s population, which includes people with disabilities. As a result, state agencies have worked to review, refresh, and update every aspect of the hiring process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s walk through the typical hiring process and highlight where digital accessibility plays a critical role:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Job search &amp;amp; listings&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are job boards and state employment websites screen reader-friendly?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are videos captioned and narrated?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is plain language used to describe roles and expectations?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Application process&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can applicants navigate forms using only a keyboard?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is security provided through less intrusive (and more accessible) means than CAPTCHAs?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are instructions clear and inclusive of neurodiverse users?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Interview scheduling &amp;amp; virtual interviews&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are scheduling tools accessible to screen readers and assistive tech?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are virtual platforms (Zoom, Teams) configured with captions or interpreters?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is there a clear process for requesting accommodations?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Onboarding &amp;amp; training&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are onboarding documents provided in accessible formats?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are training videos captioned and narrated?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are digital tools used in orientation compatible with assistive technologies?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How MNIT leads by example&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Director of Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion Sarah Herder Lewis, MNIT has implemented several best practices to ensure inclusion in hiring:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Structured interviewing&lt;/strong&gt;: Hiring supervisors are trained to align interview questions and scoring criteria with the job posting. All materials are reviewed by staffing representatives to ensure fairness and consistency.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Connect 700 program&lt;/strong&gt;: This initiative allows candidates with qualifying disabilities to demonstrate their abilities during a pre-probationary period—removing barriers posed by traditional interviews.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;American with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordination&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT’s ADA coordinator works directly with candidates who request accommodations, ensuring equal access throughout the hiring process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advice for other organizations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah offers this guidance: “Bring together a diverse group of people—including individuals with disabilities—to walk through every step of your hiring process. Consider where unconscious bias might creep in and take steps to mitigate it. At MNIT, the time we invested in building inclusive procedures has paid off. We attract the most qualified candidates from the broadest pool, and we’re stronger because of it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Human Resources Director, Chad Thuet, offers this advice: “Intentionally include at least two other individuals in the interview and selection process who not only understand the organization, team, or role—but who also bring different lived experiences and perspectives than your own. Seek out colleagues with varied backgrounds, geographies, demographics, and socio-economic histories. These differences help ensure that candidates are assessed through multiple lenses, reducing the risk of unconscious bias and broadening the definition of what ‘qualified’ looks like. Inclusion in hiring starts with who’s at the table making the decisions.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proactive inclusion starts with communication&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell applicants that ADA accommodations are available and share who to contact. Build accessibility into every step of hiring—from job postings and applications to interviews and onboarding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inclusive hiring and onboarding open doors for people with disabilities and strengthen our teams, our services, and our communities. Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility—and when we lead with inclusion, everyone benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>710228</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-23T15:01:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota received the top honors in the Cross-Boundary Collaboration and Artificial Intelligence (AI) categories at the 2025 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Wins National Cybersecurity Award </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Press release</Subject><Subject>Artificial Intelligence (AI)</Subject><Subject>Cross-Boundary Collaboration</Subject><Subject>NASCIO</Subject><Subject>State IT Awards</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Artificial Intelligence</Title><Id>594086</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota earns two national tech awards at 2025 NASCIO State IT recognition</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A star accompanied by the text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Nascio%20Blog_tcm38-709611.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A star accompanied by the text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NASCIO-award-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-709610.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 10 - Press Release for NASCIO</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-709613&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-15T14:56:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota received the top honors in the Cross-Boundary Collaboration and Artificial Intelligence (AI) categories at the 2025 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;October 15, 2025 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; At the 2025 National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Awards, Minnesota received two national awards and was named a finalist for two additional projects. These honors underscore the state’s leadership in leveraging technology to enhance services, expand access, and foster public trust in government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;We are grateful for this recognition from NASCIO, but the true measure of success is how these projects improve the lives of Minnesotans,” &lt;/strong&gt;said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes&lt;strong&gt;. “These awards reflect the dedication of our teams and partners who work every day to make government more accessible, secure, and responsive. By advancing innovations like artificial intelligence, strengthening cross-agency collaboration, and improving transparency, Minnesota is setting a national standard for how technology can build trust and deliver meaningful results.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s award wins and finalist honors &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota received top honors in two categories: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Award: Cross-Boundary Collaboration&lt;/strong&gt; The &lt;em&gt;“&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MN_Cross-Boundary-Collaboration-FINAL.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State Agencies Unite to Feed Minnesota’s Children&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/em&gt; project won in this category for its innovative approach to coordinating food programs across state agencies and community partners. By aligning eligibility processes and reducing duplication, the initiative makes it easier for families to access nutrition support, improving outcomes for children and strengthening services for vulnerable Minnesotans. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Award: Artificial Intelligence (AI)&lt;/strong&gt; The &lt;em&gt;“&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MN_Artificial-Intelligence-FINAL.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AI Tool Revolutionizing Legislative Review&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/em&gt; project earned the AI award for transforming how state staff review proposed legislation. Using AI-driven analytics, the tool streamlines analysis, reduces the risk of errors, and provides lawmakers and agencies with more timely and reliable information to support effective decision-making. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Finalists — Minnesota also had two additional projects recognized as national finalists: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MN_Enterprise-Technology-Management-FINAL.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;From Data to Decisions: Minnesota’s real-time financial management revolution&lt;/a&gt;” in the Enterprise Technology Management category.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MN_Information-and-Communication-Technology-FINAL.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Connecting Corrections: Statewide wireless infrastructure for expanded access and equity&lt;/a&gt;” in the Information &amp;amp; Communications Technology category. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/awards/awards-library/?selectedStatus=finalist&amp;amp;selectedYear=2025&amp;amp;utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot; href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/awards/awards-library/?selectedStatus=finalist&amp;amp;selectedYear=2025&amp;amp;utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;For a full list of NASCIO Award winners and finalists.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>709613</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>NASCIO</Title><Id>232630</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Collaboration</Title><Id>232497</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-18T01:39:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October 2025 as &quot;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&quot; in Minnesota to highlight the importance of cybersecurity education for all Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota  </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>Security</Subject><Subject>Proclamation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Walz proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota  </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic displaying a lock with the shape of Minnesota. The text reads, &quot;October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-awarenss-month-2025-blog_tcm38-707828.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic displaying a lock with the shape of Minnesota indicating Cybersecurity Awareness Month</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-awarenss-month-2025-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-707829.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2025 - 10 - Cybersecurity Awareness Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-707811&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-10-01T14:09:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October 2025 as &quot;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&quot; in Minnesota to highlight the importance of cybersecurity education for all Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saint Paul, MN —&lt;/strong&gt; Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 2025 as &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/10.01.25%20Cybersecurity%20Awareness%20Month_tcm1055-707663.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&lt;/a&gt; in Minnesota, aligning with the national observance, to highlight the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for all Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota takes a statewide, coordinated approach to protect the personal information of residents, businesses, and visitors while ensuring critical systems remain secure and operational. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) prevents, monitors, detects, and responds to cyber threats, while working with federal, state, and local partners to protect state systems and services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“As our reliance on technology grows, so does the need to safeguard our digital lives&lt;/strong&gt;,” said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. “&lt;strong&gt;Cybersecurity can feel complicated; however, simple, doable practices—like using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, keeping devices updated, and staying alert to phishing attempts—make a big difference&lt;/strong&gt;.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, MNIT will: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share cybersecurity tips on social media to help Minnesotans spot phishing attempts, safeguard personal information with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, and stay safe online while traveling. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Launch an internal campaign to educate state employees on cybersecurity best practices to prevent identity theft, protect sensitive information, and adapt to new risks as threats evolve. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Protecting Minnesota’s digital future starts with you. Secure your information and devices to shield yourself, your loved ones, and your business from cyber threats. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>707811</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-01T15:03:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Get some tips on strategies and tactics to prepare your organization.. The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article focuses on how your team can understand your audit results, what actions to take next, and how to communicate your findings to leadership and other key partners.</Description><Audience/><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Strategic planning &amp; prioritization</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility implementation</Subject><Subject>Implementation toolkit</Subject><Subject>ADA Title II preparation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Updated Accessibility Quick Cards</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A set of five accessibility quick cards are laid out on a desk with a keyboard, glasses, and a notebook in the background. The cards are designed for different software programs, including Windows, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, and Microsoft Word. Each card has its own color-coded header, with icons representing the respective programs (keyboard icon for Windows, PowerPoint logo, Acrobat logo, and Word logo).</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-quick-cards-2025-blog_tcm38-707016.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A set of five accessibility quick cards are laid out on a desk with a keyboard, glasses, and a notebook in the background. The cards are designed for different software programs, including Windows, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, and Microsoft Word. Each card has its own color-coded header, with icons representing the respective programs (keyboard icon for Windows, PowerPoint logo, Acrobat logo, and Word logo).</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-quick-cards-2025-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-707019.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-9 - Updated Quick Cards</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-706741&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-09-24T18:35:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn what’s new in the updated Accessibility Quick Cards—including WCAG 2.1 updates and practical tips you can use right away.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New practices, new cards.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility (OoA), along with a cross-functional group of state agency Digital Accessibility Coordinators and subject matter experts, has updated our Accessibility Quick Reference Cards (Quick Cards).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;These updates reflect:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Changes to each application.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The state&apos;s adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Current accessibility best practices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also revised the content to use plain language and active voice, making the cards easier to understand and apply.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These streamlined, easy-to-use cards support any accessibility training you use, including those on our website. They offer quick reminders and practical tips to help you apply accessibility best practices in your daily work. Some people like a quick overview before exploring a topic in depth, while others just need a fast refresher on a digital accessibility basic. The Quick Cards are designed to support both.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where to find the Quick Cards&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether you&apos;re working in Microsoft Office, Adobe tools, or designing content for the web or social media, these cards can support you in creating more inclusive digital experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Web versions&lt;/strong&gt; - Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/accessibility-quick-cards.jsp&quot;&gt;OoA Quick Cards web page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Print versions&lt;/strong&gt; - Stop by our table at &lt;strong&gt;in-person events&lt;/strong&gt; (like Global Accessibility Awareness Day) or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;contact us&lt;/a&gt; for other options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3; margin-top: 50px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>706741</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-24T20:24:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into how Quality Assurance plays a critical part in the process—and how accessibility testing fits into the development lifecycle.</Description><Audience/><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II series: Accessibility as a Workflow: A QA Perspective</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility implementation</Subject><Subject>Implementation toolkit</Subject><Subject>ADA Title II preparation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II series: Accessibility as a Workflow: A QA Perspective</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing progress of the Office of Accessibility&apos;s ADA’s Title II newsletter article series. Check marks appear over Scope, Planning &amp; Priorities, Implementation, and Quality Assurance. Recap &amp; Resources is an empty box. A person holding a large pencil points toward the QA box.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20QA_blog_tcm38-706739.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing the Office of Accessibility&apos;s ADA Title II newsletter article series. A large check mark is over Quality Assurance, with a person holding a giant pencil next to it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20QA_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-706740.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-9 - ADA’s Title II Series: QA</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-706623&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-08-20T23:05:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into how Quality Assurance plays a critical part in the process—and how accessibility testing fits into the development lifecycle.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Build accessibility into your agency’s workflow from the beginning.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The US Department of Justice (DOJ) added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Minnesota’s state and local government entities. This new rule puts into writing practices that the DOJ has followed for decades. Our Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and implementation resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this series, we’ve explored how agencies can prepare for the new rule. We’ve covered understanding your current accessibility scope, setting priorities, and building implementation plans. This month, we turn to a critical part of the process: quality assurance (QA), and how accessibility testing fits into the development lifecycle.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We spoke with Angela Marckel, a QA Analyst with MNIT’s Enterprise Technology Delivery Project Management Office (ETDPMO), who has spent the last decade integrating accessibility into IT projects across the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;QA’s Role in Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angela describes QA as “making sure the right steps are followed, and that what we build works well for everyone.” That includes accessibility. Whether software is purchased or built in-house, QA ensures it works for all users, including people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Angela, accessibility is fundamental. “It’s as important as any function of software,” she says. “I have long seen it as the underdog and tried to champion its importance.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How QA testing differs from developer testing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While developers test their own work during sprints, QA brings a different lens. “Developer testing is often about speed, making sure the ‘happy path’ works,” Angela explains. “QA testing looks at the details, including what happens when things don’t go as planned.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;QA also considers accessibility in places others might overlook—like error messages or admin tools. “Even if current users haven’t self-identified, they may still rely on accessibility features,” she says. “By ensuring accessibility, we ensure future users don’t have problems.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Common accessibility issues and how QA handles them&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angela frequently sees issues like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Applications that don’t meet accessibility standards (e.g., poor color contrast or keyboard traps).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Quick fixes that miss important details like logical tab order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When issues come up, she logs them like any other problem, whether in a dev-test tool, Excel, or SharePoint. In fast-paced Agile environments, she may alert developers directly for a quick fix and retest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fixing and retesting for accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angela’s approach is practical: assign the issue, suggest a fix if she knows one, and sometimes fix it herself. “If it’s something like missing alt text, I’ll fix it and let the team know.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She always retests the fix and the surrounding area: “If a screen’s tab order was the problem, I retest the entire screen, not just the fix.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making accessibility part of the workflow&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angela tests each item for accessibility as soon as it’s ready. Early testing prevents problems from spreading and saves time later, because the developers have fixed it once so will include it the next time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She also makes sure accessibility is retested after any changes. “Following the usual process helps prevent things from slipping through.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sustaining accessibility in QA teams&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angela offers practical advice for making accessibility part of everyday work:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use accessible templates&lt;/strong&gt;: “They reduce issues and save developers time.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focus on what’s new&lt;/strong&gt;: “We’ve already learned to account for many requirements, now we can focus on what’s changed.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Support QA with quick answers&lt;/strong&gt;: “Being able to ask, ‘How do we fix this?’ and get a fast, accurate answer is huge.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She also encourages sharing success stories: “When teams share how they incorporated accessibility, it encourages others to do the same.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility tools that help&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angela recommends:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Built-in tools&lt;/strong&gt; like Microsoft Word’s accessibility checker.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Software Center tools (for state employees)&lt;/strong&gt; like Colour Contrast Analyser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Custom testing templates and spreadsheets&lt;/strong&gt; developed with the Office of Accessibility (with the help from Angela and other QA colleagues). Contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; if you’d like to learn more.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;View the OoA’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/694314&quot;&gt;High-level Accessibility Testing Report of Findings Template&lt;/a&gt; article&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final thoughts&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Angela’s insights show that accessibility enhances quality assurance, making it a core part of building stronger, more inclusive software. By embedding accessibility into workflows, QA teams help ensure digital content and services are usable by everyone, now and in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Future articles in this series&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recap &amp;amp; final resource guide&lt;/strong&gt;: Gathering all resources into one place.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A list of resources related to this third part.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OoA Articles:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/694312&quot;&gt;Conduct a self-audit (first part of this series)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/698989&quot;&gt;Strategic planning and prioritization (second part of this series)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/702120&quot;&gt;Implementation (third part of this series)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;Accessibility training&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers articles:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650170&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/694305&quot;&gt;Microsoft PowerPoint&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650174&quot;&gt;Adobe Acrobat&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;Website Accessibility Testing article&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/implementation-toolkit.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s 2010-2012 implementation toolkit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Department of Justice:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Title II Rule fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3; margin-top: 50px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>706623</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-24T20:29:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Get some tips on strategies and tactics to prepare your organization.. The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article focuses on how your team can understand your audit results, what actions to take next, and how to communicate your findings to leadership and other key partners.</Description><Audience/><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Strategic planning &amp; prioritization</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility implementation</Subject><Subject>Implementation toolkit</Subject><Subject>ADA Title II preparation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Implementation  </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing progress of the Office of Accessibility&apos;s ADA’s Title II newsletter article series. Check marks appear over Scope, Planning &amp; priorities, and Implementation. Training and Recap &amp; Resources are empty boxes. A person holding a large pencil points toward the Implementation box.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20Implementation_blog_tcm38-702148.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>ADA Title II newsletter article series. A large check mark is over Implementation, with a person holding a giant pencil next to it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20Implementation_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-702150.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-8 - ADA’s Title II Series: Implementation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-702120&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-08-20T14:27:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article focuses on planning and developing a sustainable implementation plan and process.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Get some tips on strategies and tactics to prepare your organization.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The US Department of Justice (DOJ) added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Minnesota’s state and local government entities. This new rule puts into writing practices that the DOJ has followed for decades. Our Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and implementation resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the article &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/653553&quot;&gt;Update to ADA’s Title II&lt;/a&gt;,&quot; we outlined what the new rule means for government staff and how to begin the accessibility journey. We are following that with a series of articles on preparing for the new rule.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this “Preparation for Update to ADA’s Title II Series,” we have covered:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scope:&lt;/strong&gt; A high-level understanding of your agency’s current support for accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Planning and priorities:&lt;/strong&gt; obtaining executive support, convening a team, and setting priorities to address accessibility issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article, the third in the series, explains how to develop an implementation plan by addressing high-priority issues, assigning roles and responsibilities, setting timelines, and incorporating retesting to confirm that the fixes work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility as a program&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first step to implementation is for your organization to recognize that &lt;strong&gt;digital accessibility must be a program&lt;/strong&gt; – not a project or task. It must have funding and structure that ensures long-term, ongoing success. The return on this investment will include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Better, more cost-effective technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduced rework, with development focus on new features rather than backlog remediation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensuring every valid user is able to access and use your services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduced risk profile.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every organization is different, so a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. Viewing implementation as an ongoing program helps ensure your plan is tailored, adaptable, and effective.  This article shares examples from Minnesota’s program—launched in 2010 and developed over many years—along with other general observations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Getting started&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your implementation plan combines the initial scoping and planning activities (mentioned in the introduction) with a strategic process to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set a vision and high-level strategic goals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Codify why you’re doing this in a purpose statement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Start  a Gap Analysis (this can be ongoing as you learn more). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create an action plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s the State of Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/TA_Toolkit_Implementation_Plan_Template_tcm38-81129.doc&quot;&gt;implantation plan template (Word)&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/TA_Toolkit_Implementation_Plan_Template_tcm38-61952.pdf&quot;&gt;(PDF)&lt;/a&gt; we used in 2010.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making it happen&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any plan you develop will require time, funding, and executive support. An experienced project manager or product manager can help you define the details of the implementation plan. For example, the sample template above breaks down action plans into objectives, then each objective into the following components:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Success criteria&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assumptions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dependencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Constraints&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Policies and procedures&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training strategy &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communications strategy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having a project or program manager on your team can help determine the level of detail needed for each step and decide which actions to start now and which can be scheduled for later.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can design an implementation plan in the way that works best for your organization. Keys to success include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Designating a Chief Accessibility Officer. Grassroots efforts will only take you so far.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get funding to go with the title and responsibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Convening a team. This gives the plan credibility and sustainability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Define a shared vision for accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Draft a plan.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include both short-term achievable goals and longer-term strategic goals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Measure progress toward the goals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Defining accessibility as a program, then crafting a plan with measurable steps, will greatly increase your chances of making it a reality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Future articles in this series&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make it ongoing:&lt;/strong&gt; Build accessibility into your agency’s workflow from the beginning&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recap &amp;amp; final resource guide:&lt;/strong&gt; Gather all resources into one place, including links to each article in the series.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A list of resources related to this second part.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/694312&quot;&gt;Conduct a self-audit&lt;/a&gt; (first part of this series)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/698989&quot;&gt;Strategic planning and prioritization&lt;/a&gt; (second part of this series)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/implementation-toolkit.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s 2010-2012 implementation toolkit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Title II Rule Fact Sheet&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>702120</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-20T14:28:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>MNIT AI</Title><Id>604327</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has been named an inaugural AI 50 winner for its innovative and ethical use of AI to enhance public services in Minnesota. Read more about MNIT&apos;s groundbreaking initiatives and their impact on the community.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services named inaugural AI 50 winner by the Center for Public Sector AI</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Awards</Subject><Subject>Special Achievement</Subject><Subject>AI 50</Subject><Subject>Artificial intelligence</Subject><Subject>Ethical AI</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Artificial Intelligence</Title><Id>594086</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services named inaugural AI 50 winner by the Center for Public Sector AI</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The background is a government building surrounded by points of light, indicating AI in the public sector. The text reads, &quot;2025 Center for AI public sector 50, Organizational Honoree.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/AI-50_Social-Images-GENERIC_1200x630_tcm38-701257.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The background is a government building surrounded by points of light, indicating AI in the public sector. The text reads, &quot;2025 Center for AI public sector 50, Organizational Honoree.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/AI-50_Social-Images-INDIVIDUAL_300x300_tcm38-701316.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2025 - 07 - 2025 Inaugural AI 50 winner</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-701212&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-08-08T12:34:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has been named an inaugural AI 50 winner for its innovative and ethical use of AI to enhance public services in Minnesota. Read more about MNIT&apos;s groundbreaking initiatives and their impact on the community.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services named inaugural AI 50 winner&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN (August 7, 2025)&lt;/strong&gt; -Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has been named an inaugural AI 50 winner by the &lt;a title=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/cpsai/ai50&quot; href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/cpsai/ai50&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;Center for Public Sector AI&lt;/a&gt;, a national honor recognizing government leaders and organizations that use artificial intelligence to improve public services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The award celebrates MNIT’s commitment to using AI responsibly and transparently to solve real-world challenges—enhancing accessibility, increasing efficiency, and delivering smarter digital services for Minnesotans. From developing ethical AI guidance through the &lt;a title=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/taiga/&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/taiga/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;TAIGA initiative&lt;/a&gt; to deploying AI tools that support better outcomes in health, safety, and service delivery, MNIT stands at the forefront of innovation in government. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“We’re honored to be recognized as a national leader in the responsible use of AI,” said Jon Eichten, MNIT Assistant Commissioner. “Our work is guided by the belief that technology should reflect our public values and improve how we serve Minnesotans.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT joins a select group of public agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions nationwide that demonstrate leadership in the ethical use of AI. &lt;a title=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/cpsai/ai50?&quot; href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/cpsai/ai50?&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;View the full list of winners&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,800 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>701212</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-27T18:52:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>This project, a collaboration between the Governor&apos;s Office and MnGeo, provides an interactive suite of maps that enhance data-informed leadership and public transparency across key policy areas.</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota receives 2025 Esri Special Achievement Award in GIS</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Awards</Subject><Subject>Special Achievement</Subject><Subject>GIS</Subject><Subject>SAG Award</Subject><Subject>Interactive maps</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State of Minnesota receives 2025 Esri Special Achievement Award in GIS</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota&apos;s Chief Geospatial Information Officer and MnGeo&apos;s Director, Alison Slaats holds the 2025 Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award from Esri with Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MN_Esri_Award_2025_blog_tcm38-699624.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota&apos;s Chief Geospatial Information Officer and MnGeo&apos;s Director, Alison Slaats holds the 2025 Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award from Esri with Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MN_Esri_Award_2025_blog_thumbnail_tcm38-699625.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2025 - 07 - 2025 Esri Special Achievement Award in GIS</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-699615&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-07-25T14:45:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>This project, a collaboration between the Governor&apos;s Office and MnGeo, provides an interactive suite of maps that enhance data-informed leadership and public transparency across key policy areas.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>2025 Esri Award honors State of Minnesota for advancing data-informed leadership with Executive Map Portfolio  </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN (July 25, 2025)&lt;/strong&gt; — The State of Minnesota earned a &lt;a href=&quot;https://events.esri.com/conference/sagList/?fa=Detail&amp;amp;SID=7974&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2025 Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award&lt;/a&gt; from Esri for its groundbreaking use of geospatial tools to support data-informed leadership and public transparency across government. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The award celebrates th&lt;em&gt;e&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c44d98d602804d6d885af299ac5db754&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Executive Map Portfolio&lt;/a&gt;, a collaborative effort between the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo). The project created a powerful, interactive suite of maps that visually communicates key data aligned with the Governor’s One Minnesota Plan. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Designed with busy decision-makers in mind, the Executive Map Portfolio provides a mobile-friendly interface that organizes data across three critical policy areas: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Climate &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Children, Youth, and Families &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jobs, Workforce, and Economy &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By using cutting-edge tools like ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and ArcGIS Experience Builder, the portfolio empowers state leaders to quickly explore trends, identify challenges, and act on data-driven insights. This resource supports executive decision-making and promotes public transparency by making complex information easier to access and understand. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This award recognizes the power of cross-agency collaboration and the incredible talent of Minnesota’s public servants,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Alison Slaats, MnGeo Director. &lt;strong&gt;“The Executive Map Portfolio is more than a tool—it’s a reflection of our commitment to equity, transparency, and data-informed leadership.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The portfolio was developed with contributions from communications and policy staff from the Governor’s Office, GIS and IT experts from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), and subject-matter experts from across state agencies and academic partners including the University of Minnesota’s U-Spatial. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore the &lt;a href=&quot;https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c44d98d602804d6d885af299ac5db754&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Executive Map Portfolio&lt;/a&gt; to learn more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,800 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>699615</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>337917</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Maps</Title><Id>232511</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Interactive Maps</Title><Id>253251</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>GIS</Title><Id>232509</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-18T01:42:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Get some tips on strategies and tactics to prepare your organization.. The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article focuses on how your team can understand your audit results, what actions to take next, and how to communicate your findings to leadership and other key partners.</Description><Audience/><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Strategic planning &amp; prioritization</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility self-audits</Subject><Subject>Accessibility testing and findings</Subject><Subject>ADA Title II preparation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II Series: Strategic planning &amp; prioritization</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of two people using giant pencils to organize sticky notes on a project board labeled “To Do,” “Doing,” and “Done,” representing strategic planning to resolve issues found during an agency’s accessibility self-audit.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20Prep_blog_tcm38-698900.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of two people using giant pencils to organize sticky notes on a project board labeled “To Do,” “Doing,” and “Done,” representing strategic planning to resolve issues found during an agency’s accessibility self-audit.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II%20Prep_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-698897.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-7 - ADA’s Title II Series: Strategic planning &amp; prioritization</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-698989&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-07-23T17:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and planning resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. This article focuses on how your team can understand your audit results, what actions to take next, and how to communicate your findings to leadership and other key partners.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Get some tips on strategies and tactics to prepare your organization.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The US Department of Justice (DOJ) added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Minnesota’s state and local government entities. This new rule puts into writing practices that the DOJ has followed for decades. Our Update to ADA’s Title II series digs deeper into preparation and implementation resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the article &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/653553&quot;&gt;Update to ADA’s Title II&lt;/a&gt;,&quot; we outlined what the new rule means for government staff and how to begin the accessibility journey. Today’s article focuses on how your team can understand your audit results, what actions to take next, and how to communicate your findings to leadership and other key partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By now, your organization has likely completed—or at least begun—a digital accessibility audit to assess current compliance. If the results show room for improvement, you&apos;re not alone. The odds are you have some work to do So, what’s next? Here’s how to move from assessment to action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get a policy in place&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any strategy that’s going to get your organization to incorporate digital accessibility practices into all your operations requires executive support. Having an organization-wide policy statement is key to getting buy-in and support from all staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use that policy to state a shared vision for organization-wide accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identify resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Designate an organization-wide digital accessibility lead. Create a title such as Chief Accessibility Officer (CAO) or Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO). Make this their sole function. If there isn’t enough funding at the start, then assign it to someone who leads a digital information and technology team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have that accessibility lead convene an accessibility team. Include the following skill sets:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Procurement&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Website design/development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Application development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training and organization development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ADA Coordinator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scope&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Policy approval can take time at some organizations. During that process, continue to move forward by creating a scope plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Set priorities.&lt;/strong&gt; Use the audit data to identify your key challenges. Most likely it will include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Websites and its:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digital documents, such as PDFs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Videos and other multimedia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Forms (both web-based and document-based)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mobile apps&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web apps&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software apps&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Set short- and long-term goals.&lt;/strong&gt; The ADA Title II deadline for most organizations is April 24, 2026. Consider the following questions as you plan:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What needs to be done before then?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What sites get the most traffic?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What forms and documents are most frequently downloaded?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What can you do now and what requires a rebuild?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examples to guide your planning:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fixing existing sites or creating new page templates.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Updating the CSS or redesigning the entire site.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using current tools or procuring a new content management system (CMS).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: You may need to tackle short- and long-term goals at the same time—for example, updating your current CMS to fix issues like color contrast while also planning for a full site redesign and rebuild.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Develop an accessibility communications plan&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell everyone what is happening and how they can be involved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Communicate upward&lt;/strong&gt; to managers and executives. Their support is essential for success. Keep them aware of goals, activities, and successes, even small wins.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Communicate outward&lt;/strong&gt; to co-workers, colleagues, and even the public. Everyone has a role in accessibility. Help them know their role and that their efforts matter.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In your plan, use multiple tools to reach different audiences. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Regular news bulletin to key stakeholders.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Monthly bulletins to general employees and/or the public.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Monthly or quarterly check-ins with management and other decision makers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Future articles in this series&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implementation&lt;/strong&gt;: Begin to tackle high-priority issues. Determine who will handle the work. Set timelines and include retesting throughout the process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make it ongoing&lt;/strong&gt;: Build accessibility into your agency’s workflow from the beginning&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recap &amp;amp; final resource guide&lt;/strong&gt;: Gather all resources into one place, including links to each article in the series.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This strategic planning aims to help organizations move from audit to action in their digital accessibility journey. Now with an idea of scope and action steps to take, you’ll need to create an implementation plan. We’ll talk more about this in next month’s newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A list of resources related to this second part.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/694312&quot;&gt;Conduct a self-audit&lt;/a&gt; (first part of this series)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/implementation-toolkit.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s 2010-2012 implementation toolkit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/653553&quot;&gt;Update to ADA’s Title II&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>698989</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-07-23T20:12:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>To better protect Minnesotans’ highly sensitive data across government systems, the State of Minnesota has partnered with GovRAMP—giving the State greater confidence that vendors safeguard the sensitive information of the people we serve.</Description><Audience/><Title>​Minnesota enhances cybersecurity defenses through GovRAMP partnership ​ </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Security</Subject><Subject>Cyber defense</Subject><Subject>innovation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>​Minnesota enhances cybersecurity defenses through GovRAMP partnership ​ </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Image of a laptop computer being protected by a shield, indicating cyber defenses.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/CloudRAMP_tcm38-697020.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Image of a laptop computer being protected by a shield, indicating cyber defenses.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/CloudRAMP%20thumby_tcm38-697021.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2025 - 07 - GovRAMP partnership</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-697012&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-07-11T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>To better protect Minnesotans’ highly sensitive data across government systems, the State of Minnesota has partnered with GovRAMP—giving the State greater confidence that vendors safeguard the sensitive information of the people we serve.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. PAUL, MN – [July 11, 2025] – The State of Minnesota has officially partnered with GovRAMP, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving cloud security standards for state and local governments. This collaboration represents a significant advancement in Minnesota&apos;s ongoing efforts to fortify its digital infrastructure and protect sensitive information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GovRAMP is a shared service for government and a streamlined service for vendors, allowing them to certify their products once and reuse that authorization with multiple government agencies. Its Authorized Product List tracks products that have achieved or are actively pursuing security verification.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota’s partnership with GovRAMP will strengthen our cyber defenses and allow the State to continue building a resilient digital environment to protect sensitive state data, networks, and systems,”&lt;/strong&gt; said John Israel, Minnesota’s chief information security officer. &lt;strong&gt;“It ensures that vendors entrusted with Minnesota’s most sensitive data follow best practices and meet our rigorous cybersecurity standards. Together, we’re creating a safer digital environment for the people we serve.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By becoming a member of GovRAMP, Minnesota gains access to GovRAMP’s resources, continuous monitoring capabilities, and a robust risk management framework. This alliance will streamline the procurement process for cloud services while ensuring Minnesota uses only the most secure and compliant solutions.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Governments today face extraordinary challenges in protecting their digital assets,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Leah McGrath, executive director at GovRAMP. &lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota’s collaboration with GovRAMP is a testament to their forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity. We are proud to support their efforts to secure critical data and systems.”&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vendor contracts and requirements will change&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Effective Oct. 1, 2025:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All new state contracts for cloud-based vendors handling high-categorized data will include GovRAMP requirements.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All existing state contracts with cloud-based vendors handling high-categorized data will have GovRAMP requirements added during amendments or renewals. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By April 1, 2027:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All cloud-based vendors handling high-categorized data – both new and existing – must be GovRAMP Authorized. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state will accept a vendor’s FedRAMP Authorization in place of GovRAMP Authorization, but the vendor must enroll in GovRAMP’s continuous monitoring program. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For information and or questions about how service providers can participate, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://programs.govramp.org/minnesota/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota program page&lt;/a&gt; on GovRAMP’s website or contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:get@GovRAMP.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;get@GovRAMP.org&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>697012</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Security</Title><Id>232502</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-07-11T20:00:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In a high-level accessibility testing report, document everything you do during the evaluation, including the testing tools used, the accessibility standards assessed, and the specific locations where testing occurred (such as web page URLs, mobile app steps, or document names). Our template can help cover all the details you need.</Description><Audience/><Title>High-Level Accessibility Testing Report of Findings Template</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility self-audits</Subject><Subject>Accessibility testing</Subject><Subject>Accessibility testing report of findings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>High-Level Accessibility Testing Report of Findings Template</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Website audit, desktop and mobile views, showing a checklist and magnifying glass reviewing the site&apos;s components for accessibility compliance</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/high-level-testing-blog_tcm38-694563.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Website audit on a desktop showing a magnifying glass reviewing the site&apos;s components for accessibility compliance</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/high-level-testing-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-694562.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-6 - High-Level Accessibility Testing Report of Findings Template</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-694314&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-06-25T17:01:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>In a high-level accessibility testing report, document everything you do during an evaluation of digital content, including the testing tools used, the accessibility standards assessed, and the specific locations where testing occurred (such as web page URLs, mobile app steps, or document names). Our template can help cover all the details you need.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Use our template to create a high-level accessibility testing report</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content author&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We perform quick high-level evaluations of websites or web applications for several reasons—for example, to confirm a product’s accessibility for a project manager or to help an agency gauge potential accessibility compliance issues. These evaluations are intended to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Quickly identify whether the site may present barriers for users with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share findings in a clear, approachable way with those who may not be familiar with digital accessibility, like product managers or executives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: A high-level evaluation is not a substitute for an accessibility audit. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Completing the high-level evaluation document&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Document everything you do during the evaluation, including the testing tools used, the accessibility standards assessed, and the specific locations where testing occurred (such as web page URLs, mobile app steps, or document names).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Format the final report of this review data for the intended audience&lt;/strong&gt; (who you are reporting to). You want them to understand: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Whether the site is likely to present barriers for users with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What that means in terms of risk (exposure) and remediation (cost). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here is our high-level test reporting template&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: We begin at a heading level 1, as it would be set in a Microsoft Word document.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Download the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/High-Level%20Accessibility%20Testing%20Report%20of%20Findings%20TEMPLATE_tcm38-694319.docx&quot; title=&quot;High-Level Accessibility Testing Cases – Report of Findings TEMPLATE&quot; xlink:title=&quot;High-Level Accessibility Testing Cases – Report of Findings TEMPLATE&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;High-level Accessibility Testing Report of Findings Word template&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[Product/Software Name]: High-Level Accessibility Testing Cases – Report of Findings&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This report outlines a quick accessibility audit (approximately 1-2 hours) of the [name of website, web pages, mobile app or software]. This is not an in-depth accessibility test or audit, or review of usability issues. This report outlines basic findings only.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility standards we test for:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1, Level AA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Federal rule: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/ict/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing tools used:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[&lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(191, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;Examples&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Desktop:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Browser (name) and Browser Zoom&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility testing bookmarklet:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color Contrast tool: ]&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rating system for issues found&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use the following rating system to communicate impact of issues found:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;Barrier&lt;/strong&gt;: Cannot accomplish tasks due to insurmountable showstoppers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-color: rgb(128, 0, 128);&quot;&gt;Great challenges&lt;/strong&gt;: Can accomplish task only with a high level of additional effort, training, and/or workarounds.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);&quot;&gt;Some challenges&lt;/strong&gt;: Can accomplish task only with a moderate amount of additional effort, training, and/or workarounds.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 56, 101); background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);&quot;&gt;Pass&lt;/strong&gt;: Can accomplish tasks with same or reasonable level of effort as other users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overall review note/summary of findings&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Provide an overall review. Include what is working and meets standards, as well as any barriers that were discovered and which should be addressed first. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Findings&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collect findings based on ratings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;Accessibility findings: Showstoppers&lt;/strong&gt; (high priority failures to address)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The audit revealed accessibility issues which will cause barriers to specific users, including [list user types, like screen reader users, keyboard-only users, voice-to-text users]. Disabilities affected will be [list based off user types, like blind, low vision, color contrast, cognitive and mobility]. This means these users will not be able to complete specific tasks on your website/mobile application.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test case: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Overview&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenge&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(191, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;WCAG and/or Section 508 failure(s)&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recommendation&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing tool(s):&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;[list]&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steps to perform testing:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;[steps]&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(255, 255, 255); background-color: rgb(128, 0, 128);&quot;&gt;Accessibility findings: Great Challenges&lt;/strong&gt; (medium priority partial failures to address)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this audit, we have some test cases that cause great challenges for specific users [list] and disabilities affected include [list]. This means users should be able to complete tasks on your website/mobile application but with a high level of difficulty or inconvenience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[Use the same test case list from Barriers, as appropriate].&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);&quot;&gt;Accessibility findings: Some Challenges&lt;/strong&gt; (low priority partial failures to address)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this audit, we have some test cases that cause some challenges for specific users [list] and disabilities affected include [list]. This means users should be able to complete tasks on your website/mobile application but with some difficulty or inconvenience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[Use the same test case list from Barriers, as appropriate].&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 56, 101); background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);&quot;&gt;Test cases that Pass&lt;/strong&gt; (examples for reference)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this audit, we have examples of what is working well and should continue to be implemented in any future iterations of your website/mobile application.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[list].&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>694314</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-06-25T14:42:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A kickoff of a series of articles to dig deeper into preparation and implementation resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance with the US Department of Justice&apos;s added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II. 
</Description><Audience/><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II series: Conduct an accessibility self-audit</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Department of Justice updated regulations to ADA Title II</Subject><Subject>Americans with Disabilities Act Title II</Subject><Subject>Accessibility self-audits</Subject><Subject>Accessibility testing</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II series: Conduct an accessibility self-audit</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing a website on a laptop screen being examined with a magnifying glass, representing an accessibility self-audit of digital content for accessibility issues.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility_audit_blog_tcm38-694333.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration showing a website on a laptop screen being examined with a magnifying glass, representing an accessibility self-audit of digital content for accessibility issues.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility_audit_blog_thumbnail_tcm38-694332.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-6 - Preparation for the update to ADA’s Title II series: Conduct an accessibility self-audit</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-694312&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-06-25T17:01:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>A kickoff of a series of articles to dig deeper into preparation and implementation resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance with the US Department of Justice&apos;s added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II. 
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn how to check your websites and mobile apps for accessibility issues</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content contributors&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The US Department of Justice (DOJ) added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Minnesota’s state and local government entities. This new rule puts into writing practices that the DOJ has been following for decades. In the article, &lt;a href=&quot;http://&quot;&gt;Update to ADA’s Title II&lt;/a&gt;,” we outlined what the new rule means for government staff and how to begin the accessibility journey. Now we kick off a series of articles to dig deeper into preparation and implementation resources for state and local governments as they work toward compliance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your organization is new to digital accessibility, this article is a great starting point. If you&apos;ve recently begun your accessibility efforts, it can help you prioritize your next steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today’s article focuses on how your team can conduct a self-audit of your websites and mobile applications (apps)  to identify accessibility gaps—and take meaningful action toward compliance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Begin the process&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, let’s understand the scope of this self-audit. Review this checklist to set up your self-audit expectations: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Know the accessibility standards and which apply to your agency&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Title II of the ADA&lt;/strong&gt;: The updated regulations (&lt;a href=&quot;http://&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;official rule&lt;/a&gt;) have specific requirements to ensure web content and mobile apps from &lt;strong&gt;state and local government entities&lt;/strong&gt; are accessible to people with disabilities by April 24, 2026*. The ADA provides a helpful &lt;a href=&quot;http://&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;fact sheet&lt;/a&gt; that everyone should read. The requirement includes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA&lt;/a&gt; as the technical standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There are exceptions. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;fact sheet&lt;/a&gt; outlines these.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;*&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; This deadline is for those entities with a population of 50,000 or more. For those entities with less, or are considered a special district government, the deadline is April 26, 2027. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/ict/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: Governs how federal agencies and their suppliers and contractors must support digital accessibility. It includes WCAG 2.0 in addition to standards for software and hardware, among other required criteria. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The State of Minnesota’s executive branch includes revised Section 508 requirements in our state’s digital accessibility standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/european-accessibility-act_en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;European Accessibility Act&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;: Applies to those doing business in the European Union (EU). It is a directive that aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Who’s the team?&lt;/strong&gt; Identify people who can devote the time to learn about digital accessibility standards and testing, and who can advocate for your agency addressing the gaps and issues identified. They’ll also likely be the people who implement the fixes or educate the people who will.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be sure to include people with disabilities, especially from the user experience standpoint. They can provide insight into why the gaps and issues cause problems and put the agency at risk.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Identify your agency’s digital content&lt;/strong&gt;: Specifically, to the Title II update, which includes websites, intranets, extranets, and mobile apps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Determine origin of the content: Was it provided by a third-party vendor or was it developed in house?
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If a third-party vendor created the digital content, and it exists on your website or mobile application, the ADA Title II update pertains to this content. A first step in the self-audit is to acquire the vendor’s Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). This is a completed version of the Information Technology Industry Council’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)&lt;/a&gt;. We cover this in the next section.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For content developed by your agency, you will need to perform the VPAT work. We cover this in the next section.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand how many pages exist. This includes public pages and internal pages. Employees have an equal right to accessible digital content as your public users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify scope of templates. If all websites use the same template, your task is far simpler than if every site uses different templates or development platforms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prepare to document for each type of page and template. This will be critical in tracking results from the self-audit. We cover this in the next section.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understand your user’s journey&lt;/strong&gt;: How do they interact with your digital content?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify specific paths users take to complete tasks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn the most visited pages and views/downloads (e.g., PDFs, videos, forms).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider learning how users get to your site.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Set realistic goals&lt;/strong&gt;: If this is your first time conducting an accessibility audit, expect it to be a significant effort. We recommend starting with a high-level testing approach. The steps outlined above will help your team better understand the scope of your digital content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Set clear goals to help you focus on the highest-priority items and understand where your agency stands on accessible content. These goals will also help guide your remediation efforts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One helpful method is using SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. At the State of Minnesota, we use this approach to help employees create clear and actionable objectives. Learn more from this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/smart-goals/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Ultimate Guide to S.M.A.R.T. Goals article&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start the audit&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With a team in place, clear and measurable goals set, and an understanding of what technical standards your agency’s website and mobile app content needs to meet, let’s get to auditing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Third party-created content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As mentioned, if the content on your website or mobile app was created by a third party, it needs to meet accessibility standards. Vendors should provide you with an ACR. And your team will need to learn how to review these reports to understand if compliance requirements are met, and the validity of its content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The ITI offers &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat-training&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;virtual VPAT (ACR) training modules&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What to do if the vendor doesn’t have an ACR?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ask the vendor if they included any accessibility practices in creating the product. The depth and quality of their answer can give you an idea of your next steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then either:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assume it is not accessible and expect to add it to your agency’s remediation plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Perform your own high-level test to understand what issues exist and help set priorities in your overall remediation plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In-house-created content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Should you hire a vendor?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because the scope of the audit will vary for every team, your agency may decide to handle the audit entirely on its own. However, if the scope is large and feels overwhelming, your agency may bring in a third-party vendor to assist. Your team can still assist in the audit process, but the vendor can help bring in tools and expertise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When selecting an accessibility audit vendor, keep in mind :&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What type of assistance do you need?&lt;/strong&gt; For example, do you want a quick, high-level analysis that can help you benchmark your sites and set priorities? Or are you looking for a more in-depth analysis that provides you with a specific remediation plan for each site?
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Automated scans will identify 30%-40% of the issues with many potential false negatives and positives that need to be validated. These are valuable as a benchmarking tool, but a more extensive evaluation requires manual testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider using internal resources to conduct high-level analysis to set priorities then have vendors focus on the most high-risk and/or more problematic sites.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoid quick fixes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; Some vendors may claim that their tools can scan and fix your sites’ accessibility issues. Such fixes can &lt;a href=&quot;https://overlayfactsheet.com/en/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;cause more issues than they solve&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seek experience.&lt;/strong&gt; Accessibility testing used to be a niche service performed by specialized vendors. As the need has expanded, general consulting firms have added that service to their bench. Ask about teams with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/certification-overview&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;IAAP-certified members&lt;/a&gt; and documented experience with accessibility audits.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Internal operations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether or not you hire a vendor, your team needs to learn more about accessibility. Here are a few helpful resources to use when testing websites and mobile apps or evaluating your vendor’s reports:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get training&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility training page&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/courses-and-training&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) courses and training&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/services/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM accessibility training page&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/training-home/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Section508.gov&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility curriculums: A number of vendors offer training in addition to their testing or remediation services. A brief sampling includes: &lt;a href=&quot;https://dequeuniversity.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Deque University&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.levelaccess.com/academy-and-training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Level Access Academy&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://frontier.siteimprove.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Siteimprove’s Frontier&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.funka.com/en/funka-academy/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Funka Academy&lt;/a&gt;, and more. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use tools&lt;/strong&gt;: Several tools exist to automatically scan and check websites and documents for accessibility issues. It’s also essential to use manual tools, like a keyboard, color contrast checkers, and browser zoom.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review website tools and create checklists: Our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;Website Accessibility Testing article&lt;/a&gt; gives a list of tools our State Digital Accessibility Coordinators use.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Safe usage: Our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-597293&quot;&gt;Bookmarklets and Browser Extension - Tips for Safe Usage article&lt;/a&gt; outlines how to safely use these types of tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review software tools: Our Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checker articles for &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650170&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650174&quot;&gt;Acrobat Pro&lt;/a&gt; give step-by-step instructions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Start with a high-level analysis&lt;/strong&gt;: This will help you determine whether a deeper dive is needed. See our &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;tech tip for more information on a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-694314&quot;&gt;high-level accessibility testing template&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What about Artificial Intelligence?&lt;/strong&gt; It helped with outlining this series. And we know agencies are beginning to implement its use in identifying accessibility issues and fixing or adding in accessibility. Make sure it is ethical, and the work is reviewed by a human. The state’s Minnesota IT Services outlines their &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/security/ai-standard/&quot;&gt;Public Artificial Intelligence Services Security Standard&lt;/a&gt; to help aid employees in the use of AI.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Document findings&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make sure you track everything you do during the audit (including testing tools used, WCAG criteria tested for, etc.) and where you complete testing (specific web page names or locations of mobile app steps or documents). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A final report of this review data needs to be formatted for the intended audience (who you are reporting to) to understand your agency’s current digital accessibility status in terms of compliance and what that means in terms of risk and remediation (i.e., does any content cause barriers for assistive technology users or users with disabilities, which means they cannot access that content or complete a critical task). &lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(191, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;Review our tech tip for a&lt;/span&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-694314&quot;&gt;template to create this document&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next Steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You will need to report your findings and determine how your agency will address the barriers identified. We will cover how to handle these critical steps in future articles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Future articles in this series&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strategize: Plan and Prioritize&lt;/strong&gt;: In the next article in this series, we’ll cover how to understand your audit results, what actions to take next, and how to communicate your findings to leadership and other key partners.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implementation&lt;/strong&gt;: Begin to tackle high-priority issues. Determine who will handle the work. Set timelines and include retesting throughout the process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make it ongoing&lt;/strong&gt;: Build accessibility into your agency’s workflow from the beginning&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recap &amp;amp; final resource guide&lt;/strong&gt;: Gather all resources into one place, including links to each article in the series.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A list of resources related to this first part.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regulations &amp;amp; Conformance&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Official rule&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fact sheet &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/ict/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/european-accessibility-act_en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;European Accessibility Act&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Information Technology Industry Council’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)&lt;/a&gt; (when completed is considered an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility training page&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/courses-and-training&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) courses and training&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/services/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM accessibility training page&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/training-home/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Section508.gov&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility curriculums: A number of vendors offer training in addition to their testing or remediation services. A brief sampling includes: &lt;a href=&quot;https://dequeuniversity.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Deque University&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.levelaccess.com/academy-and-training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Level Access Academy&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://frontier.siteimprove.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Siteimprove’s Frontier&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.funka.com/en/funka-academy/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Funka Academy&lt;/a&gt;, and more. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ITI &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat-training&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;virtual VPAT (ACR) training modules&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/653553&quot;&gt;Update to ADA’s Title II article&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The MN team put together an &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/implementation-toolkit.jsp&quot;&gt;Implementation Toolkit&lt;/a&gt; documenting the initial work performed in 2010-2012&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;Website Accessibility Testing article&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-597293&quot;&gt;Bookmarklets and Browser Extension - Tips for Safe Usage article&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650170&quot;&gt;Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 1: Microsoft Word article&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650174&quot;&gt;Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 2: Adobe Acrobat Pro article&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-694314&quot;&gt;Creating a High-Level Accessibility Testing Report of Findings Template article&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>694312</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-06-25T14:42:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>View recording and transcript of the Legislative and Judicial offices panelist discussion event</Description><Audience/><Title>MN Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025 Recap</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Legislature</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Judicial</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Courts</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MN Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025 Recap</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Logo for MNIT&apos;s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the acronym is in a circle &amp; has a keyboard icon, set on a dark blue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD%202025_blog_tcm38-680289.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Logo for MNIT&apos;s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the acronym is in a circle &amp; has a keyboard icon, set on a dark blue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD%202025_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-680284.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 06 - GAAD 2025 Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-690437&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-06-05T16:09:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a virtual event with our legislative and judicial partners. The event highlighted the unique challenges and opportunities for legislative and judicial offices to adopt digital accessibility practices. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>View recording and transcript of the MN Legislative and Judicial offices panelist discussion event</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a virtual event with our legislative and judicial partners. The event highlighted the unique challenges and opportunities for legislative and judicial offices to adopt digital accessibility practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are grateful to our partners at the legislature and the courts for their time and effort to make this such a successful event!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are links to a YouTube video recording and presentation slides from the event. The recording includes ASL interpreting, closed captions and a transcript.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Discussion: Expanding Digital Accessibility: Minnesota Legislative and Judicial Office Initiatives&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;View the presentation:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNHQC-3sISQ?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MN Legislative and Judicial Offices panel discussion (YouTube)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%202025%20Leg%20and%20Jud%20Panel%20Transcript_tcm38-690639.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2025 Leg and Jud Panel Transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2025 Leg and Jud Panel Transcript&quot;&gt;MN Legislative and Judicial Offices panel discussion transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;View the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%202025%20Panelist%20Discussion%20-%20Presentation%20Slides%20-%20FINAL_tcm38-690640.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2025 Presentation Slides - Panel Discussion - MN Leg and Jud offices&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2025 Presentation Slides - Panel Discussion - MN Leg and Jud offices&quot;&gt;MN Legislative and Judicial Offices panel discussion presentation slides with links to resources (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GAAD Event Speakers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Host:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, State of Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Panel Participants:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jim Melby&lt;/strong&gt;, Sr. Accessibility Analyst &amp;amp; Lead, Legislative Coordinating Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Molly Rosentreter&lt;/strong&gt;, Digital Accessibility and Training Coordinator, Legislative Coordinating Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kate Malmon&lt;/strong&gt;, Senior Project Manager, Minnesota Judicial Branch&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Suzanne Mateffy&lt;/strong&gt;, Communications Analyst, Minnesota Judicial Branch&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GAAD Experience Lab Event Recap&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During GAAD, we held our first in-person Experience Lab in more than six years! Thanks to our State of Minnesota staff and Digital Accessibility Coordinators from several agencies who volunteered to run these experiences and the staff who came out to give them a try!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Four labs: Cognitive, Hearing, Motor and Vision, gave participants firsthand experience at how people with disabilities use digital technology, offering new insight and perspective. You can try these activities on your own, visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/experience-lab/index.jsp&quot;&gt;Experience Lab web page&lt;/a&gt; to learn more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Picture2_tcm38-690438.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Experience Lab&quot; alt=&quot;The Experience Lab in full swing as people check out the four stations&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Experience Lab&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Caption: Experience Lab set up&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Picture1_tcm38-690439.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Experience Lab Motor&quot; alt=&quot;The Motor Lab where people use Assistive Technology to navigate a web page&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Experience Lab Motor&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Caption: Motor Lab in action&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>690437</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-06-09T18:14:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Pride Month, celebrated in June, honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ rights. This month, we reflect on past progress and continue to strive for a more inclusive and equitable future.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Celebrates Pride Month 2025</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Pride</Subject><Subject>Twin Cities Pride Festival</Subject><Subject>LGBTQIA+</Subject><Subject>Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Celebrates Pride Month 2025</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Image of a pride flag close up.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Pride_tcm38-690477.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Image of a pride flag close up.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Pride%20thumb_tcm38-690478.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 06 - Celebrating Pride</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-690446&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-06-04T15:02:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Pride Month, celebrated in June, honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising and the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ rights. This month, we reflect on past progress and continue to strive for a more inclusive and equitable future.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pride Month is celebrated in June to commemorate the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots%22%20/h%EF%B7%9FHYPERLINK%20%22https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/stonewall-era&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;1969 Stonewall Uprising&lt;/a&gt; in New York. This uprising sparked six days of protest in response to discrimination and violence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) Community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, Pride is observed across the country with parties, parades, art shows, talks, and peaceful protests. These events are colorful and often show rainbows and flags to represent different parts of LGBTQIA+ life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first rainbow flag was made by &lt;a href=&quot;https://gilbertbaker.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Gilbert Baker&lt;/a&gt; in 1987 for San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Celebration. In Baker’s design, each color has a meaning: Pink represents sexuality, red represents life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for the soul. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Pride Month is a time of celebration (of love, respect, and community), many people continue to fear being accepted for who they are. It is also a time to remember those who have suffered or lost their lives due to ignorance and hate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During Pride Month, we reflect on the progress made in providing protections for the LGBTQIA+ community and focus on the need to combat the repression that still exists. This Pride Month, let’s remember the past and work together for a fairer, more inclusive future. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minneapolis: Twin Cities Pride &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://tcpride.org/festival/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Twin Cities Pride&lt;/a&gt; will take place June 27-29. It’s an annual festival in Minneapolis with the mission to empower every LGBTQIA+ person to live their true self.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Twin Cities Pride is Minnesota’s second-largest festival and the largest free Pride festival. The festival features entertainment on four stages and hosts over 650 vendors, including LGBTQIA+ and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community resources, artists, and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the festival at Loring Park, there will be a youth night, parade through downtown Minneapolis, Rainbow Run, and more &lt;a href=&quot;https://tcpride.org/events/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community events.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and other Minnesota State employees will be marching in the parade and hosting a booth at Loring Park. We encourage you to stop by, say hello, and celebrate with us!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul Pride Festival &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.stppride.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;St. Paul Pride Festival&lt;/a&gt; will take place on June 14 and 15, 2025, at Dual Citizen in St. Paul. It will feature the &quot;Taste of ST.PL,&quot; with food from 15 cultures. The festival includes live music, cultural performances, break dance cyphers, DJs, and a youth and family music section featuring Circus Juventas. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Pride celebration commemorates and continues the fight against discrimination and the struggle for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons and their families. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul Pride will have first aid and public safety officials near the festival, prioritizing safety for all and ensuring everyone feels safe and welcome. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more and get involved! &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand LGBTQIA+ &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.lgbtiqintersect.org.au/learning-modules/intersectionality/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;identities and intersectionality&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnhs.org/lgbtq&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;LGBTQIA+ history&lt;/a&gt; in Minnesota. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be a better ally with advice from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hrc.org/resources/allies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Human Rights Campaign&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>690446</id><pubdate>2025-10-18T01:46:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Join us in celebrating their diverse contributions and legacies through engaging events and discussions.</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month </Title><Publisher/><Subject>AANHPI Heritage Month</Subject><Subject>Asian American</Subject><Subject>Native Hawaiian</Subject><Subject>Pacific Islander</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Design of tropical flowers, leaves and plants with the text: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/AANHPI-Heritage-Month-Blog_tcm38-623459.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Design of tropical flowers, leaves and plants</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/AANHPI-Heritage-Month-Blog-Thumb_tcm38-623462.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 05 - 20 - AANHPI Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-623541&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-20T17:04:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Join us in celebrating their diverse contributions and legacies through engaging events and discussions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities have shaped the history and future of the United States in countless ways. Each year, we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month to recognize their lasting impact, honor their rich heritage and diverse traditions, and celebrate their remarkable achievements. This month also invites us to learn more about AANHPI cultures and deepen our understanding of their contributions to our shared story. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor’s Proclamation &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz has officially proclaimed May as &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/05.01.25%20AANHPI%20Month_tcm1055-682510.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. This proclamation acknowledges the significant impact and contributions of the AANHPI community to our state and encourages all Minnesotans to join in the celebration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The AANHPI Umbrella &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The term &lt;strong&gt;AANHPI&lt;/strong&gt; encompasses cultures from the entire Asian continent, including East, Southeast, and South Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, which include the Hawaiian Islands. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, approximately &lt;strong&gt;20.6 million people&lt;/strong&gt; in the United States identify as having Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander heritage. AANHPI individuals constitute about &lt;strong&gt;6.2 percent&lt;/strong&gt; of the total U.S. population. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Origins of AANHPI Heritage Month &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://guides.loc.gov/asian-pacific-american-heritage-month-legal-guide/history-overview&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;journey to establish Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month&lt;/a&gt; began in the late 1970s and took over a decade of advocacy. It started with resolutions proposed by Representative Frank Horton and Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye in 1977. Despite initial setbacks, President Jimmy Carter signed a resolution in 1978 proclaiming the first 10 days of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. This later expanded into a month-long celebration in 1992 under President George H. W. Bush&apos;s administration, officially designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hear from MNIT AANHPI Employees &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People of Asian or Asian American descent make up 19% of the MNIT workforce. Two of our AANHPI colleagues shared their unique cultural experiences, including history, traditions, and inspiring figures from the AANHPI community.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Padam Ojha, QA Program Lead at MNIT Human and Social Digital Services (MNIT HSDS&lt;strong&gt;)&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Padam shared his experience of celebrating the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.himalayandream.team/blog/nepali-new-year-navavarsha-date-celebrations-traditions-and-history&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Nepali New Year&lt;/a&gt;, known as &quot;Nepal Sambat&quot; or &quot;Navavarsha.&quot; This vibrant celebration marks the beginning of a new calendar year in Nepal and is a time for renewal, reflection, and cultural pride. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year’s celebration was especially historic in Minnesota. On April 12, 2025, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://anmn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Association of Nepalis in Minnesota (ANMN)&lt;/a&gt; hosted a landmark event—&lt;a href=&quot;https://anmn.org/event/nepali-new-year-2082/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Nepali New Year 2082&lt;/a&gt;—at the St. Paul Student Center, University of Minnesota. The celebration was officially recognized by Governor Tim Walz, who proclaimed &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/04.12.25%20Nepali%20New%20Year_tcm1055-679894.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;April 12, 2025, as Nepali New Year Day in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. This recognition marked a proud moment for the Nepali community and highlighted its growing presence and contributions in the region. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hundreds of people gathered—families, friends, sponsors, and youth volunteers—for an evening filled with tradition, innovation, and heartfelt connection. The event featured cultural performances, traditional cuisine, music, and opportunities to celebrate shared values and identity. As the Nepali-American community continues to grow and thrive, celebrations like this reinforce the importance of cultural heritage, civic participation, and inclusion. Happy Nepali New Year! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Padam Ojha also shared his admiration for his cousin, &lt;a href=&quot;https://geology.rutgers.edu/news/faculty-staff-updates/faculty-staff-updates/934-lujendra-ojha-explores-mars-exoplanets&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dr. Lujendra Ojha, an American planetary scientist&lt;/a&gt; who made a groundbreaking discovery at the age of 25. Dr. Ojha provided compelling evidence of current, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1bKfLai-lI&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;seasonal liquid water flows on the surface of Mars&lt;/a&gt; while still an undergraduate at the University of Arizona. His journey from Nepal to working with NASA and becoming an assistant professor of planetary science at Rutgers University is nothing short of extraordinary. His accomplishments remind us that no dream is too far, especially for those of us from immigrant backgrounds. Dr. Ojha&apos;s curiosity, dedication to science, and ability to bridge multiple worlds make him a powerful role model. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen VanDemmeltraadt, Deputy CISO - Enterprise Security Office &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen noted many people are unaware that from the late 16th century until the mid-20th century, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britannica.com/place/Dutch-East-Indies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Indonesia was a colony of the Netherlands&lt;/a&gt; - known as the Dutch East Indies. During the Indonesian National Revolution, Japan occupied Indonesia, and many Indo men (of both Dutch Indonesian heritage) were segregated to internment camps. The Japanese surrendered in 1945, and Indonesia declared its independence. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen shared the story of her grandmother, a strong Indo woman who made tough decisions during World War II to take care of her family while her grandfather was in an internment camp. Jen noted, her grandmother’s story is not unique. Many women during this period had to make sacrifices and do what they could to take care of their families. Ultimately, many Indos were forced to flee Indonesia, often back to the Netherlands, bringing their own culture and food and changing the landscape of their mother country.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jen&apos;s late father&apos;s memories were captured in a book titled &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40663699-darkness-in-paradise&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Darkness in Paradise: Memories of Onno VanDemmeltraadt From His Youth in Indonesia During WWII.&lt;/a&gt;&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn and Celebrate &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Thursday, May 22, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn365.sharepoint.com/sites/DHS_AsianHeritageERG/SitePages/Home.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Employees of Asian Descent Employee Resource Group (ERG)&lt;/a&gt; will host a virtual conversation, “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/ergs/events/#/detail/appId/1/id/680378&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Culturally responsive mental health care for Asian American employees,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;” exploring culturally responsive mental health care. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is part of a four-part workshop series focused on culturally informed wellness tailored to our Asian American employee population, in partnership with the statewide &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/ergs/join/mead/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MEAD (Minnesota Employees of Asian Descent)&lt;/a&gt; ERG and DHS&apos;s Office for Equity &amp;amp; Inclusion. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22 &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Virtual sessions via MS Teams &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hosts:&lt;/strong&gt; Jennifer Oh, licensed clinical social worker specializing in intergenerational trauma with Asian American adults &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Audience:&lt;/strong&gt; Open to the public &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions? Contact: MEAD ERG at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:erg.mead.mmb@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;erg.mead.mmb@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore more ways to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month in Minnesota including festivals, exhibits and events with the following resources: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.minneapolis.org/calendar/holidays/aapi-heritage-month/#jlplaces-to-visit&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Minneapolis | Meet Minneapolis | Meet Minneapolis.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exhibits:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://new.artsmia.org/asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Minneapolis Institute of Arts features exhibits that honor AANHPI contributions.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theatre Mu&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theatermu.org/eocy-2023#gsc.tab=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;St. Paul’s Theatre Mu invites people to share their stories and reflections on being part of the AANHPI community.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Public Library Events&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;a href=&quot;https://sppl.org/aapi/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt; The St. Paul Public Library hosts several events during May to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Local Resources: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Employees of Asian Descent &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/ergs/join/mead/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;About the ERGs / State of Minnesota ERGs (mn.gov)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Council of Asian Pacific Minnesotans &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/capm/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans / Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans (mn.gov)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>623541</id><pubdate>2025-05-20T18:06:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn about the public panelist discussion on expanding digital accessibility and prepare for the No Mouse Challenge.</Description><Audience/><Title>May 15 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Legislature</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Judicial</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Courts</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>May 15 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Logo for MNIT&apos;s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the acronym is in a circle &amp; has a keyboard icon, set on a dark blue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD%202025_blog_tcm38-680289.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Logo for MNIT&apos;s Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the acronym is in a circle &amp; has a keyboard icon, set on a dark blue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD%202025_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-680284.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-4 - GAAD 2025</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-680258&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-14T05:01:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about the public panelist discussion on expanding digital accessibility and prepare for the No Mouse Challenge.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Celebrate GAAD with us!</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility will host a public event with our legislative and judicial partners. The event will highlight the unique challenges and opportunities for legislative and judicial offices to adopt digital accessibility practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope you can join us—here are the event details:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Discussion: Expanding Digital Accessibility: Minnesota Legislative and Judicial Office Initiatives&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time&lt;/strong&gt;: 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., Central time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location&lt;/strong&gt;: Virtual Microsoft Teams Town Hall. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDJiMTMzMjktZDUwMS00ZmZkLThkMzItOWQ3NWZkMWMzODdi%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cf1a0734-db9f-4e24-aa17-de81b5cca474%22%7d&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Join the MNIT GAAD event&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Join through the Teams App or by Chrome or Edge browser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A recording of this event will be available in mid-June.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Overview&lt;/strong&gt;: Most digital accessibility efforts in government have focused on the executive branch. The Minnesota State Legislature and Courts have independently adopted accessibility policies. This session will explore how the teams planned and engaged stakeholders to rollout the policies. Presenters will discuss:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Why their respective branches chose to adopt accessibility as a standard or policy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Key challenges in implementing accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strategies, tools, and processes that were useful/helpful.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Host:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Wyant&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Participants:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jim Melby, Sr. Accessibility Analyst &amp;amp; Lead, Legislative Coordinating Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Molly Rosentreter, Digital Accessibility and Training Coordinator, Legislative Coordinating Commission&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kate Malmon, Senior Project Manager, Minnesota Judicial Branch&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suzanne Mateffy, Communications Analyst, Minnesota Judicial Branch&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get Ready for our GAAD No Mouse Challenge!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prepare to take the challenge on Global Accessibility Awareness Day! Join us for the annual GAAD &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/no-mouse-challenge.jsp&quot;&gt;No Mouse Challenge&lt;/a&gt; and see if you can navigate your computer without a mouse for 15 minutes. Use our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/keyboard-shortcuts-accessibility-quick-card_tcm38-228375.pdf&quot;&gt;Quick Card&lt;/a&gt; to brush up on common keyboard shortcuts and start practicing! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why should I care about navigating with only a keyboard?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using the keyboard may be the only option for some users, including people who are blind, have low vision, or have difficulty operating a mouse precisely. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard-only users must be able to navigate to important features of a computer program or web page on their own. They need an accessible experience that supports assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>680258</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-13T18:21:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Accessible Alternatives to inaccessible content should be used when there is a good reason for the &quot;main version&quot; to be inaccessible and should be easy to navigate to from that inaccessible version.</Description><Audience/><Title>Creating Accessible Alternative</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines</Subject><Subject>Accessible Alternative</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>What is a Conforming Alternate Version and when would we use it?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Split-screen showing a website on the left and an accessible, plain text version on the right, illustrating accessible alternatives</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessible%20alternatives_blog_tcm38-683744.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Split-screen showing a website on the left and an accessible, plain text version on the right, illustrating accessible alternatives</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessible%20alternatives_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-683743.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-5 - Creating Accessible Alternative</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-683740&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-13T17:18:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Accessible Alternatives to inaccessible content should be used when there is a good reason for the &quot;main version&quot; to be inaccessible and should be easy to navigate to from that inaccessible version.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn when inaccessible digital content may be unavoidable and have cause for a secondary accessible version.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content contributors&lt;/strong&gt;: Greg Schwarz, Digital Accessibility Analyst, MNIT Office of Accessibility; Stephanie Waegener, Digital Accessibility Analyst, MNIT Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the State of Minnesota’s Office of Accessibility, we provide training, guidance, and other resources to help every state agency make their digital content and products accessible. But sometimes there is a reason to have something inaccessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some reasons to have an inaccessible primary version include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content using new technologies or methods that don’t yet have accessibility guidance. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visual content such as color-based content for educational or historical purposes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility training content where the goal is to identify inaccessible elements. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An official version of a document that must include something inherently inaccessible like a watermark. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is where alternate versions are important. Even if the primary version of your content needs to be, for example, sound-based and thus disruptive to screen based reader users, they should easily be able to navigate to a usable version of the content from your primary version. Everyone should be able to access your content regardless of what technology they use to do so. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If possible, make your primary content accessible.&lt;/strong&gt; For example, adding detailed text description of a site’s inaccessible images. The less work people have to put in to access the content, the more positive their experience will be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information, read the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Group note on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/conformance.html#uc-conforming-alt-versions-head&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Conforming Alternate Versions&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have any accessibility issues with a state agency site, you can use the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/about-minnesota/accessibility-issues/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Report an Accessibility Issue form&lt;/a&gt;. If you experience difficulty navigating or using a required training or other resources necessary for your job, contact your organization’s ADA coordinator for an accommodation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>683740</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-13T20:02:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Join us in celebrating MNIT&apos;s dedicated employees during Public Service Recognition Week! We deeply value their commitment and talent. This week is all about highlighting their stories and showcasing their invaluable contributions.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT is Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week 2025</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Public Service Recognition Week</Subject><Subject>State employees</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT is Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week 2025</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic with a textured, blue background. The text reads, Public Service Recgnition Week 2025 May 4-10</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/PSRW-2025-blog_tcm38-682772.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic with a textured, blue background. The text reads, Public Service Recgnition Week 2025 May 4-10</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/PSRW-2025-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-682773.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 05 - Public Service Recognition Week</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-682797&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-09T13:00:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us in celebrating MNIT&apos;s dedicated employees for Public Service Recognition Week! We deeply value their commitment and talent. This week was all about highlighting their stories and showcasing their invaluable contributions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week, we take this opportunity to honor and appreciate the dedication and resilience of our MNIT staff. This week, we celebrate the incredible work our team does every day to support the State of Minnesota. They launch innovative projects, strengthen the security and efficiency of our IT infrastructure, and consistently demonstrate exceptional talent and commitment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 209.594px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-weight: bolder; letter-spacing: 0.5px; border-bottom: 3px solid; border-image-source: linear-gradient(to right, rgb(78, 171, 192) 9%, rgb(120, 190, 33) 100%); border-image-slice: 1; padding: 10px 10px 10px 1px; color: black; width: 100%; min-width: auto;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee Spotlight Videos &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To highlight the diverse and impactful work of our employees, we interviewed five MNIT staff members about their favorite projects and how they serve the people of Minnesota. Select the images to watch their videos. Their stories exemplify the unwavering dedication, innovative spirit, and commitment to public service that define MNIT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shravi Vallala &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Project Manager, MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I’m proud to say that I serve our veterans who served our country.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/w9RPYk1fRYs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Shravi%20play%20button_tcm38-682813.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Shravi Vallala play button&quot; alt=&quot;Shravi Vallala play button&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Shravi Vallala play button&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Simaya Ehime &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;IT Office Operations Analyst, MNIT partnering with Department of Human Services (DHS) &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;One project I&apos;m especially proud of is our Training Communication Framework, and how it ties into MNIT’s goal to maximize the value of data.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/iucI0PKxfAQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Simaya%20play%20button_tcm38-682815.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Simaya Ehime play button&quot; alt=&quot;Simaya Ehime play button&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Simaya Ehime play button&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Richard Matson-Daley &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Senior Transformation Engagement Manager, Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery, MNIT &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The thing that was most meaningful for me was not only that the (CX) Summit focused on the needs of people, but the planning process itself was people-centered.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/oj0Kw1GRNfc&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Richard%20play%20button_tcm38-682817.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Richard Matson-Daley play button&quot; alt=&quot;Richard Matson-Daley play button&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Richard Matson-Daley play button&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jennie Delisi &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Enterprise IT Governance Coordinator, Customer Service Management Team, MNIT&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We’re working really hard to make sure that Minnesotans can expect IT used at the State of Minnesota is able to be used by all, meets our security standards, and operationally works as expected.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/QdlzOmf-gJc&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Jennie%20Play%20button_tcm38-682821.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Jennie Delisi play button&quot; alt=&quot;Jennie Delisi play button&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Jennie Delisi play button&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mike Roberts &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Senior Project Manager, Enterprise Project Management Office, MNIT &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Implementing lifecycle management across all agencies represented a clear improvement in our business processes and required a cultural shift, adaptability, and collaboration.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/OTjS5nsK7Jw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Mike%20play%20button_tcm38-682819.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Mike Roberts play button&quot; alt=&quot;Mike Roberts play button&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Mike Roberts play button&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>682797</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-05-09T14:23:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  Whether you are looking to create safe passwords or avoid viruses, we some tips to help Minnesotans stay Cyber Safe Online.</Description><Audience/><Title>5 Ways to Stay Cyber Safe Online</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Passwords</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Five ways to stay cyber safe online</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer code overlaying and image of a hacker in a hooded shirt.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Safe-Online-Tips_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-259015.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer code overlaying and image of a hacker in a hooded shirt.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Safe-Online-Tips_300x300_tcm38-259014.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-10 - 5 Ways to Stay Cyber Safe Online</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-258633&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-05-05T17:07:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. By building strong cyber habits, you can prevent identity theft, protect sensitive information, and adapt to new risks as threats evolve. With these five tips, we can make Minnesota a more secure place to live and work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. By building strong cyber habits, you can prevent identity theft, protect sensitive information, and adapt to new risks as threats evolve. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow these five tips to keep your information safe and to help make Minnesota a more secure place to live and work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Use strong passwords, a password manager, and check for data breaches&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How often do you go online to check your bank balance, pay bills, surf social media, or order a last-minute birthday gift? If you’re doing this online, you need a strong, unique password for every site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create long, strong passwords or passphrases for each of your accounts – work, personal, and school. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a unique password for every account – never reuse the same one for different accounts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Store and manage your passwords securely with a password manager.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check if your email address has been compromised in a data breach at &lt;a href=&quot;https://haveibeenpwned.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;haveibeenpwned.com&lt;/a&gt;. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If it has, change your password for that account immediately to something strong. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact companies where your data was breached for information, next steps, and to take advantage of any offer of free credit reports or freezes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay cyber smart: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stay%20cyber%20smart%20-%20Use%20strong%20passwords_tcm38-710079.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Use strong passwords&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Use strong passwords&quot;&gt;this handout to create strong passwords&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read our blog post &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-500981&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;passwords, passphrases, and password managers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For extra security, turn on MFA, also known as two-factor verification, on every online account - including your banking app, credit card, online shopping accounts, and social media accounts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Stay cyber smart: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stay%20cyber%20smart%20-%20Turn%20on%20MFA_tcm38-710078.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Turn on MFA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Turn on MFA&quot;&gt;this handout for tips on using MFA&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read our blog post answering &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-542248&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;common questions about MFA&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Think before you click: Watch for phishing attempts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phishing emails or texts often contain viruses or malware in their links or attachments. So, do not click links or open attachments unless you are 100% certain they are from a legitimate source.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s safe to open emails and texts to read them and determine if they are legitimate or a phishing attempt. With every email or text:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Question it – don’t assume it’s safe.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don’t respond immediately – take time to pause and decide if it&apos;s using phishing common phishing tactics like creating a sense of urgency or if it is threatening.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examine it – look carefully for signs of phishing or fraud.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Verify it – contact the sender by calling or messaging them directly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Report it – report then delete suspicious emails or texts. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay cyber smart: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stay%20cyber%20smart%20-%20Recognize%20and%20report%20phishing_tcm38-710075.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Recognize and report phishing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Recognize and report phishing&quot;&gt;this handout to learn how to recognize and report phishing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read our blog post &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-246678&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;5 Tips to avoid falling for a phishing scam&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. Beware of downloads, and turn on software updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be cautious about what you download because it could be malware that infects your device. To keep your device more secure, always keep the operating systems, software, and applications up to date. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Never download software or updates from pop-up windows or from links in emails or chat messages, even if they look legitimate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Only install software from official sources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If a website prompts you to &quot;update your browser&quot; or &quot;install security software,&quot; close the tab immediately.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep your devices – computers and cell phones – updated.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn on automatic updates or install updates as soon as possible. &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Security updates often fix vulnerabilities that cyber criminals could use to infect your device.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don&apos;t delay an update or it can provide bad actors more time to take advantage of vulnerabilities and launch a successful cyber attack.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay cyber smart: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stay%20cyber%20smart%20-%20Strengthen%20cyber%20habits_tcm38-710077.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Strengthen cyber habits&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Strengthen cyber habits&quot;&gt;this handout for tips to strengthen your cyber habits&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. Follow public WiFi safe practices&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With more locations offering free internet, connecting to a public WiFi network at your local library, coffee shop, or hotel is easier and more convenient than ever. But, connecting to public unsecured WiFi networks poses risks to the information you share on that network.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid or limit using public WiFi, especially at places like coffee shops and airports. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Verify official hotel and business WiFi names and passwords before connecting. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a personal hotspot instead when accessing financial accounts or any site that requires a password.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay cyber smart: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stay%20cyber%20smart%20-%20Stay%20safe%20online%20when%20away%20from%20home_tcm38-710076.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Stay safe online when away from home&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Stay safe online when away from home&quot;&gt;this handout for tips to stay safe online when away from home&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>258633</id><pubdate>2025-10-18T01:08:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>We protect our home and work cyber environments when we use strong passwords/passphrases and secure our devices and wireless networks. However, much of that built-in security gets left behind when you travel.</Description><Audience/><Title>Cybersecurity on the Move</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>wifi</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity on the move</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of hands holding devices like a laptop or phone that display a padlock icon. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/CSAM-week1-001_tcm38-448908.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of hands holding a computer displaying a padlock icon. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/CSAM-week%201_tcm38-448907.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-06 - Cybersecurity on the move</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-486805&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-25T17:52:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>We protect our personal and work information when we use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. However, much of that built-in security gets left behind when you travel.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Take simple steps to keep personal data and devices secure while traveling</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bringing and using your mobile device while traveling puts your device and private data at greater risk. Some thieves target the devices themselves, while others aim to steal passwords, bank account details, or credit card numbers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybercriminals target your mobile phone, laptop, and other devices because they store and transmit valuable personal information. Stay alert and protect your information wherever you go. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To keep your personal data and devices secure: Use &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stay%20cyber%20smart%20-%20Stay%20safe%20online%20when%20away%20from%20home_tcm38-710076.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Stay safe online when away from home&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Stay safe online when away from home&quot;&gt;this handout to stay safe online when away from home&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow these steps before you travel and while you&apos;re away: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before traveling&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adjust your phone&apos;s settings and clean up content on your phone to reduce or eliminate security risks, and to prevent unauthorized access in the event your phone or device is lost, stolen, or compromised:&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Update your phone’s software and apps. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Back up your contacts, photos, and important data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Delete or close out of work-related apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adjust privacy settings on social media apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn off location services for unneeded apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Delete apps you aren’t using. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn on password protection and biometric protection, like fingerprint or facial recognition.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enable “find-my-phone” and remote wipe features.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pack your device charger.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While traveling&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth on your device when not in use to protect your privacy and save battery life. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use your own charger for your device. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid using public charging stations such as those in airports and hotels that may contain viruses or malware.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider using a privacy screen on your device to restrict visibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be aware of your surroundings. Keep your device secure in public spaces and while using public transportation. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be cautious if you use public WiFi&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Public WiFi – such as at coffee shops, bookstores, airports, and hotels – may seem convenient, but it isn’t safe. Hackers use it to spy on your activity and steal your usernames, passwords, and financial information – especially when you log into bank, credit card, or shopping apps. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Public WiFi poses security risks because it is often unencrypted, allowing cyber criminals to intercept and steal transmitted data such as passwords and credit card numbers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a personal hotspot for sensitive tasks instead of public WiFi. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid using public equipment such as hotel computers for sensitive communication.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When logging into a public network, turn off your phone’s auto-join function.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you must use public WiFI, use a virtual private network (VPN) and turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Verify the WiFi name and password. Try logging in with an incorrect password. If you’re still able to connect, the network may be insecure, and you should disconnect immediately.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>486805</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-10-18T01:19:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota’s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service has reached a major milestone, now protecting over 55,000 endpoints across more than 200 counties, cities, schools, and Tribal Nations. This achievement underscores the value of Minnesota’s statewide approach to cybersecurity, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and critical services for millions of Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota&apos;s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Service Reaches a Major Milestone</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Managed Detection and Response (MDR)</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Local government</Subject><Subject>Data protection</Subject><Subject>Endpoint security</Subject><Subject>Sensitive data</Subject><Subject>Public health records</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Data Systems</Title><Id>344411</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota&apos;s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Service Reaches a Major Milestone</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A computer surrounded by graphics indicating variety of Cybersecurity protection for Minnesotans</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MDR_blog_tcm38-681710.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A computer surrounded by graphics indicating variety of Cybersecurity protection for Minnesotans</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MDR_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-681711.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 4 - Minnesota&apos;s Managed Detection and Response (MDR)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-681716&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-25T14:24:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota&apos;s MDR service now protects over 55,000 endpoints across more than 200 counties, cities, schools, and Tribal Nations. This achievement underscores the value of Minnesota’s statewide approach to cybersecurity, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and critical services for millions of Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/security/whole-of-state-cybersecurity-plan/wos/mdr.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service&lt;/a&gt; for local government entities has reached a major milestone. More than 200 counties, cities, schools, and Tribal Nations in Minnesota now use our MDR service, which protects over 55,000 endpoints—the computers and servers storing Minnesotans’ sensitive data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And the number of participating entities continues to grow.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That means the private data of millions of Minnesotans, from public health records to credit card numbers, is better protected from evolving cyber threats. This achievement highlights the value of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/security/whole-of-state-cybersecurity-plan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s statewide approach to cybersecurity&lt;/a&gt;, which guards our communities, schools, and public institutions against cyber threats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;24/7 protection against advanced cyber threats&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As cyber threats evolve and become more pervasive, maintaining a strong cyber defense will help keep data and systems safe. However, local governments often lack the resources to monitor and respond to these threats effectively. MDR provides 24/7, year-round active monitoring and response to mitigate cyber threats. By offering a cost-effective, grant-funded solution that keep costs low for local entities, MDR keeps essential services running smoothly and protects Minnesotans&apos; data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This milestone reflects a growing commitment to cybersecurity collaboration. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/security/whole-of-state-cybersecurity-plan/wos/#:~:text=The%20role%20of%20Cyber%20Navigators&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Cyber Navigator team&lt;/a&gt; provides participating entities with tailored assistance, making it easier for them to deploy and manage MDR with minimal effort. As the number of participating organizations grows, so does the strength of Minnesota’s cyber resiliency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Minnesota’s local governments, MDR is more than just a security tool—it’s peace of mind. Reduced costs and expert-backed protection mean fewer interruptions. And local governments work confidently knowing their data and information are secure and accurate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this mean for Minnesotans?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDR provides many levels of protection. On the large-scale, MDR protects local governments, K-12 schools and our state’s critical infrastructure such as water and wastewater facilities. It protects the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data like property records, criminal justice files, and water system details, and all of the other critical services local governments provide everyday.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MDR-widespread%20protection_tcm38-681718.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Pyramid of protections from Managed Detection and Respons (MDR)&quot; alt=&quot;Pyramid of protections from Managed Detection and Respons (MDR)&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Pyramid of protections from Managed Detection and Respons (MDR)&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On a more personal level, MDR safeguards the critical information that matters most to individual Minnesotans: health records, tax information, education data, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MDR-individual%20protection_tcm38-681720.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Individual protections of Managed Detection and Response (MDR)&quot; alt=&quot;Individual protections of Managed Detection and Response (MDR)&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Individual protections of Managed Detection and Response (MDR)&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By preventing cyber threats like ransomware and data breaches, MDR helps ensure essential state services stay online and secure. It protects not only the confidentiality of data but also its integrity and availability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Building trust in Minnesota’s digital state services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2024, our Security Operations Center (SOC) detected or received reports of 5,224 cyber incidents across our state&apos;s executive branch. Among these, malicious software (malware) was the most reported security incident type with 3,672 cases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This demonstrates why MDR is such an essential program that proactively detects and mitigates cyber threats before they cause significant harm, preventing potential data loss and service disruption.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By constantly monitoring cyber threats and detecting them early, the MDR tool has created a more secure digital environment for millions of Minnesotans, fostering trust in the digital services they rely on every day.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>681716</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Data</Title><Id>232512</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-06-03T13:46:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>WCAG 2.1 introduces 12 new success criteria, sparking valuable discussion among our Digital Accessibility Coordinators as they learn and implement the updates. This article summarizes a recent discussion about user interface (UI) components and how hover states are impacted by WCAG requirements, especially with new success criteria 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast.</Description><Audience/><Title>To hover or not to hover? Understanding WCAG requirements for UI component states.</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines</Subject><Subject>Success Criteria (SC) 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast</Subject><Subject>Focus States</Subject><Subject>Accessible User Interface (UI) Components</Subject><Subject>Accessible Hover state</Subject><Subject>Accessible Keyboard focus state</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>To hover or not to hover? Understanding WCAG requirements for UI component states</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two states of a &apos;Sign In&apos; button. The default state is a dark blue button with white text. The hover state is a white button with a dark blue border and dark blue text, with a cursor icon pointing to it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Hover%20state_blog%201_tcm38-680288.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two states of a &apos;Sign In&apos; button. The default state is a dark blue button with white text. The hover state is a white button with a dark blue border and dark blue text, with a cursor icon pointing to it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Hover%20state_blog-thumbnail%201_tcm38-680287.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-4 - Understanding WCAG requirements for UI component states</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-680276&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-23T19:27:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>WCAG 2.1 introduces 12 new success criteria, sparking valuable discussion among our Digital Accessibility Coordinators as they learn and implement the updates. This article summarizes a recent discussion about user interface (UI) components and how hover states are impacted by WCAG requirements, especially with new success criteria 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>We explore what WCAG requires—and doesn’t—when your interface includes a hover state</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content contributors&lt;/strong&gt;: Kim Lanahan-Lahti, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Transportation; David Miller, Senior Quality Analyst MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Corrections; Stephanie Waegener, Digital Accessibility Analyst, MNIT Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the State of Minnesota’s Office of Accessibility, we have a responsibility to uphold the State’s digital accessibility standard. Effective July 1, 2024, Minnesota adopted &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#new-features-in-wcag-2-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1, Level AA&lt;/a&gt; as the required standard, replacing WCAG 2.0, Level AA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 introduces 12 new success criteria, sparking valuable discussion among our Digital Accessibility Coordinators as they learn and implement the updates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article summarizes a recent discussion about user interface (UI) components and how hover states are impacted by WCAG requirements, especially with new success criteria 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn the key principles and best practices for applying accessible hover states. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understanding UI components &amp;amp; their states&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG defines UI components as interactive parts of a web page—such as buttons, links, text input fields and form elements —that users recognize as separate controls with specific functions. These components must be operable and adaptable, allowing all users, including those using assistive technologies, to access and interact with them in ways that meet their individual needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;UI components can have different states. WCAG defines a &quot;state&quot; as a dynamic property that describes characteristics of a component that may change in response to user actions or automated processes. States do not change the component itself but represent data tied to it or possible user interactions. Examples include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Default state&lt;/strong&gt;: Original appearance on the web page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keyboard focus state&lt;/strong&gt;: Appearance when the keyboard action lands on it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hover state&lt;/strong&gt;: Appearance when the mouse hovers over it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WCAG success criteria requirements&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When a web page includes user interface (UI) components, those components must meet several WCAG success criteria. This helps users recognize the component as interactive and ensures they can identify when they reached it and can interact with it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;These WCAG 2.0 Level, AA criteria affect UI components — either in how they function, appear, or interact with users (especially those using assistive technologies):&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/contrast-minimum.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.4.3 – Contrast (Minimum)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/keyboard.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.1.1 – Keyboard (A)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/no-keyboard-trap.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.1.2 – No Keyboard Trap&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-order.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.4.3 – Focus Order&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/link-purpose-in-context.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.4.4 – Link Purpose (In Context)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-visible.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.4.7 – Focus Visible&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/on-focus.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 3.2.1 – On Focus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/on-input.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 3.2.2 – On Input&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/error-identification.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 3.3.1 – Error Identification&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/labels-or-instructions.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 3.3.2 – Labels or Instructions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/error-suggestion.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 3.3.3 – Error Suggestion&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/error-prevention-legal-financial-data.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 3.3.4 – Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; WCAG 2.1, Level AA adds these SC that directly impact UI components:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/orientation.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.3.4 – Orientation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/identify-input-purpose.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.3.5 – Identify Input Purpose&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/reflow.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.4.10 – Reflow&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/non-text-contrast.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.4.11 – Non-text Contrast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/text-spacing.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.4.12 – Text Spacing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/content-on-hover-or-focus.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.4.13 – Content on Hover or Focus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/pointer-gestures.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.5.1 – Pointer Gestures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/pointer-cancellation.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.5.2 – Pointer Cancellation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/label-in-name.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.5.3 – Label in Name&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/motion-actuation.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.5.4 – Motion Actuation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What about hover state?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG does not require user interface (UI) components to have hover states. However, if a hover state is included, it must be accessible. Exactly how to meet that requirement can vary—and that’s what sparked a great discussion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here’s what we learned:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It’s a best practice to have visual consistency with UI component’s keyboard focus states and hover states.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example&lt;/strong&gt;: A &quot;Sign in&quot; button receives keyboard focus and the button’s color changes, along with an addition of a border on the button, offering two visual indicators. Ideally, the hover state would be designed to do the same or similar changes when the mouse hovers over the button.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When a keyboard focus has a visual indicator, it meets SC 2.4.7 Focus Visible (from WCAG 2.0). &lt;strong&gt;However, WCAG 2.1 introduced a new requirement, SC 1.4.11, that layers on to visible keyboard focus.&lt;/strong&gt; Although SC 1.4.11 doesn’t require the focus indicator, when one is used and it&apos;s essential for the user to understand interaction, then it must meet the Non-text contrast ratio of 3:1 (don’t forget that any text on a UI component must also meet SC 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the example of the &quot;Sign in&quot; button, this means the button’s color change AND its new border must meet contrast requirements.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the hover state has used the same design, and the visual indicators are necessary for the user to understand the change, at least one of the visual indicators must also meet non-text contrast.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An additional point was brought up that a &lt;strong&gt;keyboard focus color change should contrast with the default state of the UI component&lt;/strong&gt;, if necessary for the user to understand the change. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A good example of when to use this is for UI components that show progress or a multi-selection answer. A user needs to tell how far along they are or how many answers they’ve checked.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If a hover state changes the mouse presentation&lt;/strong&gt; (like an arrow to a text cursor) which are handled by the operating system/browser, &lt;strong&gt;it is exempt from WCAG contrast requirements&lt;/strong&gt;. And it isn’t required to have an additional color change on the hover focus. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Even though high contrast color isn’t required here, designing for it makes the hover state more distinguishable and enhances the user experience. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: Many WCAG criterion start with the assumption that people are using a modern browser, and the browser&apos;s default behaviors aren&apos;t overridden. For the examples above where hover state must meet SC 1.4.11, this assumption does not apply, as the default hover state is being altered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Continued collaboration is key!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We only covered a few WCAG success criteria in this discussion related to UI components. But the list above had 21 total WCAG 2.1, Level AA criteria that directly or significantly affect UI components. We look forward to continuing these conversations, where we ask questions, challenge assumptions, and refine implementations. We best understand the nuances of these success criteria when we explore them together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether you&apos;re a seasoned accessibility lead or just beginning to align your work with these standards, your insights matter. Through ongoing discussion, shared examples, and collaborative interpretation, we deepen our own expertise and shape a more inclusive digital experience for everyone!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>680276</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-04-24T16:03:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>MNIT AI</Title><Id>604327</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Beginning April 7, MNIT will support state agencies in exploring the use of a generative AI tool integrated within Microsoft’s Government Community Cloud (GCC).</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Launches Secure Generative AI Capability</Title><Publisher/><Subject>artificial intelligence</Subject><Subject>generative</Subject><Subject>AI</Subject><Subject>innovation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Artificial Intelligence</Title><Id>594086</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Launches Secure Generative AI Capability</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person working at a laptop. An illustration indicates he is chatting with an AI bot.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/copilot-chat-1200x630-social-blog%201_tcm38-677677.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person working at a laptop. An illustration indicates he is chatting with an AI bot.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/copilot-chat-blog-thumb_tcm38-677678.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2025 -04-08- MNIT Launches Secure Generative AI Capability</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-677592&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-04-08T17:40:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Beginning this week, MNIT will support state agencies in exploring the use of a generative AI tool integrated within Microsoft’s Government Community Cloud (GCC).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New tool available for state agencies, advancing AI adoption across the State of Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;April 8, 2025 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – The State of Minnesota is advancing its artificial intelligence journey by introducing secure, generative AI capabilities to executive branch agencies. Beginning this week, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) will support state agencies in exploring the use of Copilot Chat, a generative AI tool integrated within Microsoft 365 Government, designed to meet the security and compliance standards for government data. This initiative is part of the state’s ongoing digital transformation efforts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;This marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to empower state employees with AI, enabling them to work more efficiently while upholding the highest standards of data protection,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; said Tarek Tomes, Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services and State of Minnesota Chief Information Officer. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;Our commitment to innovation goes hand in hand with our responsibility to safeguard Minnesotans&apos; data, ensuring that AI is used securely and effectively to enhance public services.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State will be among the first government organizations in the nation to make available this technology. As agencies choose to adopt the tool, employees can use it to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and foster innovation while ensuring compliance with Minnesota’s data protection policies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key features of the new tool: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Secure AI integration:&lt;/strong&gt; Built within Microsoft 365 Government, ensuring compliance with state data protection regulations. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enhanced productivity:&lt;/strong&gt; Employees can leverage AI to draft emails, summarize documents, manage meetings, and brainstorm ideas. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No additional cost:&lt;/strong&gt; Available as part of the state’s existing Microsoft contract.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT remains dedicated to providing employees with the tools they need to excel. By introducing secure generative AI, the state takes a meaningful step toward enhancing workplace efficiency and increasing productivity for State of Minnesota employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,800 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010101948e678ea5-27fc622f-a8b8-4957-be63-38c4b68080a3-000000/tU-H-yQaGYstqChNaptg5snXArx2k-g-7ySkiid47BQ=389&quot; href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010101948e678ea5-27fc622f-a8b8-4957-be63-38c4b68080a3-000000/tU-H-yQaGYstqChNaptg5snXArx2k-g-7ySkiid47BQ=389&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>677592</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Innovations</Title><Id>232515</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-27T18:54:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>MFA is a way to protect your accounts and reduce the likelihood that an unauthorized user (like a hacker) can access your personal data</Description><Audience/><Title>Multi-Factor Authentication: Why Should You Use It?</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Why should you use it?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>4 basics of cybersecurity with an icon for each basic: use multi-factor authentication, use strong passwords, recognize and report phishing, and update your software.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/4-basics-blog_tcm38-542241.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shield with a checkmark.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/4-basics-blog-thumb_tcm38-542242.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-10 - Multi-Factor Authentication: Why Should You Use It?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-542248&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-19T17:45:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>MFA helps keep your information safe and reduces the likelihood that a cyber criminal can access your personal data</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A MNIT security expert answers common questions about MFA</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Blake Russell, Information Security Analyst, MNIT&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is MFA?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Multi-factor authentication (MFA), also known as two-step verification or two-factor authentication, provides extra security for each of your online accounts and apps. It’s a simple way to protect valuable information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, when you withdraw money from an ATM, you use MFA as you:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Insert your debit/credit card – something you have.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enter your personal identification number (PIN) – something you know.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, these two factors prove it&apos;s you and stop criminals who only have your card.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MFA is a way to protect your accounts from unauthorized access. It requires at least two different steps to confirm your identity. This reduces the likelihood that an unauthorized user (like a cyber criminal) can access your personal data, such as health records, credit card numbers, and financial information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is MFA important?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technology helps us connect to others, access information faster, and take care of business online. But cyber criminals leverage that same innovation to create increasingly sophisticated ways of stealing information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Passwords are especially vulnerable. Criminals can use password-guessing software or social engineering attacks to trick users into revealing their credentials through email or phone scams. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/security/does-the-pandemic-explain-recent-spikes-in-cyber-crime&quot;&gt;Aldridge report&lt;/a&gt;, the number of cybercrime complaints rose by over 300% in 2021. The majority of the rise was due to phishing scams and extortion – primarily through ransomware. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MFA keeps your accounts and sensitive data protected – even if a criminal obtains your password – because access still requires a second or third form of authentication. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How does MFA work?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/week-1-basic-comms-kit-square_tcm38-542246.png&quot; title=&quot;week-1-basic-comms-kit-square&quot; alt=&quot;Illustration of a phone protected by different types of authentications like a face scan, a fingerprint, and an eye scan.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;week-1-basic-comms-kit-square&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MFA works on the principle that you must present two or more types of authentication methods to verify your identity before you can access your online accounts, applications, or virtual private networks (VPN). For these methods to provide the best protection, each must fall into a separate category of authentication. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These different authentication categories of MFA include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Something you know&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This may be a password, passphrase, answer to a security question, or personal identification number (PIN).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Something you have&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This may be a hardware token (key fob), mobile token (authenticator app), or a code sent by text or email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Something you are&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These are biometric factors such as fingerprints and facial recognition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Somewhere you are&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although not as common, access can be limited to certain geographic areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider these examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;User A protects their online bank account with a password, followed up with a security question. Is this considered MFA? No. Both the password and security question fall under the same category of “something you know” and therefore do not provide adequate protection. User A should research whether their bank provides MFA option on top of a security question.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;User B, on the other hand, protects their work email with a password (something you know) and an authenticator app (something you have). The principles of MFA are being applied because User B has two authentication methods from separate categories. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pros, cons, and the future of MFA&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The biggest benefit of MFA is the added layer of protection against unauthorized access. Each authentication category can compensate for the limitations of the others. The significant increase in remote work has placed more companies and employees in the crosshairs of cyber criminals, but MFA is a relatively simple addition that can dramatically reduce the number of successful attacks. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MFA is not without its drawbacks. Sometimes people don’t like having physical tokens that can be forgotten, lost, or stolen. But the potential downsides of MFA are greatly outweighed by the benefits it provides. As more organizations work to strike balance between employee productivity and security—especially in hybrid workplace environments—expect to see greater acceptance and more routine integration of MFA solutions going forward.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542248</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-09-09T18:08:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Over the past year (in 2024), we’ve been working with our statewide digital accessibility coordinators to improve the process to request an accessibility exception for technology that does not meet the state&apos;s standard. 

Learn about the components of the new workflow.</Description><Audience/><Title>Updating Minnesota’s Accessibility Exceptions Process</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility Exceptions</Subject><Subject>inaccessible technology</Subject><Subject>Minnesot&apos;a Digital Accessibility Standard</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Updating Minnesota’s Accessibility Exceptions Process, Part 2</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a risk assessment for potentially inaccessible technology, featuring a speedometer-style gauge ranging from 0 to 10, and different variations of technology, including a desktop monitor displaying a webpage layout, a laptop screen with code, and a smartphone with a similar layout, representing evaluation of technology accessibility and potential risks.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/software-purchasing_blog_tcm38-669678.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a risk assessment for potentially inaccessible technology, featuring a speedometer-style gauge ranging from 0 to 10. Gauge is pointing near 9, which is red, indicating danger.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/software-purchasing_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-669679.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-3 - Accessibility Exceptions at the State-Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-669671&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-19T07:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Over the past year (in 2024), we’ve been working with our statewide digital accessibility coordinators to improve the process to request an accessibility exception for technology that does not meet the state&apos;s standard. Learn how we have improved the process for state agencies to request accessibility exceptions for non-compliant technology.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>We have improved the process for state agencies to request accessibility exceptions for non-compliant technology.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;margin-bottom: 50px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content author&lt;/strong&gt;: Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past year, we worked with our statewide digital accessibility coordinators to improve the process to request an exception. Today’s article covers the updated process. This is the second part of our two-part series on accessibility exceptions; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/670471&quot;&gt;part 1 explores the reasons behind having exceptions&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Filing an Accessibility Exception Request&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If an agency chooses to proceed with the purchase or use of a potentially inaccessible application because it best meets their business need, they must file an accessibility exception. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; An exception serves to help the agency:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acknowledge that the technology may present barriers to some users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accept the associated risks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan strategies to mitigate those risks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The original process, which our office inherited in 2012, was an opaque, paper-based approach. Recent advancements in accessible workflow technology allowed us to create a more transparent process that includes all relevant parties.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This process uses a combination of Microsoft&apos;s SharePoint and PowerApps. The site, housed on the Office of Accessibility’s extranet, is available to qualified State of Minnesota employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This workflow allows us to apply a risk matrix, helping agencies understand the risks they accept when using an application. The matrix analyzes agency-provided data to assign a risk level. For example, an expensive, hard-to-replace application used by the general public carries significantly more risk than a specialized scientific tool used by three lab technicians.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The risk matrix helps agencies determine whether to proceed with the purchase. If they do move forward, it highlights the need to take additional steps to prevent negative user experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, since each exception carries a specific level of risk, agencies can access a dashboard of all their filed exceptions to determine their overall exposure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over time, agencies will have a better understanding of the scale of their risk and can make more informed decisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>669671</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-03-20T15:36:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Meet Mike Farrell, MNIT IT Specialist II partnering with DOC and recipient of the MCF-Moose Lake Employee of the Year award. From leading major tech projects to ensuring DOC staff get the support they need, Mike’s dedication goes beyond fixing computers—it’s about making a difference. Read more about his journey and the impact of his work.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT’s Mike Farrell wins MCF - Moose Lake Employee of the Year for the category of Programming/Non-Officer</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Mike Farrell</Subject><Subject>Department of Corrections</Subject><Subject>DOC</Subject><Subject>Employee of the Year</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT’s Mike Farrell wins MCF - Moose Lake Employee of the Year for the category of Programming/Non-Officer</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A photo of Mike Farrell with a blue background. The text reads, MCF - Moose Lake Employee of the Year for the category of Programming/Non-Officer, Mike Farrell, Information Technology Specialist II MNIT Partnering with DOC</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/DOC-EOY-Farrell-blog%201_tcm38-672876.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A photo of Mike Farrell with a blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/DOC-EOY-Farrell-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-672877.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025 - 03 - MNIT’s Mike Farrell wins DOC’s employee of the Year</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-672865&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-03-14T20:36:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Meet Mike Farrell, MNIT IT Specialist II partnering with DOC and recipient of the MCF-Moose Lake Employee of the Year award. From leading major tech projects to ensuring DOC staff get the support they need, Mike’s dedication goes beyond fixing computers—it’s about making a difference. Read more about his journey and the impact of his work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technical skills are important in IT, but what makes an IT professional truly stand out is when they have the ability to connect with people, offer support, and solve problems in a way that feels personal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mike Farrell, MNIT’s Information Technology Specialist II partnering with the Department of Corrections (DOC), recently earned the MCF - Moose Lake Employee of the Year for the category of Programming/Non-Officer. We sat down with Mike to learn about his work at DOC, impactful projects he’s working on, and what this award means for him and his team. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Select the image below to watch a video about what motivates Mike and his advice for people in the IT industry.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/zVROy_pfp64&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Mike%20Farrell%20Play_tcm38-672889.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Mike Farrell Play&quot; alt=&quot;Mike Farrell Play&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Mike Farrell Play&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meet Mike Farrell, MCF - Moose Lake Employee of the Year for the category of Programming/Non-Officer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Farrell, receiving the MCF-Moose Lake award is both an honor and a reflection of the strong relationships he’s built at the Moose Lake and Willow River facilities. He takes pride in working with a diverse group of colleagues who appreciate his responsiveness and dedication to IT support. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I’ve always believed in providing strong customer support,” Farrell explains. “Being able to relate to people and make them feel comfortable when they reach out for help is a top priority for me.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Farrell’s approach makes staff feel at ease when seeking technical support, knowing they can rely on him to be professional and responsive. His accessibility—whether by phone or in person—has made a lasting impact, with colleagues frequently expressing their appreciation for his willingness to help anytime, anywhere. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The award reinforces what Farrell values most in his work: building trust, fostering positive interactions, and ensuring that technology serves the people who rely on it every day. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Memorable and challenging projects&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of Farrell’s standout achievements is his leadership on the large-scale canteen project for MINNCOR. This complex initiative required relocating operations from Oak Park Heights to a new facility in Moose Lake. As part of the transition, Farrell oversaw the installation of 28 new machines, creating a seamless self-service system that allows incarcerated individuals to log in, scan items, and add purchases directly to their accounts—similar to a standard grocery store checkout experience. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A major undertaking for Farrell and the desktop support team, the project required extensive coordination with networking teams, technical specialists, and key leaders like Gretchen Wilson, who played a pivotal role in its implementation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It was a lot of work,” he said. “Some days, it felt like we were going above and beyond, but watching the project take shape from start to finish made it all worthwhile.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another notable moment in Farrell’s career came during the CrowdStrike outage, a major incident that disrupted systems across Minnesota and the globe. Farrell played a key role in restoring functionality at the Department of Corrections. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the usual fix didn’t work, Farrell found a workaround to get the computers running again, helping avoid delays and allowing DOC staff to get back to work without further disruptions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“That was a big one,” he recalled. “We were there from early morning until late at night but being able to problem-solve in real time and keep things running smoothly was incredibly rewarding.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finding purpose and building connections &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Farrell, the people he works with are his greatest motivation. He finds fulfillment in creating a positive and comfortable environment for those he supports, whether that means solving technical issues or simply brightening someone’s day. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Being able to come in, smile, and make others smile through my presence is a great thing,” he says. “The fact that people feel comfortable calling me when they need help means a lot. I want to provide that sense of ease and support however I can.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He also values the flexibility of his role, which allows him to work remotely when needed or quickly respond on-site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As for advice to others in the field, Farrell emphasizes the importance of authenticity and human connection. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Learn to be comfortable with being yourself,” he advises. “Being able to joke around in a professional manner and break the ice with people goes a long way in building relationships. Earning respect and trust makes the job easier and more rewarding for everyone involved.”&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>672865</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-03-14T21:15:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>When a State of Minnesota agency needs to buy technology for a particular purpose, they need to find out whether it presents any barriers to users with disabilities. This Part 1 article delves into why we have accessibility exceptions and how we determine whether an application requires one.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Exceptions at the State of Minnesota, Part 1</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility Exceptions</Subject><Subject>inaccessible technology</Subject><Subject>Minnesot&apos;a Digital Accessibility Standard</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Exceptions at the State of Minnesota, Part 1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A computer keyboard with a large key labeled &apos;Exception&apos; featuring a warning symbol in place of the traditional Enter key. This visually represents the concept of an accessibility exception, relevant to State of Minnesota agencies technology purchases that may create barriers for users with disabilities.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/exception-button-blog_tcm38-670478.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A computer keyboard with a large key labeled &apos;Exception&apos; featuring a warning symbol in place of the traditional Enter key. This visually represents the concept of an accessibility exception, relevant to State of Minnesota agencies technology purchases that may create barriers for users with disabilities.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/exception-button-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-670476.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-2 - Accessibility Exceptions at the State-Part 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-670471&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-26T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>When a State of Minnesota agency needs to buy technology for a particular purpose, they need to find out whether it presents any barriers to users with disabilities. This Part 1 article delves into why we have accessibility exceptions and how we determine whether an application requires one.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Part 1 delves into why we have exceptions and how we determine whether an application requires one.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;margin-bottom: 50px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content author&lt;/strong&gt;: Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like most states and other large organizations, the State of Minnesota buys a lot of its technology. We depend on a wide range of vendors to provide us with digital applications and services. They range from highly specialized apps, such as a laboratory tool, to Software as a Service (SaaS) tools (cloud-based model for delivering software applications over the internet) used by every state employee. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By state law, every one of these digital tools must be accessible – whether it is for use by a single state employee or by the general public. Our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;State&apos;s Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt; uses the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act&lt;/a&gt; to measure accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When a technology doesn’t meet our accessibility standard, agencies must file an Accessibility Exception.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identifying inaccessible technology&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When an agency needs to buy technology for a particular purpose, they need to find out whether it presents any barriers to users with disabilities. The quality of information depends on a variety of factors. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vendor may or may not have clear, credible, accessibility documentation, like an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), which is the completed version of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vendor may or may not provide a road map to address known/reported accessibility issues. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State employees may or may not get a demonstration from the vendor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State employees may or may not be able to test the technology in advance of the purchase.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If an agency gets all the above information, it should have a good idea of whether the technology is accessible. If an agency gets no information, it may have to assume it isn’t accessible until they have an opportunity to use it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s important to note that “accessible” doesn’t mean the technology must pass every single WCAG criteria with flying colors. Rather, there are two general, intertwined questions to ask:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Does the application enable people with disabilities to have an experience that is functionally equivalent to those experienced by people without disabilities?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Does the application present any barriers to users with disabilities? Examples of such barriers can include:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Key elements (such as a Submit button) are not accessible by keyboard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text or operable elements fail color contrast requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Form labels or other user interface components lack accessible names.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The agency can declare the application accessible if one of the following apply:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vendor provides a credible, thorough, ACR that shows there are no significant barriers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vendor’s ACR does identify some barriers, but 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They include a roadmap to fixing the barriers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They have a demonstrated commitment to fixing barriers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The agency has tested the application and found it accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In some cases, even with a credible ACR and a roadmap to fix known issues, the agency may still file a short-term exception with a plan to close it once the fixes are implemented.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In all other cases, the agency must file an exception to purchase the application. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exceptions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of an exception is to help the agency:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acknowledge that they are buying technology that may present barriers or great challenges to some users with disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accept the risk associated with the purchase.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the information to make plans to mitigate that risk.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, the agency must:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Take steps to ensure that any users will be able to accomplish the relevant task, whether through alternative means or equivalent facilitation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure that no employee’s job status will be negatively impacted by the application.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ideally, the agency should also work with the vendor to improve the product’s accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All exceptions have a time limit based on the level of risk it represents. The higher the risk, the shorter the exception period. Prior to expiration, the agency reviews the exception and determines whether to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Renew the exception at the same risk level.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Document a reduction in risk and renew for a longer period.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Document elimination of barriers and close the exception.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discontinue the app.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Future articles &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In part 2 of this ‘Accessibility Exceptions at the State’ series, we will examine how the state assigns the level of risk to exceptions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>670471</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-02-26T20:11:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Top 7 tips to make accounts and devices more secure</Description><Audience/><Title>Passwords and Passphrases: Protect your data online</Title><Publisher/><Subject>passwords</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>cyber security</Subject><Subject>password</Subject><Subject>password manager</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Passwords, passphrases, and password managers: Protect your data online</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person adding a circle to a long password with the text &quot;Use longer, stronger passwords.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/password-length-blog_tcm38-682064.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Locked computer with cyber criminal and viruses behind it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/password-tips_tcm38-500977.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-05 - Passwords and Passphrases: Protect your data online</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-500981&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-02-19T15:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn the Top 7 password tips from MNIT&apos;s security experts to help keep your online data and devices secure​​​​​​.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using strong passwords or passphrases help protect your online accounts from cyber criminals. Strong passwords/passphrases serve as the first line of defense for protecting your financial information, and sensitive or personal information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using weak, simple passwords for your work or personal accounts – or using the same password for multiple accounts – is like locking your front door but leaving the key in the lock. Weak, simple passwords are easy for cyber criminals to hack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What you can do&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use a strong, complex password or passphrase (with upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters) for each of your online accounts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use a unique password or passphrase for each of your online accounts. Don&apos;t reuse the same password for multiple accounts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use a long, complex password or passphrase for each of your online accounts. The longer it is, the harder it is for cyber criminals to guess. Each additional character increases the total number of possible combinations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn more:&lt;/strong&gt; Download and review this &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Passwords%20and%20Passphrases_tcm38-708144.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Passwords and Passphrases&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Passwords and Passphrases&quot;&gt;Passwords &amp;amp; Passphrases handout&lt;/a&gt; for helpful tips.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Seven tips to help keep your accounts and devices more secure:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 11px;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;1. Use a strong password or passphrase to protect each account and device. &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most people have social media, financial, and online accounts – bank, credit card, retail, and email – and multiple device accounts for phones, work laptops, home computers, and WiFi equipment, that require security protections. For each one, use a strong password or passphrase to protect access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A strong password&lt;/strong&gt; uses random words, numbers, and special characters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A strong passphrase&lt;/strong&gt; uses multiple random words, numbers, and special characters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2_tcm38-500983.png&quot; title=&quot;passwords-cyber-1&quot; alt=&quot;Green check box over a phone, laptop, tablet, and monitor displaying a lock icon.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;passwords-cyber-1&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Create non-personal passwords or passphrases.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people incorporate personal information like family names and dates into their passwords to make them easier to remember; but that’s not safe. With so much data available online, using personal information makes it easier for cyber attackers to hack those accounts quickly. Do not use passwords or passphrases that include personal data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/3_tcm38-500984.png&quot; title=&quot;passwords-cyber-2&quot; alt=&quot;Red X mark over three similar looking passwords.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;passwords-cyber-2&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Avoid using these common interests or local places in your password or passphrase:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Activities:&lt;/strong&gt; Hobbies and sports like fishing, kayaking, blading, or yoga aren’t that uncommon, and Pickleball is rising in use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Places:&lt;/strong&gt; Twin Cities, Duluth, Valleyfair, Mississippi, park names, and cities. Rome and other major cities are popular choices. Pick a random place that means something only to you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Teams, musicians, and people:&lt;/strong&gt; The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are used by 2 million people, and although the Twins and Vikings aren’t in the Top 10, they and Taylor Swift aren’t the best choices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://cybernews.com/best-password-managers/most-common-passwords/&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Check out the list of most common passwords for 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/7_tcm38-500987.png&quot; title=&quot;passwords-cyber-6&quot; alt=&quot;Red X mark over password &quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;passwords-cyber-6&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. Avoid using these common words or sequences:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Personal data:&lt;/strong&gt; Family or pet names and birthdates. The most used names include Eva, Alex, Anna, and Max with over 7 million people each using Eva and Alex.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Curse words:&lt;/strong&gt; The top-used curse word has over 26 million occurrences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seasons, months, days:&lt;/strong&gt; Summer, Friday, and May top out these unoriginal choices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Number/letter sequences and years:&lt;/strong&gt; 12345678 is no better than 123 or qwerty, your birth year, the year 2000, or the current year. Close to 10 million people alone use 2010.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Food and beverages:&lt;/strong&gt; Favorite foods and drinks are popular – with ice, tea, and pie in the Top 3.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/8_tcm38-500988.png&quot; title=&quot;passwords-cyber-7&quot; alt=&quot;Red X mark over common numbers and phrases in a word cloud.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;passwords-cyber-7&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. Use a password manager.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A reliable password manager can generate and store all your passwords and passphrases in one place. Then, you only need to remember one password – the one for the password manager. Check industry expert recommendations from recognized sources like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-password-manager/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CNET&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-password-managers&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;PC Magazine&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wired.com/story/best-password-managers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Wired&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/4_tcm38-500990.png&quot; title=&quot;passwords-cyber-3&quot; alt=&quot;Green check mark over a vault with hidden passwords.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;passwords-cyber-3&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6. Check for data breaches of your passwords or passphrases.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regularly look for verified, known exposures at &lt;a href=&quot;https://haveibeenpwned.com/&quot;&gt;https://haveibeenpwned.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/5_tcm38-500985.png&quot; title=&quot;passwords-cyber-4&quot; alt=&quot;Green check mark over secure passphrase with random words.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;passwords-cyber-4&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7. Immediately change passwords and passphrases involved in a known or suspected breach.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, change any passwords and passphrases that are similar. It’s faster to change passwords and passphrases now, than to resolve data exposure issues later.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/9_tcm38-500989.png&quot; title=&quot;passwords-cyber-8&quot; alt=&quot;Green check mark over person changing their password.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;passwords-cyber-8&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>500981</id><pubdate>2025-10-02T20:49:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Discover how to partner with the State of Minnesota at the MNIT IT Vendor Fair on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025! This event connects small businesses with state decision-makers, offering insights into IT contracting, certification, and procurement processes.</Description><Audience/><Title>Unlock IT Contract Opportunities with the State of Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Vendor Fair</Subject><Subject>IT Vendors</Subject><Subject>Small Businesses</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Unlock IT Contract Opportunities with the State of Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic with the text: &quot;IT Vendor Fair, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 6</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/it-vendor-fair-social-website_tcm38-666109.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic with two quote bubbles, indicating a vendor fair with the State of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/it-vendor-fair-social-website-thumb_tcm38-666111.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-1 - IT Vendor Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-666381&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-23T20:38:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Discover how to partner with the State of Minnesota at the MNIT IT Vendor Fair on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025! This event connects small businesses with state decision-makers, offering insights into IT contracting, certification, and procurement processes.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mngov.ecenterdirect.com/events/2079&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT IT Vendor Fair&lt;/a&gt; on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025! Hosted by Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/oep/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Equity in Procurement (OEP)&lt;/a&gt;, this event helps small businesses understand the IT contracting process and connect directly with state decision-makers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Event details: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; 1-4 p.m. (Sign-in begins at 12:45 p.m.), Thursday, Feb. 6 &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/psfdknTancB8Stay7&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Stassen Building, Skjegstad Room (#2000), 600 N. Robert Street, Saint Paul, MN 55146 &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What to expect: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make connections:&lt;/strong&gt; Talk directly with MNIT managers, technical experts, procurement, and equity staff. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Presentations:&lt;/strong&gt; Learn about important topics such as: &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understanding the certification and Equity Select processes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How MNIT collaborates with certified small businesses. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Registering for &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/business/mnsite/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNSITE&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tips for responding to contract solicitations, accessibility questions, and more. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; Take the first step toward partnering with the State of Minnesota and learn directly from the experts! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IT Vendor Fair Agenda&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presentation Room – Room 2010&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1:30 PM – Department of Administration Presentation: &lt;/strong&gt;Learn about becoming a vendor with the State and the benefits of being a certified vendor under the Small Business Procurement program.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2:30 PM – Digital Accessibility Presentation: &lt;/strong&gt;Gain insights into digital accessibility requirements for the State of Minnesota and what vendors need to know to be successful.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3:15 PM – MNSITE Presentation: &lt;/strong&gt;Discover how the &lt;strong&gt;MNSITE (Minnesota Seeking IT Expertise) Program&lt;/strong&gt; serves as a preferred procurement method for securing highly skilled consultants through a fast and intuitive process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3:45 PM – Contracting Tips and Best Practice&lt;/strong&gt;s: Learn strategies to strengthen your proposals and increase your chances of securing a contract.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Networking Room – Skjegstad (Room 2000)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1:00 – 4:00 PM – Networking and Exhibits&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connect with State of Minnesota IT leaders and technical professionals to explore contracting opportunities. Representatives will include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT Chief Business Technology Officers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT Procurement Team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT Security Team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT MNGeo Team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT Enterprise Services Team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MN Office of Accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Additional State representatives&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility:&lt;/strong&gt; If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:ADA.MNIT@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s ADA Coordinator&lt;/a&gt; by Jan. 23, 2025. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Register now:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mngov.ecenterdirect.com/events/2079&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Select this link to register&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can’t make it to the IT Vendor Fair? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested in opportunities beyond just state IT? Check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmngov.ecenterdirect.com%2Fevents%2F2067&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7CNate.Barber%40state.mn.us%7C9545c72d26f444dac98a08dd37427375%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638727480712963649%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=45fMWa9UIv1md2LmXU7NkLxfkr%2Fa9KK9bL8PSkIKsUo%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;7th Annual State Procurement Opportunity Fair&lt;/a&gt;, hosted by the Department of Administration. It’s on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://g.co/kgs/K41iQtt&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MnDOT Training and Conference Centers in Shoreview, MN&lt;/a&gt;. This event offers another opportunity to connect with state procurement representatives from all state agencies and to learn about upcoming opportunities. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>666381</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-01-31T21:26:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>The 2024 Technology Advisory Council Report Highlights Key Achievements and Recommendations for Advancing Technology in Minnesota </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Technology Advisory Council Issues Report  </Title><Publisher/><Subject>About MNIT</Subject><Subject>About Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Subject>TAC</Subject><Subject>Report</Subject><Subject>Council</Subject><Subject>Technology Advisory Council</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Technology Advisory Council Issues Report  </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Report open on a desk next to a keyboard. The text reads: &quot;Report of the Technology Advisory Council, January 23, 2025&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2024-tac-report-blog_tcm38-666043.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Report open on a desk next to a keyboard. The text reads: &quot;Report of the Technology Advisory Council, January 23, 2025&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2024-tac-report-blog-thumbnail%20-%20Copy_tcm38-666044.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2025 -01-23-TAC Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-666040&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-23T18:40:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>The 2024 Technology Advisory Council Report Highlights Key Achievements and Recommendations for Advancing Technology in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;!--EndFragment--&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;The 2024 Technology Advisory Council Report Highlights Key Achievements and Recommendations for Advancing Technology in Minnesota &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;January 23, 2025 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/committees/tac.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2024 Technology Advisory Council&lt;/a&gt; (TAC) report has been released, showcasing significant accomplishments and providing strategic recommendations to advance technology and accessibility for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The report underscores key achievements by Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and other agencies, including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enhancing digital government services:&lt;/strong&gt; MNIT remains committed to improving service delivery, agility, and user experience, aligning with its vision of creating people-centered digital government solutions. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prioritizing data sharing:&lt;/strong&gt; A new data-sharing subcommittee was established to enhance data interoperability across state agencies, enabling better decision-making and more streamlined public services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Promoting responsible AI:&lt;/strong&gt; MNIT, through the Transparent Artificial Intelligence Governance Alliance (TAIGA), is leading efforts to establish ethical AI guidelines and foster collaborative AI regulation. Key 2024 milestones include hiring Minnesota’s first AI Director and forming the AI Leads working group. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking to 2025, the TAC’s recommendations focus on supporting responsible AI adoption, expanding customer experience best practices, fostering data sharing across state agencies, strengthening cybersecurity measures, and accelerating modernization efforts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;The council collaborated to develop recommendations that will transform how Minnesota’s agencies leverage technology, including artificial intelligence, to better serve the State of Minnesota,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; said Rick King, TAC Chair. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;These recommendations highlight the importance of continuous commitment to the strategic use of AI, enhancing the customer experience, cybersecurity, and advancing modernization efforts to ensure state services remain secure, effective, and accessible.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The TAC, comprised of public and private sector leaders, provides expert guidance to MNIT and other state agencies on technology innovation and solutions to meet the state’s needs. The council meets monthly and welcomes public engagement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are incredibly thankful to TAC Chair Rick King, Vice Chair Vince Cabansag, and all TAC members for their unwavering commitment and expertise,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Tarek Tomes, State Chief Information Officer. &lt;strong&gt;“Their continued collaboration is instrumental in driving progress in technology, cybersecurity, and modernization for the State of Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,800 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010101948e678ea5-27fc622f-a8b8-4957-be63-38c4b68080a3-000000/tU-H-yQaGYstqChNaptg5snXArx2k-g-7ySkiid47BQ=389&quot; href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010101948e678ea5-27fc622f-a8b8-4957-be63-38c4b68080a3-000000/tU-H-yQaGYstqChNaptg5snXArx2k-g-7ySkiid47BQ=389&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>666040</id><pubdate>2025-01-23T21:26:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn how to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in presentations and webinars with audio description. Discover how to incorporate audio description into your presentations and webinars to ensure they are accessible to all audiences, including those who use assistive technology. </Description><Audience/><Title>A Guide to Audio Description for Inclusive Presentations and Webinars </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Audio Description</Subject><Subject>AD</Subject><Subject>Accessible presentations</Subject><Subject>Accessible webinars</Subject><Subject>Accessible meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>A Guide to Audio Description for Inclusive Presentations and Webinars</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A laptop screen shows a presentation titled &quot;Accessibility Matters&quot; with a cartoon woman standing on a stage in front of an audience. A speech bubble with &quot;AD&quot; and sound waves indicates audio description. The audio description reads &quot;describer: A cartoon woman gives a presentation.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/AD-blog_tcm38-666096.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A laptop screen shows a presentation titled &quot;Accessibility Matters&quot; with a cartoon woman standing on a stage in front of an audience. A speech bubble with &quot;AD&quot; and sound waves indicates audio description. The audio description reads &quot;describer: A cartoon woman gives a presentation.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/AD-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-666098.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-1 - A Guide to Audio Description for Inclusive Presentations and Webinars</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-666047&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-23T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Discover how to incorporate audio description into your presentations and webinars to ensure they are accessible to all audiences, including those who use assistive technology. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn how to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in presentations and webinars with audio description</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;margin-bottom: 50px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content author&lt;/strong&gt;: Lolly Lijewski, former Digital Accessibility Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Audio description (AD) is essential in making visual content accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision. By offering spoken narration of visual elements—such as facial expressions, body language, settings, and actions—AD ensures full engagement with multimedia presentations. We have previously covered paying attention to your audio to create a more inclusive way to communicate and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/560867&quot;&gt;techniques to make visuals heard&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this article, we&apos;ll explore when to hire a professional to produce AD and when to self-produce AD, focusing on best practices for self-produced AD in virtual events.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Audio Description &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AD is defined in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/ict/#E103.4&quot;&gt;Section 508 standards within Section E103.4&lt;/a&gt;, as “Narration added to the soundtrack to describe important visual details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone.&quot;  It informs individuals who are blind or who have low vision about visual content essential for comprehension. This includes actions, characters, scene changes, on-screen text, and other visual elements. AD supplements the regular audio track of a program, typically added during pauses in dialogue. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Professional AD services are commonly used for movies, television, and complex visual content. However, accessible experiences can also be created for meetings or webinars. These experiences can be self-produced. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Self-produced AD &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In some situations, the presenter can handle audio description when the content is straightforward, and the visual elements are simple. In these cases, the focus is on providing clear, concise descriptions of the visuals, with minimal preparation required to ensure accessibility. This applies to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Presentations and webinars: When leading a meeting or webinar with mostly slides or basic charts, the presenter can describe visuals on the spot. Brief but clear verbal descriptions of key images, graphs, or video clips ensure full understanding. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Casual events with limited visuals: For presentations with minimal multimedia, such as a few images or text-based slides, the presenter can incorporate AD during the presentation without extensive planning.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tips for self-produced AD &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are practical tips to enhance the accessibility of presentations and webinars through AD: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Plan ahead and be prepared &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Identify key visuals&lt;/strong&gt;: Review the presentation slides or visual content beforehand and identify the elements that need to be described. Focus on visuals that convey essential information or provide context. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Write brief descriptions&lt;/strong&gt;: For more complex visuals, write short descriptions you can smoothly incorporate during the presentation. This helps avoid pauses and ensures all key details are covered. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Describe visuals clearly and concisely &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be specific&lt;/strong&gt;: Avoid vague terms. Offer descriptions that explain what the chart or image represents, like “This bar graph shows the increase in sales over the last quarter, with a significant spike in July.&quot; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be succinct&lt;/strong&gt;: Descriptions should be clear but brief to avoid overwhelming the audience. Focus on the most important visual elements without excessive detail. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Integrate descriptions naturally &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Incorporate descriptions into the narrative&lt;/strong&gt;: Blend descriptions into the presentation seamlessly, avoiding interruptions. Briefly mention visuals in the script while maintaining a smooth delivery. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use pauses effectively&lt;/strong&gt;: Allow enough time between descriptions and main content for everyone to process the information. A small pause ensures understanding before continuing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. Use clear and descriptive language &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be precise&lt;/strong&gt;: Use clear language to describe colors, shapes, and actions, such as “a blue and green gradient background that mimics a sky at dusk.&quot; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Describe actions and expressions&lt;/strong&gt;: When describing video content, mention facial expressions or body language, such as “The speaker smiles as they introduce the topic” or “The person points to a graph with the word &apos;increase&apos; beside it.&quot; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5. Consider timing &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay in sync&lt;/strong&gt;: For videos or animations, align descriptions with the visuals. Provide a moment of pause before continuing to ensure the audience has time to process. For example, “Now the chart transitions to show the sales for the last six months.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use brief pauses&lt;/strong&gt;: Pause before describing an image to allow participants to absorb the description without feeling rushed. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6. Provide resources: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Embed text: When sharing the presentation with the audience, embed the text of the description in the slides so screen reader users can follow along. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7. Test your setup and tools &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check your audio settings: Ensure the microphone and sound levels are optimal. Poor audio quality can reduce the effectiveness of AD. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use accessible platforms: Confirm the webinar platform accommodates screen readers, captions, and support for audio description if necessary. Platforms offering live transcription or captioning enhance accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8. Engage with your audience &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask for feedback: After the presentation or webinar, seek feedback from attendees on the helpfulness of the AD. This allows for future improvements. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Professional AD &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Professional AD is best for complex content or situations where visuals are essential for understanding. Professionals offer polished and seamless audio descriptions, ensuring accuracy, appropriate timing, and smooth integration with content. Professional AD should be considered for: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Films, documentaries, or complex visual media&lt;/strong&gt;: Detailed visuals, such as those in movies or high-impact videos, often require professional AD to ensure high-quality, accurate descriptions. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Large-scale productions&lt;/strong&gt;: In events like conferences or theatrical performances with intricate visual details (e.g., lighting, stage design, costumes, expressions), professionals ensure comprehensive descriptions that make the content accessible. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility compliance&lt;/strong&gt;: When events must meet legal or organizational accessibility standards (e.g., ADA, Section 508), professionals can ensure the event meets compliance and quality standards. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conclusion &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accuracy is crucial&lt;/strong&gt;: Whether the AD is self-produced or professional, ensure the descriptions are accurate, concise, and objective.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consider the audience&lt;/strong&gt;: Tailor descriptions to meet the specific needs of the audience.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Integrate descriptions seamlessly&lt;/strong&gt;: Incorporate AD into the presentation without disrupting its flow. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Follow guidelines&lt;/strong&gt;: Adhere to accessibility standards when creating AD.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>666047</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-01-22T18:01:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Reflect on 2024’s key advancements in digital accessibility and prepare for an even more inclusive future. 2024 brought significant changes in digital accessibility, impacting how Minnesota government agencies deliver accessible content. Explore a curated list of monthly topics, including updates to accessibility guidelines, practical tips, and WCAG 2.1 insights. </Description><Audience/><Title>2024 Reflections: A Year in Review</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>2024 Year in Review</Subject><Subject>Inclusion</Subject><Subject>Office of Accessibility Year in Review</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Update</Subject><Subject>Department of Justice ADA Title II Update</Subject><Subject>DOJ ADA Title II Update</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>2024 Reflections: A Year in Review</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The 12 months of the year arranged in a grid. February, June, October, and November are circled to emphasize them</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/calendar-blog_tcm38-666097.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The 12 months of the year arranged in a grid. February, June, October, and November are circled to emphasize them</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/calendar-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-666099.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-1 - 2024 Reflections: A Year in Review</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-666048&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-23T12:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>2024 brought significant changes in digital accessibility, impacting how Minnesota government agencies deliver accessible content. Explore a curated list of monthly topics, including updates to accessibility guidelines, practical tips, and WCAG 2.1 insights. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Reflect on 2024’s key advancements in digital accessibility and prepare for an even more inclusive future.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;margin-bottom:50px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content author&lt;/strong&gt;: Office of Accessibility &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What year! A common expression when reflecting each January. But it rings true again for 2024, especially in the realm of digital accessibility. Two important standard updates impacted Minnesota government agencies and how they will provide accessible digital content to Minnesota residents:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Standard update&lt;/a&gt; (enacted July 1, 2024) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-publish-final-rule-strengthen-web-and-mobile-app-access-people&quot;&gt;US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II rule&lt;/a&gt; (announced April 2024) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because of these important changes, we tailored our monthly newsletter content to these updates and their impacts. And have compiled the list for reference. Grab your favorite beverage and get ready to dive in!  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And as you review these again, or read them for the first time, bookmark the articles for future reference. Then make sure to &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;sign up to receive future newsletters&lt;/a&gt; with even more digital accessibility content sent to your inbox each month. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;February Topic: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/610208&quot;&gt;Update to State Web Content Accessibility Guidelines&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;June Topic (1): &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/626956:~:text=Minnesota%E2%80%99s%20Commitment%20to%20UX%2C%20CX%2C%20HCD%2C%20%26%20A11y&quot;&gt;GAAD Recap: Minnesota’s Commitment to UX, CX, HCD, &amp;amp; A11y section&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;June Topic (2): &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/627481&quot;&gt;Update to State of Minnesota’s Course for eLearning Accessible Word Document Training&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;October Topic (1): &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650170&quot;&gt;Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 1: Microsoft Word &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;October Topic (2): &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650174&quot;&gt;Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 2: Adobe Acrobat Pro&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;November Topic: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/653553&quot;&gt;Update to ADA’s Title II &lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collection of OoA &apos;WCAG 2.1 - Improving Digital Accessibility&apos; Articles&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you review these again, or read them for the first time, bookmark the articles for future reference. Then make sure to &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;sign up to receive future newsletters&lt;/a&gt; with even more digital accessibility content sent to your inbox each month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.3.4 Orientation&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-530231&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;5 Very Simple Steps You Can Take for Accessibility Improvement&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/600376&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Makes Maps Easier to Use&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.4.10 Reflow&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - We have three articles on this criterion:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/584554&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Oh Snap! Startling Discoveries When You Reflow Your PDF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/538604&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Easy Read that will Demystify Tables, Reflow, and Magnification&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/641673&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Understanding WCAG 2.1’s Success Criteria 1.4.10 Reflow&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - We have two articles on this criterion:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/544858&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;More Attractive, Engaging, Accessible: How to Use Color with Intention&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/534351&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;How to Improve Non-text Contrast: Color Schemes and Interface Components&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.4.12 Text Spacing&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/600376&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Makes Maps Easier to Use&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - We have two articles on this criterion:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/607342&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Data Visualization with WCAG 2.1: Content on Hover or Focus, and Pointer Gestures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/584530&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility of Web Applications: 1.4.13 and 4.1.3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/604881&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Developer Tips: Character Key Shortcuts and Label in Name&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.5.1 Pointer Gestures&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/607342&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Data Visualization with WCAG 2.1: Content on Hover or Focus, and Pointer Gestures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/640722&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1&apos;s Success Criteria for Pointer Cancellation: What is a Click?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.5.3 Label in Name&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/604881&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Developer Tips: Character Key Shortcuts and Label in Name&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.5.4 Motion Actuation&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/index.jsp?id=38-643133&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1&apos;s Success Criteria for Motion Actuation: Don&apos;t rely on sensors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.1.3 Status Messages&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/584530&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility of Web Applications: 1.4.13 and 4.1.3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have an accessibility topic you’d like us to cover? &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;Email us&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>666048</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-01-22T18:01:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Five tips to avoid falling for a phishing scam</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A fishing hook on top on a keyboard with a key labeled &quot;Phishing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/phishing-1200x500_tcm38-246680.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A fishing hook on top on a keyboard with a key labeled &quot;Phishing.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/phishing-300x300_tcm38-246679.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2025-01 - 5 Tips to Avoid Falling For Phishing Scams</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-246678&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-22T19:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Phishing has been around for almost as long as the internet, and is an unnervingly common way for cyber criminals to obtain sensitive data from private individuals and organizations. Phishing is designed to lure you in with email attachments and fake websites, leaving you and your information vulnerable. Here are 5 ways you can protect yourself.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phishing is a common way for cyber criminals to obtain sensitive data from private individuals and organizations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phishing messages (as well as spear phishing and smishing) are designed to look legitimate so they can lure you in with malicious attachments and links, or trick you into revealing your password, Social Security number, credit card or bank account numbers – leaving you and your information vulnerable. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once cyber criminals have your personal information, they can use it on legitimate sites to make purchases, change accounts or passwords, and run malicious software, also known as malware.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than 90 percent of successful cyberattacks start with a phishing email, according to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cisa.gov/shields-guidance-families&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity &amp;amp; Infrastructure Security Agency&lt;/a&gt; (CISA). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What to know about phishing, spear phishing, and smishing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scammers send various types of messages that appear to be from legitimate sources, such as banks, retailers, or government agencies, to create a sense of urgency or to trick people into clicking on malicious links, calling fraudulent numbers, or providing personal details. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Phishing&lt;/strong&gt; is a type of online scam that targets a large group of consumers by sending them an e-mail that appears to be from a well-known source.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Spear phishing&lt;/strong&gt; is an online scam where cyber criminals target a specific user to steal information or compromise the device of that person. Spear phishing are more direct and personal phishing emails.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Smishing&lt;/strong&gt; is a type of phishing scam that uses text (or SMS) messages to trick people into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Five ways to protect yourself&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;It is safe for you to open emails and texts to read them. It&apos;s what you do next that can be concerning and lead to identity theft, malware, or ransomware. With each email and text you receive:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Stop and question it&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pause and take a minute to review the content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify whether the message is from a known or trusted source.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you weren&apos;t expecting the email or text and it directs you to click on a link or open an attachment, be suspicious and don&apos;t react right away. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Examine it&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Look through the message for potential attack strategies in use. For example, does it include a threat, creates a sense of urgency, offers a discount or something for free, or wants you share personal information (Social Security number, bank account, credit card numbers), wire money, or codes for gift cards.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Before you open attachments or select links, hover the cursor over the text of the hyperlink to reveal the full URL. This should help you determine if it is a legitimate link or a link to something malicious. If you aren&apos;t sure, don&apos;t click it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Look for indications something isn&apos;t right. Check the sender&apos;s name and their email address. If they don&apos;t match, it could be phishing. For example, if you receive an email from what looks like your bank, but the email address is from a gmail account, it likely isn&apos;t legitimate. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Don&apos;t respond immediately&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cyber criminals want you to react immediately. Don&apos;t fall for it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don&apos;t click on links, open attachments, or provide any information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Never provide passwords, sensitive information, or financial data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. Verify it&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the message looks like it’s from someone you know, call or message the sender separately to verify. Don&apos;t reply to the email – you could be replying to the cyber criminal.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the message looks like it’s from a trusted organization such as your bank or credit card company, call them using contact information on their official website or your bank statement. Don&apos;t use the phone number or contact information in the suspicious email.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. Report it and delete it&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Report suspicious emails or text messages by using the “Report phishing” or “Report spam” feature in your account and then delete the message. Many email platforms, including Gmail, Outlook, and Mac Mail, have phishing report features.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact the Federal Trade Commission at &lt;a href=&quot;http://ftc.gov&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ftc.gov&lt;/a&gt; for security incident and identity theft resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Useful resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stay%20cyber%20smart%20-%20Recognize%20and%20report%20phishing_tcm38-710075.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Recognize and report phishing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stay cyber smart - Recognize and report phishing&quot;&gt;how to recognize and report phishing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use this &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Phishing%20information_tcm38-707940.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Phishing information&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Phishing information&quot;&gt;Phishing Awareness handout&lt;/a&gt; to learn about common strategies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use this &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Phishing%20Attack%20Prevention%20Handout_tcm38-707303.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Phishing Attack Prevention Handout&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Phishing Attack Prevention Handout&quot;&gt;Phishing Attack Prevention handout&lt;/a&gt; for email action steps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Think you can spot the phishing email? Test your skills with the short Minnesota IT Services &lt;a title=&quot;Take the Phishing Quiz&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/statefair/quiz-phishing/&quot;&gt;Phishing Quiz&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Bonus cybersecurity tips&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be smart about passwords:&lt;/strong&gt; Use long, strong passwords or passphrases for each of your online accounts – bank, email, credit card, online stores, healthcare, etc. Use a unique password or passphrase for each account – don&apos;t use the same one for multiple accounts and don&apos;t make them all similar. To help you keep track of them, use a password manager.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keep your software updated:&lt;/strong&gt; Software updates often contain critical security patches that protect you from cyber criminals exploiting security vulnerabilities in the software. Set your computer and/or mobile device to auto-update to keep your devices current, and to protect your devices and sensitive data.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>246678</id><pubdate>2025-10-18T01:25:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>View the 2023 Minnesota IT Services Annual Report</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report</Title><Publisher/><Subject>annual report</Subject><Subject>Annual Report</Subject><Subject>About MNIT</Subject><Subject>About Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report Available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A desktop with office supplies and a copy of MNIT&apos;s 2024 Annual Report.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual-Report-2024-Cover-Blog_tcm38-665864.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A desktop with office supplies and a copy of MNIT&apos;s 2024 Annual Report.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual-Report-2024-Cover-Blog-Thumbnail_tcm38-665865.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2025 - 01 - 21 - Annual Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-665861&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2025-01-21T14:54:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2024.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;January 21, 2025&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;(Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has released its 2024 Annual Report, showcasing the agency&apos;s significant progress in leveraging technology to enhance services for Minnesotans. By aligning strategic investments with modernization goals, MNIT has driven improvements across the executive branch that impact real lives throughout the state. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The report highlights key initiatives, including projects funded through the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF). These funds have been instrumental in supporting agencies as they modernize outdated systems and deliver enhanced services. The report also emphasizes MNIT&apos;s ongoing commitment to cybersecurity, core IT services, and innovation—demonstrating how operational work transforms technology into meaningful outcomes for Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s achievements reflect strong collaboration between the agency and its partners across state government. This year’s report underscores the role of technology in building a stronger, more connected Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2024-annual-report.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Select this link&lt;/a&gt; for more information and to view the full report.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>665861</id><pubdate>2025-01-21T20:02:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn how Artificial Intelligence is impacting the future of Assistive Technology </Description><Audience/><Title>The Future of Assistive Technology – Where Are We Going? </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>Artificial Intelligence</Subject><Subject>AI</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Future of Assistive Technology – Where Are We Going? </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A robotic hand with palm facing upward creating a futuristic, tech-oriented theme. Surrounding the robotic hand are interconnected icons and symbols, including a brain, lightbulb, a globe, and gears, symbolizing AI, innovation, data and technology.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Assisstive%20Technology%20and%20AI_blog_tcm38-661472.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A robotic hand holds tech symbols like a brain, lightbulb, graphs, and gears, symbolizing AI, innovation, data, and global connectivity.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Assisstive%20Technology%20and%20AI_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-661471.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024- 12 -Future of Assistive Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-661415&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-18T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this article we explore an area of Assistive Technology (AT) that is bringing exciting improvements for the future that can be life-changing for people with disabilities. Learn about this positive impact, along with how it benefits everyone when assistive technology evolves.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn how Artificial Intelligence is impacting the future of Assistive Technology </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Understanding what Assistive Technology is ​&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we consider the future of assistive technology (AT), we need to define it first. AT is any item (device, software, or tool) that helps someone with a disability or functional limitation increase their independence.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Different types of AT can assist a person in a variety of areas:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​For a person with physical limitations, a specialized keyboard can make the task of typing easier.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​For a person who is blind, a screen reader may allow them to use their computer.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​For a person who is hard of hearing, captioning may allow them more inclusion in a meeting. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​AT and AI &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​One area of AT that has seen great and exciting improvements is artificial intelligence (AI). The term “artificial intelligence” was introduced in 1955 but has become popular in the last decade due to deep learning breakthroughs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Today we all benefit from, or actively use AI in our daily lives. We leveraged it to provide this article! If you stream movies through an online provider, have you wondered how it recommends movies for you?  Those tools use a form of AI called Machine Learning (ML). Have you asked virtual assistants (like smart home devices) where the nearest coffee shop is? Both use AI Natural Language Processing (NLP). Computer Vision is another example of AI that provides facial recognition on your phone, or can detect a tumor in an X-ray.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Positive Impacts for People with Disabilities &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​These are just a few examples of how we use AI. For many of us it is very convenient. For a person with a disability, AI can be life changing. Here are some examples of how this is currently happening. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​John was recently diagnosed with ALS and over time he will lose his ability speak. As his disease progresses, it is important to John that his voice is still heard. He is currently working with his Speech Language Pathologist to “bank” his voice. Voice banking is a process that allows individuals to record and preserve their voice for future use. AI plays a central role in capturing, processing, and reproducing natural sounding, personalized speech. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Amir is legally blind and is grateful for the AT that he uses in his daily life. One tool that he uses is a pair of specialized AI-powered glasses. The eyewear provides real-time audio descriptions of visual information such as printed text on his mail or an email on his computer. Additionally, the glasses can tell him what his shirt looks like or let him know who walked into the room. With a wrist movement it will tell him the time of day. If he holds money in front of the glasses, they tell him the value of the bill. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Ellen is a professional who has dyslexia. Through the years she has struggled to write reports, draft emails, and take notes during meetings. Through the use of AI, today Ellen is able to perform these tasks without the frustration she previously faced. Built-in features in Microsoft 365 such as Microsoft Editor include spelling and grammar correction tools, and refinement tools for clarity, conciseness, punctuation conventions and vocabulary. Additionally, she can have the computer read the text aloud to her. While attending Microsoft Teams meetings she uses the transcribe feature, which captures everything spoken. This allows Ellen to focus on the content knowing that she can access the transcript later as a notes tool. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​What’s next? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Self-driving vehicles! Minnesota has an exciting project called goMARTI – Minnesota’s Autonomous Rural Transit Initiative. This self-driving shuttle pilot program has three ADA-compliant vehicles that use data from cameras, radar, GPS, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging remote sensing technology) to understand their current environment. Additionally, goMARTI can recognize and respond to pedestrians, vehicles, and other obstacles. The shuttle can make decisions regarding lane changes and turns without human intervention. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Another cutting-edge AI tool in development is the humanoid robot. Dr. Arshia Khan from the University of Minnesota Duluth has conducted a number of clinical trials at nursing homes throughout the U.S. using humanoid robots to enhance delivery of care in persons affected with Alzheimer’s and related dementia. The robots can facilitate social interactions, stimulate group activities, administer therapies, assist with physical and emotional wellbeing. Dr. Khan’s work demonstrates that humanoid robots can be help patients stay independent longer.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Challenges &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​These are just a few examples of AI’s current and potential impacts. It is important to remember even though AI can provide many benefits for people with disabilities, there are also potential challenges. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility barriers may exist&lt;/strong&gt;. Some of the tech may have touchscreens, small fonts, or require mouse use that can prevent some users with motor, visual or cognitive disabilities. Additionally, algorithms may reinforce social biases which can make the tool less helpful or discriminatory. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​&lt;strong&gt;Some AI systems make decisions or assumptions on behalf of users which can cause over-automation&lt;/strong&gt;. For example, a navigation system may reroute someone with a mobility impairment based on an assumption about their ability. It may route them to avoid stairs where their personal preference may be a shorter route with assistance. The AI tool may oversimplify by eliminating advanced features, assuming they are “too complex” for someone with a disability rather than allowing the person to choose. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​&lt;strong&gt;Cost can be a factor as many AI-powered tools carry a hefty price tag&lt;/strong&gt;. We also know that a digital divide exists. Some people may have limited or no access to the internet, newer technology, or tech training which may make using AI difficult or impossible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​&lt;strong&gt;Another major concern is privacy and security&lt;/strong&gt;. AI tools are usually cloud based and we must limit sharing private, personal data. Insecure systems may leave the user vulnerable to data breaches, misuse of information or exposure to unwanted marketing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Considerations when incorporating AI with AT &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​As we think about the future of AI as a tool for people with disabilities it is important that inclusive design and ethical considerations are at the forefront. Even more importantly, there must be active involvement of the disability community in the development of the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>661415</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-18T18:24:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Cory Stubbendick, MNIT CBTO at the Minnesota Department of Revenue, received the 2024 Golden GOVIT Individual Leader Award for his leadership in modernizing technology, improving services for Minnesotans, and driving innovation in government IT.</Description><Audience/><Title>Cory Stubbendick Wins 2024 Golden GOVIT Individual Leader Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>2024 GOVIT Awards</Subject><Subject>Awards</Subject><Subject>Leadership</Subject><Subject>Individual Leader Award</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cory Stubbendick Wins 2024 Golden GOVIT Individual Leader Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Golden GOVIT Awards feature image with trophy</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/golden-gov-it-awards-blog-feature_tcm38-604960.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Blog thumbnail for GOVIT Awards</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29_tcm38-604956.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 12 - MNIT Awards @ 2024 Government IT (GOVIT) Symposium</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-657973&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-03T17:08:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Cory Stubbendick, MNIT CBTO at the Minnesota Department of Revenue, received the 2024 Golden GOVIT Individual Leader Award for his leadership in modernizing technology, improving services for Minnesotans, and driving innovation in government IT.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations to Cory Stubbendick, MNIT Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) at the Minnesota Department of Revenue (MDOR), for receiving the 2024 Golden GOVIT Individual Leader Award! This honor recognizes Cory’s contributions to modernizing the state&apos;s digital infrastructure and improving services for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cory%20Stubbendick%20GovIT%20Award_tcm38-657974.png&quot; title=&quot;Cory Stubbendick GovIT Award&quot; alt=&quot;Cory Stubbendick GovIT Award&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Cory Stubbendick GovIT Award&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cory’s leadership has helped transform how the state develops and manages technology, with a focus on flexibility and sustainable solutions that meet the needs of Minnesotans. His collaborative approach, coupled with his commitment to resource efficiency, has driven improvements in state operations and supported long-term goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Golden GOVIT Awards celebrate leaders who drive innovation, inspire collaboration, and champion professional growth in government technology. Cory’s transformative contributions have set a high standard for excellence and service delivery in public sector IT.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>657973</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-01-27T20:24:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>New requirement mandating public agencies report cyber incidents went into effect Dec. 1</Description><Audience/><Title>Release: ​Minnesota Strengthens Cyber Defenses with New Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Press release</Subject><Subject>CIR</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law</Subject><Subject>Cyber defense</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Release: ​Minnesota Strengthens Cyber Defenses with New Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop computer open to the landing page with a form for reporting cybersecurity incidents to the state of Minnesota.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cybersecurity_Incident_Reporting-blog_tcm38-656508.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop computer open to the landing page with a form for reporting cybersecurity incidents to the state of Minnesota.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cybersecurity_Incident_Reporting-blog-thumb_tcm38-656509.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 11 - Press Release for New Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Law (CIR)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-656504&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-12-02T17:11:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota&apos;s new cybersecurity incident reporting law, effective Dec. 1, 2024, enhances the state’s ability to detect, respond to, and prevent cyber threats, safeguarding critical systems and services statewide.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>New requirement mandating public agencies report cyber incidents went into effect Dec. 1</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MINN&lt;/strong&gt; — As part of ongoing efforts to combat rising cyber threats targeting the public sector, a new &lt;a title=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fabout-mnit%2Fsecurity%2Fcir%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/uapCdhr41IgHxW0rYX-Xszog2J7WAcgUcsa7U72RHFM=380&quot; href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fabout-mnit%2Fsecurity%2Fcir%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/uapCdhr41IgHxW0rYX-Xszog2J7WAcgUcsa7U72RHFM=380&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;cybersecurity incident reporting requirement&lt;/a&gt; went into effect on Dec. 1, 2024. This landmark legislation mandates that public agencies and affiliated entities report cybersecurity incidents to Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), enhancing the state’s ability to detect, respond to, and mitigate cyber threats. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Signed into law in May 2024 by Governor Tim Walz, the cybersecurity incident reporting law underscores Minnesota’s commitment to safeguarding its data, systems, and networks. By establishing a clear reporting process, the law strengthens the state’s collective cybersecurity posture and improves its overall resilience against evolving cyber-attacks. The &lt;a title=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fabout-mnit%2Fsecurity%2Fcir%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/2/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/EuBsq2a-Sqo-wciwXhgvr3DNthL4QcqqX86uliwhVZA=380&quot; href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fabout-mnit%2Fsecurity%2Fcir%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/2/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/EuBsq2a-Sqo-wciwXhgvr3DNthL4QcqqX86uliwhVZA=380&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;reporting form and instructions&lt;/a&gt; were made available on Sept. 30, 2024, as required by the statute.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Active participation is vital to strengthening the State of Minnesota’s defenses,”&lt;/strong&gt; said John Israel, Chief Information Security Officer. &lt;strong&gt;“We appreciate the cooperation of organizations statewide as we work together to build a more secure future.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The new cybersecurity incident reporting law has garnered widespread support from leaders across Minnesota, including those in K-12 education. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Eric Simmons, Director of Technology at Stillwater Area Public Schools, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, &lt;strong&gt;&quot;Minnesota&apos;s cybersecurity incident reporting law highlights the critical collaboration between MNIT and school districts to combat growing cyber threats. Schools are prime attack targets, yet many lack the resources to respond effectively. This law supports all districts by fostering partnerships, enhancing communication, and prioritizing resources to safeguard students, staff, and educational services.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Anthony Padrnos, Executive Director of Technology of Osseo Area Schools, echoed his sentiment.&lt;strong&gt; &quot;I applaud Minnesota&apos;s new cyber incident reporting law as an important step in fostering collaboration among government entities to combat cyber threats in Minnesota.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ensuring our state&apos;s critical infrastructure, including K-12 schools, can share and access vital security information is essential. This law empowers schools and agencies to act swiftly and effectively, strengthening protections against cyber threat actors and safeguarding the communities we serve.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Enhanced cybersecurity coordination &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) are leading the initiative, using incident data to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mitigate risks and respond to cybersecurity incidents more effectively. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify trends and commonalities to anticipate and prevent future attacks. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strengthen communication and collaboration with public agencies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Entities required to report&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The law applies to a wide range of organizations, including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State public agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Government contractors and vendors serving public agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Political subdivisions, such as counties, cities, and townships&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;School districts, charter schools, intermediate districts, cooperative units, and public post-secondary institutions &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Implementation and compliance &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Organizations are encouraged to review the law’s requirements and comply if and when an incident occurs to help protect Minnesota’s digital infrastructure. To implement the new reporting process, MNIT engaged with local governments and K-12 entities by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sharing the draft form and guidelines with 500+ public entities for comment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using feedback from 60+ entities to ensure the process was user-friendly and collected the required information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Holding two webinars attended by 200 partners.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT will continue providing updates and guidance to assist entities in meeting the new reporting requirements. More information about the law can be found at &lt;a title=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fabout-mnit%2Fsecurity%2Fcir%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/3/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/7JeoCXOESFblVhMBOjcemtJm-5pESfngtHwpVLYxwIY=380&quot; href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fabout-mnit%2Fsecurity%2Fcir%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/3/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/7JeoCXOESFblVhMBOjcemtJm-5pESfngtHwpVLYxwIY=380&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mnit/cir&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,800 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/ttxr4D29e8-k4pHIcsCnoW0oy22VDkLUxrgHdmyxaKY=380&quot; href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010193657fa6d4-c8934212-63de-4dd6-a0d7-3f77fc39dd05-000000/ttxr4D29e8-k4pHIcsCnoW0oy22VDkLUxrgHdmyxaKY=380&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>656504</id><pubdate>2024-12-02T17:11:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT earned top honors at the 2024 Cyber Security Summit, with Chris Luhman named Visionary Application Security Leader of the Year and an MNIT team winning first place in the Cyber Sports professional competition.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT wins big at the Cyber Security Summit </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cyber Security Summit </Subject><Subject>Awards</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Cyber Sports</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT wins big at the Cyber Security Summit </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT leaders Chris Luhman and John Israel and Jen VanDemmeltraadt participate in a panel discussion.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-summit-blog_tcm38-656447.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT leaders Chris Luhman and John Israel and Jen VanDemmeltraadt participate in a panel discussion.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-summit-blog-thumb_tcm38-656449.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 11 - MNIT awards at the Cyber Security Summit</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-655101&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-26T18:55:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT earned top honors at the 2024 Cyber Security Summit, with Chris Luhman named Visionary Application Security Leader of the Year and an MNIT team winning first place in the Cyber Sports professional competition.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cyber Security Summit names Chris Luhman the Visionary Application Security Leader of the Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is pleased to announce that Information Security Director Chris Luhman received the Visionary Application Security Leader Award Oct. 28, 2024, at the Cyber Security Summit in Minneapolis.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The award recognizes a security practitioner or team that demonstrates innovation and outstanding oversight of an application security program. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It feels nice to have the hard work recognized by others, and it is an honor to be selected for this award,” said Luhman, who leads the teams that secure and protect agency applications for several departments and has responsibility for statewide governance risk and compliance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Luhman, who has worked in information security for the past 18 years and information technology for almost 30 years, said he was drawn to cybersecurity as a way to protect and help people. “I enjoy helping agencies do business safely,” he said. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We are grateful for Chris’s expertise and leadership at MNIT,” said John Israel, Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information Security Officer at MNIT. “He is known for leading teams to develop new approaches and seek innovative efficiencies, while making Minnesotans’ data safer.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cyber_Security_Summit-Chris-receives-award_tcm38-655105.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Chris Luhman receives an award at the Cyber Security Summit 2024&quot; alt=&quot;Chris Luhman receives an award at the Cyber Security Summit 2024&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Chris Luhman receives an award at the Cyber Security Summit 2024&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;imageCaption&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Luhman holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and is a certified information systems security professional (CISSP). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT employees win first place in Cyber Sports professional category &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cyber_Security_Summit-MNIT-Cyber%20Sports-1_tcm38-655112.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MNIT employees win first place in Cyber Sports&quot; alt=&quot;MNIT employees win first place in Cyber Sports&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNIT employees win first place in Cyber Sports&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT employees were among dozens of students and cyber professionals who competed in the Cyber Security Summit’s Cyber Sports event Oct. 28. One of the three groups of MNIT employees won first place in the professional category. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The winning team included Blake Forcier, Tyler Christenson, Mohamed Mohamed, Tim McGuire, and Liam Powell.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Participants competed in teams through Jeopardy- or Capture the Flag-style games. The challenges included coding tasks and the defense and attack of critical systems. The competition allowed the teams to apply their knowledge in real-time and enhance their team-building and critical-thinking skills. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Cyber Security Summit and MNIT &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Cyber Security Summit, held in Minnesota each year, brings together more than 1,000 industry, government, critical infrastructure, and academic leaders to improve the state of cybersecurity on a local, regional, national, and global level.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT presenters at the Cyber Security Summit included Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information Security Officer John Israel, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer Jen VanDemmeltraadt, Information Security Director Chris Luhman, Cyber Navigator Supervisor Pete Alsis, and Cyber Navigator-Critical Infrastructure Angela Hary.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT works to protect people’s personal information and keep state systems running. Visit our security page to learn more about how the state aims to keep data and systems secure. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;imageCaption&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cyber_Security_Summit-Angela-speaks_tcm38-655113.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Angela Hary presents at Cyber Security Summit 2024&quot; alt=&quot;Angela Hary presents at Cyber Security Summit 2024&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Angela Hary presents at Cyber Security Summit 2024&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Angela Hary presents at the Cyber Security Summit 2024&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;imageCaption&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cyber_Security_Summit-John-speaks_tcm38-655110.jpg&quot; title=&quot;John Israel speaks at Cyber Security Summit&quot; alt=&quot;John Israel speaks at Cyber Security Summit&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;John Israel speaks at Cyber Security Summit&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
John Israel speaks at the Cyber Security Summit 2024&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;imageCaption&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cyber_Security_Summit-Chris-speaks_tcm38-655107.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Chris Luhman speaks at Cyber Security Summit&quot; alt=&quot;Chris Luhman speaks at Cyber Security Summit&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Chris Luhman speaks at Cyber Security Summit&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Chris Luhman speaks at Cyber Security Summit 2024&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>655101</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-26T22:10:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant answers questions about the update to the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II and its impact for Minnesota government agencies, including legislative and judicial branches, Tribal Nations, municipalities, counties, K-12 and higher education, and more. </Description><Audience/><Title>Making Maps Accessible to Screen Readers</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Title II</Subject><Subject>ADA</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Update to ADA’s Title II</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Tablet with an audio section that has ”no hearing” and “caption“ 3D icons. A visual section with ”no vision” and ”volume control” 3D icons. A testing output section with ”test tube,” ”ruler,” and ”cognitive” 3D icons.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II_blog_tcm38-653562.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Tablet with an audio section that has ”no hearing” and “caption“ 3D icons. A visual section with ”no vision” and ”volume control” 3D icons. A testing output section with ”test tube,” ”ruler,” and ”cognitive” 3D icons.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA%20Title%20II_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-653564.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog 2024 - 11 - Update to ADA’s Title II</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-653553&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-20T21:04:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant answers questions about the update to the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II and its impact for Minnesota government agencies, including legislative and judicial branches, Tribal Nations, municipalities, counties, K-12 and higher education, and more. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The US Department of Justice (DOJ) added digital accessibility requirements to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Minnesota’s state and local government entities. This new rule puts into writing practices that the DOJ has been following for decades. It also spells out specific exceptions and other guidelines to help government entities plan their digital content strategy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article is aimed at people who work for state and local government entities who need to know how the new rule impacts them and how to get started on their accessibility journey. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Enforcement isn’t New &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DOJ has pursued settlements and consent decrees with local governments and businesses for much of the 21&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; century. The difference is that now instead of just being case law that has impacted some cities and counties, it’s spelled out as a detailed rule that applies to all state and local government entities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ADA Title II Background  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state&quot;&gt;official rule&lt;/a&gt; is 320 pages long. However, they provide a very helpful &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/&quot;&gt;fact sheet&lt;/a&gt; that everyone should read. Here’s a quick summary: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/docs/&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1&lt;/a&gt; is the technical standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The rule applies to web content and mobile apps that a state or local government provides or makes available, &lt;strong&gt;regardless of whether it is created by the government or a third party&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web content includes electronic documents, videos, and other embedded or downloadable content. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Non-web software is not covered under this rule. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There are some exceptions: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Archived web content. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pre-existing conventional electronic documents.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content posted by a third party that’s not part of a contract or licensing arrangement.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Individualized, password-protected (or otherwise secured) electronic documents.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pre-existing social media posts.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There’s a phase-in period: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;April 2026 for entities with populations of 50,000 or more. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;April 2027 for entities with populations under 50,000.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next steps to Prepare for the Deadlines &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your government entity doesn’t have an active digital accessibility program, what should you do? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Policy &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Engage with your leadership to draft and adopt a policy. Put a summary in writing on your website as an &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;accessibility statement&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is not a claim that you’re in conformance with the rule. The primary roles of a policy are to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State intent&lt;/strong&gt; – you are aware of your responsibilities and have plans and/or processes to address them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Provide a contact&lt;/strong&gt; – if people experience issues, they can let you know about them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Enable action&lt;/strong&gt; – staff can use the policy to justify resource allocation toward improving accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recognize it’s a journey, not a task list &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility works best when it becomes part of the organizational culture. There are many similarities between security and accessibility. For example, teaching everyone to watch for phishing emails and how to use two-step or multi-factor authentication builds a culture of secure operations just as teaching everyone how to create accessible documents and emails builds a culture of accessible content. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Share the responsibility &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make sure your organization staff understands that digital accessibility is a shared responsibility. For example, it’s not solely an IT issue. Web content, applications, and documents all start out as an idea, get framed as a set of goals or requirements, then become a project that involve the work of designers, writers, editors, developers, and others. For the product to be accessible, it needs to be a consideration from the beginning – at the idea stage. Otherwise, you risk expending extra money and resources re-doing the work to ensure accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get to know digital accessibility &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility is measurable and testable. There are some relatively simple steps you can take to learn more. All digital content, whether a web page, document, or mobile app, share common traits: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Structure&lt;/strong&gt;: This includes properties, headings, and other content structure such as bullets and lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Navigation&lt;/strong&gt;: The interface and content need to be consistent, predictable, and support multiple access methods, such as mouse, keyboard, or assistive technology (AT).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Images and non-text elements&lt;/strong&gt;: Always provide means for visual elements to read out to non-visual users. For example, many phone users don’t automatically download pictures in emails. Accessible emails will include a text description of the picture instead.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Color contrast&lt;/strong&gt;: All text should be distinct from background, and adjoining colors (such as in charts) from each other. There are specific tools to help you with this.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meaningful links&lt;/strong&gt;: Don’t use the full URL except for paper media. Use text to tell the user what the link is about, as we do in the list of resources in the following paragraphs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn more about the basics of accessibility:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot;&gt;How to create accessible Word documents (7 short modules)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/&quot;&gt;World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) introduction to web accessibility&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/intro/&quot;&gt;WebAIM’s introduction to web accessibility&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-544858&quot;&gt;Use color with intention&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do you know if your content is accessible? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are some simple tools and tests you can do to find out where you are in your journey. For example, Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro have built-in accessibility checkers. While not a guarantee of accessibility, they give you a good idea of what you need to know and do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More about:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/650170&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word’s checker&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/650174&quot;&gt;Adobe Acrobat Pro’s checker&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other free tools help you evaluate your web content. And the keyboard-only test can help you determine in minutes whether assistive technology users and others without a mouse can navigate your site: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;Some helpful testing tools&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-565776&quot;&gt;Basics of keyboard testing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What About a Quick Fix? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suppose you run a few of these tests and discover that your sites present a lot of challenges to users with disabilities. Is there a quick fix? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some vendors would say yes. They offer solutions that add code to your site to “fix” the accessibility issues. For example, if you were to run one of the testing tools from the previous section, it may come back with a perfect score. All that means is that the code hid the issues from the testing tool. It did not solve the issues and may have made the site more challenging for some users.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Such quick fix tools are called overlays: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-574507&quot;&gt;Introduction to overlays and how to evaluate them&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://overlayfactsheet.com/en/&quot;&gt;Overlay fact sheet&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What needs to be done if your website needs a lot of work? Again, start with a policy. Get an idea of what you’re dealing with. Then develop a road map and communicate it to everyone. Engage your residents by asking for their feedback. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start now and show your progress. Then when 2026/2027 rolls around, you’ll be in much better shape. &lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(46, 46, 42); font-family: &amp;quot;Segoe UI&amp;quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>653553</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-20T21:05:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This week, MNIT celebrates Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day, highlighting the essential role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in state government.</Description><Audience/><Title>Nov. 18-22 is Geography Awareness Week</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Geography Awareness Week</Subject><Subject>GIS Day</Subject><Subject>Geospatial technologies</Subject><Subject>geospatial data</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Nov. 18-22 is Geography Awareness Week</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A map with a pin showing a location.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Geography-map-pin-blog_tcm38-653247.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A map with a pin showing a location.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Geography-map-pin-blog-thumb_tcm38-653248.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 11 - Geography Awareness Week</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-653382&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-18T20:02:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>This week, MNIT celebrates Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day, highlighting the essential role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in state government.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week marks &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/programs/geography-awareness-week&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Geography Awareness Week&lt;/a&gt; with Wednesday, Nov. 20 being “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.gisday.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;GIS Day&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) joins our partners in the Minnesota Geographic Information Systems (GIS) community to celebrate. This community includes users, producers, and analysts of spatial data and technology from various organizations, including state and local governments, non-profits, and private industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GIS plays a critical role in the functions of state government, and MNIT enables state agencies with spatial technologies – often coordinating access to spatial data and processes that improve services statewide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While “GIS” might not be a familiar term, it’s hard to imagine today navigating without the maps we use on our computers and smartphones. Every time a navigation app routes you around some upcoming traffic, or you search online for nearby pizza places, GIS processes are at work. Over the last two decades, access to geographic information has exploded, enhancing our quality of life and helping us communicate in more intuitive ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Transportation uses GIS to plan &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dot.state.mn.us/maps/gdma/coll-methods.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;upgrades and maintenance of our roadways&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Employment and Economic Development partners with Connected Nation on an &lt;a href=&quot;https://gis.connectednation.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a2d243ccf7e547eba2ec0d5c80c80917&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;interactive broadband map&lt;/a&gt; that displays available broadband services across the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Natural Resources maintains an &lt;a href=&quot;http://arcgis.dnr.state.mn.us/gis/buffersviewer/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;interactive buffer map&lt;/a&gt; to help Minnesotans understand the buffer requirements for waterways.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Geospatial Information Office&lt;/a&gt; collaborates with several organizations to operate the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gisdata.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Geospatial Commons&lt;/a&gt;, where GIS data users can find resources from dozens of publishers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested in learning more about GIS? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attend one of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gisday.com/en-us/overview#:~:text=Explore%20worldwide%20GIS%20Day%202024%20events&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;several events happening throughout the state&lt;/a&gt; including &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/events/gis_day_2024.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;GIS Day 2024: A Geospatial Approach to Equity &amp;amp; Inclusion&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Stassen Building in Saint Paul or via Microsoft Teams for morning sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event will feature presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with GIS professionals, state employees, equity leaders, and community advocates. In-person registration has closed but you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1e0c82202f414066a904fc68b0204cd1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;RSVP here for the virtual event&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us today as we celebrate Geography Awareness Week and the impacts of geography and spatial technologies!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>653382</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>GIS</Title><Id>232509</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-18T20:47:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has been awarded the Tekne Award for its Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan, recognized for strengthening cybersecurity across Minnesota’s schools, local governments, and critical infrastructure. Supported by $23.5 million in federal and state funding, the initiative includes pilot programs and collaborative efforts to enhance statewide cyber defenses.</Description><Audience/><Title>Release: Minnesota IT Services Honored with Tekne Award for Advancements in Security</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Tekne Award</Subject><Subject>Press Release</Subject><Subject>Advancements in Security</Subject><Subject>Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Release: Minnesota IT Services Honored with Tekne Award for Advancements in Security</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A blue design with the text: Minnesota IT Services and Tekne, Minnesota&apos;s 2024 Awards</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tekne-awards-2024blog_tcm38-653181.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A blue design with the text: Tekne, Minnesota&apos;s 2024 Awards</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tekne-awards-2024blog-thumb_tcm38-653182.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 11 - Tekne Award 2024</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-653180&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-11-15T15:18:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has been awarded the Tekne Award for its Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan, recognized for strengthening cybersecurity across Minnesota’s schools, local governments, and critical infrastructure.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Recognition Celebrates Innovative Whole-of-State Plan for Improving Cybersecurity Across Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[SAINT PAUL, MN] Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) announced the agency received a Tekne Award for advancing security in Minnesota. During a Nov. 14 ceremony, the Minnesota Technology Association presented the award, which recognizes and celebrates excellence and innovation within Minnesota’s technology ecosystem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Advancements in Security award recognizes the Minnesota Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan, which MNIT and the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force launched in 2023. The initiative, which allocated $23.5 million in federal and state funding, strengthens cybersecurity across Minnesota by offering advanced tools, assessments, and collaboration with local governments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Protecting Minnesota’s schools, local governments, and critical infrastructure against a rising tide of cyber threats required a bold, new approach,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner and State Chief Information Officer. &lt;strong&gt;“We are proud of this award and the success of this program, which builds a sustainable cybersecurity system across the state.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This bold approach to improving defenses has already led to successful pilot programs, such as with Metro State University, and positioned Minnesota as a leader in cybersecurity resiliency. Through new partnerships, MNIT has developed a managed detection and response (MDR) pilot program, which onboarded 125 entities—covering schools, cities, and critical infrastructure—and can now protect up to 85,000 endpoints. MNIT will continue working with partners and the Cybersecurity Task Force to address ongoing security needs across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This innovative program allowed us to mature cyber capabilities statewide, foster deeper collaboration on security programs and services, and build powerful partnerships with local governments to enhance resilience for everyone,”&lt;/strong&gt; said John Israel, MNIT Assistant Commissioner and State Chief Information Security Officer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota technology efforts were finalists in two other categories:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advancements in Artificial Intelligence:&lt;/strong&gt; The Enterprise Translation Office in the Department of Administration integrated Generative AI with human expertise to provide equitable access to essential services for Minnesota’s non-English-speaking population. Since launching in June 2024, ETO has processed over 3,000 requests, translated over 10,000 pages with an accuracy rate of 98-99%, and served more than 35,000 state employees. This innovation is setting a new standard for public sector translation services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Excellence in Partnership:&lt;/strong&gt; MNIT partnered with the Minnesota National Guard to establish the Minnesota National Guard Cyber Coordination Cell (C3) in 2023. This innovative collaboration enhances statewide cybersecurity efforts, leveraging the National Guard’s resources alongside MNIT’s expertise. The C3 unit has made significant strides in strengthening Minnesota’s cyber defenses, developing strategic plans, and ensuring the protection of critical infrastructure against emerging threats.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find more information about &lt;a href=&quot;https://tekneawards.org/#:~:text=FINALISTS%20%26%20HONOREES&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tekne Award finalists and winners on their website.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fmn.gov%2Fmnit%2Fmedia%2Fblog%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010193305324ad-8f58922c-92fc-4526-80cd-2b7c8b37b71c-000000/23A4Tn7QmPp9bzqqAJifi72zEXhaGuS6dGkiMOOu-K4=379&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>653180</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-11-20T21:05:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>An overview of a helpful accessibility testing tool &amp; the decision-making process for addressing accessibility failures. Welcome to part three of our built-in accessibility checkers series. In this article, we explore the accessibility features of PowerPoint, including the built-in accessibility checker.</Description><Audience/><Title> Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 3: Microsoft PowerPoint</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Accessibility testing</Subject><Subject>Accessibility Checkers</Subject><Subject>Microsoft PowerPoint</Subject><Subject>Accessible Presentations</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 3: Microsoft PowerPoint</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop screen showing PowerPoint with the Accessibility Checker open, highlighting tools to improve accessibility in presentations.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility%20Checker%20-%20PowerPoint_blog_tcm38-698899.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop screen showing PowerPoint with the Accessibility Checker open, highlighting tools to improve accessibility in presentations.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility%20Checker%20-%20PowerPoint_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-698896.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>2025-7-Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers-Part 3-Microsoft PowerPoint</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-694305&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-23T17:15:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Welcome to part three of our built-in accessibility checkers series. In this article, we explore the accessibility features of PowerPoint, including the built-in accessibility checker.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Content Author: Stephanie Waegener, MNIT Office of Accessibility Digital Accessibility Analyst&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this article, we explore the built-in PowerPoint Accessibility tools and how they can help you ensure accessibility features are present in your presentations. We will demonstrate how to use the tools while you work and for initial testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Standard for Accessible Electronic Documents&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important to understand the specific elements that must be present in an electronic document to ensure an accessible experience. The State of Minnesota has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt; that requires our digital content, including electronic documents, to meet &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Section 508 of federal law&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want to dig deeper into understanding how these standards were developed, view our July 2024 blog “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/610208&quot;&gt;Update to State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Launches July 1.&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In general, accessible documents must have structural formatting in the form of headings and lists in logical reading order that allow users to navigate the document. They use descriptive alternative text that describe photos, charts, and graphs to users. When your documents are accessible, everyone can use them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PowerPoint’s Accessibility Tab&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you build your PowerPoint presentation, you can make your content easier for people to view by using the “Accessibility” tab. It contains several tools, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Inspect Without Color” to check slides for high contrast.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Reading Order Pane” to show the flow of content within a slide.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Check Accessibility” to scan the presentation for accessibility issues and provide a list of errors and warnings, with how-to-fix recommendations. It also has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/check-accessibility-while-you-work-in-office-apps-ae9e8ea7-1f22-41af-ad04-cc2919daebae#:~:text=To%20be%20notified%20of%20accessibility,running%20while%20I%20work%20checkbox.&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;feature to run continuously while you work&lt;/a&gt;. It shows up in your status bar so you can tell at a glance if you have issues without even opening up the Accessibility Checker pane.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To manually launch the Accessibility tab with its set of tools, select Review &amp;gt; Check Accessibility (Alt+R+A1+A). The Accessibility tab opens, and you can now review and apply accessibility features, as well as check for accessibility issues. You’ll also notice an “Accessibility” tab is now available in the Ribbon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Accessibility-tab_tcm38-696721.png&quot; title=&quot;PPT Acessibility tab&quot; alt=&quot;PowerPoint Acessibility tab&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 20px 0;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PPT Accessibility tab&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reading Order Pane Tool&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Reading Order Pane tool displays the order in which the slide’s content will be read or navigated. There’s a number next to each piece of content (object) on the slide to indicate its order in the sequence. &lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: Objects without a number will not be read or navigated when they are marked decorative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
If the order of the objects in the Reading Pane is not the way you intended for your presentation order, you can rearrange them. To change the order that the objects are read in:
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select one or more items in the list.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Drag the selection upward or downward or click the up arrow (Move Up) or down arrow (Move Down).
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Accessibility-Tab-Reading-Order-Tool-Pane-Changing-Order_tcm38-696733.png&quot; title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Reading Order 1&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of PowerPoint&apos;s Reading Order Pane tool with the first object highlighted and a red line indicator displaying its new position if moved, which will be below the second object in reading order.&quot; style=&quot;width: 31%; height: auto; margin: 20px 0;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Reading Order 1&quot; /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The new order will display:
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Accessibility-Tab-Reading-Order-Tool-Pane-Changed-Order-logical_tcm38-696732.png&quot; title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Reading Order 2&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of PowerPoint&apos;s Reading Order Pane tool with the first object highlighted and it is a new order (originally in position two and now in position one) to make it logical.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; margin: 20px 0;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Reading Order 2&quot; /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: Using the Reading Pane to change the reading order may affect the layout of the slide if object layering was used. You can undo the changes, but then you’ll need to find another way to make your slide accessible. You may want to ask someone who is knowledgeable in PowerPoint remediation to help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inspect without Color Tool&lt;/h3&gt;
The Inspect without Color tool helps ensure color isn&apos;t the only way crucial information is conveyed in your presentation. This tool allows you to view your content in grayscale and see if you can understand it. 
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Slide with content which includes a warning message and only uses color to convey the importance:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Slide-Important-Message-in-Color-Only_tcm38-696737.png&quot; title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Color 1&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of PowerPoint slide with content about Poison Ivy. The final paragraph is a shade of red to alert visual warning about exposure to poison ivy exposure.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 20px 0;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Color 1&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now the same slide with the Inspect without Color tool still applied:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Slide-Inspect-Without-Color-Tool_tcm38-696738.png&quot; title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Color 2&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of PowerPoint slide in grayscale with content about Poison Ivy. The final paragraph which alerts about exposure to poison ivy exposure no longer has a visual cue of red to indicate its importance.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 20px 0;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Color 2&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adjusted slide to use text and color to convey importance:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is the same slide, but the word &quot;Warning!&quot; was added in addition to the red color. With the Inspect without Color tool in use, the &quot;Warning&quot; text is still visible:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Slide-Inspect-Without-Color-Tool-fixed_tcm38-696739.png&quot; title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Color 3&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of PowerPoint slide in grayscale with content about Poison Ivy. The final paragraph which alerts about exposure to poison ivy exposure has added the word &quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 20px 0;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PPT Accessibility Color 3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check Accessibility Tool&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Within the Accessibility tab, the Check Accessibility tool will open an Accessibility Pane with the Inspections Report. This report moves a user through the issues in the presentation and recommendations on how to address each error or warning identified. It even points to the slide number the issue is located on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Accessibility-Checker-tool-Inspection-Results-Slide-Number-Example_tcm38-696715.png&quot; title=&quot;PPT Acessibility checker&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of PowerPoint&apos;s Accessibility Pane Inspection Report. Highlighted is an error for missing alt text. The submenu on the error gives the slide number in parentheses (Slide 4)&quot; style=&quot;width: 31%; height: auto; margin: 20px 0;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PPT Accessibility checker&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; If the Accessibility Checker’s Inspection Results state there are no accessibility issues found, it does not mean your work is done. As mentioned in the challenges section, you must perform manual tests. As you perform manual testing, keep in mind the POUR principals of accessibility. Is the document Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust for the end user? Meaning, can the end user read it in the correct order while using their AT and understand what you’re asking for with no assistance form someone else? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then the document isn’t accessible, even if it “passes” the checker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manual Accessibility Testing &amp;amp; Addressing Testing Failures&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In previous articles about &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/650170&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word&apos;s&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-650174&quot;&gt;Acrobat Pro’s built-in Accessibility Checkers&lt;/a&gt;, our state Digital Accessibility Coordinators provided a checklist to use during a manual review and gave tips about addressing testing failures. Check them out, they are relevant to PowerPoint, as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final Takeaways&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While tools are excellent to help aid the creation and testing of documents, having a knowledgeable person perform manual testing is also a necessity to ensure you capture all accessibility failures for your presentations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope this article provides another tool you can add to your repository to ensure accessible digital content for everyone! In case you missed it, we also covered &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;recommended testing tools for web pages&lt;/a&gt; in our April 2024 article “Website Accessibility Testing.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/powerpoint-101.jsp&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility (OoA) PowerPoint 101 Training&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;OoA’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/accessibility-quick-cards.jsp&quot;&gt;Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-your-powerpoint-presentations-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-6f7772b2-2f33-4bd2-8ca7-dae3b2b3ef25&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Microsoft&apos;s “Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities” support page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-primary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>694305</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-07-22T18:50:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>An overview of a helpful accessibility testing tool &amp; the decision-making process for addressing accessibility failures. Welcome to part two of our built-in accessibility checkers series. In this article, we explore the Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker tool and how it can help you ensure accessibility features are present in your PDFs. </Description><Audience/><Title>Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 2: Adobe Acrobat Pro</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Accessibility testing</Subject><Subject>Accessibility Checkers</Subject><Subject>Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 2: Adobe Acrobat Pro</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with Acrobat on screen and the Accessibility Icon overlaid with a pop out of the Accessibility tool list of options, including Accessibility Check</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility%20Checker%20-%20Acrobat_blog%201_tcm38-650212.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with Acrobat on screen and the Accessibility Icon overlaid with a pop out of the Accessibility tool list of options, including Accessibility Check</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility%20Checker%20-%20Acrobat_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-650211.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2024-10-24-Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers-Part 2-Adobe Acrobat Pro</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-650174&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-23T17:05:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Welcome to part two of our built-in accessibility checkers series. In this article, we explore the Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker tool and how it can help you ensure accessibility features are present in your PDFs. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>An overview of a helpful accessibility testing tool &amp; the decision-making process for addressing accessibility failures </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Content Contributors: Becky Bernauer, Web and Accessibility Coordinator, MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health; Rebecca Blomquist, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Samantha Clayton, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; and Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Welcome to part two of our built-in accessibility checkers series. In this article, we explore the Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker tool and how it can help you ensure accessibility features are present in your PDFs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we mentioned in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/index.jsp?id=38-650170&quot;&gt;part one of this series&lt;/a&gt;, we checked with our Digital Accessibility Coordinators (DACs) across Minnesota state agencies who have a combined 40+ years of experience remediating PDF documents. We asked them why they use the tool, how they use the tool for initial testing, and how they address the errors the tool finds. Part one also covered the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;, which our electronic documents must meet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s Note&lt;/strong&gt;: This article references Adobe Acrobat Pro 64-bit, Continuous Release, version 2024.003.20180. The user experience will vary depending on the user’s version of Acrobat Pro. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Acrobat Pro’s Accessibility Checker Tool Background &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adobe claims the checker can test to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0* and PDF/UA (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso:14289:-1:ed-2:v1:en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Universal Access, or ISO 14289&lt;/a&gt;) using the software’s Accessibility tools. Within the Accessibility tool is the option “Accessibility Check” which scans an entire document for accessibility issues. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Acrobat%20Pro%20Accessibility%20Tools%20Panel%20with%20Check%20Accessibility%20option%20highlighted_tcm38-650213.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Tools Panel with Check Accessibility option highlighted&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Tools Panel with Check Accessibility option highlighted&quot; style=&quot;width: 36%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Tools Panel with Check Accessibility option highlighted&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; If you do not have Accessibility as a part of your Acrobat Pro’s tools panel, use the “More Tools” option to review all tool options. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Acrobat%20Pro%20Tool%20Panel_tcm38-650214.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Tool Panel&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat Pro Tool Panel&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Tool Panel&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Under the “Protect &amp;amp; Standardize” section, find the Accessibility tool and select “Add.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Acrobat%20Tools%20Options%20Panel%20-%20Add%20highlighted%20for%20Accessibility%20Tool_tcm38-650215.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat Tools Options Panel - Add highlighted for Accessibility Tool&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat Tools Options Panel - Add highlighted for Accessibility Tool&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Acrobat Tools Options Panel - Add highlighted for Accessibility Tool&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our DACs share their favorite features, some challenges and how they address the errors while using the Accessibility Checker tool. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;*The Office of Accessibility is working to update their training pages to include how to make PDFs accessible to WCAG 2.1, Level AA. Check back on our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;training page&lt;/a&gt; later this year. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool Functionality &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you have added the Accessibility tool to your Tools panel and found the Accessibility Check option, you can select the checker to scan your document. The Accessibility Checker’s Options dialog box will appear. The default options selected will ensure you are checking all issues the Accessibility Checker scans for (including tags, document structure, document title and more). You can select “Start Checking” and the Checker creates an accessibility report.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Acrobat%20Pro%20Accessibility%20Checker%20Options%20popup_tcm38-650216.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker Options popup&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker Options popup&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker Options popup&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Our DACs’ favorite features: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It tests for more accessibility issues than the Word Accessibility Checker tool, so you get a more thorough check. Additional issues reported include identifying missing document title/properties and heading hierarchy failures. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It finds issues with tables and recommendations on how to fix them.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It allows for adjusting color in the document to meet contrast minimum. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It serves as a good reminder to walk the tag tree. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It gives a reminder to do manual testing, even if no accessibility issues are found. For example, you will always get a reminder to check the reading order. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenges: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It does not check to the State’s WCAG 2.1 standard. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can’t tell if the information provided is meaningful. For example, it can tell an image has alt text, but it doesn’t know the difference between meaningful alt text that helps a screen reader interpret the importance of what is being conveyed visually or placeholder text, “add alt text here,” left by a content creator as a reminder.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can’t tell if a link is functioning properly. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can’t test for everything. You must perform manual testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool Output &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once the accessibility check is complete, the Accessibility Checker panel to the left lists the accessibility issues. Select each issue type’s dropdown menu to view the details and make fixes immediately.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Acrobat%20Pro%20Accessibility%20Report%20example_tcm38-650217.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Report example&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Report example&quot; style=&quot;width: 35%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Report example&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note&lt;/strong&gt;: If the Accessibility Report states there are no accessibility issues found, it does not mean your work is done. As mentioned in the challenges section, you must perform manual tests. As you perform manual testing, keep in mind the POUR principals of accessibility. Is the document Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust for the end user? Meaning, can the end user read it in the correct order while using their AT and understand what you’re asking for with no assistance form someone else? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then the document isn’t accessible, even if it “passes” the checker. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our DACs also provided a checklist to use during a manual review. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure headings are marked AND have the correct hierarchy (can view this in the Accessibility tags). 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tags should be structured properly (and in logical reading order), especially tags with complex/multi-layered structure such as tables, lists, links, and form fields. To view the structure of the document, open the Accessibility Tags panel. To view the document’s logical reading order, select tags and their corresponding content is highlighted in the document (just like with issues in the accessibility report).  &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Acrobat%20Pro%20Accessibility%20Tags%20panel%20and%20focus%20in%20document_tcm38-650218.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Tags panel and focus in document&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Tags panel and focus in document&quot; style=&quot;width: 89%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Acrobat Pro Accessibility Tags panel and focus in document&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For our remediation experts, check that lists have the correct components (&amp;lt;L&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;LI&amp;gt;, and &amp;lt;LBody&amp;gt; at a minimum) and tables have the correct components (&amp;lt;Table&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;TR&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;TD&amp;gt; and &amp;lt;TH&amp;gt; for header row). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Images must have meaningful alt text (not placeholder) or be marked as an artifact (meaning decorative or background). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Properties must be filled out appropriately. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Links must function properly and are meaningful. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Addressing Accessibility Testing Failures &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky B&lt;/strong&gt;: We always try to fix issues in the PDF. We do have to keep in mind the time commitment to make the changes (and the capacity of our team) versus the reach of the audience. Sometimes, we may not address an issue, especially if the issue does not create a barrier to people who use AT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rebecca B&lt;/strong&gt;: I do my best to fix everything. On the rare occasion I can’t solve the problem, I evaluate its potential to prevent someone from reading or using the document. If it’s minor, I let it go. Otherwise, I keep trying to fix it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Samantha C&lt;/strong&gt;: If there is an issue but it was done intentionally (e.g., white text on white background to provide a tip to screen readers), then the accessibility failure is acceptable. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tamara S&lt;/strong&gt;: I fix all issues that may pose a problem to the end user. There are times that I choose to ignore a failure. This is usually when it has been done intentionally. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final Takeaways &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While tools are excellent to help aid the testing process, having a knowledgeable person perform manual testing is also a necessity to ensure you capture all accessibility failures for your documents.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope this article provides another tool you can add to your repository to ensure accessible digital content for everyone! In case you missed it, we also covered &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;recommended testing tools for web pages&lt;/a&gt; in our April 2024 article “Website Accessibility Testing.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/pdf-101.jsp&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility PDF 101 Training &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/AcrobatQuickCard2017_tcm38-294077.pdf&quot;&gt;Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/AcrobatQuickCard2017_tcm38-294077.pdf&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/AcrobatQuickCard2017_tcm38-294077.pdf&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/AcrobatQuickCard2017_tcm38-294077.pdf&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>650174</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-23T21:54:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>An overview of a helpful accessibility tool &amp; the decision-making process for accessibility failures. We want to expand on your accessibility testing tool list and explore tools that are built into commonly used content drafting software and are easy to use. In this first of two articles, we explore Microsoft Word’s Accessibility Checker tool and how it can help you ensure accessibility features are present in your document. 
</Description><Audience/><Title>Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 1: Microsoft Word </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Accessibility testing</Subject><Subject>Accessibility Checkers</Subject><Subject>Microsoft Word Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers – Part 1: Microsoft Word </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with Word on screen and the Accessibility Icon overlaid with a pop out of the Check Accessibility tool icon.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility%20Checker%20-%20Word_blog%201_tcm38-650193.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with Word on screen and the Accessibility Icon overlaid with a pop out of the Check Accessibility tool icon.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessibility%20Checker%20-%20Word_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-650192.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>2024-10-24-Using Built-In Software Accessibility Checkers-Part 1-Microsoft Word</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-650170&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-23T17:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>We want to expand on your accessibility testing tool list and explore tools that are built into commonly used content drafting software and are easy to use. In this first of two articles, we explore Microsoft Word’s Accessibility Checker tool and how it can help you ensure accessibility features are present in your document. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>An overview of a helpful accessibility tool &amp; the decision-making process for accessibility failures</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Content Contribution: Becky Bernauer, Web and Accessibility Coordinator, MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health; Rebecca Blomquist, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Samantha Clayton, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; and Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Earlier this year, we spruced up your &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;accessibility testing checklist&lt;/a&gt;. Now we want to expand on that list and explore tools that are built into commonly used content drafting software and are easy to use. In this first of two articles, we explore Microsoft Word’s Accessibility Checker tool and how it can help you ensure accessibility features are present in your document. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We checked with our Digital Accessibility Coordinators (DACs) across Minnesota state agencies who have a combined 40+ years of experience remediating Word documents. We asked them why they use the tool, how they use it for initial testing, and how they address errors the tool finds. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Standard for Accessible Electronic Documents &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important to understand the specific elements that must be present in an electronic document to ensure an accessible experience. The State of Minnesota has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;, that requires our digital content, including electronic documents, to meet &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Section 508 of federal law&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want to dig deeper into understanding how these standards were developed, view our July 2024 blog “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/610208&quot;&gt;Update to State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Launches July 1&lt;/a&gt;.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In general, accessible documents must have structural formatting in the form of headings, tables, and lists that allow users to navigate the document. They use descriptive text that describes photos, charts, and graphs to users. When your documents are accessible, everyone can access them. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word’s Accessibility Checker Tool Background &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before you finish your Word document and publish it for the end user to review, you can make your content easier for people to view or edit by running the Accessibility Checker tool. The checker will scan the document for accessibility issues and provide a list of errors and warnings, with how-to-fix recommendations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our DACs share their favorite features, some challenges and how they address the errors while using the Accessibility Checker tool. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool Functionality &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Accessibility Checker is found under Word’s Review tab. Selecting the Check Accessibility option will open the Accessibility pane on the right of your document. This pane provides the accessibility findings under Inspection Results. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Word%20Check%20Accessibility%20option%20under%20Review%20tab_tcm38-650189.png&quot; title=&quot;Word Check Accessibility option under Review tab&quot; alt=&quot;Word Check Accessibility option under Review tab&quot; style=&quot;width: 34%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Word Check Accessibility option under Review tab&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Our DACs’ favorite features: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s so easy! With the press of a button, you get advice on how to make your document more usable by people who use assistive technology (AT).  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can help content creators find accessibility issues quickly in their document, including missing alt text, issues with the document’s tables, and checking color contrast for text. It also highlights where in the document the issue exists. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It explains why the issue poses problems for some users and why the issue should be fixed. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Recommended Actions, found in the checker’s dropdown menu, helps the content creator fix issues immediately. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/check-accessibility-while-you-work-in-office-apps-ae9e8ea7-1f22-41af-ad04-cc2919daebae#:~:text=To%20be%20notified%20of%20accessibility,running%20while%20I%20work%20checkbox.&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;run continuously while you work&lt;/a&gt;. It shows up in your status bar so you can tell at a glance if you have issues without even opening up the Accessibility Checker pane. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenges: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It does not report a missing document title, incorrect heading hierarchy, or improper indentation in a list (which creates blank spaces read by AT). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can’t tell if the information provided is meaningful. For example, it recognizes that an image has alt text, but it doesn’t know the difference between meaningful alt text that helps a screen reader interpret the importance of what is being conveyed visually or placeholder text, “add alt text here,” left by a content creator as a reminder.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can’t tell you if a link is functioning properly. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It can’t test for everything. Some manual testing must be completed, and it can be hard to remember to do those tasks. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool Output &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Accessibility Checker will open an Accessibility Pane with the Inspections Report. This report moves a user through the issues and recommendations on how to address. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Word%20Accessibility%20Checker%20Inspection%20Results%20Example_tcm38-650190.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Word Accessibility Checker Inspection Results Example&quot; alt=&quot;Word Accessibility Checker Inspection Results Example&quot; style=&quot;width: 34%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Word Accessibility Checker Inspection Results Example&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; If the Accessibility Checker’s Inspection Results state there are no accessibility issues found, it does not mean your work is done. As mentioned in the challenges section, you must perform manual tests. As you perform manual testing, keep in mind the POUR principals of accessibility. Is the document Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust for the end user? Meaning, can the end user read it in the correct order while using their AT and understand what you’re asking for with no assistance form someone else? If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then the document isn’t accessible, even if it “passes” the checker. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our DACs also provided a checklist to use during a manual review. Make sure:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Document properties are filled in. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Headings are marked AND have the correct hierarchy. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Images have meaningful alt text (not placeholder). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Table header cells are marked appropriately. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Links function properly and are meaningful. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Unnecessary tabbing, spacing, and indenting are removed (turn on paragraph markers to help uncover these). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Addressing Accessibility Testing Failures &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our contributors offer these additional tips.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky B&lt;/strong&gt; : When working in Word, we rarely ever leave anything that creates an accessibility issue. If we do, and the document is going to be turned into a PDF, the issue is easily fixed in the PDF. &lt;strong&gt;Editor’s note&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/&quot;&gt;Read part two of this Accessibility Checker series&lt;/a&gt;, where these DACs provide their insight on Acrobat Pro’s Accessibility Checker.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rebecca B&lt;/strong&gt; : Even though the checker lists the errors in order of severity (error, warning, or tip), I fix everything. Everything flagged causes issues for people with disabilities, and I don’t want our documents to be a barrier. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Samantha C&lt;/strong&gt; : I will leave issues alone if they were done intentionally (e.g., white text was placed on white background to give a tip to a screen reader user).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tamara S&lt;/strong&gt; : I fix all issues that may pose a problem to the end user. There are times that I choose to ignore a failure. This is usually when it has been done intentionally. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final Takeaways &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While tools are excellent to help aid the testing process, having a knowledgeable person perform manual testing is also a necessity to ensure you capture all accessibility failures for your documents.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope this article provides another tool you can add to your repository to ensure accessible digital content for everyone! In case you missed it, we also covered &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624&quot;&gt;recommended testing tools for web pages&lt;/a&gt; in our April 2024 article “Website Accessibility Testing.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility Word Training&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/WordQuickCard2017_tcm38-294085.pdf&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>650170</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-23T21:54:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council’s PLSS Legislative Subcommittee and Preservation Committees received the prestigious Catalyst Award from the National States Geographic Information Council for creating the PLSS Monument Grant Program.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council&apos;s Committees Honored with National Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Public land Survey system (PLSS)</Subject><Subject>MnGeo</Subject><Subject>Geospatial</Subject><Subject>Awards</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council (GAC)</Subject><Subject>PLSS Monument Grant Program</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Release: Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council&apos;s Committees Honored with National Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An aerial view of a field with markers indicating the boundaries of property.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GIS%20Blog%20feature_tcm38-620709.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An aerial view of a field with markers indicating the boundaries of property.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GIS%20Blog%20Thumbnail_tcm38-620710.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 10 - PLSS award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-649513&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-16T14:16:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council’s PLSS Legislative Subcommittee and Preservation Committees received the prestigious Catalyst Award from the National States Geographic Information Council for creating the PLSS Monument Grant Program.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oct. 16, 2024 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; -The Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council’s (GAC) Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Legislative Subcommittee and PLSS Preservation Committees received the prestigious Catalyst Award at the National States Geographic Information Council&apos;s (NSGIC) annual conference. This award honors their outstanding work in securing funding and creating Minnesota’s statewide PLSS Monument Grant Program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten praised the achievement: &lt;strong&gt;“The Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council’s PLSS Legislative Subcommittee and Preservation Committees have shown outstanding leadership in securing funding and helping create the statewide PLSS Monument Grant Program. Receiving the Catalyst Award from the National States Geographic Information Council is a well-deserved recognition of their innovative efforts.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In May 2024, the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) awarded $9.1 million in grants to 34 counties across Minnesota. The grants are being used to restore, maintain, and update PLSS markers and records, ensuring the long-term integrity of essential geospatial data. The program strengthens GIS data accuracy, supports informed decision-making, and enhances the state’s geospatial infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alison Slaats, Minnesota&apos;s Chief Geospatial Information Officer and MnGeo Director, added&lt;strong&gt;: “We are proud of the Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council’s PLSS Subcommittees for receiving the Catalyst Award from NSGIC. This recognition highlights their dedication and collaboration in preserving critical geospatial infrastructure. The PLSS Monument Grant Program will greatly improve data accuracy and decision-making across Minnesota, and we’re excited to see its lasting impact.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The PLSS Preservation Committee continues to advise the grant program implementation, ensuring effective use of funds. These committees remain dedicated to advancing their mission, with the PLSS Remonumentation Subcommittee currently working to secure permanent funding for the program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This recognition by NSGIC underscores the tremendous collaboration between Minnesota’s land surveying and GIS communities. The state looks forward to the continued progress and success of the PLSS Monument Grant Program, which will leave a lasting impact on Minnesota’s geospatial landscape.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,700 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;Previous announcements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>649513</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>337917</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>GIS</Title><Id>232509</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Environment</Title><Id>232632</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-16T17:16:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The DNR Fall Color Finder has been revamped with exciting new features, thanks to a collaborative effort between MNIT and the DNR. Now, with improved accessibility, responsive design, and a focus on user-contributed photos, planning your fall adventures across Minnesota’s parks has never been easier or more informative.</Description><Audience/><Title>Fall in Love with Minnesota: Explore the DNR&apos;s New Fall Color Finder</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Autumn</Subject><Subject>Fall Color Finder</Subject><Subject>DNR</Subject><Subject>Photography</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Fall in Love with Minnesota: Explore the DNR&apos;s New Fall Color Finder</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A rower boating on the glassy-calm Mississippi river at the height of autumn. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Header_Kayaker%20on%20Mississippi%20River%20in%20Autumn_tcm38-649041.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A kayaker rows on the Mississippi river, in the fore and background are brilliant autumn trees in red, orange and brown. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Autumn%20tree%20thumbnail_tcm38-649042.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 10 - Fall Color Finder</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-649045&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-11T14:53:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>The DNR Fall Color Finder has been revamped with exciting new features, thanks to a collaborative effort between MNIT and the DNR. Now, with improved accessibility, responsive design, and a focus on user-contributed photos, planning your fall adventures across Minnesota’s parks has never been easier or more informative.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each year, Minnesotans and visitors alike eagerly await the arrival of fall, when the state&apos;s vibrant colors transform the landscape into a breathtaking sight. With scenic drives and outdoor adventures ahead, many are ready to explore &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/map.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s vast network of state parks and recreation areas&lt;/a&gt; to experience the beauty of the season.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fall Color Finder&lt;/a&gt; offers a useful tool for planning autumn adventures, allowing people to track peak color across the state. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) partnered with the Department of Natural Resources, (DNR) Parks and Trails Division, who manage the site, to enhance the Fall Color Finder. Together, we added new features to improve accessibility and overall user experience. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Easier site navigation &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The update introduces an enhanced design that is responsive and accessible. The new map adapts to different devices, allowing users to access it seamlessly on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The site also offers a redesigned &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html#:~:text=past%20issues.-,Latest%20Conditions,-Region&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&quot;Latest Conditions&quot; section on the homepage&lt;/a&gt;. This section provides an at-a-glance grid that lists all the state parks and recreation areas along with the latest updates on the percentage of leaves, grasses, and flowers that have changed color. Previously, users had to click on each individual park to find autumn color information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, this streamlined design allows users to quickly get an overview of conditions across all parks, saving time and improving navigation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Railroad%20trestle%20over%20Mississippi%20in%20autumn_tcm38-648452.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Railroad trestle over the Mississippi river&quot; alt=&quot;Railroad trestle over the Mississippi river&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Railroad trestle over the Mississippi river&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Forecasting conditions with historical data &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the most exciting features of the revamped DNR Fall Color Finder is the enhanced ability to compare fall colors from previous years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new date and year selection feature (see image below) has been a popular addition. By allowing users to compare non-consecutive years, such as 2024, 2020, and 2015, visitors can gain a richer understanding of Minnesota’s seasonal trends and enjoy a more customized experience. This data is now used to improve the site’s forecasting capabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last year, we reached out to the public for feedback on the DNR Fall Color Finder, asking users what improvements they wanted to see. One of the most popular requests was for better color forecasting. While predicting fall colors exactly isn&apos;t possible, this feedback guided the focus of the revamp, resulting in improved forecasting capabilities based on historical data going back to 2013. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Fall%20color%20finder_tcm38-648438.png&quot; title=&quot;Fall Color Finder&quot; alt=&quot;Fall Color Finder&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Fall Color Finder&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 9pt;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;This feature allows users to see how peak color times have shifted over the last decade, giving people insights into how the timing of fall foliage may vary year to year.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With this data, visitors can now get a clearer sense of when and where peak colors might occur, helping them better plan their trips. The map also provides more accurate information about current conditions in state parks, allowing users to see if areas are still green or if vibrant colors have emerged. This makes it easier for visitors to choose the best time and place to visit. Additionally, the focus has shifted to more visually engaging updates, particularly through user-contributed photos, giving visitors a better understanding of the most vibrant areas or specific trees. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By incorporating public feedback and focusing on these improvements, the DNR Fall Color Finder offers a more informative and visually appealing experience, while continuing to enhance public services through technology, while maintaining high accessibility standards. Plus, it adds a fun, educational element to the website making it a useful tool for tracking patterns in Minnesota&apos;s natural beauty over time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/20240925_164619000_iOS%201_tcm38-648436.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Maple tree and rower on river&quot; alt=&quot;Maple tree and rower on river&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Maple tree and rower on river&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Streamlining fall color contributions &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The updated DNR Fall Color Finder allows users to upload photos of fall foliage from across the state. In the past, park staff provided weekly narratives about current fall color conditions for up to seven weeks. The process demanded a lot of time and often forced staff to prioritize it over their other park responsibilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To address this challenge, the new system shifts the focus to photos submitted by users of the site. The redesigned photo uploader interface pre-populates the park location and fall color tags, making it easier for the public to share their observations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A key feature this year is the interactive map with dots for each state park. Now, when users click a dot, they see the park’s latest color percentage and photo in a popup, eliminating the need to navigate to individual gallery pages as before. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While there haven’t been changes to how users can share photos from last year, this enhancement allows for a more dynamic experience. By enabling the community to easily share images, the site reflects real-time changes in Minnesota&apos;s landscape while alleviating the workload on park staff. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Maple%20tree%20in%20Autumn_tcm38-648443.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Maple tree in autumn&quot; alt=&quot;Maple tree in autumn&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Maple tree in autumn&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making the map available across devices &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and the DNR are always looking for ways to improve the usability and accessibility in our applications. In 2023, we introduced a popular new update, a color toggle feature to help those with red-green color deficiencies make sense of the map scale. This year, we focused on ensuring that the DNR Fall Color Finder works seamlessly across desktops, smartphones, and tablets. During development, we discovered that some features didn’t work smoothly on mobile devices, which many people rely on while exploring the parks, and we made improvements to enhance mobile access. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To solve this, MNIT and DNR teams collaborated to refine the map’s design, making it fully responsive on all devices. Rigorous testing and user feedback guided these adjustments, ensuring that features like viewing the most recent park conditions or submitting fall photos are easy to use no matter where you are. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These updates enhanced the user experience, highlighting the importance of a customer-focused design that works seamlessly on any device. This collaboration between MNIT and DNR reflects their commitment to delivering a valuable tool for Minnesotans and visitors alike. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Favorite fall activities from our experts &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We asked our subject matter experts, David Anderson, and Mark Tensen, to share what they enjoy most about fall in Minnesota. They highly recommend: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lutsen Mountain: The view from the top of Lutsen Mountain in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00133#homepage&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cascade River State Park&lt;/a&gt; is possibly the best in the state. The views are amazing, especially during peak fall color season.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://waldochfarm.com/pages/adventure-farm-corn-maze&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Waldoch Farms Corn Maze&lt;/a&gt;: with a corn maze and fun activities, it&apos;s the perfect fall family outing (especially around MEA weekend). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you plan to hike the Lutsen Mountains or visit any of Minnesota’s scenic state parks, make sure to have the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DNR Fall Color Finder&lt;/a&gt; handy to start planning your autumn adventure. You can even submit your own contributions to help update the map with the latest information!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Photos credit: Nate Barber&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>649045</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Apps and Mobile Sites</Title><Id>253252</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>State Parks</Title><Id>232505</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Recreation</Title><Id>232506</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Parkfinder</Title><Id>232518</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Mobile app</Title><Id>232633</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Collaboration</Title><Id>232497</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-10-11T15:09:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota has been awarded the top honor in the Cybersecurity Category at the 2024 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards for its groundbreaking Cyber Risk Quantification project. </Description><Audience/><Title>Release: ​Minnesota Wins National Cybersecurity Award </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Press release</Subject><Subject>CRQ</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Cyber Risk Quantification</Subject><Subject>NASCIO</Subject><Subject>State IT Awards</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Release: ​Minnesota Wins National Cybersecurity Award </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star with text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nascio-001_tcm38-450081.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star with text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nascio-001_tcm38-450083.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 10 - Press Release for NASCIO CRQ</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-647829&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-02T15:32:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota received the top honor in the Cybersecurity Category at the 2024 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards for its groundbreaking Cyber Risk Quantification project. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[SAINT PAUL, MN] – Minnesota earned the top award in the cybersecurity category at the 2024 NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards held yesterday. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is a leading organization for state CIOs, advocating for advancements in technology policy across all levels of government. This award highlights Minnesota IT Services&apos; (MNIT) commitment to securing the state&apos;s digital infrastructure and protecting public data. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are incredibly proud to receive the top award in the cybersecurity category at the NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. “&lt;strong&gt;This recognition reflects our team&apos;s commitment to innovation and excellence in securing Minnesota&apos;s digital infrastructure.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Winning Project: Cyber Risk Quantification&lt;/strong&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota was recognized for its groundbreaking project, “Turning Risk into Reward,” which utilizes Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ). This innovative tool allows MNIT to assess and report cybersecurity risks in financial terms, moving beyond traditional “high/medium/low” or “red/yellow/green” risk models. This approach enables the state to make cost-effective security investments that protect its most critical assets. Additionally, because the tool can be applied across the enterprise, it generates cost savings that benefit both state agencies and Minnesota residents. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“MNIT teams consistently work to evolve our programs to address advanced cyber threats and communicate related risks in a way that supports business decision-making,”&lt;/strong&gt; added John Israel, Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer. &lt;strong&gt;“By utilizing advanced tools like Cyber Risk Quantification, we protect critical public data and ensure informed, cost-effective decisions that benefit all Minnesotans.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Out of more than 120 entries nationwide across ten categories, Minnesota distinguished itself with three innovative projects named as finalists. This achievement reflects strong collaboration among state agencies and underscores our commitment to leveraging technology for the benefit of all residents. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For a full list of winners, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/press-releases/nascio-announces-recipients-for-nascio-2024-state-it-recognition-awards/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;please visit NASCIO’s press release on their website&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>647829</id><pubdate>2024-10-02T17:44:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October 2024 as &quot;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&quot; in Minnesota to highlight the importance of cybersecurity education for all Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>Release: for Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Press release</Subject><Subject>proclamation</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>Governor Walz</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Release: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota on a shield, the text reads, &quot;October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-awareness-month-blog_tcm38-647555.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota on a shield with a digital background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-awarenss-month-blog-thumb_tcm38-647556.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 10 - Press Release for Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM)</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-647549&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-10-01T15:38:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October 2024 as &quot;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&quot; in Minnesota to highlight the importance of cybersecurity education for all Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saint Paul, MN -&lt;/strong&gt; Governor Tim Walz &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/10.01.24%20Cybersecurity%20Awareness%20Month_tcm38-647550.pdf&quot; title=&quot;2024 Proclamation for Cyber Security Month&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2024 Proclamation for Cyber Security Month&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;has declared October 2024 as &quot;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&quot;&lt;/a&gt; in Minnesota, aligning with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This proclamation highlights the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for all Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota employs a statewide approach to safeguard the personal information of its citizens, residents, and visitors while ensuring critical systems remain operational. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) plays a key role by preventing, monitoring, detecting, and collaborating with federal and local governments to address cyber threats targeting state systems and services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As reliance on information systems and technology increases, so does the need to identify, protect against, and respond to cyber threats. Although this may seem daunting, every Minnesotan can take steps to protect themselves, their families, and their businesses. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Minnesotans can shield themselves from growing cyber threats,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;While cybersecurity can feel complicated, doable practices like using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, keeping devices updated, and being aware of phishing attempts make a big difference.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, MNIT will share cybersecurity tips on social media to raise awareness about protecting personal information, safely using AI tools like ChatGPT, online travel safety, and more. MNIT will also run an internal campaign to educate state employees on cybersecurity best practices and reporting procedures. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>647549</id><pubdate>2024-10-01T21:12:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>MNIT AI</Title><Id>604327</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota received the top grade in the Digital States Survey and special recognition for innovation </Description><Audience/><Title>Release: Minnesota Receives “A” Grade for Use of Digital Technology</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Release: Minnesota Receives “A” Grade for Use of Digital Technology</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Badge with text &quot;State of Minnesota Digital State Survey A Grade&quot; over blue patterened background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-states-survey-blog-2_tcm38-646645.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Badge with text &quot;State of Minnesota Digital State Survey A Grade&quot; over black patterened background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-states-survey-blog-thumb-2_tcm38-646646.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2024 -09 - Digital States Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-646544&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-26T15:52:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota received the top grade in the Digital States Survey and special recognition for innovation </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;September 26, 2024 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; - The Center for Digital Government has awarded Minnesota the highest grade for its use of digital technology in 2024. Minnesota earned an overall &quot;A&quot; in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/digital-states-survey-2024-results-announced&quot;&gt;2024 Digital States Survey&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We’re committed to delivering the best government services for Minnesotans, using technology to focus on the needs of the people we serve,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Governor Walz. &lt;strong&gt;“This recognition shows that Minnesota continues to lead the way in using innovative solutions to improve lives.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota was one of nine states to earn an &quot;A,&quot; which reflects strong innovation, high-performing technology solutions, and the application of best practices in operations, governance, and administration.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Technology is at the core of effective government, and our efforts are focused on making Minnesota the best place to live, work, and raise a family,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Tarek Tomes, Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services and the state&apos;s Chief Information Officer. &lt;strong&gt;“We’re honored to be recognized by the Center for Digital Government for our leadership. This recognition fuels our commitment to harness innovative, inclusive technology that benefits all Minnesotans.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota also received first place for its exemplary work in Continuous Innovation category in recognition of the exploration, testing, and appropriate application of emerging technologies to improve government services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Digital States Survey helps states benchmark their use of digital technologies to improve service delivery, boost capacity, and achieve policy goals. A full national overview of all 50 states and their grades is available on the Center for Digital Government’s website. Minnesota will be recognized at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA on September 29. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Center for Digital Government &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Center for Digital Government (CDG) is a national research and advisory institute focused on IT policies and best practices in state and local governments. Through its programs and services, the CDG provides public and private sector leaders with knowledge and support to effectively integrate new technologies in the 21st century. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>646544</id><pubdate>2026-02-27T18:53:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota has once again received an &quot;A&quot; in the 2024 Digital States Survey and first place in continuous innovation. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Earns Top Marks in 2024 Digital States Survey</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital states survey</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>results</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Discover How Minnesota Earned Top Marks in the 2024 Digital States Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343298.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>photo of the MN state capitol cupola against a blue sky with a graphical abstract image of an arrow behind it</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-arrow-cover-flat-blog-thumb_tcm38-520922.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 09 - Digital States Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-646515&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-26T14:34:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Find out about the successes and transformation Minnesota highlighted to once again receive an &quot;A&quot; in the 2024 Digital States Survey and first place in continuous innovation. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has once again received an &quot;A&quot; in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/digital-states-survey-2024-results-announced&quot;&gt;2024 Digital States Survey&lt;/a&gt;—its second consecutive time earning the highest possible rating. Out of all U.S. states, only nine received an &quot;A&quot; and Minnesota is among them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Digital States Survey evaluates how well IT organizations align with the governor’s priorities, focusing on demonstrating real results and value for the people they serve. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Successes&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to earning an &quot;A,&quot; Minnesota also secured first place in the Continuous Innovation category. This award highlights the state’s leadership in exploring, testing, and applying emerging technologies to enhance government services. The recognition reflects Minnesota’s commitment to prioritizing people-centered technology, driven by collaboration across the executive branch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We highlighted how emerging technology strategies are widespread across agencies, yielding significant results. Some examples include:   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaboration with Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB): Tested retrieval augmented generation (RAG) technology, enabling natural language interaction with complex documents, and facilitating efficient navigation of financial policies at MMB.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Department of Public Safety and MNIT Language Access Project: Launched an AI-driven language access project for the Division of Vehicle Services, improving service access for 67% of Minnesota&apos;s non-English speaking population. This effort embraced Minnesota’s Modernization Playbook and agile development for integration into standard processes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ETO Translation Services: Utilized artificial intelligence to offer translation services to state agencies, focusing on Spanish, Hmong, and Somali languages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Statewide innovation: MNIT offers Microsoft’s Power Apps and Power Automate, tools that enable the state workforce to swiftly address business needs with no-code/low-code solutions. Since its statewide launch in 2023, the initiative has led to the creation of 2,721 Power Apps and 6,157 Power Automate flows. These tools have been utilized across 21 agencies, impacting 39,043 users. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Drone bridge inspections: Minnesota Department of Transportation initiated a multi-phase project to explore the use of drones for bridge inspections. By 2021, the results were clear— drones reduced costs, improved data quality, enhanced safety for both inspectors and motorists, and minimized traffic disruptions. This research led to the acquisition of 33 drones and the development of advanced 3D models for bridge management. MnDOT continues to refine these capabilities, driving greater efficiency and improving public safety.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Across other areas of the survey, Minnesota highlighted:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/tmf/proposal.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Page Intro - Technology Modernization Fund&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro - Technology Modernization Fund&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Technology Modernization Fund&lt;/a&gt;, which has to date funded over 17 projects that have upgraded aging systems, strengthened data security, improved processes, and created efficiencies leading to cost and resource savings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advancements in data management and technology within key programs such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program, COVID-19 Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program, Direct Certification, and Minnesota Free School Meals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cybersecurity successes like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-590571&quot;&gt;Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-626579&quot;&gt;cyber risk quantification&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/security/eo22-20-faq.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - EO 22-20&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - EO 22-20&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Executive Order 22-20&lt;/a&gt;, partnership with the National Guard, and improved data security training and policies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A transition to product and agile ways of working, in our hiring process, the Product and Agile Center of Enablement, and strategic portfolio management and improvements in the hiring process. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Technology successes across state government like Frontline Worker Pay, the Minnesota Crime Data Explorer, the Child care provider hub, a new air quality application, and Farmlink.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read more in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/computing/digital-states-2024-innovation-inclusion-and-whole-of-state-services?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s summary in GovTech&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Digital States Survey&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Digital States Survey is a biennial national survey from the Center for Digital Government (CDG). It assesses CIO-led organizations’ alignment with governor priorities. Minnesota IT Services submitted the survey in May 2024 and received results on Sept. 26, 2024. A national overview of all 50 states and their grades can be found on the Center for Digital Government’s website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>646515</id><pubdate>2024-09-26T17:11:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The State of Minnesota’s State Agency GIS Collaborative gave a presentation to state employees about listening to your maps. This article summarizes that presentation and provides resources to help digital map designers incorporate accessibility into their maps. We have also included information about how the state’s new Digital Accessibility Standard and WCAG 2.1, Level AA impacts digital map design. </Description><Audience/><Title>Making Maps Accessible to Screen Readers</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Accessible Maps</Subject><Subject>GIS</Subject><Subject>Screen Readers</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Making Maps Accessible to Screen Readers</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>World globe with headphones on it and the globe is sitting on a map</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/listen-to-your-maps-mnit-blog_tcm38-645705.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>World globe with headphones on it and the globe is sitting on a map</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/listen-to-your-maps-mnit-blog-thumb_tcm38-645729.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>2024 - 09 - Making Maps Accessible to Screen Readers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-645700&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-26T12:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota’s State Agency GIS Collaborative gave a presentation to state employees about listening to your maps. This article summarizes that presentation and provides resources to help digital map designers incorporate accessibility into their maps. We have also included information about how the state’s new Digital Accessibility Standard and WCAG 2.1, Level AA impacts digital map design. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn how to make your map’s information accessible to screen reader users </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;​Content contribution:&lt;/strong&gt; Jason Ewert, GIS Application Analyst, MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, member of the Accessible Maps Community of Practice. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maps are visual by nature. But have you ever listened to your map? Imagine that was the only way you could understand a map. Recently, the State of Minnesota’s State Agency GIS Collaborative gave a presentation to state employees about listening to your maps and provided resources from the State’s Accessible Maps Community of Practice (CoP) group. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article summarizes that presentation and provides resources to help digital map designers incorporate accessibility into their maps. We have also included information about how the state’s new Digital Accessibility Standard and WCAG 2.1, Level AA impacts digital map design. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s Note:&lt;/strong&gt; A basic understanding of digital accessibility will help to follow along with this article. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota’s GIS Bytes Presentation Recap: Listen to Your Maps  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The presentation included creative solutions using JavaScript to address web map accessibility issues that make it difficult for screen reader technology to read maps. It included simple tests to check for map accessibility and ensure that any assistive technology including screen readers can properly read digital maps for the user. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commonly Missed Accessibility Items&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Structure and keyboard accessibility &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Structure allows a screen reader user to understand the framework of the digital content. Keyboard accessibility ensures the content is navigable using only the keyboard, which is often how a screen reader user moves through digital content. Structure adds to keyboard accessibility by allowing users to execute common keyboard shortcuts and have the screen reader jump to the content they are most interested in. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example:&lt;/strong&gt; Use semantic HTML to add headings, paragraph and list elements, as well as main content areas to the map. This adds information into an Accessibility Tree in the Document Object Model (DOM). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;header&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;nav&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;main&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 60px; color: rgb(192, 0, 0);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;h1&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 80px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 60px; color: rgb(192, 0, 0);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;h2&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 80px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt; &amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 80px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;ol&amp;gt; &amp;lt;li&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 56, 101);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;footer&amp;gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Important map descriptions &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having proper descriptions for map elements allows a screen reader to understand what is being viewed on the map and to know what is happening, so it can read the information to the user. Description needs include titles, labels and roles for attributes, along with alternative text for images.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example:&lt;/strong&gt; Set the role and title of a div. The name of the div that contains the map is: myViewDiv. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;myViewDiv.setAttribute(‘role’, ‘application’) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;myViewDiv.setAttribute(‘title’, A map of Minnesota showing satellite images. The map displays city boundaries from the search results list’) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example:&lt;/strong&gt; Handling dynamic content for search results, error and success messages, or navigating in an interactive map. You can use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) live regions to define dynamic content. ARIA inserts itself into the Accessibility Tree in the DOM. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;resultsDiv.setAttribute(‘aria-live’, ‘polite’) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use the ‘polite’ mode rather than ‘assertive’ &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;resultsDiv.setAttribute(‘aria-atomic’, ‘true’) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The aria-atomic setting will re-read the full div, not just the changes made. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Logical reading order &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important to create linear paths (logical element flow) in the structure of the map, along with properly incorporating an after-action item into the flow so a screen reader can properly convey the intention of the map to the user. For example: The user enters search criteria, and the search results popup is the next item in tab order; The user selects a location on the map and the next item in tab order is the details for the selected location. Linear paths also ensure a user does not get disoriented while listening to the information presented by the map through the screen reader.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example:&lt;/strong&gt; Run a search and then send the focus to the search results.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GetElementById(“searchResults”).focus() &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This requires tabindex &amp;gt;=0.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;E&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;xample:&lt;/strong&gt; Send the user to the new DOM element and then back to the natural flow of elements when they exit (Enter a search item, visit search item popup, close search item popup, and return the user to the search box). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SearchWidget.on(“search-complete”, () =&amp;gt; myFunction()) &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shift the focus flow to the popup using view.popup.focus() &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On popup close, shift the focus back to the search: once !view.popup.visble =&amp;gt; view.search.focus()&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Three Simple Accessibility Tests for Maps &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are a few tools available that allow you to check your maps for accessibility.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hover&lt;/strong&gt; – A “Hover test” is a quick way to check if your map’s accessible components work as intended. 
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Example:&lt;/strong&gt; You must be able to control a mouse for this test. When you hover over elements with your mouse and an element has a description popup, then the screen reader will also read it.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MN%20EQB%20Example%20of%20Hover%20Test_tcm38-645736.png&quot; title=&quot;State-of-MN-EQB-Example-of-Hover-Test&quot; alt=&quot;State-of-MN-EQB-Example-of-Hover-Test&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;State-of-MN-EQB-Example-of-Hover-Test&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keyboard only&lt;/strong&gt; – Are you able to use your keyboard tab key to navigate to every part of your map? Do keyboard shortcuts create expected behaviors (Enter key makes an action activate, Tab key moves logically between interactive elements and receives focus, Spacebar opens menus and dropdowns). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WAVE&lt;/strong&gt; – Use the &lt;a href=&quot;https://&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM WAVE accessibility evaluation tool&lt;/a&gt; to check your map’s ARIA, structure, and alt text along with other essential accessibility criteria such as contrast and links. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Map Examples with Accessible Components Added &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://&quot;&gt;Minnesota Environmental Quality Board Environmental Review Projects map&lt;/a&gt; provides a description of the map, is keyboard accessible (using the Tab key), and provides keyboard access to the project locations’ modals. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://jasonewert.github.io/listen-to-maps/wimn-demo/wimn-demo.html&quot;&gt;Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s What’s in My Neighborhood map&lt;/a&gt; (a demo map created by Ewert) creates logical reading order by setting up linear paths. Using the search term “Quality Bike Products,” the screen reader then reads the proper search results and where the location on the map adjusted to, along with how much it zoomed in. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s New for Map Accessibility with WCAG 2.1 &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the recent update to the state’s Digital Accessibility Standard (as of July 1, 2024), several new success criteria have been added for digital maps. Additional requirements make digital content more accessible for screen reader users. The GIS Bytes presentation included the following tips.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - This helps assistive technology communicate the purpose of user input fields in alternative ways. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - This is particularly relevant for web maps with vector data interactions or an identify tool. As the user selects features on a map either by clicking or hovering, we need to ensure that any pop-ups can be dismissed by pressing escape or by selecting a different feature.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.5.1 Pointer Gestures&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - Users who cannot accurately perform path-based pointer gestures - on a touchscreen or with a mouse - will have alternative means for operating the content. This only affects tools where intermediate locations are recorded. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - The objective is to prevent the user from taking an unintended irreversible action based only on a pointer down-event, such as a key press, mouse button press, or touching a control on a screen. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.5.3 Label in Name&lt;/strong&gt; (A) - This helps to ensure that the words which visually label a component are also the words associated with the component programmatically. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4.1.3 Status Messages&lt;/strong&gt; (AA) - Ensures users are aware of important changes in content that are not given focus, and to do so in a way that doesn&apos;t unnecessarily interrupt their work. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; The Accessible Maps CoP is updating their accessibility guides for maps to incorporate the new WCAG 2.1 criteria. Watch the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility (OoA) Accessible Maps web pages&lt;/a&gt; for updates to the guides for Map Design, Static Maps and Interactive Maps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Training &amp;amp; Resources for Creating Accessible Maps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/maps.jsp&quot;&gt;OoA Accessible Maps Training web page&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/accessibility-quick-cards.jsp&quot;&gt;OoA Maps Accessibility Quick Reference Cards &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-382609&quot;&gt;OoA Article: Maps for All &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-600376&quot;&gt;OoA Article: WCAG 2.1 Makes Maps Easier to Use &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.0&amp;amp;currentsidebar=%23col_customize&amp;amp;levels=aaa&amp;amp;showtechniques=321&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Worldwide Web Consortium’s (W3C) How to Meet WCAG 2.0 Quick Reference web page &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C’s How to Meet WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference web page&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C’s Aria Authoring Practices Guide &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/javascript/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM’s How to Build Accessible JavaScript web page &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/js-api-arcgis/developers/build-accessibility-into-your-web-maps-with-arcgis-maps-sdk-for-javascript/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;esri&apos;s ArcGIS Blog: Build Accessibility into your Web Maps with ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript (2024) &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/js-api-arcgis/developers/build-accessible-web-apps-with-arcgis-maps-sdk-for-javascript-and-calcite-design-system/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;esri&apos;s ArcGIS Blog: Build Accessibility into your Web Maps with ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript and Calcite Design System (2023) &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nvaccess.org/download/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;NVDA Screen Reader &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For State of MN Employees&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn365.sharepoint.com/sites/MNIT-OfficeofAccessibility/SitePages/Training/wcag/maps-gis.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;OoA extranet Role-based training for Maps/GIS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://intranet.mnit.mn.gov/contact/communities-of-practice.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessible Maps CoP&lt;/a&gt; (MNIT Employees only)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>645700</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-25T18:50:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Motion Actuation is about allowing the user a choice to use normal controls or motion controls, like shaking or tilting.</Description><Audience/><Title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - WCAG 2.1: SC 2.5.4 Motion Actuation</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Motion Actuation</Subject><Subject>Success Criteria 2.5.4</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1&apos;s Success Criteria for Motion Actuation: Don&apos;t rely on sensors</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two mobile phones on screen. First phone has “Undo” highlighted with a hand to click on it. Caption says “Click to undo. Then “and” is between the two phone images. Second phone is in a hand and displays the shaking motion. Caption says “Shake to undo.” </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Motion-Actuation_Blog%201_tcm38-643077.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Motion-Actuation_Blog%20Thumb%201_tcm38-643078.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - WCAG 2.1: SC 2.5.4 Motion Actuation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-643133&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-25T18:49:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Motion Actuation is about allowing the user a choice to use normal controls or motion controls, like shaking or tilting.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn what Motion Actuation is and why conventional controls matter.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s Note:&lt;/strong&gt; The content for this tech tip combines information from World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Technique web page (available to the public) and the Office of Accessibility’s (OoA) role-based training pages (available to only state employees). Links are provided in this tip for the public pages. If you are a state employee, email us at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;MNITAccessibility@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; to receive the OoA links.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The OoA July blog post, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-638350&amp;amp;utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery#:~:text=Additional%20WCAG%202.1%2C%20Level%20AA%20Success%20Criteria&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Addresses Needs for Users with Cognitive &amp;amp; Mobility Disabilities&lt;/a&gt;, mentions success criterion, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/motion-actuation&quot;&gt;2.5.4 Motion Actuation&lt;/a&gt;. This standard ensures that functionality operated by device motion or user motion can also:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be operated by conventional user interface components, such as touch, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Motion responses can be disabled to prevent accidental actuation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How Motion Actuation Works&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Devices often have sensors that can act as inputs. These sensors allow the user to control something by simply changing the orientation or moving the device in particular ways. In other situations, web content can interpret user gestures via the camera or other sensors to actuate functions. For example, shaking the device might issue an &quot;undo&quot; command, or a gentle hand wave might be used to move forward or backward in a sequence of pages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some users with disabilities are not able to operate these device sensors (either not at all, or not precisely enough) to benefit from the sensors. Their device may be on a fixed mount (perhaps a wheelchair), or they physically are unable to move the device.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Motion actuation requires developers to ensure an alternative control scheme is ready, and either:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;has it set to always available, or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;is available by disabling the motion controls (making sure the motion control settings aren’t themselves motion-controlled).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, some users may accidentally activate sensors due to tremors or other motor impairments. The user must have the ability to turn off motion actuation to prevent such accidental triggering of functions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to successfully incorporate motion actuation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check operating system settings and allow the user to disable motion detection at the system level.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide conventional controls and an application setting for motion activated input.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support system level features which allow the user to disable motion actuation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Shake to undo&lt;/strong&gt;: After text is entered in a field, shaking a device displays a dialog allowing users to undo the entry. Supporting use of the backspace key and/or providing a clear button next to the text field offers the same functionality.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shake to undo can be turned off in a settings page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advance pages&lt;/strong&gt;: A user can tilt a device to advance to the next or a previous page. Buttons are also provided to perform the same function.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Interactive elements&lt;/strong&gt;: A user can move or pan a device to change the view in an interactive photo. A control is also available to perform these same functions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gestures&lt;/strong&gt;: A user can gesture towards the device to navigate content. Controls are also available to navigate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Motion Activated Slider&lt;/strong&gt;: A slider can be adjusted by tipping the device to the left and right. There are also buttons to achieve the same functionality, and a tick-box that prevents the motion from having an effect.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web Accessibility Initiative’s (WAI) working &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/working-examples/device-motion-sensor-input/&quot;&gt;example of a slider with motion actuation&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For each function that is triggered by a motion sensor:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check if the use of a motion sensor is essential or required to make the function accessible is supported.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check if there is a user setting which disables the motion detection.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G213.html&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Technique G213: Provide conventional controls and an application setting for motion activated input&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/DeviceMotionEvent&quot;&gt;Mozilla Developer Network (MDN) DeviceMotionEvent&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Device_orientation_events/Detecting_device_orientation&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;MDN Detecting device orientation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; This is the latest article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility.” Missed the first installments? While on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/&quot;&gt;Accessibility News web page&lt;/a&gt; review the feed for WCAG 2.1 in titles and/or the summary.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>643133</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-25T18:50:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT held its Annual Awards ceremony to recognize service excellence and the honorees&apos; dedication to furthering MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities.</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Excellence at the 2024 MNIT Annual Awards</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Annual Awards</Subject><Subject>Award</Subject><Subject>Employee recognition</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Celebrating Excellence at the 2024 MNIT Annual Awards</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Golden star with black starry background and 2024 Annual Awards text.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual-Awards-Blog_tcm38-645952.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>gold star</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual%20Awards_tcm38-582550.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 09 - 2024 Annual Awards</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-645944&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-24T15:09:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT held its Annual Awards ceremony to recognize service excellence and the honorees&apos; dedication to furthering MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT hosted our Annual Awards ceremony on Friday, Sept. 20. The Annual Awards brought MNIT employees together to recognize the exceptional individuals, teams, and projects that have significantly impacted our mission to serve the people of Minnesota.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event offers a chance to learn from each other’s successes, and reflect on and celebrate the hard work, dedication, and innovation that bring us closer to a more secure, digital government. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are the awardees and finalists who have set the standard for excellence at MNIT, inspiring us all to strive for greater results. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee of the Year: Kimario Daniel Fawkes &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/employee-of-the-year_tcm38-645964.jpg&quot; title=&quot;The text &apos;employee of the year&apos; beside a headshot of the winner of the Employee of the Year Annual Award: Kimario Daniel Fawkes&quot; alt=&quot;The text &apos;employee of the year&apos; beside a headshot of the winner of the Employee of the Year Annual Award: Kimario Daniel Fawkes&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom:20px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Employee of the year&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kimario Daniel Fawkes is known for his remarkable leadership and dedication to public service. He expertly manages complex projects, ensuring meaningful results for both MNIT and the people of Minnesota. Kimario’s leadership style is centered around servant leadership—he always puts others first, seeks feedback, and fosters growth. His transparency and honesty have built deep trust with his colleagues, making him an invaluable member of our team. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finalists for Employee of the Year &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finalists for Employee of the Year demonstrated exceptional dedication and contributions to advancing MNIT&apos;s mission:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Becky Bernauer  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suzanne Cellette &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Karin Kneeland &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joy Mathison &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Theresa Mish &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tyler Osata &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tad Schindler &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suzanne Updike &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sheng Vang &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manager of the Year: Kristi Grunewald &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/manager_tcm38-645965.jpg&quot; title=&quot;The text &apos;manager of the year&apos; beside a headshot of the winner of the Manager of the Year Annual Award: Kristi Grunewald &quot; alt=&quot;The text &apos;manager of the year&apos; beside a headshot of the winner of the Manager of the Year Annual Award: Kristi Grunewald&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom:20px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Manager of the year&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kristi Grunewald has brought extensive project management experience to MNIT’s partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). Her ability to guide complex initiatives to success, while balancing both technical and business perspectives, has earned her high praise. Kristi’s problem-solving skills and innovative approaches consistently lead to successful outcomes. Her ability to create strong connections with colleagues and partners has made her a standout leader within the agency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finalists for Manager of the Year &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nominees for Manager of the Year displayed outstanding leadership and commitment to driving key initiatives forward:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tanya Belanger &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jenna Bergmann &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deb Tibstra &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jackie Weldon &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project of the Year: Blood Lead Modernization &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/project_tcm38-645967.jpg&quot; title=&quot;The text &apos;project of the year&apos; beside a the logo of the winning project: Blood Lead Modernization Project, and the partnering agency: The Minnesota Department of Health&quot; alt=&quot;The text &apos;project of the year&apos; beside a the logo of the winning project: Blood Lead Modernization Project, and the partnering agency: The Minnesota Department of Health&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom:20px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Project of the year&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Blood Lead Modernization project, recognized as this year&apos;s Project of the Year, transformed how lead exposure cases are managed across Minnesota. By modernizing the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Blood Lead Surveillance Program, the project enabled faster identification of at-risk children and pregnant people, leading to more timely interventions. Improved data processing and communication with local public health agencies allowed for better case collaboration, reducing delays, and enhancing public health outcomes. This project has had a far-reaching impact, safeguarding vulnerable populations and addressing environmental risks more effectively. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finalists for Project of the Year &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Project of the Year recognizes a team that delivered a high-impact solution for one or more business partners. The finalists for the 2024 Project of the Year are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mobility as a Service (MaaS) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Statewide Historic Inventory Portal (MnSHIP) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MPCA Groundwater Contamination Mapping (GWCM) Phase II &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Team of the Year: Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Team &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/team_tcm38-646120.jpg&quot; title=&quot;The text &apos;team of the year&apos; beside a the logo of the winning team: The Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Team&quot; alt=&quot;The text &apos;team of the year&apos; beside a the logo of the winning team: The Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Team&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom:20px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Team of the year&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Team was named this year’s Team of the Year for their comprehensive efforts in protecting Minnesota&apos;s digital infrastructure. Through the rollout of the Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan, the team achieved a 30% reduction in critical vulnerabilities statewide. Their collaborative approach involved risk assessments for local governments and partnerships with institutions like Metro State University. By securing new federal funding and fostering collaboration with over 500 statewide entities, the team has made Minnesota a leader in cybersecurity, with a significant impact on both local government agencies and K-12 public schools. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finalists for Team of the Year &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Team of the Year award honors an operational team that provides outstanding, customer-focused service while supporting an existing product or service. The finalists for the 2024 Team of the Year are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communications Team &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT SSIS Operations Team &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Threat and Vulnerability Management Team &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partner of the Year &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/partner_tcm38-645966.jpg&quot; title=&quot;The text &apos;partner of the year&apos; beside a the logo of the winning agnecy: Minnesota Management and Budget&quot; alt=&quot;The text &apos;partner of the year&apos; beside a the logo of the winning agnecy: Minnesota Management and Budget&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; margin-bottom:20px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Partner of the Year&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year’s Partner of the Year is &lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB)&lt;/strong&gt;, recognized for their critical collaboration with MNIT on key initiatives. MMB supported the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) implementation, played a major role in customer experience transformation through the One Minnesota Plan, and backed 2023 IT investments, including $500M in statewide modernization and cybersecurity efforts. Their work on electronic policy updates enabled 100% adoption of MFA, and they advanced sustainable funding for systems like SWIFT and SEMA4 while promoting the Minnesota state brand with new document templates for all state employees. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations to all the 2024 awardees!  &lt;/h2&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>645944</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-24T16:41:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Celebrate National IT Professionals Day by honoring MNIT technologists for their innovation, dedication, and award-winning projects that drive digital government and support Minnesotans!</Description><Audience/><Title>Happy IT Professionals Day</Title><Publisher/><Subject>IT Professionals Day</Subject><Subject>Employee recognition</Subject><Subject>Digital government</Subject><Subject>Careers at MNIT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Happy IT Professionals Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Technologist smiling and working on her laptop. The text reads, &quot;Happy National IT Professionals Day.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/it-professionals-day-facebook-and-blog_tcm38-644801.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Technologist smiling and working on her laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/it-professionals-day-blog-thumb_tcm38-644802.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 09 - IT Professionals Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-644800&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-09-16T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Celebrate National IT Professionals Day by honoring MNIT technologists for their innovation, dedication, and award-winning projects that drive digital government and support Minnesotans!</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT technologists can stand up today and take a bow for helping Minnesotans get the services they need. The third Tuesday in September is designated as National IT Professionals Day to honor those who take care of technology infrastructure, help drive innovation to support state agencies and troubleshoot software and hardware issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A dedicated group of IT professionals stand behind MNIT’s push to promote a digital government. We rely on their hard work and dedication to turn our agency and state’s mission into reality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kudos to MNIT employees&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT staff play a key role in shaping our future by understanding business and customer needs and delivering a top-class user experience. As a testimony to their continuing success, we are proud to share that &lt;a title=&quot;Original URL: https://vmm0dj30.r.us-west-2.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.nascio.org%2Fpress-releases%2Fnascio-announces-finalists-for-nascio-2024-state-it-recognition-awards%2F%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010191fcc1c1fe-cd1ca382-b990-4d6d-ba01-09fabd170543-000000/UJrYkeHqlUvCHAVVpQP_ZvanyAk=392. Click or tap if you trust this link.&quot; href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvmm0dj30.r.us-west-2.awstrack.me%2FL0%2Fhttps%3A%252F%252Fwww.nascio.org%252Fpress-releases%252Fnascio-announces-finalists-for-nascio-2024-state-it-recognition-awards%252F%253Futm_medium%3Demail%2526utm_source%3Dgovdelivery%2F1%2F01010191fcc1c1fe-cd1ca382-b990-4d6d-ba01-09fabd170543-000000%2FUJrYkeHqlUvCHAVVpQP_ZvanyAk%3D392&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7Cnate.barber%40state.mn.us%7C4c19499e821b44feeb7108dcd69748ea%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638621192462730198%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=%2Fg07uxDR5012U47MPo1s0s9kpGxlTOnG8lZNO%2BzNOwI%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;tech projects from the State of Minnesota are finalists in the 2024 State IT Recognition Awards&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cybersecurity Category –&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/626579&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Turning Risk into Reward with Cyber Risk Quantification&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Data Management, Analytics &amp;amp; Visualization Category –&lt;/strong&gt; Improving Access to Food for Minnesota’s Most Vulnerable Children&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Digital Services: Government to Business –&lt;/strong&gt; Filling the Childcare Gap with Licensing Innovation in Minnesota&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We salute all those who contributed to this award-winning work!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What MNIT employees have to say&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At MNIT, employees find more than just a job—they discover a career with purpose. From working on projects that directly benefit the people of Minnesota to being part of a supportive team, MNIT staff have plenty of reasons to be proud of their work. We reached out to MNIT employees to learn more about what makes their work meaningful and why they enjoy being part of the team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT employees shared what they value most about their roles, the projects they&apos;re passionate about, and why they love being part of Minnesota’s tech-driven future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Original URL: https://vmm0dj30.r.us-west-2.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FeKpDCCXMWZ4%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01010191fcc1c1fe-cd1ca382-b990-4d6d-ba01-09fabd170543-000000/nOfaoPIBg5ZalXXrR4U5GxBsqaw=392. Click or tap if you trust this link.&quot; href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvmm0dj30.r.us-west-2.awstrack.me%2FL0%2Fhttps%3A%252F%252Fyoutu.be%252FeKpDCCXMWZ4%253Futm_medium%3Demail%2526utm_source%3Dgovdelivery%2F1%2F01010191fcc1c1fe-cd1ca382-b990-4d6d-ba01-09fabd170543-000000%2FnOfaoPIBg5ZalXXrR4U5GxBsqaw%3D392&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7Cnate.barber%40state.mn.us%7C4c19499e821b44feeb7108dcd69748ea%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638621192462739851%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=aWUWHo7080Bd5RDlfEauMY9ijCF%2FMFBfRr7v7MmhGjY%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot;&gt;Watch the video&lt;/a&gt; to see firsthand the meaningful experiences and impactful work that make MNIT such a special place!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>644800</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>NASCIO</Title><Id>232630</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-17T18:21:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota Governor Tim Walz recently addressed the Esri User Conference, highlighting the state&apos;s use of advanced geospatial technology to drive sustainable development and social equity. Learn more about these innovative efforts in our latest blog.</Description><Audience/><Title>Mapping Minnesota&apos;s Future - A Commitment to Sustainability and Equity</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Governor Tim Walz</Subject><Subject>MnGeo</Subject><Subject>GSI</Subject><Subject>ESRI</Subject><Subject>Sustainable development</Subject><Subject>Data visualization</Subject><Subject>Geospatial technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Mapping Minnesota&apos;s Future - A Commitment to Sustainability and Equity</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota Governor Tim Walz addressing a crowd at ESRI</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Gov%20Walz%20at%20ESRI%20Blog_tcm38-642692.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota Governor Tim Walz addressing a crowd at ESRI</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Gov%20Walz%20at%20ESRI%20Thumbnail_tcm38-642671.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - Walz at ESRI</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-642685&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-29T16:52:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Governor Tim Walz recently addressed the Esri User Conference, highlighting the state&apos;s use of advanced geospatial technology to drive sustainable development and social equity. Learn more about these innovative efforts in our latest blog.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz &lt;a href=&quot;https://mediaspace.esri.com/embed/secure/iframe/entryId/1_d2sqkrju/uiConfId/49806163&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;recently addressed the Esri User Conference&lt;/a&gt;, highlighting Minnesota&apos;s commitment to sustainable development, social equity, and the power of data-driven governance. His speech underscored the critical role of geospatial technology in shaping a future that prioritizes environmental protection and social justice, such as: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Efforts to protect peatlands, a vital natural resource that act as significant carbon sinks.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The meticulous work of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s geospatial professionals&lt;/a&gt;, mapmakers, and data analysts which ensures that land use decisions are made with precision. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The geospatial initiatives which support &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/child-tax-credit&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;child tax credits&lt;/a&gt; and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.house.mn.gov/Caucus/View/DFL/36386#:~:text=Paul%2C%20MN%20%2D%20Today%2C%20the,a%20vote%20of%2070%2D58.&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;new law providing universal free meals for all students&lt;/a&gt;. These policies aim to reduce childhood poverty and ensure that every child has access to nutritious food which is essential for their well-being and educational success. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These are just a few ways our state agencies are working hard to make Minnesota the most livable and welcoming state in the nation. These measures are part of a broader commitment to equity and justice, particularly benefiting historically marginalized communities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s a big goal we’ve set for ourselves which is outlined in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/one-mn-plan/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;One Minnesota Plan&lt;/a&gt;. And not many people know how much advanced mapping technologies and data visualization play in getting the job done. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/EsriUC24_Day3_D_0307_tcm38-642672.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Walz with ESRI team&quot; alt=&quot;Walz with ESRI team&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Walz with ESRI team&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The crucial role of advanced mapping technologies and data visualization &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s cities, the Department of Health (MDH) and the University of Minnesota (UMN) are leading the charge in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-to-spend-240-million-to-remove-lead-pipes-across-the-state/600275366&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;removal of lead service lines&lt;/a&gt;. Advanced mapping technologies and data visualization tools play a supporting role in this critical work. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MnGeo works&lt;/a&gt; with state agencies and other partners to ensure that they have the data and support needed to do this important work. It&apos;s collaborative efforts like these that are essential not only for improving public health but also for addressing racial disparities, particularly in black and brown communities where many of the affected areas are concentrated.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But addressing lead service lines isn’t the only &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/620708:~:text=Together%2C%20GIS%20and,Transportation%20and%20logistics&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;initiative that depends on advanced mapping technologies and data visualization tools&lt;/a&gt;. Here are a few more ways these technologies play a critical role in addressing Minnesota’s environment and improving lives of the people we serve: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Climate change mitigation and adaptation &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walz made a key connection between accurate maps and Minnesota’s efforts in combating climate change. He noted, &quot;We&apos;re able to be very deliberate on our land usage to make sure above all else, we&apos;re protecting that peatland.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advanced mapping technologies enable precise monitoring and management of Minnesota&apos;s natural resources, such as forests and wetlands. This helps in understanding carbon sequestration capacities and planning conservation efforts. For example, geographic information systems (GIS) tools can track the health and growth of forested areas, informing reforestation projects and wildfire risk assessments. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Public health and environmental justice &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Detailed geospatial analysis is essential in addressing air quality and pollution concerns. By mapping pollution sources and affected areas, state agencies can develop targeted interventions to reduce emissions and protect public health, especially in vulnerable communities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Transportation and infrastructure planning &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data visualization tools play a &lt;a href=&quot;https://gisdata.mn.gov/group/transportation&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;significant role in designing and optimizing transportation networks&lt;/a&gt;. By analyzing traffic patterns, population density, and public transit usage, planners can enhance accessibility and reduce congestion. This not only improves efficiency but also promotes equitable access to transportation services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. Disaster preparedness and response &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GIS is invaluable for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/committee/emprep/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;disaster preparedness&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-606723#:~:text=Nationwide%20911%20emergency%20systems%20are%20being%20updated%20with%20Geographic%20Information%20System%20(GIS)%20data.&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;emergency response&lt;/a&gt;. Real-time mapping of weather events, such as floods or tornadoes, allows for quick mobilization of resources and evacuation planning. Additionally, post-disaster assessments use satellite imagery to identify impacted areas and prioritize recovery efforts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. Agricultural and water resource management &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advanced mapping technologies help in managing agricultural practices by analyzing soil health, crop patterns, and irrigation needs. This ensures sustainable farming practices and optimizes water usage, critical for supporting Minnesota&apos;s agricultural economy and protecting water resources. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6. Housing and urban development &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data visualization tools aid in planning urban development by identifying areas suitable for affordable housing projects. They also help in assessing neighborhood conditions, such as access to amenities, green spaces, and economic opportunities, guiding efforts to enhance community livability. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are excited to celebrate the positive impact of geospatial professionals and the notable achievements of MnGeo which plays a vital role in coordinating, guiding, and leading the state&apos;s use of GIS technology. Their efforts help Minnesota garner public support and advance its mission for a more sustainable and equitable future. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>642685</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Citizen Services</Title><Id>232507</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Maps</Title><Id>232511</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-02T20:20:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>This summer, MNIT&apos;s own Josh Cinnamo, a world-record-holding shot putter, will continue his inspiring Paralympic journey in Paris. Tune in on September 4 to see him compete and represent Team USA once again!</Description><Audience/><Title>Au Revoir! MNIT Technologist Josh Cinnamo continues Paralympic journey to Paris</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Josh Cinnamo</Subject><Subject>Paralympic games</Subject><Subject>Shot put</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Au Revoir! MNIT Technologist Josh Cinnamo continues Paralympic journey to Paris</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Josh Cinnamo celebrating with an American flag draped around him.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/josh-cinnamo_tcm38-494149.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Josh Cinnamo celebrating with an American flag draped around him.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/josh-cinnamo-flag_tcm38-494148.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - Josh Cinnamo</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-641984&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-21T21:43:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>This summer, MNIT&apos;s own Josh Cinnamo, a world-record-holding shot putter, will continue his inspiring Paralympic journey in Paris. Tune in on September 4 to see him compete and represent Team USA once again!</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This summer, MNIT Information Technology Specialist and shot put world record holder Josh Cinnamo will &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-493798&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;continue his incredible Paralympic journey&lt;/a&gt; to Paris, France. This will be Josh&apos;s second appearance at the Paralympics. In 2020, he delivered a standout performance at the Tokyo Games, winning a bronze medal in the Men&apos;s Shot Put F46 while representing Team USA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Josh has continued to push boundaries achieving new milestones in his athletic career, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games:&lt;/strong&gt; Bronze medal in the men’s shot put F46&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2023 Paris World Championships&lt;/strong&gt;: Silver medal in the men&apos;s shot put F46&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2023 Santiago Parapan American Games:&lt;/strong&gt; Gold medal in the men’s shot put F46&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2024 Kobe World Championships&lt;/strong&gt;: Placed 5th in the men&apos;s shot put F46&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://joshcinnamo.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;And more!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With a total of two World Championship medals—gold in 2019 and silver in 2023—Josh has maintained his elite status as a world-class Paralympic athlete. During his impressive career, Josh has built an impressive roster of records which includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;World Record: &lt;/strong&gt;80m&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;World Championship Record&lt;/strong&gt;: 16.80m&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Americas Record: &lt;/strong&gt;80m&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Parapan American Record: &lt;/strong&gt;49m&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;American Record: &lt;/strong&gt;80m&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;US Paralympic Trials Meet Record: &lt;/strong&gt;92m&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Josh competes on Sept. 4 around 3 a.m. Minnesota time. Check out Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Paralympics to watch him live!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Celebrating Josh &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We are immensely proud and inspired by Josh for his ability to balance his career at MNIT, raising a family, while competing on the international stage. His relentless pursuit of excellence, both in his work and in athletics, serves as a testament to his incredible work ethic and passion. - Tarek Tomes, MNIT Chief Information Officer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From everyone at MNIT, good luck Josh! &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>641984</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-22T14:46:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We wanted to dig further into how Reflow impacts the roles of developers and quality assurance experts, and what they need to consider for building desktop and mobile web applications and native mobile apps and testing for conformance. </Description><Audience/><Title>Understanding WCAG 2.1’s Success Criteria 1.4.10 Reflow </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Reflow</Subject><Subject>Accessible Mobile applications</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Understanding WCAG 2.1’s Success Criteria 1.4.10 Reflow</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Text-Reflow_Blog_tcm38-641686.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Text-Reflow_Blog%20Thumb_tcm38-641687.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - WCAG 2.1 Reflow</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-641673&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-21T17:22:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>​We wanted to dig further into how Reflow impacts the roles of developers and quality assurance experts, and what they need to consider for building desktop and mobile web applications and native mobile apps and testing for conformance.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn how Reflow impacts the development of web and mobile applications.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;​Content contribution:&lt;/strong&gt; Dai Green, Quality Assurance, MNIT partnering with Minnesota Management and Budget; JoAnn Rautio, Quality Assurance, MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; Kim Wee, Webmaster, MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s note:&lt;/strong&gt; This is the latest article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility.” Missed the first installments? While on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/&quot;&gt;Accessibility News page&lt;/a&gt; review the feed for WCAG 2.1 in titles or the summary. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our monthly newsletter&lt;/a&gt; to be sure you get each installment in this series! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​We’ve explored Reflow in two previous articles, which covered the benefits of Reflow, how it impacts PDFs, and where it isn’t required, such as in tables: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/538604&quot;&gt;​Easy Read that will Demystify Tables, Reflow, and Magnification&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/584554&quot;&gt;​Oh Snap! Startling Discoveries When You Reflow Your PDF&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​We wanted to dig further into how Reflow impacts the roles of developers and quality assurance experts, and what they need to consider for building desktop and mobile web applications and native mobile apps and testing for conformance. This article is aimed at those who have familiarity with digital accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Reflow? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Here’s a quick refresher on what Reflow is: It enables users to zoom content to 400% without having to scroll in two directions, and that text reflows within the width of the user’s device (regardless of what that device is). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Why Reflow? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​WCAG 2.0 already addressed text resizing and magnification (1.4.4 Resize Text), so why has another zooming standard been added? &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/610208&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 aims to address gaps in prior versions&lt;/a&gt;. Reflow helps to better meet the needs of users with disabilities, most notably for people who have low vision, cognitive disabilities, can’t move easily, or use mobile devices. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Reflow &amp;amp; Web Development &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Reflow impacts the user agent*. For web and mobile applications, the user agents are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Desktop browsers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Mobile device browsers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Native mobile apps – unlike with a desktop browser or mobile web application, these apps are built for Apple (iOS computers, iPhone, iPad) or Android mobile phones and tablets. Apps are downloaded and installed via an app store. They may have access to system resources, like Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or the camera. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​*We spoke about other types of user agents in the previous articles mentioned, including PDF readers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Design &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​It is important that web content be responsive to a user’s behavior and environment (e.g., screen size, changing viewport, platform, and orientation) and not adaptive (i.e., displaying an alternate version dependent on user agents or other factors).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​If web pages are built according to the principals of responsive web design, Reflow should happen automatically. This design is enabled by CSS media queries that reformat the web content for different viewport widths at particular breakpoints. This provides optimized layouts for mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones. Importantly, these breakpoints are triggered by narrower viewports and also when using the browser’s zoom function. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Responsive design is also efficient. One design will work regardless of the device, eliminating the need for different versions.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;​Note&lt;/strong&gt;: It’s important to mention that most native mobile apps do not combine Reflow and Resize Text in the same way as desktop browsers. Native mobile apps can support Reflow to adjust the content to the new viewport width when the device orientation changes. However, these apps often can only zoom content to 200% with one-dimensional scrolling (which meets SC 1.4.4 Resize Text) but cannot maintain the one-dimensional scroll to 400%. Developers should make sure there is no limit to change the landscape on mobile, as it will further restrict the reflow of content. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​How to ensure Reflow in Web Design &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Ensure that horizontal scroll is not introduced at a width equal to 320 CSS pixels for vertical content.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Ensure that vertical scroll is not introduced at a height of 256 CSS pixels for horizontal content.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Ensure that long URLs and strings of text support Reflow.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;​Exceptions &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Reflow may not be possible for web content that requires two-dimensional layout for usage or meaning where it is necessary to keep toolbars in view while manipulating content. Examples include maps and diagrams, video, games, presentations, data tables (not individual cells), and interfaces.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Testing &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Although development and design are critical points to incorporate accessibility, testing is crucial to ensure content is, and remains, accessible. Here are pointers to test your web content (make sure to test on multiple devices*):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​​Set the device’s browser zoom level to 400%.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Set the browser window size to be 1280 pixels wide and 1024 pixels high.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Open a separate window or screen to the same web page. Set the zoom level to 100 % and maintain the window size at 1280px by 1024px. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Compare the two displays to check that functionality remains the same and content is not missing on the magnified view. 
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​If content is missing, verify it has been made available in an accessible alternative way (i.e., a drop-down menu or popup) which can be accessed through a button or link, or another simple and intuitive action. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​In the magnified display (400% zoom), check for: 
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​One scroll in one dimension.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​For content read horizontally, check that all content and functionality is available without horizontal scrolling. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​For content read vertically, check that all content and functionality is available without vertical scrolling. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​If the browser is not capable of zooming to 400%, you can reduce the width or height of the browser proportionally. For example, at 300% zoom, the viewport should be sized to 960px wide. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Content is not cropped or expanded out of its frame. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Content doesn’t overlap. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Content remains sufficiently contrasted (for text and non-text elements).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​For a web page designed to adjust container sizes as text size changes: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Increase the text size up to 200% using the browser&apos;s text size adjustment (not the zoom feature). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Examine the text to ensure the text container size is adjusted to accommodate the size of the text. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​Ensure that no text is &quot;clipped&quot; or has disappeared. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​*Native mobile apps will require slight modifications to test Reflow. We recommend working with a developer who specializes in building these apps to ensure your test plan properly accommodates the capabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;​Training &amp;amp; Resources &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How to Meet WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/reflow.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Understanding SC 1.4.10 Reflow&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​WCAG 2.1 Techniques that apply to Reflow: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Techniques/css/C31&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;​C31: Using CSS Flexbox to reflow content&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Techniques/css/C32&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;C32: Using media queries and grid CSS to reflow columns&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/css/C33&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;​C33: Allowing for Reflow with Long URLs and Strings of Text&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/css/C38&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;​C38: Using CSS width, max-width and flexbox to fit labels and inputs&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G206&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;​G206: Providing options within the content to switch to a layout that does not require the user to scroll horizontally to read a line of text&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/client-side-script/SCR34&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;​SCR34: Calculating size and position in a way that scales with text size&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/CSS/CSS_layout/Responsive_Design&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;​Mozilla Developer Network (MDN): Responsive Design&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;​If you are a state employee, there are &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn365.sharepoint.com/sites/MNIT-OfficeofAccessibility/SitePages/Training/wcag/wcag-role-based-information.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;role-based trainings specific to WCAG 2.1&lt;/a&gt; criteria. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/tools/list/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;​Web Accessibility Initiative’s (WAI) Accessibility Evaluation Tools List&lt;/a&gt;.​ &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>641673</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-29T14:32:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT’s Green Team has won the Sustainability Achievement Award for their innovative efforts in sustainable procurement. This award highlights their success in reducing waste, enhancing recycling, and driving significant environmental improvements across our agency.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT’s Green Team Wins the Sustainability Achievement Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>MNIT Green Team</Subject><Subject>sustainable procurement</Subject><Subject>sustainability</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>waste reduction</Subject><Subject>recycling</Subject><Subject>environment</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT’s Green Team Wins the Sustainability Achievement Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Background of grass behind an award with recycling symbol in the middle, the text reads Sustainability Achievement Award.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNIT%20Green%20Team%20Award_1200x670_tcm38-640346.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Background of grass behind an award with recycling symbol in the middle indicating an award for green practices.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNIT%20Green%20Team%20Award_300x300_tcm38-640345.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - MNIT Green Team Sustainability Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-640342&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-14T16:15:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT’s Green Team has won the Sustainability Achievement Award for their innovative efforts in sustainable procurement. This award highlights their success in reducing waste, enhancing recycling, and driving significant environmental improvements across our agency.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Green Team has been honored with the prestigious Sustainability Achievement Award for their efforts in sustainable procurement. This recognition underscores our agency’s commitment to environmental stewardship and highlights our innovative changes to minimize waste and enhance recycling within our agency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the award &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Sustainability Achievement Award is presented by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://sustainability.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Enterprise Sustainability Steering Team&lt;/a&gt; chaired by Lt. Gov. Flanagan. This achievement recognizes exceptional initiatives that &lt;a href=&quot;https://sustainability.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;promote sustainability across state agencies&lt;/a&gt;. MNIT’s Green Team earned the award for its comprehensive approach to reducing solid waste and improving recycling efforts through strategic procurement changes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Green Team’s award-winning efforts &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our submission for this award detailed several impactful initiatives: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Documentation and communication of changes to waste and recycling procedures: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Documented solid waste, recycling, and reused items in a detailed table and a PowerPoint presentation. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This analysis helped identify areas for improvement and implement changes to reduce waste and increase recycling. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The presentation is used at MNIT and statewide meetings to educate staff about our sustainability efforts and will soon be available on a dedicated website for all MNIT employees. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Multi-packs and reusable containers: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborated with vendors to change how electronics and supplies are delivered to the State, shifting to reusable and multi-pack shipping containers (see illustration below).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For desktops,&lt;/strong&gt; using multi-packs will produce:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An 8-fold reduction in shipping boxes &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A 51% reduction in packaging material weight &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;20% average reduction in associated emissions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For notebooks&lt;/strong&gt; using multipacks will produce:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A 5-fold reduction in shipping boxes &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A 76.6% reduction in packaging material weight &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;61% average reduction in associated emissions &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mandating these practices will be included in future contracts, reducing the volume of shipping materials, lowering emissions, and decreasing packaging waste. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When reusable containers are also used and mandated, it should further reduce these amounts. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Pallets-Multi-Single_tcm38-640343.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Pallat sizes&quot; alt=&quot;Pallat sizes&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Pallat sizes&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The visual above is an example of multipacks on a pallet and the right visual is an example single packs on a pallet. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;3. Bulk packing items: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We requested that vendors bulk pack items in larger containers to further reduce packaging needs. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This initiative significantly decreases the volume of shipping materials, emissions, and the weight of packages, making shipping and in-house handling more efficient. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;4. Internal use of multi-packs and reusable containers: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT has also adopted using reusable or multi-pack containers internally for shipping of computers and storage of our equipment, further reducing packaging waste and emissions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;5. Straps for pallets: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We encouraged vendors to use straps instead of shrink wrap for palletized and large orders to significantly reduce the amount of shrink wrap received, which needs recycling or disposal as solid waste. Currently, MNIT&apos;s vendor uses about 72 pounds of shrink wrap annually when shipping orders. By mandating these practices in future contracts, we aim to decrease the volume of shipping materials and reduce packaging waste. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Impact on everyday Minnesotans &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These initiatives have a profound impact on the environment and the community. By reducing waste, recycling and lowering emissions, MNIT is actively contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable Minnesota. By adopting these sustainable practices, we ensure that resources are used efficiently, lessening the burden on landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For everyday Minnesotans, this means a healthier environment, cleaner communities, and a brighter, more sustainable future. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT is taking the lead in creating sustainable practices within Minnesota&apos;s state agencies. By receiving this award, we hope to inspire other agencies to adopt these practices, making them commonplace across the state. We are excited to continue our journey toward sustainability and to share our success story with the broader community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in making this possible. Your dedication and hard work are the driving forces behind this achievement. Together, we can continue to make a positive impact on our environment and pave the way for a sustainable future for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>640342</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Environment</Title><Id>232632</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-08-15T14:15:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Pointer Cancellation is about allowing you to move away from where you were while still pressing the button, and when you release it what would have been activated isn&apos;t.</Description><Audience/><Title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - WCAG 2.1: SC 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Pointer Cancellation</Subject><Subject>Success Criteria 2.5.2</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1&apos;s Success Criteria for Pointer Cancellation: What is a Click?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Phone upright with screen text &quot;WCAG 2.1&quot; transitions to horizontal with same screen text.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Pointer%20Cancellation_blog_tcm38-638372.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Pointer%20Cancellation_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-642017.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 08 - WCAG 2.1: SC 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-640722&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-08-01T12:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Pointer Cancellation is about allowing you to move away from where you were while still pressing the button, and when you release it what would have been activated isn&apos;t.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn what Pointer Cancellation is and why it is widely used.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pointer Cancellation is a standard that allows users to cancel an action that would occur on a click (or equivalent action) by moving the pointer away from the target area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; This requirement applies to web content that interprets pointer actions. This does not apply to actions that are required to operate the user agent or assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How Pointer Cancellation Works&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event should activate on the “up input” (releasing the mouse button) or be activated for as long as the button is pressed, reverting once it is no longer being pressed, except for actions where activation on the “down input” (when you press the mouse button) is necessary or intuitive, such as keyboard emulation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The technique is applicable to any technology that supports pointer input, such as mouse pointer, touch on touch screen or trackpad, stylus input, or laser pointer input. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How to Successfully Incorporate Pointer Cancellation&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G210#examples&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Drag-and-Drop Action Cancellation Examples&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A site shows a file directory. Files can be picked up and moved over a trash can icon to delete it. When the picked-up file is released outside this target, it reverts to the old position.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A site shows a file directory. Files can be picked up and moved over a trash can icon to delete it. When the picked-up file is released over the trash can, a modal dialog asks the user to confirm or cancel the delete action.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G212#examples&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Native Control Examples&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When using JavaScript, do not use on mouse down. Mouse down will override onclick.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When using a native button or link in HTML, the HTML native &amp;lt;button&amp;gt; or &amp;lt;a href ....&amp;gt; onclick events are triggered on the up-event by default.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When using a native button in iOS or Android, the onclick events are triggered on the up-event by default.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Testing&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For content that is draggable, check whether the drag-and-drop action can be reversed by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Releasing the picked-up item outside a drop target.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dragging the picked-up item back to its old position.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A confirmation dialog or an undo control appears after the item has been dropped.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For input controls:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examine each input that has adjacent text which serves as its label.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For each input, check that the entire string of text (disregarding letter case and punctuation) matches the accessible name for the input, according to the accessible name computation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For buttons, links, menus, and other non-input controls examine each control that contains text which serves as its label.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For each non-input control, check that the entire string of text (disregarding letter case and punctuation) matches the accessible name for the input.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recommended Training*&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/presentations/2022/mnit/&quot;&gt;WebAIM Virtual Web Accessibility Training from MNIT Office of Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;: What&apos;s New in WCAG 2.1 &amp;amp; Evaluation Tools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3schools.com/accessibility/&quot;&gt;W3C Schools: Accessibility Introductory Tutorial&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;*This list is not comprehensive. We have provided references used successfully by state employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is Pointer Cancellation Needed?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important to have pointer cancellation for people who can’t accurately use a mouse/keyboard, because they might accidentally press something they didn’t mean to. When you want to put mouse down (button pressed) events in your web page, ask yourself if the page functions as well with a mouse up (button released) event instead.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbM9UDWjI_I&quot;&gt;WebAIM: Introduction to WCAG 2.1 Video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rl3lqS1l6k&quot;&gt;MNIT: WCAG 2.1 - A Deeper Dive Presentation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/standards/wcag/checklist&quot;&gt;WebAIM&apos;s WCAG 2 Checklist&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>640722</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-23T18:22:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota reached a significant milestone in accessibility on July 1, when the state&apos;s Digital Accessibility Standard updated to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.</Description><Audience/><Title>WCAG 2.1 Addresses Needs for Users with Cognitive &amp; Mobility Disabilities</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Cognitive disabilities</Subject><Subject>Mobility disabilities</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1 Addresses Needs for Users with Cognitive &amp; Mobility Disabilities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Phone upright with screen text &quot;WCAG 2.1&quot; transitions to horizontal with same screen text.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG%202.1%20Orientation_blog_tcm38-638372.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Phone upright with screen text &quot;WCAG 2.1&quot; transitions to horizontal with same screen text.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG%202.1%20Orientation_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-638373.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 06 - WCAG 2.1: Cognitive &amp; Mobility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-638350&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-07-24T19:39:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota reached a significant milestone in accessibility on July 1, when the state&apos;s Digital Accessibility Standard updated to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn how WCAG 2.1’s new success criteria address gaps from WCAG 2.0, especially for users who rely on mobile devices.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota reached a significant milestone in accessibility on July 1, when the state&apos;s Digital Accessibility Standard updated to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does that mean? It means we now have additional measurements to help us ensure we support the needs of people who:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have cognitive disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can’t move easily&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use mobile devices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In today’s article, we want to spotlight three of the 12 new success criteria which address each of these user needs. Refer to the article &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/623917&quot;&gt;What the upgrade to WCAG 2.1 means for Minnesotans&lt;/a&gt;&quot; to review the general impact of the WCAG 2.1 criteria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New Success Criteria&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s Note: For this section, we have copied overview details directly from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) WCAG 2.1 web page&lt;/a&gt; and provided a direct link to the success criterion’s informational page.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/orientation.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA)&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content does not restrict its view and operation to a single display orientation, such as portrait or landscape, unless a specific display orientation is essential.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The intent of this Success Criterion is to ensure that content displays in the orientation (portrait or landscape) preferred by the user.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Benefits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Users with dexterity impairments, who have a mounted device will be able to use the content in their fixed orientation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Users with low vision will be able to view content in the orientation that works best for them, for example to increase the text size by viewing content in landscape.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/text-spacing.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA)&lt;/a&gt;   &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In content implemented using markup languages that support the following text style properties, no loss of content or functionality occurs by setting all of the following and by changing no other style property:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Line height (line spacing) to at least 1.5 times the font size.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Spacing following paragraphs to at least 2 times the font size.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Letter spacing (tracking) to at least 0.12 times the font size.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Word spacing to at least 0.16 times the font size.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The intent of this Success Criterion (SC) is to ensure that when people override author specified text spacing to improve their reading experience, content is still readable and operable. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Benefits&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People with dyslexia may increase space between lines, words, and letters to increase reading speed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Although not required by this SC, white space between blocks of text can help people with cognitive disabilities discern sections and call out boxes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/pointer-cancellation.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SC 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For functionality that can be operated using a single pointer, at least one of the following is true:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No Down-Event:&lt;/strong&gt; The down-event of the pointer is not used to execute any part of the function.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abort or Undo:&lt;/strong&gt; Completion of the function is on the up-event, and a mechanism is available to abort the function before completion or to undo the function after completion.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Up Reversal:&lt;/strong&gt; The up-event reverses any outcome of the preceding down-event.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Essential:&lt;/strong&gt; Completing the function on the down-event is essential.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The intent of this success criterion is to make it easier for users to prevent accidental or erroneous pointer input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Benefits:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Makes it easier for all users to recover from hitting the wrong target.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Helps people with visual disabilities, cognitive limitations, and motor impairments by reducing the chance that a control will be accidentally activated, or an action will occur unexpectedly, and also ensures that where complex controls are activated, a means of undoing or aborting the action is available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional WCAG 2.1, Level AA Success Criteria&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery#new-features-in-wcag-2-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Review the additional nine new success criteria&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (AA) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.10 Reflow (AA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast (AA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (AA) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (A) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (A) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2.5.3 Label in Name (A) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2.5.4 Motion Actuation (A)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;4.1.3 Status Messages (AA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the State of Minnesota is preparing for these new criterion&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since last summer, volunteer teams from several State agencies have worked hard to analyze how WCAG 2.1, Level AA impacted their specific role, and what they needed to prepare for success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For State Employees&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We built out a website specifically for State employees that details how the new criteria impact each role and what to do to effectively incorporate the new criteria into their work. Sample roles include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content author&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;eLearning designer/creator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Map/GIS professional&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PDF creator/remediator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The list is more exhaustive than that, and we expect to add more roles as we mature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Vendors Working with State Agencies&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently our public website’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp&quot;&gt;accessible procurement page&lt;/a&gt; provides guidance for vendors (review it under the Products tab). We will update this tab to include WCAG 2.1, Level AA criteria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Minnesotans&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans expect State services and apps to simply work and be hassle-free. As we implement the new standard over the next few years, we expect State apps and services to be even more accessible and easier to use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What you can do&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn more&lt;/strong&gt; – Our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;public website&lt;/a&gt; has great information and resources. And the W3C has a good introduction to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/&quot;&gt;accessibility fundamentals&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find training&lt;/strong&gt; - There are many free and paid training opportunities out there. You can start with our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;Accessibility Training page&lt;/a&gt;. And &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt; to stay up to date on accessibility topics and training opportunities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Report accessibility issues found on state websites or digital programs&lt;/strong&gt; - MN.gov has a link in the footer, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/about-minnesota/accessibility-issues/index.jsp&quot;&gt;Report an Accessibility Issue&lt;/a&gt;. Use that link to report issues or offer suggestions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Resources &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C’s Evaluating Web Accessibility Overview web page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.0&amp;amp;currentsidebar=%23col_customize&amp;amp;levels=aaa&amp;amp;showtechniques=321&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.0 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tools: There are many testing tools available. We provided some recommendations to get you started in our April blog, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/621624:~:text=DAC%20Recommendations%20for%20Website%20Accessibility%20Testing%20Tools&quot;&gt;Website Accessibility Testing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State of MN employees: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn365.sharepoint.com/sites/MNIT-OfficeofAccessibility/SitePages/Tools/home.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility extranet: Tools page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>638350</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-24T21:15:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Discover the top 10 benefits of MnSHIP, Minnesota’s Statewide Historic Inventory Portal, and learn how this new tool enhances our understanding of the state’s rich historic resources. Read on to explore how MnSHIP can connect you to Minnesota&apos;s heritage!</Description><Audience/><Title>Top 10 benefits of understanding Minnesota’s historic resources with MnSHIP </Title><Publisher/><Subject>MnSHIP</Subject><Subject>Historic landmarks</Subject><Subject>Historic resources</Subject><Subject>Minnesota heritage</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Top 10 benefits of understanding Minnesota’s historic resources with MnSHIP </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with map of Minnesota indicating a database of historical sites the public can access and learn about.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNSHIP_1920x1080_tcm38-631469.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Map of Minnesota indicating a database of historical sites the public can access and learn about.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNSHIP_300x300_tcm38-631470.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 07 - MnSHIP</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-631456&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-07-08T21:13:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Discover the top 10 benefits of MnSHIP, Minnesota’s Statewide Historic Inventory Portal, and learn how this new tool enhances our understanding of the state’s rich historic resources. Read on to explore how MnSHIP can connect you to Minnesota&apos;s heritage!</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new state website now provides access to over 115,000 historic resources surveyed across Minnesota. This new online platform, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnship.gisdata.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Statewide Historic Inventory Portal&lt;/a&gt; (MnSHIP), is a collaborative effort among state agencies. It ensures historic preservation professionals and the public can access data related to properties such as buildings, structures, landscapes, and other resources. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Administration’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/shpo/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)&lt;/a&gt; works to identify and preserve Minnesota’s heritage. They preserve and protect the diverse historic and cultural resources across the state. SHPO partnered with the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dot.state.mn.us/culturalresources/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cultural Resources Unit (CRU)&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Geospatial Information Office&lt;/a&gt; on MnSHIP.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new MnSHIP tool allows for online access to documents that were only available in paper and also geo-locates them on a public map. Here are the top 10 reasons why this is vital: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Visualizing our heritage &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through digital maps, MnSHIP ensures that current and future generations have access to information about Minnesota’s built environment. By understanding the layers of our collective past, MnsHIP helps build a sense of continuity and connection to our state’s history. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Educational opportunities &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Historic places serve as immersive learning environments, offering hands-on learning experiences that deepen understanding of Minnesota’s traditions, values, and history. MnSHIP helps educators identify properties through maps and filtering so lessons can be brought to life in physical spaces.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Cultural identity &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preserving historic places can strengthen community identity by celebrating unique local histories and traditions, contributing to a shared sense of pride and belonging. MnSHIP offers the public an opportunity to tell us more about important spaces and to add to the collective knowledge. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. Economic benefits &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Historic preservation boosts local economies by attracting tourists, creates jobs through restoration projects, and enhances property values in historic districts. MnSHIP provides information on which properties in the state have benefited from state and federal incentives and identifies others that may be eligible for financial incentives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. Sustainable development &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identifying historic landmarks and prioritizing their preservation leads to sustainable development. Reusing these properties while updating them for new uses often requires less energy and resources than new construction. This approach aligns with &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/government/construction-projects/sustainable-buildings/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s sustainable development goals&lt;/a&gt; and reduces carbon footprints. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6. Heritage appreciation &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Protecting historic resources preserves Minnesota&apos;s unique heritage and craftsmanship. Examples of these resources include architecture, landscapes, bridges, art, and barns. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7. Community engagement &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Historic places serve as natural focal points for community activities and events. They can boost civic pride and build connections among residents. These events encourage community engagement, bring people together, and create a shared sense of ownership and responsibility toward preserving local heritage. MnSHIP allows communities to share information and the location of important landmarks.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8. Research and documentation &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identifying, evaluating, and documenting resources provide research opportunities for the public and professionals. Understanding a property’s significance can guide change and contribute to decisions when changes or new developments are proposed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9. Cultural diversity &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recognizing historic resources that hold significance for historically underrepresented communities can raise awareness, foster understanding, and promote inclusivity within Minnesota&apos;s diverse communities. MnSHIP allows communities to share information and the location of important landmarks. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10. Legacy preservation &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preserving these resources creates a physical link to the stories and achievements of our ancestors. This ensures we leave a legacy of cultural richness and heritage for future generations. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>631456</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Citizen Services</Title><Id>232507</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Maps</Title><Id>232511</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Collaboration</Title><Id>232497</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-07-10T15:51:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Discover how Minnesota&apos;s Product &amp; Agile Center of Enablement (PACE) is revolutionizing government services by prioritizing customer experience and agile methodologies—read the blog for more information!</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota&apos;s bold leap: transforming service delivery with agile methodologies </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Product and agile</Subject><Subject>PACE</Subject><Subject>State services</Subject><Subject>Customer experience</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota&apos;s bold leap: transforming service delivery with agile methodologies </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The word &quot;agile&quot; surrounded by a number of illustrations that indicate a positive customer experience.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Agile%20Hero_tcm38-626491.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The word &quot;agile&quot; surrounded by a number of illustrations that indicate a positive customer experience.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Agile%20Thumb_tcm38-626490.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 06 - PACE</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-626486&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-26T14:22:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Discover how Minnesota&apos;s Product &amp; Agile Center of Enablement (PACE) is revolutionizing government services by prioritizing customer experience and agile methodologies—read the blog for more information!</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Government services are evolving to deliver information and services more efficiently and smoothly. In the past, both public and private sector projects in the state encountered budget challenges, delays, and user dissatisfaction. However, a groundbreaking new approach is now poised to meet the needs of Minnesotans more effectively than ever before.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Product &amp;amp; Agile Center of Enablement (PACE), a division under Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)’s Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery (OTSD), leads this transformation. PACE boldly innovates to improve services for Minnesotans by applying customer experience best practices. This approach yields excellent results, revolutionizing how many state agencies deliver information and services.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new vision for service delivery &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recognizing the critical need for change, Minnesota made building public trust a cornerstone of its strategy. To achieve this, the state prioritized innovative strategies aimed at effectively meeting the needs of its users. The clear path forward involved shifting from project management to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.productplan.com/learn/what-is-product-management/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;product management (P2P)&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/project-management-tutorial/what-is-agile-project-management&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Agile delivery methodologies&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s transformation, led by OTSD, marked an exciting shift from traditional methods, encouraging a new mindset and work approach with PACE driving adoption of P2P and Agile delivery across the Executive Branch Agencies. This change offered opportunities for growth, including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Changing Mindsets&lt;/strong&gt;: Shifting from traditional project management to a product management and Agile mindset required a significant cultural and operational change within government agencies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inherited IT Challenges&lt;/strong&gt;: Existing IT applications and systems required significant updates or replacements, complicating the transition to new methodologies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The complexity of Modern Work Environments&lt;/strong&gt;: Navigating extensive collaboration and coordination among state employees added layers of complexity to their work processes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Embracing agile methodologies&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PACE works with agency partners to change how they store and use information and how they provide services to Minnesotans: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Workshops and Training Sessions&lt;/strong&gt;: PACE organizes workshops and training sessions to introduce Agile and product management concepts to agency leadership and management. In these workshops, participants apply these concepts to their unique products or services, so no two trainings are alike. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Early Adopter Program&lt;/strong&gt;: PACE leads an early adopter program where selected agencies implement Agile and product methodologies, providing hands-on experience and refining guidance and processes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Co-creating Playbooks&lt;/strong&gt;: PACE collaborates with agencies to develop playbooks outlining how to adopt product management and Agile methodologies, including journey mapping and streamlining delivery processes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since its implementation, PACE brought new energy into Minnesota&apos;s operations, offering fresh ways to improve service delivery. Aligned with &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/one-mn-plan/about/&quot;&gt;the Governor’s One Minnesota Plan&lt;/a&gt;, which focuses on customer experience, this transition boosted the state’s ability to meet objectives and increase customer satisfaction. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why it matters &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s embrace of agile methodologies extends beyond efficiency; it strives to meet the evolving needs of its residents. States with higher rates of customer satisfaction enjoy greater trust in government and increased voter participation. By prioritizing customer experience, Minnesota improves service delivery and builds a stronger connection with Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transformative impact &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From streamlining certification processes to fostering economic empowerment and educational opportunities, these three examples demonstrate how earlier adopters of agile and product methodologies prioritize efficiency, customer-centricity, and societal impact in their operations.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1) Transformational change through the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) Contractor Portal &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) issues Workforce and Equal Pay Certificates to vendors who want to do business with the state. These certificates are critical to undoing gender and racial disparities. MDHR and MNIT are embarking on a transformational project to launch a Contractor Portal. By embracing the Product and Agile approaches, the Contractor Portal will improve the customer experience for vendors doing business with the state, streamline the procurement process to support all state agencies, and further the One Minnesota Plan by reducing disparities and inequities.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2) Cottage Foods License with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) oversees the issuance of Cottage Foods Licenses, vital for small businesses selling goods at farmers’ markets. By refining the information requirements and processing procedures, the agency significantly reduced the turnaround time from 28 to 14 days. This accelerated process directly impacts the livelihoods of entrepreneurs, enabling them to swiftly access licenses and engage in commerce. Moreover, it underscores the agency’s commitment to facilitating economic activity while ensuring regulatory compliance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3) Education Training Voucher for Foster Care Children &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Education Training Voucher program caters to children in foster care aspiring to pursue higher education. Beyond merely allocating funds, this program provides support to help students enroll and succeed in college. By reframing the discussion around desired outcomes, the agency emphasizes the broader societal impact. This approach highlights the ripple effect of educational opportunities, ultimately contributing to stronger communities and a more equitable society. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In each of these examples, the adoption of Product and Agile methodologies transcends mere process optimization. It embodies a paradigm shift towards the customer experience wherein agencies prioritize the needs and experiences of stakeholders. The full transition to a product model will take Minnesota 7-10 years, but the launch of PACE has shown that there is support to make that transition a reality. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Setting a new Standard for government excellence in Minnesota&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While transitioning to a fully product-centric model will take time, Minnesota has set a clear path forward with the launch of PACE garnering widespread support for this transformation. By embracing Agile methodologies and prioritizing customer experience, Minnesota is paving the way for a more efficient, responsive, and citizen-focused government. Through PACE, Minnesota is meeting resident needs and setting a new standard for government excellence, serving as a beacon of progress for other states.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>626486</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Citizen Services</Title><Id>232507</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-26T14:25:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is revolutionizing cybersecurity risk management with a data-driven approach that prioritizes investments and enhances collaboration—read the blog for more information!</Description><Audience/><Title>Turning risk into reward with cyber risk quantification</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cyber risk quantification</Subject><Subject>Security</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>collaboration</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Turning risk into reward with cyber risk quantification</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two people working on a large, colorful graph with impact and liklihood on the x and y axis indicating the impact and liklihood of cyber attacks.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cyber%20Risk%20Hero%20image_tcm38-626568.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two people working on a large, colorful graph with impact and liklihood on the x and y axis indicating the impact and liklihood of cyber attacks.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cyber%20Risk%20Thumbnail_tcm38-626569.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 06 - Cyber Risk Quantification</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-626579&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-24T20:15:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is revolutionizing cybersecurity risk management with a data-driven approach that prioritizes investments and enhances collaboration—read the blog for more information!</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT has implemented a better way for agency leaders to make informed strategic decisions around cybersecurity.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT began using a cyber risk quantification (CRQ) tool that helps agency leadership use data to evaluate cybersecurity risks and their potential financial impacts. Using this scalable, enterprise tool helps agencies assess and manage cyber risks, which helps the state better protect Minnesotans’ personal data and maintain reliable public services.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Implementing CRQ &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT implemented CRQ using the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fairinstitute.org/what-is-fair&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Factor Analysis of Information Risk&lt;/a&gt; (FAIR) model to address how state agencies assessed cyber threats&apos; severity and potential impact. This helps translate cybersecurity investments into understandable business and financial terms. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s new CRQ tool, SAFE One, uses a computational algorithm to evaluate cybersecurity risks and their potential financial impacts. The process includes: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A forecasting capability to do “what if” scenarios such as: What if MNIT updated more systems, how would that improve our score?  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This helps agency leaders prioritize security investments based on the severity and likelihood of each threat. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The ability to compare analyses in reverse, to show what an asset’s risk profile might be if a state agency removed one of its cybersecurity safeguards.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This is useful for justifying continued security investments.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This tool helps the state prioritize security investments based on the severity and likelihood of each threat, supports compliance, and creates a common language about security risks across agencies.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why translate cybersecurity in financial terms? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Translating cyber risks into financial terms helps agency leaders understand the potential financial impacts of threats and make informed decisions, saving agencies from unnecessary spending. With CRQ, agencies can prioritize cybersecurity investments based on clear, quantifiable data rather than subjective judgment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This shift enables agencies to allocate resources more efficiently, reducing unnecessary spending and focusing on the most critical risks, so they are better prepared to prevent and respond to cyber threats and incidents. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, CRQ enables cybersecurity and business leaders to communicate using a common language, promoting collaboration, and aligning security measures with business goals. This alignment ensures cybersecurity strategies support organizational objectives and enhance security and business outcomes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Journey: Trial and Success &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT conducted a one-year trial with 20 executive branch agencies to implement and refine the CRQ process. During this period, MNIT worked closely with each agency to understand their cybersecurity challenges and tailor the CRQ approach to meet their needs. This process involved regular meetings and feedback sessions, ensuring continuous improvement and engagement with our partners. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, MNIT worked with agency leaders to improve data collection processes and enhance data quality. These efforts included training staff, standardizing data entry protocols, and creating centralized data repositories. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The trial yielded impressive results. Agency leaders provided overwhelmingly positive feedback – they had a clearer understanding of their cybersecurity risks and were better equipped to make decisions about security investments. Implementing a successful CRQ tool highlights how MNIT and state agencies can: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use technology and data to increase efficiencies and improve decision-making. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Address business needs, while managing risk. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Realize cost savings. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduce business impacts when cybersecurity events occur. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The success of the trial demonstrated the value of CRQ in enhancing cybersecurity resilience and laid the foundation for a broader rollout of CRQ across all state agencies, positioning Minnesota as a leader in cybersecurity governance.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Future Goals &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking ahead, MNIT aims to train agency security analysts on CRQ methodologies and enhance the platform through automation and integration. Through continuous innovation, MNIT seeks to set new standards for cybersecurity governance. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>626579</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Security</Title><Id>232502</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-07-30T11:19:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn how Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is fostering employee well-being and connectedness through the Stronger Together Committee&apos;s innovative programs—read the blog for more information!</Description><Audience/><Title>Spotlight on MNIT&apos;s Stronger Together Committee </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Stronger Together</Subject><Subject>Employee support</Subject><Subject>well-being</Subject><Subject>Connectedness</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Spotlight on MNIT&apos;s Stronger Together Committee </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Pieces of a puzzle fit together, each piece has an icon that indicates health and well-being, the goal of the Stronger Together committee.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Stronger%20Together%20%20Hero_tcm38-626572.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Pieces of a puzzle fit together, each piece has an icon that indicates health and well-being, the goal of the Stronger Together committee.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Stronger%20Together%20Thumbnail_tcm38-626571.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 06 - Stronger Together</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-626577&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-24T20:06:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn how Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is fostering employee well-being and connectedness through the Stronger Together Committee&apos;s innovative programs—read the blog for more information!</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), we are committed to being a forward-thinking employer that values the well-being of our employees. We believe that a supportive and healthy workplace provides the proper environment for our team to thrive.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In line with this commitment, we established the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2023-annual-report.jsp#:~:text=high%20performing%20teams-,Stronger%20Together,-Stronger%20Together%20Committee&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT: Stronger Together Committee&lt;/a&gt;, a dedicated group at the heart of our organization. This committee enhances the well-being and connectedness of our staff through regular events and education opportunities.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Stronger Together Committee &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT: Stronger Together Committee promotes the overall health and well-being of our employees. Their comprehensive mission covers multiple aspects of wellness, including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mental and emotional health&lt;/strong&gt;: Providing resources and support to help employees manage their mental and emotional well-being. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Physical health&lt;/strong&gt;: Encouraging physical fitness and healthy lifestyle choices. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Financial well-being&lt;/strong&gt;: Offering guidance and resources to support financial literacy and stability. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Social wellness:&lt;/strong&gt; Fostering a sense of community and encouraging strong social connections. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Work-Life Balance and Harmony:&lt;/strong&gt; Helping employees achieve a healthy balance between their work responsibilities and personal lives. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leadership:&lt;/strong&gt; Supporting leadership that promotes a positive and healthy workplace culture. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emergency Situations:&lt;/strong&gt; Ensuring employees are prepared to handle emergencies with resilience. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Achievements in the first year &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In their inaugural year, the Stronger Together Committee implemented several programs and initiatives: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Well-being Webinars:&lt;/strong&gt; Hosted by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/segip/home/about-segip/our-mission.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State Employee Group Insurance Program&lt;/a&gt; (SEGIP) &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/segip/health-and-wellbeing/eap/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Employee Assistance Program&lt;/a&gt; (EAP), Stronger Together promotes weekly webinars that address various topics, such as retirement planning, team building, and understanding employee benefits. These sessions provide insights and practical tips to support the holistic well-being of employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Partnership with NAMI:&lt;/strong&gt; The committee collaborated with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nami.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Alliance on Mental Illness&lt;/a&gt; (NAMI) to offer a virtual class titled &quot;Belonging, Why it Matters.&quot; This class emphasized the importance of a sense of belonging and its positive impact on mental health, fostering a culture of inclusivity and support within MNIT.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community engagement:&lt;/strong&gt; The committee promoted various community-building activities within MNIT and encourages real-life connections among employees. These initiatives highlight the power of everyday interactions in creating a supportive and connected work environment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SharePoint Site:&lt;/strong&gt; The Stronger Together committee built a dedicated SharePoint site to centralize resources and information for MNIT employees, providing easy access to wellness materials, event details, and support tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special initiatives &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Occasionally, events or national campaigns present an opportunity for the MNIT: Stronger Together Committee to provide more resources and support for our employees&apos; well-being. One recent example was &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Mental Health Awareness Month&lt;/a&gt;. To make the most of this important event, the Stronger Together Committee planned a series of activities and communications to underscore the importance of mental health. These included: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Weekly Communications:&lt;/strong&gt; Throughout May, the committee sent out weekly messages to raise awareness about mental health, provide resources, and encourage open dialogue among employees and the wider community. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Well-being Webinars:&lt;/strong&gt; May SEGIP/EAP webinars covered essential topics such as financial success and retirement planning, offering employees tools and knowledge to manage their personal and professional lives more effectively. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Virtual Mental Health Class:&lt;/strong&gt; The committee hosted a virtual class on the significance of belonging, in partnership with NAMI. This event explored how belonging impacts mental and physical health. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking forward &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking forward, we are excited to welcome new committee members soon and to introduce innovative programs and events designed to further support Minnesota&apos;s state employees. These initiatives will continue to foster a workplace that prioritizes well-being, helping our team members live their best lives both professionally and personally. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>626577</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Employment</Title><Id>232494</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-24T20:07:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted two virtual events for State of Minnesota employees.</Description><Audience/><Title>MN Global Accessibility Awareness Day Recap 2024</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>CX Customer experience</Subject><Subject>HCD Human centered design</Subject><Subject>UX user experience</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MN Global Accessibility Awareness Day Recap 2024</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Venn diagram of Customer Experience, Human centered design, and accessibility, under a GAAD logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-newsletter_blog_tcm38-624264.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Venn diagram of Customer Experience, Human centered design, and Accessibility, under a GAAD logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-newsletter_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-624267.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-6 -MN Global Accessibility Awareness Day Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-626956&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-17T17:46:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted two virtual events for State of Minnesota employees.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>View recordings and transcripts of the events</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2024 Recap&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted two virtual events for State of Minnesota employees. The goal was to spark conversations, foster thought, and promote learning about digital accessibility and inclusion. The presentations showcased how accessibility intersects in important ways with hot topics in the digital realm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz kicked it off by signing a proclamation declaring May 16, 2024 as Digital Accessibility Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are links to YouTube video recordings of each session. All recordings include ASL interpreting, closed captions, and transcript.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Discussion: Human-Centered Design and Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota has a community of practice that focuses on human-centered design (HCD) principles and methods. They explore ways to improve how people experience government – specifically state of Minnesota agency programs, services, and technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The HCD community of practice hosted a Q&amp;amp;A conversation exploring the relationship between HCD and accessibility (a11y) with panelists drawing from their experience practicing accessibility within their work. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View the presentation:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watch the panel discussion of &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/BtmUga1U9m0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Human Centered Design and Accessibility (YouTube)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Human-Centered%20Design%20and%20Accessibility%20Panel_tcm38-626957.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Human-Centered Design and Accessibility Panel&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Human-Centered Design and Accessibility Panel&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Human-Centered Design Panel transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Host: Jess Klutch&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Participants:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Becky Bernauer, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Claire Gahler, Content Strategist, Department of Human Services &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kelly Melcher, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Department of Human Services &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, Minnesota IT Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Discussion : Breaking Barriers: What does accessibility have to do with exceptional customer experience?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This panel tackled pressing questions about the intersection of accessibility (a11y) and customer experience (CX). Discussion topics included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The differences between multiple terms, such as usability (UX), human-centered design (HCD), and customer experience (CX).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How the state’s shift to a product mindset supports the concept of excellent CX.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to get vendors to support our CX goals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to scale CX.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The role of a11y in CX.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View the presentation:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watch the panel discussion of &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/B0XOhNdTfIA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility and Exceptional Customer Experience (YouTube)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Accessibility%20and%20an%20Exceptional%20Customer%20Experience_tcm38-626967.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility and an Exceptional Customer Experience&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility and an Exceptional Customer Experience&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Accessibility and Exceptional Customer Experience transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Host: Jay Wyant&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Participants :&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jane Davison, supervisor of the Digital Experience Design Team, Minnesota IT Services partnering with DHS and MNsure&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Mumma, Business Solutions Architect, Minnesota IT Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Susan Ramlet, Senior IT Manager, Medtronic, Technology Advisory Council Member&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Commitment to UX, CX, HCD, &amp;amp; A11y&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are several ways the State demonstrates their commitment to improving the government digital experience for all. It’s rooted in legislation and One Minnesota Plan priorities, and branches into each state agency, including Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), where the Office of Accessibility resides. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Statutory Basis for Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/stat-basis.jsp#:~:text=setting%20enforceable%20standards.-,State,-%3A&quot;&gt;Minnesota statutes require all state agencies adhere to standards for accessibility&lt;/a&gt; for government digital information and technology. We are committed to providing access to all individuals – with or without disabilities – who wish to use state government websites, documents, applications, or services to obtain information or resources. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, MNIT developed our information, website, and web content to ensure compatibility with common adaptive technologies by using the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/#:~:text=size%20adjustment%20feature.-,Standards,-Technology%20Accessibility&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota&apos;s Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;, which is based on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/ict/&quot;&gt;Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act&lt;/a&gt; (as amended) and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Furthermore, we created a cross-agency team of Digital Accessibility Coordinators to research the impact of updating the State’s Standard to include WCAG 2.1 criteria. They determined it would provide a significant benefit to users of State government information and technology. A &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/610208:~:text=Who%20participated%20in%20the%20WCAG%202.1%20Steering%20Committee%3F%C2%A0&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Steering Committee&lt;/a&gt;, comprised of a wide range of stakeholders from state agencies, approved this direction and the new standard will be effective July 1, 2024. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strategic Plans at the State of Minnesota &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The One Minnesota Plan&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan created the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/one-mn-plan/&quot;&gt;One Minnesota Plan&lt;/a&gt; with the mission to improve the lives of all Minnesotans by working collaboratively to implement policies that achieve results. It includes a goal to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/one-mn-plan/measurable-goals/customer-experience.jsp&quot;&gt;create a positive customer experience&lt;/a&gt; by making interactions easier, reducing complications, and improving outcomes for residents. Investing in customer experience also helps the government work more efficiently and saves money by creating user-friendly digital platforms and improving processes. MNIT partnered with the Governor&apos;s Office to ensure all state agencies have a customer experience goal in their own strategic plans. This initiative, launched in August 2023, has resulted in technology for non-English speaking populations, new business processes, evidence-based decision-making, and more. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services Strategic Plan &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/strategic-plan/&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s Strategic Plan&lt;/a&gt; sets the long-term vision and direction for technology strategy at the agency and highlighted customer experience as a theme. MNIT specifically calls out efforts to embrace a people-centric product model and to nurture a culture of equity, inclusion, and engagement. By facilitating connections between Minnesotans and services that improve their quality of life, MNIT ensures a focus on the end user&apos;s experience above all else.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>626956</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-24T20:31:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility and state subject matter experts updated the Accessible Word Document course to address changes to Microsoft Word, the state’s adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, and updated accessibility best practices.</Description><Audience/><Title>Update to State of Minnesota’s eLearning Course for Accessible Word Document Training</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessible Documents</Subject><Subject>Training</Subject><Subject>eLearning</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Update to State of Minnesota’s eLearning Course for Accessible Word Document Training</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with microsoft word icon</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Word%20eLearning_blog_tcm38-627960.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with microsoft word document icon</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Word%20eLearning_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-627957.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-6 -Accessible Document Training Update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-627481&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-06-17T17:46:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility and state subject matter experts updated the Accessible Word Document course to address changes to Microsoft Word, the state’s adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, and updated accessibility best practices. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota’s popular accessible document training program got even better.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility and state subject matter experts updated the Accessible Word Document course to address changes to Microsoft Word, the state’s adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, and updated accessibility best practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of the updated Accessible Word Document training, planned for late July 2024. This training will be available on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The State of Minnesota’s Learning Management system (for state employees). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;MNIT Office of Accessibility Training public web page&lt;/a&gt; (for anyone, including vendors).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Background&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2016, MNIT’s Office of Accessibility, along with a group of subject matter experts, created the Accessible Word Document course. Changes to Microsoft Word, the state’s Digital Accessibility Standard’s upcoming adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, as well as updated accessibility best practices meant we needed to modify the training. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A cross-agency team of state digital accessibility experts, particularly with creating accessible digital documents, worked together to thoroughly review the training content and enhance accessibility features.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What to Expect from the Updated Training Modules&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Accessible Word Document training consists of seven short modules designed to teach people how to make their documents accessible. While the focus is on Microsoft Word, users can apply the same principles to any document platform, such as Google Docs. The training gives users the ability to take the course one module at a time and gives people the option to return to any one module to refresh their skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Updated Course Details&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This training has seven modules on how to create accessible Word documents. In addition, there is an eighth module (Module 0) on how to access and use the features found in the training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 0: How to Navigate this Course.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 1: Introduction to Accessible Documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 2: Working with Styles.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 3: Working with Colors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 4: Formatting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 5: Working with Tables.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 6: Document Basics and Accessibility Checker.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Module 7: Converting Word documents to PDF.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Benefits and Features of the Accessible Word Document Training&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This new course has been designed to incorporate important changes in creating an accessible Word document, as well as be fully accessible for all people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Module 0 provides an overview of the helpful features to navigate each module, including a menu of accessibility options and course speed control.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why should I take the training?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This training helps you create documents that are accessible and usable for all. For state employees, creating accessible documents makes the State of Minnesota a more inclusive workplace. This aligns with our state’s One Minnesota Plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The top three reasons to take this updated Word training are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follows the new WCAG 2.1 Guidelines.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Incorporates state-branded templates.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Includes updated best practices for document accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if I take the training now before the new modules are available? Will my course completion be valid?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, if you take the current training, your course completion will be valid. However, there are new, updated practices and procedures in the upcoming training, and we highly encourage you to also take the updated course when it comes out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if I already took this course, do I need to take this again?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While you may not be required to take the course again, we highly encourage you to go through the updated materials.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there other trainings I can take to make accessible digital materials?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many free and paid training opportunities out there. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our monthly newsletter&lt;/a&gt; to stay up to date on accessibility topics and training opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;Training page&lt;/a&gt; for links to courses on accessible PDFs and PowerPoint decks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/courses/foundations-course/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;good introduction to accessibility fundamentals&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State employees can visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn365.sharepoint.com/sites/MNIT-OfficeofAccessibility/SitePages/Training/wcag/wcag-2.1.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility extranet for additional, role-specific training&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is Digital Accessibility important? What exactly does it cover?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility matters. Digital accessibility helps ensure everyone, including people with disabilities, has equal access to information, resources and services. This encompasses all things digital, from electronic documents to websites to kiosks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can I report an accessibility issue with a state website or digital program? Or offer a digital accessibility suggestion?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Absolutely! &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/&quot;&gt;MN.gov&lt;/a&gt; has a link in the footer, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/about-minnesota/accessibility-issues/index.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Report an accessibility issue&lt;/a&gt;. Use that link to report issues or offer suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author>Content contribution: Rebecca Blomquist, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, DNR and Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, MMB</Author><id>627481</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-18T21:43:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On Memorial Day, we honor our veterans and their families who have sacrificed. In our blog, MNIT veterans and service members share heartfelt reflections on what this day means to them.</Description><Audience/><Title>Memorial Day in the Words of MNIT Veterans​ and Service Members</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Memorial Day</Subject><Subject>Veterans</Subject><Subject>MNIT Stories</Subject><Subject>Armed Forces</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Memorial Day in the Words of MNIT Veterans​ and Service Members</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Small American flags in the grass in front of the graves of service members of the United States Armed Forces, indicating Memorial Day</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/memorial-day-cemetary-1200x800_tcm38-625391.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Small American flags in the grass in front of the graves of service members of the United States Armed Forces, indicating Memorial Day</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/memorial-day-cemetary%20thumb_tcm38-625392.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 05 - Memorial Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-625386&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-24T15:18:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>On Memorial Day, we honor our veterans and their families who have sacrificed. In our blog, MNIT veterans and service members share heartfelt reflections on what this day means to them.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Memorial Day is dedicated to honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. For our veterans and active service members at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), Memorial Day holds an even deeper, more personal meaning. It is a time to remember those who are gone, their families, a time to reflect on their own service, and to share the unique perspectives that only those who have served can truly understand.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee Stories &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We reached out to our MNIT veterans and service members to hear their stories and reflections on this poignant day. Here are their heartfelt responses.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Memorial Day is an opportunity to honor those who have served and continue to serve our nation.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jesse Arganbright, MNIT Security Engineer, Army, Specialist - Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Crewmember &lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Stand strong and proud, veterans. We are united and will always be brothers and sisters in arms.”&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Michael Baumhofer, Service Desk Analyst at MNIT, Army, Private First Class &amp;lt;E-3&amp;gt; Aircraft Armament Mechanic&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;On this Memorial Day, we honor and mourn my brothers and sisters across all of the military branches who made the ultimate sacrifice. These brave men and women believed in serving something greater than themselves. Join me in standing up proud and give thanks to these Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen. I salute you, always.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Brock Bowman, MNIT IT Project Manager, Air Force, Master Sergeant &lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Memorial Day to me is a day of remembrance for the fallen heroes and sacrifices made by all those who served in the past or are actively serving.&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;I take time to remember and honor my family members who served. I take a moment to remember my grandfather (World War 1 – Army) and my father (Vietnam – Navy). I take time to reflect on my own time in the Navy (Desert Storm) and I reach out to my niece and nephew who served in Afghanistan (Airforce). They are both still serving but are currently stationed stateside. &lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;The National Moment of Remembrance encourages Americans to pause and reflect on Memorial Day. It is a reminder for people across the nation to take a one-minute moment of silence to honor those who have died in military service to the United States.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jerry Bragg, MNIT Information Technology Specialist 5, Navy, ABH3 Petty Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Memorial Day means to me honoring and remembering my brothers and sisters we lost in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, also the ones we lost back home dealing with the toll of these conflicts suffering from PTSD. I am thankful I was able to make it home to my family but always remember and honor the ones that didn&apos;t.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Ryan Johnson, MNIT Virtual Operations Administrator, Army, Sergeant 25U Signal Support Systems Specialist&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;I would like to thank my teammates at MNIT for carrying my load at home while I deployed to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia as a reservist. We cannot do what we do without the support we get from our colleagues and from our leadership.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tim Jurgens, MNIT Systems Analysis Unit Supervisor, Marines and Navy Reserves, O4 Lieutenant Commander &lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;I&apos;m grateful for the sacrifices made by generations of military members to preserve our American values and way of life. I&apos;m also deeply honored to share in their legacy of service.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Duane Linn, MNIT Systems Analyst Unit Supervisor, Air Force/Air National Guard, Lt Col, OIC of SGA, 133rd Medical Group (MDG)&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Memorial Day is a day to remember the proud Americans who gave everything to provide us with the freedoms we all enjoy. Honor their sacrifice by being the best American you can be and cherish every minute with friends and family. You never know what tomorrow will bring.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jeremy Meyer, MNIT Desktop Advance Support, Navy, E7 - Chief Fire Controlman - FCC(SW/AW)&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Memorial Day holds deep significance for me as a veteran, especially because of our family tradition. Every year over Memorial weekend and the following weekdays, my family and I stay at a veteran’s campground nearby. Both of my brothers currently serve in the armed forces, and as we all near our retirement from service, this tradition becomes even more meaningful. It&apos;s wonderful to have something that keeps us so connected after all these years. 
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Our time at the campground is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our fellow service members, and it&apos;s a chance to honor and remember them together. It&apos;s a time for reflection on the bravery, commitment, and selflessness of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. This tradition not only honors their memory but also strengthens the bond between me and my brothers, forged through shared experiences and a lifetime of service. 
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It&apos;s a reminder of the cost of freedom and an opportunity to express gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy today because of the sacrifices of others.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Andrew Reed, MNIT IT Operations Manager, Army, Master Sergeant, Electronic Warfare Specialist &amp;amp; Cyber Incident Responder&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for all military families.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Michael Stapleton, MNIT Database Administrator, Army National Guard, Specialist, E-4. Fire Direction Specialist for 8-inch artillery &lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;As a Marine Corps veteran, I believe Memorial Day is a day to pause and remember the courage and sacrifice of those who never returned home. It&apos;s a day to honor their memory and carry forward their legacy of service and dedication to country. It reinforces my commitment to be a good citizen and to be a good steward for future generations.”&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Bradley Traynor, MNIT Information Technology Specialist 3, Marines, Corporal Information Systems Support Specialist &lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our deepest gratitude to MNIT veterans and service members, and to the families who honor those they’ve lost, for your service to the community.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>625386</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Veterans</Title><Id>232503</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-24T13:46:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) events kick off, we’re breaking down common buzz words that impact your digital experience, and how they intersect with accessibility. </Description><Audience/><Title>HCD, UX, &amp; CX - What Does it All Mean and How Does it Intersect with a11y?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>CX Customer experience</Subject><Subject>HCD Human centered design</Subject><Subject>UX user experience</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>HCD, UX, &amp; CX - What Does it All Mean and How Does it Intersect with a11y?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Venn diagram of Customer Experience, Human centered design, and accessibility, under a GAAD logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-newsletter_blog_tcm38-624264.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Venn diagram of Customer Experience, Human centered design, and Accessibility, under a GAAD logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-newsletter_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-624267.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-5 -HCD, UX, &amp; CX</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-624261&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-16T13:40:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>As Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) events kick off, we’re breaking down common buzz words that impact your digital experience, and how they intersect with accessibility. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Discover the importance of these abbreviations and how they come together to make a better digital experience for all.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Defining HCD, UX, &amp;amp; CX&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A confluence of technology and cultural trends are driving a renewed focus on improving customer experience (CX). These trends include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increasing competition for brand loyalty.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New engagement tools, including AI-based interactions and virtual reality technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Higher expectations from current and potential customers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Multiple spheres of customer influence, from professional “influencers” and other social media sources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, what is CX, and how is it different from other similar terms, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Human-Centered Design (HCD) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Design Thinking&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;User Experience (UX)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, because we’re a digital accessibility blog, what do they have to do with accessibility, or a11y?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Human-Centered Design (HCD)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HCD is a problem-solving technique or practice based on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People and their context.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identifying root problems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Recognizing all interconnected influences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Solving through small, incremental interventions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HCD shares a lot with its cousin, user-centered design. Most view HCD as a slightly more holistic approach.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Design thinking&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like HCD, design thinking is an approach toward solving problems. Like HCD, it promotes an iterative process of prototyping and testing. &lt;a href=&quot;https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/getting-started-with-design-thinking&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Stanford University’s d.school&lt;/a&gt; is probably the best-known proponent of design thinking. Design thinking proponents approach problems in stages, such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Empathize: research your users&apos; needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Define: state your users&apos; needs and problems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ideate: challenge assumptions and create ideas.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prototype: start to create solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Test: try your solutions out.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;User Experience (UX)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nngroup.com/articles/definition-user-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Nielsen Norman Group (NNG)&lt;/a&gt; is widely credited with popularizing the term. They say that user experience, “encompasses all aspects of the end-user&apos;s interaction with the company, its services, and its products.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Usability is a subset of UX. NNG describes usability as “a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use,” based on these &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nngroup.com/articles/definition-user-experience/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;5 measurables&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learnability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Efficiency.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Memorability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Errors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Satisfaction.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;UX practitioners likely incorporate principles of HCD and/or design thinking in their work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Customer Experience (CX)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CX is a broader, more general term than UX. While UX is based on how people use and perceive an organization’s products, CX is the overall impression customers have of the organization’s brand, based on every interaction they’ve had with the organization. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/one-mn-plan/measurable-goals/customer-experience.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;One Minnesota Plan&lt;/a&gt; states, “Customer experience refers to how Minnesota residents feel and what they think when they use government services.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Organizations that focus on CX likely incorporate HCD, design thinking, and UX in their entire organization’s culture. This would encompass everything from:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deciding what they do as an organization.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Planning their programs and products.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Building and delivering their products and services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communicating about who they are and what they do.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility (a11y)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility (a11y)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility is the practice of using measurable, testable criteria to plan, design, and create digital content and technology so that it is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. Incorporating a11y practices into your design thinking and HCD processes as well as your organization’s UX and CX missions helps avoid potential blind spots and limit variables. Organizations with a culture of a11y have greater confidence that what they do will serve the greatest number of people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s not the buzzwords you use – it’s how you build them into your culture. A11y and other well-established practices like HCD are key tools toward building a CX culture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>624261</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-24T13:41:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Global Accessibility Day 2024 is unique because this year, Minnesota&apos;s accessibility standards WCAG 2.1 are getting an upgrade. Read our blog about the upcoming changes and what more accessible government services mean for Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>What the upgrade to WCAG 2.1 means for Minnesotans</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>What the upgrade to WCAG 2.1 means for Minnesotans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a computer screen with a magnifying glass, the text on the laptop reads WCAG 2.1, indicating updating Minnesota&apos;s accessibility standards.  </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1_tcm38-623942.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a computer screen with a magnifying glass, the text on the laptop reads WCAG 2.1, indicating updating Minnesota&apos;s accessibility standards.  </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1_tcm38-623943.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-05 - GAAD</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-623917&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-16T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Global Accessibility Day 2024 is unique because this year, Minnesota&apos;s accessibility standards WCAG 2.1 are getting an upgrade. Read our blog about the upcoming changes and what more accessible government services mean for Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On May 16, the State of Minnesota celebrates &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Digital%20Accessibility%20Day%20Signed%20Proclamation_tcm38-624504.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Proclamation 2024&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility Proclamation 2024&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day&lt;/a&gt;. This year, we’re excited for more than the global holiday. 2024 is a big year for accessibility in Minnesota because &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/?id=610208&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;we are updating our accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt; to better serve Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve had our accessibility standard since 2010. It is based in part on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fphhnqtzb.r.us-west-2.awstrack.me%2FL0%2Fhttps%3A%252F%252Fwww.w3.org%252FTR%252FWCAG20%252F%253Futm_medium%3Demail%2526utm_source%3Dgovdelivery%2F1%2F0101018d8e3abf72-c1d95b8a-7ceb-44f0-a65e-b817374fba02-000000%2F36xwGj8EdU-fYoNT4v4Js61rlc0%3D361&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7Cnate.barber%40state.mn.us%7C6d8492299ea7427ce30508dc2979cee7%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638430850337578027%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=TLno8FfVcVcj%2FIs5YHzrL4H3mNCyAfQjw4gwBRwQmMQ%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&lt;/a&gt; Levels A and AA. The guidelines are designed to enhance user experiences, benefit businesses, and ensure equal opportunities. WCAG 2.0 has effectively served Minnesotans by equipping government agencies with clear standards that enable everyone to plan, design, create, and test to ensure accessibility for all our products and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This July, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2023-annual-report.jsp%22%20/l%20%22:~:text=State%20of%20Minnesota%20Plans%20to%20Adopt%20WCAG%202.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.0 is getting a big upgrade&lt;/a&gt;. The update, &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fphhnqtzb.r.us-west-2.awstrack.me%2FL0%2Fhttps%3A%252F%252Fwww.w3.org%252FTR%252FWCAG21%252F%253Futm_medium%3Demail%2526utm_source%3Dgovdelivery%2523new-features-in-wcag-2-1%2F1%2F0101018d8e3abf72-c1d95b8a-7ceb-44f0-a65e-b817374fba02-000000%2FlkXQs6TOB3av8bwvDEv8SXjH704%3D361&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7Cnate.barber%40state.mn.us%7C6d8492299ea7427ce30508dc2979cee7%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638430850337586171%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=AzXI%2Fj9w5WdwNCzxjyS4aUVqd0XBDMO%2B%2BAUpbfc7fnU%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1&lt;/a&gt;, will add 12 new ways to measure the success of our products and services. Everyone has an impact on whether something is accessible. Whether you’re creating a rough draft, defining project requirements, or testing a web page, our work impacts what it takes to make something accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When state employees have better guidance in creating accessible content and easier ways to measure the success of our efforts, everyone benefits. Here’s how: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inclusivity and equal opportunity&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility promotes inclusivity by ensuring that people with disabilities can participate fully in the digital world. It aims to provide equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their abilities, to access information and services online. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legal compliance &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many countries have enacted laws and regulations that mandate digital accessibility. For example, the European Accessibility Act, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and soon, the updated Americans with Disabilities Act, all use well-established standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These laws require organizations to make their digital content accessible to people with disabilities. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in legal consequences. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business and market expansion &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ensuring digital accessibility can expand the reach of businesses and organizations. By making products and services accessible, companies can tap into a larger market that includes people with disabilities. This not only aligns with ethical considerations but also makes good business sense. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Enhanced user experience &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility often improves the overall user experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities. Designing websites and applications with accessibility in mind typically leads to cleaner, more user-friendly interfaces that benefit all users. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technological advancements &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As technology advances, digital interactions become more integral to daily life. Access to online information, services, education, and employment are crucial components of modern society. Ensuring that these digital experiences are accessible allows individuals with disabilities to fully participate in various aspects of life. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Social responsibility &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prioritizing digital accessibility is a demonstration of social responsibility. It reflects a commitment to treating all individuals with respect and ensuring that technology is a tool for inclusion rather than exclusion. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educational inclusion &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access to digital resources is essential in education. Digital accessibility ensures that students with disabilities have equal access to educational materials, online courses, and learning platforms, promoting an inclusive educational environment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adaptation to aging populations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As populations age, the prevalence of age-related disabilities increases. Digital accessibility becomes crucial in catering to the needs of older individuals, ensuring that they can continue to engage with digital content and services effectively. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us in celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We recognize the importance of digital accessibility in creating an inclusive, equitable, and user-friendly digital environment. We are looking forward to the implementation of WCAG 2.1 and its continued advancements in ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can access and interact with digital content seamlessly. Together, let&apos;s champion accessibility and pave the way for a more inclusive future. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>623917</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-06-10T22:01:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Join us in celebrating MNIT&apos;s dedicated employees during Public Service Recognition Week! We deeply value their commitment and talent, and this week is all about raising them up and showcasing their invaluable contributions. Stay tuned as we highlight their stories all week! </Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT is Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Public Service Recognition Week</Subject><Subject>State employees</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT is Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of people tending to a potted plant growing a plant in the shape of Minnesota indicating the work State employees do to tend to the state of Minnesota. The text reads, Public Service Recognition Week May 5-11, 2024 and Minnesota employees share a sense of purpose, connection and opportunities for personal and professional growth. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Blog%20Header%20PSRW%20Social%20Media%20Graphics%202024-25_tcm38-623020.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of people tending to a potted plant growing a plant in the shape of Minnesota indicating the work State employees do to tend to the state of Minnesota.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-3-elements-crop-for-powerpoint%20Square_tcm38-623032.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-05 - Public Service Recognition Week</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-623029&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-05T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Join us in celebrating MNIT&apos;s dedicated employees during Public Service Recognition Week! We deeply value their commitment and talent, and this week is all about raising them up and showcasing their invaluable contributions. Stay tuned as we highlight their stories all week! </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us in celebrating the dedicated employees of MNIT during Public Service Recognition Week! This special time of year offers an opportunity to honor the remarkable talent and commitment of our team!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2024, MNIT has significant developments on the horizon thanks to our dedicated team. One notable initiative includes our support for the establishment of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/dcyf-implementation/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)&lt;/a&gt;. This new agency will address the unique needs of Minnesota&apos;s children, youth, and families. By consolidating efforts previously dispersed across multiple agencies into a single specialized entity, we are poised for impactful outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other key &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2023-annual-report.jsp#:~:text=1%202%203-,MINT%20Partner%20Impact,-DVS%20Chatbot&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;technology projects and initiatives&lt;/a&gt; include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/taiga/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Transparent Artificial Intelligence Governance Alliance (TAIGA)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; has developed an approach to AI that allows innovation to happen at agencies with guardrails in place.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=622563&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Monument Grants Program&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is distributing over $9 million to counties to restore, maintain and updates survey markers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/security/wos/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Whole-Of-State Cybersecurity Plan&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; aims to unify Minnesota to protect our State and citizens from cyber threats. It has built new partnerships and new legislation on cyber reporting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/tmf/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technology Modernization Fund&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; funds projects and efforts that will modernize, secure, and improve the customer experience of executive branch technology systems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/government/translations/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Department of Administration’s Enterprise Translation Office (ETO)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; uses AI to revolutionize how we deliver government services to all Minnesotans. With a focus on Spanish, Hmong, and Somali languages, the ETO also provides translation support for all other languages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/licensing/child-care-and-early-education/hub.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Provider Hub&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, developed by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and supported by MNIT, simplifies childcare licensing with a digital platform accessible in multiple languages. It streamlines processes, reduces paperwork, and expands services, benefiting both providers and families.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These are just a couple of examples of the incredible work MNIT employees are doing in partnership with state agencies to make Minnesota the most innovative digital government for all. Whether MNIT staff are working behind the scenes or directly involved in this work, their contributions play a vital role in shaping the future of our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay tuned… &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All week we will highlight stories from our team and the valuable work they’re doing. Keep an eye on our social media platforms:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNITServices/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/minnesota-it-services/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.threads.net/@minnesotaitservices&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Threads&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MNIT_Services&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;X (Twitter)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>623029</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-05-05T13:00:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), through the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), awarded $9.1 million in Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Monument Grants. Statewide, 34 counties will use the funding to restore, maintain, and update PLSS survey markers.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Awards More Than $9 Million in Grants to Restore Minnesota’s Public Land Survey System</Title><Publisher/><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>survey</Subject><Subject>PLSS</Subject><Subject>monuments</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Awards More Than $9 Million in Grants to Restore Minnesota’s Public Land Survey System</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cast-iron PLSS marker on a sidewalk. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/PLSS%20marker_tcm38-622561.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>PLSS marker on a sidewalk.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/PLSS%20marker_tcm38-622562.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2024 -05-01- PLSS Grants</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-622563&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-05-01T18:49:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT, through the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), awarded $9.1 million in Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Monument Grants. Statewide, 34 counties will use the funding to restore, maintain, and update PLSS survey markers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>34 counties receive funds to restore, maintain, and update survey markers</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 1, 2024 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; - Today, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), through the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), awarded $9.1 million in Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Monument Grants. Statewide, 34 counties will use the funding to restore, maintain, and update PLSS survey markers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The PLSS divides land into townships and sections, simplifying land identification and descriptions, and enabling efficient land management and real estate transactions. The PLSS uses physical survey markers to identify corners of a section or township. Legislation in 2023 established the PLSS Monument Grant Program, which is administered by MnGeo. Survey marker locations are the basis for accurate geographic information system (GIS) data sets that inform decision-making.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The PLSS is the original geographic information system of the United States and serves as the foundation for land ownership, original natural resource inventories, and generating and tracking revenue,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MNIT Commissioner and State of Minnesota CIO, Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;“Preserving the PLSS links historical knowledge to present-day needs, helping make data-driven decisions for all people who live and use land in Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“MnGeo leads, guides, and coordinates GIS usage in the state. We make sure Minnesotans have access to the appropriate spatial tools, data, and analysis techniques to help state government work efficiently and cost-effectively,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota’s Chief Geospatial Information Officer, Alison Slaats. &lt;strong&gt;“This is an important step to ensure accurate information informs our decisions.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has more than 312,000 PLSS corners across the state, and many have been damaged, buried, or lost and require maintenance. Counties submitted 65 applications for $15.5 million total in funding. The $9.1 million of available funding through the current PLSS Monument Grant Program will allow Minnesota counties to engage licensed land surveyors to certify the markers and advance required maintenance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;County grant recipients include: Becker, Big Stone, Carlton, Chippewa, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Grant, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Martin, Meeker, Mower, Murray, Norman, Pennington, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Roseau, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wadena, Waseca, Watonwan, and Yellow Medicine. Find more information on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://plss-minnesota.hub.arcgis.com/pages/grant-information&quot;&gt;grant website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,600 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>622563</id><pubdate>2024-05-01T17:15:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>How our Digital Accessibility Coordinators (DACs) across Minnesota state agencies conduct initial testing for website accessibility failures, the tools they use, and how they decide to fix the issue or determine to leave it alone. </Description><Audience/><Title>Website Accessibility Testing</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Web accessibility</Subject><Subject>Testing</Subject><Subject>Tools</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Website Accessibility Testing</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person holding magnifying glass to website next to accessibility checklist.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-web-testing_blog_tcm38-621652.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person holding magnifying glass to website next to accessibility checklist.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-web-testing_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-621648.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-4- Web Accessibility Testing</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-621624&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-04-25T16:00:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>How our Digital Accessibility Coordinators (DACs) across Minnesota state agencies conduct initial testing for website accessibility failures, the tools they use, and how they decide to fix the issue or determine to leave it alone. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Helpful tools &amp; the decision-making process for accessibility failures</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Spring is here and we have Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on our minds! WebAIM recently conducted a survey to uncover the most common accessibility failures on website homepages. The results are featured on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibility.day/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;GAAD homepage&lt;/a&gt;. It got us thinking about how our Digital Accessibility Coordinators (DACs) across Minnesota state agencies conduct initial testing for website accessibility failures, the tools they use, and how they decide to fix the issue or determine to leave it alone. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Standard for Website Accessibility Testing&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important to understand the specific elements that must be present in a web page to ensure an accessible experience. The State of Minnesota has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;, which requires our digital content, including state web pages, to meet WCAG 2.0, Level AA and Section 508 of federal law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want to dig deeper into understanding how these standards were developed (and the State’s planned update to WCAG 2.1 on July 1, 2024), view our February 2024 blog “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/?id=610208&quot;&gt;Update to State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Launches July 1&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility testing should happen early and often during all System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes: requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing and deployment. Testing for accessibility along the way can help to identify problems early in the process and ensure every state agency is delivering accessible government digital content for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meet three of our DACs and this month’s contributors&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s meet the DACs that provided their expertise and recommendations for the tools they use to perform web accessibility testing. Between the three, they have more than 60 years of website accessibility testing experience!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emily Lu&lt;/strong&gt;, DAC, Minnesota Department of Transportation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;JoAnn Rautio&lt;/strong&gt;, CSM, DHS Certified Trusted Tester v5, Quality Assurance and DAC, MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Human Services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kim Wee&lt;/strong&gt;, CPWA, DHS Certified Trusted Tester v5, Webmaster and DAC, MNIT partnering with the Department of Education. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you a State of Minnesota employee and want to learn who your agency’s DAC is? Reach out to us by email at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:mnitaccessibility@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;mnitaccessibility@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; and we would be happy to connect you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DAC Recommendations for Website Accessibility Testing Tools&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These web accessibility evaluation tools are software programs or online services that help determine if web content meets accessibility standards. Each DAC shared: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;how they discovered their testing tools, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;if training was required to begin to use it, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;how the tool works, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;their favorite and most challenging features of the tool(s), and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;how the tool outputs accessibility failure results.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool Background&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;table border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;1&quot; cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; border-collapse:collapse&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #003865; color: white;&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Web A11y Testing Tool&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Vendor&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Cost&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Recommended Training&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #F0F9FF&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keyboard&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;N/A&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Free*&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;View &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/keyboard-shortcuts-accessibility-quick-card_tcm38-228375.pdf&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility’s common keyboard shortcuts quickcard&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Read &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/keyboard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM’s overview of keyboard accessibility&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Browser DevTools – Accessibility Tree&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Any web browser&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Free&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For Chrome: &lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/accessibility/reference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility features reference&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For Edge: &lt;a href=&quot;https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/devtools-guide-chromium/accessibility/accessibility-tab&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Tab Overview&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For Firefox: &lt;a href=&quot;https://firefox-source-docs.mozilla.org/devtools-user/accessibility_inspector/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Inspector Source Doc&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Tester must know how Assistive Technologies interface with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document_Object_Model/Introduction&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Document Object Model (DOM)&lt;/a&gt; and understand &lt;a href=&quot;https://knowbility.org/blog/2022/accessibility-apis-part1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;accessibility application programming interface (API)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #F0F9FF&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility Insights for Web Browser Extension&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Free&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;To get started, watch &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVvBJoEe4Is&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights’ overview video&lt;/a&gt; and read &lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibilityinsights.io/docs/web/overview/#get-started&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights’ tutorials&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WAVE Browser Extension&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;WebAIM&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Free&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Watch WebAIM’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITUDiTgAZY0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WAVE introduction video&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;WAVE also provides instruction within its output details.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #F0F9FF&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;aXe DevTool Browser Extension&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Deque&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Free&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Also a paid version.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdhQLgcmuKTu08j68DrRorc0dJEobBPNr&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Deque’s video playlist web page for aXe DevTool introduction videos&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;aXe also provides an overview of issues within its output details.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;JAWS Inspect&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;TGPi&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;Free &amp;amp; paid license versions. Costs vary.&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot;&gt;View &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpgi.com/arc-platform/jaws-inspect/#:~:text=JAWS%20Inspect%20Report%20Demonstrations&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;JAWS Inspect’s report demonstrations&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;*We assume you already own a computer with a keyboard, which makes your keyboard a tool that is available to use for testing with no additional cost.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool Functionality&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each DAC provided details on how the tool performs, with their favorite features and biggest challenges, if any.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Favorite features:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ease of use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Free.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identifies components on the page that need further investigation. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can the user get to all links, buttons, menu items, and other interactive elements?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can the user see where they are (“Visible focus” on content)?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Does the focus order make sense?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do all hoverable components (like a pop-up on an info icon) also receive keyboard focus?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Browser DevTool – Accessibility Tree&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Favorite features:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ease of use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Free.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reviews the code for Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A reliable way to troubleshoot issues identified during the testing process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenges:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advanced technical knowledge may be needed to understand what the Accessibility Tree identifies as issues and how those relate to what is being tested.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights for Web Browser Extension&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Favorite features:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can find common accessibility issues very quickly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Verifies web pages are compliant up to WCAG 2.1, Level AA.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenges:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This is a newer testing tool, and DACs are still learning how to use the tool to its full advantage.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WAVE Browser Extension&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Favorite features:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web-based with no application download required. There’s also a small browser extension provided at no cost.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The report is designed for easy comprehension, offering explanations and references to WCAG guidelines and why it matters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provides a color Contrast tab, allowing testers to easily select the appropriate colors to achieve the required contrast ratio.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provides an Order tab with all navigable page elements listed. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provides a Reference tab that verifies for WCAG.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenges:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Like other automated scanning tools, WAVE may overlook certain issues or generate false positive results. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Navigating the overlay of icons can be challenging, particularly when inspecting invisible elements on the page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;aXe DevTool Browser Extension&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Favorite features:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ease of use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Free.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can be used by developers in their local environment – all you need is a browser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provides results for ARIA issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenges:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Takes time to learn and interpret the results. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advanced technical knowledge may be needed to understand what the aXe DevTool identifies as issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;JAWS Inspect&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Favorite features:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Has a speech viewer which provides a live log of JAWS speech. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Full page reports which identify issues at the component and element level.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allows testers to check for duplicate button labels (like JAWS keyboard commands).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Challenges:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Takes time to learn and interpret the results.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool Output&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The output comes from the tester’s interaction (this is a manual process). There is no screen with output results. You will want to have a way to capture your results (e.g., in an Excel spreadsheet).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Browser DevTool – Accessibility Tree&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DevTool opens within any browser. To launch DevTool in a browser window, either select F12 or right click and select “Inspect.”  Within the Accessibility tab is the Accessibility Tree. It contains tabs for ARIA Attributes, Computed Properties and Secure Order Viewer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: The Accessibility tab does not allow you to make edits to the page nor export its content. You will need to keep a report of your findings to reference when you make edits or submit a request for edits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/DevTools-Accessibility-Tree_tcm38-621792.png&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility tree view showing code.&quot; alt=&quot;Accessibility tree view showing code.&quot; style=&quot;width: 26%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DevTools-Accessibility-Tree&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WAVE Browser Extension&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WAVE will display the original web page with embedded icons and indicators that highlight the accessibility components. The output results are divided into six categories: Summary, Details, Reference, Order, Structure and Contrast. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To review the details about each icon added to the scanned web page, view the Details tab. To pinpoint the specific issue or feature of an icon, click or tab+enter on any icon and review the details provided under the Reference tab.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: WAVE does not allow you to make edits to the page nor export its content. You will need to keep a report of your findings to reference when you make edits or submit a request for edits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/WAVE-report_tcm38-621659.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Web page with list of issues and features on left sidebar and visual indicators on web page.&quot; alt=&quot;Web page with list of issues and features on left sidebar and visual indicators on web page.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;WAVE-report&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights for Web Browser Extension&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This tool offers a launch pad with different types of tests to perform: FastPass, Quick Assess, Assessment and Ad Hoc Tools. Each option provides a different output that allows you to navigate through identified accessibility issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Accessibility-Insights-Browser-Launch-Pad_tcm38-621654.png&quot; title=&quot;List of available Insights tests.&quot; alt=&quot;List of available Insights tests.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility-Insights-Browser-Launch-Pad&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-insights-output_tcm38-621657.png&quot; title=&quot;Visual of website with line indidcating tab order.&quot; alt=&quot;Visual of website with line indidcating tab order.&quot; style=&quot;width: 67%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-insights-output&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;aXe DevTool Browser Extension&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;aXe opens in your browser. You can select the &quot;Scan ALL of my page” or “Scan PART of my page” button and then review the list of identified accessibility issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/aXe-DevTool-output_tcm38-621790.png&quot; title=&quot;aXe report page: You have (0) automatic issues, nice!&amp;quot;&quot; alt=&quot;aXe report page: You have (0) automatic issues, nice!&amp;quot;&quot; style=&quot;width: 67%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aXe-DevTool-output&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;JAWS Inspect&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;JAWS provides output in a few ways: screenshot, code snippet and a unique tracking ID. Note: You do not need to have the JAWS software to perform JAWS Inspect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/JAWS-inspect-output_tcm38-621791.png&quot; title=&quot;Inspect report screen, listing browser and app versions and an accordion menu of test results.&quot; alt=&quot;Inspect report screen, listing browser and app versions and an accordion menu of test results.&quot; style=&quot;width: 67%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;JAWS-inspect-output&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Addressing Accessibility Testing Failures&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emily Lu&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For common errors with straightforward solutions, like low contrast, missing alt text, empty links, unclear link text, empty buttons, and missing labels, I promptly request that web editors fix them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more complex errors [or issues which] require more time to fix, I usually recommend conducting a risk assessment and prioritize based on the impact and severity of the issues. If this issue occurs frequently and critically impacts the usability of our service, then we will want to address these issues first, before moving on to issues that have a lesser impact on accessibility and usability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;JoAnn Rautio&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our projects are broken out into sprints. During a sprint, the issue is documented as a SPRINT BUG and fixed within that sprint. When found during regression testing it is documented as a work item called BUG and assigned to a future sprint based on risk level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are times we cannot fix an issue due to third-party tools or widgets that are used in an application. We create a work item called Analysis. We research, discuss, and document whether it can be fixed or needs a vendor-updated release or replacement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Wee&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We prioritize into high impact and low effort repairs:    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;High impact repairs (user impact, multiple pages, navigation, home page, etc.).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Low effort repairs (less time to fix, requires less testing).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Final Takeaways&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There isn’t one tool that does it all, so having a library of tools can be very beneficial to ensure a well-rounded website accessibility testing process. While tools are excellent to help aid the testing process, having a knowledgeable person perform manual testing is also a necessity to ensure your testing process is sufficient to capture accessibility failures for your web pages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s also important to understand the impact  of the identified accessibility issues on your web pages. Have a process on how to address each one, whether to let them be (and the reason/rationale behind that decision) or to fix them  and how/when that occurs. The impact is on a spectrum from low to high and will affect different groups. For example each of these issues have a different potential impact on users:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A screen reader or keyboard user cannot complete a form because the “Submit” button isn’t properly identified and not able to be tabbed to.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color contrast failure may require a website redesign that involves several agency departments to review and approve.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Missed links or alt text needs a content manager to fix.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We hope this article provides insight on how to spruce up your own website accessibility testing tools and checklist to ensure accessible government digital content for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Resources &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C’s Evaluating Web Accessibility Overview web page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.0&amp;amp;currentsidebar=%23col_customize&amp;amp;levels=aaa&amp;amp;showtechniques=321&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.0 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/?versions=2.1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Quick Reference Guide&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tools:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibilityinsights.io/downloads/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WAVE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.deque.com/axe/browser-extensions/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;aXe&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/jawsinspect/ildbfpaelempeokjfldpclbfggjkhdhl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;JAWS Inspect for Chrome&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State of MN employees: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn365.sharepoint.com/sites/MNIT-OfficeofAccessibility/SitePages/Tools/home.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility extranet: Tools page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>621624</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-04-25T16:01:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>“Meet Me at the Corner&quot; a hands-on event in Saint Paul, attendees had a glimpse into the world of land surveying and the importance of preserving the systems that enable efficient land management. What does preserving the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) mean for Minnesotans like you? Read about this vital yet frequently overlooked system in our blog.</Description><Audience/><Title>Preserving the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) through geospatial partnerships </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Public Land Survey System</Subject><Subject>Geospatial</Subject><Subject>MnGeo</Subject><Subject>GIS Technology</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Surveyors</Subject><Subject>Surveying</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Preserving the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) through geospatial partnerships </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An aerial view of a field with markers indicating the boundaries of property.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GIS%20Blog%20feature_tcm38-620709.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An aerial view of a field with markers indicating the boundaries of property.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GIS%20Blog%20Thumbnail_tcm38-620710.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 4 - Meet Me at the Corner Event</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-620708&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-04-16T19:54:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Meet Me at the Corner&quot; a hands-on event in Saint Paul, attendees had a glimpse into the world of land surveying and the importance of preserving the systems that enable efficient land management. What does preserving the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) mean for Minnesotans like you? Read about this vital yet frequently overlooked system in our blog.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most of us overlook the intricate systems working behind the scenes that affect our everyday lives. From purchasing real estate, participating in elections, and enrolling a child in school, fascinating technologies we might not know about make many parts of our routine interactions possible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Public Land Survey System (PLSS) serves as a prime example of such technology. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) collaborates closely with the land surveying community to safeguard this vital yet frequently overlooked system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-07_tcm38-620677.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Info sheet on the PLSS&quot; alt=&quot;Info sheet on the PLSS&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Info sheet on the PLSS&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Instituted in 1785, the PLSS divides land into townships and sections, simplifying land identification and descriptions, and enabling efficient land management and real estate transactions. PLSS monumentation involves physically marking important PLSS locations, such as corners of a section or township, with markers called monuments. Minnesota has more than 312,000 PLSS corners across the state. Initially, most monuments were wooden posts. Unfortunately, a lot of these original monuments have been damaged, buried, or lost and require replacement.&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meet Me at the Corner &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On March 20 the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnsurveyor.com/default.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Society of Professional Land Surveyors (MSPS)&lt;/a&gt;, Ramsey County, and the City of St. Paul hosted a “Meet Me at the Corner” (MMATC) event near the Minnesota History Center. This hands-on event gave legislators and other interested community members an opportunity to glimpse into the world of land surveying and the importance of &lt;a href=&quot;https://plss-minnesota.hub.arcgis.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;preserving the PLSS&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-10_tcm38-620680.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Group photo&quot; alt=&quot;Group photo&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Group photo&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MMATC attendees gathered at a PLSS location marked with a cast-iron monument at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://survey.ci.stpaul.mn.us/Web-Monuments/mon0137.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;southwest corner of Section 31, Township 29, Range 22, 4th Principal Meridian&lt;/a&gt;. Ramsey County Surveyor Dan Baar provided detailed information about the section corner and how the county and City of St. Paul have maintained its position for more than 150 years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-08_tcm38-620678.jpg&quot; title=&quot;X marks the spot&quot; alt=&quot;X marks the spot&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;X marks the spot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The survey staff of the City of St. Paul demonstrated the technology used in land surveys, showcasing their equipment on-site. Furthermore, event hosts explained the value of preserving the PLSS through a newly launched initiative. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-02_tcm38-620649.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Megan Sisko&quot; alt=&quot;Megan Sisko&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Megan Sisko&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preservation for future generations &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2023, the PLSS Monument Grant Program was established to support the restoration and maintenance of the PLSS. The grant program is administered by MNIT’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Geospatial Information Office&lt;/a&gt; (MnGeo), and Minnesota county governments are eligible to apply for funding to complete PLSS preservation work. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-04_tcm38-620651.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Survey marker&quot; alt=&quot;Survey marker&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Survey marker&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MnGeo is currently reviewing the first round of grant applications and counties are eager to start the proposed projects. The MMATC event aimed to engage legislators about the importance of continued funding of the grant program. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-03_tcm38-620650.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Through the viewfinder&quot; alt=&quot;Through the viewfinder&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Through the viewfinder&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Why is it important to maintain the PLSS?&lt;/em&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By maintaining the PLSS, certainty and stability of land boundaries will be provided. A stable PLSS will support infrastructure development, land management, and environmental stewardship. The PLSS is foundational in developing accurate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – the technology that powers modern mapping systems. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-06_tcm38-620676.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Discussing the PLSS&quot; alt=&quot;Discussing the PLSS&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Discussing the PLSS&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Engaging the community to best leverage geospatial technology &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Events like &quot;Meet Me at the Corner&quot; offer platforms for surveyors and GIS professionals to engage and educate Minnesotans. MnGeo partners closely with local GIS professionals, surveyors, and Land Information Systems organizations and through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/councils/statewide/index.html&quot;&gt;Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council&lt;/a&gt; and its committees, taps into the talents and passion of the state&apos;s geospatial community to forge policies, create standards, and help our state maximize its potential. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/GIS.gif_tcm38-620647.gif&quot; title=&quot;Surveying gif&quot; alt=&quot;Surveying gif&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Surveying gif&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, GIS and the PLSS supports decision-making across many areas: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Urban and rural land use &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Development of infrastructure &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Environmental management &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emergency response &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disaster management &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transportation and logistics &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; Read more about MNIT’s involvement in the PLSS in our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2023-annual-report.jsp#:~:text=Geospatial-,Public%20Land%20Survey%20System,-A%20new%20law&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2023 Annual Report&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-01_tcm38-620648.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Testing the equipment&quot; alt=&quot;Testing the equipment&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Testing the equipment&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about preserving the PLSS, see the Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://plss-minnesota.hub.arcgis.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Preserving the PLSS Hub Site&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Meet%20Me%20At%20The%20Corner%20GIS%20and%20survey%20Event-05_tcm38-620675.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Detailed drawings&quot; alt=&quot;Detailed drawings&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Detailed drawings&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>620708</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>337917</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-04-17T17:37:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Office of Accessibility works closely with Minnesota IT Services’ Communications team to develop and produce its blogs and other messages. The Communications team shares guidelines here about plain language and why it’s important. They also give some great tips on how to write with plain language in mind.</Description><Audience/><Title>Plain Language &amp; Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>plain language</Subject><Subject>writing tips</Subject><Subject>everyday language</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Plain Language &amp; Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A head full of clutter faces a neatly organized head.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/plain-language_blog_tcm38-614418.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A head full of clutter faces a neatly organized head.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/plain-language_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-614419.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-3- Plain Language &amp; Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-614411&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-22T15:02:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Office of Accessibility works closely with Minnesota IT Services’ Communications team to develop and produce its blogs and other messages. The Communications team shares guidelines here about plain language and why it’s important. They also give some great tips on how to write with plain language in mind.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How writing in plain language makes digital content more accessible.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Minnesota IT Services Communications&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is plain language?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language is communication that all readers can understand the first time they read it and know what they need to do next. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language follows these universal guidelines: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use “everyday” language.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Write in short and complete sentences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Present information in a format that is easy to find and easy to understand.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clearly state directions and deadlines to the audience.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is it important?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language provides Minnesotans with better state services by reducing confusion, saving time, and improving customer satisfaction. As government employees, we recognize the right of all members of the public to access public information. We must commit to providing access to all individuals – with or without disabilities – who wish to use government websites, documents, applications, or services to get information or resources. Using language that is commonly understood is a big part of making information accessible to everyone. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When should you use it?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use plain language in all communications, whether it is for printed materials, emails, or web content. When writing technical or legal documentation, you should use plain language as much as possible. However, we always check with the subject matter expert to verify the accuracy of the content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s the law&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.plainlanguage.gov/law/&quot;&gt;Plain Writing Act of 2010&lt;/a&gt; was signed on October 13, 2010. The law requires all federal agencies to use clear government communication that the public can understand.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2014, then-Governor Mark Dayton signed &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.mn.gov/archive/execorders/14-07.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order 14-07 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;, Implementing Plain Language in the Executive Branch, which required the Office of the Governor and all state agencies to communicate with the public using plain language principles. Governor Tim Walz continued the executive order to implement plain language when he issued &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_05_EO_19-29_tcm1055-379049.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-29 (PDF) in 2019&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is plain language accessible?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language principles increase cognitive accessibility, particularly for people with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities. Plain language concepts in layout design and formatting help everyone locate the information they need easily.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you lose important information when writing in plain language?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Always check with the subject matter expert to make sure that your plain language rewrite hasn’t changed the meaning or the accuracy of the content. If you need to use complex or technical terms, provide a short, plain language explanation of the term. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can you give example(s) of plain language writing?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We took the following from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.plainlanguage.gov/&quot;&gt;PlainLanguage.gov&lt;/a&gt; examples. This was part of a speech given by Vice President Al Gore on June 1, 1998, at the National Small Business Week Awards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Here’s a great example—an old regulation from OSHA:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The title of the old regulation is “Means of Egress.” Egress, by the way, means exit. The word is so little known, practical joker P.T. Barnum used to put up a sign at the circus that said: “To the Egress.” People followed the sign, thinking they were about to see some exotic animal, and suddenly found themselves in the street!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So…back to our regulation:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Means of Egress: Ways of exit access and the doors to exit to which they lead shall be so designed and arranged as to be clearly recognizable as such. Hangings or draperies shall not be placed over exit doors or otherwise so located as to obscure any exit. Mirrors shall not be placed on exit doors. Mirrors shall not be placed in or adjacent to any exit in such a manner as to confuse the direction of the exit.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That was the old regulation. Here is a proposal for the new regulation:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exit routes: An exit door must be free of signs or decorations that obscure its visibility.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’s it. From 76 words to 14. But we still might be able to make it a bit better. The words “obscure its visibility” are a little like the old gobbledygook.” How about: “Don’t put up anything that makes it harder to see the exit door.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some plain language writing tips?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language means writing to your readers. People are in a hurry. They skim and scan, looking for fast answers to their questions. That’s why it is important to quickly get to the point. Help your readers complete their tasks with these writing tips.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Write to your reader&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Imagine your reader as an actual person. Do this by making a &quot;persona.&quot; Now, write to that person. For example, a persona for an end user might be something like this:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Meet Jane. She works for the Department of Natural Resources. In her daily work, Jane regularly types letters and documents in Microsoft Word and uploads them to the division&apos;s SharePoint site. She uses Outlook to coordinate emails and meetings.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focus on people&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Help readers see themselves in the text. Use words like I, me, we, our, ours, you, your.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use personal pronouns or name the person
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I am writing in response…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suzy Smith will contact you…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You may copy this certificate…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use active voice, not passive:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Passive voice:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;We will be asking that all homeowners must complete Form C.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;Form C must be completed by all homeowners.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Active voice:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;All homeowners must complete Form C.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;You must complete Form C.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use short, simple sentences&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People rarely read letters, reports or web content word by word. Instead, they scan the page. Use the following tips to make sure your readers get your point:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Start with the conclusion or the action the reader needs to take.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have one idea per paragraph.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use half the number of words you would use in conventional writing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid unnecessary words:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Weak: The purpose of this letter is to tell you that we have accepted your claim…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strong: We have accepted your claim…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Weak: There are three forms that must be completed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strong: You must fill out three forms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use words readers know&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use short and simple words:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stop&lt;/strong&gt; not cease&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Before&lt;/strong&gt; not prior to&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get&lt;/strong&gt; not procure&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keep&lt;/strong&gt; not retain&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don&apos;t use nouns that hide verbs:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Deny&lt;/strong&gt; not denial&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maintain&lt;/strong&gt; not maintenance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assign&lt;/strong&gt; not assignment&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Define acronyms
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Spell out the first use of an acronym, followed by its abbreviation. You can use the abbreviated acronym in the rest of the document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examples:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is published in a volume … ITIL describes processes …&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) provides technical expertise. In an early release, the MPCA …&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make the text visual&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make information stand out. Use:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bullets for lists,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Numbers for steps, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tables for data or parallel statements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Format pages to help users&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use bold headings and white space to help users locate information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Group similar information together and use white space around it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can I learn more about plain language?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many resources for writing in plain language. Here are a few.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LinkedIn Learning offers a 42-minute course: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/share?account=86888522&amp;amp;forceAccount=false&amp;amp;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Flearning%2Fwriting-in-plain-language%3Ftrk%3Dshare_ent_url%26shareId%3DJ%252F4x0EhmRV%252BbjXmi0oWQKg%253D%253D&quot;&gt;Writing in Plain Language&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Revenue produced a video on plain language, “&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9X8RVXAskPU&quot;&gt;Introduction to Plain Language: Say it Simply.&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://plainlanguage.gov/&quot;&gt;PlainLanguage.gov&lt;/a&gt; is an official website of the United States government. This site includes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Information on federal law and requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;Plain language guidelines. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.plainlanguage.gov/resources/&quot;&gt;Lots of great resources&lt;/a&gt;, such as:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/&quot;&gt;examples&lt;/a&gt; of plain language, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.plainlanguage.gov/training/videos/&quot;&gt;training videos&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;and just for fun, some &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.plainlanguage.gov/resources/humor/&quot;&gt;humorous examples&lt;/a&gt; of how &lt;strong&gt;not&lt;/strong&gt; to write in plain language. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>614411</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-22T15:02:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Dive into our blog to learn about the inspiring local advocates who are breaking barriers and reshaping the tech and IT industry for gender equality.</Description><Audience/><Title>​Empowering Women in Minnesota&apos;s Tech Scene​ </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Women&apos;s History Month</Subject><Subject>Women in tech and IT</Subject><Subject>Equity and inclusion</Subject><Subject>Women in the workplace</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>​Empowering Women in Minnesota&apos;s Tech Scene​ </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of different women above the text MNIT Celebrates Women&apos;s History Month</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Women%27s%20History%20Month%20Blog%20Header_tcm38-614448.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of different women above the text MNIT Celebrates Women&apos;s History Month</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Women%27s%20History%20Month%20Thumbnail_tcm38-614447.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-3- Women&apos;s History Month: Empowering Women</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-614438&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-03-18T19:39:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>Dive into our blog to learn about the inspiring local advocates who are breaking barriers and reshaping the tech and IT industry for gender equality.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Honoring Women&apos;s History Month</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In honor of Women&apos;s History Month, MNIT is spotlighting local groups, businesses, and initiatives actively advancing gender equality in the tech industry. These entities are not merely discussing inclusivity; they are taking tangible steps to achieve it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dedicated groups and individuals are effecting change within Minnesota&apos;s tech and IT sectors, project by project. Through mentorship programs, educational outreach initiatives, and strategies to engage allies, these advocates are dismantling barriers and reshaping the industry. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let&apos;s delve into the concrete efforts of these local advocates, striving to create a tech community in Minnesota where women not only belong but thrive. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Women IT Changemakers Employee Resource Group (ERG)&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Committed to fostering an inclusive community, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/ergs/join/women-changemakers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Women Changemakers ERG&lt;/a&gt; tackles workplace issues faced by women, providing invaluable tools and resources while equipping colleagues to better support their female counterparts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beyond professional and personal development opportunities, Women Changemakers serves as a powerful advocate for women by &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/ergs/join/women-changemakers/events.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;organizing various programs, events, and activities&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With their Lunch and Learn series, with topics ranging from speaking up for yourself to tackling tough social justice issues, Women Changemakers are creating the necessary conversations that aim to enhance the overall professional and personal development of all State employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Women Leading in Technology (WLiT) and the Minnesota Technology Association&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/community/wlit/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Women Leading in Technology (WLiT)&lt;/a&gt;, a community operating under &lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/events/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MnTech&lt;/a&gt;, dedicates itself to promoting, educating, and empowering women in the technology sector throughout Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WLiT actively fosters inclusive and welcoming events for both women and men interested in advancing gender diversity in technology. The organization&apos;s mission, emphasizing &quot;Connect, Educate, and Reach Back,&quot; underscores community-building through networking and open conversations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The WLiT community focuses on key objectives, including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Authentic networking &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showcasing thought leadership in technology &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Business and professional development &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supporting the next generation of women technology leaders &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MnTech (through the MnTech Foundation) also operates &lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/about/mhtf/aspirations/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Aspirations in Computing (MN AiC)&lt;/a&gt;. They provide awards, scholarships, and paid internships to high school girls showing promise in tech. Their goal is to support future technology practitioners by providing recognition and resources to underrepresented individuals pursuing STEM careers.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 2012, over 800 young women students have received valuable recognition and support through MN AiC. &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmntech.org%2Fabout%2Fmhtf%2Faspirations%2F&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7CNate.Barber%40state.mn.us%7C6a415dbedfe4470ca34008dc477c30cd%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638463845940504998%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=RNRBWYsoUyZtO1IsLhlmUc3tSFm%2Fd%2B1floNUgonhVHc%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;They offer opportunities to collaborate&lt;/a&gt; as an internship partner, offer job shadows, serve as a mentor, and host learning experiences. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We spoke with MnTech&apos;s VP of Programming and Membership, Molly Doyle who noted two of their early career talent development programs which also support women in their technology careers: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/community/jumpstart/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jumpstart&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; a talent-focused initiative that provides quarterly events and opportunities for folks from non-traditional backgrounds. These include boot camps and certification programs and opportunities to connect with industry leaders, professionals, potential employers, mentors, and peers to create avenues to employment.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/community/tech-careers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tech Careers 1.0&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;:&lt;/strong&gt; this provides early career development and support for individuals in the first zero to five years of their tech careers. Many people who are new to the tech industry fall out within their first couple of years. Tech Careers 1.0 offers tailored resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help women navigate the challenges and opportunities in the tech industry, fostering their success and advancement. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Related:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;em&gt;MNIT’s CIO, Tarek Tomes will be presenting at&lt;/em&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmntech.org%2Ftech-connect-2024%2F&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7Cnate.barber%40state.mn.us%7C130b06071e07473318e008dc3f9fef01%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638455203837982668%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=OweiQbXXsO7ayZjScmH6obLLjjy274PdTATOkeVTWyM%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;MnTech’s Tech Connect 2024&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;em&gt;on May 8, 2024. Don’t miss his presentation, &quot;AI Governance for Government: Innovating Digital Services with AI for Minnesotans.&quot; Tarek will discuss Minnesota&apos;s AI strategy, its impact on workforce capabilities, and the diverse applications of AI across industries. &lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Technology Network&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Technology Network (MTN.org) spearheads &lt;a href=&quot;https://mtn.org/minnesota-women-in-tech&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Women in Tech&lt;/a&gt;, a community-driven initiative fostering unity, shared experiences, and learning opportunities among women in the tech sector.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Women in Tech prioritizes continuous growth through educational sessions, mentoring, and interactive experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By bringing together women, allies, innovators, and tech enthusiasts, the initiative actively shapes a brighter future through technology and creativity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Women in Technology at the U of M&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;University of Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://wit.umn.edu/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Women in Technology (WIT)&lt;/a&gt; provides &lt;a href=&quot;https://wit.umn.edu/events&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mentorship, networking, and educational opportunities&lt;/a&gt; with a goal of empowering women at all stages of their tech careers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through four committees: communications, events, finance &amp;amp; fundraising, and mentorship, WIT is building inclusivity and support within the tech community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By offering a range of events, from panel discussions to mentorship sessions and educational presentations, WIT aims to provide valuable insights and resources for women in tech. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Women in Tech&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mnwomenintech.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Women in Tech&lt;/a&gt; offers monthly tech meetups, educational sessions, career mentoring, and networking opportunities, including the annual Pioneer MN Women in Tech awards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The group aims to build a supportive network for women in technology, providing opportunities to learn new skills and gain real-world experience. With a focus on networking and education, Minnesota Women in Tech caters to women working in or interested in the tech industry. They are developing a one-to-one mentoring program for women of all ages, from youth partners to seasoned professionals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, they &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/minnesota-women-in-tech/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;host a LinkedIn community&lt;/a&gt; where members can learn about or share networking and educational opportunities related to women in tech. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Their latest event, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/women-and-the-future-of-mn-tech-a-womens-month-media-collaboration-tickets-858819190317?aff=oddtdtcreator&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Women and the Future of MN Tech: A Women&apos;s Month Media Collaboration&lt;/a&gt; showcases the impact of Minnesota Women in Tech on the state&apos;s tech sector. Attendees are invited to share their insights on the future role of women in shaping technology trends. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Women Who Code, Twin Cities Chapter&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://womenwhocode.com/network/twincities&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Women Who Code&lt;/a&gt; originated in 2011 as a grassroots effort to improve the tech industry experience for women engineers. It evolved into a global non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women in technology careers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Women Who Code Twin Cities &lt;a href=&quot;https://womenwhocode.com/blog/women-who-code-launches-twin-cities-network&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;launched in 2015&lt;/a&gt;. The community has since flourished, providing career advancement opportunities for engineers and garnering support from many nationwide companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Director Dana Hazen emphasizes the network&apos;s role in supporting women in the tech industry and fostering a vibrant community. In their &lt;a href=&quot;https://womenwhocode.com/blog/equal-pay-day-2024-a-call-for-pay-transparency&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;blog on equal pay for women&lt;/a&gt;, they offer tangible steps people can take to demand equal pay for women in tech such as: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Raising awareness on social media:&lt;/strong&gt; Sharing stories about the unacceptable wage gap between women and men in tech. For example, did you know, that compared to men &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.npr.org/2024/03/12/1237505064/equal-pay-day-women-gender-pay-gap&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;women in tech still earn 84 cents on the dollar&lt;/a&gt;? And for part-time workers, women earn 78 cents compared to men. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Taking legislative action:&lt;/strong&gt; Advocating for acts like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/728&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Paycheck Fairness Act&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1599/text&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Salary Transparency Act&lt;/a&gt;, and emphasizing their importance in addressing wage disparities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Self-educating:&lt;/strong&gt; Learning about equal pay laws and accessing resources like &lt;a href=&quot;https://minneapolis-mn.aauw.net/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AAUW&lt;/a&gt; to stay informed about pay disparity data. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Negotiating effectively:&lt;/strong&gt; Researching industry standards, &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/gU2ae1DPUWE&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;practicing negotiation techniques&lt;/a&gt;, and seeking assistance from &lt;a href=&quot;https://members.womenwhocode.com/resources&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;resources like WWCode&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Encourage pay transparency:&lt;/strong&gt; Advocating for salary transparency within your organization and promoting &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/transparency-mn/payrolldata.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;disclosure of salary ranges&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Leading by example:&lt;/strong&gt; Taking proactive steps to promote pay equity, mentor other women (&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/oWa9Vfk7aGY&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;especially junior engineers&lt;/a&gt;), and support initiatives &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-419020&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;addressing systemic barriers to women in tech&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Women in Tech Conference April 23-25 &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although not based in Minnesota, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.womentech.net/women-tech-conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Women in Tech Global Conference (WTGC)&lt;/a&gt; offers valuable opportunities for women aiming to broaden their horizons and enhance their skills in the tech industry. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sponsored by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.womentech.net/en-us&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WomenTech Network&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.coding-girls.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Coding Girls Foundation&lt;/a&gt;, WTGC provides a highly active platform to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stay updated on the latest technology trends. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Connect with women in tech communities worldwide. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborate with leaders in your local tech scene. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discover new opportunities to make a meaningful impact. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WTGC focuses on sharing knowledge, experiences, and thought leadership in emerging technologies and powerful personal stories. They are a resource for building professional development opportunities and empowering women in tech through leadership development, mentorship, and networking events. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) actively promotes equity in the technology sector and empowers women in the tech industry. For further information, refer to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2023-annual-report.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s 2023 Annual Report&lt;/a&gt; for our equity statement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a crucial part of the solution to reducing racial, economic, and other disparities, MNIT is committed to serving all Minnesotans. To achieve this goal, we are taking several key steps:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Designing environments and implementing accountability measures to embed equity across MNIT. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensuring our workforce reflects the diversity of our communities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Engaging with the voices and perspectives of those impacted by MNIT’s services. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advocating for technology that works for a diverse Minnesota. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through these efforts, MNIT is actively working to build a more inclusive and equitable tech landscape while empowering women to thrive in the industry. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How allies can help&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the most powerful resources for promoting gender equity in tech and supporting women in the workplace is each other. Potential allies are everywhere. Individuals who are not women may not realize they are allies until they receive an invitation to engage in allyship.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, we have the power to encourage more people to explore the distinctive strengths that women bring. By helping others understand the experiences and challenges women face, we can create a supportive culture of equality and empowerment for women in our workplaces, homes, and communities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disclaimer:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is not endorsing any of the non-MNIT-affiliated individuals or organizations listed here. Reference to any specific individuals or organizations is not intended to endorse those individuals or organizations, the views expressed by those individuals or organizations, or products or services offered by those individuals or organizations. The views expressed the referenced individuals or organizations are their own and the appearance of those individuals or organizations in this blog post does not imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by MNIT. If you have questions about this disclaimer, please contact MNIT’s General Counsel.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>614438</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-03-18T21:02:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In this edition of the “WCAG 2.1 - Improving Digital Accessibility” series, Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant answers questions about the update to the State of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Standard effective July 1, 2024. </Description><Audience/><Title>Update to State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Launches July 1</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility standard</Subject><Subject>updated standard</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Update to State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Launches July 1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&quot;WCAG 2.1 Update&quot; with ticking clock and computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG-2.1-update-release-date-_blog_tcm38-610390.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Ticking clock</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG-2.1-update-release-date-_blog-thumbnail_tcm38-610391.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-2 - Update to State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard Launches July 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-610208&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-22T16:44:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>In this edition of the “WCAG 2.1 - Improving Digital Accessibility” series, Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant answers questions about the update to the State of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Standard effective July 1, 2024. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant answers questions about the updated Standard and its impact.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the update will be effective?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In February 2024, the Office of Accessibility announced the new Standard will go into effect on July 1, 2024. Efforts to create awareness and provide training will be ongoing through July, 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can you provide a brief history of Minnesota’s Standard for state government? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota published the first Digital Accessibility Standard September 1, 2010. The 2009 State Legislature had required that this new standard include Section 508 of Federal law and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level AA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stnd_State_Accessibility_tcm38-61585.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stnd_State_Accessibility - 2018&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stnd_State_Accessibility - 2018&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;current version (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; was effective June 14, 2018 to reflect the Section 508 refresh.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2018, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) published WCAG 2.1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2021, a cross-agency team of State Digital Accessibility Coordinators (DACs) and Office of Accessibility staff launched a study to determine the benefits of WCAG 2.1. They recommended that Minnesota should update the State’s Standard and provide relevant outreach and training for State of Minnesota employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From 2021 to present, the Office of Accessibility coordinated several statewide events to provide information on WCAG 2.1 and collect feedback on what State employees needed to get ready. We also revised the current Standard with updated 2.1 content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We worked with a steering committee and subject matter expert groups beginning in April 2023. Leaders from a variety of roles throughout the state provided direction, reviewed available training, and created information to prepare state employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is Digital Accessibility important? What exactly does it cover?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility matters. Digital accessibility helps ensure everyone, including people with disabilities, has equal access to information, resources and services. This encompasses all things digital, from electronic documents to websites to kiosks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is WCAG?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a framework to plan, design, build and test digital information and technology so that it is accessible for all. The World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C for short, provides standards and guidelines for how the web works. For example, what you see at the beginning of a URL, https://, is a  W3C recommendation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The W3C set up the Web Accessibility Initiative, or WAI. WAI in turn manages the Working Groups that research and propose updates to WCAG. The most recent updates are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.0 (2008)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 (2018)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.2 (2023)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each update adds new criteria to the previous set, as well as removes the occasional criteria that is no longer relevant.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/wcag3/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 3&lt;/a&gt; is currently a working draft designed to be a complete reorganization on how to define and measure accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Section 508?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/ict/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt; is a Federal rule governing how Federal agencies must include accessibility requirements and processes when creating or buying digital technology, formally termed Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Section508.gov provides a broad framework of resources, training and guidance on how to support and comply with the rule. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why did the State decide to update its Standard? And why was WCAG 2.1 chosen specifically?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The cross-agency team of Digital Accessibility Coordinators determined that supporting 2.1 would provide significant benefits to users of State government information and technology. The WCAG 2.1 Steering Committee evaluated the teams’ findings and supported the conclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1, published 10 years after 2.0, addressed significant gaps in 2.0, notably support for users with:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cognitive or learning disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Low vision.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disabilities impacting their use of mobile devices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who participated in the WCAG 2.1 Steering Committee? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We wanted to involve a wide range of stakeholders to ensure a positive response when rolling out our awareness and training. We viewed the Standard update as an opportunity to significantly improve the State’s ability to deliver accessible content and technology to State employees and Minnesotans. While we didn’t get representation from every category we targeted, we ended up with a great group that had a real impact on our ability to succeed, with representation from the following categories:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advisory Committee for the Office of Accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advisory Committee for MNIT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chief Information Accessibility Officer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Statewide Accessibility Analyst&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Project Manager/Business Analyst/QA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digital Accessibility Coordinator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deputy Chief Business Technology Officer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disability agency&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PDF subject matter expert &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developer subject matter expert&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training subject matter expert&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Legislative staff&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Security subject matter expert&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Project Management Office &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What changes does the update bring specifically?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The update adds &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#new-features-in-wcag-2-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;12 new success criteria at the A and AA levels&lt;/a&gt;. Supporting these criteria make it easier for people to use digital technology. Some of the criteria reinforce what should be well-established practice, such as the ability to orient a device horizontally or vertically. Other criteria, such as reflow, help us push our vendors to improve their support for accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The updated Standard also removes minimum dollar amounts for when the Standard applies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.2 was released in October 2023. Shouldn’t Minnesota be updating to that?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The cross-agency team evaluated 2.2 and determined that it would be challenging to implement all the new criteria before vendors had enough time to build support for it in their technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What should we expect with the new Standard? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since last summer, volunteer teams have worked hard to analyze how WCAG 2.1, Level AA impacted their specific role, and what they needed in order to prepare for success. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For State Employees&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We built out a website specifically for State employees that details how the new criteria impacts each role and what to do to effectively incorporate the new criteria into their work. Sample roles include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content author&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;eLearning designer/creator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Map/GIS professional&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PDF creator/remediator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The list is more exhaustive than that, and we expect to add more roles as we mature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Vendors working with State agencies&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently our public website’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp&quot;&gt;accessible procurement site&lt;/a&gt; provides guidance for vendors (review it under the Products tab). We will update this tab to include WCAG 2.1 AA criteria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Minnesotans&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans expect State services and apps to simply work and be hassle-free. As we implement the new Standard over the next few years, we expect State apps and services to be even more accessible and easier to use. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where can I find accessibility training?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many free and paid training opportunities out there. &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt; to stay up to date on accessibility topics and training opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The W3C has a good introduction to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;accessibility fundamentals&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State employees can visit the Office of Accessibility extranet for additional, role-specific training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can I report an accessibility issue with a state website or digital program? Or offer a digital accessibility suggestion?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Absolutely! MN.gov has a link in the footer, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/about-minnesota/accessibility-issues/&quot;&gt;Report an accessibility issue&lt;/a&gt;. Use that link to report issues or offer suggestions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>610208</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-02-22T16:44:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>The report includes activities to modernize operating models, reduce cybersecurity risk, and deliver increased funding for technology services.  </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Technology Advisory Council Issues Report  </Title><Publisher/><Subject>About MNIT</Subject><Subject>About Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Subject>TAC</Subject><Subject>Report</Subject><Subject>Council</Subject><Subject>Technology Advisory Council</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Technology Advisory Council Issues Report  </Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Aligned hexagons containing images of people on computers</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2023-tac-report-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-610127.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2024 -02-13-TAC Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-610126&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-20T17:00:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>The report includes activities to modernize operating models, reduce cybersecurity risk, and deliver increased funding for technology services.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;February 20, 2024 (Saint Paul, MN) – Today, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/committees/tac.jsp&quot;&gt;Technology Advisory Council&lt;/a&gt; (TAC) of Minnesota issued its latest report. The report provides a comprehensive review of the collaboration between TAC, MNIT, and state agencies. It also highlights efforts to enhance technology and digital services for Minnesotans over the past year. The press release for this report is available on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s public website&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;The discussions among council members, private sector leaders, public servants, and industry experts at the Technology Advisory Council guide continuous improvements in government technology, cybersecurity, and modernization,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; stated MNIT Commissioner and State of Minnesota CIO, Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;Minnesota IT Services has made significant strides this year in advancing this work with our state agency partners, legislative collaborators, and private industry allies to deliver people-centered government services that prioritize agility, time, and ease of use for the people of Minnesota.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2023 was a transformational and productive year for TAC. The council saw progress on many of its 2022 recommendations for the State. Specifically, work progressed in three primary areas: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developing technology products and systems that better meet customer needs and expectations. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating more efficient and sustainable operation of state IT processes and systems. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bolstering security to protect state IT systems and sensitive data. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The TAC boasts a diverse membership, including leaders from the private sector, state representatives and senators, state employee unions, and public-sector IT and government leaders. Rick King, former chief information officer at Thomson Reuters, and Vince Cabansag, chief operating officer at Clockwork serve as chair and vice chair of the group, respectively. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&quot;The Council worked collaboratively to produce a set of recommendations that, when implemented, will advance how Minnesota’s agencies use and deliver technology to maximize its benefits for the citizens of the state,&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; remarked Rick King, TAC Chair. &lt;strong&gt;&quot;Furthermore, the recommendations stress the importance of ongoing funding for cybersecurity protections and the enhancement and maintenance of these critical state assets.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“By convening policymakers, State agencies, and public and private sector leaders, the Council has cultivated collaborative conversations and recommendations that put Minnesotans at the center of digital government. We look forward to continuing our work in 2024 and adding Artificial Intelligence to our agenda,”&lt;/strong&gt; added vice chair Vince Cabansag. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT, along with state agencies and the public and private sector partners in the TAC, are committed to advancing and implementing these recommendations to improve service for Minnesotans, staff, and partners; secure increased funding and resources; operate more efficiently and effectively; and improve safeguards for technology assets and private data. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,600 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>610126</id><pubdate>2024-02-20T17:11:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>News Blog</Title><Id>181691</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>View the 2023 Minnesota IT Services Annual Report</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report</Title><Publisher/><Subject>annual report</Subject><Subject>Annual Report</Subject><Subject>About MNIT</Subject><Subject>About Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report Available</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/annual-report-2023-300x300_tcm38-609756.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2024 -02-13-Annual Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-609726&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-13T15:53:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2023.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;February 1, 2024 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has released its &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2023-annual-report.jsp&quot;&gt;2023 Annual Report&lt;/a&gt;. The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January to December 2023. It also highlights MNIT’s adoption of its &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/strategic-plan/&quot;&gt;2023-2027 Strategic Plan&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access the report on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>609726</id><pubdate>2024-02-13T19:33:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This February, MNIT is celebrating Black History Month. We want to pay tribute to the groundbreaking impact the Black American community has had on tech, science, and IT.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Celebrates Black History Month</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Black History Month</Subject><Subject>Tech and IT industry</Subject><Subject>Innovators</Subject><Subject>Notable historical figures</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Celebrates Black History Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Black History Month. In the word history are images of space, sience, and technology. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ea6436ea-7345-4b90-8b0b-667ab3a41fc9_tcm38-608582.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Black History Month. In the word history are images of space, sience, and technology. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/bc130648-b3ea-4aea-ad74-edd94c8770e3_tcm38-608583.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 2 - Black History Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-608581&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-02-01T21:04:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>This February, MNIT is celebrating Black History Month. We want to pay tribute to the groundbreaking impact the Black American community has had on tech, science, and IT.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In February, MNIT is marking Black History Month by celebrating the significant contributions of Black Americans in tech, science, and IT. Their groundbreaking work has profoundly impacted the world and our lives.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These trailblazers haven&apos;t just advanced technology; they&apos;ve also shattered barriers, fostering diversity and inclusion in an ever-evolving field.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By recognizing and celebrating these outstanding individuals, we aim to honor their legacies and inspire the next generation of innovators. This month, we explore the stories of notable Black Americans who have left an enduring mark on IT, showcasing the incalculable impact of their work on the global technology landscape. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jesse Russell&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone who uses a cellphone or wireless communications may have Jesse Russell to thank. Mr. Russell is a pioneer in the field of cellular and wireless communications. He led Bell Laboratories&apos; team in 1988 to introduce digital cellular technology in the U.S., marking a transformative shift in how the world communicates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He became the first Black American directly hired from an HBCU by AT&amp;amp;T Bell Laboratories. Russell climbed the ranks at AT&amp;amp;T. He is now the CEO of incNETWORKS, specializing in 4G broadband wireless communications.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;His impactful career includes patents for base station innovations, such as the &quot;Base Station for Mobile Radio Telecommunications Systems&quot; (1992) and the &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/base-station&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Wireless Communication Base Station&lt;/a&gt;&quot; (1998). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kimberly Bryant&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kimberly Bryant is a renowned electrical engineer and Founder/Executive Director of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wearebgc.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Black Girls CODE&lt;/a&gt;, a non-profit organization addressing the underrepresentation of black girls in technology.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bryant&apos;s career spanned numerous global corporations in a variety of industries, including Westinghouse Electric, DuPont, Pfizer, and Novartis. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Motivated by her daughter&apos;s interest in programming and the scarcity of courses, especially for girls of color, Bryant established Black Girls Code in 2011. This initiative teaches programming to girls aged 6 to 17, aiming to bridge &lt;a href=&quot;https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23315/report&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;the gender and racial gap in STEM careers&lt;/a&gt;. By 2040, the organization aims to instruct coding to one million black girls. Black Girls Code, initially based in San Francisco, expanded to 10 U.S. cities and Johannesburg, South Africa, reaching around 3,000 students.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bryant&apos;s work and efforts have earned her accolades, including recognition as a &lt;a href=&quot;https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/tech-inclusion/kimberly-bryant&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;White House Champion of Change for Technology Inclusion in 2013&lt;/a&gt; and induction into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame in 2016. Her organization was named the &quot;Most Innovative Nonprofit&quot; by Bank of the West in 2012, and she received the SXSW Interactive Festival award in 2019. Kimberly Bryant&apos;s pioneering work continues to empower the next generation of underrepresented girls in technology. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dorothy Vaughan&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dorothy Vaughan was the first Black woman to be a manager at NACA, soon to be NASA. Her contributions to digital computing during her 28-year career led to the success of the early U.S. space program.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dorothy earned a mathematics degree from Wilberforce University, teaching before joining NACA in 1943. Promoted in 1949, she led the West Area Computers, advocating for promotions and fair treatment.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After NASA&apos;s integration in 1958, she became an expert &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britannica.com/technology/FORTRAN&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;FORTRAN programmer&lt;/a&gt; which supported the &lt;a href=&quot;https://artsandculture.google.com/story/nasa-s-unsung-hero-the-scout-launch-vehicle-program-u-s-national-archives/BAURgejPzIk_KQ?hl=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Scout Launch Vehicle Program&lt;/a&gt;. Vaughan&apos;s dedication, adaptability to new technology, and leadership left a lasting impact on NACA and NASA. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Katherine Johnson&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katherine Johnson was an extraordinary mathematician known for contributions to NASA&apos;s space exploration programs that were vital to its earlier successes.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/katherine-johnson-biography/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Ms. Johnson&apos;s remarkable aptitude for mathematics&lt;/a&gt; led her to graduate studies at West Virginia University. Ms. Johnson later joined the segregated West Area Computing section at NACA&apos;s Langley laboratory in 1953. She provided essential calculations for the 1958 document Notes on Space Technology, marking her involvement in the formation of NASA. Her trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard&apos;s 1961 mission and co-authored report on orbital spaceflight demonstrated her invaluable expertise.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1962, Johnson&apos;s manual calculations for John Glenn&apos;s orbital flight ensured the success of the mission and highlighted her crucial role in space exploration. Over her 33-year career at Langley, Johnson contributed to projects like Project Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and the Earth Resources Technology Satellite. Her dedication earned her the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/katherine-johnson-receives-presidential-medal-of-freedom-4/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 at the age of 97&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mary Jackson &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When Ms. Jackson worked at NASA, she may have been “the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nasa.gov/people/mary-w-jackson-biography/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;only black female aeronautical engineer in the field&lt;/a&gt;.”  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Her engineering career, spanning nearly two decades, involved impactful research on the behavior of the boundary layer of air around airplanes. Frustrated with limited advancement opportunities, she made a bold career change in 1979, becoming &lt;a href=&quot;https://awis.org/historical-women/mary-jackson/&quot;&gt;Langley&apos;s Federal Women’s Program Manager&lt;/a&gt; to advocate for gender equality.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mary retired in 1985, leaving behind a legacy of breaking barriers and receiving honors such as the Apollo Group Achievement Award. Described as a &quot;gentlelady, wife and mother, humanitarian and scientist,&quot; Mary Jackson&apos;s innovative contributions, service, and dedication to science remain an inspiration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hidden Figures&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to learn more about Ms. Vaughan, Ms. Johnson, and Ms. Jackson? Their stories were told in the movie, “&lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_Figures&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hidden Figures&lt;/a&gt;.” As mathematicians and engineers, these women made immeasurable contributions to the American space program and space exploration. The fact that they were Black Americans working in the segregated South makes their stories even more remarkable. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gladys West&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modern-day map applications and the technology that powers them are widely and frequently used thanks to Gladys West.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a mathematician at the U.S. Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia. Ms. West &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gladys-West&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;made significant contributions&lt;/a&gt; to satellite technology and geodesy. Her groundbreaking work played a key role in the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of Ms. West’s most notable projects she worked on was the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dcmilitary.com/south_potomac_pilot/features/the-naval-ordnance-research-calculator-norc/article_d148a37b-6190-5405-b6e1-fa2c8e72b9a2.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Naval Ordinance Research Calculator (NORC)&lt;/a&gt;. This program, which won an award, aimed to figure out how Pluto moves compared to Neptune. It involved 100 hours of computer calculations. Ms. West had to check by hand to make sure there were no mistakes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Her innovative work in programming computers for complex calculations revolutionized oceanography and Earth modeling. Her invaluable contributions to the field of mathematics have influenced the trajectory of Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and contributed to the sophisticated technologies of today. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sandra K. Johnson&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sandra K. Johnson is a renowned electrical and computer engineer with over &lt;a href=&quot;https://patents.justia.com/inventor/sandra-k-johnson&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;40 issued and pending patents&lt;/a&gt;. She is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://eceweb.rice.edu/news/sandra-k-johnson-became-first-black-woman-earn-phd-electrical-engineering-rice&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;first Black woman to earn a PH.D. in electrical and computer engineering&lt;/a&gt;. She is also the first Black woman to attend the IBM Academy of Technology. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a researcher, Ms. Johnson worked at the T.J. Watson Research Center at IBM for over 25 years. She was deeply involved in projects to increase computer speed. Most notably she helped design an early version of “Deep Blue,” IBM&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ibm.com/history/deep-blue&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;chess-playing supercomputer&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The development of Deep Blue marked a milestone in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ibm.com/history/early-games&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;artificial intelligence (AI) history&lt;/a&gt;, showcasing the potential of machine learning algorithms. Its ability to handle complex calculations advanced the field of computer science and laid the groundwork for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/20-years-after-deep-blue-how-ai-has-advanced-since-conquering-chess/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;AI language models like ChatGPT&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Frank S. Greene Jr.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Frank S. Greene Jr. was a multifaceted business figure, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/frank-greene-jr&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;venture capitalist, electronics technologist, and high-tech business executive&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mr. Greene&apos;s career includes notable contributions in the United States Air Force and groundbreaking work at Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. where he &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scu.edu/engineering/stories/celebrating-black-history-month-spotlight-on-frank-s-greene-phd-70-1938-2009.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;developed and held the patent&lt;/a&gt; for the integrated circuit that made Fairchild a leader in the semiconductor industry.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the founding CEO of the Technology Development Corporation in 1971, he played a pivotal role in its growth. While an educator at various institutions, Mr. Greene was actively involved on corporate boards, including Broadware, Compliance Coach, Quippe Technologies, ZNYX, and Epicentric.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In recognition of his achievements, he received the Purdue University Outstanding Electrical Engineer Award in 1999, was inducted into the Silicon Valley Hall of Fame in 2001, and earned the title of Santa Clara University Distinguished Engineering Alumnus in 1993. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Clarence “Skip” Ellis&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Clarence “Skip” Ellis was the first Black American to earn a PhD in computer science. In his early years, Mr. Ellis set up &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.beloit.edu/live/news/2684-a-moment-in-computer-science-history&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Beloit College&apos;s first computer lab&lt;/a&gt; where he developed his interest in computers. He then attended the &lt;a href=&quot;https://cs.illinois.edu/about/awards/alumni-awards/alumni-awards-past-recipients/clarence-ellis&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;University of Illinois&lt;/a&gt; where he focused on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102651994&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ILLIAC IV supercomputer&lt;/a&gt;, spanning hardware, software, and applications.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout his career at esteemed institutions and companies like Bell Telephone Laboratories, IBM, Xerox, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mr. Ellis pioneered the &lt;a href=&quot;https://jcfernan.medium.com/seven-underappreciated-black-programers-e88a97c6739c#:~:text=Ellis%20worked%20at%20Bell%20Labs%20from%201969%20to%201972&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;groupware and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) systems.&lt;/a&gt; Notably, from 1976 to 1984 at Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), he led the development of Officetalk, the first system using icons and Ethernet for remote collaboration.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellis held teaching positions at renowned universities and joined the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1992, becoming an early leader in human-centered computing research.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beyond his contributions to industry and academia, he actively promoted computer science education, particularly encouraging students from diverse backgrounds to pursue the field. In his later years and retirement, Ellis collaborated with African higher education institutions, notably maintaining a connection with Ashesi University in Ghana. In 2013, he received a Fulbright grant for educational work in Ghana. Recognized as a Fellow of ACM in 1998, Ellis left an indelible mark on office information systems and collaborative computing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Continued Celebration of Black History Month&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Though this list is not exhaustive, we want to pay tribute to the groundbreaking impact the Black American community has had on tech, science, and IT. Their work and contributions continue to shape the technological landscape and transform our way of life.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These legacies serve as inspiration for future innovators, aligning with MNIT&apos;s commitment to honor and celebrate achievements while highlighting the significance of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/MNIT%202022-2024%20Affirmative%20Action%20Plan_tcm38-384200.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;diversity and inclusion&lt;/a&gt; in these evolving fields. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>608581</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Science</Title><Id>253257</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Innovations</Title><Id>232515</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-01-31T19:44:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This is the latest article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility.” This month we asked the lead authors of our data visualization WCAG 2.1 advisory to discuss what data visualization creators need to know to support two WCAG 2.1 criteria: 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus, and 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures.</Description><Audience/><Title>Data Visualization with WCAG 2.1: Content on Hover or Focus, and Pointer Gestures</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Hover or Focus</Subject><Subject>Pointer Gestures</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Data Visualization with WCAG 2.1: Content on Hover or Focus, and Pointer Gestures</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Multiple icons displaying various types of graphs and charts.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/data-visualization-blog_tcm38-607454.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icon of pie chart showing pull out detail.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/data-visualization-blog-thumb_tcm38-607455.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024-1 - Content on Hover or Focus, and Pointer Gestures</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-607342&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-24T18:53:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is the latest article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility.” This month we asked the lead authors of our data visualization WCAG 2.1 advisory to discuss what data visualization creators need to know to support two WCAG 2.1 criteria: 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus, and 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Two of our data visualization experts discuss how to support and test the Guidelines Content on Hover or Focus, and Pointer Gestures for more accessible and usable websites and apps.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Nancy Rice, Research Scientist, Health Risk Assessment Unit for Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), and Becky Bernauer, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services partnering with MDH.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s note: This is the latest article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility.” Missed the first installments? Use the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/list/appId/1/filterType/Category/filterValue/Accessibility/page/1/sort//order/&quot;&gt;#Accessibility tag on our blog page&lt;/a&gt; then search the page for WCAG 2.1. Subscribe to be sure you get each installment in this series! (The link is at the bottom of this page.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a quick review of two WCAG 2.1 success criteria – 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus, and 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures. The article is aimed at data visualization designers and developers who already have some familiarity with digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content on Hover or Focus (AA)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This success criterion is intended to ensure the user is aware of content that pops up, and that the pop-up content is dismissible, hoverable, and persistent. Within visualizations, tooltips are often set to pop up when a person uses the mouse to hover over a feature, like a county in a map or a bar in a bar chart. At times, the tooltip will offer information that can’t be obtained elsewhere. A tooltip that disappears too quickly could prevent some users from getting the information, like keyboard-only users or blind or low-vision users. Therefore, a tooltip should persist until the user dismisses it by moving away from the feature or dismissing the content another way. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On the other hand, if a tooltip is already showing or pops up unexpectedly, dismissing the content be can difficult, especially without using a mouse, making the visualization less accessible for some users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One solution is to ensure that the tooltip is available to both keyboard and mouse users. However, some platforms, such as Tableau, do not currently support this functionality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A simpler solution is to avoid the use of hover pop ups and tooltips within data visualizations. If tooltips are necessary, offer the information in another way, such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Directly from the web page in a table.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In text coded in html.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Via an accessible PDF file.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Within a downloadable table. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When using pop-up tooltips, provide instructions when possible within the tooltip on how to dismiss the popup window, such as “Select the Escape (Esc) key to dismiss.” Data visualization creators should test for accessibility using only a keyboard for navigation and create a workaround when needed to provide sufficient information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;See &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/content-on-hover-or-focus.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (A)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This success criterion concerns using a path-based gesture to accomplish a goal with a visualization. There are some examples in Tableau (and possibly other data visualization software) that could require complex keystrokes or mouse clicks. A couple of examples are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making multiple selections from areas on maps while holding down the Control key.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using a mouse to select multiple points in a scatter plot while holding the Control key. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This complex action might be difficult for some users. In these cases, another option for making the selection would be needed, such as a pre-set group of points that can be selected with one click. For example, a pre-set filter for a group of counties in a region or a group of facilities. Fortunately, users can accomplish most tasks with simple gestures or by using filters within interactive visualizations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On mobile devices, some screen readers may require complex gestures to focus or read information. For example, Voiceover on iPhones and iPads natively require a rotor action (twisting two fingers in a circle, like turning a dial), to make a selection. This might be a hindrance to some users, but this interaction with the screen reader and mobile device is beyond the control of the data visualization creators. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data visualization creators should test their dashboards to ensure that users can easily access the elements without complex gestures on mobile devices (e.g., touch screens) and on desktops without a mouse. If gestures are complex, the data visualization creator will need to provide another way to accomplish the same outcome, such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Setting a button programmed to accomplish basic common data requests.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Providing information in an easily accessible format, such as a table available from a panel that can be revealed by selecting a link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;See &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/pointer-gestures.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2.5.1 Pointer Gestures.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>607342</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-23T18:22:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialist Megan Sisko earned the first Rising Star Award from the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). This blog explores her transformative work shaping standards for Next Generation 911 (NG911) documentation, revolutionizing emergency response at a national level.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT’s Megan Sisko Wins NENA Rising Star Award </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Employee recognition</Subject><Subject>Geographic Information System (GIS)</Subject><Subject>Rising Star Award</Subject><Subject>National Emergency Number Association (NENA)</Subject><Subject>Emergency Services</Subject><Subject>Public Safety</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT’s Megan Sisko Wins NENA Rising Star Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Image of Megan Sisko, winner of the first Rising Star Award granted by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA)</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NENA-rising-star-megan-sisko-blog-feature_tcm38-606732.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Image of Megan Sisko, winner of the first Rising Star Award granted by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA)</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NENA-rising-star-megan-sisko-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-606737.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 1 - Megan Sisko Wins Rising Star Award from NENA</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-606723&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-17T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialist Megan Sisko earned the first Rising Star Award from the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). Explore her transformative work shaping standards for Next Generation 911 (NG911) documentation, revolutionizing emergency response at a national level.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In this blog:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nationwide 911 emergency systems are being updated with Geographic Information System (GIS) data.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;911 systems will be faster and use better information than the current fifty-year-old system built for landlines.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Megan contributes to shaping the standards and documentation of the Next Generation 911 (NG911) system.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Megan&apos;s national-level project brings cutting-edge knowledge into Minnesota and ensures that National Emergency Number Association (NENA) standards and best practices do not conflict with local needs.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT GIS Technician, Megan Sisko given NENA Rising Star Award&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When it comes to providing emergency services, response teams need information fast, and they need it to be accurate. To achieve that level of service, Megan Sisko, a MNIT GIS Specialist within the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office, has taken on an exciting project set to revolutionize 911 systems nationwide and in Canada.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For her work, Megan received the first Rising Star Award issued by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), a non-profit professional organization that creates standards, guidelines, and education materials for 911 operations and technology. The award acknowledges her exceptional contributions to NG911, a nationwide initiative revolutionizing the 911 system. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We spoke with Megan about her work on this exciting project. Read on to learn how her work updating emergency systems will modernize emergency services and what this award means for MNIT and professionals working to update our technology systems. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What is Next Generation 911?&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Next Generation 911 (NG911)&lt;/strong&gt; will modernize traditional emergency response systems. The current system is over fifty years old and is based on landline telephones. Megan contributes to shaping the standards and documentation that will guide the upgrading of emergency response services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During a 911 call, every second is crucial. NENA&apos;s objective is to establish uniformity and accuracy in data and operations throughout every aspect of emergency response. Vital GIS data integrated into NG911 ensures that 911 calls are directed promptly to the appropriate call center.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By delivering precise information faster, improving emergency call categorization, and accelerating data provision, we enhance first responders&apos; effectiveness in emergencies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Megan&apos;s role: shaping standards for NG911 documentation&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the co-chair of NENA&apos;s &quot;Utilization of GIS Data in NG911 Core Services Workgroup,&quot; Megan documents the usage of GIS data in NG911. She provides helpful suggestions and facilitates workgroup discussions to help emergency response services use GIS data correctly. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan earned the Rising Star Award by collaborating with NENA on the NG911 project. When asked what this award meant to her, she noted the recognition highlights the excellent work of the entire team. She emphasized that it is a result of the support she received from NENA, MNIT, and the Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Communication Networks Division which supports the state’s 911 network.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan sees this recognition as an opportunity to inspire emerging professionals to participate in similar initiatives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She said, “It just goes to show that everyone brings something to the table. I&apos;ve learned a lot from my work with NENA. I’ve learned leadership and collaboration skills that help me to translate the work I do at MNIT to improve communication and teamwork.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Memorable experiences and challenges in NENA workgroups&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan shared her positive experiences working with a diverse group of people in NENA&apos;s workgroups. Her collaboration extended to those responsible for building the equipment and software for NG911, as well as GIS data developers and end-users of 911 services.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan noted that their contributions and perspectives shaped a higher degree of standards and best practices for NG911. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan also acknowledged the challenges of managing conflicting opinions within such a diverse group. Finding agreement among varying viewpoints can be demanding. But, she said, it was precisely this diversity that fueled the innovation and progress of NG911. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contributions benefiting Minnesotans and beyond&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan explained how her work is beneficial for Minnesota and for the entire nation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Her team at MNIT closely coordinates with the Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council’s Standards Committee. The knowledge she brings from NENA is crucial for informing state standards that match national 911 needs. By participating in this work, Minnesota can more easily meet national expectations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, Megan serves as a voice for Minnesota. NG911 provides her with a valuable platform to communicate Minnesota’s needs on the national level. By advocating for Minnesota, she ensures that NENA doesn&apos;t create standards and practices that conflict with Minnesota’s. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Megan’s award is a nod to the collaborative spirit of all MNIT staff &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan&apos;s Rising Star Award represents an incredible personal achievement and underscores the collaborative spirit of MNIT staff, who are enhancing services and systems statewide and beyond. As Megan continues to champion the cause of NG911 and GIS data standards, her dedication serves as an inspiration for others to contribute, learn, and make a lasting impact in the realm of emergency services. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>606723</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Public Safety</Title><Id>232508</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>NextGen 911</Title><Id>232520</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Citizen Services</Title><Id>232507</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Collaboration</Title><Id>232497</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>GIS</Title><Id>232509</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-01-17T15:00:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Read about the upcoming events celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., January 11-15, 2024.</Description><Audience/><Title>​MNIT sponsors One Dream. One Minnesota. </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.</Subject><Subject>Events</Subject><Subject>One Dream. One Minnesota.</Subject><Subject>Celebration</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>​MNIT sponsors One Dream. One Minnesota.</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and information on the One Dream. One Minnesota. celebration events</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/One%20Dream.%20One%20Minnesota._tcm38-605863.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the One Dream. One Minnesota celebration events. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/dr-king-blog-thumb_tcm38-605865.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2024 - 1 - One Dream. One Minnesota.</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-605867&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2024-01-04T18:44:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>Read about the upcoming events celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., January 11-15, 2024.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>​January 11-15, 2024 </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join us for One Dream. One Minnesota. It&apos;s a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his lasting impact. Attend any or all of the events from Jan. 11-15, hosted by Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. The events focus on various audiences and interests, aiming to highlight diverse voices and perspectives in our state. MNIT proudly sponsors this series.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thursday, January 11&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Achieving the Dream Conference&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 10 am - 3:30 pm &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/L9anWq1yYorLw94z5&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Metropolitan State University&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event details: &lt;/strong&gt;The Achieving the Dream Conference offers a unique chance to honor Martin Luther King Jr.&apos;s legacy through vibrant discussions, empowering speeches, and interactive workshops. Connect with equity practitioners, and actively contribute to Dr. King&apos;s dream for a more inclusive world. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eventbrite.com/e/achieving-the-dream-conference-tickets-779227760207?utm-campaign=social&amp;amp;utm-content=attendeeshare&amp;amp;utm-medium=discovery&amp;amp;utm-term=listing&amp;amp;utm-source=cp&amp;amp;aff=ebdsshcopyurl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Click here to register on Eventbrite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Friday, January 12&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Youth Empowerment Summit&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; Beginning at 9 am &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/279S3mptLttscP659&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Science Museum of Minnesota&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event details: &lt;/strong&gt;Youth and adults will learn about &lt;a href=&quot;https://new.smm.org/educators/justice-toolkit&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;STEM as a tool for social justice&lt;/a&gt;. This event will empower attendees to be advocates for themselves, challenge systems of oppression, and advance economic opportunities for themselves and their communities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/events/1175362700106297/?ref=newsfeed&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Find more event information on this Facebook page&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;STEM Career Event&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; Beginning at 9 am &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/EmMt5rAnMxRDHu5e9&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;3M Innovation Center&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event details: &lt;/strong&gt;Students will discover a variety of STEM careers guided by a team of informative 3M experts with diverse technical and professional backgrounds. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saturday, January 13&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Day Of Service&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; All day &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; Locations across Minnesota &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event Details: &lt;/strong&gt;Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived a life of service and encouraged others to do the same. He’s quoted as saying &quot;Life&apos;s most persistent and urgent question is, &apos;What are you doing for others?&apos;&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Participants can answer Dr. King’s question by engaging in acts of service rooted in social justice. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/oeoa/assets/One%20Dream.%20One%20MN.%20Day%20of%20Service%20Partners_all_tcm1197-605437.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Click here for a list of participating locations&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; where you can capture the spirit of Dr. King. This event is led by Gathering for Service Partners across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State of Minnesota Career Fair&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; 10 am - 2 pm &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/Szrq4gx3933nne1CA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Saint Paul National Guard Armory&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Free parking:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/iaARi1M1DbhCi43B7&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Centennial parking ramp&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/pxowPp2RfpWFAQCA8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Parking lot K&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/citizen/buildings-grounds/parking/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;More parking options here&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event details: &lt;/strong&gt;Open to the public, the State of Minnesota Career Fair will showcase the many jobs and career paths available within the state. Job seekers will be able to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Engage with state agency recruiters and subject matter experts &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attend classes on resume tips and career management &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about Minnesota’s commitment to fostering a thriving and dynamic workforce &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before you go, &lt;a href=&quot;https://minnesota.webex.com/wbxmjs/joinservice/sites/minnesota/meeting/download/f77e861f369e490e93b819582a4c4aaa?siteurl=minnesota&amp;amp;MTID=mdea072a34cf9d7a6717784fa5505e02c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;attend this helpful webinar from 2-3 pm on Jan. 9&lt;/a&gt; for best practices when applying for positions with the State.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=RrAU68QkGUWPJricIVmCjO8xDMd2mV9LrY3JUETq9TxUQjEwWjNSWkFMQ0RYSUVKVFpaQk1CWlRMNS4u&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Click this link to register for the career fair&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sunday, January 14, 2024&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Connections for Hope Day&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Time:&lt;/strong&gt; All-day &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; Locations across Minnesota &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event details: &lt;/strong&gt;Participants are invited to stand in solidarity and deliver Dr. King’s message in their way. Gratitude and appreciation are extended to organizations that will participate in hosting community-led gatherings to promote social justice and connections across differences. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/events/712960927449417?active_tab=about&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stay tuned to this Facebook page for forthcoming event details&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a name=&quot;38th%20Annual%20Stat%20of%20Minnesota%20MLK%20Jr.%20Day%20Celebration&quot;&gt;⁠&lt;/a&gt;Monday, January 15, 2024&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;38th Annual State of Minnesota MLK Jr. Day Celebration&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Doors:&lt;/strong&gt; 9 am &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event time:&lt;/strong&gt; 10:30 am - 12:30 pm &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Location:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://maps.app.goo.gl/CmRnEMP1Ws76Ga6f8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Ordway Center for the Performing Arts&lt;/a&gt; in Saint Paul &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Event details: &lt;/strong&gt;Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan host an inspiring celebration featuring: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Performances from Robbinsdale Area Schools &lt;a href=&quot;https://fair.rdale.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;FAIR School-Crystal&lt;/a&gt; student choir, dancers, and string ensemble &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Appearance from &lt;a href=&quot;https://fellowshipmb.org/leadership/billy-steele/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Billy Steele&lt;/a&gt; and Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fireside chat with keynote speaker &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wangawoman.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Caroline A. Wanga (CEO of Essence)&lt;/a&gt; and special guest &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.houstonwhite.co/founder&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Houston White Jr.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Recognition of the 2024 Champion of Change Award recipients. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and will fill up fast! There will be an overflow area for viewing. Live streaming will be on TPT.org with CART services available. ASL interpreters will be available on-site. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/mnmlkholiday/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Follow the Facebook event for developments&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>605867</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-01-11T17:31:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Two of our technical experts take a quick dive into how to support and test character key shortcuts (2.1.4) and label in name (2.5.3) for more accessible and usable websites and apps. The article is aimed at experienced developers who already have some familiarity with digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>WCAG 2.1 Developer tips: Character Key Shortcuts and Label in Name</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>labels in name</Subject><Subject>character key shortcuts</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1 Developer Tips: Character Key Shortcuts and Label in Name</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman taking notes in front of computer surrounded by imagery of notes and jottings. Text: &quot;WCAG 2.1 Developer Tips.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/developer-tips-blog_tcm38-604904.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman taking notes in front of computer surrounded by imagery of notes and jottings.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/developer-tips-blog-thumb_tcm38-604908.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-12 - Character Key Shortcuts and Label in Name</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-604881&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-27T18:55:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is a “quick dive” into two WCAG 2.1 success criteria – 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts and 2.5.3 Label in Name. The article is aimed at experienced developers who already have some familiarity with digital accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Two of our technical experts take a quick dive into how to support and test character key shortcuts and label in name for more accessible and usable websites and apps.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Kim Wee, Webmaster, Minnesota IT Services partnering with MN Department of Education and David Miller, Quality Assurance Lead, Minnesota IT Services partnering with MN Department of Corrections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s note: This is the latest article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility.” Missed the first installments? Use the #Accessibility tag on our blog page then search the page for WCAG 2.1. Subscribe to be sure you get each installment in this series! (The link is at the bottom of this page.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a “quick dive” into two WCAG 2.1 success criteria – 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts and 2.5.3 Label in Name. &lt;strong&gt;The article is aimed at experienced developers&lt;/strong&gt; who already have some familiarity with digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/keyboard-shortcuts-blog_tcm38-604917.png&quot; title=&quot;keyboard-shortcuts-blog&quot; alt=&quot;keyboard-shortcuts-blog&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;keyboard-shortcuts-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a keyboard shortcut is implemented in content using only letter (including upper- and lower-case letters), punctuation, number, or symbol characters, then at least one of the following is true:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn off - A mechanism is available to turn the shortcut off.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remap - A mechanism is available to remap the shortcut to include one or more non-printable keyboard keys (e.g., Ctrl, Alt).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Active only on focus - The keyboard shortcut for a user interface component is only active when that component has focus.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples and key messages&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don&apos;t do single key shortcuts. It could interfere with assistive technology (AT) shortcuts. For example, a JAWS user using the &quot;B&quot; key to jump from button to button on the page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure character-only shortcut keys can be turned off or modified.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be sure to test for single-key shortcut functionality when considering off-the-shelf software. If single-key shortcuts exist, the software must also provide a way to turn them off or remap them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discoverability of keyboard shortcuts that are available for use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G217&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Provide a mechanism to allow users to remap or turn off character key shortcuts&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing tools&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard-only testing of all characters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For each character key shortcut:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Determine if the user has the ability either to turn off the shortcut or to remap it to a combination that includes one or more modifier keys.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An initial challenge for testers is to identify if author-created shortcuts exist, and then determine if existing shortcuts are triggered by character keys without modifiers. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where testers have access to the development team, the existence and nature of shortcut keys can often be determined by asking involved designers and developers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where reliable information from the authors is not available, the presence of shortcuts can possibly be identified by checking code (for example, in JavaScript, the presence of keydown, keyup and keypress listeners).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Another means of identifying shortcuts is to review documentation. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where none of these strategies provide information on the presence of keyboard shortcuts, manual tests will need to be completed to search for the existence of character key shortcuts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Search for training by qualified resources on:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Device-Independent User Input Methods.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WCAG Conformance Testing, Detailed Methodology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.w3schools.com/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C Schools&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/character-key-shortcuts.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Understanding character key shortcuts&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Barriers&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;None.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/label-in-name-blog_tcm38-604918.png&quot; title=&quot;label-in-name-blog&quot; alt=&quot;label-in-name-blog&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;label-in-name-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2.5.3 Label in Name&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For user interface components with labels that include text or images of text, the name contains the text that is presented visually.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A best practice is to have the text of the label at the start of the name.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples and key messages &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The visual label for controls is a trigger for speech activation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where practical, make the control’s text label and name match.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The criteria have  potential for big impact on development across the work we do, including how we apply “accessible name” to elements such as buttons, links, etc. (for example, &quot;edit&quot; or &quot;view&quot; links/buttons in a table).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assistive technology uses the name to identify the control to the user. This means it can be programmatically determined and why it is often referred to as the accessible name. The accessible name is not related to the name attribute on input elements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visually present the &quot;label.&quot; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where two strings cannot be grammatically or seamlessly combined using aria-labelledby, you can use aria-label to make a new name which includes the visible label. For example: ...end of news story. &amp;lt;a href=&quot;poor.html&quot; aria-label=&quot;Read more about Insufficient link names&quot;&amp;gt;Read more&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use aria-labelledby to concatenate generic link text with other information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The aria-label property affects assistive technology users in one of two ways, depending on the role of the element. When applied to an element with one of the roles that supports naming from child content, aria-label hides descendant content from assistive technology users and replaces it with the value of aria-label. However, when applied to nearly any other type of element, assistive technologies will render both the value of aria-label and the content of the element.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Three principles of accessible name: &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ol style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All interactive elements must have an accessible name. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An element can only have one accessible name. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To be sure of the name, you must test with a screen reader or inspect the HTML.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G208&quot;&gt;Including the text of the visible label as part of the accessible name&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G211&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Matching the accessible name to the visible label&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing tools&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dev Tools (browser).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ssa.gov/accessibility/andi/help/install.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ANDI&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.deque.com/axe/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Axe Dev Tools Extension&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Browser accessibility tab to see the accessibility tree.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For all controls with a visible label, check that:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The accessible name of the control contains the same letters in the same order as the visible label.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For input controls:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examine each input that has adjacent text which serves as its label.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For each input, check that the entire string of text (disregarding letter case and punctuation) matches the accessible name for the input, according to the accessible name computation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For buttons, links, menus, and other non-input controls, examine each control that contains text which serves as its label.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For each non-input control, check that the entire string of text (disregarding letter case and punctuation) matches the accessible name for the input.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Search for training by qualified resources on:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Device-Independent User Input Methods.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WCAG Conformance Testing, Detailed Methodology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.w3schools.com/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C Schools&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/accname-1.1//&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessible Name and Description Computation 1.1&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/html-aam-1.0/#accessible-name-and-description-computation&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;HTML Accessibility API Mappings 1.0&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/aria#ARIA7&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;aria-labelledby&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/aria#ARIA8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;aria-label&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Barriers&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Title tag - for label (screen readers do not read this and it does not get picked up in the accessibility API of the browser).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>604881</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-09-23T18:22:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT shines at the 2023 Government IT Symposium with a Service Award for unemployment insurance web rewrite and an Individual Leadership nomination for the innovative Google Language Project led by Business Analyst Rachel Horne.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Awarded at the 2023 Government IT Symposium</Title><Publisher/><Subject>2023 GOVIT Awards</Subject><Subject>Awards</Subject><Subject>Leadership</Subject><Subject>DEED</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Awarded at the 2023 Government IT Symposium </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Golden GOVIT Awards feature image with trophy</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/golden-gov-it-awards-blog-feature_tcm38-604960.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Blog thumbnail for GOVIT Awards</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%281%29_tcm38-604956.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023 - 12 - MNIT Awards @ 2023 Government IT Symposium</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-604936&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-22T19:53:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about the exciting projects and team members who are putting MNIT on the map. Read our blog on the projects and staff called out at the 2023 GOVIT Awards Symposium.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT&apos;s recent recognition and achievements at the GOVIT Awards symposium. </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px;&quot;&gt;MNIT Business Analyst nominated for Individual Leader Award and team behind unemployment insurance web rewrite receives Service Award&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On December 14, 2023, members of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) were honored as award winners and nominees for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffusionlp.org%2Fgovit-2023%2Fgolden-govit%2F&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7CNate.Barber%40state.mn.us%7Cfae91de0a10c4aa098ff08dbffd554a0%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638385063962453533%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=EuPOUxqsiGEAQ0GoWUTr3s2ld9yWSVyZ7yXbimZTmsk%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Golden GOVIT Awards&lt;/a&gt; . The awards program, part of the Government IT Symposium, recognizes government agencies and individuals that advance government technology through teamwork, innovation, service, and individual leadership. MNIT’s celebrated efforts included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Service Award Winner: MNIT partnering with DEED for Unemployment Insurance Responsive Web Rewrite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Individual Leadership Finalist: Rachel Horne, MNIT Business Analyst&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Service Award Winners&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and vendors Deloitte, were recognized for their work completing a responsive web rewrite of Minnesota’s unemployment insurance (UI) system. The project focused on enhancing and improving the functionality of several vital features including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Automated testing&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Program integrity&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fraud support&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Security updates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Issue remediation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Messaging solutions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With MNIT’s contribution, Minnesota’s unemployment insurance system excelled in providing timely payments to its customers during increased workload, fraud challenges, and a variety of difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s modernization efforts helped to prioritize improved customer service, reduce manual work, and lower defect rates. This successful project will serve Minnesotans in need with a UI system that is modern, responsive, and secure for years to come.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffusionlp.org%2Fgovit-2023%2Fgolden-govit%2F&amp;amp;data=05%7C02%7CNate.Barber%40state.mn.us%7Cfae91de0a10c4aa098ff08dbffd554a0%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C638385063962453533%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;amp;sdata=EuPOUxqsiGEAQ0GoWUTr3s2ld9yWSVyZ7yXbimZTmsk%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about this incredible achievement here.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individual Leadership Award Nominee&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel Horne, a Business Analyst at MNIT, was nominated for the Individual Service Award for leading projects with the Department of Public Safety (DPS).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel was recognized as an outstanding leader of the Google Language Project. Google Language is a revolutionary chat agent for Driver and Vehicle Services that offers real-time translation that improves accessibility and equity by providing information, assistance, and self-service in Hmong, Spanish, English, and Somali. This project could be a model for other groups wanting to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enhance customer reach&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Redefine modes of service&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adapt to changing accessibility needs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachel and her colleagues map the customer journey for products like Google Language through community-based testing and outreach, conducting multiple focus groups across different language communities which provide meaningful firsthand data to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enhance user-friendliness and accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reveal limitations in existing technologies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support the need for authentic input&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is projects like these that continue to demonstrate the benefits of inclusion and adaptability in how MNIT serves all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>604936</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-01-04T19:54:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We&apos;re recognizing Josie Birch, an MNIT program manager who received this year&apos;s Rising Star award for excellence in leadership.</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Excellence: Josie Birch, MNIT&apos;s Rising Star</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Employee Spotlight</Subject><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Subject>Awards</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Project Management</Title><Id>344405</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Celebrating Excellence: Josie Birch, MNIT&apos;s Rising Star</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Josie Birch Mnit Winner of the 2023 Rising Star award</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/josie-birch-rising-star-award-blog-feature_tcm38-603833.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Josie Birch Mnit Winner of the 2023 Rising Star award</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/josie-birch-rising-star-award-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-603834.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023 - 12 - Celebrating Excellence: Josie Birch, MNIT&apos;s Rising Star</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-603813&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-12-12T18:39:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT&apos;s disaster recovery project manager partnering with MnDOT is the recipient of this year&apos;s Rising Star award by Rout Fifty and Nextgov/FCW. We spoke with Josie about her work, what it takes to be a great leader, and the future of disaster recovery for Minnesota and the DOT.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A conversation with MNIT&apos;s program manager on disaster recovery and leadership </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Celebrating Excellence: Josie Birch, MNIT&apos;s Rising Star&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are thrilled to announce that Josie Birch, an MNIT program manager was selected as one of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.route-fifty.com/digital-government/2023/11/introducing-2023-rising-stars/392204/&quot;&gt;this year&apos;s Rising Stars by Route Fifty&lt;/a&gt; and Nextgov/FCW. This award recognizes individuals in the government IT community who share a sense of duty, commitment to excellence, and devotion to public service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Josie supports the disaster recovery program for MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), and her journey in that work has been remarkable. In March of 2023, she began a new role of developing, testing and maintaining the disaster recovery plans for MnDOT&apos;s 57 high and medium-priority applications. Under Josie’s leadership, the disaster recovery program developed into a fully functional system with clear goals and metrics by which its progress could be measured.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working closely with application development, operational support teams, and other partners Josie has made a big difference in IT disaster recovery. She’s made MnDOT safer from cybersecurity risks and created a more collaborative team. Leading through demonstration, she inspires others to focus on customer service and build robust interpersonal connections.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Josie’s award reflects not just her individual accomplishments but the collective success of the entire team. We asked Josie for her thoughts on the award, the challenges she faced, and where IT disaster recovery is headed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A Conversation with Josie Birch&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What does this award mean to you?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Josie:&lt;/strong&gt; This is an award for the team. It is a testament to the people of MNIT and our partners at MnDOT. It&apos;s a recognition of the incredible talents and initiative of everyone involved in the MnDOT disaster recovery.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We faced some challenges, but we got through them because the team and leadership were so supportive. That is what makes this award so special: how well our teams worked together. Everyone developing plans and processes for the project was on the same page, and that really excites me. So, this award recognizes all of us for doing great work together in support of a unified vision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: Which disaster recovery initiative stands out most to you?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Josie: &lt;/strong&gt;Improving the approval process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Along with my supervisor Joella, I proposed a strategy to refine approvals. Everyone in MNIT MnDOT leadership was on board. They liked the new approach because, let’s face it, nobody likes dealing with unnecessary complications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The result was that, as a team, we found ways to speed up approvals and move things forward more efficiently while maintaining our due diligence. With this change, we were able to get the right people to review and approve documents much faster.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This shift had a positive ripple effect down the line. It made the approval process quicker. But it was also very inspiring and motivating for the team. It showed us the impact of how creative solutions could increase the efficiency of our work. The fact that this brought real benefits encouraged us to make more positive changes in our processes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What issues do you see facing disaster recovery in the future?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Josie: &lt;/strong&gt;Testing will be a key focus for the next 12-18 months. By validating our documentation with testing, we will have more robust capabilities in disaster recovery. We’re looking to create a testing effort that matches the documentation. Every application needs thorough testing. And we want to standardize testing in a way that validates an application with a clear number of steps for it to be up and running faster, and with a more predictable schedule.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the broader scope, cybersecurity is always going to be a priority for disaster recovery. Our focus on testing and aligning with the larger cybersecurity goals will undoubtedly strengthen our resilience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What makes you a great leader?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Josie:&lt;/strong&gt; I think the mark of a good leader is when someone doesn’t say they&apos;re a good leader. I don&apos;t consider myself a leader. And I&apos;m not sure that I ever truly will.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I will say that it&apos;s a process. I really focus on continuous improvement – at work and in my personal life. That is where I like to be: doing good but not worrying about being perfect, and always learning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My main goal is to make sure my team stays together. I suppose there&apos;s an element of leadership to that. I want to support my colleagues. And if that gets us to a better place then, great! Together, we&apos;ll keep making baseline improvements and continue moving disaster recovery in a positive direction. And who knows where we&apos;ll be down the road?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A bright future for disaster recovery&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Josie Birch&apos;s leadership and innovative contributions have propelled the MNIT MnDOT disaster recovery program to new heights. Her commitment to teamwork, streamlined processes, and continuous improvement sets a standard for excellence. As we celebrate Josie&apos;s well-deserved recognition as a Rising Star, we eagerly anticipate the great strides and achievements that lie ahead for her and her team.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>603813</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-14T15:05:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>WCAG 2.1 provides useful tools to help map creators improve the accessibility of their maps. Two of our map experts take a quick dive into how to use identify input purpose and text spacing for more accessible and usable maps.</Description><Audience/><Title>What Does the A Mean in DEAI? </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>DEAI</Subject><Subject>DEI</Subject><Subject>Disability</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1 makes maps easier to use</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Haloed text &quot;Autocomplete and Text Spacing&quot; in a callout box over a map.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/autocomplete-text-spacing-blog_tcm38-600423.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Haloed text &quot;Aa&quot; in a callout box over a map.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/autocomplete-text-spacing-blog-thumb_tcm38-600424.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-11 - Autocomplete and Text Spacing for Maps</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-600376&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-20T18:39:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>WCAG 2.1 provides useful tools to help map creators improve the accessibility of their maps. Two of our map experts take a quick dive into how to use identify input purpose and text spacing for more accessible and usable maps.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Two of our map experts take a quick dive into how to use identify input purpose and text spacing for more accessible and usable maps.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Greta Poser, GIS Specialist, Minnesota IT Services and Jennifer Strahan, Geospatial Application Developer, Minnesota IT Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s note: This is the latest article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility”. Missed the first installment? Read it in the March Newsletter: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/570818&quot;&gt;Improving Navigation Menus and Focus Indicators&lt;/a&gt;. Subscribe to be sure you get each installment in this series! (The link is at the bottom of this page.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the State of Minnesota, role-based teams are looking at the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 criteria to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Determine which criteria apply to their role.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What their peers need to learn about the relevant criteria.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What, if any, guidance to provide.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article shares what the maps team came up with on two WCAG 2.1 success criteria:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (AA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.12 Text Spacing (AA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (AA)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Greta Poser, GIS Specialist at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), noted that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#identify-input-purpose&quot;&gt;Identify Input Purpose&lt;/a&gt; can improve map accessibility by making it easier for the user to enter information. Every input field should, besides a label, also be coded to reflect the field’s purpose. This enables the browser’s autocomplete function and helps assistive technology (AT) communicate the purpose of user input fields in alternative ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Page creators do this through HTML type and autocomplete attributes, although there are a limited number of html type and autocomplete attribute options. It is likely that user input fields in a web map application may not have an appropriate autocomplete attribute value. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some common examples in GIS where you would leverage the autocomplete attribute include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If a user submits a report about a location and you want to follow up with the user, use autocomplete attributes for their name, phone number, and email inputs. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If a user wants to search a map for their home address to find features in their neighborhood, use autocomplete for the address search box. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use autocomplete when a user can input their preferred language to render the map.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s a sample code for using autocomplete in a map: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Provide your home address for a map to your polling place:&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;label for=”address”&amp;gt;Address&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;input autocomplete=”street-address” id=”address” type=”text”&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;label for=”city”&amp;gt;City&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;input autocomplete=”address-level2” id=”city” type=”text”&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;label for=”state”&amp;gt;State&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;input autocomplete=”address-level1” id=”state” type=”text”&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;label for=”zip”&amp;gt;ZIP code&amp;lt;/label&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;input autocomplete=”postal-code” id=”zip” type=”text”&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep in mind that the autocomplete attribute values are intended to be about personal user information (their address, their name, their photo), so they will not apply in a GIS situation when gathering information about other features. For example, you would not use the “name” attribute for a field used to input the name of a place or the name of a photo. The “name” attribute would only apply to a field asking for the user’s name.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Uses of Input Purpose&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose isn’t just about autocomplete. For example, the type attribute for input fields in HTML identifies a general classification of expected values, such as “tel” for a telephone number and “date” when a date value is expected. The type attribute does not imply the value entered is the user’s personal information, so it can take a wider variety of inputs. For example, “type=date” could be used when asking the user to provide a search date to display data on a map. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This isn’t limited to text. Page designers can use other methods for identifying input purpose, such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) symbols. As more map creators and page designers become familiar with the criterion, we can expect a richer, more robust use of this technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tools and Techniques:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use HTML type and autocomplete attributes to state input purpose when applicable. Preview your application in landscape and portrait mode to test compatibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#input-purposes&quot;&gt;W3C on input purpose&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H98&quot;&gt;Using HTML 5.2 autocomplete attributes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/identify-input-purpose.html&quot;&gt;Understanding Input Purpose&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?showtechniques=136#identify-input-purpose&quot;&gt;Show techniques Input Purpose&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.4.12 Text Spacing (AA)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Geospatial Application Developer Jennifer Strahan noted that the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#text-spacing&quot;&gt;Text Spacing criterion&lt;/a&gt; ensures that content is still available, legible, and functional if users increase the text spacing of the web map application. The web application does not need to provide tools or options for users to increase the spacing. Users likely have their own tools and techniques. If content overflows a fixed-size container due to the spacing changes, it is acceptable to truncate with an ellipsis, as long as the truncated text is still available (either on focus or as a linked page). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legends and popups are common examples of text spacing, as shown in these two illustrations. Figure 1 presents a typical view and Figure 2 shows the same page with text spacing applied. Note how the text fields enlarged to accommodate the spacing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/eqb_map_tcm38-600420.png&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Environmental Quality Review Board map. Legend lists color and shape coding for different types of environmental review projects. Focus on one project shows popup providing project detail.&quot; alt=&quot;Minnesota Environmental Quality Review Board map. Legend lists color and shape coding for different types of environmental review projects. Focus on one project shows popup providing project detail.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;eqb_map&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figure 1: Map example with standard text spacing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/eqb_map_spacing_tcm38-600419.png&quot; title=&quot;The same Minnesota Environmental Quality Review Board map as shown previously. This version has more spacing between text in the legend and popup. The display boxes are slightly larger to accommodate the extra white space.&quot; alt=&quot;The same Minnesota Environmental Quality Review Board map as shown previously. This version has more spacing between text in the legend and popup. The display boxes are slightly larger to accommodate the extra white space.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;eqb_map_spacing&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figure 2: Map example with text spacing applied by user.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legend widget in ArcGIS Maps SDK for JS handles text spacing increases well, wrapping text when necessary. Map designers should consider using brief names for layers so that the user does not have to scroll as much to see other legend items.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Map popups in the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript (a developer product for building mapping and spatial analysis applications for the web) resize dynamically when the text spacing changes, so there should be no issues with popups. If the popup has a lot of content, consider docking it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What about the map itself, outside of the legend and popups?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the map itself, the user-specified text spacing settings will not alter labels on the map unless the labels are generated client-side and can be styled with CSS. Interactive maps are commonly made up of map images that have been generated by a server. Success criterion 1.4.12 applies only to markup-based text. Images of text are not expected to adapt. Map developers should test to ensure that any CSS styled client-side labels remain functional if the user specifies new text spacing settings. Elements that are a part of the map user interface, such as sidebars, search results, layer pickers, legends and popups should also be functional and legible if the user adjusts text spacing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tools and Instructions:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To test an application for compliance, apply the following text spacing settings with a user-agent css file or try this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.html5accessibility.com/tests/tsbookmarklet.html&quot;&gt;bookmarklet&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Line height (line spacing) to at least 1.5 times the font size;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Spacing following paragraphs to at least 2 times the font size;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Letter spacing (tracking) to at least 0.12 times the font size;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Word spacing to at least 0.16 times the font size.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/text-spacing.html&quot;&gt;Understanding Text Spacing&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>600376</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-11-20T18:40:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MnGeo hosted an event on October 31, 2023 for agency leaders to celebrate GIS and how these tools can help agencies contextualize their data. The event featured a presentation by GIS innovator, Jack Dangermond, and ended with a panel featuring Dangermond, Governor Tim Walz, MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, MnGeo Director, Alison Slaats, and MDH&apos;s Chief Data Strategist, Chris Brueske. </Description><Audience/><Title>The Power of Geospatial Tools</Title><Publisher/><Subject>one minnesota</Subject><Subject>geospatial information technology</Subject><Subject>proclamation</Subject><Subject>digital twin</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Power of Geospatial Tools</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/IMG_4892_thumbnail_tcm38-599877.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-11 - The Power of Geospatial Tools</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-599867&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-15T13:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>State leaders gathered to learn how geographic information systems (GIS) can make Minnesota better.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>November 15 2023 is GIS Day in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On November 15, 2023, people worldwide will observe GIS Day, a special day dedicated to celebrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS is a toolkit that helps us keep records, create maps, and analyze information by using technology that’s based on location. It’s a system that lets us see, understand, and work with data in a spatial context. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4946_resize_tcm38-599875.jpg&quot; title=&quot;GIS innovator Jack Dangermond presents at MnGeo GIS event on October 31 2023&quot; alt=&quot;GIS innovator Jack Dangermond presents at MnGeo GIS event on October 31 2023&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;103123 MnGeo GIS Event 2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On October 31, Minnesota’s Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) and Governor Tim Walz gathered state leaders to share opportunities for using geospatial tools to take on our biggest challenges in state government. The group welcomed esteemed GIS innovator Jack Dangermond, who shared his vision for how state agencies can use GIS to solve real world issues facing Minnesota communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a former geography teacher, Governor Walz recognizes the value of using GIS to drive informed decisions and to track and report progress toward state goals and initiatives and has therefore proclaimed Wednesday, November 15, 2023, as &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/11.15.23%20Geographic%20Information%20Systems%20Day_Signed_tcm1055-599765.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GIS Day in Minnesota Proclamation&quot;&gt;Geographic Information Systems Day&lt;/a&gt; in the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4926_resize_tcm38-599876.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Governor Tim Walz presents at the MnGeo GIS event on October 31 2023&quot; alt=&quot;Governor Tim Walz presents at the MnGeo GIS event on October 31 2023&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;103123 MnGeo GIS Event 3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Supplementing existing data with geographic information can create context that helps us make decisions that affect our communities. For example, mapping out which neighborhoods have the most cars towed during snow emergencies can help us change how we alert Minnesotans and potentially guide decisions about future construction projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota Geographic Information Officer and Director of the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), Alison Slaats, also addressed the group to speak about MnGeo and available &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/ProjectServices/MnGeo-GIS-at-StateofMN.pdf&quot; title=&quot;MnGeo and GIS at the State of Minnesota&quot;&gt;geospatial resources that can help state agencies&lt;/a&gt; use GIS in their operations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The meeting closed with a panel moderated by Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes and included panelists Walz, Dangermond, Slaats, and Minnesota Department of Health&apos;s Chief Data Strategist, Chris Brueske. Attendees left the event with a renewed sense of how GIS can help them meet agency goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4892_resize_tcm38-599874.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, Governor Tim Walz, GIS innovator Jack Dangermond, and MnGeo Director Alison Slaats on October 31 2023&quot; alt=&quot;MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, Governor Tim Walz, GIS innovator Jack Dangermond, and MnGeo Director Alison Slaats on October 31 2023&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;103123 MnGeo GIS Event 1&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>599867</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-11-15T00:13:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT updated its plan to align with Governor Tim Walz’s One Minnesota Plan and enhance MNIT’s capacity to serve Minnesotans. The update was based on broad internal and external input to make MNIT more nimble and agile.</Description><Audience/><Title>Designing Tomorrow’s Government Today: Exploring MNIT’s New Strategic Plan</Title><Publisher/><Subject>strategic plan</Subject><Subject>one minnesota</Subject><Subject>planning</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Designing Tomorrow’s Government Today</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of State of MN capitol.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/strategic-plan-cover-graphic-blog-thumb_tcm38-583371.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-11 - Exploring MNIT’s New Strategic Plan</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-583375&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-11-07T20:42:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT updated its plan to align with Governor Tim Walz’s One Minnesota Plan and enhance MNIT’s capacity to serve Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Exploring MNIT’s New Strategic Plan</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/strategic-plan/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Page Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Strategic Plan&lt;/a&gt; is the agency’s guiding light for the way forward to translate initiatives into measurable successes. In 2023, MNIT updated its plan to align with Governor Tim Walz’s One Minnesota Plan and enhance MNIT’s capacity to serve Minnesotans. The update was based on broad internal and external input to make MNIT more nimble and agile.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The plan enhances MNIT’s value-driven approach to using data for effective decision-making and promoting seamless and secure interactions with residents and business partners. The State of Minnesota’s historic investment of more than $500 million in information technology will help MNIT’s Strategic Plan lay the foundation for a future-ready government, navigate the complexities and unknowns of technology, and foster collaboration and customer-centric solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key Elements of MNIT’s 2023 Strategic Plan&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each theme has three strategic objectives, with specific goals, initiatives to drive change, and measurement frameworks to monitor progress.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Customer Experience&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/theme-customer-experience_tcm38-583368.png&quot; title=&quot;strategic-plan-2023-CE&quot; alt=&quot;Illustrations for the three objectives in the customer experience theme.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;strategic-plan-2023-CE&quot; /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we center our work around the individual and their experiences, MNIT connects Minnesotans to the services that will improve their lives. Our initiatives will reduce the burden of interacting with state government and maximize the value of the data we help elevate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Embrace a people-centric product model&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will make it easier to rapidly innovate and iterate with a product framework that will elevate the customer experience and their evolving requirements . Our work will make it faster and easier to deliver value to Minnesotans.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Create modern digital experiences&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will help state agencies create digital capabilities to improve our interactions with Minnesotan. We can provide access to services at any time, from any place, and in an equitable manner by delivering an increasing number of cloud-based services online and efficiently.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maximize the value of data&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will develop a data architecture to maximize the value, insight, and opportunities that data and analytics can drive to measurably improve the outcomes of government services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity and Operational Excellence&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/theme-operational-and-cybersecurity-excellence_tcm38-583366.png&quot; title=&quot;strategic-plan-2023-OE&quot; alt=&quot;Illustrations for the three objectives in the cybersecurity and operational excellence theme.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;strategic-plan-2023-OE&quot; /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity and operational excellence lie at the heart of providing digital services to MNIT’s partners and Minnesotans. By integrating this work, we can keep Minnesota’s systems available, responsive, and fiscally sound to meet the needs of the statewide communities we serve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Evolve process, application, and service lifecycles&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will create the governance mechanisms to manage risk and focus IT resources on the most important issues and power state government operations. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mature operations to measure and deliver consistently and efficiently&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will ensure each IT function focuses investments in the areas with the greatest strategic value and mature IT teams based for our hybrid operating model.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bolster whole-of-state cybersecurity and service continuity&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will continue to modernize and expand collaborative initiatives to safeguard data and systems, manage risk, and improve organizational effectiveness and customer relationships.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connected Culture&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/connected-culture_tcm38-583364.png&quot; title=&quot;strategic-plan-2023-CC&quot; alt=&quot;Illustrations for the three objectives in the connected culture theme.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;strategic-plan-2023-CC&quot; /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Connected Culture enables us to build and strengthen relationships with colleagues and business partners while keeping the people we serve at the center of our work and adapting to change and innovation. MNIT supports a digital government that works for everyone, and we are part of the solution to reduce racial, economic, and other disparities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Embrace change, innovation, and agility&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will develop a culture that embraces change, innovation, and agility and maximizes the potential use of technology (both existing and emerging) to help agency partners adapt to serve Minnesotans’ evolving needs and expectations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nurture a culture of equity, inclusion, and engagement&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will advance equity through our technology and our work, including through intersectional  sustainability efforts, to ensure fair treatment and opportunity for all.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Develop and support high performing teams&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT will support a people-first workplace to attract, develop, and retain talent and help high performing teams that deliver value.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How We Got Here&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The updated plan builds on the 2020 Strategic Plan to modernize and deliver services and products with increased agility and an unflinching customer focus. MNIT fine-tuned the plan with input from multiple sources, including executive branch agency leadership, IT employees and management, and external thought leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Building on Our Success&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 2020, MNIT has focused on building value into every technology solution it delivers to our customers, partners, and Minnesotans, including successful efforts like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Modernization Playbook&lt;/strong&gt;: A new way to meet the needs of Minnesotans is gaining momentum; trained over 600 people in the product approach in 2023 after a successful start with the Modernization Playbook in 2021.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CloudRAMP&lt;/strong&gt; (Cloud Readiness and Modernization Project): Moved hundreds of servers from on-premise to cloud-based infrastructure as part of Minnesota’s journey to the cloud&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;COVID-19 Pandemic Response&lt;/strong&gt;: Supported all technology aspects of the state’s response, including sharing critical information on dynamic, interactive dashboards, websites, and maps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First Equity and Inclusion Plan&lt;/strong&gt;: Launched in 2021 and was followed by an agency equity statement in 2022. to become rooted in diversity and inclusion, attract and recruit talent to serve society and promote sustainability. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improved Security&lt;/strong&gt;: Expanded services and advanced tools revolutionized Minnesota’s statewide cybersecurity program, raising maturity levels and capabilities for counties, cities, and tribal nations and decreasing cyber-attacks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Frontline Worker Pay Program&lt;/strong&gt;: Inter-agency collaboration and focus on the user experience ensured Minnesota could process over 1.2M applications to distribute $500M to frontline workers in less than six months.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DVS Language Access Project&lt;/strong&gt;: Used new AI technology to develop a driver and vehicle services virtual assistant that is available in English, Hmong, Somali, and Spanish and provides eServices to 67% of Minnesota’s non-English speaking population.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Medicaid Direct&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Certification&lt;/strong&gt;: Expanded availability of free meals to over 50,000 new students.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Input from Stakeholders&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s approach to strategic planning was built on the foundation of the State’s strategic priorities, including the One Minnesota Plan and recommendations from the Technology Advisory Council. The discussion among MNIT leadership about the need to build capacity, promote digital solutions, and serve Minnesotans drew upon input from industry thought leaders and within the agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A strategy mapping exercise helped identify the three themes: Customer Experience, Cybersecurity and Operational Excellence, and Connected Culture. The leaders agreed to an iterative approach that allowed them to solicit input into the objectives from not only those who will benefit from the plan but also those who will serve to deliver the results.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Results from the 2022 Digital States Survey and an employee survey showed remarkable alignment with the identified strategic objectives. MNIT employees ranked the three themes and related nine strategic objectives to determine what they felt were the most important strategic objectives for MNIT’s goal of supporting the One Minnesota Plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How the updated plan will help Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The plan will help make digital solutions a critical component of the way state government delivers services. It will help address the expectations of Minnesotans for seamless and secure interactions with the government, like their experiences with banks, businesses, and healthcare institutions. By building our capacity to adapt, MNIT’s Strategic Plan enables us to navigate the complexities and unknowns of technology and drive fiscal accountability and measurable results in all our investments in projects and processes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The plan’s objectives lay the foundation for a future-ready government, foster collaboration, transform the mindset in the executive branch from project-based thinking to product-based thinking, and help remove structural inequities. We will work together with our business partners and the State of Minnesota to improve the lives of all residents, help build thriving and healthy communities, and protect Minnesota’s fragile environment through sustainable measures.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>583375</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-11-08T14:20:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>As we strive to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive it is important to consider the needs of people with disabilities and the tremendous value and perspectives they bring to our organization, our communities, and society as a whole. </Description><Audience/><Title>What Does the A Mean in DEAI? </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>DEAI</Subject><Subject>DEI</Subject><Subject>Disability</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>What Does the A Mean in DEAI? </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The text &quot;DEAI&quot; with words indicating what each letter means: Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/DEAI_blog_tcm38-597291.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The text &quot;DEAI&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/DEAI_blog_thumb_tcm38-597292.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-10 - What Does the A Mean in DEAI?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-597286&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-25T18:28:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>As we strive to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive it is important to consider the needs of people with disabilities and the tremendous value and perspectives they bring to our organization, our communities, and society as a whole. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Why disability inclusion matters</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Tamara Sawyer, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEAI. We’ve all seen this acronym. It means Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion. Right? Well, not quite. The “A” in this case stands for Accessibility. Technically speaking, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Accessibility fall under two different sets of federal laws and regulations. Therefore, we do not see the two put together very often. So why have we chosen to include accessibility when discussing DEI ideas?  People with disabilities, like others, sometimes face discrimination and exclusion. As we strive to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive it is important to consider the needs of people with disabilities and the tremendous value and perspectives they bring to our organization, our communities, and society as a whole. Second, disabilities do not discriminate, and neither should we.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A quick look at the data&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People from all statistical groups (race, religion, gender, national origin, etc.) may have one or more disabilities. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control  &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html&quot;&gt;CDC&lt;/a&gt;, 27% (that’s 1 in 4) of the adults in the U.S. have some type of disability. Yet people with disabilities have a higher unemployment rate than other statistical groups. According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm&quot;&gt;Bureau of Labor Statistics&lt;/a&gt; (see table below), in September of 2023, people without disabilities had a 3.8 percent unemployment rate, while people with a disability had a 7.5 percent unemployment rate. That’s more than double the rate of those without disabilities. In addition, according to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.centerondisability.org/ada_parc/utils/indicators.php?id=32&quot;&gt;Center on Disability&lt;/a&gt; website, in the United States, the median household income of people with a disability was $43,000 compared to $68,000 for a person without a disability. The point of the DEI movement within our state agencies is to foster a culture of inclusion and increase equity for people in marginalized communities. As the statistics show, the disability community is a marginalized group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;width:100%; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
&lt;thead style=&quot;background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot;&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px; background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot; rowspan=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Employment status, sex, and age&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px; background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot; colspan=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Persons with a disability&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px; background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot; colspan=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Persons with no disability&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px; background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot;&gt;Sept. 2022&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px; background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot;&gt;Sept. 2023&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px; background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot;&gt;Sept. 2022&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px; background-color:#9BCBEB; color:black;&quot;&gt;Sept. 2023&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/thead&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #E8F4FD;&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;TOTAL, 16 years and over&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; colspan=&quot;4&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt; &lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Civilian noninstitutional population&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-3-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;33,223&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-3-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;34,146&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-3-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;231,132&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-3-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;233,282&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #E8F4FD;&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Civilian labor force&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-4-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;7,710&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-4-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;8,275&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-4-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;156,753&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-4-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;159,443&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Participation rate&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-5-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;23.2&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-5-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;24.2&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-5-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;67.8&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-5-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;68.3&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #E8F4FD;&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Employed&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;7,145&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;7,674&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;151,858&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;153,995&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Employment-population ratio&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;21.5&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;22.5&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;65.7&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;66.0&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #E8F4FD;&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Unemployed&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-8-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;565&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-8-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;601&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-8-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;4,894&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-8-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;5,447&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: gold&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Unemployment rate&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;7.7&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;7.4&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;3.6&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px 10px 10px 50px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-7-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;3.8&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr style=&quot;background-color: #E8F4FD;&quot;&gt;
&lt;th style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-0-0&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Not in labor force&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-0&quot;&gt;25,033&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-1 cps_empsit_disable-1-1&quot;&gt;25,582&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-2&quot;&gt;74,180&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;padding: 10px;&quot; headers=&quot;cps_empsit_disable-6-0 cps_empsit_disable-0-2 cps_empsit_disable-1-3&quot;&gt;73,582&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disability models&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are multiple ways, or models, used to define a disability. In this article, we will look at the medical model and social model. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/disability-models&quot;&gt;American Psychological Association&lt;/a&gt; (APA), the medical model is “perceived as an impairment in a body system or function that is inherently pathological.” The medical model uses very clinical language. This model basically translates that the body of the person with the disability is broken and needs to be fixed. It suggests it is not society’s fault a person cannot participate in everything others can. This model is used in the medical, mental health, and education fields. While the medical model sounds (and is) harsh, it has driven developments in health care to improve the lives of many. The downside of the medical model is that it puts the onus on the individual to change to fit into society.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By comparison, the APA states the social model of disability is “seen as one aspect of a person’s identity, much like race/ethnicity, gender, etc.” The author goes on to state, “… disability is believed to result from a mismatch between the disabled person and the environment (both physical and social).” The social model believes the environment is to blame for creating spaces that some people cannot function in. This model is used to build relationships and foster understanding. It holds that a disability should not stop someone from engaging in the same activities others get to enjoy, such as being gainfully employed in a field of their choosing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By putting the “A” into DEAI, organizations make the conscious decision to include all people, including those with disabilities, in our efforts to provide a diverse and equitable workspace for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>597286</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-10-30T18:28:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>To make digital accessibility tests fast and easy, many people try using bookmarklets and browser extensions. </Description><Audience/><Title>Bookmarklets and Browser Extension - Tips for Safe Usage</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>bookmarklets</Subject><Subject>browser extensions</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Bookmarklets and Browser Extension - Tips for Safe Usage</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons indicating a plug into a browser with a bookmarklet logo on the side</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/bookmarklets-and-browser-extensions-blog_tcm38-597343.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Icons indicating a plug into a browser with a bookmarklet logo on the side</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/bookmarklets-and-browser-extensions-blog-thumb_tcm38-597344.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-10 - Bookmarklets</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-597293&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-25T18:28:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>To make digital accessibility tests fast and easy, many people try using bookmarklets and browser extensions. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn about bookmarklets and how to safely use them.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Lisa Ulrich, Minnesota IT Services Security Architect &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make digital accessibility tests fast and easy, many people try using bookmarklets and browser extensions. These can be good tools to use. But like all things we use on our computers, we need to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Choose our tools with security in mind.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider the type of data we enter when using them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Definitions of common tools&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start by learning the definitions of these common tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A bookmarklet is a small piece of JavaScript code that saves as a browser bookmark. When you click on a bookmarklet, the JavaScript code executes in your browser. This code can do anything that JavaScript can do, such as: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add a filter to a web page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Change the text on a web page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open a new web page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A browser extension is a software program that adds new features or functionality to your browser. You can use extensions to do things like: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Block ads.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Change the look of your browser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add new tools and features.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bookmarklets: Risks and Safe Usage &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you click on a bookmarklet, it runs the JavaScript code that was saved as a bookmark. This JavaScript code is executed in your browser. Cyber criminals can use this code to steal your data, install malware, read your passwords stored in your cookies or even take control of your computer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some of the risks associated with using bookmarklets:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cyber criminals can use malicious bookmarklets to steal your personal data, such as your passwords, credit card numbers, or social security number. They may also use them to install malware on your computer which can damage your files or even take control of your computer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bookmarklets code can read other tabs you have open.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cyber attackers may target bookmarklets. They can make changes to the code to make them malicious.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To minimize the risk of using bookmarklets, you should:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Only use bookmarklets from trusted sources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be careful about what information you enter on websites that you access using bookmarklets. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open a new browser incognito window when using bookmarklets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be aware of other tabs you have open before running a bookmarklet.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use test accounts while using bookmarklets. Do not enter your work or personal account usernames and passwords. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Risks and Safe Usage for Browser Extensions &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Browser extensions are software programs that add new features or functionality to your browser. You can use them to do things like: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Block ads.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Change the look of your browser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add new tools and features.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be aware that browser extensions can also pose security risks. Here are some of the associated risks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Malicious extensions:&lt;/strong&gt; Cyber criminals can use them to steal your personal data, such as your passwords, credit card numbers, or social security number. They may also use them to install malware on your computer. This can damage your files or even let them take control of your computer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Permissions:&lt;/strong&gt; When you install a browser extension, you grant it certain permissions. These permissions can allow the extension to access your personal data, such as your browsing history, cookies, and bookmarks. If the extension is malicious, it can use these permissions to steal your data or track your browsing activity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update vulnerabilities:&lt;/strong&gt; Browser extensions are software programs. This makes them susceptible to security vulnerabilities. If an extension is not properly updated, attackers can use these vulnerabilities to gain access to your computer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Browser extensions typically are not updated by your IT department and it is up to you to be sure they kept up to date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improve the Security When Using Extensions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To minimize the risk of using browser extensions, you should:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Only install browser extensions from trusted sources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read the permissions carefully before installing an extension. Only install extensions that you trust and that only need the permissions that they need.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep your browser and extensions up to date with the latest security patches.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid browser extensions that are not approved especially when accessing high-compliance data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Browser extensions can affect your computer’s overall performance. Remove ones not in use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fact:&lt;/strong&gt; Incognito mode does not protect your data from a browser extension or bookmarklet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By following these tips, you can help to minimize the risk of using bookmarklets and browser extensions. Help keep your data safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>597293</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-10-30T18:28:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>MNIT AI</Title><Id>604327</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A new group TAIGA (Transparent Artificial Intelligence Governance Alliance) will lead the charge </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota’s Intentional Approach to Artificial Intelligence</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>local</Subject><Subject>AI</Subject><Subject>Artificial Intelligence </Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota’s Intentional Approach to Artificial Intelligence</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A butterfly made of triangles to mimic digital nodes.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MicrosoftTeams-image%20%2811%29_tcm38-597883.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A State of Minnesota shape made to mimic digital nodes.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MN-circuit-board-square-1000x1000_tcm38-593354.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-10 - Minnesota’s Intentional Approach to Artificial Intelligence</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-593353&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-24T17:28:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>A new group TAIGA (Transparent Artificial Intelligence Governance Alliance) will lead the charge.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise to enhance digital service government delivery. It offers opportunities to better design policy and expands analysis capabilities to improve decision-making. However, the rapidly evolving technology presents numerous challenges without adequate guardrails to ensure that AI use is human-centered, safe, trustworthy, transparent, ethical, and accountable. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s awareness of the potential for adverse impact resulting from the unregulated use of AI in government programs and processes led Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) to convene a group called the Transparent Artificial Intelligence Governance Alliance (TAIGA) to work on issues related to AI policy, governance, and usage and to help develop processes and structures for safe deployment of the technology to improve lives. TAIGA is committed to balancing confidence and skepticism about the new technology by embracing transparency, security, and equity with human oversight and focusing on accuracy, accountability, and safety to deliver value and benefits to Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New standard&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TAIGA developed a &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/security/ai-standard/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - AI Security Standard&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - AI Security Standard&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Public Artificial Intelligence Tool Security Standard&lt;/a&gt; for the responsible use of AI tools in personal tasks by Minnesota state employees and to reduce the risk of sharing private, sensitive, or protected data. The standard demonstrates with sample cases the permitted and prohibited uses of publicly available AI tools such as ChatGPT (OpenAI), Bing (Microsoft), and Bard (Google) within Minnesota’s legal and regulatory ambit. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What&apos;s next&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TAIGA is in the early development stages, partnering with cross-functional teams across the executive branch, including legal, human resources, procurement, subject experts, security, architecture, application development, accessibility, and communications, to explore and examine AI in all possible dimensions. The team is focused on developing processes to help catalog, evaluate, and implement technologies that incorporate artificial intelligence. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TAIGA’s vision is to understand holistically the evolution of AI tools as it seeks to help develop a policy for governance collaboratively and identify future opportunities to align AI capabilities with state priorities to rapidly drive innovation and elevate the quality and timeliness of services. That vision comes to life when AI usage becomes responsible, equitable, traceable, reliable, and governable with minimal risks and maximum value, helping Minnesotans access state services faster and improve their lives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay tuned for more updates from TAIGA as the policy, processes, and governance are formalized.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>593353</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-18T18:24:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>MNIT AI</Title><Id>604327</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Artificial Intelligence</Title><Id>594086</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Artificial Intelligence (AI) services have become an integral part of our daily Internet activities. Recently, a new type –generative AI—has given users an opportunity to interact directly with this technology to create art, text, and audio/video content while raising concerns about privacy and data misuse. </Description><Audience/><Title>Know the Risks of Generative AI Tools</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>Know the Risks of Generative AI Tools</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Artificial Intelligence</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Know the Risks of Generative AI Tools</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Blue graphic mentioning that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/october-is-cybersecurity-awareness-month-blog_tcm38-594081.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shield with a checkmark.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/4-basics-blog-thumb_tcm38-542242.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-10 - Understanding Risks of AI Tools</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-594075&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-22T19:03:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>While Artificial Intelligence (AI) services are part of our daily online lives, we should approach a new type – generative AI – with curiosity and caution to help protect our data and privacy.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Always check how your data is handled by AI service providers</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Blake Russell, Information Security Analyst, MNIT&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Artificial Intelligence (AI) services have become an integral part of our daily Internet activities. They work behind the scenes to personalize recommendations on e-commerce platforms, streaming services, and social media.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, a new type – generative AI – allows users to interact directly with this technology to create art, text, and audio/video content. Examples of generative AI include Bard, ChatGPT, Craiyon, and OpenArt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The growing popularity of generative AI has raised concerns about privacy and data misuse. Since it works by searching for, collecting, and analyzing data found on the Internet, some personally identifiable information is likely becoming part of its growing data library. Users should be mindful of what kind of information they provide these services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What to Consider&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;AI-generated content comes from content created by humans - as such it may include content that is plagiarized or that violates copyrights. Additionally, AI services may provide information that is inaccurate, biased, or offensive.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bad actors may use sensitive data with generative AI to impersonate or defraud others.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you use generative AI for work, know your organization’s standards and policies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions Worth Asking&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What type of data are you providing or entering into the service?&lt;/strong&gt; Generative AI works can take any personally identifiable information you enter, and share it as a result or output. Avoid sharing sensitive information with these services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What will your data be used for?&lt;/strong&gt; Understand what AI service providers are doing to protect your data and whether you can opt out of or limit the use of your data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How long does the service keep or retain your data?&lt;/strong&gt; The service should only keep your personal information for as long as there is a legitimate business use. In certain cases, legal requirements may determine how long service providers can hold your data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What You Should Do
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You should read and understand the AI service provider’s data privacy policies, terms, and conditions of use. If their data handling procedures are unclear, consider an alternative provider. Remain vigilant and be proactive when it comes to safeguarding your personal information.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>594075</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-12-18T18:24:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Mobile devices keep us connected, but they are also a prime target for cybercriminals. Learn what you can what can you do to protect yourself from mobile cyber-attacks. </Description><Audience/><Title>Mobile Device Safety Tips</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>Mobile Device Safety Tips</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Mobile Device Safety Tips</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/4-basics-online-security-blog_tcm38-593678.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shield with a checkmark.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/4-basics-blog-thumb_tcm38-542242.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-10 - Mobile Device Safety Tips</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-593619&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-16T15:42:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>Mobile devices keep us connected, but they are also a prime target for cybercriminals. Learn what you can what can you do to protect yourself from mobile cyber-attacks. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>6 Tips to Safeguard Your Personal Data and Digital Identity</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Blake Russell, Information Security Analyst, MNIT&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mobile devices keep us connected to our family, the news, and information anywhere, but that also makes them prime targets for cybercriminals. A 2023 report by Zimperium, a mobile device and app security company, found that between 2021 and 2022, 80% of phishing attacks specifically targeted mobile devices. Phishing is when a cyber-criminal sends you a fake email or text message designed to trick you into revealing sensitive information or downloading a virus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, what can you do to protect yourself from mobile cyber-attacks? Follow these tips to help safeguard your personal data and digital identity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Protect your device with a screen lock&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use a screen lock that requires a password, personal identification number (PIN), or biometrics (fingerprint, facial recognition). This is a simple way to protect your mobile device and it will ensure that if your device is lost or stolen, others won’t be able to access any data you have stored on it. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-500981&quot;&gt;Learn more about creating strong passwords&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Keep your device physically secure&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mobile devices help us stay connected on the go, but they are easy to lose. Always keep your device with you and store it securely when not in use. Do not leave devices unattended in public locations, such as restaurants and airports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Stay up to date&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regularly update the operating system of your mobile device to improve performance or patch security vulnerabilities. Outdated software can allow hackers to steal data from your mobile device. Turn on automatic updates to make it easy to stay protected.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. Disable wireless access when not in use&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hackers can use Bluetooth or WiFi to gain unauthorized access to your mobile devices. Keep an eye on the Bluetooth or WiFi feature of your device in public locations and disable it if needed to reduce the possibility of an attack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5. Use caution on public WiFi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Public WiFi can be insecure. Connect to networks that you can associate with a physical location. Confirm the WiFi network with the businesses you visit (like a coffee shop, office, or restaurant). Disable auto-connect features to stop your device from connecting to a network without your knowledge. Avoid using sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, on public WiFi. Protect your data with encryption services such as virtual private networks (VPNs). &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-486805&quot;&gt;Following some ground rules will help protect your devices on public WiFi&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6. Only use official app stores&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Download apps directly from the Apple App Store or Google Play. They frequently scan apps for malicious behavior, and while not perfect, it greatly reduces the chance of downloading malware. It’s also a good idea to check the ratings and reviews of an app, as well as its privacy policy, before downloading.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By following these tips, you will significantly reduce the chances of your data falling into the wrong hands. Remember that technology is constantly changing, and you need to stay vigilant to keep your data and digital identity secure.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>593619</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-10-20T16:38:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The proclamation, coordinated with the 20th Anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminds Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for everyone.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz proclaims October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security awareness</Subject><Subject>Governor Walz</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Walz proclaims October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a laptop, phone, and tablet with a padlock securing them, State of Minnesota security shield, and stack of routers with text October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/october-is-cybersecurity-awareness-month-blog_tcm38-593839.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a laptop, phone, and tablet with a padlock securing them, State of Minnesota security shield, and stack of routers.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/october-is-cybersecurity-awareness-month-square_tcm38-593838.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-10 - Governor Walz proclaims October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-593840&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-10-02T16:29:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>The proclamation, coordinated with the 20th Anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminds Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for everyone.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;October 2, 2023&lt;/strong&gt; (Saint Paul, MN) - Governor Tim Walz &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cybersecurity%20Awareness%20Month%20Proclamation%202023_tcm38-593837.pdf&quot; title=&quot;proclamation-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2023&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;proclamation-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2023&quot;&gt;proclaimed October 2023 as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. The proclamation, coordinated with the 20th Anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminds Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota uses a &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/whole-of-state-cybersecurity-plan/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Page intro - Whole of State Cybersecurity Plan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page intro - Whole of State Cybersecurity Plan&quot;&gt;whole-of-state approach&lt;/a&gt; to protect the information of our citizens, residents, and visitors and keep critical systems running. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) prevents, monitors, detects, and coordinates with federal and local governments to respond to cyber threats targeting state systems and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The need to identify, protect against, and respond to cyber threats continues to grow as critical infrastructure increasingly relies on the support of information systems and technology.  While it may seem overwhelming, every Minnesotan can take steps to ensure the safety of themselves, their families, and their businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“By adopting some important best practices, Minnesotans can protect themselves against rising cyber threats. While it may seem complex, taking simple steps can make a difference. Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, keep your devices updated, and stay on the lookout for phishing attacks. The little things matter when it comes to personal protection online.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner and State of Minnesota Chief Information Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout &lt;a href=&quot;https://staysafeonline.org/programs/cybersecurity-awareness-month/&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&lt;/a&gt;, MNIT will also share cybersecurity tips on social media to generate public awareness about protecting your personal digital information, securely using artificial intelligence tools, and staying safe online. Additionally, MNIT will educate state employees about cybersecurity best practices and reporting procedures through an internal messaging campaign.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>593840</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-26T17:28:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Vince Cabansag, Chief Operating Officer at Clockwork, has been named vice-chair of the Technology Advisory Council (TAC).</Description><Audience/><Title>Cabansag named vice-chair of the Technology Advisory Council</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Technology Advisory Council </Subject><Subject>Vince Cabansag</Subject><Subject>TAC</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cabansag Named Vice-Chair of the Technology Advisory Council</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A headshot of Vince Cabansag.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Vince%20Cabansag%202_tcm38-593159.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-09 - Cabansag named vice-chair of the Technology Advisory Council</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-593157&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-26T18:39:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Vince Cabansag, Chief Operating Officer at Clockwork, has been named vice-chair of the Technology Advisory Council (TAC).</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Vince%20Cabansag%202_tcm38-593158.jpg&quot; title=&quot;A headshot of Vince Cabansag.&quot; alt=&quot;A headshot of Vince Cabansag.&quot; style=&quot;float: right; width: 40%; height: auto; margin:0 0 20px 20px;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Vince Cabansag&quot; /&gt;Vince Cabansag, Chief Operating Officer at Clockwork, has been named vice-chair of the Technology Advisory Council (TAC). He joins Rick King, a former executive with Thomson Reuters, in leading the 19-member group. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Technology Advisory Council, comprised of technology experts in both the private and public sectors, provides guidance to the governor, executive branch, and the state chief information officer that support successful strategies for digital service delivery for Minnesotans, including advising on the state’s strategic plan, critical IT initiatives, identifying business technical goals, and strategic portfolio management, among other topics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We’re glad to have Vince take a leadership role on TAC. Vince brings over 20 years of private sector experience to the TAC, and his skills as a leader delivering leading technology solutions to clients have been invaluable for the TAC. I look forward to having Vince join TAC leadership to continue our partnership with Minnesota’s executive branch,”&lt;/strong&gt; said King.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 2018, Cabansag has held several roles at Clockwork including Director of Technology and Vice President of Technology and Design. He took on the Chief Operating Officer position in April 2022. Cabansag has deep and broad experience in small business, entrepreneurship, and software development. He helped kickstart the coding school movement in 2011 with a startup in Chicago called Code Academy. Before that, he led the operations and technology for MATTER, a healthcare incubator and corporate accelerator, that connects strategic partners with healthcare startups – the focus on improving patient outcomes through innovation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz appointed Cabansag to the advisory group in 2020. His current appointment runs through 2027. Cabansag will serve as vice-chair through January 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Cabansag has been a valuable voice on TAC, providing critical insight on human-centered design solutions that help MNIT and our business partners use effective tools and strategies for putting Minnesotans at the center of our business and technology solutions,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;“Together, he and Rick (King) will provide steady leadership and valuable industry insight that benefits Minnesotans, MNIT, and the executive branch.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>593157</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-09-27T21:12:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The State of Minnesota’s preparations for WCAG 2.1 are in full swing! Learn from steering committee members how they are preparing their teams for the new standard.</Description><Audience/><Title>Leaders are  Preparing Minnesota for a More Accessible Technology Future</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Subject>strategy</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Leaders are  Preparing Minnesota for a More Accessible Technology Future</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Leader is holding on to a flagpole and facing a group of people. They are all (including the leader) holding hands, ascending an upwards arrow.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1-leadership-blog_tcm38-592511.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Leader is holding on to a flagpole and facing a person. They and the leader are holding hands, ascending an upwards arrow.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1-leadership-blog-thumb_tcm38-592512.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-09 - WCAG 2.1 Steering</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-592504&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-25T18:00:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota’s preparations for WCAG 2.1 are in full swing! Learn from steering committee members how they are preparing their teams for the new standard.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn their WCAG 2.1 Preparation Plans</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota is preparing to change their digital accessibility standard. This will continue to include Section 508. The change will meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 A and AA, instead of 2.0. To get ready for the change, a steering committee meets regularly to guide the process. Leaders from many areas of state government gather to discuss how to approach the change. They are considering: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Technology used by their teams.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training their employees will need in order to meet the new success criteria.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Workflows that will need updating.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we reached out to some of the committee members. We wanted to learn:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How are you preparing for the move to WCAG 2.1?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What kinds of work are you thinking about as you prepare?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are there key team members you are working with on your plans?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chief Business Technology Officer&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State government work involves a variety of technologies, some very specific to the needs of an agency. Key to the planning and operations of this technology is a Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO). Involving a CBTO on the steering committee helps identify areas where the new success criteria will impact mission critical work. It also helps align with the Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) enterprise strategy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The MNIT teams partnering with Department of Transportation are passionate about their work as public servants. We know leaning into accessibility is an essential part of improving the customer experience,” says Interim Chief Business Technology Officer Kimberly Roberson. She says her team thinks about MNIT’s mission and vision: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mission:&lt;/strong&gt; to “improve the lives of all Minnesotans.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vision:&lt;/strong&gt; “an innovative digital government that works for all.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“WCAG 2.1 gives us a way to assess where we are today and guides the path forward. I volunteered to be a member of the steering committee working to mobilize the State&apos;s valuable knowledge workers by role, and to support the WCAG 2.1 adoption.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When asked about her team’s work, and considerations related to WCAG 2.1, Roberson shared some of their plan. “Notably, our partner agency leverages the marketplace and often buys Software as a Service (SaaS) and Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions. The team plans to assess and inventory. We will track, measure, and as time goes on, improve accessibility across the application/software portfolio for the future.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agency Planning Director&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agency leadership understand agency business needs. Technology is an important part of achieving their goals. Marcia Honold is the Planning Director for the Operations Services Division of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). She brings a deep understanding of how the new success criteria will impact agency work internally, but also as they connect with Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Honold shares, &quot;It is a privilege to be a part of the MNIT WCAG 2.1 Steering Team and to work with such a talented group of people dedicated to accessibility.  I support our shared services (internal businesses) at the DNR. Consistent communications are key. I anticipate that there will be some challenges, so maintaining flexibility and being adaptable to change will be critical to our success.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She has already identified methods for improving adoption and skills. &quot;Training! I know that improving my accessibility skills will make the transition easier for me and my colleagues. Our accessibility coordinator, Rebecca Blomquist, strongly encourages content creators to build accessibility functionality upfront to reduce remediation efforts.  She’s also working to ensure DNR’s operational orders and policies are aligned with the move to WCAG 2.1.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Council&apos;s Executive Director&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advocacy work to spur and sustain change to support the needs of Minnesotans and employees with disabilities is the focus of groups like the Minnesota Council on Disability. David Dively, Executive Director, is working with several stakeholders to prepare for the update to the standard. &quot;Digital accessibility is the next frontier of access. We are proud to advocate for WCAG standards in our state enterprise. How we communicate with digital tools is directly impacted. We will need to update the guidance we give to government and public partners as we assist and encourage others to become digitally accessible.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dively&apos;s plan is a multi-pronged approach. &quot;We are working with our Digital Accessibility Coordinator to ensure we are ready within our organization and spreading the word to our partners. For many, it is still about awareness. So helping folks understand the importance of accessibility and the basic principles of access make a big difference. Digital access is the new, current way that people engage with their government. We believe that is a right for everyone.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are an Accessibility Leader Too!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Regardless of your role in your organization, you can be an accessibility leader. Some steps to take as you prepare, based on the information shared by these steering committee members:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Increase awareness.&lt;/strong&gt; Talk about the upcoming changes with your supervisors, your team members and colleagues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Identify tasks, workflows, and policies that may need to change or update.&lt;/strong&gt; This may involve internal communications and processes. This may impact public facing websites, emails, and newsletters.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Plan training.&lt;/strong&gt; Your digital accessibility coordinator can share more about what is available. Your staff will need to reserve time to review the training. And, they will need time to practice and problem-solve issues they may not have anticipated. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Work together.&lt;/strong&gt; There are members of each of your networks also trying to figure out how best to approach the new standard. Reach out to them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility is part of everyone&apos;s job. Together we can steer the State of Minnesota towards more accessible digital interactions and technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>592504</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-09-25T19:38:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Plan Outlines a New Approach to Strengthen Minnesota Government Defenses Across the State</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Launches Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan to Distribute $23.5 Million in New Funding</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>local</Subject><Subject>government</Subject><Subject>grant</Subject><Subject>SLCGP</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Launches Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan to Distribute $23.5 Million in New Funding</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota and security shield.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/blog-thumbnail_tcm38-591312.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-09 - MNIT Launches Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan to Distribute $23.5 Million in New Funding</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-590571&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-09-12T13:31:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>The four initial goals in the Whole-of-State Plan are designed to provide a solid foundation for long-term, sustainable cybersecurity systems that build on results and move with the times.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Plan Outlines a New Approach to Strengthen Minnesota Government Defenses Across the State</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), in partnership with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/committees/cybersecurity-task-force.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force&lt;/a&gt;, launched the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/whole-of-state-cybersecurity-plan/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Page intro - Whole of State Cybersecurity Plan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page intro - Whole of State Cybersecurity Plan&quot;&gt;2023 Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan&lt;/a&gt; to strengthen local government cyber defenses. The whole-of-state approach presents a strong, united front against cybersecurity threats. Additionally, it will be used to distribute $23.5 million of funding from the federal State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) and the Minnesota Legislature. At least 80% of funding will go directly to programming, and 25% is designated for rural areas where resources are fewer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;We are living in a time when it’s easier to access information than ever before. This plan continues our efforts to collaborate with governments and schools responsible for keeping Minnesotans’ information secure. As One Minnesota, we must continue to invest and mature our defenses against the threats of the future.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner and State of Minnesota Chief Information Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force approved four initial goals in the Whole-of-State Plan. These provide a solid foundation for long-term, sustainable cybersecurity systems that build on results and adjust with the times. MNIT and the task force will reach out to local government entities, school districts, and Tribal Nations to explain the plan in depth and assess their interest in participating in the plan and SLCGP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The efforts will:   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Help local governments, Tribal Nations, and school organizations acquire the tools and resources they need to enhance their existing baseline cybersecurity capabilities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expand the use of advanced cybersecurity detection and defensive tools and capabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expand threat intelligence analysis and collaboration throughout Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bring security products, services, and resources to critical infrastructure through strategic partnerships.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Our state’s cybersecurity chain is stronger when we commit to improving cybersecurity and supporting people across jurisdictions – focusing on what everyone needs. All Minnesota governments and school districts are encouraged to participate together in this Whole-of-State Plan so our organizations can protect our neighbors, families, and children.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;John Israel, MNIT Assistant Commissioner and State of Minnesota Chief Information Security Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I&apos;m excited by the possibilities this funding will offer to school districts in Minnesota and how it will help protect Minnesota students. As schools experience more cybersecurity incidents, we can&apos;t assume that schools can do more with less. The plan is the result of long discussions at the task force about how we can use the new funding to bridge the affordability gap for cybersecurity measures in underfunded schools across the state.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Nicole Pruden, Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force Education Sector Member, ECMECC Network and Security Administrator&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans can find more information about the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/whole-of-state-cybersecurity-plan/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Page intro - Whole of State Cybersecurity Plan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page intro - Whole of State Cybersecurity Plan&quot;&gt;plan on MNIT’s public site&lt;/a&gt;. Eligible entities can learn more by reviewing a &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/whole-of-state-cybersecurity-plan/wos/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Page Intro -SLCGP&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro -Whole-of-State Participant Information&quot;&gt;participant guide and FAQs&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/topics?qsp=CODE_RED&quot;&gt;signing up to receive updates&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>590571</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-26T17:28:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Recognizing the critical need for strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Thursday, August 24, 2023, as STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</Title><Publisher/><Subject>stem</Subject><Subject>fair</Subject><Subject>state fair</Subject><Subject>proclaim</Subject><Subject>proclamation</Subject><Subject>walz</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes presenting the proclamation to a SciMathMN board member on a stage.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-day-2023_tcm38-589953.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes holding the proclamation in front of MNIT&apos;s booth.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-day-2023_tcm38-589952.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-08 - Governor Walz Proclaims STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-589113&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-25T13:00:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Recognizing the critical need for strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Thursday, August 24, 2023, as STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;August 25, 2023 (St. Paul, MN) &lt;/strong&gt;Recognizing the critical need for strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed Thursday, August 24, 2023, as STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Commissioner Tarek Tomes attended the event to present the proclamation on behalf of Governor Walz.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Engaging young minds with STEM skills in a fun setting is a great start to developing the workforce of the future in Minnesota. The interactive learning approach helps develop critical thinking and helps students collaborate to solve problems through science and technology. I thank Governor Tim Walz for supporting STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair and the continued work on education and technology initiatives in Minnesota.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scimathmn.org/&quot;&gt;SciMathMN&lt;/a&gt; hosted the day and brought together 40 partner organizations to explore and celebrate all things STEM. Fairgoers of all ages had the chance to engage in a wide range of activities to explore magnetism, weather, flight, augmented reality, robotics, medical technology, mapping techniques, environmental remediation strategies, 3D printing, etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community members could learn about STEM education providers who offer programs in Minnesota schools and communities and see firsthand how Minnesota corporations and governments use a wide variety of STEM initiatives and skills to innovate and provide services to their customers and residents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Minnesota’s innovation economy starts early with our state’s children. STEM Day at the Fair is an opportunity to discover, explore, dream, and celebrate. We’re grateful for the partners who make this day happen, including Minnesota’s nonprofit participants, business community sponsors, and the State. Declaring today STEM Day at the Fair in Minnesota is another way to bring attention to the value of STEM learning for children today and Minnesota tomorrow.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jim Davnie, Executive Director, SciMathMN&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota is the largest employer in Minnesota, employing over 50,000 employees in state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges, and universities. STEM career opportunities range from nursing and medicine to engineering, to monitoring the quality of Minnesota lakes and streams, to application development and cybersecurity. MNIT had a booth during STEM Day at the Fair where MNIT staff shared information about safe passwords and encouraged kids to learn the basics of coding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SciMathMN brings together a statewide STEM community to promote equitable and accessible STEM learning and workforce participation, empower lifelong learning, and inspire informed community action. For more information, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scimathmn.org/&quot;&gt;scimathmn.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/08.24.23%20STEM%20Day%20At%20The%20Minnesota%20State%20Fair_Signed_Accessible_tcm38-589818.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Proclamation - 2023 Stem Day&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Proclamation - 2023 Stem Day&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Read Governor Walz’s “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair” proclamation online.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>589113</id><pubdate>2023-08-25T16:24:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Include accessibility in your social media strategy and training to get more attention! This will help recruiters, communication teams, and anyone wanting to amplify their message’s reach.</Description><Audience/><Title>How to Get 12% More LinkedIn Followers, Impressions, and Clicks!</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>LinkedIn</Subject><Subject>Social media</Subject><Subject>SEO</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>How to Get 12% More LinkedIn Followers, Impressions, and Clicks!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>LinkedIn logo with upward arrows to the side.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/linked-in-accessibility-blog_tcm38-587778.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>LinkedIn Logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/linked-in-accessibility-blog-thumb_tcm38-587795.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-08 - LinkedIn Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-587745&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-08-23T18:00:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>Include accessibility in your social media strategy and training to get more attention! This will help recruiters, communication teams, and anyone wanting to amplify their message’s reach.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Practical Accessibility Tips and Tricks</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to Karla Larson, Minnesota IT Services’ Recruiting and Retention Director, for her contributions to this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may use LinkedIn to promote a post, a government agency or company, or yourself. Your accessibility know-how can amplify your reach. According to LinkedIn’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/linkedin/&quot;&gt;profile page&lt;/a&gt; they have “More than 850 million members worldwide, including executives from every Fortune 500 company.” 12% of those members (based on statistics listed in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm&quot;&gt;report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2022&lt;/a&gt; ) may have a disability - 102 million. That’s a lot of potential followers, impressions, and clicks!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article will give you the scoop on what you need to know when preparing:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Posts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Profile and company pages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Articles on LinkedIn.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you link to webpages, documents, and other social media content like YouTube videos? Are you creating online learning experiences with LinkedIn Learning? Those need to be accessible too! Learn more about accessibility for those types of technologies on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Paragraph Text, Headings, Links&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text Tips&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Purposefully use emojis and emoticons&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I included emojis and emoticons here because many people add them while drafting their post’s text. Some people may not understand certain emojis and emoticons. For example, many content authors are unaware of what screen reading software announces for a particular emoji, and it may not match what they want to communicate. Or the color contrast may not work well for someone with low vision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s compare 4 different emojis available on LinkedIn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/LinkedInEmojis-edited_tcm38-587783.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Emojis: brain, monkey with hands over eyes, dart in the bull&apos;s eye of a target, smiling face.&quot; alt=&quot;Emojis: brain, monkey with hands over eyes, dart in the bull&apos;s eye of a target, smiling face.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;LinkedInEmojis-edited&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the examples shown here, the brain has 3 shades of pink, with a black outline. If the person reading your post cannot distinguish the different lines in pink from the rest, you might think this outline communicates a cloud.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The monkey has good alternative text (“see-no-evil monkey”) however both the image and the alternative text require your audience to know and remember the reference (if that is why you are using the emoji).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The target with the dart in the bull’s eye uses the alternative text “direct hit,” which is accurate. This may or may not work with all use cases for the emoji related to darts and target.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, this smiley face has good color contrast that is easy to distinguish. It magnifies well. The alternative text is “grinning face” which is good for the typical uses of this emoji. There is a similar emoji available within LinkedIn that says “smiling face with open mouth.” Note: the hover text when selecting the emojis did not match the smiley face’s alternative text. The hover text said “grinning face with big eyes.” For people checking posts who do not use a screen reader, you can learn more about emojis on websites like &lt;a href=&quot;https://emojipedia.org/grinning-face-with-big-eyes&quot;&gt;Emojipedia&lt;/a&gt;. According to their page about this emoji, the Unicode name is what is announcing in the alternative text. More information about emojis and accessibility is in an article listed in the “Text Tricks” section below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if I added 5 emojis, each with long alternative text, into my message? It might take some of my readers a long time to listen to the emojis. If so, will they listen to the rest of my post? Keep this in mind when considering the number of emojis you add into your posts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Definitely keep using emojis if they work for both your message and your readers. When choosing them, consider:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Will they mean the same thing to all of your readers?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do they have good color contrast?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do they have good alternative text?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use underlines for links only&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In LinkedIn articles you have more text editing options, like underlining text. This visual cue signals a link in the digital space. Miscuing by using underlined text when something is not a link may frustrate some readers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn the function of available text structures&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For LinkedIn articles (and the hope of this author, for future versions of LinkedIn posts!) you can use text structures. These include headings, bulleted and numbered lists, etc. People using assistive technologies rely on these structures to understand the organization of the information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider the location of links and hashtags in your message. Count them.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Links and hashtags (which are also links) get “focus” each time a person navigates between “interactive elements” using the tab key or an equivalent to move around the page. People may use this style of navigation with voice-controlled navigation, a screen reader, or other devices. Also, “link” announces for screen reader users before each one. Including many of them require some of your readers more work to consume your message. So how many should you use? There is no definitive answer. You use hashtags to help people find your post or article. People click on hashtags to find posts and articles of interest on a related topic. There is a balance between this “findability” and “usability” (how will people who listen to this or do not use a mouse use this content?). Thinking through how people use your content will help you get some ideas of how to balance these needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s a “recipe” to consider:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use one hashtag or link to a LinkedIn page in a sentence where it is part of your content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow your main body content with a link to supplemental information (webpages with content, YouTube videos, etc.).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you’re adding a few hashtags or links to profiles and LinkedIn pages for findability, add them at the very end.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text Tricks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bookmark the blog article&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-436147&quot;&gt;Say It With a Face&lt;/a&gt;. As features change, this will help you quickly review accessibility information related to emojis and emoticons to ensure you consider accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take the Accessible Word Document Training.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot;&gt;Module 2: Working with Styles&lt;/a&gt; covers headings, bulleted, and numbered lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use your tab key to try other people’s content.&lt;/strong&gt; Learn what slows down your ability to get to the content you want. Be sure to try to get to content about halfway down a page. While this is not an exact replication of many people’s experiences, it will help you understand more about the impact of your content choices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Image Tips&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images help improve the actions taken by readers. One reason? They help more readers connect with your message. But not all readers access images the way you may think. And despite the myth that images are not accessible they may improve connections to your content by people with some types of disabilities. First, they help some people better understand your message. And, when you use quality alternative text and good color contrast, more people can access the content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To improve the accessibility of your images: choose them carefully and follow some accessibility basics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When drafting content, draft your image’s alternative text&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Good alternative text means sharing the essential elements of the graphic information. Drafting when choosing images means the image, alternative text, and text content work together to complete the communication. You should be able to answer these questions: Why are you including this image? If someone explained it to you over the phone, what would you need to know about it?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text in your image? Make a plan.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes there is too much text to share in the alternative text. Other times, the image text includes things like URLs that readers cannot memorize after hearing it just once. Think about adding it into the content area as well, or have a link to a page with the same content available in text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Charts, graphs, and other essential graphics need good contrast, good quality images.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people have difficulty seeing certain colors or color combinations. Make sure your essential graphics use good contrast. Just like with alternative text, think about why you are sharing this graphic. If someone needs to be able to see certain elements, be sure they are easy to discriminate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use good quality images. Many people magnify your images. This is especially true for people viewing your content on mobile devices, and people with disabilities impacting their vision. Quality helps with clarity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Image Tricks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make alternative text easy to find for everyone on your production team using the images.&lt;/strong&gt; If multiple people will be using them, consider adding the alternative text using square brackets around it with text “alternative text” to make them easy to find. We do this when drafting our article content. Our team often uses these same images in social media posts. This improves our efficiency and consistency.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Have a decision tree for text in images.&lt;/strong&gt; Short amount of text in the image? Include text contained in the image in the alternative text, and body content. Why also in the body content? This helps people with reading challenges who may use tools to support reading. Longer amount of text in the image of something like an infographic? Include a link to a text description on a web page, or within a document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Test colors and ability to magnify.&lt;/strong&gt; Use a tool like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/&quot;&gt;Colour Contrast Analyser&lt;/a&gt; to test the color of essential elements. Magnify the image to 200%. Does it get blurry? If so, use a higher quality image.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Videos&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A little planning goes a long way. This doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous. Have a plan for handling each type of video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pre-recorded Video Tips&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Write a script&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A script is going to provide you many accessibility benefits! You will have a chance to verify that you described all essential visuals. This will help people who may not be able to see them or see them well. It will also provide the basis for making very accurate captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make a caption file&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Well before the day you want to post, make time to learn &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.3playmedia.com/blog/create-srt-file/&quot;&gt;how to create an SRT (SubRip Subtitle) file&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, review how to load the caption file for your video. LinkedIn’s help article provides the steps: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a552177&quot;&gt;Add Closed Captions to Videos on LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pre-recorded Video Tricks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Include accessibility into your storyboard:&lt;/strong&gt; Include sounds, talking, easy to add descriptions of visuals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Add production time for captions into your schedule.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Live video – Streaming Tips&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Know your options&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have a short video, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-linkedin-live-auto-captions-alana-smith-she-her-/&quot;&gt;auto-captions available in LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt; may be appropriate until you have a chance to provide more accurate captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For longer videos or those providing essential information, consider working with a caption provider. They can provide a link to a webpage and can provide quality captions using CART services. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services has information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/communication-access/cart/&quot;&gt;Real-time captioning&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pre-plan a post about how to access captions&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the moment, live video is a lot to manage! Crafting a message ahead of time makes it easy to let your followers know how to access the captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Great Examples&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mndeed_today-commissioner-varilek-and-minnesota-activity-7091883116809650176-dW9q/?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s post on July 31, 2023!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/DEEDLinkedInPostImageHashtags-edited_tcm38-587776.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s LinkedIn post, described in text after this image.&quot; alt=&quot;Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s LinkedIn post, described in text after this image.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;DEEDLinkedInPostImageHashtags-edited&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The author included links to LinkedIn pages (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/minnesotachamberofcommerce/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s LinkedIn page&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/faribault-mill/&quot;&gt;Fairbault Mill’s LinkedIn Page&lt;/a&gt;) within the text in a meaningful way.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The author used the following alternative text: “Cmsr Varilek visits Faribault Woolen Mill with Doug Loon, President and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and Ross Widmoyer, the CEO of Faribault Mill.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creativity is part of creating accessible LinkedIn posts. This video includes some visual content important to viewers. The author of this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/minnesota-it-services_cybersecurity-basics-with-state-of-minnesota-activity-6990341441097015296-2skj/?utm_source=share&amp;amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services post with a video about Cybersecurity Basics&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Included the title screen’s text in the post.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensured the script included the main points included onscreen, like “3. Update your software.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNITLinkedInVideoTitle-edited-alternative_tcm38-587852.jpg&quot; title=&quot;LinkedIn post by Minnesota IT Services. Video shows the title screen: Cybersecurity Basics with the State of Minnesota CIO. Post text includes this information.&quot; alt=&quot;LinkedIn post by Minnesota IT Services. Video shows the title screen: Cybersecurity Basics with the State of Minnesota CIO. Post text includes this information.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNITLinkedInVideoTitle-edited-alternative&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption style=&quot;margin:15px 0 0&quot;&gt;Caption: The LinkedIn post showing the video&apos;s title page.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNITLinkedInVideoTextOnScreen-jd-edits-alternative_tcm38-587853.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Left image: Minnesota IT Services LinkedIn video with Commissioner Tomes, and text onscreen: 3. Update your software. Right image is the same, with captions onscreen: &amp;quot;Three, update your software, and four.&amp;quot;&quot; alt=&quot;Left image: Minnesota IT Services LinkedIn video with Commissioner Tomes, and text onscreen: 3. Update your software. Right image is the same, with captions onscreen: &amp;quot;Three, update your software, and four.&amp;quot;&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNITLinkedInVideoTextOnScreen-jd-edits-alternative&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption style=&quot;margin:15px 0 0&quot;&gt;Caption: Left image has a green banner with blue text. This is onscreen text to emphasize the Commissioner&apos;s point. The right image has captions displaying over this banner - the audio a person hears during the video. The Commissioner is speaking the onscreen text.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Flaunt Your Knowledge!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Talking to colleagues and supervisors about your new content strategy to improve accessibility? Here are the specific success criteria from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, 2. 1, related to the content in this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Paragraph Text, Headings, Links&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Information – general: 1.3.1 Info and Relationships – Level A, 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence– Level A.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link purpose: 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) – Level A.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reminder: you can’t add meaningful text to links except in LinkedIn articles (as of our date of publication), but you should know that impact of links without meaningful text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Headings: 2.4.6 Headings and Labels – Level AA.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text alternative: 1.1.1 Non-text Content – Level A.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Images of text: 1.4.5 Images of Text – Level AA.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Other images supporting understanding: 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast – Level AA.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pre-Recorded Videos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Captions: 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) – Level A.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Audio Description or Media Alternative: 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (prerecorded) – Level A.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Audio Description: 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) – Level AA.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Flashes in videos: 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold – Level A.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Live video – Streaming&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captions: 1.2.4 Captions (Live) – Level AA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To prepare for this article, I visited the How to Meet WCAG (Quickref Reference). I selected elements from the filter related to many options available within LinkedIn used by content creators. I chose the WCAG 2.1 version, A and AA levels. You can access that filtered view to learn more information about the topics posted in this article: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?currentsidebar=%23col_customize&amp;amp;tags=audio%2Ccaptions%2Ccolor%2Ccontent%2Cflashing%2Cgraphical-objects%2Cheadings%2Cimages%2Cimages-of-text%2Ckeyboard%2Clinks%2Cstreaming%2Ctext%2Ctext-alternatives%2Cvideo%2Czoom&amp;amp;levels=aaa&quot;&gt;Quick Reference with filters for some LinkedIn content&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some other resources you may enjoy:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/accessibility&quot;&gt;LinkedIn’s Accessibility page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/social-media.jsp&quot;&gt;Social Media section of the Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/SocialMediaQuick%20Card2017_tcm38-294084.pdf&quot;&gt;Social media accessibility quick card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility’s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>587745</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-08-23T18:01:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>This is the second article in a series called WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility. This month, we asked John Watne, a MNIT digital accessibility coordinator, questions about his ongoing work to improve the accessibility of state web applications for the Minnesota Department of Revenue (MNDOR).</Description><Audience/><Title>WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility of Web Applications: 1.4.13 and 4.1.3</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>focus</Subject><Subject>hover</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility of Web Applications: 1.4.13 and 4.1.3</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop with text onscreen: WCAG 2.1, Improving Digital Accessibility. Ribbon with text: Part 2.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG%202.1%20Blog_tcm38-585472.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Open laptop. Onscreen: WCAG 2.1 - Improving Digital Accessibility</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG%202.1%20Blog%20Thumb_tcm38-585484.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-07 - 2.1 Showcase: Status Messages</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-584530&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-25T20:03:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is the second article in a series called WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility. This month, we asked John Watne, a MNIT digital accessibility coordinator, questions about his ongoing work to improve the accessibility of state web applications for the Minnesota Department of Revenue (MNDOR).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Status messages and content on hover or focus</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s note: This is the second article in our series “WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility”. Missed the first installment? Read it in the March Newsletter: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/570818&quot;&gt;Improving Navigation Menus and Focus Indicators.&lt;/a&gt; Subscribe to be sure you get each installment in this series! (The link is at the bottom of this page.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month, we talked with John Watne, the accessibility coordinator for Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Minnesota Department of Revenue. We asked John about beginning the work to meet WCAG 2.1. This article shares specifically about his experiences with the success criterion for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#content-on-hover-or-focus&quot;&gt;1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (AA)&lt;/a&gt;:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Where receiving and then removing pointer hover or keyboard focus triggers additional content to become visible and then hidden, the following are true…” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The success criterion goes on to describe the specifics of being dismissible, hoverable, and persistent. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It also describes an exception.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#status-messages&quot;&gt;4.1.3 Status Messages (AA)&lt;/a&gt;:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“In content implemented using markup languages, status messages can be programmatically determined through role or properties such that they can be presented to the user by assistive technologies without receiving focus.”  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following are some questions we asked John about his work to improve the digital accessibility for Department of Revenue websites. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content on Hover or Focus (AA)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What kinds of content appeared in your application on hover?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several of our web applications use a Bootstrap Select Picker to implement a drop-down selector for certain items. Each item in the list of choices has both a value and a matching label. The value displays in the list. The matching title contains the same text as what appears in a pop-up for the item on hover. This happens when hovering on the field with the selected value(s) displayed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The hover text is dismissible by pressing the &amp;lt;Esc&amp;gt; key, or by moving the mouse off the choice. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/popup-dropdown-activated_tcm38-585474.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Screen capture of a popup on a select control with a list of choices in a drop-down menu.&quot; alt=&quot;Screen capture of a popup on a select control with a list of choices in a drop-down menu.&quot; style=&quot;width: 39%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;popup-dropdown-activated&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption 1: A drop-down list labeled “Room Status” is expanded. Selected values in the text field at the top read “New, Active”. A list of several options appears in the drop-down menu, with checkmarks by the “New” and “Active” choices at the top of the list.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/popup-dropdown-not-activated_tcm38-585475.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Screen capture of a drop-down list labeled “Room Status,” collapsed state, with “New, Active” text in the control and hover text.&quot; alt=&quot;Screen capture of a drop-down list labeled “Room Status,” collapsed state, with “New, Active” text in the control and hover text.&quot; style=&quot;width: 42%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;popup-dropdown-not-activated&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption 2: An unexpanded drop-down list labeled “Room Status” shows “New, Active” as the selected choices. The “New, Active” text also appears in a pop-up on mouse hover.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did your team use specific methods to find existing content to update? How are you testing to ensure you meet 1.4.13?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When updating a web page, we:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Run it through multiple automated accessibility checkers, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review any errors or warnings, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Correct confirmed violations of WCAG 2.1 at level AA compliance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
We do this before: 
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Checking in our changes to our version control system.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Requesting a code review. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pulling those changes into the main code branch.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the code review, we check that any changes are consistent with how we have written similar bits of code in the past. We also verify that code items such as labels are meaningful, correct, and clear for the intended audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We use the following three Google Chrome plug-ins to check the accessibility of the pages we work on. Each has their own strengths and may capture errors that one or more of the others do not:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WebAIM.org’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/extension/&quot;&gt;WAVE web accessibility evaluation tool browser plugin.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Microsoft’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibilityinsights.io/docs/web/overview/&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights for Web browser plugin.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deque’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.deque.com/axe/&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Axe&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Accessibility Testing Chrome extension. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Status Messages (AA)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What considerations did the team have when considering status messages?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are status messages in most, if not all, of our web applications. Many of them, such as Audit Room, allow filtering or searching for specific values in a table with potentially thousands of rows of data. The number of results displays near the updated filtered table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several other actions produce dismissible alerts. These indicate either success or failure of the action. Some example alerts include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Member List export file will be emailed to you. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New room member John Smith was successfully invited.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Room DEV-jwatne-autowired-discussion was successfully updated.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This room member already exists. [example of an error message]&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/info-alert_tcm38-585476.png&quot; title=&quot;Screen capture of an information alert, described in image caption.&quot; alt=&quot;Screen capture of an information alert, described in image caption.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;info-alert&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption 3: Example of an information alert displayed near the top of the page. Information text reads, “The Member List export file will be emailed to you.” “Dismiss” text on the right edge of the line with the alert allows dismissing the alert from the page.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/error-alert_tcm38-585477.png&quot; title=&quot;Screen capture of an error alert, described in image caption.&quot; alt=&quot;Screen capture of an error alert, described in image caption.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;error-alert&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption 4: Example of an Error alert displayed near the top of the page. Error text reads, “This room member already exists.” “Dismiss” text on the right edge of the line with the alert allows dismissing the alert from the page.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you add specific steps to plan and meet the success criteria? How did you test to validate the status messages met 2.1?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We used the same testing and correction process as for 1.4.13. Several people work together to decide the text of the alerts:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The developers draft the alert text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The business owner requests changes or enhancements to the application, based on feedback from the users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Revenue’s Communications department is largely responsible for ensuring Revenue’s clear language requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>584530</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-07-25T19:08:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Wondering how to make your PDFs conform to WCAG 2.1 – specifically success criteria 1.4.10? Learn what reflow is, how it impacts views of PDFs on different devices, and what you need to know.</Description><Audience/><Title>Oh Snap! Startling Discoveries When You Reflow Your PDF</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>PDF</Subject><Subject>InDesign</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Oh Snap! Startling Discoveries When You Reflow Your PDF</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Different devices displaying a document. Each reflows content based on size of display.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Blog_tcm38-585473.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Devices of different sizes. Each has same document onscreen, reflowed based on screen size.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Blog%20Thumb_tcm38-585485.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-07 - PDFs and Reflow</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-584554&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-25T20:03:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Wondering how to make your PDFs conform to WCAG 2.1 – specifically success criteria 1.4.10? Learn what reflow is, how it impacts views of PDFs on different devices, and what you need to know.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Our test results and recommendations</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jessica Cavazos, Minnesota Department of Health and Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People use PDFs on many different devices. Each device has a different screen size. People with disabilities may need to zoom in to use the content. When they magnify information, some of the content may move off the screen, so they have to scroll horizontally to read sentences. The 1.4.10 – Reflow success criterion of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 makes sure that in situations like this the content can be enlarged without requiring horizontal scrolling, and that text reflows within the width of the user’s device. Reflow is an interesting success criterion for PDFs because they operate differently than web pages. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reflow Basics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s start by defining reflow. Reflow is presenting enlarged (or zoomed) content in one column so that you only scroll in one direction. You may be familiar with this concept for websites that use responsive design. Their content reflows into one column when a person zooms in to over 300%. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/reflow.html&quot;&gt;Understanding Document for success criterion 1.4.10: Reflow&lt;/a&gt; says “User agents for technologies such as HTML/CSS, PDF, and EPUB have methods for reflowing content to fit the width of the window (viewport).”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we began to review this, that seemed simple enough. Then, we wondered how that applies to different views.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We considered two views when we began testing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Desktops:&lt;/strong&gt; people use PDFs in the native application, like Acrobat Reader or Pro DC. You can also open PDFs within the browser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mobile devices:&lt;/strong&gt; people have many app options. Examples: Acrobat Reader and other PDF viewing apps, and browsers (like opening a PDF in Chrome browser on an iPhone).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, people creating documents using Adobe InDesign use different techniques that can influence how people access content. For example, an area of content can link to another content area later in the document. You may know this as a threaded story or text frames. This is important to consider when learning about reflow. Imagine if you had to change the visual display of an entire newspaper into a single column! These are the kinds of questions State of Minnesota employees are reviewing as we prepare to adopt WCAG 2.1. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t forget, not all digital information must reflow. In &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-538604&quot;&gt;Easy Read that will Demystify Tables, Reflow, and Magnification&lt;/a&gt; Shoemaker and Watne shared why tables should not reflow. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#reflow&quot;&gt;Success criterion 1.4.10&lt;/a&gt; includes the caveat “Except for parts of the content which require two-dimensional layout for usage or meaning.” There are times where reflowing information will make it difficult to understand certain types of content, such as data tables. This article focuses on what should reflow. These are elements of your documents like headings, paragraph text, lists, text formatted into columns, etc. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, not all elements within PDFs are able to reflow at the time of this article. For example, PDFs with form elements will not reflow. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can access the documents we used for testing as we prepared for this article:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PowerPoint changed to PDF:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/ConnectToAllOfYourCommunityWebinarHandouts_tcm38-483167.pdf&quot;&gt;Connect to All of Your Community: Engaging and Accessible Social Media (PDF).&lt;/a&gt; This has slide titles on a blue background, images, paragraph and list structures, links.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;InDesign file turned to PDF:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/newbornscreening/materials/nbsfactsheet.pdf&quot;&gt;Newborn Screening Fact Sheet (PDF).&lt;/a&gt; This has white text over background colors, column layout, callout boxes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Different Devices, Different PDF Viewers, Different Options&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reflow is not on by default – the user controls its use. When using Acrobat Pro or Acrobat Reader on a desktop, the user can choose the option to apply reflow to PDFs. To use this feature: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the ribbon, select View.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Zoom, then Reflow. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl + 4.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Adobe_Desktop_RibbonReflowOption_tcm38-585478.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Acrobat Pro, ribbon. View tab expanded, with the Zoom submenu also expanded. Reflow has focus.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Acrobat Pro, ribbon. View tab expanded, with the Zoom submenu also expanded. Reflow has focus.&quot; style=&quot;width: 79%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Adobe-Desktop-Ribbon-Reflow-Option&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;For iPhones and Android devices using the Acrobat app, there is a different term: liquid mode. To use this select the water droplet icon at the top of the screen.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/LiquidModeDropletWithArrow_tcm38-585479.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Acrobat app toolbar. Liquid mode icons is a blue droplet (arrow pointing toward it). It is the first icon in the group.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Acrobat app toolbar. Liquid mode icons is a blue droplet (arrow pointing toward it). It is the first icon in the group.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Liquid-Mode-Droplet-With-Arrow&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;If this doesn’t work for you, try to turn on Liquid mode in the Settings. Go to Preferences &amp;gt; Liquid Mode &amp;gt; Convert to Liquid Mode automatically (toggle on or off).&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are multiple apps for viewing PDFs on Android like Acrobat for Samsung. These may have other methods for using reflow or liquid mode. In addition, there are some types of PDFs (like forms) which may not support using reflow on mobile devices. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Despite these differences in how people use reflow for viewing documents, the end user’s expectation will be the same. They expect to get access to the content in an order that preserves its meaning and operation. During the next year, the State of Minnesota digital accessibility experts will develop best practices to ensure this, whenever possible, for PDFs. In the meantime, here are some highlights of issues we identified as we began studying these different device views. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reflow Cautions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reflow seems to do some interesting things to documents, especially those created in Adobe InDesign. Here are a few things we’ve noticed on desktop and mobile applications. Note: some of these issues happen only on desktop, some happen in mobile, and some happen in both. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;White Text on a Dark Background&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;White text over a dark background is a popular graphic design look. Sometimes reflow does some unexpected things to documents using these color choices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you use white text over a dark background element and then apply reflow, the background color sometimes disappears and the white text stays. Because it’s white text on white background, it looks like it’s missing. It still appears in the tag panel. This means that only people using screen readers will be aware of its presence.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On mobile devices with liquid mode applied, the white text was sometimes converted to black when the background color was removed. The green font in the test document is left alone, but now that it is against a white background it no longer meets the color contrast success criterion.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ReflowTest_WhiteText-01_tcm38-585480.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshots side-by-side of a PDF document with a title in white and green text over a navy background, and then that same PDF with reflow applied on desktop with the navy background now missing and half of the title no longer visible, and the same PDF with liquid mode applied on an Android device, the navy background is removed and the white text is now black.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshots side-by-side of a PDF document with a title in white and green text over a navy background, and then that same PDF with reflow applied on desktop with the navy background now missing and half of the title no longer visible, and the same PDF with liquid mode applied on an Android device, the navy background is removed and the white text is now black.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Reflow-Test-White-Text-01&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption 1: Left and center image use Acrobat on a desktop, with the same PDF. Center image: reflow applied. Right image: same PDF with liquid mode applied on an Android device.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Graphics&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some graphical elements may go missing. For example, images that reinforce understanding of information in the original document may not be present in their original locations in a reflowed document using Acrobat desktop. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ReflowTest_graphics-01_tcm38-585481.png&quot; title=&quot;Alt text: the icons that are used to visually reinforce the three types of screening on this PDF are missing once reflow is applied to the document on desktop.&quot; alt=&quot;Alt text: the icons that are used to visually reinforce the three types of screening on this PDF are missing once reflow is applied to the document on desktop.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Reflow-Test-graphics-01&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption 2: Icons used to reinforce understanding in the PDF, desktop (left) are missing once reflow is applied (right).&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Changes to Reading Order and Visual Display&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The reading order of elements sometimes changes between the original PDF and one with reflow or liquid mode applied to it. In addition, in some of our testing, sections of text became visually indented compared to the text it followed. This formatting was not applied in the original.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ReflowTest_alignment-01_tcm38-585482.png&quot; title=&quot;The list of disorders in left aligned in the original document, but when Liquid Mode is applied on an Android device, some of the conditions are indented, which makes it look like they are a subset of another condition.&quot; alt=&quot;The list of disorders in left aligned in the original document, but when Liquid Mode is applied on an Android device, some of the conditions are indented, which makes it look like they are a subset of another condition.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Reflow-Test-alignment-01&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption 3: On an Android device, original document’s list of conditions (left) now has some indented when using Liquid Mode (right) looking like a subset of a condition.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ReflowTest_readingorder_updated-01_tcm38-585570.png&quot; title=&quot;When in Liquid Mode, the graphics are placed between the list of links for more information.&quot; alt=&quot;When in Liquid Mode, the graphics are placed between the list of links for more information.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Reflow-Test-reading-order-updated-01&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption: 4: Bottom of the original document (left) has graphics before and after the links for more information. When using Liquid Mode (right) the graphics are now between the links&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional testing is needed to understand how reflow affects more complex documents and forms. How exactly is reading order affected and determined? What about reflow applied to colored text, threaded text boxes, anchored images, charts (with and without colored background), inserted text call outs, and more. These are questions that all of us who create and test PDF accessibility best practices need to consider and begin to validate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reflow and 2.1 for PDFs&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are probably wondering how to make your PDFs conform to WCAG 2.1. Here’s what we know:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We reported the issues we discovered with reflowing PDFs to Adobe. Adobe is currently reviewing our test documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our findings show that software and apps reflow PDFs in different ways.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We have not yet found consistent ways to reflow all elements in a PDF.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For now, we recommend including a contact phone number and email address on your PDF so readers can request alternative forms. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A group of subject matter experts is considering how to approach this success criterion for PDFs in the new version of the State of Minnesota’s digital accessibility standard. Reflow may be a candidate for an exception. If you are a State of Minnesota employee or contract with the state to create PDFs for an agency, stay tuned! More information will be available in the coming months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>584554</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-07-25T19:08:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>On Friday, June 23, MNIT held its Annual Awards ceremony to recognize service excellence and the honorees&apos; dedication to furthering MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Honors State Technology at Annual Awards Event</Title><Publisher/><Subject>annual award</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>partnership</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Honors State Technology at Annual Awards Event</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>gold star</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual%20Awards_tcm38-582550.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-06 - MNIT Honors State Technology at Annual Awards Event</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-582551&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-07-01T00:35:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>On Friday, June 23, MNIT held its Annual Awards ceremony to recognize service excellence and the honorees&apos; dedication to furthering MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Collaboration at the Forefront of the 7th Annual Awards Celebration</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Friday, June 23, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) held its Annual Awards ceremony to recognize service excellence and the honorees&apos; dedication to furthering MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities. The awards are given in several categories to best reflect MNIT’s culture, staff, and ongoing work. Learn more about this year’s finalists and honorees. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee of the Year  &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Employee of the Year Award recognizes an employee who embodies the mission of the agency, produces excellent work, and displays characteristics admired and valued by colleagues. The finalists in this category include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jennifer Hickey, Business Operations &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maureen O&apos;Brien-Bohan, partnering with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Michelle Proulx, partnering with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)/MNsure &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nancy Skuta, Enterprise Security  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4052_tcm38-583081.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;annual-award-2023-employee&quot; alt=&quot;Nancy Skuta holding her certificate next to MNIT Commissioner Tomes.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;annual-award-2023-employee&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Nancy Skuta, Employee of the Year, with MNIT Commissioner Tomes&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nancy Skuta&lt;/strong&gt; is the 2023 Employee of the Year honoree for her tireless work in vulnerability management. Nancy recognizes the need to continuously improve the state’s security posture in the face of ever-changing cyber threats. As a senior information security analyst, she often goes above and beyond her duties to detect threats and find solutions to fix them. Her ability to build relationships across enterprise security teams and help them respond rapidly to new and evolving threats makes her an asset to MNIT. She is recognized as an expert in her field and presents on vulnerability management nationally and locally. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manager of the Year &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Manager of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding director, manager, or supervisor who is a motivational leader, maintains a steady flow of information between executives and employees, and makes decisions based on organizational direction. The finalists in this category include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kenneth Bauer, partnering with DHS/MNsure &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elizabeth Guidarelli, partnering with MnDOT  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Moreland, Enterprise Services &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Russell Reilly, Enterprise Services &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4049_tcm38-583080.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;annual-award-2023-manager&quot; alt=&quot;Elizabeth Guidarelli standing in front of American and Minnesotan flags holding her certificate.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;annual-award-2023-manager&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Elizabeth Guidarelli, Manager of the Year&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elizabeth Guidarelli&lt;/strong&gt; is the 2023 Manager of the Year honoree for her ability to deliver continuous business value. Her balanced combination of technical and business strengths helps turn ideas into reality and build great partnerships across MnDOT and MNIT. Her success is visible in many projects and platforms, be it to create the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) tool app; partnering as co-owner of a very large multi-year accounting modernization program; promoting the IT Trainee program as a pathway into State service; or embracing emerging technologies such as Microsoft Power Platform. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elizabeth, who has 25 years of experience partnering with the MnDOT, serves as the application and data development IS manager and leads a team of more than 45 people. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project of the Year  &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Project of the Year Award recognizes a project that produced a deliverable of significant value for one or more business partners as a part of MNIT’s project portfolio. The finalists in this category include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DVS Language Project, partnering with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Frontline Worker Pay Program, partnering with the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), and the Department of Revenue (DOR) &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;P1821 MCIS Replacement, partnering with MnDOT and DEED &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4061_tcm38-583082.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;annual-award-2023-project&quot; alt=&quot;MNIT and DLI leadership standing in front of flags.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;annual-award-2023-project&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Representatives from Frontline Worker Pay. Left to right: Cory Stubbendick, Eric Olberding, MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, DLI Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach, Jon Eichten, and Ty Spratt.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Frontline Worker Pay&lt;/strong&gt; program is the 2023 Project of the Year honoree for its cross-agency collaboration to process over 1.2 million applications to distribute over $500M to frontline workers in less than six months. The program balanced fraud prevention while removing barriers for eligible applicants. The success of the Frontline Worker Pay program demonstrated the importance of clear goals, a commitment to excellence, and steady leadership. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The collaboration among multiple state agencies, vendors, and other stakeholders was marked by planning, creativity, teamwork, and data-driven decision-making. It led to the successful implementation, management, and execution of the project. The Frontline Worker Pay program modeled how to plan and collaborate to deliver technology solutions to quickly improve the lives of Minnesotans.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Team of the Year &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Team of the Year Award recognizes an operational team that supports an existing product or service by providing outstanding, customer-focused service. The finalists in this category include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MMIS Health Care BA Team 19, partnering with DHS/MNsure &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PMD BA Team 2, partnering with DHS/MNsure &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;TVMU and Collaborating MNIT Teams, Enterprise Services, Enterprise Security, partnering with Department of Administration, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), and Pollution Control Agency (PCA) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4065_tcm38-583083.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;annual-award-2023-team&quot; alt=&quot;Team of the year with MNIT Commissioner Tomes in front of flags.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;annual-award-2023-team&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Representatives from MMIS Health Care BA Team 19. Left to right: Doug Larson, Messah Combey-Adamah, Judie Hughes, Commissioner Tarek Tomes, Sandy Pevonka, Mary Boyle, and Louis Heim.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;MMIS Health Care BA Team 19&lt;/strong&gt; is the 2023 Team of the Year honoree for its successful delivery of healthcare solutions related to COVID-19. The Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) is an integrated health care coverage system. Partnering with DHS Health Care Administration (HCA), the team helped ensure people gained and retained health care coverage throughout the public health emergency. This allowed people to seek and receive COVID-19 testing and treatment as needed while retaining coverage during the pandemic.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partner of the Year  &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Partner of the Year award recognizes an agency for establishing and supporting a trusted partnership with MNIT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/IMG_4043_tcm38-583079.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;annual-award-2023-partner&quot; alt=&quot;MNIT and DPS leadership teams standing in front of Minnesota and American flags.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;annual-award-2023-partner&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Representatives from MNIT and DPS. Left to right: Jon Eichten, MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, Pancho Henderson, Dawn Van Ryn, Mike Law, Cassandra O’Hern, Bill French, Shawn Ellering, DPS Commissioner Bob Jacobson.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Minnesota Department of Public Safety&lt;/strong&gt; is the 2023 Partner of the Year honoree for its demonstrated commitment—in its operations, services, and practices—to serve Minnesotans better, remove structural inequity, promote accessibility and transparency, and improve the delivery of IT services throughout the state. The DPS teams partnered with MNIT to deliver a language access project, a Project of the Year finalist for the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) that uses new AI technology to help 67% of Minnesota’s non-English-speaking population use DVS services. It empowers non-English speakers, making them feel more confident to engage with a state agency. This project is one of many innovative partnerships between MNIT and DPS, alongside DVS in a Box and the Minnesota Crime Data Explorer. DPS also embraced Minnesota’s Modernization Playbook, Agile development, and product management, focusing on innovation, cybersecurity, and better customer experiences.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nominations for the awards opened on March 15, 2023, and closed on April 28, 2023. MNIT’s Employee Recognition Committee (ERC) reviewed and scored each nomination. Those with the highest average scores became finalists. MNIT’s executive team chose an honoree from the finalists that closely matched the organization’s mission, values, and priorities. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>582551</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-30T14:03:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>This is the second in a two-part series of articles. Learn what you need to know for complex documents and get access to resources. Great information for all PDF creators and remediators including people using InDesign.</Description><Audience/><Title>How To Make Your PDFs Conform To WCAG 2.1, Part 2</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>PDF</Subject><Subject>InDesign</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>How To Make Your PDFs Conform To WCAG 2.1, Part 2</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Document icon with title &quot;Part 2.&quot; Across it is a ribbon with text WCAG 2.1.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG-2.1-PDF-Blog-1200x600-part2_tcm38-582066.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Document icon with title &quot;Part 2.&quot; Across it is a ribbon with text WCAG 2.1.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG-2.1-PDF-thumbnail-part2_tcm38-582067.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-06 - PDFs and 2.1 Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-582030&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-28T14:03:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is the second in a two-part series of articles. Learn what you need to know for complex documents and get access to resources. Great information for all PDF creators and remediators including people using InDesign.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Easy to Follow Tips For Your PDF Workflow</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Tamara Sawyer, Minnesota Management and Budget and Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is the second article in a two-part series to help you learn how to make PDFs that conform to WCAG 2.1. As a reminder, this series only covers the success criteria added for WCAG 2.1 and are A or AA. If you want information about those covered for WCAG 2.0, be sure to visit the Office of Accessibility’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/pdf-101.jsp&quot;&gt;Accessible PDF Training Modules&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last month in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/577889&quot;&gt;Part 1&lt;/a&gt;, we shared basic information about how to create simple PDF documents. This month we cover what you need for more complex documents. This includes documents that use JavaScript, InDesign, and that have complex charts and graphs. And, because we know you want more specifics, read to the end! We include resources to use while you work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a reminder, the state of Minnesota has not yet officially determined if PDFs will be part of the move to WCAG 2.1. Because you are not the average reader you want to be ready to make your PDFs more usable by everyone without waiting for an official PDF and WCAG 2.1 announcement. You are our favorite kind of reader and we have what you need!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start By Taking Some Work Out of Your Workflow&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some WCAG 2.1 success criteria will not apply to your PDFs. Knowing this can help you focus on the other parts of WCAG 2.1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.3.4 Orientation (AA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Orientation is the direction of the display of the screen while viewing a PDF. In document terms, this is portrait or landscape. If you are using a smartphone, you may rotate it to better view something onscreen. In most cases, the person viewing the PDF controls this, not you (the author or remediator). If you find a way to restrict the orientation of the PDF, don&apos;t use it. People should be able to view the document in the orientation that works best for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.4.12 Text Spacing (AA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever opened a document and found the words felt too close together to easily read them? That it would help to have the letters separated a little more? This success criteria’s goal is to ensure that everyone, especially people with reading and vision challenges, can change line height, spacing following paragraphs, and letter and word spacing while reading the PDF.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This requires the use of “markup,” something available for technologies like web pages. At the time of this article, this is not something a person can control when they create or remediate PDFs. Thinking about white space while creating your document is important, but it does not provide the end user control of how the white space displays on their screen while they are reading the PDF. Hopefully this will become an option in the future for people who read PDFs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#motion-actuation&quot;&gt;Success Criteria 2.5.4&lt;/a&gt; states “functionality that can be operated by a device motion or user motion” such as shaking or tilting the device “can also be operated by user interface components.” It goes on to say that the user must be able to disable the motion control.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These actions are set up and controlled within the mobile devices, so does not apply to PDFs.  Most or all functions that can be performed by motion activation can also be performed by either the keyboard or the PDF interface. An example of this would be using the Ctrl+Z keyboard shortcut or the Undo option available in the Edit tab, to remove any text just added to a form field or to remove a check added to a check box.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Considerations for Complex PDF Documents&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, let’s discuss the situations going beyond more simple documents. Think about times where you use:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Form controls (radio buttons, check boxes, dropdowns, text fields).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Buttons.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Electronic signatures.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, think about people using your PDF in more modern ways, like on a smartphone. This next section covers these more complex situations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (AA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many forms ask you for the same information such as your name, address, and telephone number. Re-typing the same information increases your chance of making a mistake. This may be especially true for people with certain types of cognitive disabilities, including people with memory issues or dyslexia. And, if typing is difficult, re-typing the information is time-consuming and frustrating. This success criteria’s goal is to make it easier to have information added for users if they want this option.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This success criteria technically does not apply to PDFs. You cannot add the same coding to a PDF that you can for web pages that must follow this one. But, there are things you can do to improve your user’s experiences. In the desktop version of Acrobat, there is a feature called Auto-complete. We have more information about this in the handouts from our AccessU presentation (links at the bottom of this article). The person completing your PDF form can use the option to have content they have entered in other forms available to add from a list.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ScreenshotEndUserPreferencesAuto-Complete_tcm38-582062.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of the preferences menu. “Forms” has focus in the Categories pane.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the preferences menu. “Forms” has focus in the Categories pane.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ScreenshotEndUserPreferencesAuto-Complete&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption: The Auto-complete section has “Advanced” selected in the dropdown. The checkbox is also selected for “Remember numerical data.”&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This feature works best if you select the appropriate format category in the format tab. For text fields, you can go to the format tab and select the appropriate format category. This makes it easier for the user to select the best option for the text field. This is not a requirement but shows your end user you are making sure they can complete your form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ScreenshotZipCodeTextFieldProperties_tcm38-582063.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of a zip code form field. The Text Field Properties dialog is open. Arrow points to the “Select format category” dropdown, with “Special” selected.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of a zip code form field. The Text Field Properties dialog is open. Arrow points to the “Select format category” dropdown, with “Special” selected.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ScreenshotZipCodeTextFieldProperties&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption:  Selecting the “Special” format category and &quot;Zip Code” helps the user enter the 5-digit zip code in the form field.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (AA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tooltips appear in PDFs when you move your mouse over a form field. Today, the PDF viewing software controls the visual appearance of tooltips. You cannot control how they display – you can only control what you put into them. Because this success criteria is about how they display you are not required to ensure this works for WCAG 2.1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, the choices you make for these tooltips do impact your end users. The spirit of the success criteria is important to consider. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;  &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/TooltipOnMouseHover_tcm38-582059.png&quot; title=&quot;Zip code form field. An arrow points to the small tooltip visually appearing beneath the text field with the text “Zip Code”.&quot; alt=&quot;Zip code form field. An arrow points to the small tooltip visually appearing beneath the text field with the text “Zip Code”.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;TooltipOnMouseHover&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the tooltip is the same as the visible label, this is not an issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You must provide a tooltip for your form fields because it provides the accessible label for people using assistive technologies. Sometimes people add additional information in the tooltip. People using magnification may have difficulty using tooltips. Some people with cognitive disabilities who may need the additional information may not notice it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Visible-label-tooltip-different_tcm38-582060.png&quot; title=&quot;“Zip Code:” is visible label, outside of the text field. The “Zip Code (5-digit format)” tooltip visually displays beneath the text field. Arrows and corresponding text label for each one.&quot; alt=&quot;“Zip Code:” is visible label, outside of the text field. The “Zip Code (5-digit format)” tooltip visually displays beneath the text field. Arrows and corresponding text label for each one.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Visible-label-tooltip-different&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption: The tooltip adds additional content: (5-digit format).&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Best practice: include the additional information in both the visible label and the tooltip.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Visible-Label-Tooltip-Same_tcm38-582061.png&quot; title=&quot;“Zip Code (5-digit format):” is visible label, outside of the text field. The “Zip Code (5-digit format):” tooltip visually displays beneath the text field. Arrows and corresponding text label for each one.&quot; alt=&quot;“Zip Code (5-digit format):” is visible label, outside of the text field. The “Zip Code (5-digit format):” tooltip visually displays beneath the text field. Arrows and corresponding text label for each one.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Visible-Label-Tooltip-Same&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image caption: The visible label and tooltip are the same.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (A)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A character key shortcut allows an end user to use a key on their keyboard to complete an action. Most of the time this does not happen in PDFs. In rare cases, a PDF creator may add a custom keystroke script. We have not tested this against success criteria 2.1.4. We advise you test this option if you decide to use it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This success criteria refers to touch screen devices where the user may have to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Move their fingers or a pointer (such as a stylus or mouse) from one point to another (such as a swipe).  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use two or more fingers to complete an action (such as pinch to zoom or a double tap). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To pass this criterion, if the end user needs any pointer gestures to complete an action, there must be a secondary method available. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These gestures affect people:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Who use speech input.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Who use eye-gaze technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Who use a single pointer device (switch or foot mouse).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;With motor disabilities who may not be able to perform these gestures. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;With some cognitive disabilities (may not understand or be able to complete the complex gesture or multi-pointer action).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples for path-based gestures for PDF might include (on a mobile device):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using a pinch gesture to zoom in/out. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using a swipe motion to move to the next page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Signing a PDF form by drawing a signature or using drag and drop to place a signature.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 1:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The controls on the Adobe Acrobat PDF interface include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The up/down arrows replace the swipe gesture to change pages. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The spyglass with the + sign replaces the pinch to zoom gesture.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2_5_1PointerGesturePass_tcm38-582048.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat interface with up/down arrows and zoom controls.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat interface with up/down arrows and zoom controls.&quot; style=&quot;width:100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2_5_1PointerGestureSecondaryMethod&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 2:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A check box with boilerplate language and a text field takes the place of a path-based e-signature in which the person must: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a stylus or their finger to sign a document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use drag and drop to place a signature into a signature field. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2_5_1_PointerGestureCheckBox_tcm38-582049.PNG&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat interface with up/down arrows and zoom controls.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Adobe Acrobat interface with up/down arrows and zoom controls.&quot; style=&quot;width:100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2_5_2PointerGestureCheckBox&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever accidentally clicked on the wrong button? People making PDFs that use buttons and form controls created with JavaScript should review this criterion.  Success criteria 2.5.2, Pointer Cancellation requires at least one of the following criteria to be true:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mouse-down pointer event (when you physically push a mouse button down) does not execute the function.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Event is canceled if the mouse is moved off object/drop area prior to mouse-up action (releasing the mouse button).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Down-event activation (pushing a keyboard key down) is ok for keyboard-only use. Keyboards usually only work with down-event activation. The Backspace or Delete key then functions as an undo button.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 1: A user uses mouse-down to select an option in a multi-list form field. The user changes their mind, moves mouse away from the option prior to the mouse-up action, and the option is not selected.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 2 (images below): A user accidently presses the mouse button on the Clear button instead of the Print button (image on left). They move the mouse off the Clear button before releasing the mouse button (mouse up). The form retains the information (image on right).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2_5_2_pointer_cancel-jeremy-edited_tcm38-582054.png&quot; title=&quot;A screenshot of the mouse-down action on a Clear button. The form fields still show information after moving the mouse off the Clear button prior to the mouse-up action.&quot; alt=&quot;A screenshot of the mouse-down action on a Clear button. The form fields still show information after moving the mouse off the Clear button prior to the mouse-up action.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2_5_2_pointer_cancel&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When creating a button or other interactive form field, be sure to choose both Mouse Up and On Blur from the Select Trigger option on the Actions tab. This allows people to select the action with a mouse, button, keyboard, or a tap (on a touch screen). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2_5_2_pointer_cancel_menu_tcm38-582055.PNG&quot; title=&quot;The Button Properties dialog box with Select Trigger drop-down menu showing the Mouse Up and On Blur options.&quot; alt=&quot;The Button Properties dialog box with Select Trigger drop-down menu showing the Mouse Up and On Blur options.&quot; style=&quot;width: 79%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2_5_2_pointer_cancel_menu&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2_5_2_pointer_cancel_menu2-jeremy-edited_tcm38-582056.png&quot; title=&quot;The Button properties with both Mouse Up and On Blur selected to submit the form.&quot; alt=&quot;The Button properties with both Mouse Up and On Blur selected to submit the form.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2_5_2_pointer_cancel_menu-MouseUpandOnBlur&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This success criteria states that the name of a visible label or text on the document page must be the same as the interface component labeling. In the case of a PDF form, this just means that the tooltip must be the same as the text found within the form text. This allows someone using a speech-input device to interact with your form fields. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are two samples on the page. The sample on the left passes this success criteria because both the button text and the tooltip say “Print.” Someone using a speech input device can give the command “Print” and the expected behavior, printing the page, will happen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The image on the right shows a form field. The text on the document page is “Date” but the tooltip is “MM/DD/YYYY.” This fails the success criteria, as the word “Date” is not in the tooltip. The form author could have started with the word “Date” and then added MM/DD/YYYY to give the end user more information. Even better, both the form text and the tooltip could have both the date and the expected format.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2_5_3_label_name_pass_fail-jeremy-edited_tcm38-582057.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot showing content on hover with tooltip. The first tooltip matches the button text, but the second sample has different document text and tooltip.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot showing content on hover with tooltip. The first tooltip matches the button text, but the second sample has different document text and tooltip.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;2_5_3_label_name_pass_fail&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4.1.3 Status Message (Level AA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Success Criteria, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#status-messages&quot;&gt;4.1.3 Status Messages&lt;/a&gt; states “In content implemented using markup languages, status messages can be programmatically determined through role or properties such that they can be presented to the user by assistive technologies without receiving focus.” Although PDF status messages do not really apply to this criterion as they cannot be “programmatically determined through role,” there are times when an end user may receive a status message. Let’s look at when this may happen and the resulting user experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You create a PDF form with a text field for Zip Code. Being a diligent form creator, you open the Text Field Properties dialog box, go to the Format tab, and then under “Special”, choose “Zip Code”. Choosing a format is good because when the end user chooses to have form fields automatically filled for them, non-zip code selections will not enter into the form field. This makes it easier for some people with cognitive impairments such as dyslexia and is a real time saver for someone with motor impairments using something like eye-gaze technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, as seen in the image on the right (below), if the end user types in the incorrect number of digits, they do receive a warning. There are a couple problems with this:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We cannot find a way to block the status message from receiving focus.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The status message includes the name field of the form control – not the tooltip, and the name may be meaningless (such as Text17).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/4_1_3_status_msg_4-jeremy-edited_tcm38-582058.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Text Field Properties with the “Zip Code” option chosen. Second image has two digits entered in the zip code field. When the user leaves the form field, a popup with the following “Warning: The value entered does not match the format of the field [Text17]” appears.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Text Field Properties with the “Zip Code” option chosen. Second image has two digits entered in the zip code field. When the user leaves the form field, a popup with the following “Warning: The value entered does not match the format of the field [Text17]” appears.&quot; style=&quot;width:100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;4_1_3_status_msg&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are some ways you can prevent the end user from receiving a message they cannot understand. Keep in mind - technically you do not need to do this to satisfy 2.1, as it relates to HTML forms. However, if you wish to improve the user experience, you can:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Not use these types of controls and formatting. This is NOT a preferred method, and we are NOT recommending it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Change the name of the “Name” field in the Properties Dialog box that produce these status messages. This takes manual work on the off chance someone receives a message they do not understand.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s Next?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have been counting, we’ve only covered eleven of the twelve new success criteria. Why is that? Well, Success Criterion 1.4.10, Reflow Testing (AA) has some challenges we haven’t quite worked out yet. We are currently doing more testing and will share our results with you next month. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the meantime, we hope you have enjoyed learning about the upcoming changes and how to handle them. Here are some resources if you are wanting more than what is here: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;AccessU&quot; name=&quot;AccessU&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/OvercomeYourWCAG21PDFAndInDesignFears_Sawyer_Delisi_tcm38-582034.pdf&quot; title=&quot;OvercomeYourWCAG21PDFAndInDesignFears_Sawyer_Delisi&quot; xlink:title=&quot;OvercomeYourWCAG21PDFAndInDesignFears_Sawyer_Delisi&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;AccessU Presentation Recording Handouts for Overcome Your WCAG 2.1 PDF and InDesign Fears (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a id=&quot;AccessU&quot; name=&quot;AccessU&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/AccessU_MN_Presentation_2023_live_accessible_tcm38-582035.pdf&quot; title=&quot;AccessU_MN_Presentation_2023_live&quot; xlink:title=&quot;AccessU_MN_Presentation_2023_live&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;AccessU Presentation (Live Portion) for Overcome Your WCAG 2.1 PDF and InDesign Fears (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, we are adding more resources as we do more testing and research. Our goal is for you to be comfortable with WCAG 2.1. The best way to receive these new resources as they become available? &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;Subscribe to the newsletter!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>582030</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-30T14:03:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Global Accessibility Awareness Day  (GAAD) 2023 is Thursday, May 18, 2023. All of us can take part by sharing information about digital accessibility with our communities.</Description><Audience/><Title>Check out this grab bag of great Global Accessibility Awareness Day goodies!</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>2023</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MN Global Accessibility Day Recap</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A diverse group of people in a line, facing forward and positioned behind a small globe in the bottom center. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-blog-people_tcm38-581836.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A diverse group of people in a line, facing forward and positioned behind a small globe in the bottom right. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAADpeople_tcm38-581820.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-06 - GAAD Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-581814&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-06-22T16:43:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted two virtual events for State of Minnesota employees. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>View recordings and transcripts of the events</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted two virtual events for State of Minnesota employees. The goal was to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital accessibility and inclusion. The presentations showcased the value of accessibility and how to include accessibility in meetings. Below are links to YouTube video recordings of each session. All recordings include ASL interpreting and closed captioning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel Discussion: Why Digital Accessibility Matters for Me and My Work&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People talk about digital accessibility, but what does it mean? How does digital accessibility or the lack of it affect people? Lived experiences of people with disabilities are the most powerful ways to learn why accessibility matters. The panel included a variety of individuals with disabilities. They discussed how they navigate technology, and the difference digital accessibility makes in their work and personal lives. Governor Tim Walz kicked off the event with a recorded welcome announcing May 18 as Digital Accessibility Awareness Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/nn4QIpgIPE4&quot;&gt;Watch the panel discussion of Real Life Digital Accessibility Perspectives (YouTube)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Panel%20Discussion%20Why%20Digital%20Accessibility%20Matters%20for%20Me%20and%20My%20Work-Transcript_tcm38-581838.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Transcript GAAD 2023 Panel Event &quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility_Transcript_GAAD-2023-Panel-Why-Digital-Accessibility-Matters-for-Me&quot;&gt;Read the Real Life Perspectives transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Welcome&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Governor Tim Walz&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Panel participants: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;David Andrews&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brynn Lee&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kotumu Kamara&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kelly MacGregor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kelly Melcher (moderator)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presentation: Planning An Accessible, Inclusive Meeting&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn how to plan and facilitate online meetings that are accessible to everyone. You’ll come away with tips and behaviors for creating and leading meetings that allow everyone to attend and fully participate. Presenters will also demonstrate useful features in Teams and WebEx. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/E4sIvuoI6b8&quot; title=&quot;Planning an accessible, inclusive meeting&quot;&gt;Watch the presentation of Planning An Accessible, Inclusive Meeting (YouTube)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Planning%20an%20Accessible%20Inclusive%20Meeting_tcm38-577927.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2023 Planning an Accessible Inclusive Meeting transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility_Transcript_GAAD-2023-Planning-an-Accessible-Inclusive-Meeting&quot;&gt;Read the Planning an Accessible, Inclusive Meeting transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kelly Melcher&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mike Reinhart&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kris Schulze&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>581814</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-06-26T19:34:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz signed omnibus bills into law today hat will expand digital government and help families, businesses, and communities access services securely. The funding strengthens the ability of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) to better serve the evolving needs and expectations of Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota Receives Transformative Technology Funding</Title><Publisher/><Subject>One MN</Subject><Subject>budget</Subject><Subject>spend</Subject><Subject>Legislature</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State of Minnesota Receives Transformative Technology Funding</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>photo of the MN state capitol cupola against a blue sky with a graphical abstract image of an arrow behind it</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-arrow-cover-flat-blog-thumb_tcm38-520922.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-05 - State of Minnesota Receives Transformative Technology Funding</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-578902&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-24T19:22:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz signed omnibus bills into law today hat will expand digital government and help families, businesses, and communities access services securely. The funding strengthens the ability of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) to better serve the evolving needs and expectations of Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Over $500M of investments in digital government, cybersecurity, and modern systems will position Minnesota for success in the digital age</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 24, 2023 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – Governor Tim Walz signed omnibus bills into law today, which fund state government for the next two years. The legislation will expand digital government and help families, businesses, and communities access services securely. The funding strengthens the ability of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) to better serve the evolving needs and expectations of Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;This historic legislation recognizes that technology is a major catalyst for moving Minnesota forward. Technology can transform the services we all use – from annual tasks like paying your taxes or applying for a fishing license to benefits that help feed your family or find a job. We will work tirelessly to use these investments to make government services more efficient, user-friendly, and less burdensome. By streamlining processes and reducing complexities, we can return a precious commodity to Minnesotans – their time.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The omnibus state government and elections finance bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&amp;amp;f=HF1830&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot;&gt;House File 1830&lt;/a&gt;) included $130M in new spending for Minnesota IT Services to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improve cybersecurity protections and match federal funding for distributing cybersecurity grants to local governments.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduce barriers to getting help from the State by investing in modern, person-centered experiences that improve mobile access. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support the state’s ability to quickly deliver innovative services by investing in cloud services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Expand the capacity of Minnesota’s Geospatial Information Office and the Office of Accessibility, and support IT initiatives for the Children’s Cabinet.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These investments follow the lead of other states who have taken an enterprise-wide, strategic approach to modernizing both the infrastructure and the applications that power our government. Across the executive branch, the Minnesota Legislature also funded technology proposals to enhance the services that are delivered to the people of Minnesota. Some of the key proposals include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The omnibus agriculture appropriations bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF1955&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot;&gt;Senate File 1955&lt;/a&gt;) facilitates improved self-service options for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The omnibus judiciary and public safety appropriations bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&amp;amp;f=SF2909&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot;&gt;Senate File 2909&lt;/a&gt;) modernizes the way the state collects public safety data and links critical partners to make Minnesota a leader in evidence-based solutions and information sharing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The omnibus health and human services appropriations bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&amp;amp;f=SF2995&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot;&gt;Senate File 2995&lt;/a&gt;) transforms the human services delivery system with modern technology to better serve clients. It will create a simple, integrated, person-centered program for services. The legislation also improves our public health eligibility system, MNsure, and upgrades a platform to prevent delays in care for more than 1.4 million people who use Medical Assistance (MA) and MinnesotaCare. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The omnibus jobs, economic development, labor, and industry appropriations bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF3035&amp;amp;version=A&amp;amp;session=ls93.0&amp;amp;session_year=2023&amp;amp;session_number=0&amp;amp;type=ccr&quot;&gt;Senate File 3035A&lt;/a&gt;) modernizes the digital tools that support workforce development initiatives, making it easier to access virtual appointments, and improving accountability and administrative management. The omnibus education finance bill (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&amp;amp;f=HF2497&amp;amp;ssn=0&amp;amp;y=2023&quot;&gt;House File 2497&lt;/a&gt;) improves the cybersecurity of our school districts and expands access to digital devices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>578902</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-24T19:00:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has named John Israel as Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Minnesota. </Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Elevates Senior Leader to Assistant Commissioner</Title><Publisher/><Subject>CISO</Subject><Subject>john </Subject><Subject>israel</Subject><Subject>press release</Subject><Subject>Assistant commissisoner</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Elevates Senior Leader to Assistant Commissioner</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Photo of John Israel</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/john-israel-600x600_tcm38-577890.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-05 - MNIT Elevates Senior Leader to Assistant Commissioner</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-577892&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-19T19:22:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has named John Israel as Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Experienced Cybersecurity Leader Positions Minnesota for a Whole-of-State Approach to Protecting Our Systems</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/john-israel-600x600_tcm38-577890.jpg&quot; title=&quot;john-israel-600x600&quot; alt=&quot;John Israel headshot.&quot; style=&quot;float: right; width: 30%; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;john-israel-600x600&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 19, 2023 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) has named John Israel as Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Minnesota. Israel has served as Interim CISO since October 2022 and was chosen for the permanent role in a competitive statewide application process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As CISO, Israel will lead the executive branch cybersecurity teams, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/committees/cybersecurity-task-force.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force&quot;&gt;Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force (MCTF)&lt;/a&gt;, and collaborative efforts to engage with entities statewide to build effective cybersecurity strategies across all levels of government in the state. Israel’s appointment comes as Minnesota is building a whole-of-state cybersecurity plan. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Minnesota’s whole-of-state approach is critical to protecting the information of our citizens, residents, and visitors and keeping systems running. John Israel has experience bringing together all levels of government, critical industry, and public institutions to ensure that cybersecurity is embedded into the work we do to serve Minnesotans.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During his tenure as interim CISO, Israel helped oversee cybersecurity operations for the state and multiple &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/security/securing-the-state/&quot; title=&quot;grant-funded outreach programs&quot;&gt;grant-funded outreach programs&lt;/a&gt; that provide cybersecurity support and resources to counties, port cities, and tribal nations throughout Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He has over 25 years of IT experience leading, building, and growing cybersecurity and IT functions in municipal, county, and state entities integrating highly technical functions into strategic organizational operations. Before joining MNIT in 2008, Israel led IT operations for the Washington County Sheriff&apos;s Office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In his roles at MNIT, including Deputy CISO and Security Operations Center (SOC) leader, he has been instrumental in building the state&apos;s security operations teams. This includes the state&apos;s first Security Operations Center (SOC) and the cybersecurity threat intelligence sharing capabilities within the Minnesota Fusion Center hosted by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. In 2019, Israel received the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-409092&quot;&gt;Visionary Security Operations Leader of the Year&lt;/a&gt; from the Cyber Security Summit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>577892</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-19T15:00:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 18 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day to remind Minnesotans about the importance of providing equal access to online information about state services and programs to all individuals, including those living with disabilities.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Tim Walz Proclaims May 18 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Publisher/><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Governor</Subject><Subject>press release</Subject><Subject>Walz</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343296.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-05 - Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-577926&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-18T19:22:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 18 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day to remind Minnesotans about the importance of providing equal access to online information about state services and programs to all individuals, including those living with disabilities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor Tim Walz Proclaims May 18 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;May 18, 2023 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – Governor Tim Walz &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/05.18.23%20Digital%20Accessibility%20Awareness%20Day_Signed%20%281%29_tcm1055-577797.pdf&quot;&gt;proclaims May 18 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day&lt;/a&gt; to remind Minnesotans about the importance of providing equal access to online information about state services and programs to all individuals, including those living with disabilities. The State of Minnesota supports creating accessible digital content as a shared responsibility to enlighten others about digital access and inclusion in conjunction with &lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibility.day/&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;“Learning about accessibility empowers us all. We need to meet our neighbors, families, and colleagues where they are at – and that includes designing our programs, technology, and services to be accessible to all. A more inclusive digital experience allows us to make a bigger difference in the lives of people.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Office of Accessibility works to improve the accessibility and usability of technology products and services for Minnesotans and visitors. The Office provides resources and training to ensure state agencies develop digital content, websites, and services with accessibility in mind and comply with &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/stat-basis.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Statutory Basis for Accessibility&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Statutory Basis for Accessibility&quot;&gt;state and federal accessibility statutes&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT will host a panel discussion and presentation for State of Minnesota employees on Thursday, May 18. To learn more about digital accessibility at the State of Minnesota, visit MNIT’s website or &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;subscribe to the Digital Accessibility Hot Topics monthly newsletter&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>577926</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-18T14:00:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Updating the standard will have differing impacts on state employees. Planning ahead will help people prepare based on their roles and work activities.</Description><Audience/><Title>New! State of Minnesota plans to adopt WCAG 2.1</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG</Subject><Subject>2.1</Subject><Subject>updating</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>New! State of Minnesota Plans to Adopt WCAG 2.1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Open laptop. Onscreen: map of Minnesota, text: WCAG 2.1. Behind the laptop are views of webpages.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1-blog_tcm38-531098.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Open laptop. Onscreen: map of Minnesota, text: WCAG 2.1</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1-blog-thumb_tcm38-531095.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-05 - Adopting 2.1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-577826&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-17T20:26:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Updating the standard will have differing impacts on state employees. Planning ahead will help people prepare based on their roles and work activities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Preparing the State for a More Accessible Future</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jay Wyant, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last June, we published a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/530990&quot;&gt;blog post about a possible update to the State’s digital accessibility standard.&lt;/a&gt; The current standard includes Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last year, we:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Researched the impact of the WCAG 2.1 success criteria on content creators.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Explored the success criteria’s value for end-users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Held several statewide presentations and listening sessions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Surveyed state employees on what they’d need to be ready.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After presenting our findings, we received approval to update the standard. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The decision:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We will update the standard to include WCAG 2.1.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The effective date will be March 1, 2024 and may be later.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s next?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The update will impact technology and content creators differently by role. Everyone will need to understand how to make sure their work supports the updated standard. Examples could include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content designers and creators who use specific tools such as Adobe InDesign.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Website designers and developers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Business Analysts (BAs) and Quality Assurance professionals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Agency and IT portfolio managers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;eLearning developers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;IT project managers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People involved in procurement.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The updated standard will impact each user type differently. The issues and steps the InDesign creator needs to understand can be different than that of a web application developer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making it happen&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have kicked off a steering committee and a standard task force.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;steering committee&lt;/strong&gt; will:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify key groups internal to the state.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask the groups to identify their knowledge/training gaps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work with the groups to collect resources and create guidance as needed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communicate with all stakeholders.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Determine the effective date for the new standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal is to prepare state agencies and their employees with the resources and direction they need to plan, design, and create or buy accessible information and technology that supports WCAG 2.1&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The standard task force is reviewing the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;current accessibility standard.&lt;/a&gt; Based on that review, they will draft an update to include WCAG 2.1. The goal is to publish the new standard by fall 2023, with the effective date designated by the steering committee. This will help set expectations for vendors and other content and technology creators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will post updates via our monthly newsletter. Don’t get our newsletter? &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;Subscribe&lt;/a&gt; to stay up to date!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>577826</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-17T20:10:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>This is the first in a two-part series of articles. Learn why you want to create PDFs that conform to WCAG 2.1 and the new success criteria related to color. Great information for all creators including people using InDesign.</Description><Audience/><Title>How To Make Your PDFs Conform To WCAG 2.1</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>PDF</Subject><Subject>InDesign</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>How To Make Your PDFs Conform To WCAG 2.1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Document icon. Across it is a ribbon with text WCAG 2.1.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG-2.1-PDF_Blog%20-%201200x600_tcm38-577979.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Document icon. Across it is a ribbon with text WCAG 2.1.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/WCAG-2.1-PDF-thumbnail_tcm38-577978.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-05 - PDFs and 2.1 Part 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-577889&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-05-17T15:23:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>This is the first in a two-part series of articles. Learn why you want to create PDFs that conform to WCAG 2.1 and the new success criteria related to color. Great information for all creators including people using InDesign.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Easy to Follow Tips For Your PDF Workflow</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Tamara Sawyer, Minnesota Management and Budget and Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) – most people do not consider documents when they read this phrase. Minnesota does! Our &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;state digital accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt; covers more than Section 508 (as amended). It specifically includes WCAG 2.0 A and AA success criteria. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The standard also applies to internal and external digital information, including documents. Because of this, it applies to PDFs. So, why would Minnesota consider applying the next version of WCAG – WCAG 2.1 to PDFs? Here are just a few of many reasons:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota’s Executive Orders are published as PDFs, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_01_EO_19-15_tcm1055-378183.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-15 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; that requires our state to hire people with disabilities.     &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesotans use PDFs everywhere (phone, tablets, laptops…). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PDFs are part of communication campaigns for both our staff and our publicly available information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PDFs are key parts of conference, training, and meeting materials.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Agencies, the Governor’s office, and the legislature use PDFs for official communications.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people have questions about how WCAG 2.1 will affect PDFs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will this improve access to PDFs by people with disabilities?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are the impacts different for simple PDF workflows versus more complex ones?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Will the updated standard apply to PDFs?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With answers to these questions and more, we have so much information we needed two installments! We divided them to support different styles of PDF creators and testers. This month covers basic information, including information needed to create simple documents. Do you work with more complex PDFs? Be sure to check out next month’s newsletter! It will include information like considerations for using JavaScript, InDesign, and complex charts and graphs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What You Need to Know – Average/Light User&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you routinely create PDFs using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and you stick with the basics found in most documents (headings, text, images, tables, hyperlinks, and charts and graphs), then this section is for you. There are just a few things you should be aware of once we start following the updated standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While there are 12 new A and AA level success criteria, some will not apply to PDFs. In addition, many of those will only apply in special situations when people create unusual content or do specific coding for special circumstances. So, let’s look at what the average PDF creator will need to know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1.4.11: Non-text Contrast – Level AA&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you already know, you must always make sure your text has enough contrast for people to see and read it. If you are a state of Minnesota employee and are using branded templates, you do not need to check your font color unless you change from the default color scheme. And you should already have a color contrast checker (such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/&quot;&gt;Colour Contrast Analyser&lt;/a&gt;) downloaded onto your computer. Need a refresher on how to use it? Check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poT4gdf8k34&quot;&gt;PDF 101 module 7 (video).&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the adoption of WCAG 2.1, you need to make sure your graphics also pass a color contrast standard. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check color contrast on these two types of images:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Graphical objects such as graphs and charts, icons and symbols, and infographics (covered under more advanced users).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;User interface components such as form fields, buttons, and visible focus (we cover this in the advanced section).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new success criteria for non-text contrast is a color contrast ratio of 3:1 - the same as the requirement for large text. This will apply to charts and graphs, lines around form fields, and all other non-text elements that contain information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No Contrast Check Required&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ll look at instances where you need to check your color contrast, but first let’s see what you do NOT need to worry about. Here are some examples of when you will not need to check.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Graphic with text embedded or overlayed that conveys the same information &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This pie chart has labels and values that pass color contrast requirements. The slices themselves do not need to pass color contrast because the category and percentage of each slice is visually available outside of each slice.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto; margin: 10px 12.5%;&quot; title=&quot;Pie chart with text that passes color contrast.&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/pie_chart_label_numbers_tcm38-577894.PNG&quot; alt=&quot;Pie chart with text that passes color contrast.&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;pie-chart-label-numbers&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Graphic that is part of a logo or brand &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our state logo has a dark blue M and a lime green N – and the N fails color contrast. Because it is a logo, it is exempt from the color contrast success criteria.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto; margin: 10px 25%;&quot; title=&quot;State of Minnesota logo&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MN_logo_primary_RGB_tcm38-577980.png&quot; alt=&quot;State of Minnesota logo&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MN_logo_primary_RGB&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Graphic information available nearby&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A graph (or other graphic) where the information is available in another form – for example, a graph with the tabular information available in a table directly following it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; title=&quot;Bar chart with bars using various shades of blue and green. Table beneath.&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/bar_char_with_table_tcm38-577896.PNG&quot; alt=&quot;Bar chart with bars using various shades of blue and green. Table beneath.&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;bar-chart-with-table&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figure: This is a screenshot of a real-text table underneath a chart. The chart does not pass color contrast. The table in this case satisfies the requirement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other examples &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Decorative images that contain no usable information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Photos of real-life scenes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screenshots representing how something appears to others.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color gradients used to measure something - for example, a heat map.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check Color Contrast&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now let’s look at some examples of when you must check color contrast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Charts and graphs &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many default graphs are inaccessible when first added to your Word document. Let’s look at the sample pie charts below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The pie chart on the left uses a default setting. Remember, if a table accompanied this chart, then you do not need to worry about the color contrast success criteria for the chart. However, since we don’t have a table with it and we know your goal is to improve accessibility for everyone, let’s look at how to ensure it meets the success criteria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Yellow, gray, and orange all fail color contrast success criteria, both against the white background and each other (they do not meet the minimum 3:1 contrast requirement).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Numbers on top of color background also fail to meet the color contrast criteria (4.5:1).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can use simple, quick fixes to make your charts and graphs pass the color contrast success criteria. Let’s look at the second chart:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The numbers have been moved off the color background and enlarged. The color for both the numbers and lead lines have been changed from gray to black.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At this point, the color contrast between the slices do not matter as the end users can glean the information from the numbers. However, the added black outlines give users a better experience.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; title=&quot;Left pie chart has colors, grey text with percentage inside slice. Right pie chart has each slice outlined in black and uses black for category, percentage, and lead lines placed outside of the chart.&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/1_4_11_PieChartFailPass_2_tcm38-577901.PNG&quot; alt=&quot;Left pie chart has colors, grey text with percentage inside slice. Right pie chart has each slice outlined in black and uses black for category, percentage, and lead lines placed outside of the chart.&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;1-4-11-PieChartFailPass-2&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Icons and symbols&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s look at icons and symbols. Sometimes you may use icons that are universally understood in place of text.  However, it is important that they meet or exceed the success criteria stating the color contrast must be 3:1 or greater. There are two home icons below. The lime green icon fails color contrast criteria with a 2.3:1 ratio. By contrast, the blue and white icon on the far right passes with a contrast level of 3.7:1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; title=&quot;2 circles each with a house icon. Left: white house, lime green background. Right: white house, blue background.&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ColorContrastIconPassFail_tcm38-577902.png&quot; alt=&quot;2 circles each with a house icon. Left: white house, lime green background. Right: white house, blue background.&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Color-Contrast-Icon-Pass-Fail&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But Wait, There’s More!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next edition we will share information for those who go beyond these simple structures. You can expect information for those who create infographics, data visualizations, and forms. Subscribe so you don’t miss out!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #eceff3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>577889</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-17T20:10:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>You want to meet WCAG 2.1 but are not sure where to start. Good news! Learn how others are beginning this work in our new series of articles.</Description><Audience/><Title>WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG</Subject><Subject>2.1</Subject><Subject>updating</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Pros and Cons about Quick Accessibility Fix Products</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Webpage with bandages in shape of an X.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/browser-band-aid-blog_tcm38-574513.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Webpage with bandages in the shape of an X.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/browser-band-aid-blog-thumb_tcm38-574514.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-04 - Overlay</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-574507&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-26T15:24:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>We receive many questions about products that claim to automatically, or with the push of a button, fix accessibility for end users. This article discusses what overlays are, how they are used, and what you need to consider before using them.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What you need to know when a vendor offers an easy solution</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility invests time learning about all kinds of products that may improve accessibility and usability for people using the state’s digital technology. We also look into products that help state employees create more accessible and usable documents, websites, software, mobile apps, etc. We focus on a blend of efficiently providing information in a way that people can easily use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We receive many questions about products that claim to automatically, or with the push of a button, fix accessibility for end users. Many of these products claim that this reduces the time (and therefore cost) of providing technology that is accessible and usable by people with disabilities. The products claim that adding a tool to a webpage or set of webpages make it easier for people, specifically end users, to use your site without effort by your web developers to address accessibility requirements. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One example that comes up frequently is something called an accessibility overlay. These are tools that are added by a site owner and used by the site visitors. To the end user, they appear like a button on the page (more on this in the next section).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do these products deliver? It depends on many factors. Do you need the products? Maybe. You don’t need it to create accessible content because there are ways to make content accessible without it. Sometimes the products degrade your accessibility for users of assistive technology and therefore reduce your compliance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article discusses what overlays are, how they are used, and what you need to consider before using them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overlays&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An overlay in the digital accessibility sense is like an easy button. It visually appears somewhere on the page. Sometimes it appears just after the webpage loads. Users typically encounter an icon to let them know it is there. The end user selects the icon. This opens a panel with options. The person chooses preferences that apply to pages within that set of pages. This may include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Applying a profile for  people with a particular group of disabilities (example: vision impaired/low vision).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Applying specific changes to the visual display of the content (example: changes to font size or color contrast).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people may consider this a way for users to make a site work better for their personal needs. Choice can be a good thing. However, choice for some people should not prevent others from using the same site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Requirements&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All State of Minnesota executive branch agencies must ensure that their content meets the state’s digital accessibility standard. You can learn what this requires on our webpage: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/stat-basis.jsp&quot;&gt;Statutory Basis for Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;. Individual agencies may have additional requirements, such as specific plain language requirements. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are times when an agency or government program may have specific goals, such as increased usability. Sometimes these goals center around a specific group of people who use their information. These would go above and beyond the digital accessibility standard. Our office encourages these efforts! For example, while the digital accessibility standard requires A and AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG), it encourages complying with AAA success criteria when possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider How People Use  the Information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider the user’s path to get to your website. Most likely people are not using computers that are set up to display your website as soon as it powers on. If they truly need special tools to use your website, they also need tools to get to your website. For example, they may need:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A person to help them.&lt;/strong&gt; This is not ideal, however, this may be the path for several groups of users. This may especially be true for: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People with less computer literacy skills.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People newly diagnosed with a disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People without access to services (for a variety of reasons).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Assistive technology (AT).&lt;/strong&gt; These special tools provide the same options as the products we are discussing, however, they work for multiple websites. And, they may help the person:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Launch the browser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Perform a search.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read the search results.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use their bookmarks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we consider person-centered planning, universal design, and design thinking – all part of  usability (UX) – they all ask the same question: what do our users really need? Learning about customers is the greatest investment. This will guide us to create better digital information. If the people using your digital information say they are having trouble using the site, spend some time learning about why. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connect Users to Information They Need&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Help your site visitors learn more about options to improve their independence. One claim that is made by some products is that some users don’t know they need assistive technology but find those features helpful. They may not have even heard of assistive technology. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, you can do this without special tools, depending on the skillset of your team. You can share information about assistive technology and computer literacy skill development by providing:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Short videos that share the information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sections of text with an option to hear them read aloud. For this, you can use a recording. Place a “play” button next to the onscreen text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also place your group’s contact information in an easy to find location. For people who find using a webpage difficult, connecting with a person from your group may be easiest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When users need assistive technology&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your website visitors say they can’t use the site because they don’t have assistive technology, your video or recorded audio (next to text) can share information about how to get their own assistive technology. In Minnesota, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/star/&quot;&gt;Minnesota STAR program&lt;/a&gt; helps people learn: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What types of assistive technology are available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to work with someone who can show you different options that may help you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to borrow equipment to try it out.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Different ways people can access the technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The STAR program is an Assistive Technology Act program. There are similar programs in other states. The National Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training (AT3) Center has a list of &lt;a href=&quot;https://at3center.net/state-at-programs/&quot;&gt;State/Territory AT Programs&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If users need digital literacy skills&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a user’s issue is because they need computer or smartphone literacy skills, then provide information about local programs offering this. In Minnesota, programs and information are available from places like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Libraries.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.uimn.org/applicants/job-search-computer-training.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota Unemployment Insurance – update job skills webpage&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/tech/digital/safe/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Educations’ digital literacy and internet safety webpage&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Considerations for Buying an Overlay Solution&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the products available claim they improve your site’s accessibility. Do your research before considering any purchase. And, if you work for government, follow the proper purchasing process. Be sure to know:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The current state of your site’s digital accessibility. If you are not sure, hire a company to complete a test for you. Use a company that does not sell a solution product. This will help ensure there is no conflict of interest.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The cost to improve your site’s digital accessibility. If you put together a road map or plan you can budget for improvements of your current site over time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The potential risks you may take on by using a solution that “fixes” your site’s accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some products that offer accessibility via overlay may actually add risk for your group. Several lawsuits have been filed recently related to this type of solution. Before proceeding, you may want to do some research to become more informed about the complaints made in litigation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using This Type of Product&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After doing your research, if you decide to use one of these tools, take these next important steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider adding into your vendor negotiations a way to not use a product if testing shows accessibility issues after applying their product.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a skilled accessibility tester review the product in use with your site before it is available to your users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do not use the tool if it negatively impacts the accessibility of your website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another Path&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider some training for staff who want to “kick the accessibility tires” to either confirm the findings of a testing company or tester, and/or anticipate potential accessibility issues. While this does not replace having a complete accessibility test done for your site by a well-trained accessibility tester, it does ensure that your group has a base level of understanding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, staff could:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Begin by reviewing free learning opportunities like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/preliminary/&quot;&gt;Easy Checks&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/courses/foundations-course/&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Foundations course from the W3C&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn how to use automated testing tools like WAVE or ANDI (tools linked in a recent newsletter article: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/570818&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use paid materials from one of several vendors that offer this type of coursework.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, do you need the products? No. You can have accessible websites without them. In fact, sometimes the products degrade your accessibility for users of assistive technology and therefore reduce your compliance. Your goal of increased usability is excellent.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focus on your goals:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Listen to your end users. Find out what makes using your site difficult.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn more about digital accessibility and usability. The current state of your site, what you can do to improve it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make well-researched decisions before purchasing technology solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, get quality advice on this topic from your organization’s digital accessibility team. Partner with them to review your current site, and any products you are considering.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>574507</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-17T15:24:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Global Accessibility Awareness Day  (GAAD) 2023 is Thursday, May 18, 2023. All of us can take part by sharing information about digital accessibility with our communities.</Description><Audience/><Title>Check out this grab bag of great Global Accessibility Awareness Day goodies!</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Check out this grab bag of great Global Accessibility Awareness Day goodies!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Gift bag of GAAD goodies</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gaad-gift-bag-blog_tcm38-574552.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Gift bag of GAAD goodies</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gaad-gift-bag-blog-thumb_tcm38-574553.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-04 - GAAD</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-574517&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-26T15:24:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Global Accessibility Awareness Day  (GAAD) 2023 is Thursday, May 18, 2023. All of us can take part by sharing information about digital accessibility with our communities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Resources for GAAD campaigns and for learning</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day  (GAAD) 2023 is Thursday, May 18, 2023 – number 12 if you are keeping track! All of us can take part by sharing information about digital accessibility with our communities. This may include your coworkers, supervisors, and community members. We know you are busy, so we’ve gathered a list of things you may need for a successful campaign!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walk the Digital Accessibility Walk&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember: Model good digital accessibility when sharing information about GAAD using:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Documents:&lt;/strong&gt; 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the accessibility checker.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check the color contrast.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Social media:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add alternative text to images.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;After links to videos, add (VIDEO) to alert your followers what the link may open.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Videos should have captions and audio description. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Infographics: Check for accessibility before posting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emails:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If using more than 2 paragraphs, consider adding properly structured headings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add alternative text to images.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow the same accessibility best practices you follow for documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Webpages:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reach out to your colleagues for help testing if you are newer to digital accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General Digital Accessibility Awareness Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider adding these to your campaigns:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/no-mouse-challenge.jsp&quot;&gt;No Mouse Challenge&lt;/a&gt; – Learn about using digital information without a mouse. This includes a link to the Keyboard Shortcuts quick card.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/experience-lab/&quot;&gt;Experience Lab&lt;/a&gt; – Information and activities people can try. They will learn more about cognitive, hearing, motor, and vision disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility home page&lt;/a&gt; – This includes links to the “Why Accessibility Matters” videos (version with captions, version with audio description), and the full set of quick cards.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources for Each Type of Digital Technology&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2021 we provided a list of digital technology resources on our website. This information is still available: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-81681#/detail/appId/1/id/476719&quot;&gt;Free Digital Accessibility Resources from the state of Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the information listed above, we have new resources:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/pdf-101.jsp&quot;&gt;Accessible PDF Training&lt;/a&gt; – free e-Learning on how to create accessible PDF documents. Each module is short, and focuses on a single topic. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/data-visualization/&quot;&gt;Data Visualization Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; – Information for those using Power BI, Tableau, and people wanting data visualization basics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Blog Articles from the Past&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to see what we have done during previous years? Check out how our GAAD campaigns and events change each year! Some have links to videos you can review on YouTube.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2015&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-81681&quot;&gt;Announcing Minnesota’s No-Mouse Challenge&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This is the first Global Accessibility Awareness Day blog article on our website! Many things have changed since then, but the basics remain the same.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2016&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-81681#/detail/appId/1/id/232094&quot;&gt;Try Doing Your Job Without Using a Mouse &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The article asks readers “Have you ever counted the number of times you ‘click’ your mouse button in a minute?” It includes ideas for moving your awareness of accessibility into action steps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2018&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-327943&quot;&gt;Mark Your calendars &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The second half of this article includes activity ideas for people wanting to get involved with Global Accessibility Awareness Day.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-340615&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day Recap &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In 2018 the Office of Accessibility and digital accessibility coordinators spread out the activities over an entire week! Many groups came together at different locations to learn and celebrate about different topics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2020&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-81681#/detail/appId/1/id/433010&quot;&gt;Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Proclaims Digital Accessibility Awareness Day&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“It is critical that we always recognize the need for inclusion and accessible services” – Governor Tim Walz.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-432871&quot;&gt;Celebrating Digital Accessibility in the State of Minnesota &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This article highlighted speakers from our virtual event “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2021&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-81681#/detail/appId/1/id/476719&quot;&gt;Resources to Use for Your GAAD Celebrations&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Office of Accessibility wants everyone to have what they need to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Health Information and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-81681#/detail/appId/1/id/482425&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Discussed on GAAD&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As the world continued to experience the pandemic, state government leaders discussed the importance of digital accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-485786&quot;&gt;Recordings Available: Accessible Meetings for All&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Recordings include planning for reasonable accommodations, pre-meeting preparations, setting a baseline for all meetings, and all people needed that year to have more accessible online meetings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2022&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/533052&quot;&gt;Six Short Programs on Accessibility and Disability Topics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Page providing brief descriptions and links to presentations and transcripts of six different presentations. The following links are to the recordings only.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/X-963qYUJzI?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;Introduction to Accessibility Standards (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn what accessibility guidelines are and how they change over time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5OSWz6vd77Y?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;End User Impact of Accessibility Standards (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A conversation with people with disabilities about their experiences. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/fEF03yzi3ZM?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;Buying Accessible Technology (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn about the “happy path” to buy accessible technology – including accessibility at the beginning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z2PB881rcqQ?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;Projects that Shift Left for Accessibility (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A case study on incorporating accessibility from the beginning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/kX-v7RjMelM?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;Creating Accessible Visual Content (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Graphic designers, content creators, and trainers can learn how to make documents, PDFs, and forms that everyone can understand.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/1mHdSnIu2sU?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;Web Application Accessibility (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experts from the Minnesota Department of Revenue share how they created processes, tools, and resources to resolve accessibility challenges that developers face.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>574517</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-05-17T15:24:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Despite the loss of the nest, the EagleCam is still on. Read about MNIT&apos;s role in supporting the DNR&apos;s Eaglecam.</Description><Audience/><Title>DNR’s Eaglecam Nest Loss Unable to Dampen Sprits; Plans for New Camera with MNIT Support </Title><Publisher/><Subject>DNR</Subject><Subject>Eaglecam</Subject><Subject>seasonal</Subject><Subject>webcam</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>DNR’s EagleCam Nest Loss Unable to Dampen Spirits; Plans for New Camera with MNIT Support </Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screencap from MN DNR&apos;s Eaglecam of an eagle resting in a snow-covered nest</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/eaglecam-thumb_tcm38-572272.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-04 - DNR’s Eaglecam</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-572269&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-04-04T13:33:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Despite the loss of the nest, the EagleCam is still on. Read about MNIT&apos;s role in supporting the DNR&apos;s EagleCam.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The intermittent chirping of the birds, mild sounds of the wind, and occasional rumblings of a passing train are what Minnesotans encounter when they visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/webcams/eaglecam/index.html&quot;&gt;Department of Natural Resources (DNR) EagleCam&lt;/a&gt;. Its star attraction – the nest of a pair of bald eagles – is no more after the latest blizzard in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The nest, which attracts hundreds of thousands of annual views, fell off from its high perch on a Cottonwood tree at 7:53 a.m. on April 2, 2023. DNR experts feel the storm either caused a nearby tree to fall on the nest or the snow proved too heavy for the dead branch that had supported the estimated 2,000-pound nest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/chick%20DAY%20ONE%20hungry%20mouth%2004_tcm38-572271.png&quot; title=&quot;Photo of eaglet in the MN DNR&apos;s Eaglecam nest&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of eaglet in the MN DNR&apos;s Eaglecam nest&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Eaglecam 2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;One day-old chick expecting to be fed.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Photo credit: Lori Naumann, DNR&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unfortunately, a barely-week-old chick in the nest did not survive the fall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The adult eagles weren’t injured and were flying around the area and are &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/webcams/eaglecam/index.html&quot;&gt;likely to rebuild their nest in the area&lt;/a&gt; because eagles are loyal to their territory.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Despite the loss of the nest, the EagleCam is still on, MNIT Agency Web Liaison Jed Becher said. DNR will inform the community when the camera is turned off for the season.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the seasons ahead, the EagleCam will continue its operations at the same place or a new location nearby, said Becher, a member of the DNR EagleCam team who provides input on activities related to the camera, its operation, communication planning, and crisis management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT team was scouting another location to set up a second camera even before this nest fell.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The EagleCam draws audiences from 180 countries and 50 states, he said. More than 1,700 people simultaneously watched the feed after the lone egg in the nest hatched on March 26, 2023. “There were two eggs but one broke (in February),” Becher said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Earlier this year MNIT replaced a faulty microphone to enhance the viewer experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On average, about 385,000 devices access the eagle webcam every year. It hit a high of nearly 700,000 in 2016 and a low of 152,000 in 2019 when there wasn’t a successful hatch, he said. The EagleCam has helped DNR’s outreach and education about supporting Minnesota’s wildlife.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/feb%202023%20bliz%20female%20incubating%206am%202_tcm38-572270.png&quot; title=&quot;Screencap from the MN DNR&apos;s Eaglecam of an eagle resting in a snow-covered nest.&quot; alt=&quot;Screencap from the MN DNR&apos;s Eaglecam of an eagle resting in a snow-covered nest.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Eaglecam 1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;The dramatic photo went viral and helped bring a record number of viewers to the DNR EagleCam.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Photo credit: Lori Naumann, DNR&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lori Naumann, Information Officer for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/index.html&quot;&gt;DNR’s Nongame Wildlife program&lt;/a&gt;, credits Becher for helping drive traffic to the EagleCam this year. After a snowstorm hit Minnesota in late February, Becher suggested posting and promoting the image of a snow-covered eagle after he saw the footage captured by the EagleCam, she said. The photo and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIGhwd3FWAw&quot;&gt;time-lapsed video&lt;/a&gt; went viral.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How EagleCam Works&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The current EagleCam (&lt;a href=&quot;https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDNR/bulletins/32f631f&quot;&gt;the third one since 2012&lt;/a&gt;) is on the same large tree that housed the eagle nest (about 10 feet away). The camera uses Power Over Ethernet (POE) and is linked to the DNR network with a Point-to-Point internet connection.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A computer in the DNR central office accesses the camera over the DNR network and uses software to encode the video, sending it to the DNR’s YouTube channel for public streaming. To help maintain the camera and microphone on the tree securely, DNR relies on its partnership with Xcel Energy. The energy company makes available a truck that can help DNR reach the nest as and when needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Role of MNIT in Maintaining Seasonal Webcams&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Besides Becher, the MNIT team supporting webcams includes John Wucherer, who takes care of hardware including cameras and microphones, and vendor coordination, and Theodore Bhagyam, who configures the streaming software as needed for the EagleCam.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT specifies cameras and all related hardware, maintains internet connectivity, and manages vendors and associated streaming software and DNR YouTube resources, while DNR staff control day-to-day camera operations, selecting views, locations, and subjects of cameras as well as all promotion and communication-related activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Facts about the Nest/EagleCam&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The nest was over 20 years old. First discovered by DNR staff in 2003.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The camera was installed on Dec. 28, 2012.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the last 10 years, the nest was used by two females and four males to hatch eggs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The nest produced 27 eggs and 15 eaglets successfully fledged.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>572269</id><pubdate>2023-04-14T14:30:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>You want to meet WCAG 2.1 but are not sure where to start. Good news! Learn how others are beginning this work in our new series of articles.</Description><Audience/><Title>WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>WCAG</Subject><Subject>2.1</Subject><Subject>updating</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hand holding a smartphone. Onscreen: Minnesota Council on Disability webpage, displaying menu navigation.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/council-disability-website-nav-blog_tcm38-570780.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hand holding smartphone. Onscreen: the Minnesota Council on Disability webpage.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hand-holding-smartphone-blog-thumb_tcm38-570775.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-03 - WCAG 21 Disability</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-570818&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-28T17:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>You want to meet WCAG 2.1 but are not sure where to start. Good news! Learn how others are beginning this work in our new series of articles.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Improving Navigation Menus and Focus Indicators </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s note: We are beginning a series of articles called WCAG 2.1 – Improving Digital Accessibility. This month, we hear from a digital accessibility coordinator about work done in Minnesota to improve the accessibility of state websites. These are works in progress. Subscribe to be sure you get each installment in this series! (The link is at the bottom of this page.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Council on Disability&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chad Miller, CPACC, Digital Access Coordinator for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.disability.state.mn.us/&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Council on Disability website&quot;&gt;Minnesota Council on Disability&lt;/a&gt;, shares information about ongoing work on their website. They have been working on two specific areas of their website – the navigation menu and the focus indicator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Navigation Menu&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What did you have before? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Initially, we had a navigation sidebar containing links to the landing pages and a few subpages we wanted to feature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why did it need to change to meet WCAG 2.1?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The reflow (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/reflow.html&quot; title=&quot;W3C webpage: Understanding document for SC 1.4.10&quot;&gt;Understanding document for SC 1.4.10&lt;/a&gt;) needed to change. When the page was resized or used on a mobile device, the navigation menu would move to the bottom of the page. That didn’t meet user expectations for main navigation behavior.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What steps did you follow to make the change?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our developer and I researched various types of menus, with a focus on expected keyboard behavior. He was working with another disability organization at the time and was able to get additional feedback and direct user input. Eventually, we found a workable menu we could use with our content management system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did you test to validate that it now met 2.1?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I started with a combination of &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/&quot; title=&quot;WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool&quot;&gt;WAVE&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ssa.gov/accessibility/andi/help/install.html&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Name and Description Inspector (ANDI)&quot;&gt;ANDI,&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibilityinsights.io/docs/web/overview/&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Insights for Web webpage&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights for Web&lt;/a&gt; for automated testing. Then manual testing guided by those results. I focused on keyboard interactions and going through the site with JAWS on the desktop. For mobile testing, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityoz.com/resources/mobile-testing/&quot; title=&quot;Mobile Site Accessibility Testing Methodology resources&quot;&gt;Accessibility Oz Mobile Site Accessibility Testing Methodology resources&lt;/a&gt; were very helpful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focus Indicator&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What did you have before? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We had a single solid blue focus indicator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why did it need to change to meet WCAG 2.1?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A staff member asked if we could add a dark mode to the site. Dark mode plus the new navigation menu led us to think about more background and foreground color combinations and the WCAG 2.1 Non-text Contrast requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What steps did you follow to make the change?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I spent a good deal of time on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/non-text-contrast.html&quot; title=&quot;W3C webpage: Understanding SC 1.4.11&quot;&gt;Understanding SC 1.4.11 page&lt;/a&gt; and contacted other Digital Accessibility Coordinators. Thank you to David Miller (Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Corrections) for some feedback and examples. We ended up using different indicator styles for different parts of the page, including a multicolored one.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did you test to validate that it now met 2.1?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I did much of the testing with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/&quot; title=&quot;Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA)&quot;&gt;Colour Contrast Analyser&lt;/a&gt; and the contrast information in &lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/&quot; title=&quot;Chrome Developer Tools&quot;&gt;Chrome DevTools.&lt;/a&gt; I tested various combinations of the light and dark themes and the menu reflow points to account for potential background changes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t miss next month’s edition! Subscribe using the link below to make sure you get each installment in this series!&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>570818</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-28T17:00:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Are you interested in digital accessibility mentorship? Whether you want to learn more about digital accessibility, or have accessibility skills to share, this article has tips!</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Mentorship May Be Just What You Need!</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>mentorship</Subject><Subject>skills</Subject><Subject>development</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Mentorship May Be Just What You Need!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text: Accessibility Mentorship. Man and woman talking in an office. 3D image with lines connected at joints with circles.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mentorship-blog_tcm38-570778.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Lines creating a 3D style shape. Joints between lines are round circles.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mentorship-blog-thumb_tcm38-570777.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-03 - Accessibility Mentorship</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-570781&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-03-28T17:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Are you interested in digital accessibility mentorship? Whether you want to learn more about digital accessibility, or have accessibility skills to share, this article has tips!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Information for Mentors, Mentees, and Mentorship Programs</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Sam Alley, Fusion Learning Partners and Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know the right things to do. Things like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Eat your vegetables.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get some exercise.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make your digital content accessible for everyone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Turning these thoughts into action, and eventually habits, can be hard. Mentorship is one way to move a good idea into a daily practice. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a lot of technical learning that comes along with digital accessibility. It’s the whole routine of plan, do, test. But what about:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having tough conversations? Example: Advocating for accessibility with a group when it may impact their current project timelines and budget.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you can’t find information on a specific topic?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you need advice on your next set of learning goals?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sam Alley from &lt;a href=&quot;https://fusionlp.org/&quot; title=&quot;Fusion Learning Partners website&quot;&gt;Fusion Learning Partners&lt;/a&gt;,  the nonprofit organization that produces the annual &lt;a href=&quot;https://fusionlp.org/govitsymp-2022/&quot; title=&quot;Government IT Symposium conference page&quot;&gt;Government IT Symposium&lt;/a&gt;,  wanted to improve their digital content&apos;s accessibility. For six months he partnered with Jennie Delisi from the state of Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility. They dedicated a small amount of time each month to studying and took notes along the way to share with you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may wonder who benefits from being the mentee (a person receiving mentorship)? Sam shares, “Anyone looking to learn more about accessibility. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you’re hoping to become more comfortable and confident talking about accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you work in web design or build products for consumer use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In both of these cases, this mentorship is for you.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The mentor (person providing the mentorship) benefits too. “You get a window into the perspective of people exploring a topic for the first time. They may raise questions that surprise you. And, you will learn from their unique perspectives,” according to Delisi.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Goal and Expectation Setting&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a mentee, it is important to have a general idea of what you want to learn during your mentorship. This can help the mentor bring the right information to your meetings, and help you set more concrete goals. Alley said, &quot;We knew we had work to do to get our website accessible and compliant. The staff at Fusion Learning Partners also wanted to learn how to approach each project with accessibility in mind so we weren’t in a position of cleaning up messes after they happen. Instead, we want to better anticipate and plan accordingly.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For both the mentee and the mentor, it is important to be open about your expectations. Delisi recommends thinking about these concepts before starting:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How much time do I want to use for meetings?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Will I have time between meetings for follow up? How much?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What is my communication and learning style?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This last one seems more appropriate for the mentee, but it applies to both! Mentors should know their learning style because the resources they have on file may not match the mentee&apos;s learning style. For example, some mentors learn better by reading articles, but their mentee may learn better by watching videos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At their first meeting, Alley shared how much time he wanted to spend each week on learning activities. Delisi sent a follow-up email to help Alley set more specific goals. She wrote:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Here is a sample goal for headings. It could be: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;understand the purpose of headings, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;know where and when to use them, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;know how to test to ensure you are using them correctly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The key performance indicators (KPIs) for this goal could be:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review x training materials on headings. (List them so you have a plan for your study time. We can create this list together.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review materials within your daily work. Find examples of where you have used headings correctly, where you have not, and where you have questions. Record these. (This acts as your baseline to measure your improvement. It is ok if there are problems! In fact, that is how you will learn where you were making mistakes. This helps you make better choices as you work going forward.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review questions with Jennie at next mentorship meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fix some of the issues you found previously, then measure the improvement. Record this.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When working on a new project, do your best to apply what you have learned. Test your headings. Record this score. (Note: we all find issues as we test. That is the purpose of testing. But, the beauty of the comparison is that you are going to notice that you have improved your score over time. The biggest reason to do this is to see for yourself that it improved. And, to help us identify where you may need more help – and that’s ok! That is why we are meeting together.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use the above as a model to create KPIs for your goals.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learning Needs to be Flexible&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alley found that &quot;things change, so being adaptable to shifting focus, new information, changing priorities, etc. was super helpful. Jennie also created an environment where I wanted to share everything – good, bad, or otherwise. She was a solutions partner rather than someone who tells us what the standards are and how we’re failing. We set goals, checked in on them, and continually worked towards them.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the mentor, Delisi learned that she had to build in more time to accommodate the changing mentee&apos;s priorities. &quot;You may have a plan in your mind, based on the initial goals. This includes resources you will share. But life&apos;s unexpected turns really influences our accessibility work! Hold time to prepare resources addressing those &apos;in the moment&apos; needs your mentee will have.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alley&apos;s Outcomes and Next Steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alley felt that becoming more familiar with &quot;accessibility terminology, standards, and procedures was extremely helpful. An example – when working with a virtual platform for the hybrid portions of the Government IT Symposium I always asked for a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). I had been under the assumption that a VPAT meant that the site/platform was accessible. I have learned that it can just be a list of how a site is NOT accessible. Virtual platform vendors are often working towards solutions, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they have accessible design in mind. We have used products in the past that claimed to be accessible, but weren’t. I now know the red flags to look for and the questions to ask that will ensure we use products that are the most accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does he plan to do next in terms of his digital accessibility learning? &quot;We started a wonderful thing this year at the IT Symposium by having a greater focus on accessibility with:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Speakers on topics related to digital accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Virtual and in-person experience labs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vendors focused on accessibility, and other resources available. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I want to continue to push in each of those areas to ensure we are at the forefront of innovation and new information in the accessibility space. We have several folks who help ensure we’re being accessible, but I hope to expand that network so we aren’t always relying on a small handful of folks. Fusion Learning Partners oversees several other conferences as well. I want to apply this learning and the best practices across all our offerings.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Delisi&apos;s Next Steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;In my former career as a music therapist, there was an established system for not only mentees, but also to support the mentors.&quot; When she switched careers she noticed this structure wasn&apos;t as formal for digital accessibility. But the good news is that there are more accessibility mentorship programs starting! &quot;I will be looking for opportunities to mentor those wanting to develop their mentorship skills.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advice For Human Resource Departments&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility mentorship has unique components. People may want this type of mentorship as a digital accessibility coordinator, project manager, product manager, and other roles. The type of focus they want may include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Technical skills.&lt;/strong&gt; People who want to learn more in this area may want deep dives into a specific aspect of accessibility like documents or developing mobile apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consulting skills.&lt;/strong&gt; Some digital accessibility professionals need to develop ways of approaching a wide variety of team members. This can include working with executives and policy makers, business analysts and project managers, or document and video production staff.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Advocacy skills.&lt;/strong&gt; Even with laws and policies, many people continue to need to use advocacy skills in their work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ask questions of potential mentees and mentors to ensure that you understand their needs and skills before making matches. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advice for Potential Mentors&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;There is often the misconception that being a mentor requires a lot of time and expertise.&quot; Delisi&apos;s advice: &quot;Start small if you are unsure! You can:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be available for one-time mentorship sessions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide mentorship on limited topics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet with someone and learn about them and their goals before agreeing to a longer-term commitment.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alley and Delisi set their mentorship agreement to be 6 months. Some mentor and mentee work could be in-depth for a short period of time. Others can be less frequent but over a longer period. And Delisi shares that &quot;a good mentor will always share when they do not have expertise in a particular area. You can always help the person find someone with a specific knowledge area.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you know what you are willing to offer, share your availability. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Let colleagues know you are ready to mentor. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contact your human resources department. They may have a formal mentorship program.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reach out to individuals you know who may be looking for a mentor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share your availability when at a conference. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advice to Potential Mentees&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alley has a lot of advice for potential mentees! &quot;There can often be an overwhelming amount of information out there. Some can be hard to navigate, seem contradictory, or really just scare folks into thinking they’re not accessible and therefore – doing a bad job. Meeting with Jennie really tore down those walls and made everything much more manageable. It created a space that we were able to dedicate time to our own improvement. We felt like we were a part of a team and everyone wins in the end.&quot; Alley feels there is also a win for his employer. &quot;Focusing on accessibility has helped &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Broaden our offerings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brought in more dedicated stakeholders.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Helped us be seen as leaders in an area that has a ton of new innovation going on.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He advises everyone to &quot;Take the leap! We met for an hour once a month and just that much time and space was enough to make huge improvements. This process has really helped us lead with accessibility in mind rather than being reactive to issues we might have. It can be scary to think that something you’re offering might be inaccessible, but being in a mentorship helped alleviate those feelings.”&lt;/div&gt;

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&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>570781</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-03-28T17:00:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Sometimes your video or meeting has information onscreen, but nobody’s voice describes it. What if someone cannot see the screen? Audio description is the answer.</Description><Audience/><Title>Important audio description tips: techniques to make visuals heard</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>keyboard testing</Subject><Subject>interactive elements</Subject><Subject>keyboard-only</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Successful Teams Ensure 100% of their Members Understand Keyboard Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hierarchy chart. 1st level: “Keyboard testing”. 2nd level (text with icons): Who (head), What (gear), Why (talking bubble with question mark).</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/keyboard-testing-feature-blog_tcm38-565807.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Closeup of finger pressing a key</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/keyboard-testing-feature-blog-thumb_tcm38-565808.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-02 - Keyboard Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-565776&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-23T21:58:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Keyboard testing is one of the most basic digital accessibility tests. If you are going to learn one test, start with this one!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Do You Know Your Role?</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;script type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;


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&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who Tests, What Gets Tested, and Why&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard testing is one of the most basic digital accessibility tests. If you are going to learn one test, start with this one! It helps many people, including people who:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use screen reading software, such as people who are blind.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use alternative access methods like keyboard only (no mouse), switches, or use their voice to operate their computer. These may be people with tremors, or people with other types of mobility challenges.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of keyboard testing is to answer these questions:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can someone use all interactions without a mouse?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can that person (visually) tell which interaction they are on?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are the interactions in the order a person expects?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone that makes digital communications needs to know how to do these tests. Even if you create basic digital communications! Some examples include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emails.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Social media posts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web pages (including SharePoint pages).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mobile apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E-learning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digital maps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Data visualizations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you on a team building or reviewing a technology solution? Each team member needs to understand what keyboard accessibility is and why it is important. Depending on their role, they may also need to know how to test. This includes team members like the:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Project manager.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Business analyst.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Designer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Testers (both accessibility and quality assurance professionals).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard tests check interactive elements. If you are a mouse user, these are things you click on (links, buttons, menus). For forms, they are the ways you can give your response: radio buttons, check boxes, dropdowns for choices, text areas. More complex interfaces sometimes have accordions, dialogs/modal windows, toggles. Don’t worry if you are not yet ready for the complex ones! We will start with the basics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This leaves many elements you do not need to test with a keyboard. Anything you are to read or notice, but not interact with, should not get keyboard focus. This includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Headings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Paragraph text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Images that do not have a link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What about access to alternative text? It depends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screen reading software’s access to alternative text is tested during other types of accessibility testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are testing something that allows you to add alt text (when testing an authoring tool itself, not if you are a content author), this should be keyboard accessible. An example: when creating an email, you can insert an image. In Outlook, to add the alternative text using just your keyboard:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bring focus to the image.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shift + F10 opens the context menu.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Arrow keys bring you to the “edit alt text” menu option.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enter key selects this option, and you are brought to the text field for entering alt text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ready to learn more? This article covers: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard testing basics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard-only use planning and requirements writing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reporting and fixing problems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Resources for learning more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 id=&quot;keyboardTesting&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard Testing Basics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your keyboard test needs 3 basic checks:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard-only use works.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visual indicators are present.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Predictable and correct order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do them twice:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At regular size/magnification.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Magnified to 200%.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For intermediate and advanced testers:&lt;/strong&gt; Learn more details by reviewing &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?currentsidebar=%23col_customize&amp;amp;tags=keyboard&amp;amp;levels=aaa&quot;&gt;How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference), with WCAG 2.1 A and AA selected for success criteria related to keyboard&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test #1: Identify and evaluate interactive elements&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are checking to be sure that all interactions can happen without a mouse. You can use your tab key (and sometimes arrow keys and other keys on your keyboard) to go between these elements and use them. Some examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use your tab key to move between links, buttons, form controls, or groups of radio buttons.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Within the radio buttons, use your arrow key to move between the options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When in a dropdown (like a submenu), use your up and down arrow keys to move between the options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use your enter key, and sometimes the space bar, to select something. You can use the enter key when your focus is on a link to go to that page. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to identify interactive elements&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beginners ask: how do I know if something is interactive? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer: If you are able to use a mouse, you can slowly move your mouse across the area you are testing. If your pointer changes from an arrow to something else, that is interactive. Here’s an example: for Windows operating systems, pointers can change from an arrow to a caret or text cursor for text entry areas. Microsoft shares more information and image examples in &lt;a href=&quot;https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/uxguide/inter-mouse&quot;&gt;Windows 7 Mouse and Pointers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/how-do-i-know-if-its-interactive-blog_tcm38-565784.png&quot; title=&quot;Arrow (pointer) next to unfocused link with text “Read the quick cards.” Underneath is same link, with index finger (pointer) over it, darker text color.&quot; alt=&quot;Arrow (pointer) next to unfocused link with text “Read the quick cards.” Underneath is same link, with index finger (pointer) over it, darker text color.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;HowDoIknowIfItsInteractive&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mouse pointers may also change from an arrow to a finger pointing to show there is a link. When checking which elements are interactive, you are not checking what shape it changes to, just noticing when it changes. When you do your keyboard test, you want each of the areas with changes to the mouse pointer to also be usable with just a keyboard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another way to complete this check for interactive elements is to review the code. This is useful if you are testing a web page or app. Look for the names of elements (like &amp;lt;button&amp;gt;), input type, and events (like onclick).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/focus-order-blog_tcm38-565797.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Office of Accessibility’s January newsletter, web version. Numbers go from link (#1), to an obscured button (#2), logo (#3), link to view as a webpage (#4).&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Office of Accessibility’s January newsletter, web version. Numbers go from link (#1), to an obscured button (#2), logo (#3), link to view as a webpage (#4).&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;focus-order-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you use a tool like &lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibilityinsights.io/docs/web/overview/&quot;&gt;Accessibility Insights for Web&lt;/a&gt;, you can get instructions and visuals while testing, as shown in the image above. I completed the keyboard-only test on the web version of our &lt;a href=&quot;https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/bulletins/3446773&quot;&gt;January newsletter&lt;/a&gt; (use this link to try for yourself!). The tool showed each element that got focus with the tab key as I moved across the page. It also shows me the order (we cover this in Test #3). This type of tool can make it easier to share your results with other people. Note: this tool works for web apps and sites only. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use WebAIM’s table in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/keyboard/#testing&quot;&gt;Keyboard Testing article, Keyboard section&lt;/a&gt; while testing. They list expected keyboard behaviors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are other tools that can help you run this test, like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ssa.gov/accessibility/andi/help/install.html&quot;&gt;ANDI&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identify keyboard traps!&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You don’t want to find a keyboard trap! A trap is where you cannot move away from something after getting to it with the keyboard – being “trapped.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get ready for WCAG 2.1&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Intermediate and advanced testers can also check for these:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you get access to more content when you mouse over something. Make sure you can also access this with just a keyboard. Example: a tooltip.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you can use a single letter keyboard shortcut, make sure you can turn this off, remap it, or it is only active when the component has focus.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test #2: There is a visual indicator when you move to an interactive element&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you start using your tab key on a webpage, you may see a rectangle around the interactive elements on the page. This rectangle follows as you move to the different interactive elements with your tab key. This is called a focus indicator. They are not always rectangles. They could be a background and emphasis change, or some other visual that tells you “you are here.” Each interactive element needs a focus indicator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/test-number-2-visual-indicator-blog_tcm38-565798.png&quot; title=&quot;Expanded hamburger menu. Sub-menu item with focus: collapsed accordion “For Government” is 2 of 4. It has a dotted line around the text&quot; alt=&quot;Expanded hamburger menu. Sub-menu item with focus: collapsed accordion “For Government” is 2 of 4. It has a dotted line around the text&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;test-number-2-visual-indicator-blog&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The submenu item “For Government” has a dotted line around it, indicating it has focus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test #3: You arrive at interactive elements in a predictable order&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When reading English text, we go from left to right, top to bottom. When we review information on an unfamiliar webpage or document, this is how we visually scan the page to see what is there. As you complete your check, ensure that interactive elements get focus in this order. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s an incorrect order:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Footer link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Button on the top of the page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link in the main content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This order passes the test:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Button on the top of the page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link in the main content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Footer link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 id=&quot;keyboardPlanning&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard-Only Use Planning and Requirements Writing&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For email writers, document authors, social media professionals, map makers, and data visualization creators&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may feel overwhelmed at the idea of testing everything you create. Most of your content will only use a few interactive elements. By getting comfortable using keyboard-only to access your content, you will quickly learn how to ensure keyboard accessibility for those interactions you commonly use. Your audience will notice! Key elements to think about include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Links, radio buttons, and check boxes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Placement of hashtags.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interactions that reveal additional content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project Managers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Work with your project team to determine the best ways to ensure keyboard-only accessibility. This includes the business analyst, designer, developer, quality assurance professional, and your digital accessibility subject matter expert. Reserving time in the early stages of the project for this work will reduce testing time and rework at the end of the project. Key questions to ask include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will someone use this component with just a keyboard (no mouse)?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will someone using a keyboard know they have focus on this area?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What order do elements get keyboard focus on this page?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Who (which role) will conduct and be responsible for testing?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business Analyst&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Depending on how specific your business requirements need to be, you can take different approaches to make sure the project’s end product is accessible with a keyboard. For a more global approach you can add a requirement like “Meets the state of Minnesota’s digital accessibility requirements” then include a link to the latest version found on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Accessibility Policies and Standards webpage&lt;/a&gt;. The project team can then pull the current requirements from document. Be sure to use the most current version of the standard. For example, in the future, the state of Minnesota may require WCAG 2.1 success criteria for levels A and AA related to keyboard-only use. This includes: 1.3.2, 1.4.13, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.4, 2.4.3, 2.4.7, 2.5.4. As of February 2023, the standard only requires WCAG 2.0 A and AA (1.3.2, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.4.3, 2.4.7).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your plan is to capture detailed accessibility requirements, they might read something like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The calendar widget operates both with mouse-only and keyboard-only interactions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The browser’s default focus indicator is visible during keyboard-only use for all interactive elements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The page’s focus order is header region elements, search, menu/navigation area elements, main content elements, footer elements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note that you may not need this low-level detail on large efforts when working with developers and testers with a lot of experience and digital accessibility expertise. They will understand all the details. On a small agile-style effort this level of detail might be exactly what is needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Developer&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you work, review:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can each component operate with keyboard-only?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is the visual indicator present for each element?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do elements receive focus in the proper order (left to right, top to bottom)?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 id=&quot;reportingAndFixing&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reporting and Fixing Problems&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not all project team members are responsible for discovering and fixing accessibility issues, but everyone’s contributions are important! As you get better at communicating about the problem, the faster it will get fixed. Some tools    include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Document steps to replicate the problem.&lt;/strong&gt; Include the page, the section, and the elements before and after the element with the problem.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Capture screenshots.&lt;/strong&gt; This should show the area just above and below the element. When pasting this into a report or email, add alternative text.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bonus tip:&lt;/strong&gt; use the “snip in 10 seconds” for areas that may disappear before you can take your screenshot.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Describe the expected behavior.&lt;/strong&gt; Sometimes the person receiving the information is not familiar with keyboard accessibility. Repeat the steps to replicate the problem but reword with how it should operate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reference the relevant WCAG criteria.&lt;/strong&gt; For some situations, sharing the specific part of Minnesota’s accessibility standard can help support getting it fixed more quickly. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 id=&quot;resources&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn More&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People are not born knowing how to do a keyboard accessibility test! This is something I learned by studying and practicing. You can gain these skills too! Here are some resources to get you started.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why to test using just a keyboard&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Office of Accessibility’s online &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/experience-lab/motor.jsp&quot;&gt;Experience Lab – Motor page&lt;/a&gt; has activities that may help. You can watch demonstrations and try some activities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos/keyboard/&quot;&gt;W3C’s Web Accessibility Perspectives: The Keyboard Compatibility&lt;/a&gt; page begins with a video. It also includes information you can read, and links for learning more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Write better requirements, design&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;IBM’s Design Toolkit has easy-to-follow information, including visual examples. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ibm.com/able/toolkit/design/ux/#tab-order&quot;&gt;tab order page on their UX tab&lt;/a&gt; is good for beginners.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Practice testing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibility.18f.gov/keyboard/&quot;&gt;18f has a testing page&lt;/a&gt; that includes examples. Use this to learn more about expected results and common issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/demos/bad/&quot;&gt;W3C’s Before and After Demonstration&lt;/a&gt; shows accessibility issues and how they operate when fixed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>565776</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-23T21:58:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description> Following approval from the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee on January 24, 2023, the Minnesota Senate held a vote on the floor, confirming Commissioner Tomes 64-2.</Description><Audience/><Title>Tarek Tomes Confirmed as Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services and State Chief Information Officer</Title><Publisher/><Subject>commissioner</Subject><Subject>confirm</Subject><Subject>tomes</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tarek Tomes Confirmed as Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services and State Chief Information Officer</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Tarek Tomes headshot with text, &quot;Tarek Tomes Minnesota IT Services Commissioner and State CIO&quot; with MNIT logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tomes-confirmation-spotlight-blog_tcm38-562733.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes headshot on gradient background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tomes-confirmation-spotlight-blog-thumb_tcm38-562729.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-02 - Tarek Tomes Confirmed as Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services and State Chief Information Officer</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-562728&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-02-16T21:58:19Z</Date><ShortDescription> Following approval from the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee on January 24, 2023, the Minnesota Senate today voted to confirm Commissioner Tomes</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;February 16, 2023 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota IT Services is pleased to share that the Minnesota Senate confirmed Tarek Tomes as Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and State Chief Information Officer (CIO) today. Following approval from the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee on January 24, 2023, the Minnesota Senate today voted to confirm Commissioner Tomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Tarek Tomes and his team have worked tirelessly to meet Minnesotans’ technology needs during a time that has made clear just how critical technology is to our daily lives. I know that Tarek will continue pushing to provide our state with the innovative systems and solutions Minnesotans needs to thrive.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Governor Walz&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Tarek Tomes has a strong vision for the digital infrastructure we rely on across state government. At a time when digital technology is more important than ever in the lives of Minnesotans, I am grateful that Commissioner Tomes will continue to lead with creativity and compassion at the helm of MNIT,”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Lieutenant Governor Flanagan&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Over the past four years I’ve had the incredible opportunity to collaborate across state government, local governments, and the private sector to advocate for the ways that technology can improve outcomes for the people of Minnesota. I am thankful for the support of the Minnesota Senate and look forward to our future partnership to innovate, promote data driven-decisions, and deliver people-centered government services that are agile, accessible, easy to use, and give time back to the people of Minnesota.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tarek Tomes was appointed by Governor Tim Walz in April 2019 to lead MNIT. He brings over 25 years of experience managing technology innovation across diverse industries, both in national, international, and public and private sector operations. Throughout his career, he has facilitated data-driven decision-making, implemented many critical enterprise projects, and improved workforce diversity and inclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>562728</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-02-23T21:58:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The report shares how MNIT partners with state agencies to improve the way that Minnesotans interact with government, protect and secure systems, and connect state employees to modern services.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report Now Available</Title><Publisher/><Subject>annual</Subject><Subject>report</Subject><Subject>2022</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report Now Available</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>photo of the MN state capitol cupola against a blue sky with a graphical abstract image of an arrow behind it</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-arrow-cover-flat-blog-thumb_tcm38-520922.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-01 - Minnesota IT Services Annual Report Now Available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-561560&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-26T16:02:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>The report shares how MNIT partners with state agencies to improve the way that Minnesotans interact with government, protect and secure systems, and connect state employees to modern services.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;January 26, 2023 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – The Minnesota IT Service (MNIT) 2022 Annual Report is now available. The report shares how MNIT partners with state agencies to improve the way that Minnesotans interact with government, protect and secure systems, and connect state employees to modern services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find the report on &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2022-annual-report.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Hero Image - 2022 MNIT ANNUAL REPORT&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Hero Image - 2022 MNIT ANNUAL REPORT&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>561560</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-26T17:06:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Sometimes your video or meeting has information onscreen, but nobody’s voice describes it. What if someone cannot see the screen? Audio description is the answer.</Description><Audience/><Title>Important audio description tips: techniques to make visuals heard</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>audio description</Subject><Subject>described audio</Subject><Subject>video</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Important Audio Description Tips: Techniques to Make Visuals Heard</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Audio waveform with text underneath: Audio Description.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/audio-description-blog_tcm38-561037.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Audio waveform.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/audio-description-blog-thumb_tcm38-561029.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-01 - Audio Description</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-560867&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-23T21:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sometimes your video or meeting has information onscreen, but nobody’s voice describes it. What if someone cannot see the screen? Audio description is the answer.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>People may only hear your meeting and video’s visuals</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Imagine you are participating in a meeting. Half of the participants are together in a room. You are one of the online participants. The camera shows the speaker and the presentation slides. Suddenly, everyone in the room laughs, but nothing funny is onscreen. You reread the slide, but don’t get the joke. What happened?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We often communicate with a blend of audio and visual information. But there are times when only one of these communication channels are available. When communicating visual information we can take steps to ensure all of our audience receives the important information, even if they cannot see or understand the visual content. For videos this includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Important graphics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Onscreen text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visuals that advance the plot.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visual jokes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People Who Use Audio Description&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people use audio description. This includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People who are blind or have vision limitations (also known as “low vision”).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People who are deafblind. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some people with cognitive disabilities find information about what is onscreen helpful to support understanding. They may not know which visuals onscreen are important, or what some of them mean.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Types of Audio Description with Examples&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are different approaches to audio description. Select the approach that best fits your content, project requirements, and video hosting location and player.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Audio description included in the script&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people plan their script or talking points to include descriptions of visuals onscreen. This can be a cost-effective way to include audio description. I use images in my presentations to reinforce learning concepts. I build the description of the visuals into my talking points.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I gave a presentation about improving communication about accessibility. The session material focused on conversation partners – the people we speak with as part of our jobs. Some of our conversation partners are people learning new digital accessibility skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img title=&quot;Woman writing on sticky notes, on a board.&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/SlideScreenshot-downsized_tcm38-561039.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Woman writing on sticky notes, on a board.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;SlideScreenshot-downsized&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For this image I included the following sentences with my talking points: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“When they go to do that action, do they know what to do? Again, this is their goal. This person is writing information onto sticky notes on a wall. The items she knows how to do will feel comfortable to her. She will be more likely to tackle those items first.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I included this audio description in the live presentation, and it is also in the recording. This did not require any post-production work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The other benefit of this approach is that there is only one version of the video for everyone to review. The challenges with this approach can be:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Complex visuals may take more time to explain and may not benefit all viewers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some audio description may be unintentionally missed if you record in one take.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Extended audio description&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Extended audio description uses a version of a video made with more time to include descriptions. Production teams use this when there is not enough time in the natural audio breaks to include the descriptions. A narrator’s voice interrupts during audio breaks to describe what is happening onscreen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some videos have a separate audio track for the audio descriptions. This requires an audio description capable video player. &lt;a title=&quot;Keyboard Compatibility video&quot; href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos/keyboard/&quot;&gt;Example: Web Accessibility Initiative’s video “Keyboard Compatibility.”&lt;/a&gt; The button beneath the player allows you to “Enable Audio Description.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are times when having a separate audio track for audio description is not possible. In these cases, production teams may choose to produce two versions of the same video. One version with extended audio description, the other without. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The UK Channel 4 created 2 versions of their Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Trailer. Warning: this video contains some images of blood and other fluids. Also, at the time of publication of this article, the automated captions mistakenly identify bocce balls as “botchable” and COVID as “covert.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Video without audio description - Super. Human.&quot; href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjIP9EFbcWY&quot;&gt;Super. Human. (video without audio description).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Audio described video - Super. Human.&quot; href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy0nPCeruVc&quot;&gt;Super. Human. (audio described version).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Similarly, the Office of Accessibility created 2 versions of the Accessibility Matters video:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Video without audio description - Accessibility Matters&quot; href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dypgQOjV6I&quot;&gt;Accessibility Matters (video without audio description).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;Video with audio description - Accessibility Matters&quot; href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oMPgoU507c&quot;&gt;Accessibility Matters (audio described version).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;img title=&quot;Screenshot of YouTube video. Captions include audio description.&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/AccessibilityMattersAudioDescription-downsized_tcm38-561034.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of YouTube video. Captions include audio description.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;AccessibilityMattersAudioDescription-downsized&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption style=&quot;margin-bottom: 30px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Image caption: The captions and audio in the Accessibility Matters video include the audio description. Here they describe the volume slider in the foreground, the image of the woman in the background, and the action the slider is taking (decreasing until muted).&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The benefit of this approach is that the audio description can have an adequate amount of time to ensure visuals are well described. Drawbacks to this approach include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Need to produce two versions of the video.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hosting and publicizing two versions of the video; or having a video player capable of playing the audio description track.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Additional cost.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Standard audio description&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Standard audio description is also done in post-production. It involves fitting audio description into the natural audio breaks. As with extended audio description, the narrator’s voice interrupts the audio breaks to describe what is happening onscreen. Standard audio description only uses the time available during natural audio breaks – no additional time is added for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The benefit of this approach is that the video is the same length to review as the version without audio description. Drawbacks to this approach include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Need to produce two versions of the video, or at least record a separate audio description track.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hosting and publicizing two versions of the video; or having a video player capable of playing the audio description track.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Additional cost.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Considerations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Will you be making a live or recorded video? Most project team members will need a basic understanding of audio description.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identify visual content without audio&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think about anything you will visually present and is important. Consider this scenario: if someone is on the phone with me, and can hear the audio, but not see the screen. What would I be sure to tell them is happening? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just like alternative text, you do not want to describe everything. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will happen onscreen during the live event, or in a recording. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What might someone want to know happened onscreen?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Build audio descriptions into scripts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning a presentation? Making a video? You can build into your talking points or scripts the audio description of the key visuals. Planning is a key element to success! It:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduces the post-recording cost.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sometimes eliminates the need for a video player that is audio description capable.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improves the quality of the audio descriptions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you plan your video’s visuals, also plan your audio description. Be sure to include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Important information shared in a chart. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The keyboard shortcut as well as the location onscreen if the video shows how to find something on your website. This helps people who use screen readers or don’t use a mouse.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text that appears onscreen. Example: a person’s name and title that displays at the bottom of the screen.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Decide how to handle content that you cannot write into the script&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may decide that some information needs audio description, from a distinct narrator. Considerations include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Where is the video hosted? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you have a choice of video players?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you share the different versions of the video so people needing the audio description version will find it?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, write the audio descriptions. If they need to fit within the natural audio breaks (included in the main audio track), plan these moments into your video without competing audio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assign a narrator just for the audio descriptions. Having a distinct voice helps listeners distinguish the audio description from the other audio elements, like dialogue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Record your video, load the audio description track or version, test&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quality checks of audio description include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sound quality.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Validating that all required audio description is present.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensuring that if there is an audio description track or audio described version that it is present, and works.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep Learning&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Audio description, like alt text, takes skill and practice. Until you feel confident, you may want to work with a vendor who has training and experience. But keep learning! Some suggestions include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visit the &lt;a title=&quot;Office of Accessibility website - multimedia page&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/multimedia.jsp&quot;&gt;Multimedia page’s Description tab on the Office of Accessibility’s website&lt;/a&gt; to learn more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Streaming a tv show or movie? See if an audio description option is available. Learn by observing how others approach different visuals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add audio descriptions into your online meetings and in-person presentations. Have a visual? Describe it for your group.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like all digital accessibility skills, regular practice will help you ensure more people will benefit from your visuals and videos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>560867</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-23T19:57:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>RFPs and accessibility: what is an RFP? How does accessibility fit? Who has a role and what do they do? What is the vendor&apos;s responsibility?</Description><Audience/><Title>Buying Accessible IT: Who is responsible?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>RFP</Subject><Subject>Request for Proposal</Subject><Subject>vendor</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Buying Accessible IT: Who is Responsible?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Open laptop. Signed document draped over screen. Text: RFP, Request, For, Proposal.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rfp-blog_tcm38-561038.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Open laptop. Signed document draped over screen. Text: RFP, Request, For, Proposal.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rfp-blog_tcm38-561038.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2023-01 - Buying IT</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-561042&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-23T21:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>RFPs and accessibility: what is an RFP? How does accessibility fit? Who has a role and what do they do? What is the vendor&apos;s responsibility?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A brief introduction to how Minnesota builds accessibility into the buying process</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2009, the State of Minnesota convened a task force to write and implement a digital accessibility standard as directed by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/16E.03&quot; title=&quot;law 16E.03, subd. 9&quot;&gt;law (16E.03, subd. 9).&lt;/a&gt; In addition to publishing and updating &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/Stnd_State_Accessibility_tcm38-61585.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota State Accessibility Standard (PDF)&quot;&gt;the standard (PDF),&lt;/a&gt; the task force spent a great deal of time working out a decision matrix for state employees to use when buying digital content and technology. That’s because, like many governments, the state buys much more of its technology than it builds. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The digital accessibility standard applies to all digital systems, websites, applications, and content. It references both:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/&quot; title=&quot;Section 508 website&quot;&gt;Section 508,&lt;/a&gt; which applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/&quot; title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0,&lt;/a&gt; which provides testable success criteria for digital technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state is obligated to follow the standard. Since it buys much of its technology and digital services from the private sector, we often hear the question: who is responsible for accessibility? The state or the vendor selling to the state? This article will help answer that question. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The short answer is both: it&apos;s the state’s responsibility to set expectations, and the vendors’ responsibility to meet them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What we buy &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When it comes to buying information and communication technology (ICT), there are two main types of purchases:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pre-built technology, such as computer hardware and commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS). This is sometimes called “commodity” technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Professional/technical services, such as website and application design and development, commonly referred to as “P/T Services.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are others, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on these two types.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Goal: Accessible digital information and technology&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It sounds simple enough. If it’s a COTS/commodity, shouldn’t we be able to verify its accessibility before buying? And if it’s a service, can’t we secure a guarantee the final result is accessible before paying?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After all, if we order a pair of slacks online and it turns out to be the wrong size or a flawed product, we can return it and get our money back. Why can’t we do the same for digital technology?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In some cases, we can get this level of assurance. For example, when the Office of Accessibility built the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Word Document Training&quot;&gt;Accessible Documents training,&lt;/a&gt; we went through multiple review cycles at every development phase. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But given the state buys hundreds of technologies every year and renews hundreds, if not thousands, of existing licenses annually, we can’t always exercise this level of control. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In those cases, we rely on the following factors:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Credibility of the vendor’s information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Spot-testing when possible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Contract language.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Monitoring and follow-up by the implementation team.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article focuses on the first factor: the information we request from the vendor and how we assess its credibility. The key elements to a successful IT purchase include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Process:&lt;/strong&gt; following a consistent, structured process that ensures both fairness and good decisions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Information:&lt;/strong&gt; asking detailed questions that give us good answers but respects the vendor’s investment in time and resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Selection:&lt;/strong&gt; leveraging the process (whether it’s a formal request for proposal - RFP - or another selection method) provides the state with both flexibility and protection of taxpayer resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The buying process&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Buying in government can be complex due to many state laws and regulations that govern who can do what. This article will focus on the more formal RFP process. COTS and P/T RFPs follow similar steps, although there are some differences in the information we can get from vendors. At the State of Minnesota, the standard RFP language includes text stating that the entire system must be accessible. It references Section 508 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It would be nice if we could stop there and prepare for the winning vendor to deliver a 100% accessible system. However, accessibility is only one part of the overall criteria that determine which vendor will win the project. Other criteria typically include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Functional requirements (key features and options).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Technical requirements (such as integration with certain systems, database types, and so on).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Security requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cost.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some purchases can include other criteria such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Project plan, including a proposed timeline for key deliverables.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Prior experience with similar projects.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The RFP allocates a certain number of possible points when scoring responses under each category. The highest-scoring vendor gets the first opportunity to negotiate a contract for the project. This may not necessarily be the vendor who scored highest on accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So how can we best ensure accessibility? Ideally, we test all products before we buy. If we can’t do that, the buying process includes key steps and tools to help give buyers more confidence before making the final decision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;RFP evaluation and scoring&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most RFP solicitations follow a detailed process. RFPs are published, vendors submit proposals, and the state receives and logs their proposals. The next step is to review, evaluate, and score each proposal according to relevant criteria. The following is a high-level overview of the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phase 1: First review&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In this &lt;strong&gt;phase&lt;/strong&gt;, the team reviews, evaluates, and scores all the components of the standard call for proposals. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The person managing the RFP collects all the scores, and combines them with other factors such as cost and specific technical requirements that are important to the project’s success, such as accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Most RFPs stop here.&lt;/strong&gt; The contract manager starts negotiations with the highest-scoring vendor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Larger or higher-profile RFPs may have a second phase. For those RFPs:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cost may be a smaller percentage of the score, with more points for technical requirements and accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The contract manager reviews all scores to decide a cut score. The cut score only functions when there is a clear separation between vendors. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All proposals that score below the cut are dropped from consideration. The remaining proposals continue to the second review phase. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phase 2: Second review&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this point, the team may ask the vendor for a demonstration of their proposed solution. The demonstration phase is highly structured to ensure a fair comparison. This ensures that each vendor has the same opportunity to show what they can do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For COTS proposals, the vendor demonstrates the proposed product.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For P/T proposals, they demonstrate either a mock-up or a previously developed product.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Evaluators observe the demonstration phase to score multiple criteria, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific functional requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Security.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Questions for vendors&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of the buying process is to get enough information to make a decision that best benefits the state. This means asking good questions that evaluators can score. We have one set of questions for proposals and another for demonstrations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proposals&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If we cannot thoroughly test the final product ourselves, we make our purchase decision on the credibility of the vendor’s information. The more detailed the information on their technology’s accessibility, as well as plans for improvement, the higher the score.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The questions we ask can vary depending on the type of product and whether it is the first or second tier of the evaluation process. In the proposal phase, there are several types of data we can ask for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Questions on processes for vendors to answer within the proposal narrative.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Policy Driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA) worksheet.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Links to previously completed work or accessible document examples.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Conformance Report&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For nearly all COTS products, we ask for an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). ACRs use the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat&quot; title=&quot;Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)&quot;&gt;ITIC’s Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT ®).&lt;/a&gt;  The ACR is the vendor’s self-assessment of their product’s accessibility. Some vendors may hire a third party to test the technology and issue the ACR.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We evaluate the ACR to learn how well the vendor describes their product’s accessibility. For example, a vendor who identifies specific accessibility issues and their plans to fix those issues is more credible than a vendor that claims to be 100% accessible without explanation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ACRs only apply to pre-existing products. Some P/T projects may still request an ACR of prior work as a way to measure vendor experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Narrative questions&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whenever possible, we include the following questions in most requests for vendor proposals:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describe how you ensure your staff and contractors have the knowledge and skills to create accessible digital technology within the scope of the project or services requested within this RFP.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describe your approach to ensuring accessibility for your solution (e.g., strategy, tools, design, testing, ongoing validation). 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include if/how you incorporate accessibility into your development process (e.g., requirements, design, development, testing, maintenance, bug prioritization). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include how you ensure accessibility post-implementation (e.g., future enhancements). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When relevant, we ask the vendor to provide links to websites, copies of documents, or access to other samples of digital information technology their organization has developed that meet accessibility standards. The materials should be relevant to the services and/or technical skills called for in this solicitation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For significantly larger P/T projects, we may ask more detailed questions about their training and processes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As with ACRs, the evaluation of narrative questions focuses on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The depth of detail the vendor provides in their answers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The credibility of the vendor’s claims regarding accessibility knowledge, processes, and practices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Policy-Driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/PolicyDrivenAdoptionAssessment_tcm38-62067.xls&quot; title=&quot;Policy-Drive Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA) - (Excel document)&quot;&gt;PDAA (Excel document)&lt;/a&gt; is a maturity worksheet  that focuses on the vendor’s status or progress toward a/an:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility policy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metrics and compliance process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Organization-wide governance system.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of the PDAA worksheet is to track maturity/improvement over time. We include PDAA in some key solicitations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Samples of prior work&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some projects may have the capacity to evaluate samples of prior work. This is particularly useful for P/T contracts or when the vendor is expected to provide an accessible document or online training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Demonstrations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In two-tiered solicitations, the demonstrations provide evaluators with the opportunity to see how well the vendor can match our expectations. Just as with proposal evaluations, accessibility is just one of a range of criteria that are scored, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific functional requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Security.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the accessibility portion, evaluators look at how well the presenters can demonstrate:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard accessibility, including:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Functionality.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visible focus.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Logical tab order. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Zoom.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In most cases, the demonstration will only show a portion of the product. Just like the other evaluations, the focus is on our confidence that the vendor understands and supports accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, whose responsibility is it?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is our responsibility to make the best possible decision regarding accessibility. And it is the vendor’s responsibility to deliver what they promise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s say the winning vendor claims their technology is accessible. We have every right to expect the vendor to fix any issues that arise. As we noted earlier, if they don’t, we can cancel the contract. The problem is buying technology is not the same as buying a pair of pants. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some technologies are so tightly integrated that you can’t just remove just a single part.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sometimes there’s nothing else more accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sometimes the agency decides other features are more important.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: The Office of Accessibility is updating the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp&quot; title=&quot;IT Procurement webpage&quot;&gt;exception process.&lt;/a&gt; Look for a report on it in a newsletter article soon!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources: Check out the Procurement  section of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;Office of Accessibility&apos;s website&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Blog post: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/352361&quot; title=&quot;Blog post on Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs&apos; experience&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs’ experience scoring accessibility.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>561042</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-23T19:56:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today, Minnesota’s Technology Advisory Council (TAC) released a report of recommendations to advance and modernize technology service delivery for Minnesotans. The report includes recommendations to modernize operating models and place state IT on a solid funding and security foundation. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Technology Advisory Council Releases Report </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Technology Advisory Council</Subject><Subject>report</Subject><Subject>TAC</Subject><Subject>tac</Subject><Subject>king</Subject><Subject>tomes</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Technology Advisory Council Releases Report </Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343296.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2023-01 - Minnesota Technology Advisory Council Releases Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-557711&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2023-01-09T16:02:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, Minnesota’s Technology Advisory Council (TAC) released a report of recommendations to advance and modernize technology service delivery for Minnesotans. The report includes recommendations to modernize operating models and place state IT on a solid funding and security foundation. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;January 9, 2023 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – Today, Minnesota’s Technology Advisory Council (TAC) released &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/TAC%20Report%202022_tcm38-557782.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Technology Advisory Council 2022 Report&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Technology Advisory Council 2022 Report&quot;&gt;a report&lt;/a&gt; of recommendations to advance and modernize technology service delivery for Minnesotans. In 2021, the Minnesota Legislature established the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/committees/tac.jsp&quot;&gt;Technology Advisory Council (TAC)&lt;/a&gt; as a permanent body to advise Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and executive branch agencies on strategic information technology initiatives and service delivery. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The discussions between council members, private sector leaders, public servants, and industry experts at the Technology Advisory Council led to powerful recommendations that will guide continuous improvements in government technology, cybersecurity, and modernization. Minnesota IT Services is eager to move this work forward with our state agency business partners, our partners in the Minnesota Legislature, and our partners in private industry so that together, we can all deliver people-centered government services that return agility, time, and ease of use to the people of Minnesota.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The recommendations focus on adopting practices that put users and customers at the center of digital products delivered by state agencies, moving towards a product model of IT development, establishing strong change leadership, providing sustainable IT funding, improving protections of technology assets through long-term planning that includes cybersecurity funding, and expanding partnerships to develop – and retain – a skilled, cyber-aware workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Former iterations of the Technology Advisory Council have advised the state since the creation of MNIT and the start of executive branch technology consolidation in 2011. In 2019, with the issuance of Executive Order 19-02, membership was expanded to include additional private and public sector technology experts and four legislative ex-officio members. Previous reports and recommendations of the council were released in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/blue-ribbon-council-report-june-2020_tcm38-438716.pdf&quot;&gt;June 2020&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/BRC-IT%20February%202021%20Report_tcm38-472167.pdf&quot;&gt;February 2021&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The Council worked collaboratively to produce a set of recommendations that, when implemented, will advance how Minnesota’s agencies use and deliver technology to maximize its benefits for the citizens of the state. Further, the recommendations emphasize the need for ongoing funding for cybersecurity protections and the enhancement and maintenance of these important state assets.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Rick King, Technology Advisory Council Chair&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and state agencies, alongside the public and private sector partners in TAC, are committed to helping to advance and implement these recommendations to help state government become more efficient, serve Minnesotans and partners better, provide stable funding and resources, and protect technology assets and private data. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,400 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>557711</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-09T16:14:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The state of Minnesota recently held a training for employees. There were many great questions about Microsoft Teams accessibility! This article is part 1 of a 2 part series, sharing answers to those questions.</Description><Audience/><Title>Improve Accessibility of Your Teams Meetings - Questions and Answers (Part 1)</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Microsoft</Subject><Subject>Teams</Subject><Subject>meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Improve Accessibility of Your Teams Meetings: Questions and Answers (Part 2)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Microsoft Teams logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/microsoft-teams-blog_tcm38-548006.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Microsoft Teams logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/microsoft-teams-blog-thumb_tcm38-548004.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-12 - Teams Accessibility Answers Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-552468&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-19T19:56:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>The state of Minnesota recently held a training for employees. There were many great questions about Microsoft Teams accessibility! This article is part 2 of a 2 part series, sharing answers to those questions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Tips to make your Teams Meetings more inclusive</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Kris Schulze, Experience IT Manager, and Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ever want the inside scoop on Microsoft Teams accessibility? On October 12, 2022 Microsoft gave a training for State of Minnesota employees. They had the opportunity to learn the latest of what is available in the version of Teams they use – part of the Government Community Cloud (GCC). We collected the questions they asked, the answers we got, and we are sharing them with you! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We shared the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/547970&quot;&gt;first part of the answers in the November edition&lt;/a&gt;.  And, now we bring you even more Teams accessibility information!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many thanks to the subject matter experts that contributed to these responses, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Macauley Kloetzly, Microsoft.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scheduling inclusive remote meetings&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Please share boilerplate language we can use to help attendees request and set-up appropriate accommodations.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;If you are a person with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact [Name] at [email address] or [phone number].&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include a date by which you need a response. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include information about accommodations already provided. Example: if you will have CART for the meeting, let everyone know. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The facilitator’s role for accessible meetings&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“How can the facilitator maximize use of available options for those who are hard of hearing or deaf? For people with other types of disabilities?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pause when asking if anyone has questions. Let there be air silence for at least 15 seconds before moving on. This benefits multiple people, including people who are deaf, hard of hearing, use a communication device, or have some type of cognitive disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you call on someone using the raise hand option, there may be a delay before they speak. Pause and give them time to respond. The delay could be because:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They use a different access method and need time to get to the unmute button.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They have a sign language interpreter who voices for them. They are communicating to the interpreter what they would like spoken aloud.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They are reading the captions which have a slight delay. They want to finish reading what was last said before they begin to speak.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you display an on-screen item such as a whiteboard, spreadsheet, etc., pause for at least five seconds before discussing it. Give an introductory phrase to let everyone know you are reviewing the item. You can say, &quot;Would anyone like me to make this larger on the screen? Just a quick reminder that you can each select Ctrl + the scroll wheel to zoom in on shared content.    Let&apos;s pause for a few seconds to let everyone take a look.&quot;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Always encourage speakers to say their names before speaking. Even when Teams displays the person’s name and highlights their image while they are speaking, it helps:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People learn how to pronounce your name.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People learn to associate your name with your voice.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Live Captions and CART&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“What are the options for live captions and Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) in Teams meetings?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As an attendee, you may choose to turn on the auto-generated captions for yourself. It’s important to remember that live auto-generated captions will not be as accurate as CART captions, and are not a replacement for accommodation requests for CART captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To turn on live auto-captions in a meeting, select More Options… from the meeting control bar. Choose Turn on live captions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the meeting planner, it is important to consider the choices you make that can impact accessibility. If you will provide CART captions for your meeting, you have options to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide them in a separate Streamtext browser window.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set up CART captions within the Teams meeting.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you provide both options, attendees can choose whether to view the live captions or the CART captions within the caption field in the Teams meeting. Whether you choose one of the above, or both, you must communicate your specific request when coordinating with your caption provider.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some users may prefer to view CART captions in a separate browser window (like Streamtext). This enables users to pay attention to what’s on the screen and read the captions, as well as adjust text size, font, and color. On-screen captions within Teams appear two lines at a time and if you miss the text, it&apos;s gone. If you offer CART, plan to make it available both within Teams and via a separate link.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may want to review Microsoft’s guidance: &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-cart-captions-in-a-microsoft-teams-meeting-human-generated-captions-2dd889e8-32a8-4582-98b8-6c96cf14eb47&quot;&gt;Set up CART captions in a Microsoft Teams meeting&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ASL Interpreter&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;How  can I keep the ASL interpreter’s video in the same window as the meeting?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your meeting may provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting. If so, the attendee can Pin the ASL interpreter video and Fit to frame so that videos aren&apos;t cropped. To select these options, right-click (Shift + F10) on the &lt;strong&gt;More options ellipses…&lt;/strong&gt; in the video feed next to person’s name that you would like to pin.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re looking forward to Microsoft’s new Sign Language View in Teams Meetings that will roll out to the Government Community Cloud (GCC) in December 2022. This new feature will let viewers keep the ASL interpreter prioritized on center stage in consistent locations throughout every meeting. Learn more about this new feature in this Microsoft Community Hub post: &lt;a href=&quot;https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/introducing-sign-language-view-for-teams-meetings/ba-p/3671257&quot;&gt;Introducing Sign Language View for Teams Meetings&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Features Like Whiteboard &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Using whiteboards in meetings seems to be a struggle for people who use keyboard shortcuts, navigate with a screen reader, and see colors differently (some colors appear as grayscale tones). Do you have any tips?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some resources you might find helpful:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Microsoft offers tips in their article &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/tips-to-make-whiteboards-more-accessible-5bc7996a-de50-40fe-ab71-c5a94f478609&quot;&gt;Tips to make whiteboards more accessible&lt;/a&gt;. Before your meeting, you can provide attendees with information on how to use the &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-screen-reader-with-the-whiteboard-app-in-microsoft-teams-a527208d-4d36-45ec-ba1a-7887aef5c82b&quot;&gt;Whiteboard app with a screen reader&lt;/a&gt;.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some other considerations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some team members may need extra time to complete this task. Remember that some team members are listening to their software while trying to review items on the whiteboard and add their own. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Completing whiteboard tasks may be more difficult for some people with cognitive disabilities or people that use alternative access methods. Larger groups can make it even more difficult for people to ask for more time, and to read and contribute. Consider providing an option to complete parts of the whiteboard ahead of the session. This may help people that need more time or don&apos;t do well when lots of things are shifting on the board. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When discussing what is on the whiteboard, and moving or grouping items, describe them. This helps many people follow what you are doing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It may be difficult for some people if others are talking while they contribute to the whiteboard. If participants are using captions or a sign language interpreter, this requires them to focus on either the whiteboard or the communication happening through speech.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It is difficult for some people to listen, think about what they will contribute, and add to the whiteboard. Consider your goals for the time. Designate times for people to listen versus think and contribute. This helps everyone, including people that use screen readers, or have cognitive disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chat During a Meeting and Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: Microsoft releases new features and functions all the time.  This content is current as of December 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Can you review how to mute meeting chat notifications?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One quick way to mute chat notifications for yourself is to change your Teams status to &lt;strong&gt;Do not disturb&lt;/strong&gt;. This will mute all notifications, except those from the meeting you are currently in. Be sure to change your status back after the meeting. Here’s how (two ways):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open the Teams search box (Ctrl + E) at the top of the Teams app and type /DND. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-your-status-in-teams-ce36ed14-6bc9-4775-a33e-6629ba4ff78e&quot;&gt;Change your status in Teams - Microsoft Support.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to stop chat notifications for one specific meeting? Example: a meeting you are not attending? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Navigate to &lt;strong&gt;Chat&lt;/strong&gt; on left navigation of Teams. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select the ellipses next to the chat you want to mute. Choose &lt;strong&gt;Mute&lt;/strong&gt; to stop chat notifications. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MuteChat_tcm38-552502.png&quot; title=&quot;Closeup of Mute Chat option&quot; alt=&quot;Closeup of Mute Chat option&quot; style=&quot;width: 83%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MuteChat&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Can you talk a little more about the problem (for people using screen readers) with attendees chatting in the chat during a presentation?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you ever tried to listen to a presentation while someone is talking to you? Some people use screen readers or other text-to-speech tools. These assistive technologies read text aloud to them. Sometimes the assistive technology reads the messages automatically. In these moments when information is being automatically read, the person is now listening to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The meeting audio.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Their assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They may also be thinking about quieting their assistive technology for the moment using a keyboard command. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This can take their attention away from the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are some new features available for screen readers to improve their experience, but each person will have a different level of comfort using these features for a variety of reasons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This issue may not impact only people using text to speech tools. Some people who have challenges with focus and attention, like attention deficit disorder or who have had a concussion, may also find the stream of chat messages distracting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Meeting chats are distracting when I’m using the screen reader. If I mute chat notifications will this help? Or, if I use the Don’t show chat bubbles option and leave the chat panel closed?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Can I have my meeting participants use chat during a meeting? Will this be accessible?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The answer is complicated. If you are the host of a meeting, it is important to know how your choice to use meeting chat can impact your attendees. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the attendee, you should try the solutions, then choose what works best for you. Here are some things to consider:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you choose “Don’t show chat bubbles” and leave the chat panel closed during the meeting, you will not have any visual   distractions. However, there is no notification (like a state change, or change to the chat icon) that tells you there are new messages. You get either 100% of the notifications, or none. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You must remember to check the chat panel every once in a while for messages. For some meeting participants, this can be hard to remember.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you open the chat panel to hear the “Last read” notification where the new messages start, you must navigate backward through the new messages. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You must use the virtual PC cursor setting to navigate the chats, something that may be less common for some screen reader users. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Once you arrive at the “last read” notification, this will not update until a new message arrives. If no new message has arrived, you must listen to the existing messages again, and remember that you have already heard them, to determine these are already read messages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting hosts may choose to use one or more strategies such as these to help make chat use easier for everyone:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a one person dedicated to reading chats to the group during specific times in the meeting agenda. This helps people focus on the meeting content. It is especially helpful during hybrid meetings for several reasons: . 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It provides clear times people can use the chat. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It reads the chat aloud for those who prefer to keep chat silenced visually or auditorily.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It helps ensure everyone has a chance to be heard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have times in the agenda dedicated to participants reviewing chat for themselves. At this time, there can be no audio occurring so people can focus on reading chat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“How do I mute chat notifications, and use the ‘Don’t show chat bubbles’ option?” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using these two options together will stop both the chat notifications within the meeting for people using screen readers, and the chat bubble notifications. Each person must set these options for themselves. Here’s how: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select the &lt;strong&gt;More options ellipses&lt;/strong&gt; next to the meeting chat in the left navigation of the main Teams Chat window (not within the meeting itself). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Choose &lt;strong&gt;Mute&lt;/strong&gt; to stop any chat notifications coming in. This stops the screen reader from announcing chat. The chat bubbles still appear. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To turn off chat bubbles, go to the &lt;strong&gt;More actions ellipses&lt;/strong&gt; in the Teams meeting window. Select the option for &lt;strong&gt;Don&apos;t show chat bubbles&lt;/strong&gt; near the bottom of the list.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MoreOptionsEntireMeetingMenu_tcm38-552499.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Teams meeting options. Don’t show chat bubbles is 15 out of 18 active options.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Teams meeting options. Don’t show chat bubbles is 15 out of 18 active options.&quot; style=&quot;width: 45%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MoreOptionsEntireMeetingMenu&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>552468</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-23T19:56:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The state of Minnesota recently held a training for employees. There were many great questions about Microsoft Teams accessibility! This article is part 1 of a 2 part series, sharing answers to those questions.</Description><Audience/><Title>Improve Accessibility of Your Teams Meetings - Questions and Answers (Part 1)</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Microsoft</Subject><Subject>Teams</Subject><Subject>meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>2022 Accessibility Year in Review</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Wooden building blocks: &quot;2022 Review&quot; with others graphically illustrating blog topics</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/year-in-review-blog_tcm38-552528.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Building block: &quot;2022 Review&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/year-in-review-blog-thumb_tcm38-552525.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-12 - 2022 Accessibility Year in Review</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-552503&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-19T19:55:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>A brief summary of what happened in digital accessibility at the State of Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A few of the MN Office of Accessibility 2022 activities and accomplishments</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working from home has gotten comfortable. Our dog waits for me to sit at the kitchen table with my coffee so he can lay at my feet while I work. The downside is the lack of casual conversation. The sort where one person says to another:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“So, another December, another year. What did you do this year?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Whew! It was really, really busy! So good of you to ask! How about we sit down for a cup of coffee and I can tell you all about it?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So grab your beverage and let’s take a quick look back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3 years after WCAG 2.1 became official, we assembled a team of experts from different agencies with a variety of skills and backgrounds to see if the state should add these criteria to the State Accessibility Standard. The standard derives its authority from 2009 state law that required it comprise, at a minimum:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The law also made provisions for adding revisions and updates. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2022, the team members carved out spare time over 6 months to dive into the nuances of each criteria to understand:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How did the criteria support end users?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What might technology and content creators have to do differently?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While team members all agreed that WCAG 2.1 is a good thing, there is concern about the ability of our tools to support the criteria. Ultimately, the team unanimously agreed to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support adding it to the state standard. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Seek feedback about tools and processes to enable conformance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To get buy-in from IT and agency leaders, the team planned three presentation and feedback sessions open to all state employees:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;General Introduction to WCAG 2.1, for all audiences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WCAG 2.1: Deep Dive, for project managers, product owners, and technology creators such as web and app developers and document remediators, and anyone working on a mobile app.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A Case Study, for all audiences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team contracted with WebAIM for the first two presentations. CapTech, a consulting company, volunteered to present their experiences for the case study.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After each session, attendees responded to a survey that asked, among other questions, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Should the State plan to adopt 2.1 as part of its state accessibility standard?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How much time do you need to prepare?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Which WCAG 2.1 success criteria would you like more training or guidance on?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first two surveys had over a 30% response rate. We’re still reviewing the data but overall it is extremely positive. We’ll post an update once we know our next steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Procurement for Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Master Contract&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The folks at the state who manage procurement – how we buy services and technology – work hard to make it as easy as possible for both buyers and sellers. Two ways they do this are through master contracts and pre-registering vendors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A master contract for captioning, audio description, and accessible documents expired last year. This year, we worked with the Department of Administration to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Draft a Request for Proposal (RFP) for potential vendors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review and score vendor proposals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set a cutoff for final vendor selection.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/AccessibilityMN/AccessibilityMNMainPage.htm&quot;&gt;Accessibility Master Contract&lt;/a&gt; went live late this summer and will be in force for five years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vendor pre-registration&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vendors who evaluate websites for accessibility and related services can apply to be on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/business/mnsite/&quot;&gt;MNSITE&lt;/a&gt; program. This enables state agencies to hire vendors quickly and more efficiently than through an extensive RFP process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like the Accessibility master contract, this program renewed in the fall of 2022. This required all vendors to re-register. We are continuously encouraging qualified vendors to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/business/mnsite/vendors/&quot;&gt;register&lt;/a&gt; and be available for state contracts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Onboarding for Digital Accessibility Coordinators&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Coordinators (DACs) are the backbone of the State of Minnesota’s accessibility efforts. They: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Staff all of the projects we’ve talked about on this page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lead the accessibility work with their agencies and business partners.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide training and support.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Help out other coordinators.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Promote accessibility everywhere!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some coordinators have been with us for ten years, while others are just getting started. To help everyone, a team of new and experienced coordinators put together an onboarding packet. This packet includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;General expectations of individual coordinators as well as DACs as a team.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Information for their supervisors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Best practices and resources for testing, procurement, and other activities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Links to training and other information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training and Testing for Major Systems&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility’s small staff size means that our time is best suited to providing consultations to project teams, and training, and guidance for all state staff . But there are times when projects are so large and critical that we have to be directly involved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One example is our help desk software. Jennie Delisi, our Accessibility Analyst has worked closely with the implementation team to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Design accessible templates. The goal is to ensure that all user  interfaces are accessible. This requires understanding the features and limitations of the technology’s templating system. Jennie worked with the team to devise and test processes to ensure accessible output.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create accessibility test plans. The system has multiple interfaces. Each needs functional and accessibility testing. Jennie led accessibility testing, and followed up with the vendor to ensure they addressed known accessibility issues in upgrades. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another example   is a system or technology solution that integrates with many others. Jennie worked with a team implementing a solution that classifies and protects data. This impacts many different tools used at the state of Minnesota. This could include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Email.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Systems that generate emails and documents. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team brought Jennie onto the project early because of the project’s complexity. She:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provided preliminary feedback about accessibility issues with the administrative interfaces. Jennie shared this feedback with the vendor, and followed up with them to track progress on the improvements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Worked with the Quality Assurance (QA) professional from the team. Together they identified when to include digital accessibility testing in the project plan. Jennie led the accessibility portions of the test plan. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Incorporated people with disabilities who use assistive technology into the pilot groups. Jennie worked with the QA, business analyst, and project manager to plan how the project team would: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communicate inclusively about the pilot opportunity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure they could address specific needs for the testers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have accessible feedback opportunities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Education and Awareness &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota has over 35,000 state employees spread over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. We’re always looking for ways to promote digital accessibility and get them involved. Our activities this year included the following efforts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We celebrate GAAD every year. The continuation of remote work among many state employees meant we had to be creative to encourage participation. We organized six separate events throughout the day, each on a different topic. All of them tied to the current exploration of WCAG 2.1 that we mentioned earlier.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rachael Bradley-Montgomery, Co-chair of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines Working Group, began the celebration with a wonderful keynote. She explained why and how accessibility guidelines change and evolve. Then five sets of presenters and guests followed up with impactful discussions and personal stories of digital accessibility’s value in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;End user impact of accessibility standards.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Buying accessible technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Projects that shift left for accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating accessible visual content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web application accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/533052&quot;&gt;watch all 6 sessions&lt;/a&gt; yourself!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible PDF Training&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a lot of accessible PDF experts here at the state. At the same time, more employees need to learn how to make accessible PDFs, particularly those who work for smaller agencies and boards. Some of our experts got together and created this wonderful “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/pdf-101.jsp&quot;&gt;PDF 101&lt;/a&gt;” about all the basics of creating PDFs that meet our high standards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They chunked the information into 11 short, easily digestible modules. You can start at the beginning or just pick the topic you need to know now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even better: its free and open to the public, so you can share this with your colleagues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Experience Lab&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the past, our office collaborated with Digital Accessibility Coordinators to create an “experience lab.” We first offered the lab at the MN Government IT Symposium. Then again at a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Accessibility Standard. This year, we reconvened team members to create a virtual version that we provided in person at the 2022 IT Symposium.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We designed the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/experience-lab/&quot;&gt;Experience Lab&lt;/a&gt; to give individuals a flavor of how people with disabilities experience digital technology. The goal is to encourage people to stop and think about how their work can impact others. Then encourage them to learn more about what they can do to make technology and digital information more accessible and usable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;508 Guidance&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most digital accessibility conversations are about how to conform with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). There is relatively little information on accessible hardware or software outside of WCAG criteria.  We convened a group of Digital Accessibility Coordinators who are passionate about the topic and did a “deep dive” into the non-WCAG portions of Section 508.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This resulted in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/508%20Guidance%202022%20-%20State%20of%20MN_tcm38-551544.docx&quot;&gt;guidance document (Word)&lt;/a&gt; that provides a starting point for state employees who either:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create software.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work with vendors on software or hardware.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It also attempts to clarify how to use 508’s Functional Performance Criteria (FPC) section.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A related goal is to clarify state expectations regarding hardware systems such as multifunction printers. It provides vendors with guidance on how to demonstrate their technology’s support for accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The coordinators who drafted this document spent countless hours diving into the details of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/ict/&quot;&gt;rule’s text&lt;/a&gt;. The goal was to set clear expectations for state staff and vendors. This document provides state employees with a solid resource when making decisions about buying or updating software or hardware.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>552503</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2023-01-23T19:55:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Veterans Application System Receives Golden GOVIT Award and Two Other Projects Recognized as Finalists.</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Veterans</Subject><Subject>Award</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Title>Minnesota Technology Awarded at the 2022 Government IT Symposium </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GovITBanner-01_tcm38-551967.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>2020 GOVIT logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GOVIT%20thumb_tcm38-458071.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-12 - Government IT Symposium 2022 – Minnesota Technology Awarded at the 2022 Government IT Symposium</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-551965&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-12-16T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The awards program recognizes government agencies and individuals that advanced government technology.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Veterans Application System Receives Golden GOVIT Award and Two Other Projects Recognized as Finalists</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On December 8, 2022, three technology efforts associated with the State of Minnesota and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) were honored as award winners and finalists for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://fusionlp.org/itsym21/itsym-22-golden-govit-finalists/&quot;&gt;Golden GOVIT Awards&lt;/a&gt;. The awards program, part of the Government IT Symposium, recognizes government agencies and individuals that advanced government technology through collaboration, innovation, service, and individual leadership. Minnesota&apos;s celebrated efforts included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Service Award Winner: Veterans Applications Tracking System with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Service Award Finalist: Workforce One eSignature project with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaboration Award Finalist: Veterans Post 9/11 Service Bonus with MDVA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Service Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two projects tied to MNIT were honored with the Golden GOVIT Service Award for their efforts to deliver digital information and transactional services that make a difference in the lives of citizens. The Veterans Application Tracking System, a collaboration between MNIT and MDVA, won the award, and Workforce One eSignature, a collaboration between MNIT and DEED, was a finalist.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veteran Application Tracking System - Winner&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and MDVA improved the Veterans Application Tracking System (VATS) to process claims. The VATS-Claims unifies MDVA&apos;s Field Operations and Claims Offices for case management, secured claims/document submittal to the Department of Veterans Affairs, appeals of claims decisions to the USDVA&apos;s Board of Veterans Appeals, and management of related forms and documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about VATS, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.gibill.mn.gov/Home&quot;&gt;visit the MDVA website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce One eSignature - Finalist&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and DEED&apos;s Workforce One (WF1) Team developed an eSignature functionality in Workforce One, a web-based case management application used to track employment and training services provided to more than 100,000 Minnesotans. This helped Minnesotans get paperwork signed quickly and virtually. Before eSignature it could take a month to get paperwork signed, which could delay someone&apos;s ability to get childcare benefits or to start training or a new job. The eSignature functionality in WF1 allows staff to easily send documents from the case management system to customers, which they can sign in a matter of minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about Workforce One, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/workforceone/&quot;&gt;visit the DEED website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaboration Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veteran Post 9/11 Service Bonus - Finalist&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and MDVA were a finalist in the Collaboration category for their work on the Veteran Service Bonus Program. This category recognizes organizations that use shared resources to create a new product or program, resulting in improved service delivery to individuals, families, and communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On May 6, 2022, the Omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs bill provided $25M for a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/familyassistance/911-service-bonus.jsp&quot;&gt;Veteran Service Bonus Program&lt;/a&gt; payable to eligible Veterans who served from 9/11/01 to 8/30/21. MDVA partnered with MNIT and MMB to facilitate this program for eligible Veterans, currently serving service members, or Veterans&apos; beneficiaries. Within 60 days of bill passage, the teams developed an online system that processed veteran applications from entry to payment. To date, payments to 17,125 individuals totaling $18.5 million are helping veterans and their families, fueling community economies across the state, and increasing awareness of veterans&apos; services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about this program, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/familyassistance/911-service-bonus.jsp&quot;&gt;visit the MDVA website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>551965</id><pubdate>2022-12-16T15:04:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Cross-Agency Teams Presented With Governor&apos;s Certificate Awards for Exemplary Geospatial Projects</Description><Audience/><Title>COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Sites Win GIS Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>GIS</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>vaccine</Subject><Subject>test</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Title>COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Sites Win GIS Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Map of the State of Minnesota with location pins for COVID-19 vaccine locations.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/vaccine-map_tcm38-547764.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Map of the State of Minnesota with location pins for COVID-19 vaccine locations.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/vaccine-map_tcm38-547763.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-11 - COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Sites Win GIS Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-547766&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-11-18T00:39:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>The COVID-19 testing and vaccines websites were one of the two projects awarded with Minnesota Governor&apos;s certificate awards for exemplary geospatial projects.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Cross-Agency Teams Presented With a Governor&apos;s Certificate Award for Exemplary Geospatial Projects</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the COVID-19 response, the state focused on finding new and better ways to communicate critical information to Minnesotans. The state launched a COVID-19 testing location information webpage in April 2020 and a Vaccine Locator Map in January 2021. These sites recently received a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/awards/gov_commendations/index.html&quot;&gt;Governor&apos;s Certificate Award for Exemplary Geospatial Projects&lt;/a&gt;. This award honors geospatial projects that improve services for Minnesotans. The Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) worked alongside cross-agency teams to bring these sites to life. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In December 2020, MnGeo helped to automate how the information was pulled into the testing webpage and added more user-friendly filters. The improvements allowed Minnesotans to find the information they needed and created a more efficient process for the state to share updates quickly. To make the page accessible, the testing site information in the interactive map was provided in informational cards for each testing provider. Soon after launch, the team repurposed the testing location site to create a Vaccine Locator Map to help Minnesotans more easily find and connect with local vaccine providers in their area. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For this work, the 2022 Governor&apos;s Certificate was presented to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Metropolitan Council&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota IT Services partnering with Minnesota Department of Revenue&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota IT Services Application Development Team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota IT Services partnering with Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find more information about the project and award, including the submission on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/awards/gov_commendations/22commaward.html&quot;&gt;MnGeo&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>547766</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>GIS</Title><Id>232509</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-11-17T15:00:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn the roles project team members play in improving the accessibility of technology projects. This includes the Chief Business Technology Officer, Product Owner, and Project Management Office Supervisor.</Description><Audience/><Title>5 Insider Tips To Make Accessibility Part Of Workflow</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Workflow</Subject><Subject>project planning</Subject><Subject>testing</Subject><Subject>Workforce One</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>5 Insider Tips To Make Accessibility Part Of Workflow</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text: Workforce One; diverse group making a hand stack.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/workforce-one-blog-alternative_tcm38-548007.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Diverse group of people making a hand stack.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/workforce-one-blog-thumb_tcm38-548005.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-11 - Insider Accessibility Tips</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-548022&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-11-16T21:10:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn the roles project team members play in improving the accessibility of technology projects. This includes the Chief Business Technology Officer, Product Owner, and Project Management Office Supervisor.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota’s Workforce One Team Shares Their Accessibility Plan</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;JoAnn Rautio, Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Employment and Economic Development, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may have said to yourself: accessibility testing should be part of a technology project&apos;s workflow. The questions your colleagues may ask next are &quot;who will do that?&quot; and, &quot;how does that work in real life?&quot; The answers to both questions are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It takes a team of people, working together.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It takes time to mature the process, catch all aspects of each type of workflow.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;And, it is an ever-evolving process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we learn from the team of state employees who work on and support the Workforce One project. Some work for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) – the state of Minnesota&apos;s IT department. Others work for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/workforceone/&quot;&gt;DEED&lt;/a&gt;, &quot;Nearly 2,000 state, city, county, and non-profit employment and training providers use Workforce One (WF1) to track employment and training services to more than 100,000 customers across Minnesota&apos;s One Stop network.&quot; WF1 is a web-based client management application. It &quot;was created through a partnership between the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;JoAnn Rautio, Quality Assurance (QA) and digital accessibility coordinator for MNIT partnering with DEED, has a significant history with the team. &quot;The WF1 project began in 2011, and I started in 2014 on that project. In the project scope they included that it was to be designed and coded as accessible for all users.&quot; More specifically, according to Annie Tietema (former product owner), they felt a commitment to creating and enhancing the accessibility because:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;At DEED, we serve internal and external customers for whom we must provide accessibility systems per the law.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It makes systems more usable for everyone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It helps us attract a more diverse pool of employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It&apos;s the right thing to do!&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rautio feels that &quot;to truly have accessibility in the application lifecycle, it has to be part of everyone&apos;s role.&quot; This digital accessibility culture is how the MNIT partnering with DEED team approaches all their work. &quot;It is everyone&apos;s role to create and enhance the applications for all customers.&quot; And when asked how the team approaches accessibility, Rautio reports their approach is positive. &quot;Digital accessibility is a work in progress and we continue to grow. DEED has taken a proactive step by creating the Performance and Technical Management team which is committed to providing accessible systems.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 1: Have a Leader Who Champions Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brian Allie is the Chief Business Technology Officer for Minnesota IT Services Partnering with DEED, Commerce, the Public Utilities Commission, and Explore Minnesota. He shares, &quot;In my role I have both a legal and moral obligation to champion accessibility in the entire Software Development Life Cycle, whether that be developing or purchasing software. As an organization we need to emphasize that accessibility, like security, is part of the process for any software implementation.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leaders play an important role in ensuring that everyone can address accessibility in their role. Allie explains, &quot;This means giving teams the tools they need to accomplish that and giving accessibility testing the same level of value as all of the other testing that goes into software development.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 2: Check Technology Tools Before Using&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many industries talk about doing checks or reviews before starting something. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Know Before You Go – U.S. Customs and Border Protection.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Know What&apos;s Below. Call Before You Dig – Minnesota&apos;s Office of Pipeline Safety.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check. Call. Care – First Aid.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bridget Fitzgerald, MNIT partnering with DEED&apos;s Project Management Office Supervisor and Technology Intake Coordinator, kicks off the important workflow around checking accessibility for requested technology. She says, &quot;DEED staff are continuously submitting technology requests to me: requests for software tools, applications, and plug-ins to make their work more effective and efficient. When they do, the requests must be vetted for accessibility.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are more paths to follow, depending on the type of product. &quot;I route these requests to our MNIT Accessibility Coordinator, JoAnn Rautio. She:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;reviews the company&apos;s completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT),&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;runs accessibility tests on the requested technology, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;scores the tool&apos;s accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We double-check with the MNIT Enterprise Accessibility office, to see if the tool&apos;s accessibility has been tested by other agencies. When we send out Requests For Proposals (RFPs) or contract with a vendor, Accessibility is part of the equation. We want to know&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;how the vendor approaches accessibility in their tool,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;if it can be used without a mouse,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;if they have coded keyboard shortcuts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An accessibility review is part of the new technology intake process.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 3: Include Accessibility in Product Approvals and Priorities&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becca Johnson is the Workforce One product owner. Johnson says, &quot;The WF1 Team keeps accessibility at the forefront of every system enhancement, and as the Product Owner, I am responsible for prioritizing new or updated functionality to ensure our system is functional, compliant, and user-friendly for all. I am the final level of approval for system enhancements and communicate/demonstrate changes to users in a way that is accessible for anyone, regardless of any hidden or visible disabilities.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 4: Practice Accessibility Regularly to Improve Outcomes&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John Dufner is the business analyst on the project. He explains, &quot;Accessibility is a fundamental component of our Workforce One Project. All of our application development has an eye towards users who require some form of accessibility need. Therefore, once coding is complete, as a business analyst, I test the page not only for functionality but also for accessibility. I use add-on tools to assist me such as WAVE, AXE, and JAWS in addition to performing keyboard testing. Using these tools frequently changes your mindset so that you start to envision pages with an eye towards accessibility. This can be seen in page layout and structure.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, accessibility testing done by the team has other benefits. Rautio explained, &quot;All roles have responsibilities to test for accessibility to prevent bugs. Similar to other development bugs, accessibility is considered a bug if not coded correctly from the spec. It is valued the same as a unit and exploratory testing. We all learn from the errors because we have to take time to document the issues.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In conversations with this team, everyone worked on their general accessibility knowledge. That allows them to play to their strengths, experience, and training in their specific areas. The digital accessibility coordinator or subject matter expert can come in with that deeper accessibility knowledge and fill in any accessibility gaps. This capitalizes on their expertise and specialty skills. And, they can provide additional training for the team as needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 5: Build Upon What You Learn&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, when asked what is one tip Rautio would share based on all the learning this team gained in the last 14 years, she shares, &quot;Continue to learn. Continue to improve.&quot; Doing this helped Rautio and the team learn new techniques, discover new tools, and continue to refine the way they work together. It helped them &quot;improve our jobs and make them more efficient.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bonus Tip&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Newer to having a team digital accessibility approach? This team shared 3 tips just for you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Become a champion. Talk to your digital accessibility coordinator and project manager about wanting to develop this with your team.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add the free &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/extension/&quot;&gt;WAVE,&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.deque.com/axe/browser-extensions/&quot;&gt;axe,&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ssa.gov/accessibility/andi/help/install.html&quot;&gt;ANDI&lt;/a&gt; extensions to your browser. Scan a project page. Talk with your teammates about the results.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be willing to adjust the process. Be Agile –
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What worked well (keep doing!).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What didn&apos;t work well.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will we do differently!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>548022</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-11-16T22:36:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The state of Minnesota recently held a training for employees. There were many great questions about Microsoft Teams accessibility! This article is part 1 of a 2 part series, sharing answers to those questions.</Description><Audience/><Title>Improve Accessibility of Your Teams Meetings - Questions and Answers (Part 1)</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Microsoft</Subject><Subject>Teams</Subject><Subject>meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Improve Accessibility of Your Teams Meetings: Questions and Answers (Part 1)</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Microsoft Teams logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/microsoft-teams-blog_tcm38-548006.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Microsoft Teams logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/microsoft-teams-blog-thumb_tcm38-548004.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-11 - Teams Accessibility Answers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-547970&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-11-16T21:10:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>The state of Minnesota recently held a training for employees. There were many great questions about Microsoft Teams accessibility! This article is part 1 of a 2 part series, sharing answers to those questions.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Tips to make your Teams Meetings more inclusive</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ever want the inside scoop on Microsoft Teams accessibility? On October 12, 2022 Microsoft gave a training for State of Minnesota employees. They had the opportunity to learn the latest of what is available in the version of Teams they use – part of the Government Community Cloud (GCC). We collected the questions they asked, the answers we got, and we are sharing them with you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many thanks to the subject matter experts that contributed to these responses, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Macauley Kloetzly, Microsoft.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kris Schulze, Experience IT Manager.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Microsoft Teams Accessibility Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Is there a link to Microsoft Teams tips?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some accessibility resources from Microsoft:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/accessibility-tools-for-microsoft-teams-2d4009e7-1300-4766-87e8-7a217496c3d5?culture=en-us&amp;amp;country=us&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft webpage linking to Teams accessibility topic pages&quot;&gt;Accessibility tools for Microsoft Teams.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility information for Microsoft products&quot;&gt;Accessibility Technology &amp;amp; Tools.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/features?activetab=pivot_1%3aprimaryr2&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft accessibility features sorted by functional needs.&quot;&gt;Accessibility Features.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft&apos;s accessibility help and learning page&quot;&gt;Accessibility help and learning.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Giving Presentations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Is pink the recommended color for an accessible on-screen mouse cursor while presenting?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“How can you adjust the appearance of the cursor?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot%20Mouse%20and%20Pointer%20settings_tcm38-548008.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Mouse Pointer settings in Windows 10.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Mouse Pointer settings in Windows 10.&quot; style=&quot;width: 43%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Screenshot Mouse and Pointer settings&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If meeting participants need to follow your mouse pointer during a demonstration, try this tip. Choose a color with good contrast against whatever is behind it. When planning your presentation think about concepts like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What is the slide background color (if using PowerPoint)?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What is the background color for the web pages I am demonstrating?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are there times where I have to move between 2 different colored areas, and still need people to be able to track my cursor?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember that color is not your only tool:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describe where your mouse pointer is as you navigate across the screen. This also helps people who cannot see the screen or don’t see it well.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Change settings to use the CTRL key to draw attention to the current mouse pointer location as necessary (looks like a target).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide a handout with key screen shots that include indications of specific locations. Participants can review this after the meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are Microsoft resources for these mouse settings:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/make-windows-easier-to-see-c97c2b0d-cadb-93f0-5fd1-59ccfe19345d#:~:text=you&apos;re%20pointing-,Make%20your%20mouse%20more%20visible%20by%20changing%20the%20color%20and,that%20work%20best%20for%20you.&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft instructions to change mouse pointer visibility&quot;&gt;Make Windows Easier to See – Know Where You’re Pointing section&lt;/a&gt; includes instructions for changing the color of your mouse pointer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/find-your-mouse-pointer-fast-dbc1d222-778c-da15-5218-cb8336074554&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft instructions for adding a circle around your mouse pointer&quot;&gt;Find Your Mouse Pointer Fast&lt;/a&gt; – instructions for enabling a circle to appear around your mouse pointer when you use the CTRL key.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screen Readers and PowerPoint Live&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Is there a way for a screen reader user to read the content [when the presenter is using PowerPoint Live]?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PowerPoint Live is a way to enable presentation participants to advance through the slides shared in Teams at their own pace. It also enables participants to use any links you have within your PowerPoint during the meeting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Microsoft has instructions to “&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-a-screen-reader-to-attend-a-powerpoint-live-session-in-microsoft-teams-d2bdc7aa-4288-4159-a1ca-02f63e4a9a27#:~:text=Read%20slide%20contents,-The%20screen%20readers&amp;amp;text=follow%20these%20steps%3A-,In%20the%20Microsoft%20Teams%20meeting%20where%20the%20presenter%20is%20using,switch%20the%20scan%20mode%20on.&quot; title=&quot;Use a screen reader with PowerPoint Live&quot;&gt;Use a screen reader to attend a PowerPoint Live session in Microsoft Teams.”&lt;/a&gt; This includes instructions for getting the screen reader to read slide contents. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using PowerPoint Live during your presentation? Consider sharing the link to this information in your meeting invite.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use of Background Filters and Your Camera&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“If the custom background appears reversed to (you) does it appear correctly to participants?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes. When you load an image into Teams to use as your background it appears in reverse for you. Any text will appear backwards to you. People viewing you during the meeting will see the text in your background image in the correct orientation. Microsoft recently added a way to &lt;a href=&quot;https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/turn-off-mirror-my-video-in-microsoft-teams-meetings-to-match/ba-p/3114332&quot; title=&quot;Turn off &amp;quot;Mirror my video&amp;quot;&quot;&gt;Turn off “Mirror my video.”&lt;/a&gt; The article has instructions on how to use this setting and provides other helpful information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cameras, backgrounds, and their use can be both a positive and a negative experience for a variety of needs. Some people find the use of a more uniform background helpful for focusing on the person (as opposed to their background). Some mentioned during the training that the flickering difference between the background image/filter and the person cause them challenges. Other people may find having people’s videos on distracts them from focusing on content. Some ideas:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide opportunities for people to share their needs in a variety of ways. Listen when someone shares that an aspect of cameras being on either helps them or makes it difficult for them. Ask for their suggestions on ways to make the experience better. Work together to find something that works well for all involved.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be thoughtful when you select a background image to use. Consider how this may help others in the meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are finding people having their videos on is distracting for you, you have the option to turn them off (just in your view). In your Teams meeting window go to the more actions (3 dots) – select Turn off incoming video. Your camera will stay active for others (if you keep it on).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transcription&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Why did the transcription stop?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to Microsoft the organizers, presenters, and people in the same organization or “tenant” attending the meeting can start or stop the (automated) transcript. If portions of a meeting are being recorded, when the meeting recording stops you may need to restart the transcript. &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/view-live-transcription-in-a-teams-meeting-dc1a8f23-2e20-4684-885e-2152e06a4a8b&quot; title=&quot;Transcript in a Teams meeting&quot;&gt;Transcript in a Teams meeting&lt;/a&gt; shares information about using the automated transcript feature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But Wait, There’s More&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We got so many great questions during the training! Check out the December edition for the rest. Not yet subscribed? Keep reading!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>547970</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-11-16T21:02:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Commissioner Tarek Tomes announced the following appointments to the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Announces Appointments for Cybersecurity Task Force</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>task force</Subject><Subject>appoint</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services Announces Appointments for Cybersecurity Task Force</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343296.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2022-11 - Minnesota IT Services Announces Appointments for Cybersecurity Task Force</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-545583&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-11-02T01:26:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Commissioner Tarek Tomes announced the following appointments to the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;[St. Paul, MN] – Today, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Commissioner Tarek Tomes announced the following appointments to the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mike Gamache – Andover, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force County, City, Town, or Tribal Government Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chris Gunderson – Grand Rapids, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force County, City, Town, or Tribal Government Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mel Reeder – St. Paul, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force County, City, Town, or Tribal Government Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lee Devault – City, State
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force County, City, Town, or Tribal Government Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eric Peterson – South Range, WI
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force Critical Infrastructure Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Matt Zaruba – Rochester, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force County, City, Town, or Tribal Government Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Randy Long – Nett Lake, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force County, City, Town, or Tribal Government Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Arnoldo Martinez – Shoreview, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force Minnesota National Guard Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rohit Tandon – Edina, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force Private Sector IT Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jennifer Czaplewski – Eden Prairie, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force Private Sector IT Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nicole Pruden – Braham, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force Public Education Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Christine Cauwels – Marshall, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force Public Health Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tarek Tomes – St. Paul, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force State Planning Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John Israel – St. Paul, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force State Planning Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Diane Bartell – St. Paul, MN
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force State Planning Member
&lt;br /&gt;
Effective: November 4, 2022
&lt;br /&gt;
Term Expires: November 3, 2024
&lt;br /&gt;
New Seat&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force will contribute to the development of a statewide cybersecurity plan to advance cybersecurity protections for Minnesotans. Membership includes county, city, town, or tribal governments and private sector IT experts. The Task Force meetings will also invite participation from interested members of the legislature. The cybersecurity plan will be a component of Minnesota’s application for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), a new grant program passed in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (or Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,300 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>545583</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-11-01T20:00:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Terry Seiple and Laura Johnson received the Visionary Leadership Award during the Cyber Security Summit</Description><Audience/><Title>Meet the MNIT Staff Awarded for Cybersecurity Leadership</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cyber</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>leader</Subject><Subject>terry seiple</Subject><Subject>laura johnson</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Meet the MNIT Staff Awarded for Cybersecurity Leadership</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cyber Security Summit Logo over blue and green background with a ribbon that read, &quot;2022 Visionary Leadership Award.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/visionary-leader-award-blog_tcm38-545578.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Globe circumnavigated by ones and zeros.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/visionary-leader-award-blog-thumb_tcm38-545579.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-10 - Meet the MNIT Staff Awarded for Cybersecurity Leadership</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-545276&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-28T12:00:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>Terry Seiple and Laura Johnson received the Visionary Leadership Award during the Cyber Security Summit</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is excited to share two employees received the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cybersecuritysummit.org/visionary-leadership-award-honorees/&quot;&gt;Visionary Leadership Award&lt;/a&gt; during the Cyber Security Summit. Terry Seiple was named Visionary Application Security Leader and Laura Johnson was named Visionary Security Operations Leader. Seiple and Johnson were celebrated on October 25, 2022, at an award ceremony during the summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about these individuals and their accomplishments. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Terry Seiple&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/terry-seiple-blog_tcm38-545582.jpg&quot; title=&quot;terry-seiple&quot; alt=&quot;Terry Seiple headshot in black and white.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;terry-seiple&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visionary Application Security Leader&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Terry Seiple is a Senior Enterprise Information Security and Cloud Architect. As an enterprise architect, he helps design the entire technology footprint of the State of Minnesota – helping build the framework and guidelines that new systems have to follow. He brings together the architecture of different technology including cloud, cybersecurity, and networks. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there any accomplishments that define your work at MNIT?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seiple&lt;/strong&gt;: I am a part of the team that developed the State of Minnesota’s cloud-first, or Intentional Cloud Approach. It’s been very challenging yet fulfilling work from a technology and logistical perspective. To prepare for such a large-scale migration, we have to coordinate many processes with many divisions. The planning and orchestration are resource intensive, but it culminates in the desired outcome – moving to the cloud for a more secure and flexible environment for Minnesota’s applications. I relate it closely to the words of Colonel Hannibal Smith from the A-Team, “I love it when a plan comes together.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this award mean to you?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Seiple&lt;/strong&gt;: I am quite humbled to be selected for this Visionary Leadership award. It recognizes the accomplishments of not only myself but that of my peers at the State of Minnesota. We all work so hard to create a successful and industry-leading security program – day in and day out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I joined MNIT’s Enterprise Security Office when it was created. The culture and strategic vision of the team are the reasons that we have been able to protect the state and its systems so well. Without the team, we would not have realized any parts of the strategic vision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I have had the privilege to work with Terry over the past 8 years. Terry’s technical knowledge and experiences are vast, and he has built the trust of many through the solutions he has delivered. I value Terry’s architectural capabilities as he skillfully evaluates, assesses, and then provides sound technical recommendations for each and every opportunity he is presented. I consider myself and the State of Minnesota lucky to have someone as talented as Terry on our team.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Terry&apos;s supervisor, John Moreland&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Laura Johnson&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/laura-johnson-blog_tcm38-545581.jpg&quot; title=&quot;laura-johnson&quot; alt=&quot;Laura Johnson headshot.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;laura-johnson&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visionary Security Operations Leader&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Laura Johnson is an Enterprise Endpoint Manager. She leads a team that provides foundational services to endpoints – workstations, laptops, servers, and more. Over the past five-plus years, her team has consolidated management of endpoints across Minnesota’s executive branch moving closer to the goal of consistent management while increasing the economies of scale.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell us more about what you do.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Johnson&lt;/strong&gt;: The endpoint team contributes to the creation and maintenance of a stable and secure technology environment by delivering consistent and reliable services from one solution that reaches all State of Minnesota executive branch devices. Leveraging modern technology allows the team to extend our reach to endpoints in the executive branch to do things like deliver a patch the first day we identify a vulnerability or upgrade an out-of-support operating system that puts the environment at risk. In the past five years, we have been able to drastically increase our reach while reducing the amount of time it takes to patch devices when there is a vulnerability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this award mean to you?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Johnson&lt;/strong&gt;: This was as much of a surprise as an honor, to be noticed for the work we do every day. The recognition reinforces the importance of our services for state agencies, and it reenergizes and reaffirms the great work this team accomplishes every year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is your favorite project?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Johnson&lt;/strong&gt;: I don’t have one specific project, but there is a type of work that brings me a lot of satisfaction. When we migrate environments to a new solution, we tackle a lot of hard work while providing quality and consistent services to our business partners. It is empowering and satisfying work that speaks to the potential of our environments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Laura is a bright, upbeat motivational leader and systems thinker. She has tremendous talent and enthusiasm for mutual success. She helps bring together various teams, technologies, and the human spirit to get through today by setting us up for future success.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Laura’s supervisor, Dan Oehmke&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>545276</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-28T18:58:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota’s focus on diversity and inclusion enables us to hire from a wider pool of candidates than many others. Learn from 3 state employees about the link for them between assistive technology and digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>People: The Best Reason for Accessible Digital Technology</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>employment</Subject><Subject>ndeam</Subject><Subject>equity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>People: The Best Reason for Accessible Digital Technology</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Diverse people in workplace settings.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meaningful-in-minnesota-blog_tcm38-544887.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Diverse people in workplace settings.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meaningful-in-minnesota-blog-thumb_tcm38-544885.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-10 - Meaningful in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-544857&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-24T19:10:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota’s focus on diversity and inclusion enables us to hire from a wider pool of candidates than many others. Learn from 3 state employees about the link for them between assistive technology and digital accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>National Disability Employment Awareness Month’s Meaning in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your colleagues. Your neighbors. Your friends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They need accessible digital technology. You may not even know that they do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes knowing more about how digital accessibility impacts real life makes it easier to understand why:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We must continue to learn.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We must continue to innovate and transform our digital spaces.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We all must continue to advocate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has a strong digital accessibility history. Why? For over 10 years our state government employees have worked and continue to work to improve access to information by Minnesotans. And, we have goals around hiring and retaining qualified employees with disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state’s Information Technology department, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), is the home of the Office of Accessibility. This Office leads digital accessibility for the state of Minnesota. The Office partners with the state’s digital accessibility coordinators, state agencies, and all state employees. Together this group is transforming the way we buy, build, and use technology. Our shared goal: improve digital accessibility used by Minnesotans and state employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s meet some employees who need the technology used at work to be accessible. In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, this month we learn from:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Donald Hirasuna, Minnesota Department of Commerce.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tommy Sar, Minnesota Department of Health.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) employee.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They share the type of work they do, and how digital accessibility improves their ability to give Minnesota their best.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Doing Important Work&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota state employees have jobs that require all kinds of knowledge and ability. Hirasuna works at the Department of Commerce as a Rates Analyst. “I typically conduct econometric analyses to evaluate forecasts from utilities.” Sar works for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). “I’m a business application specialist at MDH’s Agency Projects and Planning Office. I establish governance and serve as system administrator for certain shared applications such as Absorb Learning Management System and Smartsheet. I also provide shared applications consultation and solutions to better empower MDH employees to serve Minnesota.” The MnDOT employee’s job involves the creation and managing of a database. In addition, he writes and submits reports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The essential duties for each position are very different. And yet, common to all 3 positions is using:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digital information - they must review it, create it, and sometimes store for later use. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digital interactions - with other people and systems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Technology covered by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;state of Minnesota&apos;s Digital Accessibility law and standard&quot;&gt;state of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility law and standard.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also common for these 3 people? They use assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Technology – Essential Tools&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive technology is:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“any item, piece of equipment, or product system,
&lt;br /&gt;
whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized,
&lt;br /&gt;
that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.”
&lt;br /&gt;
[From the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/star/program-services/info-and-assistance/&quot; title=&quot;What is AT?&quot;&gt;What is AT page - Minnesota STAR Program.&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These essential tools enable access to accessible digital information. You may be familiar with how you can talk to your phone, and it types messages for you. For a person with a disability who is unable to type or type well, this and other speech to text assistive technology is essential. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Job accommodations like speech to text and other assistive technologies are an important part of making it possible to hire more people with disabilities. In today’s competitive job market, it is important to be able to hire from the widest pool of qualified potential employees. And, as documented by McKinsey and others, more diverse workforces perform better. The availability of job accommodations, combined with using accessible technology gives the state of Minnesota a greater number of candidates to select from.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of the people we spoke to this month uses different assistive technologies. Sar shares, “I use a hearing aid and manual wheelchair. I regularly use captions and text-to-speech features found in various software and operating systems.” And some people, like Hirasuna, use an assistive technology that provides a combination of features. He uses Fusion. This software has features including screen magnification (beyond what is available in the operating system), and a screen reader.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MnDOT employee shares how he uses his assistive technology while completing tasks throughout the day. “I use assistive technology like JAWS and Seeing AI to complete my work assignments.” Seeing AI is an app that includes features like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Speaking text that is in front of your device camera.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identifying products by their barcodes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describing the people around you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identifying currency bills. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He continues, “I use JAWS (a screen reader) to read and respond to my email; create and manage a database; edit my work, submit, and organize reports. I also use a Montesquieu Braille device to read and take notes or edit my work.” He also shared how assistive technology contributes to a higher role for him and other people who use this type of technology. “Assistive technology makes it possible to support myself and my family.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive technology relies on accessibility when working with digital information. When something is not accessible, using a document, web form, or software may not work for some people. This is why we all have a role to play.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Built-In Accessibility Improves Access, Efficiency&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you encounter a curb-cut built into a sidewalk while walking with a baby in a stroller, it makes life simple. If you use a wheelchair, it makes using the sidewalk possible. You don’t have to stop and think about how to do something. You don’t have to consider another route. You just use the curb-cut to transition from the sidewalk to the street.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility that follows recognized standards uses this same approach in digital spaces. Documents and emails, surveys for gathering feedback, and collaborative spaces are just a few examples that require designing and building content, templates, and systems following these standards and best practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MnDOT employee shared that he uses a screen reader. This means that for his assistive technology to access information:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alt text for images should clearly identify key information in graphics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Headings throughout documents and websites will make it easier for him to hear the outline and move to the section he needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Form fields in a PDF, survey, or web page must use proper labels – both visible and for the form field itself. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hirasuna shares, “With my partial vision, I work best with a combination of a magnifier and reader.” How do you ensure that he can use your information? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider people who magnify when reviewing wireframes and design proposals. Ensure this will work well if the person magnifies to 200% (current state of Minnesota standard).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use quality graphics. These are more likely to remain clear when magnified.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make magnification a part of your testing. Look for information that may overlap, making something unreadable. Check that dropdowns contain all their text when magnified. Try completing text fields within your form.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sar reminds us that sometimes, technology itself is the curb cut. “While many dislike the general shift to virtual meetings, for me, it is a huge boon. Face-to-face meetings weren’t always great for me due to being hard of hearing. I can only hear with my left ear so if the speaker(s) are positioned to my right or behind, I have a very hard time understanding them. Since I don’t have stereo hearing, it is difficult to track multiple speakers and pick out voices in a loud environment. Throw in bad acoustics and I might as well not attend the meeting. However, virtual meetings usually mean&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;One person speaks at a time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Their voice goes directly into my ear. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I can adjust the volume.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I can use an Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated captioning or a live transcript. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another example is whiteboards. I dislike physical whiteboards because as a wheelchair user, I can only reach the bottom portion of the board. I also have difficulty writing legibly on vertical surfaces. Whereas digital whiteboards are fully accessible to me.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And this is where the state of Minnesota digital accessibility standard is important. You don’t have to remember what helps each person in this article. The standard provides a way to plan digital accessibility that works for many. One aspect is using an accessible digital whiteboard. One that also enables a person using a screen reader or magnifies to use it too. Pair this with describing what is happening onscreen as people are using it during the meeting. Now it is accessible for many people, including people who use a wheelchair, people who magnify and/or use a screen reader, and those attending by telephone. And, everyone will be able to actively participate in your meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We Still Need to Ask What People Need&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Important: remember to include information about how to request an accommodation. People may need them in different scenarios. Think about situations like meetings, webinars, and conferences. The MnDOT employee shares a best practice: “When people make a request for accommodation in technology, respond quickly and efficiently for they rely on it for their work.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Throughout your work, think about when a person may need to make a request. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a plan on how to integrate this into your workflow. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Draft language your team can include in communications. This should include the contact information of a person or office to reach out to when making a request. Include their email and phone number. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask your Human Resources team who to contact if you get a request. Many will have an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Coordinator.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And there is still other work to do. Building more equitable, inclusive spaces means understanding the needs of people like Sar, Hirasuna, and the MnDOT employee. Consider involving people with disabilities when planning your next IT project. They have wishes for the next versions of digital interactions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Points to Ponder&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of our interviewees shared concepts they hope you will consider in the coming year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MnDOT employee wants everyone to “keep all abilities in mind when communicating digitally. Don’t assume assistive technology users communicate the same way as you. Instead, try to understand how they communicate digitally. As language is for communication, technology, too, is for communication. If the point is to communicate, don’t make it inaccessible.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“My wish,” shares Hirasuna, “is that all organizations continue to work on their understanding and appreciation of the skills that persons with disabilities can bring to the office.  Also, my hope is that employers continue to strive to provide a working environment that recognizes the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and to further recognize that different challenges are not equivalent to additional challenges.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Rather than view accessibility as a chore you’re legally obligated to work with,” says Sar, “understand that accessibility features often benefit those who don’t need it. They can enable more efficient productivity, reduce errors, or just make work more pleasant. Captions and transcripts are great for later reference and record keeping as well as missed attendees. Alt-text may ensure people understand the point of a graph or image. By normalizing and embracing accessibility as USABILITY, everyone benefits. But more importantly for me, that’s fewer barriers to an inclusive work environment where more people with disabilities can be gainfully employed and support themselves, their families, and society as a whole.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Join the Movement&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, you have already taken an important step. You took time out of your day to learn more about people. Thank you! Here are some ways you can continue to build awareness and understanding in the coming year:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Discover the hiring practices supporting people with disabilities in your organization. In Minnesota, there is information on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Management and Budget&apos;s website - welcoming a diverse workforce&quot;&gt;Minnesota Management and Budget&apos;s website about welcoming and supporting a diverse workforce.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan time in your calendar weekly, even 15 minutes, to practice improving digital accessibility in your daily work. It is amazing what you can accomplish in a year with regular practice.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>544857</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-24T14:42:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Do you create content, or are you a member of a project planning team? Do you test digital content that uses color? Learn information that can help you plan and test engaging digital projects.</Description><Audience/><Title>More Attractive, Engaging, Accessible: How to Use Color with Intention</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>color</Subject><Subject>project planning</Subject><Subject>testing</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>More Attractive, Engaging, Accessible: How To Use Color With Intention</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Color wheel with eye dropper tool in the center. Icons encircle: text, graph, thinking, eye, webpage, pen and paper.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/use-color-with-intention-blog_tcm38-544888.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Color wheel with eye dropper tool in the center.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/use-color-with-intention-blog-thumb_tcm38-544884.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-10 - Use Color</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-544858&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-24T19:10:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>Do you create content, or are you a member of a project planning team? Do you test digital content that uses color? Learn information that can help you plan and test engaging digital projects.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Planning and Testing Tips to Meet Color Requirements</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color – something we use every day at work. Many of us don’t even think about it! It is part of:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Heading styles.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link font color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bullets in lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Error messaging.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Table row headers, column headers, data cells.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And this list just relates to text!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we review the concept of color as a sensory characteristic of text. We cover who needs you to use color intentionally, what to consider when planning to use text with color, and how to test.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why Use Color Intentionally&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may know someone that cannot tell the difference between red and green. Or someone that accesses text but not any of the visuals onscreen. People may find color difficult to perceive for a variety of reasons. Consider people who:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have difficulty perceiving certain color combinations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have low vision. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a cognitive disability that makes it difficult to notice more subtle sensory differences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are blind.   &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use Color with Intention&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use color – it helps many people engage with your content! And, add these concepts to your checklist (more details will follow):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use good contrast between foreground and background.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use more than just color to communicate information. Another way to say this: do not use color alone to communicate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bonus if you are able to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Let users choose the foreground (text) and background colors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan to use Color&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of us plays a role in planning to use color with text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individual Contributor&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selecting colors for specific tasks? Think about how you (and other people) will test them. Plan to use colors that meet the contrast requirements. Plan for use of text with color in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emails.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web pages, applications, forms (including surveys).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mobile applications.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Social media.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Infographics…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are few jobs today that someone may have where color is not a consideration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In terms of text color, think about the color of:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Heading styles.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Paragraph text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link font color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bullets in lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Error messaging.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Table row headers, column headers, data cells.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Often I hear people say “I use the default colors, so those are accessible. Right?” Maybe. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The company or organization may not have tested the default colors for the specific way you are using them. It&apos;s best to test it yourself.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did they test the default color contrast against the background you selected?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did they test the default color the way you are using it – have you changed anything compared to how they tested it?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Did they test the version you are using, which may have changed some of the colors?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using something you haven’t used before or since the latest update? Consider that the default color of the text may not have enough contrast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When planning to use color to communicate something like status of a project, or an alert, use text and color. Do not use color alone. Review your plan to determine if readers need to be able to perceive color of the text to understand the information. Examples include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If a category of content uses green text for one category, blue for another, and does not have text to identify the name of the category. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If red responses to sample questions indicate incorrect and do not have text that also identifies them as incorrect.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the color of text (paragraph, heading, table cell) indicates its status as complete, partially complete, or not yet started.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Revise your plan to ensure that color is not the only way the content communications information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project Planning Team&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How IT projects will use color and text is an important consideration for &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Designers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Business analysts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Quality assurance professionals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Project managers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The information for individual contributors (above) will start you thinking about how this impacts your projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may also want to add specific information in your plans that references the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). For state of Minnesota employees, this is currently version 2.0, A and AA. Consider building in greater accessibility by adding AAA and 2.1 success criteria. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?currentsidebar=%23col_customize&amp;amp;tags=color&quot; title=&quot;How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference) with color tag selected&quot;&gt;How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference) with color as a selected tag&lt;/a&gt; identifies the following success criteria to include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics – Level A. “Note 1: For requirements related to color, refer to Guideline 1.4.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.1 Use of Color – Level A. “Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) – Level AA. “The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except…”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) – Level AAA. “The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 7:1, except…”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.8 Visual Presentation – Level AAA. “For the visual presentation of blocks of text, a mechanism is available to achieve the following…”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1.4.11 Non-text Contrast – Level AA (Added in 2.1). “The visual presentation of the following have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent color(s)…”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: the success criteria listed above does not include color related to other uses, such as visible focus. This is important as well, but the scope of this article is on the use of color and text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examples of Tools for Planning to Use Color&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color Contrast Planning Tools&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many tools available to help you select colors to use. Here are some examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/&quot; title=&quot;WebAIM Color Contrast Checker&quot;&gt;WebAIM Color Contrast Checker.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.levelaccess.com/color-contrast-checker/&quot;&gt;Level Access Color Contrast Checker.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each has a style for adjusting potential colors and displaying colors for your consideration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tools for Checking for Color Used Alone&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test 1: check for color words.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A simple testing tool is your Find option within a browser, document, or content editor. Search for words related to the colors available on the page, e.g., the text “errors are shown in red.” Common examples are red, green, orange, yellow. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may have access to other tools that use automated tests to search for the use of color words.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test 2: check for text presented in different colors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Examine the page and identify text that uses different colors. You may be able to determine this by scanning with your eyes. For some, this may be easier by examining the color codes. When encountering different colored text, review to determine if color change is required for understanding the content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prepare a List of Text to Test&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When testing text, review anything that is not black and white, or text with background colors you have previously tested and found to pass. Make a list of these elements. For testing text they could be:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Heading styles.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Paragraph text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link font color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bullets in lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Error messaging.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Table row headers, column headers, data cells.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: some text on the page may be part of images. This article will not cover specifics for testing this type of text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Places to consider reviewing (often forgotten):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Footnotes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Footer text in a document or on a website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Error messaging that appears after failing to complete or incorrectly completing a form element.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visited link colors if they change from how they originally appear.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sections of a document, webpage, or application that have a different background color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text in panels or sections of an application or web application that the user can expose. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text that does not appear on the page until a user completes a task or makes certain selections.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text that becomes available in a pop-up, notification, or similar elements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Options for Testing&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are a variety of tools available for testing color contrast. Select ones that work with your abilities, type of technology, and display preferences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Common to all is the need to determine:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color code of the text (find the color code in the code, use an eye dropper selection option within your tool, or run an automated checker).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color code of the background.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The color contrast ratio. For this, most people use a tool to calculate it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes there are special considerations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When the background or text color uses a gradient, or the background is an image.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If a particular letter in a word disappears because of the way the font has color applied.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For testing to determine if content uses color alone, review the section above: Tools for Checking for Color Used Alone.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For testing color contrast, in addition to the testing tools in the section above (Color Contrast Planning Tools) some other examples are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/&quot; title=&quot;Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA)&quot;&gt;Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA).&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/&quot; title=&quot;WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool&quot;&gt;WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ssa.gov/accessibility/andi/help/howtouse.html&quot; title=&quot;ANDI&quot;&gt;ANDI.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing Protocol Examples&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Understanding Documents for each success criteria in WCAG have a section called Sufficient Techniques. Each Sufficient Techniques page has a Tests section. There is a procedure, followed by expected results. Here are some Test sections that may be helpful to review:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G14#tests&quot; title=&quot;Test section of Ensuring that information conveyed by color differences is also available in text&quot;&gt;Ensuring that information conveyed by color differences is also available in text.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G14#tests&quot; title=&quot;Test section of Ensuring that information conveyed by color differences is also available in text&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G205#tests&quot; title=&quot;Test section of Including a text cue for colored form control labels&quot;&gt;Including a text cue for colored form control labels.&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G182#tests&quot; title=&quot;Test section of Ensuring that additional visual cues are available&quot;&gt;Ensuring that additional visual cues are available when text color differences are used to convey information.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/general/G18#tests&quot; title=&quot;Test section of Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 exists&quot;&gt;Ensuring that a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 exists between text (and images of text) and background behind the text.&lt;/a&gt; Note: this is the test process used behind the scenes for many automated testing tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking for more test protocols? Start with the specific success criteria. Find its Understanding Document. Then, review the sufficient techniques for one that is close to your situation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Still not sure how to test? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you work for the state of Minnesota reach out to your digital accessibility coordinators. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Everyone should also sign up for trainings! Our newsletter includes training opportunities each month, some of which are free!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources – Learn More&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For people who want more resources about use of color here are some suggestions:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/&quot; title=&quot;Map Accessibility section&quot;&gt;Map Accessibility section&lt;/a&gt; of the Office of Accessibility website, particularly the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/design.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Design page&quot;&gt;Design page.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Working with Colors module in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Word Document Training&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility’s Accessible Word Document Training.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot;&gt;How to improve non-text contrast: color schemes and interface components.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=534351&quot; title=&quot;Blog: How to improve non-text contrast&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>544858</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-24T14:42:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description> Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) prevents, monitors, detects, and coordinates with federal and local governments to respond to cyber threats targeting state systems and services. </Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>grants</Subject><Subject>cyber</Subject><Subject>proclamation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shield over the State of Minnesota with text October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-month-blog_tcm38-542063.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shield over the State of Minnesota outline.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-month-blog-thumb_tcm38-542064.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2022-10 - Governor Walz Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-542066&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-10-03T13:39:54Z</Date><ShortDescription> Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) prevents, monitors, detects, and coordinates with federal and local governments to respond to cyber threats targeting state systems and services. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;October 3, 2022 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;–&lt;/strong&gt; Governor Tim Walz &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/10.01.22%20Cybersecurity%20Awareness%20Month_tcm38-542062.pdf&quot; title=&quot;proclamation-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2022&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;proclamation-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2022&quot;&gt;proclaims October 2022 as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. The proclamation, coordinated with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminds Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for everyone, including large corporations, small businesses, financial institutions, schools, government agencies, the home user, and anyone who connects to the internet with any device. The need to identify, protect against, and respond to cyber threats grows as critical infrastructure increasingly relies on the support of information systems and technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota is using a whole-of-state approach to protect the information of our citizens, residents, and visitors and keep critical systems running. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) prevents, monitors, detects, and coordinates with federal and local governments to respond to cyber threats targeting state systems and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We are using every tool available to protect systems and data against rising cyber threats – and Minnesotans can do the same. By learning and practicing the basics of cybersecurity, you can make a huge difference to guard yourself, your company, and your family against cyber risks. Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, keep your devices updated, and stay on the lookout for phishing attacks.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the effort to further expand cyber collaboration across the state, MNIT also helps to implement the Governor’s &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/security/eo22-20-faq.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - EO 22-20&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - EO 22-20&quot;&gt;Executive Order 22-20&lt;/a&gt; on critical infrastructure cybersecurity. MNIT has established a Cybersecurity Task Force to help develop and implement a statewide cybersecurity plan. Appointment applications will be reviewed through Oct. 21. Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us/Agency/Details/306&quot;&gt;Office of the Secretary of State’s website to apply&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, MNIT will also share cybersecurity tips on social media to generate public awareness about staying safe online. MNIT will educate state employees about cybersecurity best practices and reporting procedures through an internal messaging campaign.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,300 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>542066</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-03T20:42:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The State of Minnesota received an A in the Digital States Survey – for the first time in the state’s history. It assesses how IT organizations within a state align their work with the governor’s priorities. 
</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota’s Digital States Survey 2022</Title><Publisher/><Subject>survey</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>Digital States</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota’s Digital States Survey 2022</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Badge with text &quot;State of Minnesota Digital State Survey A Grade&quot; over landscape photo of the St. Paul capitol building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/a-grade-blog_tcm38-541886.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Badge that says &quot;A Grade.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/a-grade-blog-thumb_tcm38-541887.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-09 - Minnesota’s Digital States Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-541889&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-29T21:01:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota received an A in the Digital States Survey – for the first time in the state’s history. It assesses how IT organizations within a state align their work with the governor’s priorities. 
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Explore Highlights from Minnesota’s Submission</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/cdg/digital-states/digital-states-survey-2022-results-announced&quot;&gt;received an A in the Digital States Survey&lt;/a&gt; – for the first time in the state’s history. It assesses how IT organizations within a state align their work with the governor’s priorities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explore highlights from Minnesota’s submission below or &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/computing/digital-states-survey-2022-resident-focused-and-data-driven&quot;&gt;read GovTech&apos;s coverage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aligning Leadership Across IT and the Executive Branch&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota’s Modernization Playbook powered the state’s ability to transform how we deliver value by consistently using stakeholder engagement, project management best practices, and IT modernization principles.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Governor tasked IT leadership with driving vaccine technology solutions for Minnesotans with the vaccine locator map, Vaccine Connector, and enabling vaccine incentive programs. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce Planning (Minnesota ranked #3 in the country) &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT’s Human Resource Executive Dashboard tracks and reports on the current state of MNIT’s workforce.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Administration and MMB created a COVID-19 screening application for state employees to report work status. MNIT automated the COVID-19 vaccine attestation process. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Constituent/Customer-Centered Mobile and Digital Services &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mnbenefits.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;MNbenefits&lt;/a&gt; combines nine public assistance programs for cash assistance, food, and health care into a single, streamlined application to simplify processes and get help to the state’s most at-risk individuals and families.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNDRIVE is an all-in-one process for driver and vehicle services for Minnesotans. The Driver and Vehicle Services landing web page provides links to all self-service features available to Minnesotans. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT’s Enterprise Security Office produced measurable outcomes such as: &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;30% improvement in click-through/failure rate for state-run phishing campaigns from baseline measurements. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;100% of all executive branch assets (laptops, desktops, PCUs, cloud instances, servers) are covered by a centralized EDR solution. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT expanded Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) defense layers statewide and implemented a new web application firewall and bot management service that can be used on any state website. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elevating the Digital Estate: Governance and Analytics&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT enables the technical capacity to break down data silos and reduce barriers to data reporting – creating data lakes, moving infrastructure to the cloud, and building an application portfolio management dashboard. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Over 95% of school districts and charter schools in Minnesota are synchronizing data to the Minnesota Department of Education’s Ed-Fi system – an increase of 80% in just over the past two years.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota created the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/data/index.jsp&quot;&gt;COVID-19 vaccine dashboard&lt;/a&gt;, which was one of the state’s first public dashboards to address an immediate, public need.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota launched its first-ever &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/childrens-cabinet/childrens-fiscal-map&quot;&gt;children’s fiscal map&lt;/a&gt; – a data visualization that provides fiscal information on state programs that serve children and youth 18 and under. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aligning with Agency Partner’s Missions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The new M&lt;a href=&quot;https://cde.state.mn.us/&quot;&gt;innesota Crime Data Explorer&lt;/a&gt; (CDE) from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) creates visibility for crimes against persons, property, and society. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT and MnDOT piloted a program to better organize MnDOT’s Capital Program data area, which includes capital projects, contracts, and funding to construct and maintain MnDOT facilities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/workers-compensation/campus-central&quot;&gt;Work Comp Campus&lt;/a&gt; (CAMPUS), the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s (DLI’s) new web-based portal for filing and accessing workers’ compensation claims, rolled out on November 2, 2020. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Department of Human Services partnered with MNIT to launch the Workforce One Connect (WF1 Connect) mobile app. The app connects Minnesotans to Workforce One, the case management system for DEED and DHS, which supports more than 20 programs across two state agencies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IT Investment &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT can better assess the progress and risks of IT projects and initiatives across the executive branch. This happened by introducing go-live processes, audits, dashboards, and an established portfolio management process. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT is using data analytics and dashboards to bring together financial information from different data silos, reducing the number of places people need to go to access data. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resilience and Recovery &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The State’s cloud migration will increase the resilience of Minnesota’s applications. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT has increased its exercises of critical applications to meet a goal of exercising 20% of critical applications every year. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Annual mainframe testing ensures that 14-16 applications per year are tested to ensure backup availability of physical systems. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hybrid workplaces support continuity of operations by enabling employees to work anywhere and at any time of the day if necessary.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Continuous Innovation &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chatbots and robotics process automation were first used to respond quickly to high IT service desk volumes during the remote work transition and were later made available to all state agencies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDH’s moved its core disease surveillance system, MIIC (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/immunize/miic/index.html&quot;&gt;Minnesota Immunization Information Connection&lt;/a&gt;) into the cloud in mid-2020 and then off-loaded non-transactional workloads into a sophisticated data processing and reporting system built around data lake technologies. MIIC processed 1.4 million positive COVID-19 cases and 21 million tests by May 2022. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) Office at the Minnesota Department of Transportation made significant technical and planning progress over the past two years. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connected Infrastructure&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT has architected and implemented public cloud connections for every executive branch application. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT deployed 10,000 small home routers to enable call center agents to work remotely and increased VPN capacity from supporting 10,000 to 30,000 state employees to secure these connections. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improved internet speeds at state parks and state-managed land to increase speeds and reliability for DNR staff and visitors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increased the bandwidth to non-metro locations in greater Minnesota. This ensured that employees and Minnesotans working across the state had higher access speeds and reliability. We are growing our backbone from 10GB to 100GB statewide. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Digital States Survey &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Digital States Survey is a biennial national survey from the Center for Digital Government (CDG). It assesses CIO-led organizations’ alignment with governor priorities. Minnesota IT Services submitted the survey in May 2022 and received results on Sept. 29, 2022. A national overview of all 50 states and their grades can be found on the Center for Digital Government’s website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>541889</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-09-29T14:28:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>What are you doing for National Disability Employment Awareness Month? This article has events and resources!</Description><Audience/><Title>You Need To Know: What’s YOUR role in NDEAM?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>employment</Subject><Subject>ndeam</Subject><Subject>equity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>You Need To Know: What’s YOUR role in NDEAM?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>NDEAM logo &quot;Disability: Part of the Equity Equation&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ndeam-blog_tcm38-541043.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Glowing lightbulb</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ndeam-blog-thumb_tcm38-541044.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-09 - NDEAM</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-541021&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-21T18:10:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>What are you doing for National Disability Employment Awareness Month? This article has events and resources!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Everyone has a role in National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year’s theme is Disability: Part of the Equity Equation. Disability inclusion that is part of a multifaceted community, and that is truly inclusive, is a key part of the equation for building a strong workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article shares information for everyone, including people who are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Co-workers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Job applicants.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take some time in October to become more aware of the intersection of disability employment, equity, and your role. Benefit from the events, resources, and conversations. You may find yourself surprised by how much of a stakeholder you really are!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read to Learn, Watch a Video&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Understanding the experiences of people with disabilities in employment can help you learn more about your role. People who work in the field of digital accessibility often share their recommendations in blogs and videos. There are many different ways to access this – there is something for every learning style.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reading&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/450250&quot;&gt;A Decade of Digital Accessibility in Practice - The impact of digital accessibility in our workplaces&lt;/a&gt;. This article from 2020 features interviews with people with disabilities. They discuss the impact and changes during the 10 years since the start of the state’s digital accessibility standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/502918&quot;&gt;Minnesota Embraces the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Theme - Steps Organizations Can Take to Improve Inclusion&lt;/a&gt;. State of Minnesota digital accessibility coordinators share ways their organizations are improving access to employment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Videos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5OSWz6vd77Y?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;End User Impact of Accessibility Standards (Video)&lt;/a&gt;. State employees share how digital accessibility impacts their professional and personal lives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos/&quot;&gt;Web Accessibility Perspective Videos&lt;/a&gt;. The W3C has short videos to help you “learn about the impact of accessibility and the benefits for everyone in a variety of situations.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attend Events and Activities&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These are just a few of the public events taking place in Minnesota to celebrate NDEAM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Historical display of people with disabilities and employment&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnddc/&quot;&gt;Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities&lt;/a&gt; is displaying a set of posters in the State Capitol building on the history of people with disabilities and employment. Each poster will have a QR code that leads to more information on the exhibit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mnhs.org/capitol/&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol Building&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: First week in October, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafExpo&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DeafExpo is a traveling exposition of products, services, and events geared toward people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, as well as their families and others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Registration is free.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: Minneapolis Convention Center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: Saturday, October 8, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://deafnation.com/expo/minneapolis/&quot;&gt;DeafNation Expo – Minneapolis webpage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are you in New York? There is also a &lt;a href=&quot;https://deafnation.com/expo/rochester/&quot;&gt;DeafNation Expo event in Rochester, NY&lt;/a&gt; on October 1, 2022.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Online panel discussion for employers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) panel discussion about how individuals with disabilities achieved their career goals. Learn about the journey individuals with disabilities have experienced in the education, job search, recruitment, onboarding and career advancement process. Panelists will share practical tips and advice on how businesses can make disability part of the “Equity Equation.” The event includes a welcome by DEED Commissioner Steve Grove.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where: Online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When: October 10, 10 a.m. Central Time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Register on the DEED: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItceispzosHZpFYVJpY5YS_e7qAeHC3Aw&quot;&gt;National Disability Employment Awareness Celebration Event meeting registration page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Host Events and Activities&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Disability Employment Policy website includes activities for &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/initiatives/ndeam/ideas&quot;&gt;31 Days of NDEAM&lt;/a&gt;. These include ideas and resources for hosting them. Some examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Train supervisors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assess ERecruiting accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Holding discussions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, digital accessibility is a key part of any event or activity’s planning, promotions, and materials! &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt; has resources you can use. Don’t forget to ensure your social media and presentation materials are accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>541021</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-03T18:11:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn about the difference between grids and tables. This article includes a decision-making tool!</Description><Audience/><Title>Find Grids Vs Tables Accessibility Scary? Relief = 2 Simple Questions</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>tables</Subject><Subject>grids</Subject><Subject>accessibility tree</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Find Grids Vs Tables Accessibility Scary? Relief = 2 Simple Questions</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>&quot;Table or Grid&quot; with woman holding head in open-mouthed puzzlement</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/table-or-grid-blog_tcm38-541018.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Question mark inside browser window</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/table-or-grid-blog-thumb_tcm38-541020.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-09 - Scary Tables</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-541013&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-09-21T17:58:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about the difference between grids and tables. This article includes a decision-making tool!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Simple definitions to help business analysts, developers, and you!</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Kim Wee, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Department of Education&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When displaying data for web, the code you write builds the Document Object Model (DOM) structure and accessibility tree. It is crucial to verify we are presenting the relationship between the cell contents, and the row and column headers in a programmatic way. Remember the POUR principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. If we forget about semantics, roles, and relationships, all kinds of things can go wrong.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article will not cover a lot of details about fixing the accessibility tree. But, as a developer, sometimes you get into problems if you pick a framework that automatically creates the code. And sometimes, you can go in and fix it. Sarah Higley does a great job describing some possibilities for fixing the accessibility tree in her &lt;a href=&quot;https://sarahmhigley.com/writing/roles-and-relationships/&quot;&gt;Roles and relationships article&lt;/a&gt;. However, fixing is something done after you begin to build. If you consider accessibility first when you choose whether to use a table or a grid, it will improve the accessibility of your solution and reduce the number of issues you will find when testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But how do you know which to use? Visually, tables and grids may look similar. Where they often differ is in the level of interactivity. Interactions include editing cell content or selecting or deselecting a cell. If most or all cells require some sort of interaction, it may be best to use a grid. If the primary goal is to read the data, stick with a data table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Grids also have the benefit of including one stop in the tab order. This can make keyboard navigation much easier and more efficient.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disclaimer: My goal for this article is to focus on data display options. I have not included options for page layout and grids on purpose.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data Grids (more specifically, ARIA grids)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you heard the saying…the first rule of ARIA - don&apos;t use ARIA? I tend to agree. However, in this case, the ARIA grid solution is pretty slick and robust! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider using an ARIA grid when you have data you want to present in a tabular format, and you have any of the following: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A lot of data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard interaction.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You want column and row headers to be automatically read by a screen reader. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In many cases, creating a grid can be easy, by adding role=&quot;grid&quot; to the &amp;lt;table&amp;gt;. Take a look at the examples listed on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/example-index/grid/dataGrids&quot;&gt;ARIA Authoring Practices Guide, Data Grid Examples page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By adding both role=&quot;grid&quot; to the table and tabindex=&quot;-1&quot; to each &amp;lt;td&amp;gt; the screen reader user now has one tab stop - to the first interactive element in the grid. Then, by using the keyboard arrow keys, they can: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Navigate the other data cells.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have the row and column header information read.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the space or enter key to interact with the other elements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tables (Data Tables)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can read more detail about the semantics of data, layout, and presentation tables in last month’s article &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/538604&quot;&gt;Easy Read that will Demystify Tables, Reflow, and Magnification&lt;/a&gt;. Watne and Shoemaker state: &quot;Use (data) tables for two-dimensional information.&quot; I would add: and if the primary purpose is to read through the data in order to consume and understand it. Even if there are a few actions included in the data cells, your best bet is to stick with the use of a HTML table. Remember, the first rule of ARIA! At this time, ARIA supports people using screen readers. There are other functional needs your readers may have which ARIA does not support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When displaying tabular data, begin by asking yourself two questions. First, how do you want people to take in and interact with the data? Next, which criteria below applies best?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use a table when:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading the data is the primary use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There is little to no interaction.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider a grid when:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interacting with the data is the primary use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interactions include the ability to select rows and/or has form elements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And always remember to test the accessibility of your page!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>541013</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-10-03T18:11:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>You can improve your digital accessibility skills in just 15 minutes a week. This article provides some fun ways to start learning.</Description><Audience/><Title>How to Make Short Weekly Learning Time = Digital Accessibility Wins</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>skills</Subject><Subject>learning</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>How to Make Short Weekly Learning Time = Digital Accessibility Wins</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man seated, working on a laptop. Overhead: alarm clock and a trophy.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Beginner%20Activites_Blog_tcm38-538770.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man seated, working on a laptop. Overhead: alarm clock and a trophy.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Beginner%20Activites_Blog%20Thumb_tcm38-538686.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-08 - Beginner Digital Accessibility Activities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-538596&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-29T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>You can improve your digital accessibility skills in just 15 minutes a week. This article provides some fun ways to start learning. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>15 Minute Learning Activities</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When it comes to starting your digital accessibility learning journey, we all need some help to take control and just start. This article will help you when you feel:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lost, because you don’t know where to start.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fear of self-judgment, for not having a clear plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Overwhelmed because of the size of the topic.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start here!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Commit to 15 minutes per week (you can do more if you have time). Starting small will feel manageable. Make a recurring calendar appointment for yourself.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bookmark this article. Add it to your calendar appointment. Use this as your learning plan, or on those days when you do not have another learning activity already identified.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Track your progress. Document 2 items from each study session:
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What did you do? This will help you review your progress over time. Sometimes we forget where we started. Demonstrating progress will keep you working on your goal.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What questions do you have after completing the activity? These will help you decide what to focus on during future study sessions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ready to start? This month we have simple and fun activities that will help you begin to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Spot the Auto-Captions Game - Videos&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Auto-captions” means machine generated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, the accuracy of auto-captions can vary based on the tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why does this matter?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out these videos and see for yourself. Yep, you get to watch videos at work this week. You&apos;re welcome!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Humorous Example of the Dangers of Auto-Captions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video has  3 important visuals that aren’t described in the audio. Because there is no audio description I am including them here before you view the video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Before the actors go through the script the first time, onscreen is the text “Round One: Original Script.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;After the punch sound, and you hear “let’s do that again,” onscreen text is “Round Two: Computer’s Interpretation of Original Script.” This version has the actors speaking what had been in the auto-captions during Round One.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;After the phrase “You wanna get” – instead of punching the man, this time the other man grabs his face around the mouth and looks like he is typing on his face. The man whose face he is typing on says “does it again.” Then, the text onscreen is “Round Three: Computer’s Interpretation of Round Two.” This version has the actors speaking what had been in the auto-captions during Round Two.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23H8IdaS3tk&quot; title=&quot;Caption Fail: Jamaican Vacation Hoax video&quot;&gt;Caption Fail: Jamaican Vacation Hoax (video).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good Captions Example&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This video has a lot of visual jokes, so the company made 2 versions. Disclaimer: Minnesota IT Services does not own or promote the contents of the videos linked in this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Version with captions: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOeC8ZLidQ&quot; title=&quot;Meet Carnival&apos;s New CFO: Shaquille O&apos;Neal video&quot;&gt;Meet Carnival’s New CFO: Shaquille O’Neal (video).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Version with captions and extended audio description: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgIJk6L5Oac&quot; title=&quot;Meet Carnival&apos;s New CFO: Shaquille O&apos;Neal audio described video&quot;&gt;Meet Carnival’s New CFO: Shaquille O’Neal (audio described video).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Understand the Impact of Visible Focus – Interactive Game&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This in-browser game is fall and Halloween themed. Use your tab key to participate. Sometimes you see the visible focus, and other times you do not. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check it out – use the TAB key to select the pumpkin. Then follow instructions: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://focus.hteumeuleu.com/&quot; title=&quot;Hocus :focus game&quot;&gt;Hocus :focus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screenshots and Text Alternative – Thinking Activity&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You have a broken monitor – just for images. You are only receiving text (for some strange fictional reason). The text is all you get from documents, web pages, and emails.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You receive instructions to complete a task, and with it, a screenshot you can&apos;t use. Now what?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The alternative text someone completed for the screenshot tells you what you need, right?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Does it describe what is in the screenshot - the important details?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Does it tell you if there are arrows pointing to specific buttons or areas of the screenshot?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Does it tell you the name of the location of the item you are to find (example: in the ribbon) or does it say the direction like, “on the right” (not helpful if you cannot see the image)?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What would you use as alt text for this image? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: if you check the alt text for this image, it includes everything, which is not the correct answer. Reason: too much detail. But I provided it for an important reason. If you cannot see this image and want to participate, I need to provide everything that people with vision get from this example.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For your alt text, focus on the purpose you are including the screenshot. For this image, you want the reader to follow Minnesota IT Services on Twitter. What does the reader need the image to show / tell them?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/TwitterFollowMNITButton_tcm38-538700.png&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota IT Services verified Twitter account page, displaying the banner image, account logo, account description. 3 buttons: more options, messages, follow. Red arrow pointing to follow button. Account handle is @MNIT_Services. Account description: Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is the IT agency for…St Paul, MN. URL, date joined.&quot; alt=&quot;Minnesota IT Services verified Twitter account page, displaying the banner image, account logo, account description. 3 buttons: more options, messages, follow. Red arrow pointing to follow button. Account handle is @MNIT_Services. Account description: Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is the IT agency for…St Paul, MN. URL, date joined.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;TwitterFollowMNITButton&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard Testing Challenge – Learn, Try&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone should have some basic keyboard accessibility testing basics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are HTML keyboard shortcuts, and there are software keyboard shortcuts, like for applications like Microsoft Teams.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This challenge is to learn one thing you can do using only your keyboard for Microsoft Teams or another application you use every day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For Microsoft Teams: navigate to the chat interface, open an already started chat, get to the text box to reply, use the send button. (CTRL + 2, arrow to a chat then ENTER to open it, TAB to text field if not already there, type your message, TAB to the send button, ENTER)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3 supports for this task:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/keyboard/#testing&quot; title=&quot;WebAIM&apos;s keyboard testing table&quot;&gt;WebAIM&apos;s keyboard testing table&lt;/a&gt; - lists common commands and expected behaviors for HTML&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/keyboard-shortcuts-for-microsoft-teams-2e8e2a70-e8d8-4a19-949b-4c36dd5292d2&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/keyboard-shortcuts-for-microsoft-teams-2e8e2a70-e8d8-4a19-949b-4c36dd5292d2&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot; /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/keyboard-shortcuts-accessibility-quick-card_tcm38-228375.pdf&quot; title=&quot;PDF of common keyboard shortcuts&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Downloadable PDF of common keyboard shortcuts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Page Titles – Learn, Try&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are they?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open a webpage.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hover with your mouse over the browser tab (or look at the code, or listen with a screen reader to the tab).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Page title: the text that displays in the browser tab.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/BrowserPageTitles_tcm38-538774.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of 3 browser tabs. 2nd tab has focus and hover text identifies the organization (Office of Accessibility, mn.gov). Other tabs display: Twitter notifications and Yammer feed.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of 3 browser tabs. 2nd tab has focus and hover text identifies the organization (Office of Accessibility, mn.gov). Other tabs display: Twitter notifications and Yammer feed.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;BrowserPageTitles&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 1: The middle tab hover text displays the page title: Office of Accessibility / Minnesota IT Services mn.gov.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Without knowing the URL, the page title/ text of each of these tabs shows that I have 3 tabs open: Twitter notifications, The Office of Accessibility page on the MNIT website, and Yammer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who uses it?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People using screen readers hear this when they load a page, and when they navigate between open tabs. (Who has just one tab open at a time, right?)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People who keep multiple tabs open. Sometimes you have multiple tabs open within the same site. Using the example of a conference, it can be helpful to know which page is for registration, which page is the schedule, etc. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
How do I add the correct page title?
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the title element. Here&apos;s an article to help: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H25&quot; title=&quot;Providing a title using the title element&quot;&gt;Providing a title using the title element.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want more information?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/page-titled.html&quot; title=&quot;Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.2: Page Titled&quot;&gt;Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.2: Page Titled&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next: review some of the page titles of web pages you visit throughout the day. Are they accurate?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An Introduction to Headings – Learn, Testing Tool&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For everyone:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn about why headings matter and how and when to use them. This applies to those making all types of content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibility.princeton.edu/how/content/headings&quot; title=&quot;Headings Create the Page Outline&quot;&gt;Headings Create the Page Outline&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/semanticstructure/&quot; title=&quot;Semantic Structure: Regions, Headings, and Lists&quot;&gt;Semantic Structure: Regions, Headings, and Lists&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A great resource for ongoing learning is the W3C&apos;s Web Accessibility Tutorials. And, they have a page called &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/page-structure/&quot; title=&quot;Page Structure Tutorial&quot;&gt;Page Structure Tutorial.&lt;/a&gt; I like this page because it is easy to quickly review a concept or learn a small amount of information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For document creators, check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit-accessibility/AccessibleDocs/Styles/index.html&quot; title=&quot;Module 2: Working with Styles&quot;&gt;Module 2: Working with Styles.&lt;/a&gt; This is from the State of Minnesota’s online, self-paced &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Word Document Training&quot;&gt;Accessible Word Document Training&lt;/a&gt; (note for state employees: this is also available in your Enterprise Learning Management tool).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tool to try: Paul J. Adam’s Headings Bookmarklet for Accessibility Testing&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To use it:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://pauljadam.com/bookmarklets/headings.html&quot; title=&quot;Paul J. Adam&apos;s Headings Bookmarklet for Accessibility Testing page&quot;&gt;Paul J. Adam’s Headings Bookmarklet for Accessibility Testing page.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add to your bookmarks option 1: go to the Headings Bookmarklet link, drag to your bookmarks bar.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add to your bookmarks option 2: tab to the Headings Bookmarklet link, copy the link, go to your bookmarks manager and create a new bookmark using this link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ready to check headings on a webpage? Select that bookmarklet.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Note: this tool does not tell you if there are mistakes. It identifies what has heading code, and the level.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review the results:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Yellow highlights, &amp;lt;&amp;gt; with heading level or WAI-ARIA role and level become available on the page for each text that has them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Which text on the page should be a heading and does not have one?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Which text on the page has a heading but should not?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are there any skipped headings? Note: slightly more complicated testing tools like &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/&quot; title=&quot;WAVE&quot;&gt;WAVE&lt;/a&gt; can identify skipped heading levels.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next Steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations! You have completed the activities. Now you can:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Begin to find answers to the questions you recorded.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find a study partner! This can be so helpful. This provides another person to help find answers, and someone to work with on similar goals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be sure you have subscribed to the Office of Accessibility newsletter. We will have webinars, tech tips, and articles to help you learn more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538596</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-30T14:29:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Two digital accessibility coordinators share details about the relationship between tables, the presentation of data, magnification, and reflow.</Description><Audience/><Title>Easy read that will demystify tables, reflow, and magnification</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>tables</Subject><Subject>reflow</Subject><Subject>magnification</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Easy Read that will Demystify Tables, Reflow, and Magnification</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Device in landscape orientation. Part of a data table onscreen. Continues offscreen to the right and on the bottom. Arrows over device edges to indicate this.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/reflow_Blog_tcm38-538692.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Device in landscape orientation. Part of a data table onscreen. Continues offscreen to the right and on the bottom. Arrows over device edges to indicate this.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/reflow_Blog%20Thumb_tcm38-538685.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-08 - Tables and Reflow</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-538604&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-29T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Two digital accessibility coordinators share details about the relationship between tables, the presentation of data, magnification, and reflow.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn more about “resize text” and “reflow”</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s note: The Office of Accessibility is working with subject matter experts as we explore WCAG 2.1. One discussion that comes up is around tables, data, magnification, and reflow. This month we learn from two digital accessibility coordinators:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Linda Shoemaker, MNsure.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Watne, Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Minnesota Department of Revenue.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together they cover:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Why should we talk about reflow when deciding how to present information to our readers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How reflow differs from the requirement to enable the resizing of text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Why reflow and data tables don’t mix.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If tables don’t reflow, when should we use them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Linda starts us off, sharing some reflow basics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Benefits of Reflow&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reflow allows people with low vision to read enlarged web content without having to scroll in more than one direction. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reflow also helps people with mobility issues who have difficulty scrolling in more than one direction. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Everyone benefits when all content is easily viewed on a mobile device.  Reflow rearranges web content into one column on devices with smaller screens so that scrolling in more than one direction is not necessary.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How is Reflow Different from Resize Text?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of resize text 1.4.4 is to enable users to increase &lt;strong&gt;text size by 200% without the page display getting messed up.&lt;/strong&gt; For example: text should not overlap other text or elements and all the information on the page should still display. This passes even if you need to scroll in two directions to reveal it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of reflow 1.4.10 is to enable users to &lt;strong&gt;zoom content to 400% without having to scroll in two directions.&lt;/strong&gt; There is no requirement to resize the text to a particular size as in 1.4.4. For some implementations the text may continue to enlarge as the magnification increases. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; These two criteria go hand in hand, so you might as well test them together. More information is in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/resize-text.html&quot; title=&quot;Understanding Document for 1.4.4 Resize Text&quot;&gt;Understanding Document for 1.4.4 Resize Text.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/reflow.html&quot; title=&quot;Understanding Document for 1.4.10 Reflow&quot;&gt;Understanding Document for 1.4.10 Reflow.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, John’s going to share some specifics about tables.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tables and Reflow Don’t Mix&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes a table is the best way to present data. This helps people reviewing and working with the information. For example, state personnel might use a web application to monitor the status of property files submitted by each county. The appropriate workers might use the application to approve or delete the submitted files after reviewing them. A sortable table is the most efficient way to present the data for every file. It can display attributes of each file. The workers may use the attributes for filtering or sorting the data. The following figure gives an example of how this table can look when viewed on a laptop display, at default 100% magnification in the browser.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/7-column-table-2_tcm38-538695.png&quot; title=&quot;Table showing 10 data rows, including a column holding &amp;quot;Delete&amp;quot; buttons to delete the row. Column headings are &amp;quot;Delete,” &amp;quot;Tracking ID,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Submitter,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Submission Type,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Assessment Year,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Status,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Complete / Incomplete.&amp;quot;&quot; alt=&quot;Table showing 10 data rows, including a column holding &amp;quot;Delete&amp;quot; buttons to delete the row. Column headings are &amp;quot;Delete,” &amp;quot;Tracking ID,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Submitter,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Submission Type,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Assessment Year,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Status,&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;Complete / Incomplete.&amp;quot;&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;7-column-table-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this example, the table has 7 columns, and the people using this application need to view all the columns. The table fits easily on the page when viewed on a notebook display or wider, at 100% magnification. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The entire table will not fit within a screen width on a mobile display, or at greater magnification, without scrolling both horizontally and vertically. And, readers need to have the data presented as a 7 column unit. It would not communicate the information the same way if the second half of this table, for example, moved beneath the first half. The following figure shows how both scroll bars appear when the user magnifies to 200% on a page of the same width.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/zoomed-in-table-2_tcm38-538696.png&quot; title=&quot;Table showing files at 200% magnification. Both horizontal and vertical scrollbars appear, and only the first 4 of 7 columns and 3 rows of data appear on the page.&quot; alt=&quot;Table showing files at 200% magnification. Both horizontal and vertical scrollbars appear, and only the first 4 of 7 columns and 3 rows of data appear on the page.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;zoomed-in-table-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This application demonstrates how reflow may not make sense when you must use a data table, especially when one or more of the following conditions apply:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The table must include multiple columns of data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You cannot use text wrapping within one or more columns.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The minimum width requirements for the columns add up to more than the width of the display, at the selected magnification.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even when you should not reflow a table, you should still reflow related items on the page as needed. The example data table includes two controls above it. One for specifying the maximum number of rows displayed, the other a filtering text field. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When viewing the entire table without horizontal scrolling, as in the first figure, the two controls are in a single row, above the left and right ends of the table.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/single-row-controls-2_tcm38-538693.png&quot; title=&quot;Show entries drop down and filter list text field, displaying in a single row.&quot; alt=&quot;Show entries drop down and filter list text field, displaying in a single row.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;single-row-controls-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 1: Two controls in a single row.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When needing horizontal scroll bars to display the whole table, as in the second figure, the controls reflow. When reflowing the controls, the maximum number filter appears above the filter text field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stacked-controls-2_tcm38-538694.png&quot; title=&quot;Show entries field and filter list, magnified, displaying one over the other, as if in a column.&quot; alt=&quot;Show entries field and filter list, magnified, displaying one over the other, as if in a column.&quot; style=&quot;width: 36%; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 0px&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stacked-controls-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 2: Two controls, reflowed one over the other.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Linda – this covered how our readers use content with magnification and reflow. Do you have recommendations for when to use a table and making them easier to use?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When to Use a Table&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choosing to use a table is all about the data&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use tables for two-dimensional information (&quot;data table&quot;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data tables organize data into rows and columns of related information. The information in each cell has little meaning on its own. It&apos;s the topics in a cell&apos;s row and/or column header that provides the context and meaning for the cell&apos;s content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, the table below is about the price of apples, oranges, and bananas by year.  The data cells contain prices related to a particular fruit (column header) in a particular year (row header).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table border=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;1&quot; cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%&quot; title=&quot;Cost of Fruit by Year&quot; summary=&quot;This is a sample table. Details are in surrounding text.&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;caption&gt;Fruit Prices 2020 - 2022&lt;/caption&gt;
&lt;thead&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th class=&quot;&quot; scope=&quot;row&quot; style=&quot;&quot;&gt;Year&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th class=&quot;&quot; scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;Apples&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th class=&quot;&quot; scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;Bananas&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th class=&quot;&quot; scope=&quot;col&quot;&gt;Oranges&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/thead&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th class=&quot;&quot; scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;2020&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$4&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$1&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$3&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th class=&quot;&quot; scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;2021&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$5&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$2&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$9&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th class=&quot;&quot; scope=&quot;row&quot;&gt;2022&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$8&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$7&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td class=&quot;&quot;&gt;$6&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We understand from the related information in the table above: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Apples were $4 in 2020, $5 in 2021 and $8 in 2022.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bananas were $1 in 2020, $2 in 2021 and $7 in 2022. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Oranges were $3 in 2020, $9 in 2021 and $6 in 2022.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is an example of two-dimensional information appropriate to code as an HTML &amp;lt;table&amp;gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What about &quot;layout&quot; or &quot;presentation&quot; tables?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although presentation tables are not prohibited under WCAG 2.0 AA, they are deprecated in HTML5:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tables must not be used as layout aids. Historically, some web authors have misused tables in HTML as a way to control their page layout. This usage is non-conforming … &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screen readers will correctly identify a presentation table from a data table ONLY if you coded the presentation table correctly (e.g., no &amp;lt;th&amp;gt; elements; no &amp;lt;td&amp;gt; elements with a header or scope attribute). And there are still problems with presentation tables even if you coded them correctly: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the user enlarges text on the page, text within a pixel-sized table cell may overflow its cell boundaries, and overlap/obscure adjacent content. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Actual order of the content (as you coded it) may not match the intended reading order. This may cause assistive technology users to perceive the content in an order different than author intended. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It’s an old fashioned and clunky way to control page layout. There more flexible (and standard compliant) ways to control and position page elements. Grids, for example. (More to come on grids in a future article!)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tips for Making Tables Readable and Easy to Use&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be clear and concise&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use short descriptive text for the table headers and avoid abbreviations if possible. This helps all readers retain the information especially when scrolling/tabbing through many rows and columns.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check that the data cells do not contain too much information. If you are using paragraphs or lists in cells, this could indicate you are using the table for presentation rather than data. Consider reorganizing your content as headings, paragraphs, and lists. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strive for simple rather than complex table structure &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid merged cells&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid multiple levels of header cells / combining topics separated by blank rows. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid header cells that span multiple columns and/or rows.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technically, you can code tables using the above structures to be accessible but consider restructuring the information to make it less complex for all readers.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;See this &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/tables/&quot; title=&quot;Tables Tutorial&quot;&gt;Tables Tutorial&lt;/a&gt; on appropriate structural markup for simple and complex tables. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use correct HTML markup so users of assistive technology can understand the logical relationships in the table&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify row and column headers with the &amp;lt;th&amp;gt; element.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify data cells with the &amp;lt;td&amp;gt; element&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set the scope attribute to col or row&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/tables/caption-summary/&quot; title=&quot;Use captions and summaries&quot;&gt;Use captions and summaries&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid blank cells. If the cell has no data, then indicate the cell is intentionally blank (i.e., “NA,” “blank,” “no data.”)  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538604</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-30T14:26:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) will host a booth in the Education Building during the Minnesota State Fair. Learn more about what you can find at MNIT&apos;s booth.</Description><Audience/><Title>Find MNIT at the Minnesota State Fair!</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes speaking on the STEM Day stage in front of a crowd. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-day-1-websites_tcm38-538834.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes standing next to a fairgoer reading a poster about STEM day</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-day-3-websites_tcm38-538837.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2022-08 - MNIT at STEM Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-538836&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-25T22:17:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services participated in STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair and MNIT Commissioner presented the proclamation on behalf of Governor Walz.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Proclamation Recognizes the Critical Need for Strong STEM Education in the State of Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;August 26, 2022 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Thursday, August 25, 2022, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Commissioner, Tarek Tomes, attended the event to present the proclamation on behalf of Governor Walz.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Creating an interest in STEM education opens up so many opportunities for students to innovate, and to be inspired by their curiosity and the world around them. I thank Governor Tim Walz for supporting STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair and the continued work on education and technology initiatives in Minnesota.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota CIO&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair is a chance for students, parents, and educators to celebrate and freely participate in collaborative and engaging activities involving STEM. SciMathMN, in collaboration with its many partner organizations, is the driving force behind the STEM Day at the Fair effort. By approaching STEM learning in this fun and interactive way, STEM Day at the Fair aims to help students make the critical connection between the skills they learn in the classroom and future career opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;SciMathMN appreciates the leadership of Governor Walz and Commissioner Tomes in highlighting the value of engaging STEM education opportunities for Minnesota youth. Minnesota students can help build a Minnesota where all can thrive through innovative educational opportunities,” said Jim Davnie, Executive Director, SciMathMN. “STEM is everywhere as the opportunities for young people to follow their interests and career dreams.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jim Davnie, Executive Director, SciMathMN&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota is the largest employer in Minnesota, employing over 50,000 employees in state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges, and universities. STEM career opportunities range from nursing and medicine to engineering, to monitoring the quality of Minnesota lakes and streams, to web developing and coding. MNIT held a booth during STEM Day at the Fair where MNIT staff educated families about safe passwords and encouraged kids to learn the basics of coding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every organization that participated in STEM Day at the Fair gave students and fairgoers of all ages a chance to engage in a wide range of displays, games, and crafts involving robotics, engineering, computer coding, geography sciences, and animals. For more information, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scimathmn.org/&quot;&gt;scimathmn.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/08.25.22%20STEM%20Day%20at%20the%20Minnesota%20State%20Fair_tcm38-538900.pdf&quot; title=&quot;proclamation-stem-day-2022&quot; xlink:title=&quot;proclamation-stem-day-2022&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Governor Walz’s “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair” proclamation online (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,300 people. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>538836</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-26T15:51:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) will host a booth in the Education Building during the Minnesota State Fair. Learn more about what you can find at MNIT&apos;s booth.</Description><Audience/><Title>Find MNIT at the Minnesota State Fair!</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Find MNIT at the Minnesota State Fair!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes and MNIT Employees at MNIT&apos;s State Fair booth with a blue banner that reads: Find us at the State Fair, Education Building, Booth 41.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/find-us-at-fair-blog_tcm38-537833.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Map of the Minnesota State Fair with the Education and 4H buildings circled.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/state-fair-map-001_tcm38-350676.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-08 - Find MNIT at the State Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-537836&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-08-18T18:22:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) will host a booth in the Education Building during the Minnesota State Fair. Learn more about what you can find at MNIT&apos;s booth.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Helping Minnesotans of all ages learn about state technology</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) will host a booth at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair Aug. 25 - Sept. 5. Visit our booth to chat with MNIT employees about how we use technology to connect Minnesotans to an innovative, digital government. We hope you stop by to share more about how technology can work for you – and you might get a fun prize for playing a game.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About MNIT&apos;s Booth&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Timing and location&lt;/strong&gt;: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Education Building, Booth 41. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;9 a.m. - 9 p.m. (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Labor Day).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you will find at the booth&lt;/strong&gt;: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT employees will answer your questions about state technology or IT. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We will hand out prizes for two activities that you can participate in. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can share your thoughts about technology with our staff.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sign up for more information about technology careers with the state. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can also find MNIT on STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair! STEM Day is a chance for &lt;strong&gt;students, parents, and educator&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;s&lt;/strong&gt; to celebrate and participate in collaborative, engaging STEM activities. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scimathmn.org/&quot;&gt;SciMathMN&lt;/a&gt;, in collaboration with its many partner organizations, is the driving force behind the STEM Day at the Fair effort. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch STEM-oriented entertainment on the stage at Dan Patch Park. You might even catch MNIT Commissioner, Tarek Tomes, on stage in the afternoon!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Timing and location&lt;/strong&gt;: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dan Patch Park, just south of the grandstand.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Thursday, Aug. 25.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;8 a.m. - 5 p.m. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you might find at MNIT&apos;s booth&lt;/strong&gt;:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kids and families can learn about coding and safe passwords from MNIT technology experts. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Want to win a prize? Try to stump our password experts or crack the code of a cipher!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many organizations are participating in STEM Day at the Fair. Students and fairgoers of all ages can engage in a wide range of displays, games, and crafts involving:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Robotics&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Engineering&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Computer coding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Geography sciences&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Animals&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you can&apos;t attend the fair&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you aren&apos;t able to attend the state fair this year, you can still participate in activities that take place in MNIT&apos;s booth. As a technology organization, we want our activities to be available whether you are accessing them online or in person! Stay tuned to our social media channels during the fair for your chance to train the mn.gov chat bot and to test your cybersecurity skills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow us&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Twitter: &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MNIT_Services&quot;&gt;@MNIT_Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Facebook: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNITServices&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;LinkedIn: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/minnesota-it-services/&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>537836</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-08-18T14:37:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn how to apply the principles of color contrast requirements for non-text items such as interface components.</Description><Audience/><Title>Keep Minnesota Bright</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>color</Subject><Subject>WCAG</Subject><Subject>interface</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>How to improve non-text contrast: color schemes and interface components</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Array of buttons, toggles, and search bars demonstrating different color palettes.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/non-text-contrast-blog_tcm38-534386.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two versions of a toggle: left toggle for &quot;off&quot; with gray background and right toggle for &quot;on&quot; with green background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/non-text-contrast-blog-thumb_tcm38-534387.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-07 - More on WCAG 1411</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-534351&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-20T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn how to apply the principles of color contrast requirements for non-text items such as interface components.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Understanding Success Criteria 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: David E. Miller, Minnesota IT Services, Partnering with the Department of Corrections&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since May 1999, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have had us thinking about colors. From the start, WCAG told us to use more than just colors to convey information and to use sufficient contrast between foreground and background colors. In December 2008, WCAG 2.0 stated that text should have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 to its background. For those who consume text visually, the contrast ratio is extremely important. It ensures that your eyes can pick out all the lines, curves, dots, and serifs of the text for ease of reading. It makes the text pop.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may know these guidelines by heart and are subconsciously checking for them daily. WCAG 2.1, published in June 2018, introduced some new guidelines. This article covers one of those additions: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/#non-text-contrast&quot;&gt;1.4.11 Non-text Contrast – Level AA&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text of the criterion: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The visual presentation of the following have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent color(s): &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;User Interface Components: Visual information required to identify user interface components and states, except for inactive components or where the appearance of the component is determined by the user agent and not modified by the author;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Graphical Objects: Parts of graphics required to understand the content, except when a particular presentation of graphics is essential to the information being conveyed.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this add to WCAG, and how does it apply? The answer to that can be quite complex as the Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.11 page may lead you to believe. Some basic rules will help ensure that those who design, develop, and test digital content adhere to WCAG 2.1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this apply to?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The simple answer to this question: everything that’s not text, and: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;conveys information, or &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;is useful to understand the information.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article will focus on user interface components, which include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;buttons, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;text boxes, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;list boxes, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;checkboxes, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;radio buttons.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is a screenshot of some user interface components rendered in Google Chrome. They use the default styling:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot-Inputs-new_tcm38-534433.png&quot; title=&quot;A group of checkboxes (some checked), a group of radio buttons (one selected), a textbox, and a submit button. All label text is visible.&quot; alt=&quot;A group of checkboxes (some checked), a group of radio buttons (one selected), a textbox, and a submit button. All label text is visible.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Screenshot-Inputs-new&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 1: Input controls using Google Chrome&apos;s default styling, dark colors on a white background.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the text there are: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a couple of HTML fieldsets for grouping the checkboxes and radio buttons, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the checkboxes and radio buttons themselves, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a box for entering text, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a button to submit the answers.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are also graphical differences between selected and unselected items.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some screenshots of the same input controls with only slight styling changes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot-InputsDarkBGOnly-new_tcm38-534435.png&quot; title=&quot;A group of checkboxes (some checked), a group of radio buttons (one selected), a textbox, and a submit button. No label text is visible.&quot; alt=&quot;A group of checkboxes (some checked), a group of radio buttons (one selected), a textbox, and a submit button. No label text is visible.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Screenshot-InputsDarkBGOnly-new&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 2: The same controls with a black background.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot-InputsDark-new_tcm38-534434.png&quot; title=&quot;A group of checkboxes (some checked), a group of radio buttons (one selected), a textbox, and a submit button. All label text is visible.&quot; alt=&quot;A group of checkboxes (some checked), a group of radio buttons (one selected), a textbox, and a submit button. All label text is visible.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Screenshot-InputsDark-new&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 3: The same controls with a black background and white text.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figure 2 shows what the WCAG 2.1 section 1.4.11 calls user interface components. It also demonstrates the concept that a well-designed user interface component will be visible regardless of the background color. By using simple HTML, you can test this out using a variety of background colors. No matter what background color you choose, the user interface components show up well.  By using simple HTML and not overriding how the browser styles user interface components, you’ll get something that’s more than likely accessible. If you start &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;customizing the styling of controls, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;creating your own components, or &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;using components from a third-party vendor, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;you’ll need to pay far more attention to how the colors of the controls contrast with their surroundings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can colors indicate?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Colors indicate many things – sometimes all at once. Consider the following aspects for components.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Existence &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a component does not contrast well with its environment, a user might not notice the control. Good contrast allows a user to see the component in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Purpose &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The shape of a component often can be a clue to its purpose. Examples include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;round controls are radio buttons, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;square controls are checkboxes, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;large rectangular controls are textboxes, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;rectangles with arrows are dropdowns.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shapes are partly determined by how a component contrasts with its surroundings. If that contrast isn’t strong, users may not understand the shape and purpose of the component.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think about whether a component is enabled or disabled, selected or not. In the screenshots above, the radio buttons visually indicate a selected state. How? They have a filled circle within the control’s outline. The shape of the main control stands out from the surroundings even though the selection indicator is the same color as the outline of the control. It stands out because a ring of white surrounds it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focus&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When a component has focus it should clearly indicate that to the user. This is typically done by highlighting or outlining. The user can only detect them if the color used contrasts with both the surroundings and the control itself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color Indication Summary&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When selecting colors, ensure there is at least a 3:1 contrast ratio between a color and its neighboring colors.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If color is required to understand a control’s relationship to other controls (i.e., which radio button is selected and which ones aren’t), you also need to ensure that there is a 3:1 contrast between any colors used to indicate those differences. For example, the center color of a selected radio button must have a 3:1 color ratio to the center color of an unselected radio button.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This can be a confusing concept. The contrast is not between the button’s center and the outer ring (although that does matter). It is between the centers of buttons in different states. You want to enable the user to distinguish between states.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pick your color schemes carefully&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Background colors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When choosing colors for a color scheme, choose one or two colors to use as your background. If picking more than one, they should both be light or both be dark.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Foreground colors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When choosing foreground colors pick ones that have at least a 3:1 contrast ratio to the background color(s). Preferably this is a 4.5:1 ratio so they also meet text contrast requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Graphic design&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you pick colors that have sufficient contrast, it is a good idea for your graphic design to alternate neighboring colors between light and dark. This ensures that the contrast is visible. For the outline of a custom-designed control, consider making it a dark outline with a light-colored center. Better yet, use a double outline of light outside of dark with a light center. This way, all parts will still show clearly whether you place the control over a light or a dark background.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Specifications and Testing&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Capturing all of this in specifications can be tricky. The State of Minnesota currently requires WCAG 2.0 Level AA, but you can craft your business specifications to be forward-thinking. If guideline 1.4.11 is important to your business, document that your business specifications should follow WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Design specifications should call out the colors you chose and how to use them. Examples:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Background colors 1 and 2 shall only be used for backgrounds, or within user interface components to ensure adequate contrast to foreground colors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Foreground colors 3, 4, and 5 shall be used only for text and for the primary color in user interface components (the color with defines the outline or shape of the component).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When a user interface component is designed with multiple colors, those colors shall alternate between foreground and background colors as you move from the outermost color to the innermost color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;User interface components shall be designed using scalable vector graphics (SVG) so they scale up and down without degrading in quality.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last specification is important to users who zoom or magnify. It ensures they can still clearly make out details of user interface components. Using raster images (BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG) cannot guarantee that easily.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It can be very useful to show examples of these concepts in the design specification. You can also share the actual user interface you created components using these specifications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ideally, check the color contrast of the main design colors while you write the specficiations. This is more efficient and cost-effective than after the team delivers the UI for testing. If the specifications are clear, and there are call outs of the approved design colors, testing is simpler. Testers check:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;contrast ratio of the foreground and background colors, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the proper use of those colors.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can be sure the team followed the specifications by using a browser’s developer tools. They can help with identifying colors and styling.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Exceptions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The guideline calls out two exceptions for user interface components:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Inactive components&lt;/strong&gt; – The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/non-text-contrast.html&quot;&gt;Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.11&lt;/a&gt; page says:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;list-style: none&quot;&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;“Inactive components, such as disabled controls in HTML, are not available for user interaction. The decision to exempt inactive controls from the contrast requirements was based on a number of considerations. Although it would be beneficial to some people to discern inactive controls, a one-size-fits-all solution has been very difficult to establish. A method of varying the presentation of disabled controls, such as adding an icon for disabled controls, based on user preferences is anticipated as an advancement in the future.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Where the appearance of the component is determined by the user agent and not modified by the author”&lt;/strong&gt; – A user agent can be a web browser, a PDF reader, a document design tool, and so on. Most user agents have default styling of components that provides good contrast. If you do not define additional styling for a component, then the user agent will apply its default styling. This is adequate for this guideline.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Graphical objects&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article does not discuss the graphical objects portion of the guideline. Many of the color concepts for user interface components can also apply to designing graphical objects. However, the design group also needs to ask additional questions like:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will a user interpret this graphical object?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will a user interpret changes in color for this graphical object?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Summary&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By following a couple of simple concepts, you can help ensure that your creation will adhere to WCAC 2.1, 1.4.11. You will get most of the way by defining background and foreground colors well, and alternating light and dark colors in component design. Alternatively, using HTML-defined objects with no additional styling will also satisfy the guideline. Involve all team members early when you create and approve specifications to make good, accessible design decisions that will benefit everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>534351</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-07-20T21:03:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 includes color contrast requirements for non-text items. Learn why this is important, and what to consider.</Description><Audience/><Title>Keep Minnesota Bright</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>color</Subject><Subject>WCAG</Subject><Subject>forms</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Incognito Testing: Make Special Considerations, Get Expert Results</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Incognito mode icon in browser</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/incognito-mode-blog_tcm38-534394.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Incognito mode icon</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/incognito-mode-blog-thumb_tcm38-534393.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-07 - Testing in Incognito Mode</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-534388&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-20T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Tips on when and how to use incognito mode for accessibility testing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Cybersecurity - Part of Accessibility Testing</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;&lt;script id=&quot;th-iframe-script&quot; src=&quot;chrome-extension://ofdopmlmgifpfkijadehmhjccbefaeec/assets/comms/commsiframe.js&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you don’t want a web browser to remember your activity, you can browse the web privately. &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en&amp;amp;co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&quot;&gt;Google Chrome calls this Incognito mode&lt;/a&gt;. Many browsers have this capability, but they call it different names:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Edge: InPrivate browsing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Firefox: Private window/Private browsing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Safari: Private browsing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people only think about this when they don’t want the websites they visit stored in their browsing history. Accessibility testers can use incognito and private browsing modes to save time. That way you don’t have to clear your cookies and cache each time you start a test session. Before you start using extensions in private browsing modes you must think through how this impacts information security. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think About the Data&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“A private browsing window can’t erase the records of your visit from a website’s servers, or from any networks you went through to get to a site,” &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/what-your-web-browsers-incognito-mode-really-does-a8213975018/#&quot;&gt;writes Nicholas Deleon&lt;/a&gt;. This also applies to any accessibility testing extensions you want to use. Each extension or app shares information about how they store data regardless of whether you use private browsing. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your accessibility testing extension stores data in any way do not use protected information without permission from your project team. In short, while your browser may be in incognito mode, your app or extension may not. What is protected information? This depends on the definition used by your agency or company. It could include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sensitive information about people (like birth dates or social security numbers).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Information available only to a small number of people within an organization.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Information not publicly available.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Talk to Your Project Team&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Work with your project manager, digital security professional, and others on the team. Determine if your test plan can use extensions and private browsing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Only Use It Temporarily&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you decide to use private browsing and extensions, make a plan. Turn off  “Allow in Incognito” or “Allow in private browsing mode”  when you finish each test session. Set a reminder so you don’t forget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Options&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The security of data must be part of the test plan. If your project team does not approve private browsing and extensions because of data security, there are other options. Your project team and requirements may prefer to use more manual testing methods. The project team can work together to determine options for quality accessibility testing. It’s easier to include these considerations at the beginning of a project plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Talk to Your Digital Accessibility Coordinator&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you need to use testing tools, your accessibility coordinator can help! State of Minnesota employees can reach out to their coordinators. They can let you know: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Options for your test plan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training available on specific testing tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The contact at your organization who can help.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Enabling Extensions for Incognito/Private Browsing Use&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Turning on private browsing mode usually disables extension access. To use an extension in private browsing mode you must enable it for that extension.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chrome&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open your Chrome extensions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find the extension you want to use in Incognito Mode. Select the Details button. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Incognito_DetailsButton-new_tcm38-534389.png&quot; title=&quot;Chrome extensions page. Multiple extensions like Accessibility Insights and IBM Equal Access Checker. Each has a “details” button.&quot; alt=&quot;Chrome extensions page. Multiple extensions like Accessibility Insights and IBM Equal Access Checker. Each has a “details” button.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Incognito_DetailsButton&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 1: Arrow points to Details button for one of the extensions.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Review the warning in the “Allow in Incognito” section. If this meets your requirements, enable it using the toggle for that section.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Incognito_AllowInIncognitoToggle-new_tcm38-534391.png&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Insights for Web extension information. Includes description, version, and permissions. Arrow points to the text “Allow in Incognito.” The toggle button includes the warning text.&quot; alt=&quot;Accessibility Insights for Web extension information. Includes description, version, and permissions. Arrow points to the text “Allow in Incognito.” The toggle button includes the warning text.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Incognito_AllowInIncognitoToggle&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 2: Arrow indicates the “Allow in Incognito” section to review. The toggle for this is on the right of the section.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open a new Incognito Window (Ctrl + Shift + N). Your extension should now be available. Don’t forget to return to the permissions page and turn off the toggle when finished. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Incognito_ExtensionDisplayingInIncognito-new_tcm38-534392.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of extension menu, expanded. Accessibility Insights for Web available with the option to pin.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of extension menu, expanded. Accessibility Insights for Web available with the option to pin.&quot; style=&quot;width: 74%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Incognito_ExtensionDisplayingInIncognito&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 3: Extension menu expanded (looks like a puzzle piece). The extension is now available.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Browsers&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other browsers use similar methods for private browsing settings. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to the extension settings. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open the details for the specific extension.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find the option to turn on Private Browsing mode.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open a private browser window and use the specific extension while testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Return to the extension settings – details and turn off the “allow in private browsing” option.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>534388</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-07-20T21:03:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) with a series of short presentations. </Description><Audience/><Title>Recordings Available: MNIT Global Accessibility Awareness Day Sessions </Title><Publisher/><Subject>a11y</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>video</Subject><Subject>recording</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Recordings Available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>GAAD logo next to word recap in a chat bubble with a keyboard in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-blog_tcm38-533199.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>GAAD logo with the word recap in a chat bubble.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-blog-thumb_tcm38-533198.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-07 - GAAD 2022 Recordings</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-533052&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-08T20:44:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) with a series of short presentations. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Global Accessibility Awareness Day Sessions</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a series of short virtual presentations for State of Minnesota employees. The goal is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital accessibility and inclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The presentations showcased the value of accessibility and how accessibility improvements drive more inclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are links to YouTube video recordings of each session. All recordings include ASL interpreting and closed captioning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Introduction to accessibility standards&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/X-963qYUJzI?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/1-intro-thumbnail_tcm38-533189.jpg&quot; title=&quot;GAAD Session 1&quot; alt=&quot;Introduction to accessibility [video without autoplay] displaying slide on value of accessibility&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD Session 1&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn what accessibility guidelines are and how they change over time. Minnesota created its digital accessibility standard using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. This session covers what’s next for WCAG and how WCAG 2.1 will help people with disabilities have greater access to digital information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%201%20Transcript_tcm38-533033.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 1 Transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 1 Transcript&quot;&gt;Introduction to accessibility standards transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%201%20Presentation_tcm38-533195.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 1 Presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 1 Presentation&quot;&gt;Introduction to accessibility standards presentation (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Governor Tim Walz&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rachael Bradley Montgomery, Co-chair of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Accessibility Guidelines Working Group&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jay Wyant, Minnesota’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer, MNIT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;End user impact of accessibility standards&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/5OSWz6vd77Y?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2-user-impact-thumbnail_tcm38-533188.jpg&quot; title=&quot;GAAD Session 2&quot; alt=&quot;End user impact of accessibility standards [video without autoplay] displaying two people speaking and an ASL interpreter&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD Session 2&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lived experiences of people with disabilities are the most powerful ways to learn why accessibility matters. Understand the first-hand experiences of individuals with a variety of disabilities. Understand how digital accessibility impacts their professional and personal lives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%202%20Transcript_tcm38-533034.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 2 Transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 2 Transcript&quot;&gt;End user impact of accessibility standards transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ken Rodgers, Disability Programs Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kimberly Carlson, Management Analyst, Department of Human Services (DHS)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Angela Christle, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Sr, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Buying accessible technology&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/fEF03yzi3ZM?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/3-procurement-thumbnail_tcm38-533194.jpg&quot; title=&quot;GAAD Session 3&quot; alt=&quot;Buying accessible technology [video without autoplay] displaying four people speaking in a video call&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD Session 3&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many individuals involved in purchasing technology. When a technology purchase is not accessible, there is a real effect. Learn about the “happy path” to buy accessible technology – including accessibility at the beginning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%203%20Transcript_tcm38-533038.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 3 Transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 3 Transcript&quot;&gt;Buying accessible technology transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%203%20Presentation_tcm38-533196.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 3 Presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 3 Presentation&quot;&gt;Buying accessible technology presentation (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tracy Gerasch, Procurement Director, MNIT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lolly Lijewski, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, DHS&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamera Williams, Contractor, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Projects that shift left for accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z2PB881rcqQ?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/4-projects-thumbnail_tcm38-533190.jpg&quot; title=&quot;GAAD Session 4&quot; alt=&quot;Projects that shift left for accessibility [video without autoplay] displaying slide on code reviews&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD Session 4&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dive into a case study of planning a project with accessibility in mind. Learn why the MDE project team included accessibility in specific parts of their project plan and timelines. Accessibility played a key role in the project&apos;s success. This case study was also covered in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-522146&quot;&gt;recent blog post&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%204%20Transcript_tcm38-533037.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 4 Transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 4 Transcript&quot;&gt;Projects that shift left for accessibility transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%204%20Presentation_tcm38-533321.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 4 Presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 4 Presentation&quot;&gt;Projects that shift left for accessibility presentation (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jane Davison, System Analyst Unit Supervisor, MNIT partnering with DHS&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Courtney Petrosky, Project Management Supervisor, MNIT partnering with MDE&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Wee, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, MNIT partnering with MDE&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creating accessible visual content&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/kX-v7RjMelM?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/5-visual-content-thumbnail_tcm38-533192.jpg&quot; title=&quot;GAAD Session 5&quot; alt=&quot;Creating accessible visual content [video without autoplay] displaying slide on attractive, accessible designs&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD Session 5&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do WCAG guidelines benefit all document users? Graphic designers, content creators, and trainers can learn how to make documents, PDFs, and forms that everyone can understand.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%205%20Transcript_tcm38-533036.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 5 Transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 5 Transcript&quot;&gt;Creating accessible visual content transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%205%20Presentation_tcm38-533197.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 5 Presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 5 Presentation&quot;&gt;Creating accessible visual content presentation (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamara Sawyer, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jessica Cavazos, Health Educator, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jeremy DePew, Senior Designer and Communications Advisor, MNIT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web application accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/1mHdSnIu2sU?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/6-web-application-thumbnail_tcm38-533191.jpg&quot; title=&quot;GAAD Session 6&quot; alt=&quot;Web application accessibility [video without autoplay] displaying slide on presentation background&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD Session 6&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a story about eating your vegetables. And the considerations we need to make sure that websites and applications meet WCAG guidelines. Experts from the Minnesota Department of Revenue share how they created processes, tools, and resources to resolve accessibility challenges that developers face.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%206%20Transcript_tcm38-533035.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 6 Transcript&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 6 Transcript&quot;&gt;Web application accessibility transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/GAAD%20Session%206%20Presentation_tcm38-533343.pdf&quot; title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 6 Presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;GAAD 2022 Session 6 Presentation&quot;&gt;Web application accessibility presentation (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joan Redwing, Chief of Application Development, MNIT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lexi Hafften, CBAP, Business Analyst, Revenue&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Watne, Java Developer and Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Revenue&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>533052</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessible Government</Title><Id>232634</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-07-12T14:35:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This spring, MNIT welcomed two leaders who will help MNIT support how we create an innovative digital government that works for everyone: Kimberly Maturo-Hilt and Alison Slaats. </Description><Audience/><Title>Meet MNIT Leadership</Title><Publisher/><Subject>leader</Subject><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>veterans</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>mdva</Subject><Subject>mngeo</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Meet MNIT Leadership</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Meet MNIT in speech bubble with illustrations of people in the background. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meet-mnit-blog_tcm38-472430.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Meet MNIT in speech bubble with illustrations of people in the background. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meet-mnit-blog-thumb_tcm38-472426.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-07 - Slaats and Maturo-Hilt</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-532932&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-07-06T14:41:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>This spring, MNIT welcomed two leaders who will help MNIT support the creation of an innovative digital government that works for everyone: Kimberly Maturo-Hilt and Alison Slaats. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn more about these new leaders and how their work impacts Minnesotans.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This spring, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) welcomed two leaders who will help MNIT support the creation of an innovative digital government that works for everyone: Kimberly Maturo-Hilt and Alison Slaats. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maturo-Hilt is the Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) for MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA). Alison Slaats is Minnesota&apos;s Chief Geospatial Information Officer (GIO) and Director of the Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about these new leaders and how their work impacts Minnesotans. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kimberly Maturo-Hilt, CBTO, MNIT MDVA &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/kimberly-maturo-hilt-circle_tcm38-532931.jpg&quot; title=&quot;kimberly-maturo-hilt-circle&quot; alt=&quot;Kimberly Maturo-Hilt smiling in front of flags.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;kimberly-maturo-hilt-circle&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kimberly Maturo-Hilt came to MNIT from the Minnesota Lottery, where she served as the Chief Information Officer. Her team oversaw web development, IT services, networking, and information security. Before her role at the Minnesota Lottery, she spent numerous years in the private sector working in industries such as pharmaceuticals, high tech, industrial recycling, third-party logistics, and agriculture. Maturo-Hilt excels at delivering creative, scalable IT strategies that meet or exceed business needs by employing a unique technology-management and team-building approach.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do you hope to accomplish with MDVA? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maturo-Hilt&lt;/strong&gt;: I am focused on supporting how we connect MDVA to veterans and their families with benefits they so deservedly earned. I think technology is an important conduit for making those connections and I want to continue to explore how to keep current connections and make even more. Minnesota has 300,000 veterans and it should be our goal to connect with each and every one of them, or their family members. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s the most interesting or impactful initiative from your previous role at Lottery?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maturo-Hilt&lt;/strong&gt;: One of the most impactful efforts that we embarked upon at the Lottery, as so many agencies might have experienced over the past couple of years, is transforming into a remote work environment. The team and agency essentially transformed overnight, and it was amazing to see how teams can come together to make the impossible possible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The most interesting though has to be the upcoming launch of a new IT service platform. Change brings about creativity and collaboration, even amongst difficult conversations. In the end what you see is process maturity, standardization, and elevated services to the whole of the Lottery. I am excited about what the IT service team will do in the future because their journey is just starting. They now have a tool that can grow with them and other areas of the Lottery’s business. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What have you learned about the technology work at MDVA? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maturo-Hilt&lt;/strong&gt;: The team that I joined is amazing. They are all kind, humorous, dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled. I truly would use the word “family” to describe them. In my short time with them, I have seen them handle a major incident with grace and supportiveness. MDVA is growing rapidly, and the team is right there to support the growth with additional solution development, process optimization, and program/project management. I learned that I am surrounded by an AMAZING technology team that is well regarded. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of my mentors told me, “Always surround yourself with the best and brightest people.” Each day in my new role, I can hear his words echoing and I appreciate the importance of the sentiment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has your experience prepared you for this role? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maturo-Hilt&lt;/strong&gt;: When I was in college, I failed computer science three times and even then, I barely passed. Yet my first real job out of college was as an assistant accounting manager for a computer manufacturer. I discovered that I was good with accounting and loved finance but still didn’t know my life calling. A client of the computer company convinced me to join their company as a helpdesk technician. It was that choice that truly started my career. A year later, I joined a small company project implementing software on an international scale. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I found my passion – working with all the different business functions, learning what they did, how they did it, what challenges they faced, and leveraging software to bring change and improvement to their business areas. I bring a never-ending desire to continuously learn, a need to help others, an openness to the voice of others, and a patience and calmness to solving problems to the team at MNIT MDVA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alison Slaats, GIO, MnGeo Director &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/alison-slaats-circle_tcm38-532930.jpg&quot; title=&quot;alison-slaats-circle&quot; alt=&quot;Alison Slaats smiling in front of flags.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;alison-slaats-circle&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alison Slaats has over 25 years of experience in the GIS field in Minnesota. She has worked in the public, private, nonprofit, and educational sectors including working for Esri, the Metropolitan Council, Envision Minnesota, and most recently for Minnesota IT Services. During her time at MNIT, Alison worked for MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Board of Animal Health, and more recently at MnGeo as a GIS Supervisor. In 2019, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-411399wPPYRXSCViPAY/s/1845257749/br/131080149052-l&quot;&gt;Alison was recognized with a Polaris Leadership Award&lt;/a&gt; for her contributions to the geospatial community in Minnesota. She received a BA from the University of Minnesota and an MS degree in Geography specializing in GIS from the University of South Carolina. Alison has been the Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium Treasurer since 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is an interesting/impactful technology project that sticks out from your previous MnGeo role? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slaats&lt;/strong&gt;: There are many impactful technology projects that MnGeo helps support for our business partners. MnGeo supports a data validation toolset for NextGen 9-1-1 in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Emergency Communication Networks (DPS-ECN). MnGeo creates and supports cultural resource tools to ensure that MnDOT (Minnesota Department of Transportation) can learn about potential cultural resources in their project areas. We support data processing tools for traffic crash data and analysis tools for the MnDOT Office of Traffic Engineering that inform their decision about where to improve roads to reduce crashes. We are also supporting the COVID vaccine finder tool. Wherever spatial data and tools are needed, GIS technology can help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do you hope to accomplish in your new role? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slaats&lt;/strong&gt;: We have three main areas that we focus on at MnGeo: to lead coordination and communication in the geospatial community, to improve access to statewide foundational data sets, and to provide technical support to state agencies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of my top priorities is to strengthen our relationship with county partners. They’re the ones maintaining geospatial data every day, and our partnerships are critical for coordinating foundational data sets at a statewide level. We want to make sure that we understand the needs of counties and improve how we work together. For example, one thing we collect is parcel data. We compile it from counties quarterly and put it into a standard format. One reason we do this is to reduce the burden on counties by asking once for the data, and then MnGeo distributes the dataset to state agencies. We also make a &lt;a href=&quot;https://gisdata.mn.gov/dataset/plan-parcels-open&quot;&gt;public version of the standardized parcel dataset&lt;/a&gt; for counties that opt-in and share it on the Geospatial Commons. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several agencies have partnering MNIT staff that support their GIS units and do incredible work. I look forward to understanding how MnGeo can better support their GIS teams and their work. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has your experience prepared you for this role? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Slaats&lt;/strong&gt;: I’ve been part of the GIS community in Minnesota for 25 years – the private sector, public sector, nonprofit, and even did a little teaching. I’ve worked for MNIT for the past 10 years, five of which I worked at MnGeo as a supervisor and the portfolio manager. The reason I joined this field is that GIS helps empower business experts and decision-makers to make data-driven decisions about their work. MnGeo is the team that can facilitate and provide the structure and the processes for statewide foundational datasets and support the geospatial community in Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m super excited about this role because we have a great team at MnGeo and together we can accomplish great work!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>532932</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>232493</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Veterans</Title><Id>232503</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>GIS</Title><Id>232509</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>337917</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-07-07T13:55:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Bringing Modernization to Minnesota: How State Employees Create Change</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Project Management</Title><Id>344405</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Bringing Modernization to Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Fingers making a square frame the Minnesota Capitol building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/transformation-hands-blog_tcm38-531429.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Fingers making a square frame the Minnesota Capitol building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/transformation-hands-blog-thumb_tcm38-531428.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-06 - TPT Anniversary</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-531351&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-21T13:43:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Transformation Practitioner&apos;s Team celebrates 1 year of work this June. This change agency network guides state employees who touch technology projects to use the Modernization Playbook.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How State Employees Create Change</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/transformation/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery&quot;&gt;Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery&lt;/a&gt;, housed within Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and under the direction of &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/leadership/baber-zarina.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Baber, Zarina&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Baber, Zarina&quot;&gt;Assistant Commissioner Zarina Baber&lt;/a&gt;, and the launch of Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/modernization/&quot;&gt;Modernization Playbook&lt;/a&gt; have powered the state’s ability to transform how we deliver value through Minnesota’s programs and services. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery is guiding all state employees who touch technology projects to use the Modernization Playbook – using a change agent network called the Transformation Practitioner’s Team (TPT). The TPT was formed in June 2021 and includes members from across the executive branch:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT project management professionals, both at the enterprise and those who support agencies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State agency business leaders&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chief Business Technology Officers (CBTOs)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The TPT helps agencies incorporate the Modernization Playbook framework and associated governance into new and existing business and project management processes. This network of leaders and practitioners creates a space to manage change and report progress on adoption or barriers to progress from within agencies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People behind the change&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stacey Walker, the Transformation Program Manager in the Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery, serves as the chairperson of the Transformation Practitioner’s Team. She joined MNIT in April 2021 transitioning out of her background in healthcare over to state government. Stacey has been a Registered Nurse for 24 years and has led large-scale organizational change through her 18+ years of working in clinical informatics and project management. She brings an empathetic leadership style that places each individual at the center of importance in managing the changes introduced by the Modernization Playbook. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stacey interviewed a few individuals on the TPT about how they are using the Modernization Playbook to improve access to modern government services – creating change for the better in Minnesota:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tammy Bjork, MNIT partnering with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Laurie Hansen, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sara Ovist, Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tammy Bjork, Program Management Office Manager, MNIT DNR&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Tammy%20Bjork%20Headshot_tcm38-531345.png&quot; title=&quot;tammy-bjork&quot; alt=&quot;Tammy Bjork smiling outside.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;tammy-bjork&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tammy Bjork, PMP, represents DNR on the TPT, in partnership with the CBTO of the MNIT DNR teams, Jenna Covey. Bjork’s work to implement modernization practices at the DNR started well before the TPT group formed. She has worked in the project management space for more than 20 years at the State of Minnesota. The TPT and MNIT’s Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery have used Bjork’s experience to shape the direction of the TPT’s work from the onset.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: What has DNR learned by being a part of this change network?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bjork&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT and DNR started our modernization journey in 2016. The TPT and the Modernization Playbook have lent credence to the work we’ve been doing – it’s helped us articulate the value of modernization. Recently, DNR established an IT governance structure to ensure that the work selected for the investment of time and resources adds the most value to the agency’s core business functions and strategic goals. I am the MNIT member representing DNR on the TPT, but my agency TPT counterpart at DNR, my CBTO, and I work closely together through our DNR IT governance structure to increase engagement and understanding of modernization principles. The Modernization Playbook has given us a common language that we know every other state agency is using, and as members of the TPT, we’re hearing the same things at the same times about where we’re headed. Our next step is to define our portfolio maturity models and where we’d like to see our organization in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also are taking small steps to move to agile processes. Agile is promoted by the Modernization Playbook, and some TPT members are further along in this journey. We’ve applied a few tools and techniques to help the DNR move closer to implementing agile principles, build on successes, and reduce risk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: How will changing your processes help Minnesotans?&lt;/h4&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bjork&lt;/strong&gt;: We’ve really enhanced our RFP processes with the Modernization Playbook. We’ve applied lessons learned from the past and other state agencies for DNR key initiative projects that will impact Minnesotans. When we use these principles to create better RFP processes (from the Select phase through the Run phase), we take a more planful approach to our work, increase transparency, improve collaboration, and make better choices on behalf of Minnesotans. In addition, this method ensures the right people are engaged in projects, at the right time, for the right reasons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: What is one part of the Modernization Playbook that you think has the biggest impact?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bjork&lt;/strong&gt;: The fact that the Modernization Playbook exists and supports modernization principles for the State of Minnesota is an incredible value. The TPT can collaborate and bring that shared language to life, bringing agency and technical staff together. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The work of the Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery connected project professionals and helped create relationships across MNIT, which is extremely valuable not only for implementing this effort but in the end, it will benefit the outcomes achieved for Minnesotans. We are using a common approach to project and portfolio management, where possible, for the technologies that we deliver – no matter the agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Laurie Hansen, Finance Services Director, MMB&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Laurie%20Hansen_tcm38-531357.jpg&quot; title=&quot;laurie-hansen&quot; alt=&quot;Headshot of Laurie Hansen.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float:right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;laurie-hansen&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Laurie Hansen is an outspoken advocate for the process improvements outlined in the Modernization Playbook. Hansen has worked with MMB’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems since the inception of the SEMA4 (Statewide Employee Management System) system – and understands how projects succeed with best practices and shared knowledge. She regularly contributes her perspective as a business partner and as someone who sponsors projects to the various focus groups, knowledge resources, and educational content that have been created through the work of the TPT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: What has MMB learned by being a part of this change network?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hansen&lt;/strong&gt;: Before Assistant Commissioner Baber started the Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery, she partnered with MMB and helped us appreciate what a structured and rigorous project management discipline can bring to a project. Our participation in TPT has really helped us migrate successfully from project ideas to implementation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We worked with the Office of Transformation and Strategy Delivery to take the business case – what all agencies use in the Select Phase – and turn it into a compelling presentation that provides executive-level information. The template that their office provided, and all TPT members can use, held the decision-makers captive, provided important information to help them think through all of the implications of the proposed project, and led to an approved project. I’m so impressed by the amount of expertise that the TPT is bringing to all projects in state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: How will changing your processes help Minnesotans?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hansen&lt;/strong&gt;: We are now more efficient because we do better planning at the beginning of the project. We’ve followed the Select Phase of the Modernization Playbook by using our governance to review ideas and authorize ongoing work. The governance reviews all ideas and determines that the idea aligns with our agency’s strategy. At this stage, we focus on selling the idea by documenting the business problem and the potential benefits and doing a rough estimate of the size of the project. Once an idea is approved, we begin working on refining estimates and determining the scope and timeframe. Over the past 12-18 months, that’s built an understanding across our agency of our priorities. We’ve built trust and transparency by creating a roadmap that shows all of our business areas and executive leaders how projects and maintenance go together to further our agency’s mission, vision, and values.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, a recent upgrade followed the Modernization Playbook, which ensured its success for both MMB and people who use the systems. SEMA4, the state’s payroll, human resources, job application, and benefits system, and ELM (Enterprise Learning Management), the state’s learning management system, upgraded to new hardware and software versions. The Modernization Playbook methodologies guided this complex project to move from concept to execution and completion with all levels of project governance appropriately involved. Following the Modernization Playbook contributed to a project that was completed on the original timeline, within budget, and a launch with very minimal issues that were resolved in the pre-planned warranty period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: What is one part of the Modernization Playbook that you think has the biggest impact?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hansen&lt;/strong&gt;: There are formal governance decision checkpoints within the Modernization Playbook. Implementing those checkpoints has been transformative for MMB because they help us make sure that the project work we’re doing is authorized by the governance committee. The last checkpoint, right before we implement a project, includes a final review of the project resource estimates and timeline. This builds governances’ confidence in the project that a full planning effort has been completed and that the estimate is based on the best information available, which reduces the likely hood that the project will return to the committee for changes in scope or funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sara Ovist, Data Manager and Business Architect, MDA&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/AdobeStock_42033839_tcm38-531598.jpeg&quot; title=&quot;Farmland overlooked by wind turbines &quot; alt=&quot;Farmland overlooked by wind turbines &quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; float: right&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Corn Fields&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sara Ovist at MDA has been actively involved in the agency’s modernization work. She has been a member of the Transformation Practitioner’s Team since the summer of 2021. Ovist is the data manager for MDA’s Plant Protection Division (PPD) and the business architect for MDA. She works with her colleagues to promote the Modernization Playbook, which impacts PPD and the agency as a whole. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: What has MDA learned by being a part of this change network?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ovist&lt;/strong&gt;: We have learned and really seen first-hand that IT (MNIT) and the business (MDA) have the same goals in mind – creating value for MDA’s customers and Minnesotans with technology. Going through a modernization effort, with the TPT and Modernization Playbook, has shown us that we can come together to solve problems. The TPT comes together and brainstorms how we can improve our practices across state government, and we’ve learned how to apply that at MDA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The TPT is also helping us incorporate change management principles. We’ve broken down silos in the agency and across state government. The TPT gets me excited about where Minnesota is headed. It’s great to have similar like-minded people come together in one place. Prior to this change network, many of us were starting our modernization journey separately, but we weren’t sure who to contact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: How will changing your processes help Minnesotans?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ovist&lt;/strong&gt;: MDA received IT modernization funding this year in the agriculture omnibus bill, and we want to make sure that we use that funding efficiently. We are using modernization principles to first understand the needs of the people we serve, our customers. This is reflected in the TPT and Modernization Playbook. The business case in the Select phase ensures that our solutions benefit everyone. We are now interviewing customers, and we’ve heard that they want easier processes. Farmers want access to information about upcoming inspections and a unified process for licensing across the agency – they want us to streamline things for them. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This process has unearthed a need for a modern customer database. I was able to ask the TPT how other agencies manage customer data and their solutions for customer/client databases. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Walker: What is one part of the Modernization Playbook that you think has the biggest impact?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ovist&lt;/strong&gt;: We’re experiencing the impact of the Select phase in real-time. When we put time into the requirements of a project, we can solve problems that align with the goals, tactics, and objectives of the whole agency. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This also improves project execution. If you don’t define your scope clearly, you’re never going to get done with a project. It’s going to take time, but we’re seeing the benefit of putting in that time upfront so that when we do hand a project off to the technical teams, it’s just a technology project. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the near future, we’re looking to implement an idea intake process. At the TPT meeting, we heard about in idea intake process at the Department of Revenue that we’re looking to adopt for our agency. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>531351</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2024-12-10T20:01:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>State employees share successful tips you need to know to successfully advocate for accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Advocacy: Simple And Systemic Changes For High Impact - Part 2</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>change management</Subject><Subject>advocacy</Subject><Subject>culture</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Advocacy: Simple And Systemic Changes For High Impact - Part 2</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of diverse group next to megaphone</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility%20advocacy_tcm38-528399.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of diverse group next to megaphone</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility%20advocacy-thumbnail_tcm38-528401.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-06 - Accessibility Advocacy Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-530635&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-15T20:00:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Part 2 of 2: Change can be easier when you have a clear goal, a good plan, and persistence. Improving digital accessibility is no different. Read stories of accessibility advocates at the State of Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>State employees share successful tips you need to know</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst, Office of Accessibility
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In our &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-528303&quot; title=&quot;last installment&quot;&gt;last installment&lt;/a&gt;, our interviewees shared changes that sparked their digital accessibility advocacy transformations. They also revealed small steps with big impact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month, they share: &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to take those small steps into bigger changes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to nurture these types of changes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Their advice for you in this journey, even if you are a manager or supervisor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to this month’s article contributors:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Michelle Aguilar, Web Manager, Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mike Reinhart, Service Portfolio Manager, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bryan Priem, Web Application Developer, MNIT Partnering with Labor and Industry&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proshat Shafizadeh, IT Advanced Project and Program Manager, MNIT Partnering with the Department of Administration &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding Accessibility as Part of a Process&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We work in a community. There are opportunities for advocating in all different types of work. And, once you have seen an advocacy opportunity within your community, you can take action, like these examples that our contributors shared with us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focusing on improving usability&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aguilar found she could improve accessibility by focusing on “usability - trying to make things more usable for customers. We want to have a better user experience.”  Many forms required people to complete them by hand, instead of electronically. She knew this created a barrier for some people. “Can we make this fillable, will it be a better user experience? It&apos;s just at the forefront of my mind now to have that be an option.&quot; Both the question - the spark to change the process, and the skills to make forms fillable became a more common part of her work. &quot;So now it&apos;s a little less daunting to try to create those forms.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aguilar took her interest in usability and fillable forms as a spark to learn more. “I attended training for forms. You know, if you don&apos;t do something really often sometimes you lose that skill. But thankfully there&apos;s a lot of resources and tip sheets that I could refer to so that really helped a lot.” She recommends to “continue training and learning because accessibility changes all the time. Something we didn’t think was possible 6 months or a year ago is possible now. The software changes and we have new tools. Keep looking for ways to improve it and make it better.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creating solid requirements &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reinhart has a history of including accessibility “as a requirement, up front. My first job out of college was working for the Oklahoma Assistive Technology Center. I did computer assessments for people with disabilities.” While he wanted to include accessibility early, &quot;I&apos;ve been in roles where it&apos;s an afterthought&quot; for the organization. Working for the state of Minnesota provides him the opportunity to advocate in a different way. “The fact that it is a priority for the state is helpful. It’s great for us.” Mike shared that he references the importance the state places on accessibility when discussing accessibility requirements with vendors. This importance and visibility changes the communications he can do, and improves outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reinhart’s list of accessibility requirements had great importance at the start of the pandemic. “When COVID started a big challenge was that vendors of collaboration tools began rolling things out at lightning speed. It was easy for them to leave accessibility as something that they would come back to. And that created a lot of challenges. My approach became: I would have to do more work (to highlight its importance), and with the assistance of others. To push harder on the vendors for accessibility. To make sure that we got what we needed.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working with established vendor processes&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another aspect of changes to Reinhart&apos;s advocacy has been to better understand the other group’s processes. In his work, this has focused on vendors. He shared that especially when they feel the pressure to release new versions quickly “They need the customer feedback. This helps them add it to the product road map, including for new features.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reinhart created a new process for himself and those working with him. &quot;The first thing we determine: is this a new feature request or is it an issue or an accessibility bug that needs to be fixed. That sends us down a couple of different paths. Generally we work with vendor representatives directly. They can help guide me on how best to approach resolving a particular issue within their company. My job is to help ensure they understand that the state of Minnesota is very committed to accessibility. And that we have requirements for their application.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key to Reinhart&apos;s work is knowing when another approach may work for those greyer areas. Sometimes the accessibility standard and contract language doesn&apos;t clearly identify something needed. &quot;Another option for certain types of issues is a vendor’s community feedback channel. People can upload ideas for product improvement. They can upvote a particular feature request. When you get a lot of numbers there, that says to the vendor &apos;Hey, this is a feature that people want.&apos; It gets their attention.&quot; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, like other aspects of accessibility, people are the key to culture change. Reinhart shared that &quot;We&apos;ve also done a lot of work to understand the hierarchy around accessibility in some vendor companies. Who&apos;s who in the organization. As we develop those relationships we try and bump the accessibility issues to higher levels of the organization.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Small steps become stepping stones to bigger changes&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In last month&apos;s article, Sawyer shared how joining up with others supported her advocacy development. One example: when she joined her agency’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion group (DEI), “we added an A for accessibility.  People don&apos;t understand that people with accessibility needs must be included. That was why I joined the group. I now have people working with me to try to bring in accessibility as part of the word inclusion. And that&apos;s been huge because I now have other people.” Once she joined the group she began to share why she joined.  “They&apos;re like, ‘Oh, I never thought of that.’” She shared that this was a big catalyst for change. And her timing was helpful, with everything going digital when the pandemic began.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Others we spoke with found that including accessibility early in the project had ripple effects. Reinhart shared that “Having accessibility in mind at the beginning is critical. It&apos;s where we get into: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Designing things. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Architecting things. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Building new processes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have to go back and fix it later, it&apos;s way harder than just doing it up front. It&apos;s just so much easier. It can help your decision making and your choices. And you&apos;ll wind up with better products and services as a result. I think we are getting much, much better as an organization at this, but we still have work to do.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shafizadeh agreed. “For a project, please make sure before even selecting a vendor, or selecting a system, a tool, or approach - make sure that you account for accessibility. You review the accessibility. It should be part of the very early evaluation of the vendor of the system and then making a decision on what vendor or what system to move forward with.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Involving more people as you develop your advocacy skills is key, according to Priem. As accessibility became more a part of the culture at the partner agency he supports, more people invited him into conversations. “It definitely brings me into areas which I may not even be aware of. A project manager could be spinning up a new project and I may not be part of it. Because accessibility is now part of their inventory or tool set they say, ‘Oh yeah, we need to bring in the accessibility coordinator.’ (Then when) operational folks come together and put together a plan, when it becomes a project, this is the path we have to take. One of the (project plan) sections is accessibility, we have that in there. Something embedded into the process. And that was really brought about by Ty (Chief Business Technology Officer Tyrone Spratt).”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Priem shared the importance of having an executive that champions accessibility. &quot;(Tyrone Spratt) was instrumental in getting more people talking about accessibility. Especially providing an audience because that brings in everybody that may not even be aware of it. Now they have an opportunity to see what exactly that means for a whole project. People may not be involved, but they might be (later), so they can see how it fits into the bigger picture.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quality changes need nurturing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are going to sustain a change, other influences must support your change. This support often comes from people in different roles. “I needed buy-in from people other than me and my supervisor,” shared Sawyer. One group that has supported these changes are the new employees. She continued, “They are coming in very enthusiastic, and I love that enthusiasm! A lot of them are taking care of their parents and their aunts and uncles, who have disabilities. They&apos;re seeing their parents declining. They really understand the need.” Aguilar shares additional advice: “Make connections with people who know more than you. I don&apos;t pretend to know everything about accessibility and I know who I can count on. I know who the experts are and I go to them when I have an issue. Also there&apos;s more than one way to do something and sometimes it&apos;s just good to get advice from other people. If you have a group of people you can go to and say ‘Would you design this in this way’ or ‘what would be a better way of doing this?’ Or ‘I have this error and I know I can fix it this way, but is that the best way to do this?’ It&apos;s a good thing to have a network.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reinhart shared that at the beginning of the pandemic, with everyone suddenly needing to learn to use conferencing tools, and all the changes – he needed lots of people. One group: the project team that supported the effort. He saw improving accessibility advocacy and knowledge in the project manager (John Theiler), and with the quality assurance professionals (Experito Muyanja - also known as XP, and Kim Anderson).  He also shared that the state would not have been as successful in shifting to remote work “without the help of the digital accessibility coordinators. I just remember when the pandemic started people were helping with all kinds of things, like captioning, and some of the basic stuff. It would have been impossible to get what we needed done for our customers without the help of a lot of people.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shafizadeh included another important group: “having the management’s understanding and support both from the IT and the business side. If I didn&apos;t have the support system I would have not been able to make changes in the accessibility of projects and incorporating accessibility. I&apos;m really proud to be part of a team and an organization that understands the importance of accessibility and is determined to make changes.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use new methods &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The pandemic quickly showed everyone business needed to happen in new ways. It was key for promoting awareness of accessibility at agencies, reaching new people. For many, this also meant developing new skills, new ways of communicating. When asked what she learned from this situation, Sawyer shared, “I think the biggest one is, mostly, not being afraid to send out a Teams meeting invite to say ‘Hey let&apos;s talk about this.’ Don’t be afraid to reach out and give guidance. Get people to understand that you&apos;re there to help them and to help them succeed. Help them understand why.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aguilar’s group also used Teams to connect with employees, and host drop-in sessions. Their goal was to help agency employees learn more about accessibility. Aguilar sent “reminders and told people in different meetings about it. We&apos;ve gotten a lot of good feedback. Even if you don&apos;t have a question and you just go to that drop-in session, and listen and watch what people are demonstrating, what they need help with…You pick up some skills that way. That is one way that we&apos;ve tried to reach people and provide additional assistance.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As she gained skills in the new communication methods, Sawyer started a Microsoft Team for employees at her agency to learn more about accessibility. “I&apos;ve put a lot of training up and just yesterday somebody went ‘oh my gosh. I took this training and it was fabulous!’” Tamara finds webinars that are useful, then posts links for the group. “So there&apos;s some successes. Just having all these things for people to be able to easily find. I&apos;ve gone into much more of a guidance role. It used to be people would just send me documents and say ‘here make it accessible.’ Now they say ‘What else do I need to do?’ I think that&apos;s really cool to see!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sawyer has also adjusted her approach. She now focuses on “Fast things, not a four-hour long webinar to slog through. Everything has to be in small bites because we&apos;re so busy, especially with all the stuff for COVID added to everybody&apos;s job duties.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Priem has also changed how he introduces the training concept. Especially for IT teams, he suggests they start by doing “10 hours of training. Pick out different courses and just get the basics. Once you get the basics then you start seeing things differently. And you can start to apply it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advice for Managers and Supervisors&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I asked each of the interviewees to share advice for managers and supervisors. They generously shared thoughts for supporting a variety of roles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supervising accessibility coordinators and subject matter experts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sawyer advises that supervisors “give your employee the support that they need. Understand that they may feel that they are working within a silo, especially if they&apos;re the only accessibility person at your agency. Give them the time to do their job. Have an understanding of what their job is” and how their accessibility duties translate into tasks and projects. And “make sure that they get what they need for training because that&apos;s a huge one.” As part of training Sawyer included: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;conferences, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;continuing education, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the ability to certify through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org&quot; title=&quot;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)&quot;&gt;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supervising a team, division, or agency&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Priem shares that it is important to remember “it isn&apos;t just one person that does accessibility. It&apos;s everybody&apos;s job. I think it needs to be addressed that it&apos;s a team effort. And it needs to be brought in early so a supervisor needs to know to get on accessibility right away (as a part of projects). Don&apos;t wait until after something&apos;s built.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Persistence for the Accessibility Marathon&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When asked about key elements of the changes she has seen, Sawyer shares that for some of it, “it’s been a long slow process. I think as an organization, we have evolved. It&apos;s persistence and just never giving up.”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>530635</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-06-15T19:56:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 includes color contrast requirements for non-text items. Learn why this is important, and what to consider.</Description><Audience/><Title>Keep Minnesota Bright</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>color</Subject><Subject>WCAG</Subject><Subject>forms</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Keep Minnesota Bright</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Grey dropdown with white text: Menu. Eye dropper is sampling the grey color.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/keep-minnesota-bright-main-image-blog_tcm38-531097.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Grey dropdown with white text: Menu. Eye dropper is sampling the grey color.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/keep-minnesota-bright-main-image-blog-thumb_tcm38-531094.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-06 - Understanding WCAG 1411</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-530701&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-15T20:00:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 includes color contrast requirements for non-text items. Learn why this is important, and what to consider.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Understanding WCAG 2.1, 1.4.11 Color contrast for non-text items</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 success criteria 1.4.11 sets new standards for color contrast on non-text items. These items include form controls such as buttons and form fields, and colors used on charts and graphs. So why is this important? Here’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-21/#1411-non-text-contrast-aa&quot; title=&quot;what a retiree had to say&quot;&gt;what a retiree had to say&lt;/a&gt; when they tried to fill out a form: “I couldn&apos;t use the ’Order Form’ — there were no text boxes. After a long call with customer service, I learned there were text box borders that were too light for me to see.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/name-address-special-instructions-blog_tcm38-531101.png&quot; title=&quot;Form: 3 items to complete. Name, address, special instructions. Text fields have light grey outlines. &quot; alt=&quot;Form: 3 items to complete. Name, address, special instructions. Text fields have light grey outlines. &quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;name-address-special-instructions-blog&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figcaption style=&quot;text-align: center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3 items on this Order Form need completing. Each has a text “field” for responding. The outline for these text boxes is a light grey. This makes it difficult for some people to see them.&lt;/figcaption&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the form was updated with higher contrast, that same person stated: “It&apos;s easy for me to see all the icons and buttons and everything — even in the sunlight.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This person’s experience shows us how important good color contrast is. But, you may say to yourself, I don’t create fillable forms for other people. Why should I worry about color contrast?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Well, summer is coming here to Minnesota (I sure hope it lands on a Saturday this year), and with so many working from home, it’s not uncommon for people to work outside. It’s a beautiful way to get through the workday. But have you noticed how hard it is to see your laptop, tablet, or mobile device screen in the sunlight? Many people have this problem, even when not in the sun, due to vision disabilities. This is especially common with our aging population, such as the person quoted above. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Therefore, when designing your documents, keep &lt;strong&gt;WCAG 2.1, 1.4.11 – Non-text Contrast&lt;/strong&gt; in mind. Maybe you’re wondering how to know if you are meeting the new standard? First, don’t rely on your software to always comply with the new standards when adding things like form fields and buttons. Always use a color contrast checker to make sure the default colors have a minimum of 3:1 contrast ratio. Next, choose colors for charts and graphs that have good color contrast (again, using a color contrast checker). You can also use symbols and patterns in addition to color to make it easy for everyone to see and understand your graphs and charts. The Office of Accessibility lists some tools on their &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/websites-applications.jsp#4&quot; title=&quot;Web &amp;amp; Apps, Development/Testing page, under Color and Contrast&quot;&gt;Web &amp;amp; Apps, Development/Testing page, under Color and Contrast.&lt;/a&gt;  And lastly, visit the W3C website for more information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/non-text-contrast.html&quot; title=&quot;Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.11: Non-text Contrast&quot;&gt;Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.11: Non-text Contrast.&lt;/a&gt; We can all do our part to keep Minnesota bright!&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>530701</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-06-15T19:56:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Office of Accessibility is connecting with state employees this summer to discuss the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1. </Description><Audience/><Title>Exploring an update to the state’s digital accessibility standard</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>standard</Subject><Subject>WCAG 2.1</Subject><Subject>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Exploring an Update to the State’s Digital Accessibility Standard</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Open laptop. Onscreen: map of Minnesota, text: WCAG 2.1. Behind the laptop are views of webpages.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1-blog_tcm38-531098.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Open laptop. Onscreen: map of Minnesota, text: WCAG 2.1</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wcag-2.1-blog-thumb_tcm38-531095.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-06 - Exploring Update to Accessibility Standard</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-530990&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-15T20:00:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Office of Accessibility is connecting with state employees this summer to discuss the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1. Minnesota&apos;s Chief Information Accessibility Officer shares details.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 and Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On June 5, 2018, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) formally recommended the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 (WCAG 2.1). Some large, well-known companies have already adopted this new standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beginning in September 2021, the Office of Accessibility convened an inter-agency workgroup to review &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; title=&quot;WCAG 2.1&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1.&lt;/a&gt; The question to the group: would they recommend updating the current &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/Stnd_State_Accessibility_tcm38-61585.pdf&quot; title=&quot;State Digital Accessibility and Usability Standard (PDF)&quot;&gt;State Digital Accessibility and Usability Standard (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; from WCAG 2.0 to 2.1? A formal decision has not yet been made. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Updating the standard would mean changes for a wide range of state employees and vendors. These include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Document creators, notably graphic designers, instructional designers, PDF remediators.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Website and web application teams. This includes business analysts, developers, and quality assurance testers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mobile app developers and testers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Procurement specialists, such as those evaluating vendor accessibility conformance reports (VPATs).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gathering information and feedback &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (the state’s IT agency) and the Office of Accessibility are taking the following steps before making a formal decision:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;During the summer, experts will be invited to present on WCAG 2.1 for state employees. Each session will focus on a specific role (example: web developer). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Office of Accessibility will gather feedback from state employees. Plans are being made.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility would like state employees to share:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Any concerns they may have about how the updated standard will impact their work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New skills or resources they will need to be competent in applying the 2.1 success criteria.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What else do they need to feel properly supported as the state advances to the new standard?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This feedback will inform the decision to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adopt WCAG 2.1 as part of the state digital accessibility standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Determine how and when to announce the adoption. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We expect to schedule the effective date about a year after any announcement. Then employees must comply with the standard for all new content.   &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get involved&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are a state employee and would like to be part of feedback sessions, please reach out to your digital accessibility coordinator or the Office of Accessibility for more information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together we can continue the journey towards an innovative digital government that works for all. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>530990</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-06-15T19:56:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Very simple steps you can take to begin incorporating the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 into your work.</Description><Audience/><Title>5 Very Simple Steps You Can Take For Accessibility Improvement</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>websites</Subject><Subject>web apps</Subject><Subject>mobile</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>5 Very Simple Steps You Can Take For Accessibility Improvement</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Arrow, divided into segments, pointing up and to the right. Each segment has a number, from 1-5.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/5-steps-blog_tcm38-531096.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Arrow pointing up and to the right. Text within the arrow: 5.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/5-steps-blog-thumb_tcm38-531093.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-06 - Simple Steps Accessibility Improvement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-530231&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-06-15T19:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Very simple steps you can take to begin incorporating the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 into your work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What you need to know for useful websites, and web and mobile apps</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Management and Budget recently posted “When you &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mmb/careers/why-work-for-us/&quot; title=&quot;bring your career to the State of Minnesota&quot;&gt;bring your career to the State of Minnesota,&lt;/a&gt; the work you do affects the quality of life of millions of Minnesotans.” For those working in information technology, this includes work on: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Websites. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web applications. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mobile apps. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We create and support technology for use by Minnesotans and state employees. This includes people with disabilities. Because digital inclusion is a priority, learning how to improve accessibility is important. Let’s talk about how to begin incorporating the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 into your work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 1 - Start by Thinking About People&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We create information and communication technologies for people. Our intentions are good – we want everyone to find them helpful. When you imagine people using this technology think about people using it in different ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) created “quotes from personas (fictional people) to help you understand some aspects of the success criteria” for WCAG 2.1. They share these quotes in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-21/&quot; title=&quot;What&apos;s New in WCAG 2.1&quot;&gt;What’s New in WCAG 2.1.&lt;/a&gt; Each quote will help you understand more about how people may be using your digital solution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I find the following example about “orientation” is very simple to understand. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Problem: ‘I can&apos;t rotate my tablet — it&apos;s attached to my wheelchair.’&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Works well: ‘The application works whether I attach my tablet horizontally or vertically.’”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/table-with-reflow-problems-blog_tcm38-531105.png&quot; title=&quot;Device in landscape orientation. Table onscreen is in portrait orientation (information displays sideways).&quot; alt=&quot;Device in landscape orientation. Table onscreen is in portrait orientation (information displays sideways).&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;table-with-reflow-problems-blog&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figcaption style=&quot;text-align: center&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This device is physically in a landscape orientation. The information on screen did not rotate
&lt;br /&gt;
- it still displays in portrait orientation. This makes it hard to read.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 2 – Think about Your Current Project&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open your current project or one you worked on in the past. Can you view and use it in both portrait and landscape orientation (also known as vertical and horizontal positions)? Like smartphones and tablets, today you can use many desktop monitors in both portrait and landscape positions. You may be able to set your operating system to display using either orientation. Example: for Windows, go into the Display settings. In the Scale and Layout group go to Display orientation. If set to landscape, change the setting to portrait. If viewing the project on your smartphone, try changing your device’s physical orientation from portrait to landscape and back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did the content respond to this change?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 3 – Review the Understanding Document&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each success criteria for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 has an Understanding Document. Like the others, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/orientation.html&quot; title=&quot;Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.4: Orientation&quot;&gt;Understanding Success Criterion 1.3.4: Orientation&lt;/a&gt; has the following sections:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Intent.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Benefits.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examples.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Related resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Techniques.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Key Terms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start by reading the specific rule. It is at the top. In this case, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Content does not restrict its view and operation to a single display orientation, such as portrait or landscape, unless a specific display orientation is essential. Examples where a particular display orientation may be essential are a bank check, a piano application, slides for a projector or television, or virtual reality content where content is not necessarily restricted to landscape or portrait display orientation.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read more in the Understanding Document about how and when this applies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 4 – Run One of the Tests for a Technique&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Go to the Techniques section of the Understanding Document. Orientation has a failure called: F97: Failure due to locking the orientation to landscape or portrait view. Following the link for each failure or sufficient technique will bring you to a page with more information. This includes a test you can run.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like the Understanding Document, each of these pages has the following sections:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Important information about techniques.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Applicability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Description.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examples.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tests.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some may also have Related Techniques.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After reviewing this page, go down to the Tests section. There is a procedure to follow and expected results.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 5 – Accessibility in Action&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now you are ready to begin adding this requirement into your projects. Don’t worry if you don’t know everything as you begin. You are not alone in this work! The digital accessibility community has many people ready to help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are a state of Minnesota employee, connect with your digital accessibility coordinator. They can help you get connected with people and resources when you have questions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow #a11y on Twitter and LinkedIn to learn from posts the international digital accessibility community shares.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Take one of the trainings listed in the Office of Accessibility newsletter. The subscribe link is at the bottom of this page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Join lists for community groups. Some examples include:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/discussion/&quot; title=&quot;WebAIM&apos;s Web Accessibility E-mail Discussion List&quot;&gt;WebAIM’s Web Accessibility E-mail Discussion List&lt;/a&gt; is for anyone interested in discussing web accessibility issues. Individuals from all organizations and specialties are encouraged to join.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For those who are members of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/s/membership-options-home&quot; title=&quot;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)&quot;&gt;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP),&lt;/a&gt; the website has IAAP Connections, where you can join an existing discussion or start your own.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your organization, like the state of Minnesota, may even have its own community of practice. Ask around.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most Important – Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Taking That First Step&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone in digital accessibility started somewhere. Don’t let fear stop you. Start with one small step. Even if you only feel confident doing step 1 above, start. Reviewing the quotes from personas will have an impact on your work. You will start to begin to find opportunities to advocate for greater inclusion. You will start to imagine solutions for projects. And, you will play an important role in making our digital spaces more inclusive for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>530231</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-06-15T19:56:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>State employees share successful tips you need to know to successfully advocate for accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Advocacy: Simple And Systemic Changes For High Impact</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>change management</Subject><Subject>advcacy</Subject><Subject>culture</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Advocacy: Simple And Systemic Changes For High Impact</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of diverse group next to megaphone</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility%20advocacy_tcm38-528399.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of diverse group next to megaphone</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility%20advocacy-thumbnail_tcm38-528401.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-05 - Accessibility Advocacy Part 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-528303&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-18T19:14:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Change can be easier when you have a clear goal, a good plan, and persistence. Improving digital accessibility is no different. Read stories of accessibility advocates at the State of Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>State employees share successful tips you need to know</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst, Office of Accessibility
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Change can be easier when you have a clear goal, a good plan, and persistence. Improving digital accessibility is no different. We often only observe the outcome of work others have done. But, what if we could understand how someone&apos;s advocacy skills developed?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We all have a role to play in improving digital accessibility. It can be as simple as ensuring that we understand how to make accessible:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Websites.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But advocacy can also involve:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identifying when a process, product, or project could better address accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training ourselves, our teammates, vendors, and those on projects on ways to make these improvements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Connecting with others to build stronger networks to build our accessibility capacity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Advocacy starts with the question: what will make this better? Advocates take that next step to determine how to make it better, then take action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the next two months, we talk with five state employees that are advocates for greater digital accessibility. Each has a different role. They reveal some changes they have made, and what had the most influence. And they share advice for you and your supervisor to improve accessibility in your organization. In fact, there is so much great information that we will publish it in installments. This first installment focuses on celebrating the changes that sparked their advocacy skill development. And some of their smaller step recommendations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to this month’s article contributors:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Michelle Aguilar, Web Manager, Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mike Reinhart, Service Portfolio Manager, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bryan Priem, Web Application Developer, MNIT Partnering with Labor and Industry&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proshat Shafizadeh, IT Advanced Project and Program Manager, MNIT Partnering with the Department of Administration &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Changes Sparking Transformations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We often know we need to do something different. Once we change, we can often point to a specific event or moment that felt like a turning point. I asked each person about that moment for them. Not surprisingly, the pandemic with its shift to working from home was a common theme.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This did not mean they began their accessibility journey then, but its path changed. Reinhart explained, “There (became) such a focus on using the conferencing tools. We really had to be much more diligent about accessibility related to those applications and making sure that they are accessible.” This work was not new for him. He had already been “working with the vendor and pushing them to provide the feature updates that include accessibility. We&apos;ve done more of that in the last couple of years without question.” In addition, many vendors increased the speed and release of updates and new features. This changed the way Reinhart and others needed to interact with vendors, and proceed with work internally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, working from home changed the way they worked with people. Aguilar said that “we used to do in-person training in a classroom at in the office.” Aguilar and her team worked to determine new ways to reach employees, to teach them about accessibility. Both she and Sawyer felt the absence of meeting employees in person. Sawyer shared that “the good part is that I have worked with many different teams (before the pandemic). Going to all online and all digital - people have really recognized the need for accessibility. Some of our groups have really embraced it. Going from all in-person to all digital where we&apos;ve made all their materials accessible - that has been a huge success. So on one hand, I feel this disconnect. But on the other hand I feel some groups are super successful.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partially because of this feeling of disconnect, Sawyer reached out and joined a new group. “I think for me (another) big difference was joining in with this Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion group (DEAI) within my agency. It’s one thing to be a part of the statewide digital accessibility coordinators.” While she appreciated working with the network of coordinators from other agencies, Sawyer noted that they are less familiar with the everyday work at her agency.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this time, many observed a change in culture. Priem shares that “for a while I felt like I was sort of the only one who seemed to be aware of accessibility. And then, realized I’m not. It’s all over the place.” First Priem mentioned that the agency communications division began improving accessibility of their documents. But he had more to share! “My Chief Business Technology Officer, Tyrone Spratt: accessibility is in his playbook. [It is] a question that always is brought up. He is at the forefront of any new projects and contracting so accessibility comes up a lot. We have a security officer, Mike Woolley, who will often bring up his security issues but then mention that we also need to address accessibility. So, it’s everywhere. You can try to put your head in the sand and say, well, we’ll just forget about accessibility for a minute, but nope, there’s people saying we need to have that. We need to make sure it’s in there and we can’t move forward without it. It’s like a team effort and it was sort of grassroots. There’s more growth to be had, but we’re moving forward, we’re getting there.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people we interviewed shared that furthering their education changed them and changed their advocacy. For Shafizadeh it introduced her to digital accessibility. “I remember that I just began my bachelor&apos;s degree program in information technology management from the University of Minnesota. As part of the program requirements I had to take a web development class. It was that web development class that dedicated an entire chapter to accessibility. I remember that I was completely blown away by my lack of awareness about digital accessibility. Once I began to learn about it, it was like a wakeup call.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Sawyer, going back to school while working as a digital accessibility coordinator had impact. She took some courses related to Human Resources management, and diversity, equity and inclusion as part of a master’s program. “I think those 3 classes really helped with how I&apos;ve approached things. Now I approach things a little bit differently. Just knowing more about how to manage programs and how to manage people, has helped. It’s given me more confidence in standing up to make sure that my program is being run right.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting with small steps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a few simple steps for improve your advocacy skills:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ask for help:&lt;/strong&gt; Sawyer suggests that you not “be afraid to reach out if you need help. You have resources if you just reach out.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Start developing one new skill:&lt;/strong&gt; For Aguilar, that skill was “definitely fillable PDF forms. I did not know (how to make them accessible) prior to 2 years ago. I had a form that was 20 pages full of radio buttons. I had to learn how to do JavaScript and all those radio buttons. It was a tedious process, but I know it, now, after doing.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Just start – pick one thing:&lt;/strong&gt; Priem found it helpful to think “What are some of the things that I could do that don&apos;t require a significant level of understanding, like screen readers. But I can do keyboard testing, right? That&apos;s not too hard to pick up. Color contrast testing, easy. Umm well not easy…The tools are out there. You just have to get them downloaded. I just decided, you know what? I&apos;m just gonna try this and document the results.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dedicate time:&lt;/strong&gt; Shafizadeh shared “One thing that I&apos;ve changed in project planning in particular, has been to dedicate enough time for accessibility. I have it included very, very early on - during my initiation phase of the project. This includes: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Informing our business partners and our stakeholders about accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making sure we have enough time to bring in the Office of Accessibility or accessibility coordinators to do accessibility reviews and decision making before we move forward to next steps.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility as a part of everything:&lt;/strong&gt; Reinhart reminds people to include accessibility whenever discussing work. “It was probably sometime in mid-2020 or so when we started doing more communications on a monthly basis of teleconference updates, for instance. And, making accessibility part of that. It&apos;s not something that we add on. It&apos;s just part of what we what we want to communicate. I think normalizing it and making it just part of day-to-day stuff, everything you do.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Until Next Month…&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day to everyone. We hope that on your accessibility journey you take a moment to start using these tips, taking new advocacy steps. Next month we will share more from these accessibility advocates, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More of their tips.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How they shifted their small steps to support bigger changes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What they feel helps nurture an increase in a digital accessibility culture.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tips for managers and supervisors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>528303</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-05-18T19:57:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota IT Services Earns Governor’s Safety Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The words &quot;Governor&apos;s Safety Award Winner&quot; over a blue and green background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/safety-award-winner2021_tcm38-527887.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Award%20Thumb-02_tcm38-527885.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-05 - Governors Safety Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-527888&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-05-11T15:25:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT received an Award of Honor, the top level for which winners are recognized for the second year in a row.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) was recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the 2022 Minnesota Safety and Health Conference, May 3-4. MNIT is one of 191 employers to be honored through the awards program, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“During a time that has challenged all of us in many ways, we are honored to recognize Minnesota IT Services for their award. Congratulations to Minnesota IT Services for helping to make life safer inside their organization and beyond.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Paul Aasen, President of the Minnesota Safety Council. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“I am proud to lead the safety initiatives at MNIT and honored we accomplished improvements made in employee safety throughout our organization. MNIT’s Guiding Principles for Work Evolution, Vision and Opportunity (EVO) in this new hybrid environment includes keeping employee’s physical and mental health and safety at the center of decision making.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Melissa Warhol, MNIT’s Safety Officer&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 1934, the annual Governor’s Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers with exceptional safety performance. Applicants are judged on several years of injury data as it compares with their industry’s national statistics, and on their progress in implementing a comprehensive safety program. Winners are recognized at three levels:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meritorious Achievement (68 winners): Incidence rates that are better than the industry average for at least three years, and a score between 50 and 74 on a 100-point safety program evaluation scale.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Outstanding Achievement (83 winners): Continuing improvement and/or a continuing outstanding record with incident rates that are 51%-90% better than the industry average, and a score between 75 and 90 on the safety program evaluation scale.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Award of Honor (40 winners): Incidence rates at least 91% better than the industry average, and a score between 91 and 100 on the safety program evaluation scale.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services received an Award of Honor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1928, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries on the road, at work, at home, and in the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;# # #&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About MNIT’s Safety Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT Safety Program is an ongoing, cross-functional initiative that brings together people and resources to promote safety throughout the agency. The MNIT Safety Program believes in continuous improvement. No matter how effective our safety protocols are, they can always be better. Safety is integrated into our organization’s systems, practices, people, and leadership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Safety Program creates a connected culture through partnerships and collaboration with a common goal to maintain the health and safety of the workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, MNIT has not experienced an exposure or outbreak of COVID illness in a workplace. This is due to a proactive approach to ensure the safety of employees whether working in the office or remotely. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last years announcement Permalink: &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-480189&quot;&gt;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-480189&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>527888</id><pubdate>2022-05-11T18:00:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>&quot;Shift left.&quot; &quot;Start accessibility earlier in the project life cycle.&quot; These phrases are often shared, but it can be difficult to understand how to take action. Learn how a team made accessibility a priority throughout the project life cycle.</Description><Audience/><Title>Spotlight: What Happens When A Project Team Shifts Accessibility Left?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>project management</Subject><Subject>shift left</Subject><Subject>project life cycle</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility of financial capability material = massive, reliable returns!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer monitor with bar chart. Magnifying glass over one bar reveals text $1,800. Circle around monitor: keyboard, microphone, CC.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/finance-accessibility-blog_tcm38-525630.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Bar chart. Magnifying glass reveals text: $1,800.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/finance-accessibility-blog-thumb_tcm38-525629.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-04 - Financial Capability Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-525517&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-20T19:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>When planning a campaign to promote financial awareness, make sure the digital content is accessible to everyone. In this month&apos;s article we share tips for creating accessible social media posts, websites, documents, and online courses.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Proven tips to help more people learn financial skills</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;April is Financial Capability Month in Minnesota. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/your-money/future/&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Department of Commerce defines financial capability&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Commerce defines financial capability&lt;/a&gt; as &quot;…people’s knowledge, skills, and access to products and services that enable them to manage their finances, make informed choices for their financial security and future, and to avoid scams and fraud.&quot; Other groups recognize this month as Financial Literacy Month. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are planning a campaign to promote financial awareness, make sure the digital content for your target audience is accessible to everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital information about financial skills and services comes in many forms:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PDFs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Social media posts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Websites.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Online courses.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When making financial education material accessible, considerations include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Communication of math concepts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating visuals that communicate data.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creation of worksheets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Online calculators, games, and other interactions to promote learning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we cover accessibility resources specific to this topic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General Accessibility Considerations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone needs to be financially capable. Make your content as accessible as possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use plain language&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Need a resource? Our article &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/?id=38-482174&quot; title=&quot;Don&apos;t bury the headline - Plain language tips and tricks for technical writing&quot;&gt;Don’t bury the headline – Plain language tips and tricks for technical writing&lt;/a&gt; will get you started. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using plain language helps people who:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a cognitive disability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;May have less experience with terms used or concepts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Present math concepts using formats other than images&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While you may be tempted to use a graphic to display an equation or formula, the alternative text may not provide equal access. People using assistive technology need some math symbols written out (use the word “plus” instead of +) in alternative text for images. Some of the math symbols used may not be read appropriately by assistive technologies. Also, because assistive technology cannot read phrase by phrase within alternative text, it can be difficult to listen then act on a math problem communicated in this way. Expressing complex math concepts will also require longer alternative text than the ideal number of characters. Using text instead of images is one solution for simpler math equations that can include more common symbols like +, -, =. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/formula-bad_tcm38-525631.png&quot; title=&quot;Math problem with numbers and symbols (7x5/10)+3=. Bubble with text alt text to avoid:, then math problem written with numbers and symbols.&quot; alt=&quot;Math problem with numbers and symbols (7x5/10)+3=. Bubble with text alt text to avoid:, then math problem written with numbers and symbols.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;formula-bad&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/formula-good_tcm38-525632.png&quot; title=&quot;Math problem with numbers and symbols (7x5/10)+3=. Bubble with text alt text best practice:, then math problem written in text bracket seven times five tenths close bracket plus 3 equals&quot; alt=&quot;Math problem with numbers and symbols (7x5/10)+3=. Bubble with text alt text best practice:, then math problem written in text bracket seven times five tenths close bracket plus 3 equals&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;formula-good&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note:&lt;/strong&gt; this article does not cover more advanced mathematical concepts. These often include other symbols and more complicated math equations. Here are some resources for information on advanced accessibility techniques for math: &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Materials created by University of Washington’s Do-It Center – &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-mathml&quot; title=&quot;What is MathML&quot;&gt;What is MathML&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/Math/Documents/Charter2021.html&quot; title=&quot;W3C&apos;s Math Working Group&quot;&gt;W3C’s Math Working Group.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use images that reinforce your concepts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explain the concept in text; reinforce it with the image.  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Write quality alternative text for images&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Bernauer wrote great information in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-330880&quot; title=&quot;Best Practices for Alternative Text&quot;&gt;Best Practices for Alternative Text.&lt;/a&gt; She includes advice about using complex charts. Good text descriptions help people who:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are blind or have low vision.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a learning disability that may make it difficult to understand the visual concept without the text description.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use good color contrast, and do not use color alone to communicate&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Charts, graphs, and any information that you want to be sure readers understand must have good color contrast. And make sure that readers who do not perceive color well can still access it. If printed in black and white, could they still use this? Example: add texture to bar graphs in addition to changes in color.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use accessible templates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility planning is key to creating inclusive content. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/?id=38-472949&quot; title=&quot;An Accessible Newsletter&quot;&gt;An Accessible Newsletter&lt;/a&gt; has information about templates and testing for newsletters. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having accessible templates for documents also makes work more efficient and accessible. &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/presentation-csun_develop-test-deploy-2018_tcm38-374413.pdf?sourcePage=%2fmnit%2fabout-mnit%2faccessibility%2fpresentation-docs.jsp%3fid%3d38-374431&quot; title=&quot;Develop, test, deploy: accessible templates for an entire state (PDF)&quot;&gt;Develop, test, deploy: accessible templates for an entire state (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; shares information on creating accessible templates with your brand and colors, and makes them easily available for your employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PDFs&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PDFs are a common way to share information. You may be creating:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;General education documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Worksheets.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tables containing financial information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people use assistive technology to access your digital documents. They may read your PDF, open links you included, or complete worksheets using tools like: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screen readers and text to speech tools (read digital information out loud).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Switches (alternatives to using a mouse to interact with digital content).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Speech to text tools (using your voice to type).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PDFs are accessible when they have tags - a method for communicating content to assistive technologies. There are tags for images, text, headings, links, and tables.  And there are testing tools like a built-in accessibility checker for Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some PDF accessibility tips to get you started:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Start with an accessible original document before converting to PDF. &lt;/strong&gt; Not sure where to start? Check out the Office of Accessibility&apos;s free online course: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Word Document Training&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Accessible Word Document Training.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ensure people can complete the worksheets with a keyboard.&lt;/strong&gt; Don’t forget: Using underlines in a Word document to indicate a space for writing an answer does not allow people to complete the form in a PDF unless they print it out. Create an accessible, fillable PDF form for a worksheet that enables people to complete the form using their assistive technology and a computer. Also, some fillable forms are on web pages instead of PDF. &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/forms/controls&quot; title=&quot;WebAIM&apos;s article Creating Accessible Forms&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;WebAIM’s article Creating Accessible Forms&lt;/a&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;is a good resource for getting started. Consider the best format to meet the needs of all your learners.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When using InDesign, designers must make their files as accessible as possible. &lt;/strong&gt; Those files can then create more accessible PDFs. Tips are available on our website: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents/indesign.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Accessible InDesign Documents&quot; style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Accessible InDesign Documents.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use a PDF accessibility testing tool to check if your PDF is accessible.&lt;/strong&gt; This will cover basic accessibility tests. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Review the tags in the tags pane - we call it &quot;walking the tag tree.&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;  Start by learning which tags are for headings, images, links, and tables. Check that the tag for each part of your content is the correct type of tag. Be sure the tags are in the correct reading order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Social Media Posts&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Social media is a great way to connect with people who want to gain these important skills! A few steps when preparing your message and posting it will help more people access your message:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When adding images to your post, be sure to include alternative text.&lt;/strong&gt; This is sometimes called an image description in social media tools. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use capital letters in hashtags&lt;/strong&gt; to show where each word starts. Example: #FinCapMN. This helps screen readers pronounce it correctly, and makes it easier to read for those with vision.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use hashtags with thought.&lt;/strong&gt; For people that do not use a mouse, they may need to use their tab key to go through each link in your message. Hashtags are links. 12 hashtags = 12 presses of the tab key to move past them. Use just a few per message, and when possible keep them at the end of the message.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use videos with quality captions.&lt;/strong&gt; Check that your captions:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read exactly what is said.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have capital letters at the beginning of proper names and sentences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have proper punctuation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include important audio information like sounds that are important to your story.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consider how people who are blind or with low vision will use your video.&lt;/strong&gt; Your message is important, right? Include audio that describes what is happening on screen so that if you listen to the video without accessing the visuals, you don&apos;t miss out!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some resources on accessibility and social media you may find helpful:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Blog article: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/?id=38-477167&quot; title=&quot;Engaging and Accessible Social Media - Inclusive community connections&quot;&gt;Engaging and Accessible Social Media – Inclusive community connections.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Recorded webinar: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.governmentsocialmedia.com/connect-to-all-of-your-community-engaging-accessible-social-media-webinar-replay&quot; title=&quot;Connect to ALL of your Community: Engaging and Accessible Social Media&quot;&gt;Connect to ALL of your Community: Engaging and Accessibility Social Media.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Websites, Apps, and eLearning&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like PDFs, websites and apps use code to communicate to assistive technologies. This is often where you want your audience to spend most of their time. We tend to stay longer when we feel welcome, and when experiences meet our needs. People in your audience who use assistive technology or have disabilities need those same things.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ensure online calculators, games, and other fun and interactive online engagement tools meet Minnesota’s digital accessibility standard&lt;/strong&gt; (found on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Policies and Standards page&quot;&gt;Accessibility Policies and Standards page&lt;/a&gt;). Ensure they pass the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/&quot; title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&lt;/a&gt; levels A and AA, at a minimum. Even better if they meet WCAG 2.1.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reach out to your digital accessibility coordinator when planning new projects.&lt;/strong&gt; Others to include in the conversation are your webmaster or software project manager. Do this early in your project plan to make your project more accessible, and make the work process more efficient. Last month’s blog article provides more information: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/522146&quot; title=&quot;Spotlight - What Happens When a Project Team Shifts Accessibility Left?&quot;&gt;Spotlight – What Happens When a Project Team Shifts Accessibility Left?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Start collecting examples of accessible, engaging interactions!&lt;/strong&gt; While not about financial education, this example of an accessible, online game can you get you to think more about accessibility: &lt;a href=&quot;https://de.ryerson.ca/wa/maze.html&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Maze&quot;&gt;Accessibility Maze.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>525517</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-04-20T19:53:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Commissioner Tomes Named as One of 25 Top Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers in the Nation by Government Technology</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Commissioner, Tarek Tomes, Recognized as Top Government Technology Leader</Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>Tarek Tomes</Subject><Subject>Commissioner</Subject><Subject>Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers</Subject><Subject>GovTech</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Commissioner, Tarek Tomes, Recognized as Top Government Technology Leader</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Head shot of Commissioner Tomes beside the words &quot;2022 Top 25 Doers Dreamers &amp; Drivers&quot; as well as the govTech logo.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Tomes%20-%20Dreamers%20Doers_tcm38-523702.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The words &quot;2022 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers&quot; and the govTech logo atop a dark blue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Doers%20Dreamers%20and%20Drivers_tcm38-523704.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2022-04 - MNIT Commissioner Tomes Finalist for National CIO of the Year Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-523700&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-04-04T17:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Commissioner Tomes Named as One of 25 Top Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers in the Nation by Government Technology Magazine</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;April 4, 2022 (Saint Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; - The State of Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), Tarek Tomes, was named a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/566885544/government-technology-names-top-25-doers-dreamers-and-drivers-of-2022&quot;&gt;2022 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers by Government Technology magazine (GovTech)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers annual awards program chooses recipients based on their record of using technology to solve problems, improve citizen services, and transform internal operations. According to GovTech, this year’s roster of honorees includes county CIOs and agency leaders, state Chief Information Security Officers, diversity advocates, and technologists working behind the scenes to keep the public sector running, who are all striving to improve services and quality of life across the country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Commissioner Tomes and the people at Minnesota IT Services have continued to push for innovative, data-driven ways to connect Minnesotans with their government. When you go online to easily order a COVID-19 testing kit or apply for a driver’s license, that’s the work of MNIT behind the scenes. We are proud of the recognition and thank all of MNIT for their commitment to serve Minnesotans across the state.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tomes was appointed in April 2019 by Governor Tim Walz to his role at the State of Minnesota. He brings over 25 years of experience in managing technology innovation across diverse industries, both in national, international, and public and private sector operations. Throughout his career, he has facilitated data-driven decision making, implemented many critical enterprise projects, and improved workforce diversity and inclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read more about Commissioner Tomes’ work in a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/top-25/tarek-tomes&quot;&gt;profile from Government Technology magazine&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>523700</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-04-04T19:00:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>&quot;Shift left.&quot; &quot;Start accessibility earlier in the project life cycle.&quot; These phrases are often shared, but it can be difficult to understand how to take action. Learn how a team made accessibility a priority throughout the project life cycle.</Description><Audience/><Title>Spotlight: What Happens When A Project Team Shifts Accessibility Left?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>project management</Subject><Subject>shift left</Subject><Subject>project life cycle</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Spotlight: What Happens When A Project Team Shifts Accessibility Left?</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Arrow pointing right, with green dot on arrow near left end and red, cancelled dot on right side of arrow near the head.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/moving-accessibility-left-web-thumb_tcm38-522148.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-03 - Shift projects left</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-522146&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-23T19:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;Shift left.&quot; &quot;Start accessibility earlier in the project life cycle.&quot; These phrases are often shared, but it can be difficult to understand how to take action. Learn how a team made accessibility a priority throughout the project life cycle.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A project’s accessibility success story</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/moving-accessibility-left-blog_tcm38-522147.jpg&quot; title=&quot;moving-accessibility-left-blog&quot; alt=&quot;Arrow pointing right, with green dot on arrow near left end and red, cancelled dot on right side of arrow near the head. Blocks below arrow read, from left to right: Plan, Develop, Review.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;moving-accessibility-left-blog&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption style=&quot;text-align: center&quot;&gt;Accessibility begins here, moved left from the review phase of the project life cycle. Arrow indicates it is included in the plan, develop, and review phases.&lt;/figcaption&gt;

&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Shift left.&quot; &quot;Start accessibility earlier in the project life cycle.&quot; These phrases help us think about embedding accessibility early in a project. It is easy to agree that this is important. It can be more difficult to integrate this into everyday practice. To be successful you need to know: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How accessibility plays a role at each phase.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Who can champion and contribute to this inclusion.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One recent project successfully moved accessibility to the left.  Staff from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) worked together to make the shift. Three project team members spoke with me about how this improved the project’s outcomes. They also shared how this changed their approach to future projects. This month we learn from:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Courtney Petrosky, Project Management Supervisor, MNIT partnering with MDE.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Wee, Webmaster and Digital Accessibility Coordinator for MNIT partnering with MDE.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamera Williams, Contractor - Project Manager / BA for this project, MDE.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Project History&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Petrosky shared, “This project started because we have an existing homegrown application. This application is over 10 years old.” There were quite a few challenges with it, including the required upgrades and maintenance, as well as needed changes. MDE decided to replace the application. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;We started with a feasibility study, interviews, and research. Tamera began working as a contractor to complete this work. This resulted in the decision to do a Request for Proposal (RFP) and bid out for a vendor to provide a solution. We were looking for a cloud-hosted solution, with the product end supported by the vendor.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Agency vs IT Department Roles&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;IT projects completed in government typically have 2 groups working together: the agency and the IT department. Williams shared more about how this works: MNIT owns the contract - the acquisition of the technology. And they facilitate the technical work. They identified the need for a cloud-hosted solution. They help the agency understand which vendors have products that can provide solutions that may meet the business needs. &quot;We had a very deep team on the MNIT side. In addition to Kim Wee, we had people from security, network engineers - there was a lot of input to understand what we need to do and what&apos;s going to fit in our current environment. The business or agency side - they know the practice. We had long periods of time where the business was working on designs, applying their processes...it&apos;s a lot of work for the business.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Motivation to Change Accessibility Approach&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Together, Petrosky and Wee had previously worked on projects that included accessibility testing of products. Petrosky shared that they found &quot;there were some gaps in how we were applying those practices across the board on all of our projects. We really wanted to dive deeper into a new project, and this became our opportunity.&quot; They also had strong accessibility advocates on the business team. &quot;MDE is the real project owner here,&quot; shared Wee. &quot;They have an enormous amount of influence.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Perspective Change&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Williams was new to having accessibility included in a project. &quot;I focused on the functional requirements, what the business is requiring. It&apos;s been a learning experience for me as a project manager, someone helping to move the implementation forward.&quot; She shared that she needed to learn &quot;how to make sure that we have the right resources in place to actually address or to ensure accessibility.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a project manager &quot;there&apos;s a lot of time and resources required to ensure that accessibility is being considered, and is not just a side thing. It is a part of the functionality or the functional requirements. That was a big aha for me. It&apos;s not something we wait for the end to just kind of confirm or verify. It really takes time to ensure that it is in place when you get to the end.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wee also found that accessibility as a functional requirement was &quot;a huge lesson learned. I think it impacted this project in ways that I never would have anticipated. And I think it really led to the buy-in. This impacted the project from all sides, including the buy-in from the business and vendor’s team members.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Petrosky found that this project impacted her thinking from a project management standpoint. It helped her consider &quot;other phases of the project where I never thought about accessibility, or including Kim in those kinds of conversations before. As a project manager or even as a supervisor we don&apos;t want to waste people&apos;s time in meetings if they are not needed. But what I&apos;ve learned through this project was that if (in previous projects) I had brought Kim into conversations much, much earlier it probably would have reduced some of the later conversations. The important part was sitting in on the design discussions.&quot; She used to meet with the business team members, then connect with Kim, then go back to the business team members...&quot;I should really have brought them together in the same room so Kim could do that feedback instead of me.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because she was considering this expansion of accessibility discussions throughout the project life cycle, Petrosky also sees a need for more accessibility professionals available to teams. &quot;We only have Kim - this is what I hear from many of my project managers. We need her on all of our projects. That&apos;s our next big challenge - strategizing, getting more support, so we can get accessibility in all phases of a project lifecycle.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Operationalizing Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Operationalizing accessibility means each role on a team needs to have accessibility knowledge specific to their role. In addition, you need people with deep accessibility knowledge. Petrosky shared that &quot;Kim has been working on more training for the developers and the quality assurance team.&quot; This will help expand the accessibility knowledge of more project team members. “I know there&apos;s still going to be a lot of need for Kim (on projects) just because she has years of knowledge that would be difficult to translate to all of our staff. We have discussed questions like what are some easy ways of starting to get developers familiar with the tools that Kim uses for testing? We need a curriculum, and we might need to even think about something annually, to continue to refresh staff and as we get new members. It&apos;s going to be a project in itself to come up with a training strategy and documentation.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Williams added that &quot;Kim really provided consultation guidance as well as direct training with our vendor. They came up with a guiding document that they&apos;re using with their developers as a result of that.&quot; As the project progressed, MNIT and vendor staff identified gaps, and Kim helped train in those areas of need. Accessibility is a journey, and this partnership helped ensure everyone could play their part in creating an accessible product that met the requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Importance of Development Team Check-ins&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wee had regular check-ins with the developer and development team. This began early in the process, after vendor selection. Together she and the lead developer reviewed code for potential accessibility issues. &quot;We started with talking about ARIA labels (attributes that supplement HTML) because after an initial assessment that was an identified area of risk.&quot; They talked about: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ways to use ARIA labels in the identified framework.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Checking if it was on the correct tags. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Testing. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Those kinds of conversations were so imperative. Detailed. Scoped to what we needed to do. It was imperative to this project to get us moving in the right direction for the developers. It also led to future enhancements. The developers now have repetitive code libraries and a documentation guide&quot; that reflects the work they did together. They can use this on future projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Tracking Accessibility Issues and Requirements&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Petrosky shared that one of her favorite resources from this project enables her to better track the accessibility work. &quot;I&apos;m a list person. Tamera created some really good templates in an Excel table [that helped us] track all of the tickets that needed to be worked on, where accessibility was included...&quot; This was &quot;very helpful for that communication and collaboration between the vendor, MNIT, and the business when communicating what things had been found.&quot; They could review the status and resolution of tickets. “Because this was a vendor product project and not an internal project, we didn&apos;t have a tool that we could all use.&quot; Williams used these when facilitating meetings to help review issues and streamline the conversation. This added structure to the test plan. Williams said that the vendor developers used this list to &quot;test and validate, and then Kim can follow up and confirm.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Advice for Moving Accessibility Earlier in a Project&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Williams shares advice for those newer to integrating accessibility throughout the project life cycle. &quot;I think the big thing is being flexible. Really try to lean on those that have the gifts and talents. I leaned on Kim, Courtney, and others to really try to make sure that I was understanding where we needed to go. Be able to really listen, to be able to assess where there are gaps.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;State of Minnesota digital accessibility standards&quot;&gt;state of Minnesota’s digital accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt; impacts the work everyone does throughout the project life cycle. Take time to learn your role, and how your work impacts accessibility. Connect with your digital accessibility coordinators to learn more, and keep learning. Like this team, each time you shift left, you are improving the accessibility of your work, and contributing to making all of our work more efficient and accessible.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>522146</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-23T19:36:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2021. The report also celebrates the 10 years that MNIT has been a state agency, showcasing the evolution of state technology over a decade.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services 2021 Annual Report Now Available</Title><Publisher/><Subject>annual</Subject><Subject>report</Subject><Subject>2021</Subject><Subject>tenth</Subject><Subject>anniversary</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services 2021 Annual Report Now Available</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota IT Services 2021 Annual Report Cover with a picture of the state capitol and an abstract arrow pointing upward</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MicrosoftTeams-image_tcm38-520775.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>photo of the MN state capitol cupola against a blue sky with a graphical abstract image of an arrow behind it</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-arrow-cover-flat-blog-thumb_tcm38-520922.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2022-03 - 2021 Annual Report Available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-520756&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-08T15:02:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2021. The report also celebrates the 10 years that MNIT has been a state agency, showcasing the evolution of state technology over a decade.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Read the online summary or full report as a PDF</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;March 8, 2022 (Saint Paul, MN) – Minnesota IT Services&apos; (MNIT&apos;s) 2021 Annual Report is now available. The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2021. The report also celebrates the 10 years that MNIT has been a state agency, showcasing the evolution of state technology over a decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/legislative-reports/2021-annual-report.jsp&quot; title=&quot;How we work&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;How we work&quot;&gt;online summary&lt;/a&gt; on MNIT&apos;s website or &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNIT%20Annual%20Report%202021_tcm38-520695.pdf&quot; title=&quot;MNIT Annual Report 2021&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNIT Annual Report 2021&quot;&gt;view the full PDF report.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,300 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by supporting digital operations and connections to the state network (MNET) for more than 375 public sector partners. MNET connects all 87 counties and 1,500+ locations that serve cities, public safety, health care, Minnesota’s tribal nations, K-12, education consortiums, and 200 public education and higher education campuses including the University of Minnesota, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520756</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessible Government</Title><Id>232634</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Partnership</Title><Id>232521</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>NextGen 911</Title><Id>232520</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Modernization</Title><Id>232498</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital</Title><Id>232499</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-03-08T18:47:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In January, MNIT recognized employees, partners, and teams during the Annual Awards ceremony for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government.</Description><Audience/><Title>Recognizing Excellence in Technology and Service at Minnesota IT Services</Title><Publisher/><Subject>awards</Subject><Subject>employees</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Annual Awards Celebration</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star on blue starry background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual-Awards-2020-web-thumb_tcm38-463895.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-02 - Annual Awards</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-520134&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-03-01T16:00:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>In January, MNIT recognized employees, partners, and teams during the Annual Awards ceremony for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Recognizing Excellence in Technology and Service at Minnesota IT Services</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In January 2022, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) employees joined together to celebrate their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government with the Annual Awards ceremony. The agency’s Employee Recognition Committee (ERC) recognized honorees and finalists for the Annual Awards – employees, partners, and teams nominated by their peers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recipients receive the highest recognition for their service excellence and for their exemplary performance in fulfilling MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities. Learn more about this year’s finalists and honorees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes the individual contributions of an employee who embodies MNIT&apos;s mission, visions, and values through their daily work. Finalists and honoree for Employee of the Year included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kendall Johnson – MNIT Communications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peny Nguyen – MNIT Finance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pa Chia Rivera – MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ellena Schoop – MNIT Architecture&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jason Tillman – MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year’s honoree was Peny Nguyen. Nguyen was celebrated for her significant contributions to help Minnesotans better understand the evolution and changing impact of CIVD-19. As a data scientist, she created innovative dashboards and data analytics, including the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard. Nguyen’s pioneering work also enabled MNIT and state agency executives to use data visualization tools to manage for over $600M in annual IT resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manager of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The manager of the year award recognizes a manager who contributes to the mission of MNIT and lift other team members up as an example of leadership. Finalists and honoree for Manager of the Year included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jean Alexander – MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kenneth Bauer – MNIT DHS&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Neal Dawson – MNIT Security&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tracy Gerasch – MNIT Procurement&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Neal Dawson, who manages MNIT’s Threat Vulnerability and Management Unit, is this year’s honoree. Dawson’s leads with kindness, conviction, integrity, and a passion to do what’s right. His team ensures the security of state systems, scanning thousands of endpoints and applications for vulnerabilities – on average over 33,210 systems per day. The team is data-driven, allowing them to provide actionable information to state agencies that has led to significant decline in the number of vulnerabilities on state systems and applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes a successful project that contributed the success of an agency partner in the executive branch. Finalists and honoree for Project of the Year included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;COVID-19 Relief Advanced Premium Tax Credit (APTC) Changes – MNIT DHS/MNsure&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDH RUNMATCH – MNIT MDH&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Road Weather Messages on Dynamic Messaging System – MNIT MnDOT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 Relief Advanced Premium Tax Credit Changes project was honored as this year’s Project of the Year because the project team shared and focused on a common vision, goal, and objectives throughout the project lifecycle to meet the needs of Minnesotans. The project team included MNIT, MNsure, DHS, and vendors. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project increased APTC benefits to provide immediate financial help to households with income greater than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and those at or below 400% FPL who were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project team also provided immediate relief for those households who reach a “subsidy cliff” and have incomes over 400% FPL but are unable to find affordable comprehensive health care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Team of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes an operational team across the agency that provides excellent customer service for both our executive branch partners and Minnesotans using the technology. Finalists and honoree for the Team of the Year included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Workstation Deployment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT MDH Data Lake Team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT MDH Health Regulation Division Support and Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Workstation Deployment team, this year’s honoree, is responsible for end-of-life computer replacement services for 63 agencies, boards, and commissions – about 22,189 computers. They use teamwork to create an outstanding customer-focused service. Each team member knows their role, and each member is empowered to provide options for their customers when the standard process does not meet those needs. The team replaced around 6,000 computers in 2021 and demonstrated agility and creativity when supporting end users despite the COVID-19 pandemic and closures at the Capitol Complex.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partner of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/strong&gt; was awarded Partner of the Year to recognize the strong hand-in-hand partnership between the agency and MNIT. Minnesota’s COVID-19 response was dependent on IT services, from collecting, processing, analyzing, and reporting disease surveillance and immunization-related data, to the rapid deployment of network and computing resources to support of testing and vaccination efforts. The response deepened the relationship between MNIT and MDH, continuously working together to improve processes, innovate with new technology, and push to meet increasing demand for services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nominations for the awards opened September 15, 2021 and closed on October 29, 2021. A team of MNIT’s ERC members reviewed and scored each nomination according to a previously defined rubric. Those with the top average scores became finalists. From the group of finalists, the Executive Team chose a winner that closely matched the organizations mission, values, and priorities.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>520134</id><pubdate>2022-03-01T16:19:17Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Do you ever ask yourself: how can I get more people to learn about digital accessibility? Accessibility champion groups can be both formal and informal. Modeling after successful accessibility champions programs may be the answer for you.  This article is the second in a 2 article series.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions Part 2</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>champions</Subject><Subject>network</Subject><Subject>awareness</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions Part 2</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hands extending from monitor applauding and giving thumbs up to a hand from another monitor hoisting champion&apos;s cup with label &quot;A11y&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-champion-blog_tcm38-516020.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hand extending from monitor hoisting champion&apos;s cup with label &quot;A11y&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-champion-blog-thumb_tcm38-516018.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-02 - Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-518320&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-23T21:00:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Do you ever ask yourself: how can I get more people to learn about digital accessibility? Accessibility champion groups can be both formal and informal. Modeling after successful accessibility champions programs may be the answer for you. This article is the second in a 2 article series.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Proven tips to expand your accessibility community</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is the second of a two-part article.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Intro&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/516010&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions Part 1&quot;&gt;Part 1&lt;/a&gt;, we discussed the reasons for starting an accessibility champions group and how to identify specific qualities that can help you gather the right people for your champions group. We spoke to leaders of accessibility champion programs and accessibility task forces at State of Minnesota agencies. Their groups have been meeting between 6 months and seven years! They shared key tips for expanding your accessibility community. Want to get a few interested colleagues together or start a more formal group? Their tips will help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to the accessibility coordinators and accessibility champion group leaders who contributed to these articles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;JoAnn Rautio, CSM, DHS Certified Trusted Tester v5, Quality Assurance / Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;David Andrews, Chief Technology Officer, State Services for the Blind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Samantha Fischer, ADS, CPACC, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Wee, CPWA, DHS Certified Trusted Tester v5, Webmaster and Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allison Loomis, CPACC, State Program Administrative Tech Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jackie Stiehl, CPACC (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies), Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rebecca Oestreich, Electronic Information Accessibility Coordinator, Department of Natural Resources&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Part 2, they share tips to plan, organize and support your efforts. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Write Clear Objectives&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Well-crafted objectives tell group members how participation will improve their skills. They share how group efforts will benefit the organization. And, they will help managers and supervisors approve participation. Know what the group will achieve. Pick meaningful and measurable objectives based on your group’s “why.” Your group’s time commitment and resources will impact what you will get done. Rautio advises to create achievable goals “that the group can meet within a year.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Add objectives that address participation. This is important for both new and existing groups. Fischer shares that “before launching the program, I wish we would have developed ways to maintain champion participation in the program. We were able to recruit many people to become a champion, but not everyone has the ability in their schedule to maintain monthly meetings.” Active participation will be key to achieving the objectives for groups of all:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sizes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Level of experiences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Goals.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Organize Your Effort&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take those objectives and think about how best to organize/scope your efforts. Work with your champions to develop a plan. There is no “one size fits all” for this work. Rautio shares that DEED divides roles over multiple people and groups because “one person can’t do it all.” The core team’s work is to “increase awareness and eliminate digital barriers for employees.” The document champions group focuses on increasing “document accessibility across the agency. The Senior Leadership sponsor helps validate that accessibility is everyone’s responsibility and gives accessibility a seat at the table. The champions are the first point of reference.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other groups may change their structure over time. Wee says, “We initially had an accessibility advisory group that consisted of both MDE and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff. Eventually, this group morphed into a larger idea, the Accessibility Community of Interest group with Accessibility Champions that informed the advisory group. The advisory group is no longer meeting.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Power Your Program&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our contributors highlighted the value of engagement with senior leadership. This can be essential for objectives that address larger needs such as: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improving the digital accessibility culture of an organization. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Training larger groups.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Impacting more systemic changes. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrews shared, “The core group initially lobbied DEED’s Senior Leadership Team to make some accessibility training mandatory for all employees. They agreed, and ultimately everyone was required to take Modules 1 and 2 of the Word Accessibility Training developed by the Office of Accessibility. Accessibility Champions are required to take all seven modules.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those new to this type of engagement, here are a few first steps. Rautio advises to “first network with those already a leader in accessibility in different areas of the agency to gain interest.” Then speak with members of your senior leadership. Oestreich said, “We started with upper management support. When we wrote our agency&apos;s digital accessibility operational order, we included the requirement that each division has at least one champion.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Support Learning and Questions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having a safe place to learn and ask questions can be key for accessibility champions. For formal groups, a charter can help establish expectations of behavior. Wee shares that their charter includes the statement, “As we share experiences and knowledge, we will learn from each other, giving us the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally…This will be a safe space for open dialogue, where research, practice and innovation are encouraged and welcomed.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This can mean meeting in smaller groups as well as larger. For trainings, the topic may help determine the best size of group to support the learners. You can base group meeting size on the tasks and needs of the group. And the needs may change as your group evolves. Sawyer shares that “the accessibility task force started out meeting weekly to determine our agency’s level of accessibility in multiple areas (we adapted an existing program that fit our needs). Once we found our ‘low hanging fruit’ we created a plan for improvement. At this point, we are meeting monthly. The entire Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion group also meets monthly, where we give updates.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting topics shared by contributors included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open issues/problem solving.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Supporting each other.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Best practices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New ideas (tips and tricks).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Focused topics for presentation/training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Planning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These groups did not stop interacting because of people working from home. All contributors reported using Microsoft Teams for meetings. Many discussed the benefits of the online meetings. Some members of their groups work in different buildings, or different parts of the state. When recorded, champions unable to attend meetings can review content when they are available. Others experiencing extra work duties during COVID find the ability to meet online helpful even when they are working in the office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some contributors’ groups also have:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Office hours where Champions and others can ask questions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Microsoft Teams channels for their Champions. This is where they have discussions between meetings, share documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A place on their agency intranet for sharing information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open meetings open to everyone, not limited to identified “Champions.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chat With Other Accessibility Champions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we stated in Part 1, a great way to work on challenges is to talk about them with other people. While many of us cannot get together at conferences right now, there are still many ways to connect. People use #a11y on social media for conversations and postings about digital accessibility. This is one way to find others that have accessibility champion groups. Tell them your goals and ask about theirs. Together we can greatly increase the amount of digital accessibility know-how. Your goal is a great step!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>518320</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-23T21:03:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Do you ever ask yourself: how can I get more people to learn about digital accessibility? Accessibility champion groups can be both formal and informal. Modeling after successful accessibility champions programs may be the answer for you. </Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions Part 1</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>champions</Subject><Subject>network</Subject><Subject>awareness</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions Part 1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hands extending from monitor applauding and giving thumbs up to a hand from another monitor hoisting champion&apos;s cup with label &quot;A11y&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-champion-blog_tcm38-516020.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hand extending from monitor hoisting champion&apos;s cup with label &quot;A11y&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-champion-blog-thumb_tcm38-516018.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-01 - Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions Part 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-516010&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-02-16T16:25:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Do you ever ask yourself: how can I get more people to learn about digital accessibility? Accessibility champion groups can be both formal and informal. Modeling after successful accessibility champions programs may be the answer for you. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Proven tips to expand your accessibility community</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is the first of a two-part article.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you ever ask yourself: how can I get more people to learn about digital accessibility? How can I get more people to create accessible: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digital documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Websites.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Apps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility champion groups can be both formal and informal. Modeling after successful accessibility champions programs may be the answer for you. Recently, we spoke to leaders of accessibility champion programs and accessibility task forces at state of Minnesota agencies. Their groups have been meeting between six months and seven years! They shared key tips for expanding your accessibility community. With so many great ideas, we’ve divided the article into two parts for January and February. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to get a few interested colleagues together or start a more formal group? Their tips will help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you to the contributors of both parts of this article:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;JoAnn Rautio, CSM, DHS Certified Trusted Tester v5, Quality Assurance / Digital Accessibility Coordinator &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;David Andrews, Chief Technology Officer, State Services for the Blind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Samantha Fischer ADS, CPACC, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Wee, CPWA, DHS Certified Trusted Tester v5, Webmaster and Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allison Loomis, CPACC, State Program Administrative Tech Specialist, Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jackie Stiehl, CPACC (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies), Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rebecca Oestreich, Electronic Information Accessibility Coordinator, Department of Natural Resources&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use Your “Why” to Inform Your Goal&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each person and organization has different reasons for wanting accessibility champions. For some it is their mission. Fischer shares that “The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) provides a number of services to persons with disabilities. Because of our programs, it’s vital we have accessible digital content for both staff and customers.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rules and regulations can also play a role. This may be important to include even when it is not the only reason. Wee shared how they included this “why” in their charter. “As state employees, we have an obligation to improve the accessibility and usability of all information technology products and services for all state of Minnesota government end-users. Some of us have an interest in accessibility because it’s a part of our job, others have an interest in discussing enhanced policies and procedures, and others have an interest in it all.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many other potential “whys” for the group itself.  Be sure to also consider the “why” potential champions will want to join. Wee explains that, as an accessibility champion, you can: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn new things and develop professionally and personally.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improve communication by sharing new knowledge, skills and abilities with others. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increase productivity/efficiency and quality of work. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Network with peers and meet new people.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Write a clear answer to “why” for yourself, potential champions, and your workplace. This will help you write better objectives and find potential champions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider Your Experience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may be just starting out or starting a new position. You may or may not be a digital accessibility coordinator. Or you may be newer to some areas of digital accessibility. Enthusiastic and ready to start? Oestreich says, “the sooner the better” is when to start. “Yes, it will add to your workload, but the rewards are enormous.” Loomis adds, “If you are new to accessibility, I encourage you to seek out other accessibility professionals, join groups and start networking. Accessibility professionals enjoy sharing their knowledge and excitement with others.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The answer to “when” may also depend on you, and how well you feel able to answer the “why.” Sawyer advises, “I would give yourself some time to get settled in and understand the specific needs of your agency.” Fischer adds, “Accessibility is ever changing and updating. There are the core parts that remain the same. If someone knows those core parts and how to achieve them, I don’t see why they couldn’t start a champion program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some groups may need a strong leader who is a subject matter expert. For these, Rautio advises, “I recommend a couple of years of learning and getting to know the other accessibility leaders.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start with a Confident Step&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When is a good time to start? Advice from our contributors varied. Considerations include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The size of the group you want to start.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The size of group you would like to build.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The type of culture where you work – what will work best.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Refer back to the goals you have for the group.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more formal groups, Rautio shares that sometimes it may be best to wait. You may want to first “have a group that is committed to participating with knowledge and time.” Fischer adds, “it really helps when you have someone in Senior Leadership and/or management to not only support a champion program, but become a champion themselves.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For less formal groups, or some workplaces, Wee advises the best time is, “As soon as possible. I wish we would have started this group sooner in our journey. The earlier on in the process that you have an opportunity to develop a positive mindset around accessibility, the better.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No matter which type of group you have, some advice is the same. Oestreich shares, “You&apos;ll want have some planning done, but the champions can help with implementation.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identify Potential Champions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Qualities of potential champions are pretty broad. Several responses from our contributors included “everyone!” You may need more specifics for the group you are trying to start. Sawyer suggests finding coworkers “at your agency (with an) interest in providing better accessibility for our customers. I don’t feel prior knowledge or experience is necessary – they just need the desire to learn and help others.” Depending on the “why” you identified, you may have other qualities to add. For the group at DEED, Rautio adds people who are “committed to learning and mentoring.” For DEED’s group this is important. Their charter includes “accessibility champions will serve as the first point of reference for accessibility questions within their unit.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next you want to find these potential champions. Sawyer shares, she has recruited “others with interest in accessibility for specific events (Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Empathy labs, etc.). We don’t have an ‘accessibility champions group’ but I joined the Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) group hoping to get others involved. Once I joined, they added the accessibility task force. I’m so excited to have others working with me to ensure an accessible and more equitable environment for both our employees and outside customers.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having the specific qualities identified will help you gather the right people. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources accessibility champions program has been running for seven years. Oestreich shares that when they started “our champions were voluntold. This worked out for some, but not for all. Don&apos;t force this work on someone who isn&apos;t interested.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part 2 Coming in February&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Watch for Part of Accessibility Challenge 2022: Nurture More Champions in February. This section will cover creating objectives, organizing your effort, powering your program, and supporting learning. In the meantime, you may want to connect with other champions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t Wait for Part 2! Chat With Other Accessibility Champions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another great way to work on challenges is to talk about them with other people. While many of us cannot get together at conferences right now, there are still many ways to connect. People use #a11y on social media for conversations and postings about digital accessibility. This is one way to find others that have accessibility champion groups. Tell them your goals and ask about theirs. Together we can greatly increase the amount of digital accessibility know-how. Your goal is a great step!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>516010</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-02-23T21:03:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Virtual conferences are a great opportunity to ensure full inclusion. We asked some of our digital accessibility coordinators for their advice to conference vendors and organizers on how to ensure accessible, fully inclusive events.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible virtual conferences</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>conferences</Subject><Subject>learning</Subject><Subject>hybrid</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible virtual conferences</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People talking from various places including in person, on phone, and online, including captions and interpreters</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/virtual-conferences-blog_tcm38-516019.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person in monitor with interpreter inset signing. Captions read &quot;Thank you.&quot; </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/virtual-conferences-blog-thumb_tcm38-516017.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2022-01 - Accessible virtual conferences</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-516004&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2022-01-26T20:30:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Virtual conferences are a great opportunity to ensure full inclusion. We asked some of our digital accessibility coordinators for their advice to conference vendors and organizers on how to ensure accessible, fully inclusive events.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Tips on making your conference inclusive</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jay Wyant, Office of Accessibility&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conferences are a great way to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn new information. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increase your professional network.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Energize your passion about your work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Event organizers and vendors have responded to the pandemic by creating virtual conferences that attempt to fulfill those same goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Virtual conferences are a great opportunity to ensure full inclusion. Some people with disabilities cannot travel to conferences. Others may have difficulty with group conversations or asking questions at live events. Virtual conferences can help overcome those barriers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, if inclusion isn’t designed into the virtual conferencing system, it may unintentionally: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Exclude many potential attendees. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a negative impact on an individual’s ability to advance in their career. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Limit the reach and earning potential of conference providers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We asked some of our digital accessibility coordinators for their advice to conference vendors and organizers on how to ensure accessible, fully inclusive events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, WCAG&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone’s first answer is, “Follow the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA&lt;/a&gt; (and for US vendors, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt;) guidelines.” Better yet, follow &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 Level AA&lt;/a&gt; even if it isn’t officially required by some organizations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Include your audience in the design&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Oftentimes a company or an organization new to accessibility doesn’t know where to start. They may need to have a better understanding of how their work impacts other users. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider accessibility from the start when you design and planning your conference, Rita Williams-Larson, Digital Accessibility Coordinator for MNIT Partnering with Minnesota Pollution Control says, “Use experts with practical experience and training in accessibility.” That includes both technical experts and people with disabilities. If you’re buying a conferencing tool, include your experts when evaluating potential vendors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard access: to all components&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Virtual conferences can be incredibly complex. In addition to live presentations and slides, many also offer features that include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Breakout rooms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vendor booths.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Networking sessions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Live polling.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An easy way to support accessibility is to ensure that users can access all these features and functions without a mouse. Test using basic keyboard functions such as tab, spacebar, and enter key to sign in, select activities, and navigate through all functions. Systems that support full keyboard use are much more inclusive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Lolly Lijewski, Human Services’ Digital Accessibility Coordinator noted, “Make sure the platform is accessible from start to finish. From registration to evaluation.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Magnification support&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People attend virtual conferences in all sorts of ways, from phones to multiple large monitors. Some of them will need to zoom in or use screen magnification software to read text or operate controls. Conferencing systems need to include key features such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Responsive design that enables users to access sites on any size screen from a smartphone to large monitor.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Users need to be able to select a component such as the chat pane and enlarge the text view. All too often, systems only allow you to magnify the main window by shrinking everything else.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Common fails&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After that, according to our digital accessibility coordinators, we can separate the most common accessibility fails at conferences into systems and operations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Systems&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Automated captions with no option for CART (live human-generated captions).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Human-generated captions still remain the gold standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chat audio interfering with speaker audio when using certain types of assistive technology. Or there’s no way to access the chat via assistive technology.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt; Test your conferencing platform to see if an assistive technology user can control access to the chat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Test to make sure that an assistive technology user can control where sound comes from – the chat or event.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If this is not possible, ask attendees to avoid using chat during the event. Instead, consider alternatives such as a Q&amp;amp;A pane or direct messages to a host.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Requiring a CAPTCHA or other security tool for registration or login.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some security tools are not accessible to assistive technology users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider using other tools such as email verification for registration.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Not allowing users to select or switch breakout sessions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transitions to unexpected or unwanted breakout sessions can cause difficulties for some users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Operation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inaccessible handouts can be a challenge if you have volunteer presenters.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In advance, you can provide them with links to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;free accessible document training&lt;/a&gt;or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/PowerPointQuickCard2017_tcm38-294083.pdf&quot;&gt;quick tips for accessible PowerPoint slides (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Test PDFs for accessibility before posting them, and have someone available to remediate them if needed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Presenter doesn’t describe their slides.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Health’s Digital Accessibility Coordinator Becky Bernauer noted, “Tell all presenters to consider that some may be attending by phone. Presenters need to describe all relevant visuals, even those provided for comedic or dramatic effect.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Uploaded videos without captions.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This should be a requirement. Let the presenter know in advance that you do not allow videos that are not captioned.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ideally, make it a checkbox in the upload program. This will remind presenters to only use captioned videos.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Practice makes perfect&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suppose you’ve done everything you can to buy or build a world-class conferencing platform. Now you’re running a conference. You have speakers selected and scheduled. How do you make sure everything goes as expected? In a word—practice. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson, Digital Accessibility Coordinator for the Commission of Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing says, “Host prep meetings with organizers, those who are running the platform, and the CART provider to ensure the equipment is compatible and works successfully. Agree on who is doing what role and task, and make sure everyone has the equipment they need for a successful conference.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible technology is only part of the solution. Conference organizers need to plan for, practice, and use inclusive best practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Going hybrid &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s different about running a hybrid conference with both in-person and virtual attendees? Our coordinators noted several key challenges:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Audience participation: when in-person audience members ask questions, they must either speak into a microphone (preferred) or the presenter must repeat the question before answering.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interpreter placement: Sittner Anderson noted, “Ensure interpreters are positioned to voice or sign both presenters and audience members [in] whatever language they use (spoken and signed). It can become a muddle if not planned well.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Handouts: if there are paper handouts, they also need to be available online and accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep improving&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Virtual conferences are at the leading edge of digital technology. Many conferences are already using augmented reality (AR) tools, such as virtual rooms with avatars for attendees. As demand for online conferences grows, vendors are exploring more ways to simulate the live experience. For example, combining aspects of virtual reality (VR) and AR to create three-dimensional rooms, the ability to use VR headsets, and more. There are no specific accessibility guidelines for these environments, but they must still be accessible for all participants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wrapping it up&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Virtual conferences are a complex challenge to design and plan even without accessibility. A short newsletter article cannot cover everything you need to know. If you don’t have accessibility experts and people with disabilities in house, consider contracting for those resources. Then make sure you involve those resources in every aspect of the project – from “Welcome” to “Thank you for attending.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some extra reading&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/485786&quot;&gt;Accessible meetings for all&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/477167&quot;&gt;Engaging and accessible social media&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/443947&quot;&gt;Accessible best practices for using chat in online meetings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/444089&quot;&gt;An accessible future - XR&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/429835&quot;&gt;Remote meeting guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/423822&quot;&gt;Accessible remote meetings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>516004</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2022-01-26T20:51:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The answer to &quot;why do we need to create accessible content&quot; can be: make it personal. Learn key points and data for discussions with management and document authors - the benefits of digital accessibility for everyone.</Description><Audience/><Title>Shifting the Mindset About Accessible Content</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>benefits</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Shifting the Mindset About Accessible Content</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two people wearing masks. One person is pointing to an item with an X on a monitor. The other person is watching.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-acc-staff-blog_tcm38-512939.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two people wearing masks. One person is pointing to an item with an X on a monitor. The other person is watching.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-acc-staff-blog-thumb_tcm38-512938.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-12 - Shifting the Mindset About Accessible Content</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-512643&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-12-15T20:45:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>The answer to &quot;why do we need to create accessible content&quot; can be: make it personal. Learn key points and data for discussions with management and document authors - the benefits of digital accessibility for everyone.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Focus on Personalizing the Data</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Samantha Fischer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the majority of information moves to digital formats across multiple platforms, it’s more important than ever to create and maintain accessible content.  As the Accessibility Coordinator for the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) I often have to explain why we need to create accessible content. While most people agree with the concept of digital accessibility, there are times where the demands of their daily tasks can compete for time to follow best practices. I can cite &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies/&quot; title=&quot;Section 508 website&quot;&gt;laws,&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/intro.html&quot; title=&quot;Introduction to Understanding WCAG 2.0&quot;&gt;introductions to understanding the guidelines&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;State of Minnesota&apos;s accessibility policies and standards&quot;&gt;state of Minnesota&apos;s accessibility policy.&lt;/a&gt; But personally, I’ve found this is more of a compliance mindset, instead of a mindset that fully embraces what they’ve learned about accessibility, and why it’s essential. This led me to the question: “How do we shift their mindset?” And the answer to that? “Make it personal.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this blog post, I compiled data that supports making it personal, to:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Show management the effect accessibility has on their bottom line.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Show staff that creating accessible content will help reduce frustration for both the people we serve and document authors, and save time doing everyday tasks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Share the Research&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Paraphrasing ThinkCompany’s article “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.thinkcompany.com/blog/five-reasons-why-prioritizing-web-accessibility-is-good-for-your-business/&quot; title=&quot;5 Reasons Why Prioritizing Web Accessibility is Good for Your Business&quot;&gt;5 Reasons Why Prioritizing Web Accessibility is Good for Your Business&lt;/a&gt;”; incorporating accessibility at the start of a development or redesign process is significantly easier and less expensive than making improvements to existing content later, as a separate project. Don’t believe me? As noted in the W3C’s “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/business-case/&quot; title=&quot;The Business Case for Digital Accessibility&quot;&gt;Business Case for Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;,” Microsoft commissioned a Forrester Research Economic Impact Study,“ which found that implementing accessible web design minimizes the rate at which users abandon websites. This “results in an estimated additional &lt;strong&gt;$2.4 million&lt;/strong&gt; in annual revenue for Microsoft.” Simply put, the more people that stay on your website, the more money you make.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Personally, I found the study fascinating, but admittedly, accessibility is my passion. One of the things I hope people pull from my rambling, also supported by the Forrester Study, is that creating accessible information from the start can and does cut down on frustration and time for the author of any given content. For those of us who administer programs, this means we will have less: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;work to redo. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;back and forth between customers because they filled out a form wrong. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;time on the phone trying to explain how to get somewhere on a website. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will have a whole lot more time for other tasks if we made sure our designs and structures are clear and easy to understand for the end user.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Define Accessible Content&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is “accessible content” you ask? I often tell co-workers accessible content means it’s POUR content. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;P = Perceivable &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;O = Operable &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;U = Understandable &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;R = Robust.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Simply put this means the majority of your audience is able to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;perceive all information presented, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;operate all functions, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;understand not only the information presented but how to navigate it&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and they can count on it working with assistive technology. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, I get that this whole idea can be extremely overwhelming, especially for those who are just learning to use various applications. Accessible templates, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents/&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Electronic Documents page with quick cards&quot;&gt;quick cards&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Word Document Training&quot;&gt;learning modules&lt;/a&gt; can all help. (Psssst…there are department-branded, accessible templates for Minnesota state employees. Not sure where they are? Ask your digital accessibility coordinator or IT staff)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improve Communication with Your Audience&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OK, now we know what accessible content is. Who are we creating it for?  Well, for starters, there are those with visible disabilities (i.e. people who use wheelchairs, those who are blind, people on crutches). But, consider these life situations where accessible content can be beneficial for: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A person who wears glasses, or is experiencing vision changes that sometimes come with age, trying to read the very small, very light colored text on a website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parents who are multitasking, holding a child while trying to get information about an appointment from their smartphone. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Someone who was injured in a car accident, has a broken leg and a concussion, and needs to apply online for temporary assistance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A recent immigrant to the United States who understands only basic English, and is trying to find the nearest grocery store. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The answer to all these situations is that accessibility benefits ALL of these people. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who does it benefit &lt;strong&gt;the most?&lt;/strong&gt; Let’s break it down! I’m going to use data for the United States, since that’s where I’m located.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/POP010220&quot; title=&quot;2020 Census QuickFacts&quot;&gt;2020 Census,&lt;/a&gt; the population of the United States is 331,449,281 people. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/demography/data-by-topic/health-disability/&quot; title=&quot;Data by Topic: Health and Disability&quot;&gt;Over 595,000 Minnesotans&lt;/a&gt; report a disability (over 10%)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/demography/data-by-topic/immigration-language/&quot; title=&quot;Data by Topic: Immigration and Language&quot;&gt;11.7% of Minnesotans (age 5+)&lt;/a&gt; spoke a language other than English at home.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I haven’t even begun to list populations that have multiple disabilities, or have disabilities and have recently immigrated, or the various types of disabilities, or…well, I think you get the idea. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The fact is that accessibility benefits us all and it doesn’t just affect “that one person” in the department.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Besides, if it wasn’t for “that one person” in a wheelchair who needed an elevator to get to the upper floors, we’d all still be taking the stairs. If it wasn’t for “that other person” who needed text to voice capabilities none of us would be able to order anything from Alexa or ask Siri about the latest knock-knock joke. We all benefit from digital accessibility. It is personal, but for some, it is essential.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243); padding: 20px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>512643</id><pubdate>2022-06-01T18:31:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Technology is a key driver for modernization and transformation efforts in state government, and digital services make government more accessible. The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology, which consisted of a group of private and public sector information technology experts, developed the Modernization Playbook to ensure that the State of Minnesota’s IT systems and government programs deliver value to the people of Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota’s Modernization Playbook</Title><Publisher/><Subject>spotlight</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>Tekne award</Subject><Subject>Data visualization</Subject><Subject>analytics</Subject><Subject>covid 19</Subject><Subject>vaccination</Subject><Subject>health</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota’s Modernization Playbook</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Photograph of the MN state capital with an arrow made of computer circuits rising from the background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mod%20playbook%20blog%20header_tcm38-511410.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Photograph of the MN state capital with an arrow made of computer circuits rising from the background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mod%20playbook%20thumbnail_tcm38-511412.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-12 - Minnesota’s Modernization Playbook</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-511401&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-11-30T21:42:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Technology is a key driver for modernization and transformation efforts in state government, and digital services make government more accessible. The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology, which consisted of a group of private and public sector information technology experts, developed the Modernization Playbook to ensure that the State of Minnesota’s IT systems and government programs deliver value to the people of Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the Minnesota&apos;s Modernization Playbook?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focused on improving the services and programs that use technology to serve the people of Minnesota, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/modernization/&quot;&gt;the Modernization Playbook&lt;/a&gt; drives new ways of working together. Its flexible, iterative approach empowers state government to lead transformational efforts in a variety of situations. As a common, end-to-end outline for consistent roles, language, and activities, the Playbook allows the State of Minnesota to streamline and improve access to modern government services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did the Playbook get developed?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technology is a key driver for modernization and transformation efforts in state government, and digital services make government more accessible. The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology, which consisted of a group of private and public sector information technology experts, developed the Modernization Playbook to ensure that the State of Minnesota’s IT systems and government programs deliver value to the people of Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the Playbook is powered by Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), a team of project management professionals, which includes technical and non-technical partners across Minnesota’s executive branch, are helping state agencies to incorporate the Playbook framework into new and existing project management processes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why does the State of Minnesota need to modernize?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Align priorities across agencies and improve end user access: A modernization-focused state government improves Minnesotans’ experiences accessing government services. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Complete projects on time and in budget: Modernization helps to realize cost-savings and efficiencies as Minnesota streamlines access to systems, services, and programs. It creates more secure and better supported technology systems and applications. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Put a greater focus on solutions that meet that needs of the people we serve: Modernization efforts center around people and their experiences, allowing the State of Minnesota to focus on finding new ways to address barriers to services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How will the Modernization Playbook help Minnesota? &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Modernization Playbook provides a standard approach to problem solving, creating space for collaboration across agencies. What work does the Modernization Playbook apply to?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Playbook is designed to support modernization projects, but the framework is helpful for any project or initiative. Through the Modernization Playbook, the State of Minnesota recognizes how technology enables access to government programs and services, while ensuring the primary focus of our work stays on the people we serve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/playbook-overview-full_tcm38-508326.png&quot; title=&quot;playbook-overview-full&quot; alt=&quot;playbook-overview-full&quot; style=&quot;float: right; width: 100%;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;playbook-overview-full&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where can I find the Modernization Playbook?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/modernization/&quot;&gt;Modernization Playbook&lt;/a&gt; is available online. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>511401</id><pubdate>2021-12-01T20:18:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>On January 12, 2021, Minnesota launched the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard on the state’s COVID-19 response website to detail the progress of COVID-19 vaccine allocation, distribution, and administration across Minnesota. The dashboard, produced by MNIT and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), provides a visual and user-friendly way to view key vaccination data for the state.</Description><Audience/><Title>Data visualization tells the story of rapid COVID-19 vaccination progress  </Title><Publisher/><Subject>spotlight</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>Tekne award</Subject><Subject>Data visualization</Subject><Subject>analytics</Subject><Subject>covid 19</Subject><Subject>vaccination</Subject><Subject>health</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Data visualization tells the story of rapid COVID-19 vaccination progress  </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota Tekne Awards 2021 Winner over a glittery yellow background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2021%20Tekne%20Winner%20header_tcm38-511114.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota Tekne Awards 2021 Winner over a glittery yellow background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2021%20Tekne%20Winner%20thumb_tcm38-511115.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-11 - Data visualization tells the story of rapid COVID-19 vaccination progress</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-511106&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-11-24T15:44:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>Information about Minnesota’s progress providing COVID-19 vaccine was incredibly important to the state’s pandemic response. I am so proud of the innovative work that the MNIT and MDH teams did to lift up our digital estate and leverage data to promote vaccine opportunities for Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Editor’s Note: The blog post is taken from the original Tekne Award nomination that tells the story of the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard. On November, 17, 2021 Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) was honored and proud to accept an award for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/data/index.jsp&quot;&gt;COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard&lt;/a&gt; from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/tekne-awards-2021/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Technology Association 2021 Tekne Awards&lt;/a&gt; for Data Analytics/Business Enablement Through Technology. The Minnesota Technology Association (MnTech) announced winners for the 24th annual &lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/tekne-awards-2021/&quot;&gt;2021 Tekne Awards,&lt;/a&gt;  Minnesota’s premier celebration of innovation and achievement amongst leaders in the state’s technology industry. We congratulate the staff from MNIT and the Minnesota Department of Health for their extraordinary efforts on this project that keeps Minnesotans informed with accurate, timely and pertinent data. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Kendall Johnson, Communications and External Relations Manager, Minnesota IT Services&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On January 12, 2021, Minnesota launched the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard on the state’s COVID-19 response website to detail the progress of COVID-19 vaccine allocation, distribution, and administration across Minnesota. The dashboard, produced by MNIT and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), provides a visual and user-friendly way to view key vaccination data for the state. The dashboard includes information on the number of doses promised (allocated) to the state by the federal government; shipped to Minnesota providers; and administered to Minnesotans. The dashboard used data that MDH pulled together through multiple avenues, such as MDH’s immunization information system. It could be updated to better answer Minnesotans’ questions as the COVID-19 response evolved, including adding race, ethnicity, and other demographic data.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using Data Analytics to inform Minnesotans&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 vaccine dashboard took complex data sets from a variety of sources and displayed them in a user-friendly format to answer the public’s questions about vaccine distribution. The dashboard, and the data behind it, was collected from:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC), a confidential immunization information system.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;American Community Survey (ACS)  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS)  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The dashboard is a final product for the complex data collection and distribution efforts to communicate about COVID-19 vaccine information. MDH created the data management processes and published the information statically on their public websites. The dynamic data dashboard on the state’s COVID-19 response site allowed Minnesotans to access the information in a way that could be updated as the pandemic evolved.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Value Proposition/Business Impact  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, MDH and the State of Minnesota sought avenues to clearly communicate ongoing efforts for COVID-19 mitigation. As vaccines became available, the public had questions about how the limited supply would be distributed, who was receiving vaccines, and whether the state was meeting its goals. Reporters wanted access to the data to validate vaccine distribution, Minnesotans called public hotlines with questions, and conflicting information swirled around social media channels that was difficult to address. MDH developed a data management process to showcase vaccine distribution data on different web pages on the MDH website, but it was not updated daily, was not interactive, nor was it easy to tie the story of vaccine distribution together for all of Minnesota.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As vaccine distribution information changed on an almost daily basis in January 2021, the State of Minnesota knew it needed a public place to provide all the information, daily, in an-easy-to-read format, that could be updated efficiently. MDH worked with MNIT to take the static data files and create a public data dashboard using Microsoft Power BI. The dashboard allowed Minnesotans to tie pieces of vaccine information together to get a complete picture of distribution in the state. They could visually see who was getting the vaccine, which vaccine various populations received, and how providers were meeting their initial vaccination goals. The dashboard also needed to be developed with flexibility in mind. Vaccine supply was limited in January 2021 and there was an intense focus on ensuring that shots were in the arms of Minnesotans within a timeframe. When availability expanded, and the state had new partnerships within the health care sector, equity and social vulnerability metrics were added to the dashboard. The dashboard provided a transparent and definitive place for Minnesotans to receive information, promoting trust in government.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Innovation  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For state government, the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard created a unique partnership between MDH, MNIT, health care organizations, local public health entities, and more, to combine complex information to simply answer the public’s questions. This was one of the first public data dashboards for the State of Minnesota that met an immediate public need during a crisis. This dashboard changed how data is shared with Minnesotans, built with their needs in mind, to provide data responses and be an accessible source of truth for the average person.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota was among the early adopter states for sharing this data in this way. MNIT and MDH worked with the vendor to provide load support during launch. The data visualization tool had not been used on a page that had the level of traffic that Minnesota’s COVID-19 website was experiencing at launch (see Figure 1 in “what the peaks in data represent” in the attachment). The level of public interest in this information was new. The dashboard was designed by MNIT to withstand the high traffic and to optimize performance during those peak periods. It was important that Minnesotans could toggle between different data visualization tabs, such as “Who’s getting vaccinated” and “distribution” – all of which were pulled from different data sources – without lags in load time to answer their specific questions about vaccination distribution. The tool also allowed MNIT and MDH to add additional data for the public to view as the pandemic evolved. From launch to Aug. 3, 2021, the vaccine dashboard had over&lt;strong&gt; 2.9 million pageviews and over 215,000 downloads &lt;/strong&gt;of the static CSV files on the webpage. Reporters from the Star Tribune, MPR, and other outlets used the dashboard data to report on vaccine distribution across the state.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Outcomes &amp;amp; Important Accomplishments  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first accomplishment was the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard public launch on January 12, 2021. At launch, only 7,000 Minnesotans had completed their vaccination series, and the state had a three-day goal from when vaccine providers received a vaccination dose, to when it went into the arms of a Minnesotan. The dashboard needed to show those Minnesotans that were not yet eligible or could not receive a vaccine due to limited supply, how the state was progressing on that goal, and where shots were currently being allocated. This launch improved efficiency for MDH to communicate with the public and media, which included giving access to reporters to write their own scripts to validate and share the data. Reporters from the Star Tribune, MPR, and other outlets used the dashboard data to report on vaccine distribution across the state.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another key success was adding vaccination data by race and ethnicity on March 5, 2021. This was made possible through the groundbreaking partnership between the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Electronic Health Record (EHR) Consortium. This unique and innovative collaboration between public health and health systems was the first statewide effort of its kind in the United States. The data informed additional, targeted strategies to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccine to Minnesotans of all races and ethnicities, including communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 because of systemic inequities. Gaps identified by this data led to additional programming for communities disproportionally affected by COVID-19, such as the expansion of community-based vaccination sites, mobile vaccination units, and the Small Chain Independent Pharmacies (SCIP) pilot program.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To improve the efficiency of the team managing the data behind the dashboard, MDH developed a process using Microsoft Teams to collaborate behind the scenes.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards, councils, and commissions. Together, we partner to deliver secure, reliable technology solutions to improve the lives of all Minnesotans. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies, and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. Through public private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.6 million Minnesotans.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Minnesota Technology Association&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Technology Association (MnTech) is a coalition of more than 200 member companies united in building a stronger tech ecosystem and innovation economy in Minnesota. Formerly known as the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), the organization works to ensure that Minnesota’s technology-driven companies have access to exceptional talent, dedicated public policy advocates, and are part of an innovative, inclusive technology community. Learn more at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mntech.org/&quot;&gt;www.mntech.org&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>511106</id><pubdate>2021-11-24T19:02:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Some of our coordinators created this list of accessibility webinars to share with you. Just getting started in your accessibility journey? Maybe you don’t have a budget? Looking for topics? You will find there are plenty of opportunities to select from or enjoy them all.</Description><Audience/><Title>Webinars our coordinators recommend</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>webinar</Subject><Subject>learning</Subject><Subject>design</Subject><Subject>wcag</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Webinars our coordinators recommend</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/webinars-blog_tcm38-509035.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText> Laptop on fall leaves with coffee mug.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/webinars-blog-thumb_tcm38-509034.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-11 - Webinars our coordinators recommend</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-509012&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-11-16T21:35:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Some of our coordinators created this list of accessibility webinars to share with you. Just getting started in your accessibility journey? Maybe you don’t have a budget? Looking for topics? You will find there are plenty of opportunities to select from or enjoy them all.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Plenty of accessibility webinars to go around</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Lea Dooley, MNIT Partnering with Human Services and MNsure
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of our coordinators created this list of accessibility webinars to share with you. Just getting started in your accessibility journey? Maybe you don’t have a budget? Looking for topics? You will find there are plenty of opportunities to select from or enjoy them all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inclusive design &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No matter what your role is, designer, developer, project manager, accessibility, there is something for everyone in this year’s Inclusive Design 24 (ID24). This event is a free 24-hour virtual event celebrating inclusive design, accessibility, user experience (UX) design and more. You can find more details in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://inclusivedesign24.org/2021/schedule/&quot;&gt;full schedule&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The recordings are available with closed captioning. Here are a few of my favorites:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y35jmpS8lQM&amp;amp;list=PLn7dsvRdQEfFoUIFxtSsp8PjHm-glki1Z&quot;&gt;Annotating designs for Accessibility (Video)&lt;/a&gt; by Claire Webber and Sarah Pulis&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlOAwm-YR0A&amp;amp;list=PLn7dsvRdQEfFoUIFxtSsp8PjHm-glki1Z&quot;&gt;How Project Management Empowers Accessibility (Video)&lt;/a&gt; by Donna Bungard&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSnT1PIh6AM&amp;amp;list=PLn7dsvRdQEfFoUIFxtSsp8PjHm-glki1Z&quot;&gt;Using the WebAIM Million and User Surveys to Inform Your Inclusion Efforts (Video)&lt;/a&gt; by Jared Smith &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8SOGSgqoxM&amp;amp;list=PLn7dsvRdQEfFoUIFxtSsp8PjHm-glki1Z&quot;&gt;Your brain is welcome here (Video)&lt;/a&gt; by Glenda Sims and Jennie Delisi &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQQGIMp0gwo&amp;amp;list=PLn7dsvRdQEfFoUIFxtSsp8PjHm-glki1Z&quot;&gt;Accessible SVG Masterclass (Video)&lt;/a&gt; by Carie Fisher &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From Lea Dooley, digital accessibility coordinator with Shared Services and Enterprise Architecture, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with Human Services and MNsure
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next generation of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I would highly recommend &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityonline.org/cioc-508/session/?id=110939&quot;&gt;New approaches to web accessibility requirements under WCAG3&lt;/a&gt; that the Great Lakes ADA Center hosted on July 27, 2021. I found this webinar to be very clear about what to expect under WCAG3, as well as the thinking and process behind developing WCAG3. The webinar also includes information and history for other versions of WCAG, as well information on how to participate in the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From Anna Moorjani, Minnesota Senate Information Technology Office&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web design &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I find the user experience angle helps me to explain why accessibility is so important when developing digital content. In the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnngroup.us4.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3D538d934a891681a5d850bb4e5%26id%3D870f5bdb23%26e%3D1b2c08526b&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7Cjennie.delisi%40state.mn.us%7Cdbb460c69a2c4b42651b08d99e031f83%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637714558508186725%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;amp;sdata=Pty6oq9LnxT24bxNDjp099DnlJ3GIG5ZlHRgcBT%2FEw4%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot;&gt;Top 10 Web-Design Mistakes of 2021&lt;/a&gt; video, Jakob Nielsen condemns 10 awful design flaws that plague today&apos;s websites, as voted by the audience at his Virtual UX Conference keynote. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From a digital accessibility coordinator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Non-profit organizations&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are two organizations with webinars that might not yet be listed. I have attended several events from both organizations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hearingloss.org%2Fprograms-events%2Fwebinars%2Fschedule-recordings%2F&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7Cjennie.delisi%40state.mn.us%7Cba126790131048ccdc8f08d99d4049f6%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637713721701461336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;amp;sdata=j23CLUdCiIeNe7HZM3ylOgEpfMV9qwuoiezx7SGbuqE%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss Association of America&lt;/a&gt; - includes webinar schedules and recordings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.minnesotanonprofits.org%2Fevents%2Fvirtual-learning&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7Cjennie.delisi%40state.mn.us%7Cba126790131048ccdc8f08d99d4049f6%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637713721701471284%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;amp;sdata=QDotswN1e7J%2BB%2FdBoXXC4p8m84wMmjG7DbyYPW6cnzw%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot;&gt;Minnesota Council of Nonprofits&lt;/a&gt; - virtual learning. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From Anne Sittner Anderson, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible presentations with Powerpoint &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This webinar is from about 2 years ago, but it’s one I recently watched. MSFTEnable – &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;amp;v=BpknXXJV1ZU&quot;&gt;Accessibility Learning Webinar Series: Present More Inclusively with PowerPoint (Video)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The last time I made a PowerPoint, the “design ideas panel” popped up. I didn’t want to pick any of those designs because I didn’t want to have to remediate them. I found it interesting that the webinar stated that the design suggestions in the “design ideas panel” should already be accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I also appreciated that they walked us through many different examples in the accessibility checker. The ability to add a hidden title to a slide straight from the accessibility checker was very useful. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I would have liked to hear more about the difference between content placeholders and text boxes for accessibility. A lot of previous documentation about PowerPoint insists on the use of content placeholders. This is because some assistive technologies may overlook text boxes. They didn’t address this in the webinar so now I wonder if that’s still the case.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m hoping to try out the Accessibility Insights software, Presenter Coach, or live captions &amp;amp; subtitles features someday soon!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From Elaine Settergren, Reference Librarian and Digital Accessibility Coordinator at the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gratitude and thanks &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this season of Thanksgiving, I’d like to express gratitude and thanks to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;state of Minnesota digital accessibility coordinators
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;presenters and organizations who make these webinars available for everyone working to make digital information more inclusive.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>509012</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-11-18T16:13:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>SharePoint sites provide a lot of value, from helping people quickly complete tasks to providing access to frequently used resources. This article details steps you can take to create a useful site and be digitally inclusive.</Description><Audience/><Title>Collaborate with your Entire Community</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessible</Subject><Subject>SharePoint</Subject><Subject>Modern Pages</Subject><Subject>design</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Collaborate with your Entire Community</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/sharepoint-article-blog_tcm38-508991.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>View of computer screen displaying Office of Accessibility SharePoint site</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/sharepoint-article-blog-thumb_tcm38-508990.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-11 - Collaborate with your Entire Community</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-508955&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-11-16T17:35:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>SharePoint sites provide a lot of value, from helping people quickly complete tasks to providing access to frequently used resources. This article details steps you can take to create a useful site and be digitally inclusive.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Creating More Accessible SharePoint Sites</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may be using a SharePoint site to help your team:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Track project status.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Organize shared content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide a roadmap for your team about where to find project assets and websites.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A great goal for your SharePoint site is to help your site visitors:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Complete tasks more quickly. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Connect them to frequently used resources. (&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/plan-your-sharepoint-communication-site-35d9adfe-d5cc-462f-a63a-bae7f2529182&quot;&gt;Plan your SharePoint communication site&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can you do this and be digitally inclusive?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer questions, then plan&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It may surprise you to find out that achieving your site goals can also create a more digitally inclusive space. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You begin by answering some questions about the site:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Who will use it?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What will they want to do there?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do you want this to be accessible to all your visitors?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will you know it is achieving the goals?
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/plan-your-sharepoint-communication-site-35d9adfe-d5cc-462f-a63a-bae7f2529182&quot;&gt;Plan your SharePoint communication site&lt;/a&gt; has great tips for those starting a new site, or those who want to revisit and improve a site they already have. When you plan the layout and content, here are some tips to help you create with accessibility in mind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Add colors with good contrast&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color can be really helpful on a SharePoint site. Color:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Helps people find content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adds sensory input - keeps some people engaged.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of your site visitors may not be able to perceive color. Others may need to view your page in different ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use good color contrast for headings, text, and other features when compared to their backgrounds.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don&apos;t use color alone - make sure that if people view the page in black and white they can still understand the content. While not how most people will view the content, it is an easy test to help ensure color is not the only way you are communicating information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make it easy to know what to do here&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Too many things on the page will make it difficult for some people to find what they need. Others may find a cluttered page overwhelming. Both groups may find other ways to get to the information instead of using this page. That may prevent them from accessing the latest information you are sharing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few steps can help people more quickly find what they need:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan the main tasks for the page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Write headings that help people know what is in each section.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the heading structures built into the tool.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use quality graphics that don’t blur when magnified&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people use magnification these days for a variety of reasons:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using a smaller device.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Multiple open windows.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Because of their vision.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While digital fonts generally magnify well when zooming in, images depend on the quality of the picture or icon used. Select images considering the needs of those that will zoom in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Load good quality graphics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Test when loading your image (CTRL + Plus, CTRL + mouse scroll) to 200%. Is everything clear? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be modern: Say goodbye to older interfaces&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Microsoft has been working to build more accessibility into SharePoint. Older interfaces may not support navigation as well for people using assistive technologies. They do not include some important accessibility improvements built into the more modern interface features.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And it may be hard to tell which version you have. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Whenever possible choose to use modern interfaces.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are not sure which interface you are using on your site, connect with your SharePoint administrator.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Boost the clickability of your links&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everybody uses links. Your goals should include using text that describes what they will do:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make it easier for people to find them on the page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Help people pick the correct one to use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make it easier for people using assistive technologies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A plain URL link when sharing information in a digital space is a throwback to 1999!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some tips:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use phrases that include the title of the destination.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include (PDF) or (Video) at the end of the link if going somewhere other than a webpage.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Think about how they would read if you had a list of just the links on that page. Would you know where each one goes? For examples and more information about link best practices read our article &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/?id=38-326600&quot;&gt;Descriptive Hyperlinks for All&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Describe Your Graphics&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ensure everyone gets the message. You are using those graphics to communicate. For those who cannot see the page, or need the information in text, add concise and descriptive alternative text. When using complex graphics (like busy charts), in addition to the alternative text:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide more details elsewhere on the page. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure all users can find these details.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Names Matter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The name of your site, your pages, your documents - each helps people find what they need. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your page title is displayed in the browser tab. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People using screen readers hear the page title when a page loads, and again when they are navigating between open windows. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Descriptive document titles and document names help people find things quicker in a document library.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When linking to a document or other page, having descriptive and concise page and document titles helps. The link text will help people confirm they went to the right place. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ooa-site_tcm38-509004.png&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Office of Accessibility Document Library. This is a modern document library. Word document name: Step by Step How to Create An Accessible Document in InDesign.docx.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Office of Accessibility Document Library. This is a modern document library. Word document name: Step by Step How to Create An Accessible Document in InDesign.docx.&quot; style=&quot;width: 87%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ooa-site&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test While You Design &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When updating a SharePoint site you may encounter older pages and components. Also, you may want to experiment. Just take care to not break the built-in accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you design and select your layout: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use your tab key to move between interactive elements, then use the standard keystrokes to operate them. Is each link, button, menu, form control easy to get to and operate? WebAIM’s article &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/keyboard/#testing&quot;&gt;Keyboard Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; has a section called Keyboard Testing. This is a great reference when doing these quick checks. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a tool like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/extension/&quot;&gt;WebAIM WAVE browser extensions&lt;/a&gt; to test the accessibility of: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tables. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some SharePoint interfaces have systems in place that automatically assign heading levels of some text on the page. An example: the name of the page is sometimes coded as a first level heading (H1). Some of the interfaces take all headings in the content area and demote them one level. This makes the H1 you styled become an H2, the H2 become an H3. You may not realize this unless you test. Using a tool like WAVE will help you run a quick test to ensure the structure you want to communicate is shared as you intend. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improve the digital accessibility of your site &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning, then designing and testing is a great way to begin improving digital inclusion. If digital accessibility is a new skill for you, welcome! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some places to start: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet the digital accessibility professional(s) at your organization. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask your training coordinator what is available to help you learn more. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Subscribe to our newsletter if you have not already. Each month we list webinars and other training opportunities to help you learn more.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>508955</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-11-18T16:14:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>As technology evolves and our systems become increasingly connected, the transportation sector is looking to emerging technologies like connected and automated vehicles to advance a safer, more equitable, and sustainable society. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is building secure connected and automated vehicles foundations to ensure the State of Minnesota can support this important technology, while also maintaining important public safety goals. </Description><Audience/><Title>Securing the Future of Transportation</Title><Publisher/><Subject>spotlight</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>staff</Subject><Subject>Transportation</Subject><Subject>automation</Subject><Subject>connected and automated vehicles </Subject><Subject>vehicles </Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Securing the Future of Transportation</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic of car connecting to other cars in on the road via a dotted line. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/blog-week-5_tcm38-506550.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Graphic of car connecting to other cars in on the road via a dotted line. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/blog-week-5-blog-thumb_tcm38-506551.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-10 - Securing the Future of Transportation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-506553&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-28T18:10:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>As technology evolves and our systems become increasingly connected, the transportation sector is looking to emerging technologies like connected and automated vehicles to advance a safer, more equitable, and sustainable society. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is building secure connected and automated vehicles foundations to ensure the State of Minnesota can support this important technology, while also maintaining important public safety goals. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Celebrates Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Bill Leifheit, Chief Architect and Chief Information Security Officer for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) MnDOT&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As technology evolves and our systems become increasingly connected, the transportation sector is looking to emerging technologies like connected and automated vehicles (CAV) to advance a safer, more equitable, and sustainable society. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is building secure CAV foundations to ensure the State of Minnesota can support this important technology, while also maintaining important public safety goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our role is to protect many aspects of the system:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Confidentiality of the information processed by the technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Integrity of the data inside the system.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Availability of the system for use by the travelling public.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our approach – Security by Design – works to protect CAV systems by applying trusted information security principles from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fowasp.org%2F&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7CKirsten.Lidyaev%40state.mn.us%7Cf1f8a50f2fe14b46405008d995755293%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637705153700808471%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;amp;sdata=ZxsN8XL6D01spzMevPsh%2BB%2Bx4rNn2Tyhk1VRPxukNoc%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot;&gt;Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)&lt;/a&gt; to a proven and familiar transportation framework used by our transportation partners—&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.arc-it.net/index.html&quot;&gt;the National Architecture Reference for Cooperative and Intelligent Transportation (ARC-IT) version 9.0&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important that we protect CAV systems because they will touch many aspects of our daily lives as we make routine trips in tomorrow’s vehicles. Dropping kids off at school, bringing crops in at harvest time, riding on public transportation, or commuting in electric vehicles— people across Minnesota will all interact with the CAV infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s CAV Office was founded in 2018, housed in the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), to help the state plan and prepare for the future of emerging technologies like CAV. The state’s CAV goals are to harness innovation to advance safety, equity, access, health, mobility, and sustainability. The state’s CAV program is overseen by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dot.state.mn.us/automated/advisorycouncil.html&quot;&gt;Governor’s Advisory Council on CAV&lt;/a&gt; and its statewide &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dot.state.mn.us/automated/innovation-alliance.html&quot;&gt;Innovation Alliance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jointly led by industry, government, researchers, subject matter experts, community members, and innovators, the Innovation Alliance includes the Connectivity and Data Committee, which focuses on &lt;em&gt;privacy&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;cybersecurity&lt;/em&gt; aspects of connected and automated vehicles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How Will CAV-X Impact Me?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our transportation systems serve many, varied needs every day. We think about how each traveler will interact with current and future CAV technology, and what information or services we will need to provide to help communities be safer, advance equity, promote public health, and reduce environmental impacts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, an emergency vehicle driver connects to signals at intersections to rush injured patients to care centers. Commercial vehicle operators need special mapping services to choose the safest route for their deliveries. Other technology alerts passing vehicles of people walking and biking nearby to prevent injuries. These are CAV systems that already exist.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modern electric vehicles and older cars share our roads, but they send and receive very different CAV data.  Drivers may also have different needs according to their age, driving experience, or mobility capabilities. We must build a system that securely supports the transportation needs of all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To prepare for this future, the CAV Office and Minnesota IT Services hosted a tabletop exercise to map the journey of various personas interacting with a CAV-ready world. We modeled these personas based on existing traveler research and people who rely on our system, like people who commute to work, parents who drop children off at daycare, or a truck driver making deliveries. We traveled with them virtually through their day and analyzed how they interact with CAV systems, asking:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will this persona access our services?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What security measures will we need to protect those connections?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What vulnerabilities could bad actors try to find in our systems?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How might these connections be exploited to access our data or disrupt our systems?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will leverage the extensive experience of the CAV Innovation Alliance Connectivity and Data Committee to identify potential points of weakness so that we can design a more secure system from the start.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Are the Next Steps for Securing CAV-X in Minnesota?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connected and automated vehicle technologies are our future, and that future is coming faster than we may even understand. While private industry is rapidly developing and deploying these technologies, it is important to test the security of CAV systems while we can still plan and design around them. MNIT will work with the transportation professionals in the CAV Innovation Alliance to build even more realistic testing scenarios. Our exercise with these personas will inform and focus these efforts, resulting in a more secure system. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota has additional opportunities to test these ideas and technology, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The MnROAD testing facility near Albertville, which hosted automated shuttle demonstrations and extreme cold-weather testing including snow, ice, salt use, and whiteout conditions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;3M’s Innovation Center which tests smart signs and pavement markings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MnDOT Connected Corridor program, which tests CAV technologies like pavement markings and other connected vehicle technologies that help vehicles ‘talk’ to traffic signals, lights, roadside sensors, and other vehicles. Testing corridors include Interstate 94 near Monticello, Highway 55 in Minneapolis, and Highway 52 down to Rochester.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing these technologies and our cybersecurity framework will be accomplished using State of Minnesota fleet vehicles, and lessons learned will be incorporated into the 2022 CAV Strategic Plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s mission is to deliver secure, reliable technology solutions to improve the lives of all Minnesotans. We make that real by partnering with MnDOT and the CAV Innovation Alliance to build a future transportation system that is safe, equitable, accessible, efficient, healthy, and sustainable. We are with them every step of the way.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>506553</id><pubdate>2021-10-28T20:48:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Learn more about “Powered by Inclusion”, a phrase in the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) campaign. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Embraces the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Theme</Title><Publisher/><Subject>state technology</Subject><Subject>digital government</Subject><Subject>NDEAM</Subject><Subject>Pandemic</Subject><Subject>covid19</Subject><Subject>employment</Subject><Subject>disabilities</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><DateOther>2021-10-27T21:06:59Z</DateOther><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Embraces the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Theme</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People standing over map of the United States - America&apos;s Recovery Powered By Inclusion</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ndeam-blog_tcm38-502933.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People standing over map of the United States - America&apos;s Recovery Powered By Inclusion</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ndeam-blog-thumb_tcm38-502932.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-10 - Minnesota Embraces the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Themes</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-502918&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-27T21:07:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn more about “Powered by Inclusion”, a phrase in the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) campaign. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Steps Organizations Can Take to Improve Inclusion</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of us values different types of diversity in our personal lives. You may:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Eat a diet rich in different vitamins and nutrients.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get quotes from several contractors before beginning large house projects.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Invest in different savings and retirement options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why? You want the benefit of the unique properties each option can bring. You find it helpful to get a variety of perspectives and experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Powered by Inclusion” is a phrase in the 2021 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) campaign. Can the country power the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic with inclusion? State of Minnesota agencies are living this mission and experiencing the benefits. This month we asked digital accessibility coordinators to reflect on the NDEAM theme.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“How is your agency ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rosie Widell, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Department of Corrections&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Corrections (DOC) has chosen to be more person-centered. To that end, we have created an Accessibility site for all staff. It has many resources, including information on how to make documents accessible for people with disabilities, whether it’s for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People living in our facilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Their family or friends.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Staff members.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, the Department of Corrections has realized the importance of having a person actively dedicated to digital accessibility across the agency. This is a positive change that speaks well of the agency’s future growth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rebecca Oestreich, Electronic Information Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources revamped its &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/careers/index.html&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;careers webpage&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in December 2020 to showcase our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. It specifically calls out our commitment to recruiting, hiring, and retaining people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Bernauer, Digital Accessibility and Web Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Health, I am reviewing new COVID-19 applications for accessibility. I work with the developers to find and fix accessibility issues prior to releasing the application. In emergency situations, we fix as much as possible in the allocated timeframe. We then continue to make accessibility improvements as soon as possible after deployment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I work with the Office of Accessibility on some of the products/applications purchased at the state level. We complete accessibility testing and share results with the vendor. For these projects, I:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Connect with the vendor for consultation as needed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Help prioritize identified accessibility issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assist by providing resources and ideas for correcting the remaining accessibility issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Guthrie J. Byard, ADA &amp;amp; Title VI Administrator, Metropolitan Council&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Metropolitan Council is ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conducting user and accessibility audits of its websites. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Requiring document accessibility training for staff.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improving virtual access to Council meetings. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Initiating an internship focused on improving employment among persons with disabilities. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lolly Lijewski, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the digital accessibility coordinator for DHS, I work closely with: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Project teams.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The MNIT at DHS accessibility coordinator.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The MNIT Office of Accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This ensures the people we serve and our employees have access to our content and systems. Digital content is how DHS communicates about programs and services it offers. If the people we serve and DHS employees cannot access its content and systems, we fail at our mission. During the pandemic we kept digital accessibility front and center, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DHS and MNIT DHS employees worked together to test the accessibility of Microsoft Teams and roll it out to the agency as a collaboration tool.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The DHS and MNIT DHS accessibility coordinators tested the accessibility and usability of the Everbridge Emergency Notification system with DHS’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The DHS central web team ensured the DHS web site content was accessible as policies, programs and services changed rapidly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to power your organization with inclusion? The Office of Accessibility has resources that can help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type=&quot;disc&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our free &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;Accessible Word Document Training&lt;/a&gt; helps people learn digital accessibility basics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improve the accessibility of your online meetings. Review the information and videos provided in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-485786&quot;&gt;Accessible Meetings for All.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share HTML accessibility blog articles with your developers.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/376674&quot;&gt;Buttons vs. Links&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/469250&quot;&gt;High Contrast Mode and Dark Theme Accessibility Testing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/454016&quot;&gt;HTML Accessibility Learning Ideas from State Employees&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, subscribe to our newsletter! We share ways for your organization to improve access to employment and community involvement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px; background-color:rgb(236, 239, 243)&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>502918</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-10-27T21:08:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota Management and Budget recently completed a successful upgrade of two enterprise systems. Learn how accessibility was included in the project throughout the project life cycle.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Management and Budget Upgrades Applications</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessible</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>application upgrade</Subject><Subject>enterprise system</Subject><Subject>project life cycle</Subject><Subject>project planning</Subject><Subject>testing</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Management and Budget Upgrades Applications</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two web pages displayed vertically: My Learning, Self Service.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/self-service-elm-upgrade-blog_tcm38-502936.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two web pages displayed vertically: My Learning, Self Service.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/self-service-elm-upgrade-blog-thumb_tcm38-502937.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-10 - Minnesota Management and Budget Upgrades Applications</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-506417&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-27T20:05:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota Management and Budget recently completed a successful upgrade of two enterprise systems. Learn how accessibility was included in the project throughout the project life cycle.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessibility Key Component of Project Plan</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dai Green, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Partnering with Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What was upgraded and why?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) recently completed a successful upgrade of two enterprise systems: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Statewide Employee Management Application (SEMA4) – covering payroll, human resources, and benefits.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Enterprise Learning Management (ELM) systems from Oracle People Tools 8.54 to 8.57. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This upgrade project also included the application of newer Oracle PeopleSoft Upgrade Manager (PUM) images for each application. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These applications came into use in 2011 and were beginning to show their age. Also, an upgrade was essential to support desired system enhancements. The refreshed look gives an enhanced user experience for all users. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MMB and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) consciously used lessons learned from recent past projects to bring accessibility into the planning and design process from the beginning. The project significantly upgrades complex systems, and relied on: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A detailed roadmap. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;End-user input. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A vendor specializing in accessibility.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Level of effort to bring the project to completion&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upgrading the SEMA4 and ELM applications took 20 months. Project kick off began in January 2020 and we completed a successful upgrade in September 2021. More than 50 people across nine teams from MMB and MNIT participated. There were 10 testing cycles and more than 4000 functional test scripts. In addition, we logged 385 accessibility issues. Each was categorized by severity.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working with an accessibility testing service vendor&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We partnered with an accessibility vendor to augment our own accessibility Quality Assurance (QA) test staff. The SEMA4/ELM Project followed the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;state of Minnesota accessibility standard webpage&quot;&gt;state of Minnesota accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt; which incorporates WCAG 2.0 AA and Section 508. We completed comprehensive testing on a large scale in a short amount of time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The vendor provided a broad perspective from a diverse array of testers. Test methodologies included code examination, and testers who utilize assistive technology and devices. This allowed the MNIT MMB staff to: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review any issues found. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Organize the issues into a system that contained a set of predefined criteria for determining the severity of an issue.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Begin immediate remediation of critical issues. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business team leads and the test vendor used an accessibility issue prioritization and criticality metric. This helped MNIT QA to prioritize, document, and manage defects. The business stakeholders and developers reviewed all defects with the QA team, ensured accessibility standards were met, and determined the critical issues. Additional accessibility subject matter experts conducted thorough testing, so MNIT QA staff could focus on identified issues as efficiently and quickly as possible. In addition to vendor testing, the state also evaluated end user experiences by having end users collaborate in the testing process. This key driver ensured accessibility standards were met, and determined the criticality of identified issues that needed to be fixed before the go-live. Usability and accessibility of applications are a prime directive of the state of Minnesota. Working with an accessibility vendor allowed us to rapidly test a large application to meet our project goals and project timeline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal: all users can complete an essential business process 100% of the time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking forward – inroads to future management&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All too often, document and application accessibility is an afterthought in the software development lifecycle. This is also true for the testing of these items. The state of Minnesota takes an active approach to include accessibility in the design process, following usability-by-design concepts.  Staff are committed to the iterative process of producing and maintaining accessible applications and content. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maintaining accessible applications needs to be a living process that involves vigilant review of accessibility features, and compatibility of our applications with assistive technology. Projects have definitive start and end dates. This can cause issues to fall through the cracks. Accessible application development requires a commitment to ongoing testing from release management and upgrades, to technology evolution. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Comments from our leadership &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Reviewing systems for accessibility is a process that continues even after a project is complete. Accessibility should be examined when updates to technology and business enhancements change the end user experience.… Accessible systems improve the end user experience for all.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;- Laurie Hansen, MMB Finance Services Director&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Accessibility is very important to us at MMB and at MNIT. This is why we’ve made a concerted effort to enhance and grow our capabilities to test and validate our statewide systems’ ability to be used effectively by everyone.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;- G. Bruce Yurich, MNIT Chief Business Technology Officer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>506417</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-10-27T21:08:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>Cybersecurity is a critical function of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). We are constantly monitoring and responding to potential threats to make sure Minnesotans can access the critical services that they rely upon.
Recently we caught up with a few of our MNIT staff about their career journey into the cybersecurity space and had them share a bit about their experiences. </Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Celebrates Veterans Day</Title><Publisher/><Subject>spotlight</Subject><Subject>employees</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>staff</Subject><Subject>careers </Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Cybersecurity Careers Spotlight</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman holding a secure laptop and whose shadow has a super hero cape</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/blog-week-4_tcm38-503052.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman holding a secure laptop and whose shadow has a super hero cape</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/blog-week-4-blog-thumb_tcm38-503051.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-10 - Cybersecurity Spotlight</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-503049&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-18T14:49:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Cybersecurity is a critical function of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). We are constantly monitoring and responding to potential threats to make sure Minnesotans can access the critical services that they rely upon.
Recently we caught up with a few of our MNIT staff about their career journey into the cybersecurity space and had them share a bit about their experiences. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Celebrates Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Walz declared &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-501123&quot;&gt;October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the State of Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. Cybersecurity is a critical function of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). We are constantly monitoring and responding to potential threats to make sure Minnesotans can access the critical services that they rely upon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently we caught up with a few of our MNIT staff about their career journey into the cybersecurity space and had them share a bit about their experiences. We want to thank all our IT security teams for their efforts to secure and protect the state of Minnesota!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you are interested in exploring a career in cybersecurity at the State of Minnesota, check out our&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/careers/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Careers page&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The below is edited and condensed for clarity.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brad Dutson&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/brad-dutson_tcm38-503055.png&quot; title=&quot;brad-dutson.png&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Brad Dutson&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 20px; float:right;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;brad-dutson.png&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brad Dutson is a Senior Security Analyst at MNIT Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Dutson has been working in IT security for over 30 years. He started in networking and operating system security, and then became a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and started branching out into other areas of security and security frameworks. Brad began working for MNIT MDH in 2018, working on security best practices for new AWS cloud services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a major team accomplishment that you are proud of?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dutson&lt;/strong&gt;: We securely transitioned 150+ applications from on premise to the AWS cloud. This included designing 29 best practices for AWS services, implementing the AWS Security Hub, and working with AWS and MDH DevOps to mitigate identified issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have any advice for people looking to get into your area of IT security?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dutson&lt;/strong&gt;: Finding a cloud security mentor, support from your manager, cloud security online training, and engage with your cloud provider for continued updates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stacy Kaiser&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stacy-Kaiser_tcm38-503058.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Stacy Kaiser&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Stacy Kaiser&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left: 20px;float:right&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stacy-Kaiser.jpg&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stacy Kaiser has amassed more than two decades of technology experience working for Minnesota, its counties, and private companies. She spent more than eight years leading and improving technology for local Minnesota government before taking on a leadership role within the state’s judicial branch. Kaiser currently manages the State of Minnesota’s Security Operations Center (SOC). Leveraging this position to help Minnesota counties augment their cyber security, Kaiser is currently spearheading MNIT’s Statewide Security Monitoring Initiative (SSMI), a grant-funded program to increase threat intelligence and advance vulnerability management for counties, Tribes, and port cities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How would you describe your area of IT security?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kaiser&lt;/strong&gt;: I lead the SOC. We are a dedicated cybersecurity team that monitors, identifies, and responds to cybersecurity threats impacting executive branch entities and MNET, Minnesotan’s dedicated public sector network.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What attracted you to that specific area in IT security? How did you get there?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kaiser&lt;/strong&gt;: When I was an Infrastructure Manager, I was an early adopter of cloud and IaaS environments and saw the opportunity for a career change. At that time, the security tasks fell to my teams and eventually I was able to hire security professionals and start a security team. I fell in love with the work, which eventually led me to information security. I also held positions in disaster recovery and lead audit teams. I started leading the SOC in early 2021. It was a natural career progression for me and I couldn’t be happier!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vidya Vadlamani&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Vidya-Vadlamani_tcm38-503057.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Vidya Vadlamani&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Vidya Vadlamani&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left:20px;float:right&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Vidya-Vadlamani.jpg&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vidya Vadlamani is the MNEIAM Lead/Architect who works on Identity and Access Management (IAM), which controls how Minnesotans, state employees, county staff, and providers access and create accounts across state systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What attracted you to that specific area in IT security? How did you get there?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vadlamani&lt;/strong&gt;: I started my IAM career as an intern. My mentor presented me with the opportunity to get into the field. It took baby steps to grow, but every position I’ve held since I started working back from 2013 taught me so much and is the reason that I’m here today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a major accomplishment that you are proud of?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vadlamani&lt;/strong&gt;: I have learned that working on IAM solutions requires learning fast, especially with rapidly changing technology. I feel that that I’ve really accomplished something when I can introduce the latest industry standards like OAuth, REST, SCIM etc. to the team. We are also exploring different IAM technologies and design options for future IAM upgrades.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gayle Knight&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gayle-knight_tcm38-503056.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Photo of Gayle Knight&quot; alt=&quot;Photo of Gayle Knight&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left:20px; float:right&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gayle-knight.jpg&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gayle Knight is a Network Firewall Engineer. The MNIT Firewall Team hosts the enterprise firewall for most state agencies. The team also works with larger agencies to establish security roles for requesting and approving firewall exceptions. This gives the experts within those agencies access to the entire process that keeps their specific applications secure Knight has worked on MNIT’s Firewall Team since 2001.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How would you describe your area of IT security?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Knight&lt;/strong&gt;: Firewalls in general are a crucial line of defense in network security. Firewalls and the people that manage them protect the people of Minnesota, our private information, and our state’s assets. It is important to walk the fine line between securing data and making sure the state of Minnesota can support and provide services to all Minnesotans. While the best security model is “Defense in Depth,” the firewalls themselves take on a large part of that responsibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have any advice for people looking to get into your area of IT security?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Knight&lt;/strong&gt;: Technology is a fast-paced, ever-changing field. Take time to stay updated on the latest threats. If you look forward to learning new technology and keeping the State of Minnesota and Minnesotans’ data secure, there are many different avenues to explore in this line of work.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>503049</id><pubdate>2021-10-19T20:19:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT is proud to announce that four of our projects were selected as finalists for 2021 the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Awards. </Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Projects Recognized as Finalists</Title><Publisher/><Subject>NASCIO</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>state technology</Subject><Subject>CIO</Subject><Subject>digital government</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Projects Recognized as Finalists</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star with text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards. Finalist 2021.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nascio-2021_tcm38-502516.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star with text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nascio-2021_tcm38-502517.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-10 - NASCIO Finalists 2021</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-502523&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-13T20:30:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT is proud to announce that four of our projects were selected as finalists for 2021 the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Awards. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Nominations Showcase Innovation and Excellence in State Government Technology</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/press-releases/nascio-announces-finalists-for-2021-nascio-state-it-recognition-awards/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;four of our projects were selected as finalists&lt;/a&gt; for 2021 the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Awards. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;NASCIO selected 30 finalists across 10 categories for the projects and initiatives from NASCIO member states and territories. NASCIO members served as volunteer judges to review over 100 submissions, narrowing the nominees down to three finalists in each category. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The award nominations showcase innovation and excellence in the use of information technology in state government. Congratulations to these finalists in the 2021 State IT Recognition Awards! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity Category&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Securing State Payment Card Data for Minnesotans&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services developed and implemented a new payment card industry (PCI) program to better protect the applications that need to process credits cards and to secure Minnesotans’ data. The programs and agencies that process credit card data in Minnesota’s executive branch, also known as merchants, processed over $2.5 billion worth of credit card transactions in 2020, allowing Minnesotans to renew their car tabs, register for campsites, apply for fishing and hunting licenses, pay taxes, and more. The PCI program assesses merchant PCI compliance with regulations, as well as industry best practices established by the state’s PCI program. As of June 2021, all 104 merchants in Minnesota’s executive branch are enrolled in the PCI program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emerging &amp;amp; Innovative Technologies Category &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Piloting Secure Self-Service for Minnesota’s Benefits&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), MNIT, and Minnesota’s counties teamed up with Code for America to develop a human-centered benefits application to serve the people of Minnesota. The application, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mnbenefits.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;MNbenefits&lt;/a&gt;, combines cash, food, and health care applications into a single, streamlined application to simplify processes and get help to the state’s most at-risk individuals and families.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In its pilot phase, MNbenefits can be used to apply for SNAP (food assistance), cash assistance programs including Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and General Assistance, Emergency Assistance, Group Residential Housing (housing support for seniors and persons with disabilities) and Child Care Assistance. It is also cell phone compatible and available in Spanish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Almost 9,000 benefits applications, representing more than 15,000 people, have been submitted through MNbenefits.org by March 31, 2021. Before MNbenefits, it took about an hour to apply for benefits—now, the median time to completion is less than 12 minutes. This represents thousands of hours in saved time for people to date, valuable time that families can use to search for a new job, find stable housing or childcare, or any number of other things to take care of themselves.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Information Communications Technology (ICT) Innovations Category &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Communicating P-EBT Benefits to Families When Schools Closed&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic led many families in Minnesota to face food insecurity. On top of record unemployment, school closures meant that many families could no longer receive assistance through free and reduced meals options. In March 2020, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act created the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program to provide food benefits to families with children who qualified for free and reduced meals at school, but who were not receiving those meals because school buildings had closed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHS had to quickly create a way for Minnesotans to learn about, apply for, and receive benefits distributed by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/p-ebt/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;P-EBT program&lt;/a&gt;. In June 2020, DHS opened applications for P-EBT for the 2019-2020 school year, using a web-based application for individuals who needed to apply for the new program. To ensure that more families had access to federal and state P-EBT benefits, the Department of Human Services and MNIT used text messaging features to communicate with Minnesotans in a person-centered way. During that school year, more than 265,000 children received P-EBT benefits in the state, totaling $166 million in benefits. To prepare to launch the benefit for the 2020-2021 school year (in production on March 15, 2021) and improve communication even further, MNIT and DHS added a cloud-based call center to ensure that more Minnesotans understood the benefits and eligibility needs for P-EBT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State CIO Office Special Recognition Category &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Innovation Informs Minnesotans about COVID-19 Resources, Risks, and Guidance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2020, Minnesota faced an unprecedented public health emergency that created economic uncertainty and restraints on physical movements and business operations intended to curb the spread of COVID-19. On March 13, Governor Tim Walz issued &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/EO%2020-01_tcm1055-422957.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order (EO) 20-01&lt;/a&gt;, declaring a peacetime emergency, and EO 20-20, directing Minnesotans to Stay at Home, creating an immediate need to transition to remote work to keep state employees safe and able to continue providing the critical services that Minnesotans rely on. Everyone learned how to work and live in new ways. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The campaign to keep Minnesotans informed with current facts, data, guidance, and resources included the Stay Safe MN website, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;COVID-19 response website&lt;/a&gt;, integrated AI (artificial intelligence) chatbots, the COVIDaware MN system, an exposure notification system for iPhones and Android phones, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://covidawaremn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;COVIDaware MN.com&lt;/a&gt;. To date, over 1.6M Minnesotans have “opted-in” to the COVIDaware MN system. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Submitted Projects&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understanding Minnesota’s Watershed and Environment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Watershed Health Assessment Framework (WHAF) is a structured, science-based approach to help resource professionals and citizens work together and grow our common understanding of Minnesota&apos;s complex natural resource systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The WHAF includes an interactive web-map application (WHAF 2.0) created by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and MNT, which brings together current data and scientific analysis and allows users to generate information about Minnesota&apos;s watersheds. These products are delivered in a transparent and repeatable framework to foster robust conversations and innovative approaches for improving the health of Minnesota&apos;s watersheds and communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Clean Water Council (created through the Clean Water Legacy Act) and Clean Water Fund partners have endorsed the WHAF 2.0 as a tool to be used by their staff for outreach and planning. In addition, there are nearly 3,000 WHAF newsletter subscribers, which indicates a strong user base of individuals that are interested in learning and understanding more about our lands and waters and in using this tool to drive action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rapid Deployment of Unemployment Insurance Benefits During a Pandemic&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the weeks prior to when Governor Tim Walz signed Executive Order 20-01 and marked the start of the state’s official COVID-19 response, Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) system had already begun to see what the pandemic could have in store for Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The teams’ work ensured that the system performed without interruption during times of unprecedented demand. Throughout the pandemic, the UI system remained available 99.95% of the time. The state of Minnesota’s unemployment insurance system handled the increase in volume without sacrificing performance. From March 2020 through February 2021, UI paid over $9,800,000,000 to Minnesotans in benefits. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Human-Centered Design Enhances MnDOT’s Agency-wide Construction Application&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2020, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and MNIT enhanced MnDOT’s agency-wide construction application, AASHTOWare, to significantly improve the business processes for internal and external partners, including streamlining processes and improving user experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT promoted a customer-centered focus with this project, ensuring that we advanced the state’s ability to analyze and create value from digital services data to measure, improve, and support the important work that our MNDOT partners do on behalf of all Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Integrated Weather Alert Data for Minnesota Travelers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MnDOT deployed multiple upgrades in 2020 to its &lt;a href=&quot;https://511mn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;511 Traveler Information site&lt;/a&gt; to help travelers seamlessly access real-time information about road conditions, traffic incidents, weather information, and more. The system is visited by around 2 million Minnesotans and visitors per month, and up to 7 million people used it during winter storm season. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the support of MNIT, MnDOT launched a web responsive design, a modified API, and streaming videos. MnDOT and MNIT also integrated automatic road condition reporting into the 511 application through an existing system, MnDOT Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS), providing timely information to the public and reducing the need for manual reporting.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>502523</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-10-13T13:30:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Cyber criminals increasingly use these devastating ransomware attacks that can hold individuals, and organizations, hostage to demands for a payment or ransom.</Description><Audience/><Title>4 Tips to Protect Yourself From Ransomware</Title><Publisher/><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>ransomware</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Information Security</Title><Id>344409</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Four tips to protect yourself from ransomware</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hands exchanging money for a key surrounded by two malicious computers.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/blog-week-3_tcm38-502243.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hands exchanging money for a key surrounded by two malicious computers.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/blog-week-3-blog-thumb_tcm38-502242.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-10 - 4 Tips to Protect Yourself From Ransomware</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-502245&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-12T15:22:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Cyber criminals increasingly use devastating ransomware attacks that can hold individuals, and organizations, hostage to demands for a payment or ransom.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Start by preventing phishing attacks</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The increasing number of ransomware attacks is a concern. There are big ones such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.newsweek.com/cyberattack-worlds-largest-meat-supplier-halts-us-operations-weeks-after-colonial-pipeline-1596620&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Colonial Pipeline&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/22/22589643/ransomware-kaseya-vsa-decryptor-revil&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;REvil attack against Kaseya&lt;/a&gt;, and others that have happened closer to home, like in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.winonapost.com/news/lewiston-cyber-attack-underscores-threat/article_14f80a0c-1bb0-11ec-aef8-239962ccf1c9.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Winona County&lt;/a&gt;. Cyber criminals increasingly use these devastating types of attacks that can hold individuals and organizations hostage to demands for a payment or ransom. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phishing attacks are one of the most common methods cybercriminals use to gain entry to network devices and launch ransomware attacks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So how do we protect ourselves, and the organizations we work for, from ransomware? We need to recognize and prevent ourselves from falling for phishing attacks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why worry?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Cybersecurity &amp;amp; Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says trends show &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa22-040a&quot;&gt;increased globalized threat of ransomware&lt;/a&gt;. The shift to remote work across many industries during the COVID-19 pandemic provided ransomware groups with a larger attack surface for their phishing campaigns – more networks they can use to get into our systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increased phishing attacks should worry everyone. These cyber attackers cast a wide net to infect as many devices as possible. You likely have already received an email from a co-worker or friend&apos;s email that was actually sent by threat actors. Cyber criminals use personal email addresses and social media platforms to send phishing messages in your name that see more believable to your circle of friends and co-workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All it takes is one successful phishing attack for your device or an entire organization to be infected with ransomware.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may think that cyber criminals wouldn’t target you. However, no matter what position you hold, you are a critical part of your work network and as such, a target. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attackers are always looking for people who re-use weak passwords, overshare personal information on social media, or use untrusted software. This is especially dangerous if you check work email from a personal device, or check personal email from a work device.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can you do?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are four basic steps that anyone can follow to protect from phishing and ransomware attacks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Don’t click on links or open attachments in suspicious messages. &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the message looks like it’s from someone you know but includes an unexpected link or attachment, call or message the sender separately to verify they sent the email. Don&apos;t reply to the suspicious email. If the message looks like it’s from a trusted organization such as your bank or credit card company, call them using contact information on their official website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Back up important files.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is a best practice to keep file backups in a separate location that is not on your network where they could be held hostage during a ransomware attack. Use a cloud service like OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or an external hard or USB drive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Update devices.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the best things you can do to defend your devices and network is to install security and software updates as soon as possible to fix vulnerabilities and reduce security risks on your devices. Turn on auto updates when you can. Only install software from official sources. If you visit a website and are prompted to &quot;update your browser&quot; or &quot;install security software,&quot; close the browser tab immediately.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. Limit the personal information you share online.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many websites and applications require you to create a profile that contains personal information. Often, this personal information is used to show you advertisements, or is sold to others. Question whether you want to create that profile at all. If you do create a profile, try using fictitious phone numbers and addresses. Also, review your social media privacy settings to only share posts, photos, and comments to your friends/contact list.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>502245</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Security</Title><Id>232502</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-20T16:51:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>On October 1, 2021, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 2021 as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota. The proclamation, coordinated with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminds Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for everyone.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>proclamation</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>NCSAM</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota outline with padlock and text that reads: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/social-media-week-1-blog_tcm38-501120.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota outlines with padlock.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/social-media-week-1-blog-thumb_tcm38-501119.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2021-10 - Governor Walz Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-501123&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-10-01T16:51:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>On October 1, 2021, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 2021 as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota. The proclamation, coordinated with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminds Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for everyone.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Proclamation Recognizes Need to Identify, Protect Against, and Respond to Cyber Threats</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;October 1, 2021 (St. Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; – On October 1, 2021, Governor Tim Walz &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/10.01.21%20Cybersecurity%20Awareness%20Month%20Signed_tcm1055-500602.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;proclaimed October 2021 as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. The proclamation, coordinated with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, reminds Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness for everyone, including large corporations, small businesses, financial institutions, schools, government agencies, the home user, and anyone who connects to the internet with any device. The need to identify, protect against, and respond to cyber threats grows as critical infrastructure, education services, and the workforce increasingly rely on the support of information systems and technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We call on all individuals, businesses, and public organizations to spend time during Cybersecurity Awareness Month learning about how to identify and protect against cyber criminals. This year has proven time and again that no organization or individual is immune to cyber attacks. Preparing for and responding to these threats is one of the most pressing challenges we face as a state.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, MNIT Commissioner, State of Minnesota Chief Information Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota works with Minnesotans and private sector partners along with state, federal, and local governments to secure Minnesota’s IT systems. Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) will share cybersecurity tips on social media to generate public awareness about staying safe online. MNIT will also educate state employees about cybersecurity best practices and reporting procedures through an internal messaging campaign.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Across Minnesota, we see a growing number of cyber attacks. There are simple steps that Minnesotans can take to protect themselves against the most common threats. First, learn how to spot phishing emails. Second, enable multi-factor authentication where you can. And finally, turn on auto-updates for your software and devices.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Rohit Tandon, MNIT Assistant Commissioner, State of Minnesota Chief Information Security Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While October is the dedicated month for cybersecurity awareness, MNIT places a year-round priority on protecting state data. Find more information about how MNIT secures the state on the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot;&gt;agency’s public website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>501123</id><pubdate>2021-10-01T14:00:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Anyone who creates documents or uses graphic design software has probably encountered a typographic feature called ligatures. This article examines how ligatures can impact accessibility and what to do about it.</Description><Audience/><Title>Ligatures: Benefits and Pitfalls</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessible</Subject><Subject>InDesign</Subject><Subject>Illustrator</Subject><Subject>design</Subject><Subject>ligatures</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Ligatures: Benefits and Pitfalls</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Lowercase letters F i (not touching), arrow pointing to lowercase letters f i with horizontal bar of f touching top of the i.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ligatures-blog_tcm38-500817.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Lowercase letters f and i with horizontal stroke of f touching top of the i.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ligatures-blog-thumb_tcm38-500813.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-09 - Ligatures: Benefits and Pitfalls</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-497550&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-09-29T20:35:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Anyone who creates documents or uses graphic design software has probably encountered a typographic feature called ligatures. This article examines how ligatures can impact accessibility and what to do about it.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessibility Considerations for Designing with Ligatures in InDesign and Illustrator</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jeremy DePew, Senior Designer at Minnesota IT Services&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anyone who creates documents or uses graphic design software has probably encountered a typographic feature called ligatures. A common feature in OpenType fonts, ligatures are replacement characters for certain letter pairs, such as fi, fl, ff, ffi, ffl, etc. They can improve the appearance of characters that have features that visually collide when used next to each other. In the example above, the letters “f” and “i” display as distinctly separate characters (left), as well as in ligature form (right). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the example where the characters are distinctly separate, the dot of the letter “i” awkwardly bumps into the ascender (top) of the letter “f.” In the ligature example:
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the two letters have joined crossbars,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the dot of the “i” is missing, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt; the ascender of the letter “f” travels over the letter “i.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may not consciously think about ligatures as you type, since you can select characters individually and spell checkers don’t flag them as misspellings. However, there are some accessibility considerations that you should think about when you use them as you design documents, graphics, or websites. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article will give a high-level overview of problems ligatures can cause, as well as provide some workarounds for solving those issues. These observations and suggestions are for Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator, two common applications used by graphic designers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Less character separation = less readability for some audiences&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you increase the spacing between characters, many of us can more easily read content. We may be: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;in a hurry &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;reading on a small device &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;or trying to copy the letters into another application. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But for some people, the spacing is essential. This includes people that have a disability that impacts reading, such as people with dyslexia and some individuals that have had strokes or brain injuries. Accuracy and speed of reading increases for these people when document authors and designers follow readability best practices. In his article &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;https://medium.com/the-readability-group/a-guide-to-understanding-what-makes-a-typeface-accessible-and-how-to-make-informed-decisions-9e5c0b9040a0&quot;&gt;A Guide to Understanding What Makes a Typeface Accessible&lt;/a&gt;,&quot;  Gareth Ford Williams includes:
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Letters should be easily distinguishable from one another.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure the typeface has adequate letter spacing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There should be a visible difference between capital height and ascenders.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Character encoding errors &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you generate a PDF from InDesign or Illustrator for a document that uses ligatures, and then run an accessibility check on that PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro, you may run into a “character encoding – failed” error. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-what-is-encoding&quot; title=&quot;Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C)&quot;&gt;Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C)&lt;/a&gt; describes character encoding as “a set of mappings between the bytes in the computer and the characters in the character set.” There are &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/International/articles/definitions-characters/&quot; title=&quot;many different encoding types&quot;&gt;many different encoding types.&lt;/a&gt; The failure of a glyph (graphical depiction of a character) to map correctly could cause individual font glyphs to be displayed incorrectly or not at all in documents (discussed in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pdfa.org/wp-content/until2016_uploads/2011/08/PDFA-in-a-Nutshell_1b.pdf&quot; title=&quot;PDF/A in a Nutshell (PDF)&quot;&gt;PDF/A in a Nutshell - PDF&lt;/a&gt;). It could also potentially impact the ability of assistive technology to read or pronounce words correctly, even if they are visually present. For example, I saved a test PDF document from Illustrator containing three different words with ligatures. A JAWS screen reader (version 2021.2107.12) read: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Coee (should have been “coffee,” but ff was a ligature) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;t (should have been “fit,” but fi was a ligature) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;avor (should have been “flavor,” but fl was a ligature) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the testing I performed, PDFs containing ligatures generated from Adobe Illustrator consistently had character encoding errors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/encoding-error-illustrator_tcm38-500816.png&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat accessibility checker flagging a character encoding - failed error in a PDF. Content highlighted is 2 letter fs that visually appear joined together.&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat accessibility checker flagging a character encoding - failed error in a PDF. Content highlighted is 2 letter fs that visually appear joined together.&quot; style=&quot;width: 69%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;encoding-error-illustrator&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figure 1 - Acrobat accessibility checker flagging a “character encoding – failed” error in a PDF exported from Illustrator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Older versions of InDesign also caused this error in PDFs, though it wasn’t present in the most recent version of InDesign I tested with, version 16.3 x64.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/character-encoding-passed-InDesign_tcm38-500815.png&quot; title=&quot;Acrobat accessibility checker passing character encoding. Content contains letter combinations of 2 ffs, fi, and fl that visually appear joined together.&quot; alt=&quot;Acrobat accessibility checker passing character encoding. Content contains letter combinations of 2 ffs, fi, and fl that visually appear joined together.&quot; style=&quot;width: 66%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;character-encoding-passed-InDesign&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figure 2 - Acrobat accessibility checker showing that character encoding passed in a PDF exported from InDesign version 16.3 x64.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re having trouble with ligatures&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re having trouble with character encoding issues in PDFs, or want to better support readers who need greater character separation, you can choose to turn the ligatures off. Your characters will then appear as individual letterforms and use the default kerning information (space between individual letters) that is built into the font.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can easily remove the ligatures from selected text or entire text boxes. You can also define ligature activation through your styles. However, there is no apparent way to globally disable ligatures in Adobe Creative Cloud applications (such as through a setting in &lt;strong&gt;Preferences &amp;gt; Type&lt;/strong&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to turn off ligatures in Adobe InDesign&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open the &lt;strong&gt;Character&lt;/strong&gt; panel by going to &lt;strong&gt;Window &amp;gt; Type &amp;gt; Character.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open the panel menu and select &lt;strong&gt;Ligatures&lt;/strong&gt; to activate or deactivate them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you turn ligatures off with no text or frame selected, you are turning off ligatures for any subsequent text items you create within this document. Note: ligatures will be enabled by default the next time you create a new document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/turn-off-InDesign_tcm38-500831.png&quot; title=&quot;Character panel flyout menu showing ligatures menu item with check mark.&quot; alt=&quot;Character panel flyout menu showing ligatures menu item with check mark.&quot; style=&quot;width: 61%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;turn-off-InDesign&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disabling ligatures using InDesign styles&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can turn off ligatures in your paragraph and character styles.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find this setting under the &quot;Basic character formats&quot; tab.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/paragraph-styles_tcm38-500829.png&quot; title=&quot;New Paragraph Style menu in Adobe InDesign showing Ligatures option checked in Basic Character Formats tab Turn ligatures off in Illustrator.&quot; alt=&quot;New Paragraph Style menu in Adobe InDesign showing Ligatures option checked in Basic Character Formats tab Turn ligatures off in Illustrator.&quot; style=&quot;width: 91%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;paragraph-styles&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Turn ligatures off in Illustrator&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Access the &lt;strong&gt;OpenType&lt;/strong&gt; panel by going to &lt;strong&gt;Window &amp;gt; Type &amp;gt; OpenType. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On this panel, the first menu item activates &lt;strong&gt;Standard Ligatures&lt;/strong&gt;, while the third button activates &lt;strong&gt;Discretionary Ligatures&lt;/strong&gt;. This article only deals with the more common standard ligatures.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/turn-off-illustrator_tcm38-500830.png&quot; title=&quot;OpenType panel flyout menu in Adobe Illustrator showing check mark next to Standard Ligatures.&quot; alt=&quot;OpenType panel flyout menu in Adobe Illustrator showing check mark next to Standard Ligatures.&quot; style=&quot;width: 51%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;turn-off-illustrator&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Though ligatures are pretty, there are accessibility considerations that a designer or document creator should be aware of with their use. Fortunately, those issues are easily solved through the workarounds described above.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/formatting-characters.html&quot; title=&quot;Formatting characters - Adobe Help&quot;&gt;Formatting characters – Adobe Help&lt;/a&gt; (includes guidance on using ligatures)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-use-font-ligatures-in-indesign-photoshop-illustrator--cms-35554&quot; title=&quot;How to Use Font Ligatures in InDesign, Photoshop &amp;amp; Illustrator&quot;&gt;How to Use Font Ligatures in InDesign, Photoshop &amp;amp; Illustrator&lt;/a&gt; by Envatotuts+&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://medium.com/the-readability-group/a-guide-to-understanding-what-makes-a-typeface-accessible-and-how-to-make-informed-decisions-9e5c0b9040a0&quot; title=&quot;A Guide to Understanding What Makes a Typeface Accessible&quot;&gt;A Guide to Understanding What Makes a Typeface Accessible&lt;/a&gt; by Gareth Ford Williams&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_eIDgfHr9s&quot;&gt;Improve Access to Digital Spaces for those with Cognitive Disabilities session (video)&lt;/a&gt; – Glenda Sims and Jennie Delisi.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/presentation-Improve-Access-to-Digital-Spaces-for-Those-with-Cognitive-Disabilities-%28PDF%29_tcm38-500834.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Improve Access to Digital Spaces for Those with Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)&quot; xlink:title=&quot;presentation-Improve-Access-to-Digital-Spaces-for-Those-with-Cognitive-Disabilities-(PDF)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Improve Access to Digital Spaces for those with Cognitive Disabilities (handouts - PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>497550</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-29T20:32:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On September 1, 2010, the State of Minnesota enacted a requirement that all executive branch agencies must follow a digital accessibility and usability standard. To celebrate this standard&apos;s anniversary, get caught up with the recordings and trainings from the 10th anniversary celebration event. </Description><Audience/><Title>A look back: How Minnesota celebrated the 10th anniversary of the digital accessibility standard</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>a11y</Subject><Subject>standard</Subject><Subject>anniversary</Subject><Subject>celebration</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>A Look Back</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>10 Years - Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard, image of laptop keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/10-years-accessibility-standard-blog_tcm38-444146.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>10 years logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/10-years-accessibility-standard-blog-thumb_tcm38-444144.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-09 - How Minnesota celebrated the 10th anniversary of the digital accessibility standard</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-494922&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-09-01T17:21:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>On September 1, 2010, the State of Minnesota enacted a requirement that all executive branch agencies must follow a digital accessibility and usability standard. To celebrate this standard&apos;s anniversary, get caught up with the recordings and trainings from the 10th anniversary celebration event. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>How Minnesota celebrated the 10th anniversary of the digital accessibility standard</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On September 1, 2010, the State of Minnesota required all executive branch agencies must follow a digital accessibility and usability standard. Learn more about &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-450250&quot;&gt;how the standard impacts state employees&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In September 2020, Minnesota’s state agencies and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) held a series of virtual events to celebrate progress ten years of the standard. The celebration events included trainings and panel discussions. Today, we celebrate the 11th anniversary of the standard by sharing &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-DiEzEfoN6yNbPO2QAYjyxkHWZObDNZV&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;recordings and trainings from the last year&apos;s event&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panel discussion information and videos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking Back: Challenges and successes of launching the new standard&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The panel discussion was moderated by the state of Minnesota’s Chief Inclusion Officer, Chris Taylor. Taylor interviewed Minnesota’s Chief Procurement Officer, Betsy Hayes, and Cook County’s Management Information Systems Director, Rena Rogers. Hayes and Rogers shared successes and valuable insights into the processes that made change possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/vj2ScfUP9YE?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;Looking Back – panel discussion on YouTube&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Looking-Back-Challenges-and-successes-of%20launching-the-new-standard-Transcript_tcm38-496295.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Looking-Back-Challenges-and-successes-of launching-the-new-standard-Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Looking-Back-Challenges-and-successes-of launching-the-new-standard-Transcript&quot;&gt;Looking Back transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking Forward: How the standard is a key tool to help agencies drive inclusion&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Commissioner of the Minnesota IT Services, Tarek Tomes, moderated a second panel discussion. Commissioner Sarah Strommen of Minnesota&apos;s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Chief of Staff of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Stacy Twite, joined Commissioner Tomes. They discussed how digital accessibility enables inclusive and effective government services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/vChtSo5bK4w?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Looking Forward – panel discussion on YouTube&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Looking-Forward-How-the-standard-is-a-key-tool-to-help-agencies-drive-inclusion-Transcript_tcm38-496292.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Looking-Forward-How-the-standard-is-a-key-tool-to-help-agencies-drive-inclusion-Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Looking-Forward-How-the-standard-is-a-key-tool-to-help-agencies-drive-inclusion-Transcript&quot;&gt;Looking Forward transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training information and resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;PowerPoint Accessibility&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn how to make accessible PowerPoint slides and presentations. Jed Becher, Web Projects Coordinator for MNIT DNR, moderated the training. Presenters include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Elaine Settergren, Legislative Research Librarian and Digital Accessibility Coordinator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rebecca Oestreich, DNR Digital Accessibility Coordinator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamara Sawyer, Minnesota Management and Budget Digital Accessibility Coordinator&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/_hvbamBIopo?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot;&gt;PowerPoint Accessibility – training on YouTube&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/PowerPoint-Accessibility-Training-Transcript_tcm38-496293.pdf&quot; title=&quot;PowerPoint-Accessibility-Training-Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;PowerPoint-Accessibility-Training-Transcript&quot;&gt;PowerPoint Accessibility transcript (PDF&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web Accessibility&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jake Stark and John Watne led a training on web accessibility for developers. They explained how to use best practices to make web sites and applications more accessible. Stark is a Web Developer for MNIT Department of Education. Watne is a Java Developer for MNIT Department of Revenue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/XsuMg82t3SA?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Website Accessibility – training on YouTube&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Web-Accessibility-Training-Transcript_tcm38-496294.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Web-Accessibility-Training-Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Web-Accessibility-Training-Transcript&quot;&gt;Web Accessibility transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>494922</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-09-01T19:35:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>In June 2021, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Emergency Communication Networks (ECN) launched the Minnesota Next Generation 911 (NG911) GIS Hub website, designed for ECN&apos;s GIS and public safety answering point (PSAP) partners. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff, working with the DPS and MNIT’s Office of Geospatial Information (MnGeo), collaborated with ECN to bring this website to life.</Description><Audience/><Title>Bringing Minnesota’s 911 Community Together with Geospatial Technology</Title><Publisher/><Subject>NG911</Subject><Subject>Next Gen 911</Subject><Subject>9-1-1</Subject><Subject>Next Generation 911</Subject><Subject>Next Generation 9-1-1</Subject><Subject>MnGeo</Subject><Subject>DPS</Subject><Subject>Public Safety</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Bringing Minnesota’s 911 Community Together with Geospatial Technology</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>911 dispatcher in front of a computer monitor.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ng911-dispatcher_tcm38-495292.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>911 dispatcher in front of a computer monitor.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ng911-dispatcher-blog_tcm38-495294.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-08 - Bringing Minnesota’s 911 Community Together with Geospatial Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-494894&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-08-25T15:18:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>In June 2021, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Emergency Communication Networks (ECN) launched the Minnesota Next Generation 911 (NG911) GIS Hub website. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff, working with the DPS and MNIT’s Office of Geospatial Information (MnGeo), collaborated with ECN to bring this website to life.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In June 2021, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Emergency Communication Networks (ECN) launched the &lt;a href=&quot;https://ng911gis-minnesota.hub.arcgis.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Next Generation 911 (NG911) GIS Hub website&lt;/a&gt;, designed for ECN&apos;s GIS and public safety answering point (PSAP) partners. Geographic information systems (GIS) is the practice of creating, managing, and analyzing geospatial data to better inform decision makers and improve outcomes around public safety, transportation planning, access to health services, preservation of resources, and more. Minnesota is a nationwide early adopter in launching such a site for its NG911 GIS program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;NG911 in Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When a person calls into 911, Minnesota’s current system uses data tables to match that caller to a physical address. If they’re calling from a cell phone (85-90% of 911 calls), that call is matched to a cell phone tower. Once the call is matched to an address, it is routed to a PSAP, which is a call center that dispatches the correct police, ambulance, or fire emergency responder.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using geospatial data, NG911 seeks to reduce the time it takes to route calls to the correct PSAP by matching every call to a point on a map. These points on the map are collected by each county, and are made up of a variety of statewide data sets such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Address points&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Road centerlines&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PSAP boundaries&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When counties provide these data sets, they are reviewed and validated by ECN. ECN ensures the data is prepared correctly and Minnesotans’ 911 calls can be responded to as quickly as possible; whether from a country road in Thief River Falls or a home in Blue Earth. NG911 will be able to route a 911 call to the State Patrol PSAP if the caller is calling from a freeway, or to a local PSAP if the call is coming from the frontage road next to that freeway.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The GIS Hub creates a single place for PSAP, county, state staff, and the public to find information about the NG911 program, including how the GIS data is developed. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff, working with the DPS and MNIT’s Office of Geospatial Information (MnGeo), collaborated with ECN to bring this website to life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the GIS Hub?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Hub is a faster, easier way for ECN to collaborate with partners and to share information about the NG911 project. For example, the site enables local leaders to monitor how their county is progressing through each phase of the NG911 project. &lt;strong&gt;“One person might want to visit the Hub to read the validation rules, and another might want to look at the map of NG911 readiness across the state,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Megan Sisko, GIS Technician for MnGeo. &lt;strong&gt;“We designed the core Hub structure to provide any type of NG911 stakeholder access to what they’re looking for.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To develop the Hub site, MnGeo took an inventory of the information resources that ECN, MnGeo, and national NG911 coordinators have published and shared with the community. &lt;strong&gt;“The biggest challenge to this project was ensuring that we could share information as effectively as possible,”&lt;/strong&gt; added Norman Anderson, NG911 Technical Lead, MnGeo. &lt;strong&gt;“We worked closely with ECN to define the audience of this site and created a close partnership that will be valuable to the future success of NG911 in Minnesota.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Hub site features several dashboards with interactive maps and charts that show the buildout of GIS mapping for every Minnesota county. GIS staff members working on NG911 can use these maps and resources to communicate with their county leaders about the importance of NG911 data and gain support for the staff required to create the data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/NG911-county-map_tcm38-494891.png&quot; title=&quot;NG911-county-map&quot; alt=&quot;A map displaying NG9-1-1 GIS validation status by county in Minnesota.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;NG911-county-map&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;A map displaying NG911 GIS validation status for Minnesota&apos;s counties.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MnGeo also worked closely with ECN and MNIT staff supporting DPS to ensure that documents on the Hub site were accessible. Hollie Kim, GIS Technician for MnGeo, added these accessible documents and tested dashboards and applications for accessibility while she and Sisko designed and built the core structure of the Hub site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s next for NG911&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next phase of the project will include a web-based statewide GIS data portal, which will contain the entire collection of ready-to-use data. This will allow GIS and PSAP partners to upload data and validate their data in real time, rather than having to wait several days for updated information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://ng911gis-minnesota.hub.arcgis.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Check out the new website&lt;/a&gt; and learn how prepared your county is for Next Generation 911!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>494894</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Safety</Title><Id>232501</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>NextGen 911</Title><Id>232520</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>GIS</Title><Id>232509</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial Services</Title><Id>232510</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>337917</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-08-25T17:51:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Josh Cinnamo will represent Team USA in the 2020 Paralympics. Learn more about his work at Minnesota IT Services and how he got ready for this year’s games. </Description><Audience/><Title>World Record Holder &amp; MNIT Employee Represents Team USA in Tokyo</Title><Publisher/><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Subject>employee</Subject><Subject>Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Subject>Paralympics</Subject><Subject>Cinnamo</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Meet the Technologist: Josh Cinnamo</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Josh Cinnamo celebrating with an American flag draped around him.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/josh-cinnamo_tcm38-494149.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Josh Cinnamo celebrating with an American flag draped around him.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/josh-cinnamo-flag_tcm38-494148.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-08 - Meet the Technologist: Josh Cinnamo</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-493798&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-08-17T21:36:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>Cinnamo will represent Team USA in the 2020 Paralympics. Learn more about his work at Minnesota IT Services and how he got ready for this year’s games. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>World Record Holder &amp; MNIT Employee Represents Team USA in Tokyo</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During most days, Josh Cinnamo manages the inventory, data, and assets of data centers for the state of Minnesota’s executive branch. He is also a world record holder in Paralympic athletics. In 2019, Cinnamo not only set the shot put world record, he beat his own record to win the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. After a hiatus in international competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cinnamo will head to Tokyo with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.teamusa.org/usparatrackandfield/athletes/Josh-Cinnamo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Team USA&lt;/a&gt; to compete in the throwing events during the 2020 Paralympics. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Josh Cinnamo &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cinnamo sat down with Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) before heading off to his first Paralympics to share more about his work at MNIT and how he got ready for this year’s games.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is your role at MNIT?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cinnamo: I manage the billing, inventory, and assets for all of the enterprise data centers at Minnesota IT Services. Those data centers host all of the services and programs that Minnesotans interact with on a daily basis. My job is centered around data. Having good data means lower costs, proper revenue recovery, and allowing executive staff to make decisions about the future of enterprise computing based on real numbers. Daily, I make sure the assets in those data centers – servers, routers, switches, and other networking equipment – are documented when moving in, out, and around the facilities. As we’ve moved more services to the cloud, I make sure that we keep track of how our inventory is changing and affecting data center services, currently and for the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the course of the pandemic, I’ve been provided the flexibility to work remotely. The great part about data is that I can manage it from anywhere in the world. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there accomplishments that your team has celebrated over the past year?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cinnamo: Data Center Facilities (DCF) is a part of the larger Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) team. DCF’s job is extraordinarily comprehensive and includes areas of the business most people don’t consider when thinking of hosted services. Although we have projects that can affect the greater agency, many of the accomplishments we have are day to day. The short list for our group when “keeping the lights on,” includes air conditioning, humidity, power, cabling, audits, maintenance, door and camera services, billing, equipment installs/deinstalls, visitors…and the list goes on. Over the pandemic, our biggest accomplishment as a group is that despite all of those factors, the enterprise data centers are thriving. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does it mean to go to the Paralympics?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cinnamo: I have always viewed myself as an athlete and when I became more involved in adaptive sports, I found other athletes who cared about elite performance, and not just participation. Growing up, I chose to avoid adaptive sports for much of my life, viewing it as a pity party. That was my exposure to it. Luckily, I was later exposed to great athletes and people who have kept me connected to elite performance. Now, with an opportunity to compete at the highest level, I’m grateful for my change of thought. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Outside of work and training, I’m also a father and husband. Being an athlete now means wanting to show my children when passion meets a relentless work ethic, great things can happen. Whether you win or lose, you followed a plan and met great people along the way who will help you forward. Your next goal will already be THAT much further along. We’ll see if I can continue being successful for an additional 3 years. I’d love to expose them to the games and allow them an opportunity to experience the world and dream big for themselves. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did you get ready for the Paralympics? &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cinnamo: A lot of balance and planning. Training, work, and family are all battling for your time and attention. However, with solid forethought (and a great wife!) it all manages to happen pretty seamlessly. As my kids become more active in their lives, my afternoons become more crowded. In response, I built a gym in my garage to save the 40 minutes of driving I’d waste going to a gym. You just have to make it happen. It won’t happen for you. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The reality is that training for the Paralympics is another job. It’s not only important to me, it’s important to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee that I continue to perform well and represent my country at a podium-worthy level. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are you most excited about for the Paralympics?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cinnamo: This is the culmination of so much hard work and training. No matter what happens, it will be the result of a lot of throwing, lifting, and eating. It’s great to finally get a resolution to all of energy spent aiming toward something. It’s the first international event since I won World’s in November 2019. To compete at this truly one of a kind experience will be something I’ll document and relive forever. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cheer on Josh Cinnamo&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Josh Cinnamo will be competing on the evening of August 31st here in Minnesota. Stay tuned to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/paralympics/schedule/20210831-schedule&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Paralympic schedule&lt;/a&gt; for the shot put events! MNIT staff members shared a few congratulatory notes with Cinnamo before the competition:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We feel very lucky to have Josh on our data center team. Josh has been an outstanding team member that has shown all of us that with hard work, dedication, and commitment, no goals are out of reach. We are extremely proud of Josh and all the accomplishments he has achieved. Good Luck Josh and team USA! Go for the Gold!”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;John Moreland and Mike Tuuri, director and manager of MNIT’s Data Center team.&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>493798</id><pubdate>2021-08-17T18:59:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), set up the technology needed to run community vaccination sites across the state. Each community vaccination site needed to allow workers to securely connect to the Internet, stand up to severe weather, and ensure that Minnesotans could efficiently receive the COVID-19 vaccine.</Description><Audience/><Title>Connecting Minnesotans to COVID-19 Vaccine Opportunities</Title><Publisher/><Subject>vaccine</Subject><Subject>vaccinations</Subject><Subject>COVID-19</Subject><Subject>WiFi</Subject><Subject>state technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Connecting Minnesotans to COVID-19 Vaccine Opportunities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>National Guard member working on a computer at the State Fair vaccination site. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/military-blog_tcm38-485772.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hands pointing to a WiFi hotspot.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mnit-staff-blog-thumb_tcm38-485773.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-07 - Connecting Minnesotans to COVID-19 Vaccine Opportunities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-485787&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-28T20:42:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Each community vaccination site needed to allow workers to securely connect to the Internet, stand up to severe weather, and ensure that Minnesotans could efficiently receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT partnered with MDH to set up community vaccination sites across the state</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), set up the technology needed to run community vaccination sites across the state. Each community vaccination site allowed workers to securely connect to the internet, withstand severe weather, and ensured that Minnesotans could efficiently receive the COVID-19 vaccine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dave Firkus, a service management supervisor for MNIT MDH, worked with his team to develop a process for providing the IT needs for vaccination sites across the state, modeled off their support of COVID-19 community testing sites, which began in Spring 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The community vaccination site on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds ran from April 14-June 8, and during that time, over 60,000 Minnesotans received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Some of Minnesota’s community vaccination sites ran for long periods of time, like the State Fair site, while others were held in pop up locations, like at U.S. Bank Stadium and at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Minnesota’s community vaccination strategy also included traveling vaccination clinics, which used Metro Transit buses to bring the vaccine to specific community events. Workers at each of these locations needed to be able to connect to vaccination records, scheduling systems, printers, and so much more to help Minnesotans receive vaccines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/vax-site-001_tcm38-485763.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vax-site-001&quot; alt=&quot;Dave Firkus and woman wearing masks with thumbs up in front of an “I Got My Shot” backdrop.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vax-site-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dave Firkus (left) at the State Fair community vaccination site.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Getting the equipment ready&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When COVID-19 vaccines first became available for distribution at state community vaccination sites, MNIT staff repurposed a process they used to connect COVID-19 testing sites to the internet and made sure that they met all of the technology needs for operating the sites. Before each vaccination site opened, MNIT sent or brought along portable bins, which included laptops, WiFi hot spots, cabling, walkie talkies, and any other technology or telecommunications equipment that helped to run the site. These bins allowed MNIT to quickly deliver technology tools to set up sites across the state of Minnesota. As of June 2021, MNIT teams set up over 300 vaccination sites (many of these sites were used multiple times) and 22 different MNIT employees staffed the sites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/vax-site-002_tcm38-485764.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vax-site-002&quot; alt=&quot;Rolling bin with laptops inside next to other equipment for a vaccination site.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vax-site-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Rolling bin with laptops.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The portable WiFi hotspots that MNIT provided to vaccination sites allowed individuals staffing the sites to stay online, whether vaccination sites were in St. Paul, Bemidji, or Mankato. MNIT also deployed new technology to ensure that vaccination sites could reach all of Minnesota’s populations. A Language Line Translation service was installed on every computer and tablet to increase access and ensure equitable vaccine distribution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/vax-site-003_tcm38-485765.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vax-site-003&quot; alt=&quot;Hands pointing to a WiFi hotspot.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vax-site-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;WifFi hotspot.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/vax-site-004_tcm38-485766.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vax-site-004&quot; alt=&quot;Person holding a tablet showing the language translation app.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vax-site-004&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tablet with Language Line translation service.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supporting the sites&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrew Schuster, an Information Technology Specialist at MNIT MDH, staffed the State Fair vaccination site during our visit. MNIT staff worked on site at many vaccination clinics in case any IT or technology issues arose. The staff also prepare for IT responses to unexpected events, like severe weather.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State Fair community vaccination site was set up through a partnership between the State of Minnesota and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The site was located in huge tents, and MNIT staff needed to weather-proof the areas that held IT equipment. The MNIT teams worked with FEMA and Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) to set up a back-up location if they needed to move to a different location quickly due to weather.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/vax-site-005_tcm38-485767.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vax-site-005&quot; alt=&quot;Dave Firkus and Andrew Schuster looking at a laptop at the State Fair community vaccination site.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vax-site-005&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Firkus (left) and Andrew Schuster (right) at the MNIT staff table.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/vax-site-006_tcm38-485768.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vax-site-006&quot; alt=&quot;Andrew Schuster wearing a mask while holding a laptop.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vax-site-006&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Schuster working at the State Fair site.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT provided telecommunications tools and support, which were used when vaccination sites were at their busiest. The radios allowed FEMA workers to move people through the site, direct cars and traffic, help get interpreters where they were needed, and coordinate any other immediate needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/vax-site-007_tcm38-485769.jpg&quot; title=&quot;vax-site-007&quot; alt=&quot;Walkie talkies on a table at the State Fair vaccination site.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;vax-site-007&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Radios used at COVID-19 community vaccination sites.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>485787</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Laptops</Title><Id>432443</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-28T14:10:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a training event for accessible virtual meetings. The “Accessible Meetings for All” event shared best practices for organizing and running meetings that are inclusive for all.</Description><Audience/><Title>Recordings Available: Accessible Meetings for All</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Request for Proposal</Subject><Subject>RFP</Subject><Subject>tablet</Subject><Subject>corrections</Subject><Subject>product</Subject><Subject>accessible</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>New Certification: Accessible Document Specialists</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>computer with documents and PDF tags</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ads-web_tcm38-495088.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>computer with documents and PDF tags</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ads-web-thumb_tcm38-495089.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-08 - New Certification: Accessible Document Specialists</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-495087&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-26T23:42:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) started a new certification program called Accessible Document Specialists (ADS). It is specifically geared towards people who create accessible documents on a routine basis. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>The International Association of Accessibility Professionals Started New Certification Program</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) started a new certification program called Accessible Document Specialists (ADS). It is specifically geared towards people who create accessible documents on a routine basis. The ADS tests user’s knowledge in five areas  :&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating electronic documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remediating electronic documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Auditing and testing document accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Document accessibility planning and training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Policy promotion, advocacy, and advising. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IAAP recommends people who are familiar with basic document accessibility spend six or eight weeks preparing for the exam. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I interviewed Samantha “Sam” Fischer from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Aaron Arvig from the Minnesota Department of Human Services as they took part in the pilot program for IAAP’s ADS certification. They had some excellent advice for anyone interested in taking the exam.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the ADS certification and who should take it?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unlike the other certifications offered by IAAP that test broad knowledge of accessibility, ADS is specifically geared towards people who have experience creating and remediating digital documents. ADS covers the general concepts behind: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;document creation and remediation, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;auditing documents for accessibility, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;document accessibility training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do I know what to study? How much time will I need?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IAAP provides a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/s/accessible-document-specialist-content&quot;&gt;Content Outline&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/resource/Ads_Book&quot;&gt;Book of Knowledge&lt;/a&gt; (BOK) to help users prepare. These two documents will have content and links to all the material you should know prior to taking the exam. Depending on your pre-existing knowledge, prepare to spend five to ten hours weekly for six to eight weeks prior to the exam date. People with more experience may need less time to prepare. Even people with a lot of experience will find there are things they didn’t know. One thing to keep in mind, many people do the same processes in different orders of operations. The study guide may recommend an order of operations different than yours, although the result may be the same in the end. Learn the processes outlined in the BOK – it will help you with both your daily work and the exam.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is this exam worthwhile? What will I get out of it? Will it help me better understand accessibility?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ADS exam shows your employer that you have a solid ability to create digital content. Sam and Aaron both encourage anyone who creates and remediates documents as a routine part of their employment to take this exam. It can boost your knowledge no matter what level of experience you have. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any other advice?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you decide this certification is right for you, leave plenty of time to study and follow the Book of Knowledge. During the exam, take your time and don’t overthink the questions. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information, go to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/s/accessible-document-specialist&quot;&gt;IAAP’s Accessible Document Specialist web site&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>495087</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-08-25T17:19:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a training event for accessible virtual meetings. The “Accessible Meetings for All” event shared best practices for organizing and running meetings that are inclusive for all.</Description><Audience/><Title>Recordings Available: Accessible Meetings for All</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Request for Proposal</Subject><Subject>RFP</Subject><Subject>tablet</Subject><Subject>corrections</Subject><Subject>product</Subject><Subject>accessible</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Plan, Design, Code with Color Themes in Mind</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>a button with the words Dark Theme</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/dark-theme-blog_tcm38-495085.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>image of a crescent moon against a dark background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/dark-theme-blog-thumb_tcm38-495086.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-08 - Plan, Design, Code</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-495041&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-26T23:42:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>Business analysts, designers, developers, quality assurance professionals, and digital accessibility professionals can use the tips in this article to improve their project’s compatibility with high contrast modes and dark themes.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Supporting the use of High Contrast Mode and Dark Themes</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: David E. Miller, MNIT Department of Corrections, and Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In February 2021 we published &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/index.jsp?id=38-469250&quot;&gt;High Contrast Mode and Dark Theme Accessibility Testing&lt;/a&gt;, which discusses the relationship between dark mode and digital accessibility measurements of effective contrast. That article focused on testing. Testing, however, is the end of the story. 
&lt;br /&gt;
The story of creating accessible digital experiences begins with:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;project planning&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;business requirements&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;design&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;coding&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business analysts, designers, developers, quality assurance professionals, and digital accessibility professionals can use the tips in this article to improve their project’s compatibility with high contrast modes and dark themes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will focus on how to ensure that a content creator’s color scheme plays nicely with a user’s selected operating system (OS) and browser theme(s). It is specifically to guide planning, design, and testing to avoid contrast issues that occur only when the user has chosen a specific theme (as opposed to the default theme) like dark mode. It does not validate against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 success criteria related to color contrast, or using color alone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes the line between true accessibility and usability by people with disabilities may feel blurred when a specific accessibility guideline does not resolve an issue. At this time, ensuring good color contrast when using high contrast themes in browsers is not a requirement of the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota’s digital accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt;. However, it is a key component of usability. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People with low vision, those with difficulty perceiving specific colors or color combinations, and those with migraines are just some of the individuals that may use different color themes when accessing your content. They all benefit when development teams follow these testing and design considerations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This article assumes readers are comfortable with technical details regarding Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and CSS specificity rules. The resources section at the end provides some refresher material. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before we begin, a few definitions&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we prepared this article, we realized that it may help if we define a few terms we will use. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scheme&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A scheme is a set of rules for how to display content. A scheme can be defined by the user, or by the creators of: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;an OS, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a browser, or &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A “color scheme” means a designer’s choices of colors for displaying the web content. This is a type of scheme.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Operating System (OS) theme&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the time of publication, Windows 10 has multiple uses of the word “theme” in their settings. In this article operating system (OS) theme will be the same as the old term high contrast mode.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Theme is an environmental scheme selected or defined by the user at the OS or browser level.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Specificity&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3schools.com/css/css_specificity.asp&quot;&gt;W3Schools page on CSS Specificity&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“If there are two or more conflicting CSS rules that point to the same element, the browser follows some rules to determine which one is most specific and therefore wins out. Think of specificity as a score/rank that determines which style declarations are ultimately applied to an element.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use case: A heading which is also a hyperlink. The styling of your heading might clash or get merged with the styling of your hyperlink. If they both have different colors assigned, the specificity will decide which style applies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inline styles&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Inline styling” means using HTML’s style attribute to define how an object should look.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example:  &amp;lt;div style=”font-color: black;”&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;This texts is &amp;lt;span style=”font-color: red;”&amp;gt;important!&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3schools.com/css/css_specificity.asp&quot;&gt;CSS specificity rules&lt;/a&gt;, inline styling will always be applied. This sounds like heaven for designers, until it’s not. If a browser applies a dark background, and text has inline styling that sets the font-color to a dark color as well, all that text will be unreadable at best, or disappear completely.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 1: Plan and design a color scheme for a variety of themes&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You don&apos;t use your computer like you did in 2010. You access websites on your smart phone. You take your laptop outside where it is sunny. Your screen may adapt to changing light conditions in your room or time of day. People with disabilities also have more options for how they interact with digital information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning and designing a color scheme for a variety of themes ensures more people can use the information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Choose one of the following options:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;design content with a single color scheme using styles that allow the OS or browser to override those colors, or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;design both light and dark color schemes and use media queries (more on media queries in the resources section) to use the one that matches the user’s preference. Ensure your styles don&apos;t override those used by the browser or operating system.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid using &quot;inline styles&quot; and the !important CSS rule:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;inline styles: They&apos;re the worst offender because they completely override stylesheets and themes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;!important rule: Avoid using for foreground or background colors unless it&apos;s absolutely essential, and in that case define both, and make both !important.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include business requirements that specify using good color contrast, that meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (or 2.1).
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If having multiple color schemes have requirements for each scheme. Example: link text color for dark scheme, link text color for light scheme.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you choose to design both light and dark schemes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Simplify the overall color scheme so you have less to manage in each scheme.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Define foreground and background colors for both schemes. Whenever you create a style that has a specific foreground color, also include a contrasting background color in that definition.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify key project roles to participate and budget time for wireframe reviews of each scheme by at least the:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;business analyst&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;graphic designer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;digital accessibility specialist&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;web developer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 2: Plan how you will use images&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For many projects, you may have to think more closely about how images will be used. For example, your project may discuss using a logo, but not exactly how you will use it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan for how you will use images in templates as well as images that might be a part of future content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, consider the different types of images:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Logos&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Icons&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content images&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Generally, images have a subject and a background. The background color can be specified within the image itself, or it can be transparent. Transparent backgrounds allow whatever is behind that image to show through.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images and background recommendations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Option 1 – Use a single image&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/dark-light-theme-icons-same_tcm38-495084.png&quot; title=&quot;The &amp;quot;i&amp;quot; in a circle icon on dark and light backgrounds. The icon is dark blue in both images&quot; alt=&quot;The &amp;quot;i&amp;quot; in a circle icon on dark and light backgrounds. The icon is dark blue in both images&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;dark-light-theme-icons-same&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When using one image with more than one scheme, test it on both light and dark background colors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Option 2 – Using different images for each color scheme&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/dark-light-theme-icons-different_tcm38-495083.png&quot; title=&quot;email icons in a circle against dark and light backgrounds. Icon on the dark background is white, icon on the light background is blue.&quot; alt=&quot;email icons in a circle against dark and light backgrounds. Icon on the dark background is white, icon on the light background is blue.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;dark-light-theme-icons-different&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When designing separate images for each color scheme, use CSS to pull the correct image for the specific light or dark background color. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test each image with its specific background color.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Transparent images &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Avoid transparent images to reduce the amount of troubleshooting you will need to complete. If you use transparent images, the appearance should be thoroughly checked against both light and dark backgrounds. Alternatively, design light and dark versions of an image and use CSS to load the appropriate one based on the user’s theme.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example: if you are using transparent images, your image or some portions of your image may disappear into the background when users use a specific theme.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 3: Include info about themes in your “run book”&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of your project, you may prepare documentation about your project for other people who will update the content. Or your application may enable users to load their own content. Let the designers of content understand if there they need to adjust how to load images.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, a project team may make a website for users that has two different background colors. The website needs to display the appropriate image to go with each specific background. It may display the image that works with a light background when that is in use or display an image that works with the dark background. In order to do this, the project team member that is updating the content will need to know that they have to load two images – one for light mode and one for dark mode.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tip 4: Test&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test the website design and how it displays with various OS and browser themes. Once you validate your design with the unit tests, you can perform system/site-wide tests using alternate themes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t assume that users will use the OS default color scheme. You need to test with at least one high contrast theme. Many OS themes also enable the user to specify specific colors for interactive elements. If your code respects the selected OS theme, the user will be able to set this to match their need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Primary tests&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;Default” color theme (typically light)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;High contrast, white-on-black theme (dark)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional tests&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;OS high contrast, black-on-white theme (light)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Other OS-level, high contrast themes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A “default” OS theme (light) with a dark browser theme&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conclusion&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Users benefit when their experience is consistent, and they can tailor settings to their needs. The fewer settings they need to apply, the better. If you follow the suggestions from this article, hopefully you will build content that looks the way you want it to, and it can adjust based on each user’s needs. When you design for inclusion, everyone benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References/Resources&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@media/prefers-color-scheme&quot;&gt;MDN Web Docs: prefers-color-scheme&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3schools.com/css/css_specificity.asp&quot;&gt;W3 Schools: CSS Specificity&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/blog/contrast-how-hard-can-it-be/&quot;&gt;WebAIM: Evaluating Color and Contrast - How hard can it be?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://css-tricks.com/a-complete-guide-to-dark-mode-on-the-web/&quot;&gt;CSS-Tricks: A Complete Guide to Dark Mode on the Web&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>495041</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-08-25T17:16:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a training event for accessible virtual meetings. The “Accessible Meetings for All” event shared best practices for organizing and running meetings that are inclusive for all.</Description><Audience/><Title>Recordings Available: Accessible Meetings for All</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Request for Proposal</Subject><Subject>RFP</Subject><Subject>tablet</Subject><Subject>corrections</Subject><Subject>product</Subject><Subject>accessible</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Bringing accessible tablets to incarcerated people in correctional facilities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>hands holding a tablet </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hands-holding-table-intranet-blog_tcm38-490756.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>hands holding a tablet</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hands-holding-tablet-blog-thumb_tcm38-490777.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-07 - Bringing accessible tablets to incarcerated people in correctional facilities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-490755&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-26T21:00:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sharing how the Department of Corrections is creating a tablet system that meets the state digital accessibility standard for all incarcerated users.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The ongoing effort to deliver tablets that are digitally accessible to an incarcerated population </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Lois Tucke, Sign Language Interpreter Specialist and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, and Rosie Widell, Digital Accessibility Coordinator and Risk Management, Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Corrections (DOC) provides tablets to the people housed in Minnesota’s state correctional facilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These tablets aim to strengthen bonds between incarcerated populations and their friends, family, and the community. For those incarcerated, secure electronic devices provide further access to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;rehabilitative program content,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;religious content,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;important department updates, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ease of access to staff communications and processes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, these devices provide positive leisure activities, such as games, movies, and books. The DOC expects high-quality and accessible products for our users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From the start, the DOC committed to upholding the state standard to make information accessible to all people living in state facilities. We are seeking to build a tablet system that meets the state digital accessibility standard for all incarcerated users and want to share how we are making this a reality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Developing the baseline for the RFP&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team began discussing digital accessibility before writing the Request for Proposal (RFP) and identified some of the accessibility-related business requirements. RFP development included input from both DOC and Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2017&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The DOC Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee met to develop the original standards for the RFP. They released the RFP in 2018.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The RFP incorporated the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota digital accessibility requirements&lt;/a&gt; into the specifications. DOC and Jay Wyant, MNIT’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer vetted those requirements. They updated the document to include additional procedures and exceptions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Wyant updated the document to reflect federal law and cleaned up the language. Afterwards the members of the Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee met to discuss and approve draft changes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2018&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee completed the final review and approval of the RFP.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;RFP language and commitment to accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emphasizing the importance of digital accessibility was a priority for the RFP’s language. To do this, we included the following statements in the RFP:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;VIII. Scope of Work&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The State of Minnesota, Department of Administration is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Offender/ Client Telephone Calling/Recording/Monitoring System, for both the Department of Corrections (DOC) and Department of Human Services (DHS). This RFP also includes Kiosk/Tablet Services for DOC and DHS, and Money Transfer/Lockbox and Debit Release Card Services for the Department of Corrections (DOC) only. Proposed solutions will have to seamlessly interface with DOC/DHS core Offender/Client/Resident demographics, Offender/Client/Resident financial and Agency intelligence systems. These systems and services will be for facilities located at: Oak Park Heights, Stillwater, Rush City, St. Cloud, Faribault, Lino Lakes, Moose Lake, Red Wing, Shakopee, St. Paul, St. Peter, Togo, and Willow River.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of this RFP is to select a Contract Vendor to provide the best combination of security, reliability, service, and commissions that is an affordable, low cost option for community members….&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities and encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. All impacted State information systems, tools and information content shall comply.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;V. IT Accessibility Standards &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The State of Minnesota (branch state agencies) has developed &lt;span style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;IT Accessibility Standards&lt;/span&gt; effective September 1, 2010, which entails, in part, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 (Level AA) and Section 508 Subparts A-D which can be viewed at: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/pdf/accessibility_standard.pdf&quot;&gt;http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/pdf/accessibility_standard.pdf&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Standards apply to web sites, software applications, electronic reports and output documentation, training delivered in electronic formats (including, but not limited to, documents, videos, and webinars), among others. As upgrades are made to the software/products/subscriptions available through this Contract, the Contract Vendor agrees to develop functionality which supports accessibility. If any issues arise due to nonconformance with the above-mentioned accessibility standards, the Contract Vendor agrees to provide alternative solutions upon request at no additional charge to the State.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Appendix I&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;B. System Interface&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“19. System interface should be ADA (Americans with Disability Act) accessible utilizing or compatible with adaptive technologies according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 of the State of Minnesota&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; style=&quot;font-family: Verdana;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;IT Accessibility Standards&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selecting a vendor&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On September 24, 2019, the DOC awarded Global Tel*Link Corporation (GTL) a contract to replace the existing telephone, kiosk, and debit/credit card solutions, and to also provide tablet-based communication, entertainment, and education services to incarcerated persons. The Office of Accessibility and DOC’s digital accessibility coordinators provided counsel and feedback when selecting the vendor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility testing&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the most important steps we took to ensure all users have an accessible product was to ask accessibility experts to review the tablet systems early in the development process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We included accessibility testing as part of the user acceptance testing (UAT). We coordinated with MNIT’s Office of Accessibility and developed specific test plans. This allowed experts to strategically test specific functionality and parts of the system. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing has been in depth and is ongoing. It includes testing for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color contrast&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Magnification&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard operability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Switch device operability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visible focus&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Focus order&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ease of use&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DOC, in cooperation with MNIT’s Office of Accessibility, collated testing results, wrote an initial report on the findings, and met with the vendor to address barriers and possible solutions. The vendor also hired a third-party expert to test and certify functionality they developed for the tablet. The DOC and MNIT’s Office of Accessibility are currently working to determine accessibility of third-party applications, such as games, the vendor has made available on the tablet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finalizing the tablet as an accessible product&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve received initial feedback from testers that suggests we have more work to do to ensure that the Android tablets are accessible for all users. The testers discovered many barriers to accessibility, especially in third party apps. Performing accessibility testing in the middle of the process provided the necessary oversight for the department to work with the contractor to correct issues as able.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finding inaccessible areas and doing our best to fix them are necessary parts of the process. It’s not always easy to tackle areas of opportunity and equity, such as locating games for blind users, but it is necessary to our inclusion goals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although the project is not yet finished, the DOC’s goal is to have tablets in the hands of our state’s incarcerated people soon.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Helpful links&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stnd_State_Accessibility_tcm38-61585.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Stnd_State_Accessibility - 2018&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stnd_State_Accessibility - 2018&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota&apos;s Accessibility Standard (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>490755</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Collaboration</Title><Id>232497</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-26T21:00:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The State of Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), Tarek Tomes, was named a finalist for the 2021 National Nonprofit/Public Sector CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Commissioner Tomes Finalist for National CIO of the Year Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>Tarek Tomes</Subject><Subject>Commissioner</Subject><Subject>CIO of the Year</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Commissioner Tomes Finalist for National CIO of the Year Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>National ORBIE Awards logo and Commissioner Tomes portrait.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/orbie-awards_tcm38-491077.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>National ORBIE Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/orbie-awards_tcm38-491076.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2021-07 - MNIT Commissioner Tomes Finalist for National CIO of the Year Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-491063&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-23T14:27:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), Tarek Tomes, was named a finalist for the 2021 National Nonprofit/Public Sector CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT’s Commissioner Named Finalist by InspireCIO in the Nonprofit/Public Sector Category</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;July 23, 2021 (St. Paul, MN)&lt;/strong&gt; - The State of Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), Tarek Tomes, was &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.prweb.com/releases/finalists_named_for_the_inaugural_national_cio_of_the_year_orbie_awards/prweb17913457.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;named a finalist for the 2021 National Nonprofit/Public Sector CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Tomes received the 2020 Twin Cities Nonprofit/Public Sector CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award in September 2020, after which he was nominated for the National CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award alongside ORBIE winners from the InspireCIO Leadership Network chapters across the U.S.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Awards recognize technology executives for outstanding leadership and the business value created by technology innovation. Finalists and award winners were celebrated during a virtual award ceremony on Thursday, July 22, 2021.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Technology played a central role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioner Tomes and his team at MNIT worked tirelessly to meet the needs of Minnesotans, and we are proud that they are being recognized for their service to the state.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tomes was appointed in April 2019 by Governor Tim Walz to his role at the State of Minnesota. He brings over 25 years of experience in managing technology innovation across diverse industries, both in national, international, and public and private sector operations. Throughout his career, he has facilitated data-driven decision making, implemented many critical enterprise projects, and improved workforce diversity and inclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.7 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>491063</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-07-23T16:23:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>As offices re-open, you may be moving to a hybrid work environment – spending some time working both in the office and remotely. MNIT’s cybersecurity experts share the top 9 things to keep in mind if you move between home and office locations.</Description><Audience/><Title>9 Ways to Secure a Hybrid Workplace</Title><Publisher/><Subject>hybrid</Subject><Subject>telework</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>remote</Subject><Subject>cyber</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Nine ways to secure a hybrid workplace</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Split screen of office desk at home and in the office.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/home-office-side-by-side-adj_tcm38-490846.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Split screen of office desk at home and in the office.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hybrid-office_tcm38-490849.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-07 - 9 Ways to Secure a Hybrid Workplace</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-490852&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-07-22T20:06:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT’s cybersecurity experts share the top nine tips to keep in mind, whether you work in the office, remotely, or both.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Keep your data and device safe when working in the office or remotely</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s cybersecurity experts share nine steps you can take to keep sensitive data safe and protect devices and private data, whether you work in the office, remotely, or both.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;1. Physically secure devices at home and in the office.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ensure that devices and data are stored securely in locked drawers or file cabinets, away from prying fingers and eyes when not in use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/1-store-devices-safely_tcm38-490854.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-001&quot; alt=&quot;Locked cabinet in a cubicle.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2. Secure devices while in transit.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Physically secure your device in your vehicle, keep it where it is not easily seen, when traveling to or from the office. Vehicles can be susceptible to break-ins, which could result in your devices or data being stolen, and this could lead to a data breach. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/2-don%27t-leave-in-vehicle_tcm38-490855.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-002&quot; alt=&quot;Car window broken into.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;3. Screen-lock devices when you step away from your remote or work office.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An unlocked computer or phone can be easily compromised. To prevent someone from gaining unauthorized access to your device, require a strong password, fingerprint, or facial recognition to unlock and secure devices. Always lock the screen on your laptop or other device when you step away, even at home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/3-screen-lock_tcm38-490862.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-003&quot; alt=&quot;Locked screen on a State of Minnesota employee&apos;s laptop.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4. Never leave devices and data unattended in a conference room or public area.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stepping away from your device for a minute to talk or take a break in a public setting (whether it&apos;s a conference room or even your office building) seems harmless, but if devices or information are left unattended, even for just a moment, they can be lost or taken.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/4-never-leave-unattended_tcm38-490856.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-004&quot; alt=&quot;Laptop left in an empty conference room.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-004&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;5. If you need a badge, bring it to the office, and only use it for yourself.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you use an employee badge or ID to enter your office, remember to keep it with you, so you can access your secure work area or other secure facilities. Don&apos;t let someone follow you into a secure area after you&apos;ve swiped your badge. They should also swipe their badge to make sure they are allowed to enter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/5-remember-badge_tcm38-490857.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-005&quot; alt=&quot;Individual wearing an employee badge that identifies them as Robert Smith.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-005&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;6. Be aware of anyone without a badge or an escort in a secure area.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you see someone who doesn’t have a badge in your office and badges are required, or if someone is walking in a secure area unescorted, report it to security or reception desk. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/6-access_tcm38-490858.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-006&quot; alt=&quot;Closed door with a sign that indicates secure area.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-006&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;7. Use a password manager to keep your passwords secure.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don&apos;t write down passwords on a piece of paper; don&apos;t save passwords in a Word file on your computer or in your browser; and don&apos;t share your passwords. These pose huge security risks. Instead, use a password manager to generate, retrieve, and keep track of your strong passwords. That way you only need to remember one password to access everything.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/8-password-manager_tcm38-490859.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-007&quot; alt=&quot;Logging into the Minnesota Self-Service portal.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-007&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;8. Watch for suspicious emails and phishing attacks.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It&apos;s safe for you to open an email to determine if it is legitimate or a phishing attempt. What you do after opening email could pose a security risk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Question it.&lt;/strong&gt; Be suspicious if the email includes common phishing tactics – is it threatening, urgent, offer something at a discount or free, or ask you to share private information such as credit card or bank accounts. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Examine it.&lt;/strong&gt; Look for an external warning banner at the top. Check to see if the sender&apos;s name and email address match. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don&apos;t immediately respond.&lt;/strong&gt; Hover your cursor over links and attachments to look at the URL and determine if they are legitimate. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Verify it.&lt;/strong&gt; If you receive an unexpected email – even from someone you know – do not immediately click on links or open attachments. Contact the sender using an alternate method to confirm that they actually sent the email. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Report it.&lt;/strong&gt; If you think it&apos;s suspicious or a phishing attempt, report it, and delete it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cyber criminals want to steal your information, and phishing attacks can happen at the workplace or at the home office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/9-suspicious-emails_tcm38-490860.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-008&quot; alt=&quot;Email inbox screenshot showing 17 unread emails.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-008&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;9. Connect devices and resources securely.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While working from remotely, always use secure WiFi and your organization&apos;s Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect securely. If you’re on the go, use a mobile hotspot and VPN. At the office, connect directly to your organization&apos;s network whenever possible. If you’re in a conference room or other location, connect your phone or laptop to a secure WiFi.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/10-free-wifi_tcm38-490861.jpg&quot; title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-009&quot; alt=&quot;Free WiFi sign in a mouse trap.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;hybrid-cyber-009&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>490852</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-19T23:06:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a training event for accessible virtual meetings. The “Accessible Meetings for All” event shared best practices for organizing and running meetings that are inclusive for all.</Description><Audience/><Title>Recordings Available: Accessible Meetings for All</Title><Publisher/><Subject>recording</Subject><Subject>video</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day </Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>accessible meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Recordings Available: Accessible Meetings for All</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Global Accessibility Awareness Day logo with &quot;recap&quot; spelled out on wooden blocks.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-recap-blog_tcm38-485780.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Global Accessibility Awareness Day logo with &quot;recap&quot; spelled out on wooden blocks.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GAAD-recap-blog-thumb_tcm38-485779.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-06 - Recordings Available: Accessible Meetings for All</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-485786&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-06-24T20:27:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>The “Accessible Meetings for All” event shared best practices for organizing and running meetings that are inclusive for all.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) with a training event.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility hosted a training event for accessible virtual meetings. The “Accessible Meetings for All” event shared best practices for organizing and running meetings that are inclusive for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay Wyant, Minnesota’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer introduced the event. Rosie Widell, Digital Accessibility Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, moderated the session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are links to YouTube videos of the quick tips and resources the experts shared:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning for Reasonable Accommodations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/HrH0PjS0-gM?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-001_tcm38-485852.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gaad-recap-01&quot; alt=&quot;Planning for reasonable accommodations [video] first slide of presentation displaying.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-recap-01&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Sarah Herder Lewis. Herder Lewis is the Director of Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion at MNIT. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Planning%20for%20Reasonable%20Accommodations%20Transcript_tcm38-486682.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Planning for Reasonable Accommodations Video Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Planning for Reasonable Accommodations Video Transcript&quot;&gt;Planning for reasonable accommodations transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pre-Meeting Preparations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/EGktcOgxVEI?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-002_tcm38-485853.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gaad-recap-002&quot; alt=&quot;Pre-meeting preparations [video] first slide of presentation displaying.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-recap-002&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi. Delisi is the Accessibility Analyst in the Office of Accessibility. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Pre-Meeting%20Preparations%20Transcript_tcm38-486858.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Pre-Meeting Preparations Video Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Pre-Meeting Preparations Video Transcript&quot;&gt;Pre-meeting preparations transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Setting a Baseline for All Meetings&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/AXdkucr852g?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-003_tcm38-485854.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gaad-recap-003&quot; alt=&quot;Setting a baseline for all meetings [video] first slide of presentation displaying.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-recap-003&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Lolly Lijewski. Lijewski is the Digital Accessibility Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Setting%20a%20Baseline%20for%20All%20Meetings%20Transcript_tcm38-486821.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Setting a Baseline for All Meetings Video Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Setting a Baseline for All Meetings Video Transcript&quot;&gt;Setting a baseline for all meetings transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To Chat or Not&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/NhXx9M7vKTc?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-004_tcm38-485855.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gaad-recap-004&quot; alt=&quot;To chat or not [video] first slide of presentation displaying.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-recap-004&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/To%20Chat%20or%20Not_tcm38-486823.pdf&quot; title=&quot;To Chat or Not Video Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;To Chat or Not Video Transcript&quot;&gt;To chat or not transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sharing and Presenting Slides&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/4ykPNW8L6EU?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-005_tcm38-485856.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gaad-recap-005&quot; alt=&quot;Sharing and presenting slides [video] first slide of presentation displaying.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-recap-005&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Elaine Settergren. Settergren is a Reference Librarian at the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Sharing%20and%20Presenting%20Slides%20Transcript_tcm38-486857.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Sharing and Presenting Slides Video Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Sharing and Presenting Slides Video Transcript&quot;&gt;Sharing and presenting slides transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/ABzvykVBjgU?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-006_tcm38-485857.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gaad-recap-006&quot; alt=&quot;Captioning [video] first slide of presentation displaying.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-recap-006&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Samantha Fischer. Fischer is the Accessibility Coordinator at Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Captioning%20Transcript_tcm38-486681.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Captioning Video Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Captioning Video Transcript&quot;&gt;Captioning transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technology Considerations and Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/zOPLOfx2YbA?autoplay=0&amp;amp;rel=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-recap-007_tcm38-485858.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gaad-recap-007&quot; alt=&quot;Technology considerations and resources [video] first slide of presentation displaying.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-recap-007&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Kris Schulze. Schulze is the Experience IT Manager at MNIT. &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Technology%20Considerations%20and%20Resources%20Transcript_tcm38-486822.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Technology Considerations and Resources Video Transcript&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Technology Considerations and Resources Video Transcript&quot;&gt;Technology considerations and resources transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>485786</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Collaboration</Title><Id>232497</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-06-24T20:53:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As you build your skills, take time to ensure that what you do is accessible. Regardless of whether you’re writing a document or building a web application, make sure you use the basic building blocks of digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>Fundamentals and Gaps</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>basics</Subject><Subject>images</Subject><Subject>colors</Subject><Subject>links</Subject><Subject>wand</Subject><Subject>magic</Subject><Subject>granger</Subject><Subject>structure</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Fundamentals and Gaps</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>colorful computer code coming from the end of a magic wand</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/magic-wand-computer-code-blog_tcm38-485860.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>colorful computer code coming out of the end of a magic wand</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/magic-wand-computer-code-blog-thumb_tcm38-485861.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-06 - Fundamentals and Gaps</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-485847&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-06-24T20:27:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>As you build your skills, take time to ensure that what you do is accessible. Regardless of whether you’re writing a document or building a web application, make sure you use the basic building blocks of digital accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Everyone has the power to be accessible</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the Harry Potter series, first-year students get their wand before they even know how to use them. How well a student uses their wand depends on how much time and effort they put into practice and learning new commands. But everyone shares the same basic skills. Hermione Granger was able to do more with her wand than most of her peers not because she had more magical powers, but because she took the time to learn and practice new spells.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility is similar – everyone should know enough to perform the elemental skills. While not everyone will be a Hermione, everyone has the same access to more knowledge and skill development. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You use tools when you create digital content like: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;sending an email &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;writing a document&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;posting on social media&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;designing a website&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;programming a web application &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider the tool you need to use as your wand. Maybe you started using your tool without any training. Then you learned tips from co-workers. Maybe you found a tutorial online. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you build your skills, take time to ensure that what you do is accessible. Regardless of whether you’re writing a document or building a web application, make sure you use the basic building blocks of digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility basics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Structure&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use &lt;strong&gt;headings&lt;/strong&gt; wherever possible to chunk your content. Think of headings as your outline – don’t skip heading levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bullets, tables, and lists&lt;/strong&gt; add meaning to your content. Each tells the reader something about the content even before reading the information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bullets say these items or issues are part of a group.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lists say this is a group of related items. Numbered lists say there is an order to the items.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tables say there’s data about a particular topic.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images and colors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images are powerful communication tools. Use them and ensure that people who may not see the image will still get the information through alt text. Focus on the message you’re conveying. Suppose you post an article about groundwater contamination and include a picture of creek. Which is more meaningful alt text?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creek&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creek discolored with weeds and other aquatic plants.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like images, colors help convey meaning. Using red text can alert users to a needed step, such as completing a required form field. But the red needs to have sufficient contrast. You also need to have a way for people who can’t see the color to get the same information, such as through symbols (asterisk), text (“required”), or other elements. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Good color contrast example&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(192, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;This shade of red provides good color contrast.&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(Hex red #C00000 on white background  #FFFFFF, 6.5:1)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Insuffient color contrast example&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: rgb(255, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;This popular shade of red does not have sufficient color contrast.&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
(Hex red #FF0000 on white background #FFFFFF, 4:1)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Links&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use meaningful text for links. Use words that define the reason for the link and make that selectable, rather than the listing the URL.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The links below navigate to the same website. Which is easier to understand?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/link_text&quot;&gt;A great WebAIM article on links and hypertext&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/link_text&quot;&gt;Read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/link_text&quot;&gt;https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/link_text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Readability&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility isn’t just for assistive technology users. It impacts everyone. Readability is a great example of this. How many times have your eyes glazed over a legal disclaimer? You know you should read it, but you just can’t muster the energy. This issue becomes even more critical for some people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more on what you can do, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/482174&quot;&gt;check out Kendall Johnson’s and Jennie Delisi’s excellent blog on readability&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identify gaps&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So you’ve got your “wand” – the tool you use to do your job, whether it’s writing a document or coding an application. Do you know how to ensure your work is accessible?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, you may post content on your organization’s web page. Do you know what level heading to use? If your website’s content management editor takes care of that for you, take a moment to thank the staff for doing that. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also, are you sure that your tool is doing the right thing? For example, if you’re using “no code software,” is it producing fundamentally sound HTML5 code, or is it adding a whole bunch of extra code such as ARIA that may not be necessary?   As you assemble your page or application, test as you go. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check tab order and focus. Is it predictable and easy to follow?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure your form’s labels align with form names.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Look at the code. Are headings, links, and labels in HTML?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What about new stuff?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, suppose you learn about this cool new tool that makes your job easier. Ask yourself – does it improve my ability to support digital accessibility?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“But I’m not an expert!” you cry. “How can I tell if it supports accessibility?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, you can start with what you know, then ask questions and request help for the rest. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All tools should have an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), sometimes called a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat&quot;&gt;VPAT&lt;sup&gt;®&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/a&gt;). Check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp&quot;&gt;Procurement page&lt;/a&gt; on the Office of Accessibility website for more information on VPATs and ACRs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vendors should provide guidance or training on how to ensure your output is accessible. If they don’t, ask them why not. If you can’t get a good answer, ask yourself if it’s worth it to use this tool if you can’t ensure digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After all, would you use a wand that didn’t let you learn new spells?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>485847</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-06-24T20:52:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 20 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in Minnesota. Over the past year, businesses, governments, and Minnesotans have relied on technology and digital services as a connector and a path forward. Minnesota joins the world to celebrate digital accessibility in conjunction with Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).</Description><Audience/><Title>Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Digital Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>a11y</Subject><Subject>state technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Virtual meeting on a laptop with some people signing ASL and others smiling, empty speech bubbles in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/acessible-meeting-blog-thumb_tcm38-482599.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2021-05 - Global Accessibility Awareness Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-482425&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-05-20T15:50:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 20 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in Minnesota. Over the past year, businesses, governments, and Minnesotans have relied on technology and digital services as a connector and a path forward. Minnesota joins the world to celebrate digital accessibility in conjunction with Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 20 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May 20, 2021 (St. Paul, MN) - Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 20 to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/05.20.21%20Digital%20Accessibility%20Awareness%20Day_tcm1055-482407.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. Over the past year, businesses, governments, and Minnesotans have relied on technology and digital services as a connector and a path forward. Minnesota joins the world to celebrate digital accessibility in conjunction with Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; is charged with overseeing the implementation of accessibility standards for all executive branch employees and employers. This work was critically important during the state’s COVID-19 response. By implementing the digital accessibility standard, individuals connected with government through an improved online experience, including applying for benefits, reading COVID-19 updates and information, and understanding changes to programs and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility, MNIT, and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) created accessible applications, websites, and documents for the public. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MDH COVID-19&lt;/a&gt; site was recently recognized by &lt;a href=&quot;https://disabilityhealth.jhu.edu/vaccinedashboard/webaccess/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Johns Hopkins University’s Disability Health Research Center&lt;/a&gt; as the top state COVID-19 information website with the least accessibility errors as tested by WAVE, a website accessibility evaluation tool. &lt;a href=&quot;https://vaccineconnector.mn.gov/en-US/covid-19%20vaccine/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Vaccine Connector&lt;/a&gt; was also top in the nation, ranked number seven. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We are proud of the cross-agency partnerships that make readable content, usable interfaces, and effective mobile access. It is a shared responsibility between all of state government to make sure that Minnesotans uphold their right to access government services and critical information.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, CIO for the State of Minnesota, MNIT Commissioner&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Digital platforms have been incredibly important tools for public health throughout the pandemic. We’ve worked hard to use these tools to provide clear, accurate and timely information to Minnesotans in formats they could easily access. We appreciate the partnership with MNIT every step of the way.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jan Malcolm, Minnesota Commissioner of Health&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To celebrate Digital Accessibility Awareness Day, the Office of Accessibility hosted a free training event for state employees. Experts across state government shared best practices for organizing and running meetings that are inclusive for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>482425</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessible Government</Title><Id>232634</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-05-20T19:30:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>You can create engaging and accessible social media. The basic principles will sound familiar. </Description><Audience/><Title>Engaging and Accessible Social Media</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>tips</Subject><Subject>plain</Subject><Subject>language</Subject><Subject>writing</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Don’t bury the headline</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>illustration of two people talking with squiggly lines where their brains are, and in the communication bubble between them</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/plain-language-conversation-blog_tcm38-482178.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>illustration of two people talking with squiggly lines where their brains are, and in the communication bubble between them</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/plain-language-conversation-blog-thumb_tcm38-482179.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-05 - Technical Documents and Plain Language</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-482174&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-05-14T20:20:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Plain language helps readers understand communication the first time they read it and know what they need to do next. Quick tips to help you in writing plain language:</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Plain language tips and tricks for technical writing</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Kendall Johnson, Minnesota IT Communications, and Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language helps readers understand communication the first time they read it and know what they need to do next. Quick tips to help you in writing plain language:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use language commonly understood by the public.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Write in short and complete sentences.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Present information in a format that is easy-to-find and easy-to-understand.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clearly state directions and deadlines to the audience.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is plain language important?  &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We all experience dense forms, documents, and websites. The information can confuse you and waste your time with complicated jargon and hard-to-find links. With this in mind, Governor Tim Walz &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_05_EO_19-29_tcm1055-379049.pdf&quot;&gt;reissued an executive order&lt;/a&gt; (PDF) to make state government better for the people it serves. The order requires plain language in the Executive Branch for the State of Minnesota. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.lrl.mn.gov/archive/execorders/14-07.pdf&quot;&gt;original executive order 14-07&lt;/a&gt; (PDF) required plain language for communicating with Minnesotans. Some state agencies created additional policies or requirements for plain language. Everyone benefits from this, including Minnesotans with cognitive disabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language also helps your audience understand the information you share. Imagine that a person with English as a second language needs to read your technical instructions. Or, your audience may skim the information you present. Clearly communicating that information using plain language principles improves the chance that everyone can understand it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When should it be used?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use plain language in all communications, whether it is for printed materials or online content. When writing technical or legal documentation, use plain language as much as possible. The executive order does not distinguish between types of communications – it says when communicating with Minnesotans. It is best to check with the subject matter expert when simplifying language to verify the accuracy of the content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Write to your reader  &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Imagine your reader as an actual person. Another term for this is giving them a &quot;persona.&quot; Now, customize your writing from that persona&apos;s perspective. For example, a persona for a state of Minnesota employee might be something like this: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet Jane. She works for the Department of Natural Resources. In her daily work, Jane regularly writes letters and documents in Microsoft Word and uploads them to the division&apos;s shared document storage. She uses Outlook to coordinate emails and meetings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meet Jeremy. They work in a technical cybersecurity role at a state agency. They may not be as familiar with enterprise-wide acronyms. They are also very busy in their role and don’t have a lot of extra time to closely analyze documents.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you communicate to either Jane or Jeremy, there are cues in their personas that show how plain language best practices would help strengthen your message. If you are writing a cybersecurity technical document for Jeremy, you may be able to use more technical language. Jeremy may understand your document better if you: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;use active language, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;make the critical information stand out, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;avoid long sentences. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before you share that same cybersecurity information with people who do not work in a technical role, like Jane, you’ll need to make some changes. Use less-technical language that any user could understand. The amount of plain language editing all depends on your audience. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain language best practices also ensure that your content is inclusive for individuals with cognitive disabilities. This includes coworkers and citizens who may have had a stroke, have dyslexia, or have had a brain injury. You may not know that your coworker has one of these disabilities unless they choose to share this information with you.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain Language Writing Tips&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People are in a hurry. They skim and scan, looking for fast answers to their questions, so it’s important to quickly get to the point. Help your readers complete their tasks with these writing tips:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Focus on people&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Help readers see themselves in the text. Use words like I, me, we, our, ours, you, your.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use personal pronouns or name the person&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I am writing in response…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suzy Smith will contact you…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You may copy this certificate…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use active voice, not passive:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Passive voice:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We will be asking that all homeowners complete Form C.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Form C must be completed by all homeowners.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Active voice:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All homeowners must complete Form C.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You must complete Form C.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use short, simple sentences&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People rarely read letters, reports, or web content word by word. Instead, they scan the page. Use the following tips to make sure they get your point:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Start with the conclusion.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have one idea per paragraph.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use half the number of words you would use in conventional writing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid unnecessary words:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Weak: The purpose of this letter is to tell you that we have accepted your claim.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strong: We accepted your claim.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Weak: There are three forms that must be completed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strong: You must fill out three forms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use words readers know&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use short and simple words:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stop not cease&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Before not prior to&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get not procure&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep not retain&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure not ensure&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don&apos;t use nouns that hide verbs:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deny not denial&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maintain not maintenance&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assign not assignment&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Define acronyms
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Spell out the first use of an acronym, followed by its abbreviation. You can use the abbreviated acronym in the rest of the document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Example:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) provides technical expertise. In an early release, the MPCA…&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More examples of ways to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/words/use-simple-words-phrases/&quot;&gt;Use simple words and phrases can be found on the plainlanguage.gov website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make the text visual&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make information stand out. Use:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bullets for lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Numbers for steps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tables for parallel statements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Format pages to help users&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use visually distinct and proper heading structures. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add white space (using formatting tools) to help users locate information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Group similar information together and use white space around it to present manageable pieces.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reading levels &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One tool to improve plain language is to check the communication’s reading level. For those using Microsoft Word, you can &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-your-document-s-readability-and-level-statistics-85b4969e-e80a-4777-8dd3-f7fc3c8b3fd2&quot;&gt;run a check for readability statistics&lt;/a&gt;. It gives you information about the reading level of your text. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are different types of reading level tests. One test in the Microsoft tool scores the complexity of the words used. It does this by averaging the number of syllables per word and words per sentence. The other scores how it compares to U.S. school grade levels. Use this as a guide but it is not the only consideration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commonly used industry terms may impact a reading level by raising it. Use them with intention. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Following the tips in this plain language guide will help make the reading level of your text more appropriate for your readers. Reducing reading levels is a skill and will take time to master. Tools like the readability statistics can help you get a baseline to understand how you typically write. Other tools, like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://hemingwayapp.com/&quot;&gt;Hemingway App&lt;/a&gt;, help while you write. Use the feedback while writing to determine when there are could be simpler ways to present the same information. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find Your Plain Language Policy&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We recommend you find the policy that applies to you, for your specific workplace. If you don’t have one, start the conversation. This helps everyone work from a common understanding and work towards a common goal: communicating so that all members of your audience can understand. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>482174</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-05-19T22:00:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) was recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the 2021 Virtual Minnesota Safety and Health Conference, May 4-5. MNIT is one of 221 employers to be honored through the awards program, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Earns Governor’s Safety Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>safety</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Safety Council</Subject><Subject>MN Safety Council</Subject><Subject>Governor&apos;s Award</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota IT Services Earns Governor’s Safety Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text on blue pattern: Governor&apos;s Safety Award Winner</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/safety-award-winner_tcm38-480303.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text on blue pattern: Governor&apos;s Safety Award Winner</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/safety-award-winner_tcm38-480304.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-05 - Governors Safety Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-480189&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-05-06T18:31:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) was recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the 2021 Virtual Minnesota Safety and Health Conference, May 4-5. MNIT is one of 221 employers to be honored through the awards program, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT received an Award of Honor, the top level for which winners are recognized</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) was recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the 2021 Virtual Minnesota Safety and Health Conference, May 4-5. MNIT is one of 221 employers to be honored through the awards program, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 1934, the annual Governor’s Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers with exceptional safety performance. Applicants are judged on several years of injury data as it compares with their industry’s national statistics, and on their progress in implementing a comprehensive safety program. MNIT received an Award of Honor, the top level for which winners are recognized. The 52 Award of Honor recipients have incidence rates at least 91% better than the industry average, and a score between 91 and 100 on the safety program evaluation scale. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“MNIT uses a proactive approach by putting health and safety at the forefront of our operations and motivating employees in the effort. This lowers costs related to accidents and illness. MNIT creates a safe, positive, and healthy work environment, encouraging safety consciousness and promoting wellness throughout our workforce.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Melissa Warhol, MNIT’s Safety Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1928, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries on the road, at work, at home, and in the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“In a year that has challenged all of us in ways we never imagined, we are very pleased to recognize Minnesota IT Services for their award. Safety demands extraordinary attention in a normal year, double that attention this past year. Thank you, Minnesota IT Services, for keeping your employees safe.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Paul Aasen, President, Minnesota Safety Council&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About MNIT’s Safety Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT Safety Program is an ongoing, cross-functional initiative that brings together people and resources to promote safety throughout the agency. The MNIT Safety Program believes in continuous improvement. No matter how effective our safety protocols are, they can always be better. Safety is integrated into our organization’s systems, practices, people, and leadership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past year, MNIT’s Safety Program trained and raised awareness for safety and health in the workplace:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety Program Manual&lt;/strong&gt;: The Safety Program Manual contains our guiding principles to effectively control workplace hazards. MNIT updated the manual to include an infectious disease control plan, respiratory protection, and guidance on civil unrest.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ergonomics Self-Assessment&lt;/strong&gt;: The online self-assessment tool and training helps employees better understand how to apply ergonomic principles in their work avoiding musculoskeletal discomfort. This tool offers individualized tips, suggestions and resources based on the self-assessment. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emergency Training&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT effectively implemented our Incident Command Structure (ICS) in response to the pandemic and other simultaneously occurring incidents. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Week&lt;/strong&gt;: During the agency-wide training week, the Safety Committee held a virtual training session that more than 100 people attended.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Work at Home Series&lt;/strong&gt;: Safety Committee members created an internal interview series that featured MNIT employees working in their home environments. In each article, the committee provided information and tools to successfully work from home based on the interviewee’s experience.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Safety Perception Survey&lt;/strong&gt;: The survey collects employee feedback on their health and safety. We had a significant increase of participation in 2019 by 222% over previous year (2017) survey. MNIT has used the survey results to implement increased communication and transparency of initiatives to raise awareness of safety.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stretch Poster&lt;/strong&gt;: MNIT developed and distributed a stretch poster to employees to educate about proper stretching techniques and encourage stretching throughout the day. The poster was shared with other state agencies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, MNIT has not experienced an exposure or outbreak of COVID illness in a workplace. This is due to a rapid response in ensuring employee’s safety for those having to come into workplaces to conduct their work. They were trained in how to protect themselves, provided guidance on safety protocols, daily screening for illness and asked to report incidents immediately. MNIT has been pro-active on ensuring the safety of employee’s whether working in the office or remote. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>480189</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-05-06T17:18:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is May 20, 2021. Are you planning an event? We know that life is busy these days, so we want to share resources to help you.</Description><Audience/><Title>Free Digital Accessibility Resources</Title><Publisher/><Subject>quick </Subject><Subject>cards</Subject><Subject>quick cards</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>instructions</Subject><Subject>tips</Subject><Subject>resources</Subject><Subject>free</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Free Digital Accessibility Resources from the state of Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>picture of three quick cards: Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word accessibility quick cards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-resources-thumb_tcm38-477156.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>picture of three quick cards: Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word accessibility quick cards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-resources-thumb_tcm38-477157.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-04 - Free Digital Accessibility Resources</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-476719&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-26T18:49:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is May 20, 2021. Are you planning an event? We know that life is busy these days, so we want to share resources to help you.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Resources to Use for Your GAAD Celebrations</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Office of Accessibility Staff&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is May 20, 2021. Are you planning an event? We know that life is busy these days, so we want to share resources to help you:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Promote awareness about the importance of digital accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improve digital accessibility basic skills.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide resources for those needing more in-depth information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Awareness&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember that not all your employees learn the same way. Because of this, we offer a variety of resources in different formats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Videos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Accessibility Matters video explains how everyone benefits from accessible content and shares simple ideas to make content more accessible. It’s perfect for those new to the topic! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bonus: it’s only 84 seconds long! Even the busiest person can find time to watch it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9dypgQOjV6I&quot;&gt;Accessibility Matters with captions (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5oMPgoU507c&quot;&gt;Accessibility Matters with audio description and captions (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Activities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Create a keyboard-only (no mouse) challenge for GAAD – the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/no-mouse-challenge.jsp&quot;&gt;No Mouse Challenge&lt;/a&gt;.  This can help people learn more about what makes digital information more accessible. This hands-on activity encourages individuals to learn how assistive technologies interact with content. We recommend that you give participants key information before they start. You can provide: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Examples of more accessible websites.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share information on how assistive technologies navigate and interact with content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Challenge individuals to share their results.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Basics&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For groups eager to learn the basics, we have introductory information ready!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Quick Cards&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people need a quick way to learn about a topic before they are ready for a deeper dive. Other times you need a quick reminder about a digital accessibility basic. The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/accessibility-quick-cards.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Quick Cards intro&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Quick Cards intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility’s Quick Cards&lt;/a&gt; provide both!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Share the link to the entire group of resource cards, or share the link for a single topic. Note: the Map Quick Cards are not included in the complete set of accessibility quick cards, but we link to them later in this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Complete set of Quick Cards &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/CompleteSetAccessibilityQuickCards2017_tcm38-294078.pdf&quot;&gt;Complete set (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; Does not include Map Quick Cards&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individual Quick Cards&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/AdobeAcrobatQuickCard_tcm38-294077.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Acrobat&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Acrobat Pro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/AdobeInDesignQuickCard_tcm38-294080.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - InDesign&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - InDesign&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Adobe InDesign Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/KeyboardShortcutsQuickCard_tcm38-228375.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Keyboard Shortcuts&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Keyboard Shortcuts&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Keyboard Shortcuts Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MicrosoftExcelQuickCard_tcm38-294079.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Excel&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Excel&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Microsoft Excel Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MicrosoftPowerPointQuickCard_tcm38-294083.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - PowerPoint&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - PowerPoint&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Microsoft PowerPoint Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MicrosoftWordQuickCard_tcm38-294085.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Word&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Word&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MicrosoftOutlookQuickCard_tcm38-294082.pdf&quot; title=&quot;OutlookQuickCard2017&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Outlook&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Outlook Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/SocialMediaQuickCard_tcm38-294084.pdf&quot; title=&quot;SocialMediaQuick Card2017&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Social Media&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Social Media Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Training&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state of Minnesota’s free e-Learning program, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot;&gt;Accessible Word Document Training&lt;/a&gt;, is perfect for beginners. It teaches you how to create an accessible document in Microsoft Word. You can apply its principles to any digital document creation tool, such as Google Docs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is as interactive as you want it to be. As the learner, you control the pace of your learning. There is a practice document to download at the beginning of most modules. Use it to practice the principles of accessibility as you learn them. At the end of each module, you can compare your practice document with a completed version. Once you understand the principles, you can get a certificate of completion for that module.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bonus: Need a quick refresher? Go directly to that module to review as much as you need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reference Materials&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents/&quot;&gt;Accessible Electronic Documents&lt;/a&gt; helps content creators find detailed reference material on: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Microsoft Word. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acrobat Pro DC.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Microsoft PowerPoint. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Microsoft Excel.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adobe InDesign.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meetings&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 we shared several articles on best practices for meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/423822&quot;&gt;Accessible Remote Meetings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/446778&quot;&gt;Microsoft Teams Accessibility Tips&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/429835&quot;&gt;Remote Meeting Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/#/detail/appId/1/id/450251&quot;&gt;Tending to Your Audio&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In-Depth Information&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Graphics&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Flowcharts are powerful tools for communicating steps in a process or demonstrating organizational structure (org. charts). Digital Accessibility Coordinators shared advice in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/436349&quot;&gt;Key Considerations for Flowchart Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;InDesign Documents&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents/indesign.jsp&quot;&gt;Accessible InDesign Documents&lt;/a&gt; covers that information uniquely needed by InDesign document creators. It also contains the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/indesign-accessible-documents_tcm38-413703.pdf&quot;&gt;Creating Accessible Documents with Adobe InDesign Guide (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Maps&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each type of map has its own accessibility challenges and opportunities. Whether you need quick tips, or something more in-depth, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/&quot;&gt;Map Accessibility page&lt;/a&gt; will get you started. We have links to the Quick Cards here. Visit the site to access more detailed reference material, including &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/map-design-files.jsp&quot;&gt;color palette styles optimized for accessibility&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 17px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Map Accessibility Quick Cards &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-web-map_tcm38-403740.pdf&quot;&gt;Interactive Web Maps Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-map-design_tcm38-375674.pdf&quot;&gt;Map Design Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-static-map_tcm38-375675.pdf&quot;&gt;Static Maps Accessibility Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web and Apps&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can improve digital accessibility throughout the development life cycle. Those working with requirements, design, development, and testing may find the following resources helpful:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/websites-applications.jsp&quot;&gt;Web and Apps web page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following blog articles address specific topics in-depth:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/376674&quot;&gt;Button vs. Links&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/469250&quot;&gt;High Contrast Mode and Dark Theme Accessibility Testing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/454016&quot;&gt;HTML Accessibility Learning Ideas from State Employees&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/463816&quot;&gt;Making a Proposal and Grant Management System Accessible for All&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/463845&quot;&gt;Microsoft Edge + Immersive Reader&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep The Learning Going All Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The resources shared here are just a few examples of the work going on at the state of Minnesota. Check back on our website in the next few months, or better yet, &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot;&gt;subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt;. This will ensure that you are one of the first to access our latest resources. Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>476719</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2026-02-18T15:57:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>You can create engaging and accessible social media. The basic principles will sound familiar. </Description><Audience/><Title>Engaging and Accessible Social Media</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>tips</Subject><Subject>social media</Subject><Subject>social content</Subject><Subject>Facebook</Subject><Subject>LinkedIn</Subject><Subject>Twitter</Subject><Subject>videos</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Engaging and Accessible Social Media</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>picture of the twitter icon and silhouettes of tools </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/social-media-images-intranet_tcm38-477170.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>picture of the twitter icon and silhouettes of tools </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/social-media-tools-april-blog-thumb_tcm38-477166.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-04 - Engaging and Accessible Social Media</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-477167&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-26T18:47:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>You can create engaging and accessible social media. The basic principles will sound familiar. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Inclusive community connections</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can create engaging and accessible social media. The basic principles will sound familiar. Ensure your content is:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Perceivable&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Operable&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understandable &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Robust&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) apply to social media. In fact, social media and WCAG are part of the state of Minnesota&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;accessibility policies and standards&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn from great examples by State of Minnesota agencies, and get a few tips to help you post with confidence on any channel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility in Action&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fantastic Photos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images quickly tell your story and engage your readers. Ensure access for all your readers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide alternative text&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add key details into the text post&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 1: LinkedIn Post with Alt Text&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MDE_LI_Alt_tcm38-477164.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of LinkedIn post, alt text code “Student Learning from Home.”&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of LinkedIn post, alt text code “Student Learning from Home.”&quot; style=&quot;width: 78%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-nl-april-MDE_LI_Alt.jpg&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
The LinkedIn post from the Minnesota Department of Education post in Example 1 shows an image and job posting. The post text and image are provided below. 
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example 1 post text:&lt;/strong&gt; Join the Minnesota Department of Education to provide program and grant management related to the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Emergency Relief (ESSR) and the Governor’s Education Emergency Relief (GEER) funds, to support students at school districts and charter schools and to ensure that schools are optimizing their investment in students through Coronavirus Aid and Relief. We are looking for a new teammate who has experience with grants, training, teaching, or program management. Join us! Applications are due 4/12/21, apply today! &lt;a href=&quot;https://lnkd.in/gF-jdgR&quot;&gt;https://lnkd.in/gF-jdgR&lt;/a&gt; #education #experience
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Example 1 alt text:&lt;/strong&gt; Student Learning from Home.&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
The alt text code shown at the bottom of the screenshot describes what is happening in the foreground of the photo. This includes the key visual elements - the &quot;why&quot; they selected this image: student learning from home.
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 2: Facebook Post with Alt Text&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/DNR_FB_Alt_tcm38-477162.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Facebook post with alt text code exposed “Water logged state forest road due to spring rains and snow melt.”&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Facebook post with alt text code exposed “Water logged state forest road due to spring rains and snow melt.”&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-nl-april-DNR_FB_Alt&quot; /&gt; The alt text for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MinnesotaDNR/photos/a.421759708020731/1638901039639919/?type=3&amp;amp;theater&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Natural Resource&apos;s Facebook post&lt;/a&gt; describes the key elements in the image the &quot;why&quot; they selected this image. The post’s text provides greater context giving all readers more information. Use the post text to:
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify people in photos.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describe the topic.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide opportunities for readers to learn more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example 2 post text&lt;/strong&gt;: Warmer weather makes this a great time to get out and enjoy our Minnesota state forests!
&lt;br /&gt;
However, spring thaw creates wet, unstable road and trail conditions—meaning your usual road or trail may be temporarily restricted or closed.
&lt;br /&gt;
Know before you go! Avoid disappointment by checking the DNR website for updates before heading out. Temporary road and trail closure information is updated weekly on Thursdays by 2 p.m.
&lt;br /&gt;
Visit the DNR’s road closure web page: mndnr.gov/closures.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Example 2 alt text&lt;/strong&gt;: Water logged state forest road due to spring rains and snow melt.&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
The image in Example 2 includes a water-logged state forest road is only part of the message: road conditions may be different in some of the state forests. Check the website before you go.
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bragworthy Banners&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is often no way to add alt text to banners on many social media sites. Banner images can provide visitors a picture of your organization, current issues, or what you do. If you have text in the image, place it elsewhere for people using assistive technology to access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few simple places to include that information for common social media sites:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Twitter&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/how-to-customize-your-profile&quot;&gt;Update your Twitter bio&lt;/a&gt; to include the information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Facebook&lt;/strong&gt;: Depending on the category of your organization, you can add the additional text to your &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/help/160672070698623&quot;&gt;Facebook page information&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/71216/edit-your-linkedin-page-or-showcase-page?lang=en&quot;&gt;Edit your LinkedIn page&lt;/a&gt; to create a tagline, or include more information in the description of your page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many banners have a call to action, like links to your other channels. Use good color contrast to help users know where else you would like them to visit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 3: YouTube Banner with Good Contrast for Website URL&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/DLI_YT_Color_tcm38-477161.jpg&quot; title=&quot;accessibility-nl-april-DLI_YT_Color.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of YouTube banner, arrow points to right side with website address. Image: hard hats on hooks.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-nl-april-DLI_YT_Color.jpg&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) took care to ensure that the link to their website was easy to read (arrow points to it in the image) on their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVi3Dt7eqx2AFBw4ziHayoA&quot;&gt;YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;. Some social media channels like YouTube provide options for linking to your website and other social media channels in the banners. The color contrast of the text may not always be sufficient based on the color of the area of your image in that location, and any layer that is applied between the link and your image. In this case, DLI ensured the text for the web address when placed over the rectangle around it and the area of the photo of their YouTube banner image had good color contrast so it is easy to read.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Vibrant Videos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Videos capture everyone&apos;s attention, so make them with everyone in mind. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Audio needs quality captions, not just auto-captions. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visuals on-screen need audio description. If the social media platform allows, include audio descriptions in a separate audio track. You can also include descriptions in the video script. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide a transcript. They allow your audience to consume information at their own pace, or access the text through assistive technologies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If audio descriptions and transcripts are not supported in the social media platform, provide a link to a location that does.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example 4: Webpage with Preview of Video, Links to Transcript and Audio Described Version&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MDH_YT_From_Webpage_tcm38-477165.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of MN Dept of Health website. YouTube “How to Wash your Hands” video preview, 2 links for video transcript and audio described versions.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of MN Dept of Health website. YouTube “How to Wash your Hands” video preview, 2 links for video transcript and audio described versions.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-nl-april-MDH_YT_From_Webpage&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) created two versions of their video on How to Wash Your Hands. One has captions, the other has audio description and captions. Why? At the time of writing this blog, viewers can’t access separate audio description tracks for YouTube videos. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/handhygiene/&quot;&gt;MDH’s Hand Hygiene webpage&lt;/a&gt; also has a link to an accessible PDF of the video transcript. The website is a one-stop location for everyone to find what may work best for them. When MDH shares the video on social media channels, they include the link to this page, noting that an audio description version and transcript is available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scrutinize Shout-outs, Hashtags, and Links&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many elements of posts become links:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mentioning other pagers, individuals, or organizations with @ mentions/shout-outs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hashtags (#)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Links&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that assistive technology announces &quot;link&quot; each time it reads a link?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The purpose of these elements is to help people find your post, or help people find your information (links). Limit their use to improve readability. Posts should:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include only 1 or 2 @ mentions or hashtags in the main text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use CamelCase. If a word uses 2 words stuck together, use a capital letter at the beginning of each one. For example, #SocialMedia.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tell the person where a link will go if not a website. Use (PDF) and (Video) to alert them another software may open, or a video might start (since you cannot control autoplay on external websites).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the following order: post text, link, hashtags and mentions not part of the post text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Engaging Emoticons&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emoticons and emojis catch people&apos;s attention. Use them like a spice - thoughtfully, knowing your audience. We have an article all about how to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/436147&quot;&gt;Say It With a Face&lt;/a&gt; that includes checklists and considerations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connecting with Your Audience&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your followers may have questions, or even accessibility issues accessing your content. Provide them an easy-to-find method to contact you. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Include your organization&apos;s Contact Us webpage or other methods of how to reach you in the bio of your social media platform. You may not know that a feature of the social media platform changed and is now less accessible, or the link to your video transcript may be broken. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Giving your audience a way to reach out tells them that you are not just talking to them. It also says you want to listen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find a Great Example of an Accessible Post?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When content authors create engaging, accessible content let them know! Give them a like, a retweet, or even better – a comment! They will not be the only ones that get the message. Others visiting their channels can then learn from their example, and notice accessibility in action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>477167</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-28T18:02:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In April, the state marked an important milestone in the pandemic response – 1 million text messages sent to families to inform them about benefits for the state’s Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program. </Description><Audience/><Title>1 Million Text Messages! </Title><Publisher/><Subject>P-EBT</Subject><Subject>text message</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>SMS</Subject><Subject>DHS</Subject><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>1 Million Text Messages! </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A phone surrounded by food with illustration of text message saying, &quot;1 million text messages sent.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/P-EBT-million-001_tcm38-476231.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A phone surrounded by food.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/P-EBT-million-001_tcm38-476235.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-04 - 1 million text messages!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-476103&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-23T13:55:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>In April, the state marked an important milestone in the pandemic response – 1 million text messages sent to families to inform them about benefits for the state’s Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Technology allows Minnesotans to connect with government and receive the support they need. </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technology allows Minnesotans to connect with government and receive the support they need. In April, the state marked an important milestone in the pandemic response – 1 million text messages sent to families to inform them about benefits for the state’s Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic led many families in Minnesota to face food insecurity. In March, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act created the P-EBT program to provide food benefits to families with children who qualified for free and reduced meals at school, but who were not receiving those meals because school buildings had closed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), and Code for America Launched a web-based application for families to apply for benefits. The P-EBT project required extensive data matching with the Minnesota Department of Education to verify families’ free and reduced-price meal eligibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Evolution to text message notifications&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help Minnesotans receive their benefits as quickly as possible, and to ensure an efficient process, MNIT, DHS, and Amazon Web Services also created a program to text P-EBT eligible clients. Three MNIT groups – MNIT DHS, and teams at MNIT Enterprise working on system security and cloud technologies – collaborated with Amazon Web Services to spin up the technology, ensure the infrastructure was in place, and identify security mechanisms. Within two months, the teams successfully launched the P-EBT text message option. &lt;strong&gt;“Running this text message program in the cloud, with the proper set up, allows DHS staff to send out text messages to families who need support from P-EBT without MNIT’s help,”&lt;/strong&gt; says Woody Rasmussen, Integration Architect for MNIT DHS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The text messages help quickly alert Minnesotans who applied for P-EBT that their benefits had been issued, and the texts provide general information about the program. Messages have been sent in eight different languages: English, Spanish, Hmong, Arabic, Somali, Vietnamese, Karen and Russian. Since the text program launched, DHS surveyed individuals in the P-EBT program and found that over 90% preferred receiving their information about the program through text messages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Passing the 1 million texts milestone is a really good moment to celebrate. It’s incredible to think of how many people we were able to reach out to in a short amount of time,”&lt;/strong&gt; adds Nandini Namburi, Systems Architect for MNIT DHS.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about P-EBT, visit the the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/p-ebt/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;P-EBT webpage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>476103</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-23T13:55:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>In February 2021, Betty Urban received the Patriot Award by being nominated by her employee, Jim Lane, who is a 15-year veteran of the United States Army. Patriot Awards recognize the supervisor of an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve for support provided directly to the service member and his or her family. </Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Supervisor Receives Patriot Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>veteran</Subject><Subject>patriot award</Subject><Subject>mnit</Subject><Subject>mndot</Subject><Subject>jim lane</Subject><Subject>betty urban</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Supervisor Receives Patriot Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patriot Award hung up in a cube.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/patriot-award-blog_tcm38-473919.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Patriot Award hung up in a cube.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/patriot-award-blog-thumb_tcm38-473918.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-04 - MNIT Supervisor Receives Patriot Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-473827&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-04-01T14:46:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>In February 2021, Betty Urban received the Patriot Award by being nominated by her employee, Jim Lane, who is a 15-year veteran of the United States Army. Patriot Awards recognize the supervisor of an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve for support provided directly to the service member and his or her family. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Betty Urban received the Patriot Award for supporting employee, Jim Lane, while on active military leave</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jim Lane, a 15-year veteran of the United States Army, was called up for active duty in January 2020, only five months after he began his role as an IT Asset Delivery Specialist for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;His supervisor, Betty Urban, didn’t hesitate for a second to make sure that he had everything he needed to stay connected while he served his country. Urban made sure Lane had the information he needed for health insurance open enrollment, that he used his floating holiday, and even helped him apply for a promotion opportunity within the team. Lane is now an IT Application Specialist.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All these actions felt unremarkable to Urban but they prompted Lane to nominate her for a Patriot Award. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.esgr.mil/Employer-Awards/Patriot-Award&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Patriot Awards&lt;/a&gt; recognize the supervisor of an employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve for support provided directly to the Service member and his or her family. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lane presented Urban with her Patriot Award during a virtual staff meeting Lane attended prior to returning from military leave in February 2021. Urban and Lane had a conversation about what the award and support meant for each of them, and about Lane’s recent service. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Betty Urban and Jim Lane&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Betty-Urban-headshot_tcm38-473826.jpg&quot; title=&quot;betty-urban-001&quot; alt=&quot;Betty Urban in front of a wood background.&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;betty-urban-001&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Betty Urban&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lane&lt;/strong&gt;: Why did you support me so much while I was serving?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Urban&lt;/strong&gt;: I knew a little bit about your background. I was very impressed when you joined my team and what a great team player you were. Everyone liked you from the get-go. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We all missed you very much while you were gone. Because of all your attributes, you’re a person who puts everything into what you believe. It was such a short timeframe from when you were told about deployment to when you actually left. I didn’t want you to be worried about your job, I wanted you to focus on the time left with your family. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You told me something the other day. You and your wife have been married 5 years, and you have been gone 30 months of those five years for your military service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lane&lt;/strong&gt;: You didn’t make me feel like you were just doing your job. You made me feel like I mattered. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Urban&lt;/strong&gt;: You were deployed for almost a year, during the COVID-19 pandemic. What was that like?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lane&lt;/strong&gt;: When I left in February 2020, COVID was being talked about. I was serving on Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX, and it wasn’t until about the end of March that our post was shut down. My team was tasked with processing network accounts for soldiers that were deploying. Once COVID-19 hit, our work changed quickly to helping soldiers in quarantine connect to WiFi. As more people were getting COVID, we needed to find different offices for them to work in, and new locations for those in quarantine. In some cases, we needed to completely wire new offices. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was tough for those that tested positive or needed to quarantine, because we had to quickly get them laptops, image them, and get them set up on VPN. It was challenging and people were frustrated at times, but once we got them set up, they were pretty much self-sufficient. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Urban&lt;/strong&gt;: We experienced that issue also with getting the right services and equipment for our business partner to work from home. Some examples were, but aren&apos;t limited to, remote access, collaboration tools, softphones, imaging and assigning laptops, headsets, and cameras. Through great teamwork between MNIT, MNIT MnDOT, and MnDOT, we were able to accommodate staff in a very short timeframe.  &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>473827</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Veterans</Title><Id>232503</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Awards</Title><Id>232631</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-01T15:00:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Interview with women who inspire others at Minnesota IT Services. The critical role that women play in connecting Minnesotans to their government through technology. </Description><Audience/><Title>Women in Technology at the State of Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>women</Subject><Subject>women&apos;s history month</Subject><Subject>womens history month</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>mnit</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>For Government</Title><Id>432439</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Women in Technology at the State of Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Women in a video conference with networking illustration.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/women-tech-blog_tcm38-473874.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman in a video conference with network illustration.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/women-tech-blog-thumb_tcm38-473873.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-03 - Women in Technology at the State of Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-473823&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-31T13:57:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>The critical role that women play in connecting Minnesotans to their government through technology. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with women who inspire others at Minnesota IT Services </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many ways and spaces where women are leading IT in government. They contribute to innovation, resiliency, and inspire those around them to create a better government that works for everyone. Earlier this month, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-472437&quot;&gt;we profiled seven women throughout history&lt;/a&gt;, and now we highlight women at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) in celebration of Women’s History Month. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with MNIT leaders&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We spoke with incredible women about their work and experiences, and the many ways that women displayed leadership throughout the pandemic:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ali Wieckowicz&lt;/strong&gt;: Enterprise Systems Architect, MNIT MnDOT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kim Wee&lt;/strong&gt;: Webmaster and Digital Accessibility Coordinator, MNIT MDE&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jane Davison&lt;/strong&gt;: System Analyst Unit Supervisor, MNIT DHS/MNsure&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Joan Redwing&lt;/strong&gt;: Chief of Application Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of these women, alongside others who were not able to participate, were nominated by a member of Women IT ChangeMakers for inspiring others. Women IT ChangeMakers is a statewide Employee Resource Group for women in technology, founded by Ellena Schoop, an Enterprise Date Architect at MNIT and Dr. Annie Porbeni, MNIT’s former Assistant HR Director (now HR Director for Department of Public Safety).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What was a rewarding project or initiative that you’ve worked on in the past year?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Davison&lt;/strong&gt;: I’m at MNIT with the Department of Human Services (DHS). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, my team had been ramping up user experience (UX) work for DHS and building a self-service model for the services the agency provides. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DHS serves a very vulnerable population, so digital equity is a huge piece of that. As we’ve learned through the COVID-19 pandemic response, everybody is relying on technology. If there are portions of a population that can’t use our systems, the crisis they may be in is compounded by not being able to use a website or a remote conferencing tool. We had to keep learning through that process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;COVID-19 also forced us to rethink how we approach self-service. We will need to partner with communities, other agencies, and partners to really get at digital equity. Even within our own work at the state, the transition to new technology can be taxing. It’s really stretched us, but it’s shown us how we can help our agency partners adopt services in a proactive way. The pandemic exposed where we have a lot of work to do, but it’s exciting to all of the potentials.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout this work, I’ve seen a lot of women leading many of the projects I’ve worked on this past year. I had probably taken that for granted, but looking back on that, it was women’s voices in the mix.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wee&lt;/strong&gt;: I am sitting here listening to you guys feeling more inspired than I had been. Websites are the primary communication tool for a lot of agencies. At the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), which I support, distance learning and the need for virtual communication taxed our web infrastructure. MDE’s Commissioner and the Governor provided updates to Minnesotans and we needed to make sure we were understood MDE’s communications plan. We knew that the websites were going to get slammed, and I spent a lot of sleepless hours just watching those hits get higher and higher on the websites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was also a great learning opportunity because I learned so much about things that I took for granted. I’ve worked for the state for 30 years, and with MDE 20 of them, but I learned so much just by going through this pandemic with them. It has been a wonderful learning experience &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wieckowicz&lt;/strong&gt;: A lot of the COVID-19 efforts that I’ve worked on over the last year allowed me to work with new teams, other units at MNIT, other agencies. I like to learn other business processes and solutions, and how they kind of do the same things that maybe my unit would do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I also get to learn about technology from them. I worked with Joan Redwing’s group on the COVID-19 testing enhancements. We helped build web pages where the public can find information about testing close to them, and a couple of other COVID solutions that required integration with geospatial data across the state. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What has inspired you most about this past year?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Davison&lt;/strong&gt;: This is a hard question. I was thinking about the ways my own boss has coached me. The things that inspired me this year were those people who reached out with full-on empathy and an effort towards inclusion. We didn’t have the time to keep deferring conversations. There have been moments that were hard, where we’ve looked to our business partners to change the way they work. They’ve had to step up and shift their work to accommodate our technology. As technologists, we’re not here for ourselves. We’re here to help our agency partners get an advantage against whatever they’re fighting – poverty, unemployment, or a pandemic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A couple of years ago we had Prime Academy students conduct UX research with our team. They picked on the fact that people who work in civil service can suffer from compassion fatigue. If you suffer from that, it’s hard to sustain, especially for women leaders. It’s taken those that really use empathy to inspire us all to do more. I think of Kris Schulz, MNIT’s Experience IT Manager, leading service adoption training across state agencies. She’s inspired me in many, many ways. She’s led as an army of one. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/prime-academy-2020-001_tcm38-421728.jpg&quot; title=&quot;prime-academy-2020-001&quot; alt=&quot;Prime Academy students completing human-centered design interviews.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;prime-academy-2020-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Prime Academy students leading human-centered design interviews in February 2020.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Redwing&lt;/strong&gt;: The key phrase here is empathetic leadership. That has really helped our team succeed and prevent burnout. We haven’t taken our foot off the accelerator, but we want to go beyond the golden rule. We really are stepping outside of our own needs, and actively listening to our team members across MNIT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve become flexible, adaptable, and boundary-less. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people share roles or take on a part-time assignment to help another team out. Or go above and beyond their current role. To me, that has been extremely powerful. It fuels our collaboration and innovation. It’s been a good experience, and not something taught in Technology Management Training 101. We also are learning the fundamentals of managing well-being under stress and how that contributes to tangible results for individuals, teams, and MNIT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wieckowicz&lt;/strong&gt;: The most inspiring thing to me was MNIT’s collective response to the pandemic. The effort to provide services, support a remote workforce, and break down barriers was something I’ve never seen before. There was no one saying, &quot;We can’t do that.&quot; We proved everyone wrong about what we could do. When I saw other people working under the stress and fatigue I felt, and watched them succeed, I was inspired about what I could do myself.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What support systems do you have to help you be successful?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Redwing&lt;/strong&gt;: I really appreciate that my leaders have been realistic and authentic about the fact that this pandemic has not been fun or fantastic for everyone involved. When a colleague has a bad day and needs some support, you don’t have to try to paint on a happy face. By sharing a sense of realism around this pandemic, we see how important it is to bring our authentic self to work and count on each other. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I had a particularly bad presentation a few months ago on a bad day for me. I had a lot going on at home in the background and didn’t hit all my points. Jeff Nyberg, my leader, and MNIT’s Chief Technology Officer, was at the meeting, and he helped me communicate everything I needed by asking great questions after I presented. It really made me feel like I had support. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’s the support we all need — and it’s great when it is realistic and authentic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wee&lt;/strong&gt;: I think I really appreciate what you’re saying about bringing your authentic self. As a woman in IT, I sometimes have to be more quiet and wait for an opportunity. But I also know that helps me be a very observant person, and people appreciate that. Through this pandemic, people are more appreciative of whatever role you can bring to the table that day. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have a bad day, people are willing to take the extra couple of minutes to hear you out. My leader, Chief Business Technology Officer, Matthew Porret has been amazing. He has been very supportive to everyone on a personal level, and it’s given me the okay to feel bad sometimes, to be afraid, to not feel sure sometimes. It’s okay to have those conversations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’ve seen a shift happen at MNIT, too. We’ve had the opportunities to learn in a virtual space, to hear from the Commissioner, to reflect and come together. We have a common goal of getting the public through this, and I feel like I’ve seen a strategic shift that has energized me more in my work over this past year. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Davison&lt;/strong&gt;: We’ve talked a lot about self-care, and I want to also mention how important that is for those doing change-agent work. Those individuals that are speaking up and evangelizing the work of accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. Or maybe you’re the one throwing the flag on the line when a product isn’t really hitting the mark and you know it’s going to be disruptive or cause a big delay. A lot of times those individuals are armies of one and can feel really isolated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s so important to buddy up with people who are going through similar things. Those of us that do change-agent work used to seek each other out and do a coffee date or grab lunch. Now it’s a virtual meeting, but that’s a really great way I’ve seen support and is my support network these days. That’s been so valuable. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Note: These responses have been condensed and edited for clarity. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>473823</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232516</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-04-01T13:06:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Whether you work remotely or in the office, you need your systems to be secure. There are steps that we can all take to stay safe online and protect your data. </Description><Audience/><Title>How to Secure Your Work Environment Secure</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>secure</Subject><Subject>stay safe</Subject><Subject>data</Subject><Subject>system</Subject><Subject>remote work</Subject><Subject>telework</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>An Accessible Newsletter</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Paper airplane flying next to screenshot of Office of Accessibility newsletter with photo of diverse group of people.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-newsletter-blog_tcm38-473126.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>paper airplane</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/newsletter-blog-thumb_tcm38-473127.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-03 - Accessible Newsletter</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-472949&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-25T21:25:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>A behind-the-scenes look at the Office of Accessibility’s newsletter may help you learn some best practices to improve the usability of your communication. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn some best practices to improve the usability of your communication</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Office of Accessibility Staff&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What makes a newsletter accessible?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is it just the newsletter itself?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What about the process used to plan, write, edit, and publish?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do people with a variety of talents and abilities actively contribute?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility is part of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), the IT agency for the state of Minnesota. We publish a monthly newsletter about accessibility topics. Individuals with disabilities are active participants in the workflow. The state of Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;accessibility policies and standard&lt;/a&gt; ensure that digital tools enable all employees, including people with disabilities, to complete work tasks. This applies to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The process of creating a newsletter, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The final product.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The final products (newsletter, blog posts) are also available to the public. Our standard requires that information available to the public is accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A behind-the-scenes look at the Office of Accessibility’s newsletter may help you learn some best practices to improve the usability of your communication. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility is part of both the planning and operation of the newsletter. This reduces the amount of work and rework done at each stage. As tools change and new options become available, we revisit the process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our newsletter team includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Authors from various state agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Office of Accessibility staff&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota IT Services Communications team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A web content manager, or webmaster, if they aren’t part of the communications team&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a dedicated Team in Microsoft Teams to plan the schedule and assign tasks for each edition. Key aspects of this planning process improve usability and accessibility. Blog posts are typically drafted by authors outside of this planning team, who don’t have access to the Microsoft Team for the newsletter. We communicate with them through email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unique channel per topic&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team uses one channel per edition. The general channel is for topics that apply to multiple editions. This makes the structure of content clear and easy to find. Channel names are consistent to make it simpler to visually scan for the edition you need. We use this format: month followed by year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot%20Team%20Channels_tcm38-472947.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Microsoft Teams, team channels: General, April 2021, February 2021, March 2021 (has focus), 15 hidden channels.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Microsoft Teams, team channels: General, April 2021, February 2021, March 2021 (has focus), 15 hidden channels.&quot; style=&quot;width: 66%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible-nl-team-channels&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Subject lines for posts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Posts begin with a subject line announcing the topic. This structures the information to make it easier to find. Example: forgot when the publication date is going to be? Check the post thread “Proposed Publishing Schedule for March.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot%20Proposed%20Schedule%20Subject%20Line_tcm38-472946.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of a Teams post from March 2 by Jennie Delisi. Subject line is bold and larger text: Proposed Publishing Schedule for March Newsletter.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of a Teams post from March 2 by Jennie Delisi. Subject line is bold and larger text: Proposed Publishing Schedule for March Newsletter.&quot; style=&quot;width: 72%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible-nl-proposed-schedule-subject&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consistency&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For tasks that repeat, the process is the same. Example: each month we use the same post subject lines for each section of the process. This helps new staff onboard and helps us work more efficiently.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reduction of emails&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most of our communications go through Teams. This allows for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Less searching through emails.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using thumbs up for agreement. Example: “Here’s the schedule for the March edition. Please use thumbs up to show you agree. Any proposed changes: please reply to this thread.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The entire team has access to the information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Those with memory issues can find everything in one place.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using @ mention helps a person find content for them, triggers a notification using their preferred method.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When someone else needs to take over a task they have the complete history.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hide older channels&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Channels for older editions can be helpful when researching previously used content. These channels do not need to be visible all the time. Hiding older channels keeps the team organized, improves findability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Files organized by topic/channel&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team stores all files related to the edition within the channel. This includes our graphics and articles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot%20Channel%20Files_tcm38-472944.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of February 2021 channel’s files. Includes Word documents “Accessibility Mailbag” and “High Contrast Article” and image files “EmailAltText” and “mail-blog.”&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of February 2021 channel’s files. Includes Word documents “Accessibility Mailbag” and “High Contrast Article” and image files “EmailAltText” and “mail-blog.”&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible-nl-channel-files&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use meaningful text (like the title of the file) for links in posts about a file. This helps team members go directly to the file you are discussing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Authors receive information before submitting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We now provide authors with instructions before they begin the writing process. The goal is to improve readability and cognitive accessibility. This will also ensure we have a consistent style and reduce the amount of editing the team needs to do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some examples of information we share:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are using screen shots or other images, please send them as good quality files, separate from the body content.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This ensures that when readers magnify content to 200%, they are as clear as possible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Present information in ways that improve cognitive accessibility of the content. This includes:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use headings to help readers understand the content sections.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use passive voice as few times as possible (preferably no use of passive voice).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduce the use of technical terms and jargon without explanation of terms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the full text of a name or organization followed by its acronym for its first use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check your reading level. While we do not have an official reading level requirement, we recommend using the lowest reading level appropriate for your content. Tools to check reading level include those in &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-your-document-s-readability-and-level-statistics-85b4969e-e80a-4777-8dd3-f7fc3c8b3fd2?ui=en-us&amp;amp;rs=en-us&amp;amp;ad=us&quot;&gt;Microsoft Word&apos;s readability and level statistics&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://hemingwayapp.com/&quot;&gt;Hemingway App&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Newsletter template&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility was a priority for the development of the newsletter template. This makes adding content using accessibility best practices something which requires less thinking. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content blocks already have or prompt you to include some key components:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Option to open the bulletin in a web page&lt;/strong&gt;. Some readers prefer the HTML version of the newsletter.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Headings&lt;/strong&gt;. The heading colors, sizes, and font communicate structure, pass color contrast, and increase readability.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contact information&lt;/strong&gt;. Ensures readers can reach out with questions and concerns.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other reminders about digital accessibility are built into the creation tool. We use GovDelivery to publish our newsletter. When we load images into the newsletter there is a reminder that the file name also serves as the alt text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot%20GovDelivery%20Alt%20Text_tcm38-472945.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Select an image dialog. Label for text field “Name (used for alt text)” is circled. &quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Select an image dialog. Label for text field “Name (used for alt text)” is circled. &quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible-nl-govdelivery-alt-text&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Webpage template&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Blog posts may be hosted on a website, separate from the newsletter. Don&apos;t forget to consider the template for the webpage of each blog post. Follow the digital accessibility standard to ensure the blog post template meets all requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Edit&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team completes edits for blog posts using files stored in the channel. This eliminates multiple versions that can occur when sharing documents by email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Posts indicating “needs review”&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we edit, we post on the Teams channel as we complete tasks. We tag individuals in the posts to alert that the document is ready for the next step by adding @ and the person’s name.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We track changes in the Microsoft Word document stored in Teams. Reviewers can read the previous version and the current version. They can also choose a variety of markup options (All Markup, Simple Markup, No Markup, Original).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alt text in blog drafts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The best alt text authors are those who:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chose the graphic to reinforce the text information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clearly state the information shared in the graphic.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create alt text that is concise but provides equivalent information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identify when readers needing text will require more details and can provide this in another way.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We recently started asking blog post authors to add the alt text into the blog draft. We find this to be more efficient than when editors create the alt text. Authors who need help writing alt text work with the editors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the editing phase we review the proposed alt text. Review may result in edits to the graphic to ensure the intended graphic conveys the idea efficiently.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot%20Alt%20Text%20in%20Comment_tcm38-472948.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of text and image in article. Comment includes file location, alt text to be used for image in article.&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of text and image in article. Comment includes file location, alt text to be used for image in article.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible-nl-alt-text-in-comment&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We verify in the editing process that written content considers digital accessibility. We review to ensure the author included the practices we sent them. We also review content to ensure:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meaningful text for links works well in a list of links&lt;/strong&gt;, and help the reader know where the link will take them. Consider how all your links will appear in an alphabetized list of links. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Link text tells the reader if they are going to documents or multimedia content. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Structures support the content&lt;/strong&gt;. Lists help organize content and communicate structure. They also improve readability. We review headings to ensure they provide an outline of the content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Staging site for blog&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the content is in staging, we do a final digital accessibility and content review before we publish the blog. Accessible templates reduce the amount of checking needed at this stage. They also reduce the time it takes to fix issues. The staging review includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Check for the presence of alt text&lt;/strong&gt; and that the file name is not there accidentally.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Confirm heading structure&lt;/strong&gt;. Ensure that headings look correct and appear in the HTML code with the appropriate hierarchy (example: H3s follow H2s, not H1s).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meaningful text describes links&lt;/strong&gt;. Link text is correct and opens the right website, file, or multi-media content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Newsletter email test&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our newsletter development tool lets us send tests before publishing. This is so helpful! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We run the same tests as for the staging site. We also check for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Errors in the subject line&lt;/strong&gt;. Spelling errors do not always get caught until we run this test.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Preheader text that makes sense when heard out of context&lt;/strong&gt;. Preheaders are available in the GovDelivery bulletin tool that we use. You can customize text that is visually seen by those using tools like Outlook when looking at their list of emails. It is also heard by those using a screen reader when they open the email. If you do not use this section, sometimes this will become a URL for the newsletter or the first image if it is linked. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Screenshot%20Bulletin%20Test_tcm38-472942.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Screenshot of Outlook email in list with TEST at end of subject line. Preheader is beneath the subject line, “Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to learn more about accessibility? Opening this email counts!”&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Outlook email in list with TEST at end of subject line. Preheader is beneath the subject line, “Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to learn more about accessibility? Opening this email counts!”&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessible-nl-bulletin-test&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team’s commitment&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our team is committed to full inclusion. As Minnesota works toward achieving the goal of 10% employment of people with disabilities in the executive branch as outlined in &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_01_EO_19-15_tcm1055-378183.pdf&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-15 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;, we strive to ensure that all employees have access to our newsletter’s content. Accessibility is part of both the planning and operation of the newsletter. This reduces the amount of work and rework done at each stage. As tools change and new options become available, we revisit the process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our inclusive process ensures that we are always looking for ways to improve our efficiencies, and our digital accessibility. We are not perfect, but trying new processes, communication strategies, and tools over time helps us all improve.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472949</id><pubdate>2021-03-31T13:39:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Whether you work remotely or in the office, you need your systems to be secure. There are steps that we can all take to stay safe online and protect your data. </Description><Audience/><Title>How to Secure Your Work Environment Secure</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>secure</Subject><Subject>stay safe</Subject><Subject>data</Subject><Subject>system</Subject><Subject>remote work</Subject><Subject>telework</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Role and Scope of Minnesota’s Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>empty conference room with table and equipment</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tacc-blog_tcm38-473128.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>conference room with table and equipment</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tacc-blog-thumb_tcm38-473129.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-03 - Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-473155&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-24T16:08:42Z</Date><ShortDescription>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. This committee is focused on governance of the statewide accessibility program.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How the statewide accessibility program is governed</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With all that work, did you know that there’s a committee that provides the Office with strategic direction and guidance?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The legislature created the first TAAC in 2009. That committee designed the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;digital accessibility and usability standard&lt;/a&gt;. 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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The role of the TAAC:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Set direction&lt;/strong&gt;. TAAC members help set the strategic direction of the Office of Accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Provide feedback&lt;/strong&gt;. They provide feedback on how the Office of Accessibility impacts their respective organizations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Act as champions&lt;/strong&gt;. 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.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“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. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A great example of how the TAAC functions in relationship with other accessibility initiatives was the development of the Office of Accessibility’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/accessibility-5-year-strategic-plan_tcm38-386157.pdf&quot;&gt;five-year strategic plan (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. 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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;TAAC Current Membership&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;As of March 30, 2021&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Representatives&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jon Eichten&lt;/strong&gt;, Deputy Commissioner, MNIT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Paul Weinberger&lt;/strong&gt;, Business Solutions Director, MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Transportation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brian Allie&lt;/strong&gt;, Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO), MNIT partnering with Department of Economic and Employment Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Matthew Porett&lt;/strong&gt;, CBTO, MNIT partnering with Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jay Wyant&lt;/strong&gt;, Co-chair, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, MNIT’s Office of Accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Agency Representatives&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Betsy Hayes&lt;/strong&gt;, Chief Procurement Officer, Minnesota Department of Administration&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kate Awsumb&lt;/strong&gt;, Deputy Communications Director, Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dori Leland&lt;/strong&gt;, Deputy Commissioner, Enterprise Human Resources, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Janelle Tummel&lt;/strong&gt;, Assistant Commissioner, Enterprise Communications and Planning, Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vacancy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Community Representatives&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Amy Perron&lt;/strong&gt;, Program Coordinator, MN STAR Program&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Darlene Zangara&lt;/strong&gt;, Executive Director, Commission of Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Natasha Jerde&lt;/strong&gt;, Director, State Services for the Blind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David Fenley&lt;/strong&gt;, ADA Director, Minnesota Council on Disability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lolly Lijewski&lt;/strong&gt;, Co-chair, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>473155</id><pubdate>2021-03-31T13:39:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Whether you work remotely or in the office, you need your systems to be secure. There are steps that we can all take to stay safe online and protect your data. </Description><Audience/><Title>How to Secure Your Work Environment Secure</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>secure</Subject><Subject>stay safe</Subject><Subject>data</Subject><Subject>system</Subject><Subject>remote work</Subject><Subject>telework</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>How to secure your work environment</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Home and office buildings surrounded by secure devices.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/week3-home-and-work_tcm38-472705.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Home and office buildings surrounded by secure devices.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/secure-devices-001_tcm38-472706.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-03 - A secure work environment benefits all Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-472707&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-23T20:33:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Whether you work remotely or in the office, take steps to stay safe online and protect your data. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>There are steps we can all take to keep our accounts, connections, and devices secure</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether you work remotely, in the office, or both, be sure to take steps to prevent identity theft and protect sensitive information. When you secure your remote and work environments, you are being proactive and defending against cyber criminals trying to gain unauthorized access to your data or accounts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are areas you can secure in your remote and work environments:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Secure connections&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Protect your home routers and WiFi.&lt;/strong&gt; Replace default and device passwords to prevent others from accessing your home network.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use a mobile hotspot.&lt;/strong&gt; Activate your mobile hotspot rather than using an unsecured or public WiFi connection.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use a virtual private network (VPN)&lt;/strong&gt; to connect with secure networks. VPN protects your data, whether you&apos;re using home or public WiFi.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-490852&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;nine ways to secure a hybrid workplace&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Secure accounts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use unique, strong passwords or passphrases.&lt;/strong&gt; Combine random words using upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn how to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-490852&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;create strong passwords and passphrases&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Set up and use multi-factor authentication (MFA)&lt;/strong&gt; when available. MFA reduces the risk of unauthorized access by requiring another form of authentication, like a code sent via text or email.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learn why &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-542248&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MFA is important&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Secure devices&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Update device hardware and application software.&lt;/strong&gt; Install updates as they are available or set up automatic updates to better protect your devices.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Physically lock your work devices and securely store other devices and data.&lt;/strong&gt; Lock computers and mobile devices to stop unauthorized access. Store devices and data securely.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review six tips to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-593619&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;safeguard your personal data and digital identity&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472707</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2025-08-20T17:45:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Women’s History Month by honoring women in technology, both around the country and in Minnesota state government. In this article we celebrate notable women in history.</Description><Audience/><Title>Women Leaders in Technology</Title><Publisher/><Subject>women&apos;s history month</Subject><Subject>women</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>technologist</Subject><Subject>mnit</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Women Leaders in Technology</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>March is Women&apos;s History Month with silhouettes of women. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/women%27s-history-month-blog_tcm38-472429.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouettes of women. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/women%27s-history-month-blog-thumb_tcm38-472427.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-03 - Women Leaders in Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-472437&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-19T19:01:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Women’s History Month by honoring women in technology, both around the country and in Minnesota state government. In this article, we celebrate notable women in history.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Notable women in history who inspire the technologists at MNIT</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Women’s History Month with a two-part series on women in technology, both around the country and in Minnesota state government. This week, we are honoring notable women in history who inspire the technologists at MNIT to innovate and relentlessly pursue technology solutions to improve the lives of all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kimberly Bryant (1967-present)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It’s not just hiring, but also including people of color and women on all levels: as middle managers, in leadership positions, even as founders. If we aren’t seated at the table, the product, policies, and whole strategy has the potential to come from a narrow lens.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Kimberly Bryant&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kimberly Bryant is the Founder and CEO of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching girls of color about technology and computer programming. Bryant spent over 20 years in the technology and engineering world before creating the nonprofit organization. Her goal is to educate one million girls by 2040 and ensure that girls of color who are interested in technology find mentors that reflect their background throughout all levels of the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about Kimberly Bryant&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.blackgirlscode.com/about-bgc.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Black Girls CODE &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.popsci.com/black-girls-code-kimberly-bryant-coding-diversity-into-silicon-valley/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Coding Diversity Into Silicon Valley&lt;/a&gt;, Popular Science&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan Smith (1964-present)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“You have to iterate before you’re successful, you’re always learning with each step.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Megan Smith&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Megan Smith was the first female Chief Technology Officer at the White House, under the Obama administration, and only the third person to ever hold that position. In that role, Smith helped build programs to build the tech talent pipeline, and foster relationships between technology companies and a future workforce. Before her work for President Obama, she was part of a team that designed early smartphone technology and was Vice President of Business Development at Google.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about Megan Smith&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.designworldonline.com/leadership-in-engineering-megan-smiths-vision-of-technology-for-all/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Leadership in Engineering: Megan Smith’s vision of technology for all&lt;/a&gt;, Design World &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennaarnold/2017/11/08/techs-history-hopefully-can-repeat-itself/?sh=3876f4bb4b5a&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;First Female CTO Of The U.S. Megan Smith Hopes Tech&apos;s History Can Repeat Itself&lt;/a&gt;, Forbes &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.businessinsider.com/biography-of-megan-smith-chief-technology-officer-united-states&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Here&apos;s What We Know About Megan Smith, The New CTO Of The USA&lt;/a&gt;, INSIDER&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Janese Swanson (1958-present)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“There is a real need in our culture to introduce girls to technology-based products and electronics at an early age. It not only increases girls&apos; self-esteem, but helps to broaden the opportunities available to them in the future.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Dr. Janese Swanson&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Janese Swanson is an inventor, STEM advocate, and CEO of Girl Tech. Founded in 1995, the company is focused on giving girls opportunities to use technology to bolster curiosity in math and science. Swanson started her career as an educator, spent some time as a flight attendant, but found her passion always lived in innovation. Girl Tech started out with connecting girls to STEM through toys and gadgets like the voice-activated Password Journal, but grew to include a website, books, and magazine, specifically targeted towards girls, GirlZine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about Dr. Janese Swanson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://invention.si.edu/innovative-lives-janese-swanson-beyond-pink-and-fluffy&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Innovative Lives: Janese Swanson, Beyond Pink and Fluffy&lt;/a&gt;, Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/30/technology/inventor-fills-girls-desire-for-their-own-gadgets.html?pagewanted=all&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Inventor Fills Girls&apos; Desire for Their Own Gadgets&lt;/a&gt;, New York Times&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chieko Asakawa (1958-present)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Information access has become so critical for our daily lives. It’s not a privilege; it’s a human right.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Chieko Asakawa&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chieko Asakawa has dedicated her life to digital accessibility research and innovation. Working with IBM, Asakawa developed early technologies for those who are blind or visually impaired, including a digital braille editor and a network for braille libraries to upload and share documents. In 1997, she began IBM’s Home Page Reader, which was one of the first tools that allowed those in the blind community to access the internet. After encountering accessibility impediments based on how information was designed online, Asakawa created a software that allows web designers to experience sites as a user who is blind or visually impaired and recommend ways to improve the site’s navigation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about Chieko Asakawa&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/profiles/dream-job-2012-web-guru-for-the-blind&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dream Jobs 2012: Web Guru for the Blind&lt;/a&gt;, IEEE Spectrum&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://researcher.watson.ibm.com/researcher/view.php?person=us-chiekoa&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Chieko Asakawa&lt;/a&gt;, IBM Academy of Technology&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Susan Kare (1954-present)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Good design’s not about what medium you’re working in. It’s about thinking hard about what you want to do and what you have to work with before you start.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Susan Kare&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Susan Kare’s graphic design career permeates into the everyday lives of every computer user in the world. She developed the fonts and icons for the Apple Macintosh in 1984. Her designs were the definition of iconic – a trash can for recycling, a computer disc to save files, and a smiling computer at start up. Kare focused on user-friendly designs that demonstrated how to easily operate early computers. She went on to pioneer many other computer designs, including the Windows Solitaire 3.0 in 1990, Facebook gifts in 2007, and Pinterest in 2015.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about Susan Kare&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://99designs.com/blog/creative-inspiration/10-famous-design-quotes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;22 famous graphic design quotes to inspire you&lt;/a&gt;, 99 Designs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-susan-kare-designed-user-friendly-icons-for-first-macintosh-180973286/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How Susan Kare Designed User-Friendly Icons for the First Macintosh&lt;/a&gt;, Smithsonian Magazine&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Give the world the best you’ve got. And you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Hedy Lamarr&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hedy Lamarr was an actress and inventor. While best known for her leading roles with MGM in the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was also an inventor whose work in telecommunications paved the way for WiFi and Bluetooth technology development. Working on inventions while on set and at home, Lamarr began to collaborate with George Antheil in 1940. Their partnership led to a telecommunications system, patented in 1942, using “frequency hopping.” The system was built to enable transmitters and receivers to hop between frequencies, designed to allow torpedoes to hit their targets without being intercepted over radio waves. The U.S. and Allied forces decided not to use the technology in WWII, but Lamar and Antheil’s contributions were later recognized for their contribution to the field. Lamarr was the first woman to receive the Invention Convention’s Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award and she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about Hedy Lamarr&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hedy Lamarr, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/hedy-lamarr&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Women’s History website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wearetechwomen.com/inspirational-quotes-hedy-lamarr-actress-inventor-film-producer/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Inspirational Quotes: Hedy Lamarr&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Mathematical science shows what is. It is the language of unseen relations between things. But to use and apply that language, we must be able to fully to appreciate, to feel, to seize the unseen, the unconscious.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Ada Lovelace&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ada Lovelace is known as one of the first computer programmers. She was the first person to outline the steps it would take for a computing device to make a calculation that hadn’t been worked out in advance. The daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron, Lovelace worked closely with the mechanical engineer and inventor Charles Babbage on his theoretical device the “Analytical Engine” to develop papers, instructions, and outlines of computation programs. In 1843, Lovelace published notes on the Analytic Engine, which included a series of operations for a computing device to calculate Bernoulli numbers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Read more about Ada Lovelace &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http:/https://findingada.com/shop/a-passion-for-science-stories-of-discovery-and-invention/ada-lovelace-victorian-computing-visionary/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;A Passion For Science: Tales of Discovery and Invention&lt;/a&gt;, Ada Lovelace Day&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://wearetechwomen.com/inspirational-quotes-ada-lovelace-the-first-computer-programmer/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20more%20I%20study%2C%20the,own%20abstract%20truth%20and%20value.%E2%80%9D&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Inspirational quotes: Ada Lovelace&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472437</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-19T17:37:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Quenter Ramogi recently joined Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) as the member of the agency’s Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team. </Description><Audience/><Title>Meet MNIT: Quenter Ramogi</Title><Publisher/><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Subject>affirmative action</Subject><Subject>diversity</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>minnesota it services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>General</Title><Id>641</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Meet MNIT: Quenter Ramogi</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Meet MNIT in speech bubble with illustrations of people in the background. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meet-mnit-blog_tcm38-472430.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Meet MNIT in speech bubble with illustrations of people in the background. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meet-mnit-blog-thumb_tcm38-472426.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-03 - Meet MNIT: Quenter Ramogi</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-472441&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-18T19:24:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>We sat down with Affirmative Actions Officer, Quenter Ramogi, on her vision for her new role at MNIT.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Conversation with a new member of MNIT’s Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion team</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quenter Ramogi recently joined Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) as a member of the agency’s Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team. She previously held similar roles as an Affirmative Action Officer at the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota State University, Mankato. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with a minor in Environmental Science and a Master of Science degree in Gender and Women’s studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What makes you excited about working with MNIT?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ramogi&lt;/strong&gt;: I’m excited to continue the diversity, inclusion, and equity work for the state of Minnesota. I am a trained Equal Opportunity Specialist, well equipped with conflict resolution, mediation, and investigation skills. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I hope I’ll be able to bridge the gap about what Minnesota looks like and its values, and the practices of state government. It’s so important that we are proactive. We need to not just talk about diversity, but to work on practicing our principles. MNIT’s vision of a more innovative digital government for all will only happen when we can show that people from different areas of life bring different experiences, skills, and knowledge that will help us achieve our goals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What should we know about who you are? &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ramogi&lt;/strong&gt;: In my free time, I love to participate in outdoor activities and going on adventures. I enjoy traveling around, meeting new people, and forming friendships, which also helps me improve my multicultural skills. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What will be the focus of your role at MNIT? &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ramogi&lt;/strong&gt;: While MNIT expands its focus to new inclusion-related strategies and initiatives, I will play a critical role in keeping our foundation strong. My focus will be on enforcing equal opportunity and affirmative action laws and policies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As I’ve done in other roles, I’ll immediately take over as lead investigator on most complaints of protected-class harassment (including sexual harassment), discrimination, and retaliation. I will also begin making reasonable accommodations for people with a disability. Finally, I’ll monitor the activities laid out in MNIT’s Affirmative Action Plan to keep the agency on course to meet its goals and objectives. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What kind of variety of work will you do? &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ramogi&lt;/strong&gt;: Our team covers three distinct types of work, but they all are incredibly important. Diversity ensures that we have different staff members on board. That can be based on an individual’s protected class, but we need to first make sure that we have different groups working at MNIT because of the different perspectives and knowledge they bring. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inclusion work means that diverse staff have the same opportunities for growth as those in non-protected classes. Promotion, leadership, and project opportunities must be available for all individuals. Equity gives everyone an opportunity to grow in an equitable way. We must acknowledge that those in minority groups may not have the same resources and privileges as other groups, and there it’s our job to make opportunities and resources available to account for inequitable systems. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q: What role do you think that technology/digital services plays in equity? &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ramogi&lt;/strong&gt;: From my experiences with other parts of state government, I developed a curiosity to work with people in IT. I think that technology is going to open the field for us to reach more people about what we do. Especially when training others on equity and inclusion, digital solutions are what you need.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>472441</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-19T14:00:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2021.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report Now Available</Title><Publisher/><Subject>annual report</Subject><Subject>Annual Report</Subject><Subject>about mnit</Subject><Subject>about Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota IT Services Annual Report Now Available</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343296.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2021-003 - MNIT Annual Report Now Available</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-469992&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-03-03T15:04:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2020.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An innovative digital government that works for all</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT)&apos;s 2020 Annual Report is now available. The report focuses on the agency&apos;s accomplishments, major projects, and metrics from January-December 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/mnit-annual-report-2020_FINAL_tcm38-469986.pdf&quot; title=&quot;mnit-annual-report-2020&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mnit-annual-report-2020&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Read the report (PDF).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469992</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324943</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Better Government</Title><Id>191192</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-03T12:00:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Office of Accessibility Responds to Digital Accessibility Questions</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>High Contrast Mode and Dark Theme Accessibility Testing</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Color blocks</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/color-values-blog_tcm38-469359.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Color wheel</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/color-values-blog-thumb_tcm38-469358.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-02 - High Contrast</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-469250&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-25T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>How to use contrast colors to comply with accessibility. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Color schemes and accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mobile applications and operating systems increasingly use dark themes and high contrast modes. As more options for changing modes, themes, and specific colors have become available, both users of technology and digital accessibility testers are asking the question:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does the State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard cover one of these settings or all of them? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, does it address all the high contrast settings that impact operating systems and software as well as all browser renderings of dark mode?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To answer this question, let’s start with a look at these features.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are dark and high contrast modes?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of us are now familiar with dark mode features on our favorite apps. We may find ourselves using Twitter’s dark mode at night because it’s easier on our eyes. Software and web application designers noticed that users like these options. They are becoming more common in software and web applications. This is in addition to an increased ability for users to customize a personal view, or customize the view of published content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;High contrast mode has been available on operating systems like Windows since Windows 95. It is an accessibility feature that is part of the platform. This enables the setting to be used with the operating system, files, and software. Windows 10 now offers more options than the single high contrast mode of previous operating system versions. In the high contrast settings, the operating system now offers themes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;high contrast #1&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;high contrast #2&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;high contrast black&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;high contrast white&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/high%20contrast_tcm38-469325.jpg&quot; title=&quot;windows-high-contrast-options&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Windows 10 High Contrast options: High Contrast #1, High Contrast #2, High Contrast Black, High Contrast White.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;windows-high-contrast-options&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For each of these themes Windows 10 also provides the ability to specify the colors for: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;text &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;hyperlinks&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;disabled text&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;selected text&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;button text&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;background. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/high%20contrast%20colors_tcm38-469324.jpg&quot; title=&quot;windows-text-hyperlinks-color-options&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of color options selected for Text, Hyperlinks, Disabled Text, Selected Text, Button Text, Background.&quot; style=&quot;width: 62%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;windows-text-hyperlinks-color-options&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Windows 10 has 3 themes in the Colors area setting – light, custom, and dark. The options for default Windows mode impact your system user interface (example: Start Menu, taskbar). Default Apps mode will apply to your Default Apps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/color%20scheme_tcm38-469323.png&quot; title=&quot;windows-colors-light-dark-custom&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Windows 10 Colors options Light, Dark, Custom and preview (dark selected).&quot; style=&quot;width: 46%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;windows-colors-light-dark-custom&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people need to change how software, documents, and websites look on their computers. It can be essential for people with certain types of disabilities. This includes some people with migraines, low vision, and difficulty seeing or differentiating between certain colors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bruce Bailey, Accessibility Specialist/Information Technology Specialist for the US Access Board adds, “Some users with certain vision disabilities find high contrast (including black text on a white background) very difficult. The popularity of Dark Mode has been of great benefit to these users.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow these steps to determine if software and web applications meet the standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 1: Software, Web Application, or Web Content&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Determine if you are talking about or testing software, a web application, or web content. Digital accessibility subject matter experts working for the State of Minnesota define software and web application as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Software:&lt;/strong&gt; Software is a desktop application that runs locally on a desktop or laptop computer. Software must be developed and installed for a particular operating system. It can have specific hardware requirements that must be met for it to function properly. Software is often dependent on the storage and processing power of the computer. Updates must be applied directly to the desktop or laptop installation. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Web Application:&lt;/strong&gt; A web application is delivered over the internet from a remote server, using a web browser. It works primarily with resources made available over the internet, such as storage and processing power. The use of modern web browsers increases web application capabilities. This allows developers to create more interactive interfaces that mimic a desktop application. Web applications may be limited by bandwidth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/accessibility-guidelines-2018_tcm38-336072.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Guidelines for Accessibility and Usability of Information Technology Standard (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; defines platform software as, &quot;software that controls or otherwise interacts with hardware or provides services for other software. Microsoft Windows and the Android operating system are two examples of platform software.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&lt;/a&gt; defines a web page as, &quot;a non-embedded resource obtained from a single URI using HTTP plus any other resources that are used in the rendering or intended to be rendered together with it by a user agent.&quot; They have additional notes and examples available in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FTR%2FWCAG20%2F%23webpagedef&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7Cjennie.delisi%40state.mn.us%7C141d8532cb884ef9fa7208d8b9a08e63%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637463446542907879%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;amp;sdata=Zx1nNu7GAs5b11AdfOqqe4mcCqKUGR0B62ZdqTi19XA%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;glossary listing for web page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Step 2: Test&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Software&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of testing software is to identify that operating system preferences can be used throughout the software. Section 508 (502.2.2 No Disruption of Accessibility Features) states &quot;Software shall not disrupt platform features that are defined in the platform documentation as accessibility features.&quot; This test is in addition to the requirement for software to pass WCAG success criteria 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For software, test using high contrast mode. Verify that the software accepts the colors from the operating system preference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It should not matter which operating system high contrast theme you use unless it makes it difficult to determine if it has been accepted. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, a high contrast theme and your software may both use a lot of purple. You should select a different high contrast theme - one that uses less purple. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The themes options in Windows 10 (dark, light, and custom) did not provide a quick way to see if your choices would be accepted throughout the software. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To test:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have the software application in its default theme.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn on Windows 10 high contrast, with either high contrast #1, high contrast #2, high contrast black, or high contrast white (whichever one is different from the colors used within the software).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Verify that the preferences are accepted throughout the software.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A note from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dhs.gov/508-testing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Trusted Tester&lt;/a&gt; v4 script:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;“If the software&apos;s original color palette is similar to high contrast black, select high contrast white by using the Ease of Access Center.” &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creating Content Within Software&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Users expect default settings, such as link text color, to be accessible. This would be the same for a user that uses one of the software’s themes. Default link text color is validated by those testing the content authoring tool and the template creator, not by each content creator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, Jane has her software settings set to dark theme. Joe has his software settings set to default. If Jane creates linked text in a Microsoft Teams chat, the default color of the link text does not need to be tested and/or verified to meet contrast requirements. However, if Jane chooses a custom color for the linked text, she will need to test in the default theme because the color she sees in dark theme will not necessarily be the color that will appear for Joe in the default theme.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of testing is to ensure that content viewed using the default viewing mode will have sufficient contrast to pass WCAG Success Criteria 1.4.3.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To test:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create content in user’s preferred software theme.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If using default colors, testing can stop.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If using a custom color:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set software to use the software’s default theme.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Verify that custom colors pass Success Criteria 1.4.3.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Web Applications and Web Content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Validate that color contrast conforms to WCAG 2.0 using color codes (examples:  Hex, RGB) for text and background. The color contrast ratio plus the font size is used to determine if it passes or fails. This test is not completed using assistive technologies. A note in the Understanding Document for Success Criteria 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) states &quot;For the purpose of Success Criteria 1.4.3 and 1.4.6, contrast is measured with respect to the specified background over which the text is rendered in normal usage.&quot; In this case, normal usage will be the viewing mode that is automatically available for all users, not a mode/theme that users can select (a user preference).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To be accessible in the default viewing mode, the text color and background color&apos;s color contrast ratio must be sufficient to pass Success Criteria 1.4.3.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test color contrast using one of the following methods:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Determine the color contrast ratio using a tool to calculate the ratio (like &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM&apos;s contrast checker&lt;/a&gt;) by entering the color code for the foreground and background.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use an automated testing tool.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a testing tool that enables you to sample color using an eye dropper tool and then calculates the ratio.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As noted earlier, web page authors do not need to ensure their pages are compatible with Windows High Contrast mode. It can be difficult to support high contrast mode for web content. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With all this in mind, Bruce Bailey shares a reminder for web developers: when specifying a foreground color, “a best practice for web authors is always specify background color.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Should Other Color Modes/Themes Have Good Contrast?&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes! Other modes and themes should have good contrast for many reasons. One example: a user may have recently acquired a disability that impacts their use of technology, and they may not be aware of other options available to them. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Users can also let vendors know that they are using these other modes and the challenges they have when using them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But these other modes, at this time, are not required to pass the State of Minnesota&apos;s Digital Accessibility Standard. While we encourage designers and developers to check functionality and contrast in these modes, it is not required for compliance. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking Towards the Future&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As developers continue to create products that are usable by everyone, keeping these modes in mind at the design phase will be important. Bruce Bailey shares an example, “Instead of just hard coding text on a button to be red, I think developers are more likely to encode the text semantically as ‘important’ or ‘warning.’&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469250</id><pubdate>2021-02-25T15:04:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Office of Accessibility Responds to Digital Accessibility Questions</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Office of Accessibility Responds to Digital Accessibility Questions</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Envelopes with blue hue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mail-email_tcm38-469360.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Envelopes with blue hue background</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mail-blog-thumb_tcm38-469357.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-02 - Accessibility Mailbag</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-469226&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-02-25T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Office of Accessibility responds to a variety of questions about digital accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Answering digital accessibility questions from state staff</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility receives questions about digital accessibility from state of Minnesota employees on a variety of topics, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Documents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Websites&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web applications&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Online meetings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we share responses to some questions in our inbox.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Document Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can people using assistive technology access this Word document?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We often get asked if people using a specific type of technology can access a Word document. Our recommendation (and a requirement for state employees): create documents following accessibility best practices. This will ensure that if a person is using assistive technology, they should be able to access it. Want to learn how to create accessible documents? Check out our free, online &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessible Word Document Training&lt;/a&gt;. Open to the public, state employees can also access the training through their learning management system. If you have questions about how to find the training, connect with your training coordinator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a user requires something beyond the access the best practices provide, they can make a request to have the document in an alternate format.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can I check if there is alt text in an email, without using a screen reader?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When using Outlook, you can check for alt text in emails you receive by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/block-or-unblock-automatic-picture-downloads-in-email-messages-15e08854-6808-49b1-9a0a-50b81f2d617a&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Blocking the automatic picture downloads in email messages&lt;/a&gt;, then reading the alt text that appears in its place, or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Finding alt text for a specific image. To do this, open the email and select forward for the open email you are reading. Select the image, then do one of the following:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Right-click (Shift + F10), then select Edit Alt Text. Review the text in the Alt Text pane, or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select the Picture Format tab in the ribbon, which becomes available once you have selected the image.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select the Alt Text button in the accessibility group. Note: depending on your version, you may need to select the expand button in the size group, typically on the right-hand side of the ribbon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review the alt text in the Alt Text pane.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;  &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Outlook%20screenshot_tcm38-469249.png&quot; title=&quot;outlook-screenshot&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Outlook email with an image in the body. Picture Format tab is circled in the ribbon. Arrow points to the alt text button in the accessibility group. Triangle points to the alt text panel.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;outlook-screenshot&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;How do I create alt text for a complex and detailed graphic?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The short answer is: avoid long alt texts. If you have a complex graphic, then provide the same content in another format. Here are some sample approaches:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Graph or chart: provide a link to a data table. Here’s an &lt;a href=&quot;http://eclds.mn.gov/#/ch3&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;example from the Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/a&gt; that enables users to toggle between a chart view and a table view.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Org chart: create an outline that explains the chart’s hierarchy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Complex images, such as maps: provide separate text with the same information. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides several examples. The website for Brown’s Creek Trail has a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/browns_creek/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;description of the trail on the webpage&lt;/a&gt;. Users can read the description or download a PDF of the map. Page 50 of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/invasives/2020-invasive-species-annual-report.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Invasive Species 2020 report (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; shows districts by county in both list and map form. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;How can I learn more about Excel accessibility?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcW5J0Nd0Pg0&amp;amp;data=04%7C01%7Cjennie.delisi%40state.mn.us%7C893034114a1f43c2575508d8a6c0880a%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637442693124287918%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;amp;sdata=0WVK9pnzKoKgKaYZMCQekyeVIOD9EIyNl2rv000TVBc%3D&amp;amp;reserved=0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Excel Tips and Tricks (Video)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Web Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;How can a beginner learn more about web accessibility?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We received an email from a state employee: “I am working with an intern that is studying computer science, and wants to learn more about accessibility. What are your recommendations?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) has a Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) certification. The page &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/prepareforwas&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Prepare for WAS&lt;/a&gt; has a great list of online and resource materials.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>469226</id><pubdate>2021-02-25T15:04:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On January 26, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) awarded employees, partners, and teams for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Celebrates Excellence in Technology and Service at its Annual Award Ceremony </Title><Publisher/><Subject>MNIT Annual Awards</Subject><Subject>Employee Recognition</Subject><Subject>Connected Culture</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Excellence in Technology</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Golden star with blue starry background and 2020 Annual Awards text.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual-Awards-2020-blog-1200x400_tcm38-464351.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star on blue starry background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Annual-Awards-2020-web-thumb_tcm38-463895.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-01 - Excellence in Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-463881&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-26T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>On January 26, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) awarded employees, partners, and teams for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Celebrates Excellence in Technology and Service at its Annual Award Ceremony</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On January 26, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) awarded employees, partners, and teams for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government. Nominated by their peers, recipients receive the highest recognition for their service excellence, and exemplary performance in fulfilling MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities. Here are this year’s winners!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project of the Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes a successful project that contributed the success of an agency partner in the executive branch. The &lt;strong&gt;Enterprise Scheduling and Time Keepin&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;g (EST) Project Team&lt;/strong&gt; from MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) successfully implemented a scheduling and timekeeping system for 1,300 employees in a 24/7 environment. This project helped MNIT identify best practices for implementing large scale technology projects going forward and the implementation received raved reviews from MDVA staff. According to Simone Hogan, the Senior Director for Veterans Health Care at MDVA, &quot;It&apos;s hard to believe how successful all has been now. Very few issues came up with the software and staff use when we anticipated there to be so many problems and resistance. With the software system fully in place across all five homes, we are now able to compare data that is put into the system. This ensures that our day to day operations are done in a standardized manner, consistent with union contract language and regulatory requirements, and most importantly ensuring that we meet the care needs of the Veterans served in all homes.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee of the Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes the individual contributions of an employee who embodies MNIT&apos;s mission, visions, and values through their daily work. This year&apos;s honoree is &lt;strong&gt;Melissa Warhol&lt;/strong&gt;. Warhol is MNIT&apos;s Safety Officer. She uses her knowledge and experience around workplace safety to lead, develop, train, support, research and/or participate in countless discussions and initiatives to keep MNIT employees healthy and safe. This past year, she developed online ergonomic training and a digital ergonomic self-assessment tool to ensure that employees are deploying safe and healthy work practices. With many MNIT staff working from home as a result of the pandemic, Warhol launched a new &quot;Working from Home Series&quot; that featured MNIT staff discussing their remote work environments. In addition, she also conducted six safety outreach sessions at six different agency-based locations prior to the pandemic that included instructions on managing an emergency, hands-only CPR, AED practice and fire extinguisher simulator instruction. Her passion and persistence is a reason why MNIT is a much safer workplace and better prepared to take on health and safety challenges moving forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manager of the Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The manager of the year award recognizes a manager who contributes to the mission of MNIT and lift other team members up as an example of leadership. &lt;strong&gt;Emily Shimkus&lt;/strong&gt; is MNIT&apos;s Communications Director and this year&apos;s honoree. She promotes MNIT&apos;s organizational direction daily by helping develop and communicate MNIT&apos;s new strategic and tactical plans, building a collaborative approach into her work, and ensuring a focus on connected culture, customer focus, and innovation in communications across the agency. Some of Shimkus&apos; accomplishments include leading an inter-agency communications team that created the public facing website, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/covid19/&quot;&gt;mn.gov/covid19&lt;/a&gt;, which receives up to 5 million visits a day. In addition, her team received three Northern Lights awards from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/social/What-Does-Effective-Cyber-Social-Messaging-Look-Like.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;GovTech profile&lt;/a&gt; for cybersecurity messaging. Shimkus also facilitated the rapid launch of a second COVID-related website, &lt;a href=&quot;https://staysafe.mn.gov/&quot;&gt;Stay Safe MN&lt;/a&gt;, that provides targeted, post-lockdown guidance for reopening the state. She leveraged vendor resources to meet tight deadlines, and modeled the way that we can turn a problem into an opportunity, to build a user-friendly and engaging design for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Team of the Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes an operational team across the agency that provides excellent customer service for both our executive branch partners and Minnesotans using the technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the &lt;strong&gt;Unemployment Insurance (UI) Development and Technical Team&lt;/strong&gt; worked quickly to modify the Unemployment Insurance system to meet the rapidly changing requirements for unemployment insurance benefits. The team modified their schedules and added additional infrastructure to support constant system monitoring in response to the extended system demands and hours. These rapid changes provided stability and consistent system up time. At its peak, the system handled 27,000+ concurrent users. As of Oct. 2020, the UI system distributed $4,749,215,400 in additional $600 and $300 dollar payments to 737,284 applicants. In 2019, the average amount paid per week was $13.8 million. This year, it is $208.4 million, an increase of 1500 percent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Partner of the Year&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)&lt;/strong&gt; was awarded Partner of the Year for exemplifying one goal area in MNIT&apos;s Strategic Plan: cultivate a Connected Culture. DHS leverages a people-centered approach, challenges long-held norms about the way we interact with Minnesotans to modernize state systems, and transforms the way that business and IT work together in order to improve state services and outcomes for the people of Minnesota. They have embraced recommendations and concepts that emerged from the Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology. Their inclusion of MNIT staff and leaders in their agency culture helps us all strive to achieve breakthrough goals and possibilities in serving Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nominations for the awards opened September 16, 2020 and closed on October 16, 2020. A team of Employee Recognition Committee (ERC) members reviewed and scored each nomination according to a previously-defined rubric. Those with the top average scores became finalists. From the group of finalists, the Executive Team chose a winner that closely matched the organizations mission, values, and priorities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about how MNIT works with its business partners by &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/R8SctplBJSE&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watching this video&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Connected%20Culture%20COVID%2019%20Edition%20Transcript_tcm38-466610.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Connected Culture COVID 19 Edition Transcript (PDF).&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Connected Culture COVID 19 Edition Transcript&quot;&gt;reading the video&apos;s transcript (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463881</id><pubdate>2021-01-28T17:12:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Microsoft Edge + Immersive Reader</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Microsoft Edge + Immersive Reader</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Book icon with blow horn icon next to book text</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/immersive-reader-blog-and-email_tcm38-463812.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Book icon with blowhorn icon.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/immersive-reader-blog-thumb_tcm38-463814.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-01 - Microsoft Edge + Immersive Reader</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-463845&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-26T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about accessibility features using Immersive Reader with Microsoft Edge.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Using Immersive Reader with Microsoft Edge</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I get excited when I learn about a new accessibility feature. This is especially true for those that help people with cognitive disabilities. But I found it difficult to understand how to use Immersive Reader with Microsoft Edge. It only worked about half of the times I tried using it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we will share information about using Immersive Reader with Edge for:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People who want to use the accessibility feature.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;IT support staff who test to ensure it works in their environment.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web developers and web content creators who want to have it work with their pages.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immersive Reader – The Tool&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immersive Reader is a tool that is present in some Microsoft desktop and web apps. When reading text on the web, it can help by:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading text out loud for you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Highlighting text as it reads.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Providing definitions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showing picture symbols to help you understand the text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These features help people by supporting: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading comprehension and speed. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Focus. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Word recognition.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The availability of the feature can depend on your Microsoft license and Microsoft product (Word, OneNote, Edge, etc.). This article focuses specifically on using it for reading web content with Microsoft Edge. However, Microsoft has a webpage that helps you know where you should be able to use the functionality – &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/languages-and-products-supported-by-immersive-reader-47f298d6-d92c-4c35-8586-5eb81e32a76e&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Languages and products supported by Immersive Reader. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open Edge and navigate to a web page. If the Immersive Reader functionality is available on that page, an icon with a book and a speaker will appear between the web page URL address and the “Add this page to favorites” button (star with a plus sign connected to it). You can try this out by visiting the webpage &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-immersive-reader-for-onenote-10712138-b4ed-4513-958d-d9a1b3038170&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Use Immersive Reader for OneNote.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/immersive-reader-for-one-note_tcm38-463850.jpg&quot; title=&quot;immersive-reader-for-one-note&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Immersive Reader icon, highlighted, between the end of the URL and the favorite button.&quot; style=&quot;width: 41%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;immersive-reader-for-one-note&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The keyboard shortcut to toggle Immersive Reader on and off is F9, or you can select the icon with your mouse. This will provide the tool’s options below the address bar:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Read aloud&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text preferences&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Grammar tools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading preferences&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/immersive-reader-options_tcm38-463849.png&quot; title=&quot;immersive-reader-options&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Immersive Reader options displaying below the address bar.&quot; style=&quot;width: 96%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;immersive-reader-options&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Expanding each option provides the ability to customize options further. For example, you can add more text space, decide how many lines to highlight while reading, and turn on the picture dictionary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes, the Immersive Reader icon will not be available for a web page. Even using the keyboard shortcut to toggle it on may not work. For those using Edge Version 81.0.396.0 (Official build) canary (64-bit) or greater, there is a possible work around:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Highlight/select text on the page you want to read.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Right click (or Shift + F10) and select Open in Immersive Reader.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The IT Side of Immersive Reader&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IT Support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IT support staff can help someone check if Immersive Reader is working within their Edge browser by running a few simple tests:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep a website like &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/cognitive/#:~:text=Cognitive%20Accessibility%20in%20W3C%20Standards%20Existing%20and%20developing,Guidelines%20%28WCAG%29%20includes%20requirements%20that%20address%20cognitive%20accessibility&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cognitive Accessibility at W3C&lt;/a&gt; bookmarked so you can use it for testing. Since not all web pages support the Immersive Reader functionality, it is important to use a page known to work with the tool. Paste the link above into the user’s Edge browser.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check for the Immersive Reader icon in the address bar (between the URL and the favorites button).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If present:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check that the options display.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If not present, then the tool is not working as expected, and further testing should be conducted.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Developers and Web Content Creators&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to Microsoft; “Immersive Reader is a standalone web application. When invoked using the Immersive Reader client library (it) is displayed on top of your existing web application in an iframe” (from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/immersive-reader/overview&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Microsoft Azure article “What is Immersive Reader?”&lt;/a&gt;) The &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/immersive-reader/quickstarts/client-libraries?pivots=programming-language-csharp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Quickstart: Get started with Immersive Reader&lt;/a&gt; lists requirements for integrating Immersive Reader:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Azure subscription.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visual Studio 2019.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An Immersive Reader resource configured for Azure Active Directory authentication.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Immersive Reader Challenges&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several IT staff worked together to determine why we were not always able to get Immersive Reader to work in Edge. This is a tool we know may be extremely helpful for some state of Minnesota employees. User instructions did not (at time of writing) include easily findable information about why it does not always work. This can lead the user to think it is something to do with their version of Windows or Edge. Not being able to use it the same way on all pages may cause some users to stop using the tool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The requirement for developers to follow quite specific steps using specific tools – rather than simply encouraging them to follow digital accessibility best practices could cause many developers to skip adding this tool on their site. Most assistive technology tools can access accessible web pages without this extra requirement. In fact, there are free assistive technology tools that work as extensions and add-ons, and work with accessible web pages. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those who need such tools, making them easy to find and use, and easy for developers to implement will help make the web a more inclusive place. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A friendly reminder from David Miller, Lead Quality Analyst - Application Services: “Immersive Reader functionality should not be relied upon as a ‘fix’ for an inaccessible website. Websites should be made accessible first, and only then add Immersive Reader functionality to them.  (Kind of like the warnings about ARIA, and accessibility overlays.)” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Special thanks to the following Minnesota IT Services staff for their contributions to this article: Kris Schulze, Experience IT Program Manager; David Miller, Lead Quality Analyst; and Nicholas Bawek, Systems Architect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463845</id><pubdate>2021-01-26T01:00:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Making a Proposal and Grant Management System Accessible for All</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Making a Proposal and Grant Management System Accessible for All</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop displaying LLCMR website on the screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/lccmr-blog-and-email_tcm38-463813.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Laptop displaying LCCMR on the screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/lccmr-blog-thumb_tcm38-463815.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2021-01 - LCCMR Accessibility System</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-463816&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-26T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn how the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) moved from a paper-based process to an inclusive online system.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Building a system that meets the state digital accessibility standard for all users.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By: Michael Lind Varien, Senior Project Analyst with the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) is currently designing, developing, and implementing an online proposal and grant management system. One of the objectives is to build a system that meets the state digital accessibility standard for all users, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State employees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Commission members.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Funding applicants.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The LCCMR is a legislative commission made up of seventeen members, including ten legislators and seven citizens. The commission recommends projects to the legislature to receive funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our plan was to design, develop, and implement an online proposal and grants management system. It would: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Manage all components of the LCCMR process, from project proposal through project implementation to project completion. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Serve as a searchable database of our project portfolio.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide a place for commission members to review and evaluate proposals. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The aim was to move our paper-based process to an online system. A primary goal was to shift from providing accommodations when requested to accessibility for all users. We are committed to upholding the state standard for accessibility to make information accessible to all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Early on, the staff’s initial questions set the stage for incorporating accessibility throughout the project. These included: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What are our users’ accessibility needs?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What is our capacity to address digital accessibility?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What resources are available? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is digital accessibility even required?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;IT is not the area of expertise for the commission’s five staff members. While we make documents accessible and understand the needs of some people that access our body of work, we have limited expertise to address digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a joint commission of the legislative branch, the LCCMR does not have a designated IT department. Most IT and accessibility needs are managed in-house; in other words, by my four colleagues and me. However, we do have limited access to various resources, such as: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;House, Senate, and non-partisan IT&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota IT Services and the Office of Accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we began this project there was no statute, but since beginning this project, the legislature passed law that requires the legislature to comply with digital accessibility standards adopted for state agencies.  Our experience had also shown us that any system we built would need to meet accessibility standards. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We started with our most common accommodation needs and used that to help guide us through the planning and development of the system. We needed a system that would reduce the costs of our current accommodation process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There were many details that we simply did not know, such as what specific accessibility criteria to include in a Request for Proposal (RFP) for prospective system developers. This is why we asked the Office of Accessibility for help. In preliminary meetings with the Office of Accessibility and members of the interagency accessibility working group we discussed: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;What it means to be accessible. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The state digital accessibility standard. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Options for testing the system.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to provide the right information for a vendor to respond appropriately to a RFP.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;RFPs Communicate Commitment to Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we drafted the RFP we wanted to ensure that we communicated the importance of digital accessibility for both the system and any documents generated by the system. To do this we included the following statements in four distinct parts of the RFP: background, scope of work, deliverables, and an appendix.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example language from the request for proposal &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;V. Background&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Labor-intensive manual remediation is at times required to enable documents to comply with electronic accessibility standards.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;VIII. Scope of Work&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Ability to meet accessibility standards and needs for system user interface and data and document uses.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;XI. Contents of Proposal&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Responders must complete the Voluntary Product/Service Accessibility Templates, VPAT, (508 VPAT and WCAG 2.0 VPAT). See the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&apos;Procurement&apos; tab&lt;/a&gt; and go to the &apos;Products&apos; tab then go to &apos;VPAT 2.0 site (via ITIC)&apos;. This component of the Proposal should demonstrate the Responder’s capabilities in regards to supporting the State of Minnesota’s accessibility statute. The Responder can also provide their Accessibility Maturity Roadmap that spells out how and when accessibility improvements are incorporated into their solution. Submitted VPAT(s) will be incorporated into the contract that results from this solicitation, if awarded.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Appendix I&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;B. System Interface&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“19. System interface should be ADA (Americans with Disability Act) accessible utilizing or compatible with adaptive technologies according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 of the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/images/Stnd_State_Accessibility.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota&apos;s Accessibility Standard (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wireframes and Accessible Design Impact Final Product&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the most important steps we took was early review of the system wireframes by accessibility experts and users. This preliminary review was critical to the success of this project. It avoided the cost of building inaccessible parts of the system that would later need reworking, and it raised everyone’s understanding of digital accessibility. Here is how that worked: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vendor and their system engineering staff, LCCMR staff, and accessibility experts met to discuss these reviews.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vendor presented their design. They explained how the system would be built on the backend, how they would troubleshoot issues and find solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility experts identified potential problems with the design, such as color contrast, and navigation issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The vendor did some troubleshooting and worked with accessibility experts on possible solutions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nothing was actually built during the discussion, because we talked through the wireframes to anticipate issues before anything was built.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; “As a vendor it was extremely beneficial to discuss how accessibility standards play into the design prior to development. It truly felt like we were all one team working towards a common goal.”
&lt;br /&gt;
– Brian Fisher, Houston Engineering Inc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The following is an example from these meetings with the experts. We originally designed a table in the wireframes and thought this would allow users to access everything in the system from one place. Users could: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;See all the projects. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use action icons to edit. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review, add or remove collaborators. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Address overdue reports.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;See all the important information about a project. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a staff, we thought we had designed the ultimate user interfaces for our system. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Interface1.2_tcm38-463823.png&quot; title=&quot;system-interface-not-accessible&quot; alt=&quot;system-interface-not-accessible&quot; style=&quot;width: 43%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;system-interface-not-accessible&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This table is great for me, but that is only because I can see, I know what the icons are, and I can use a mouse and a keyboard. However, when we met with the accessibility experts, they all chuckled because, from an accessibility perspective, this would be difficult to make both accessible and usable. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a result of wireframe review by accessibility experts, we moved most actions to more appropriate locations throughout the system. This made the table simpler, and the system more dynamic. This also avoided costly rebuilds, and made the system overall more usable for everyone. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Interface2.2_tcm38-463824.png&quot; title=&quot;system-interface-accessible&quot; alt=&quot;system-interface-accessible&quot; style=&quot;width: 42%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;system-interface-accessible&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Testing&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We included accessibility testing as part of the user acceptance testing (UAT) for the various users and parts of the system. We coordinated with the Office of Accessibility, and developed specific test plans that allowed experts to strategically test specific functionality and parts of the system. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, LCCMR staff were trained to test common accessibility aspects including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color contrast.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color alone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Magnification.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard operable.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Visible focus.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Focus order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meaningful link text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The experts focused on more difficult testing. LCCMR staff covered simpler tests, and got on-the-job training that would carry over to other areas. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility collated testing results, wrote a report of findings, and met with the vendor and LCCMR staff to address any barriers and possible solutions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Takeaways for Future Projects&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Successes included the benefits of collaboration, training, and planning for accessibility from the start. We also learned some lessons, including: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;No one test captures all the things that need to be checked for accessibility. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Testing results are not always a yes or no answer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility has multiple elements for both systems and documents. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Multiple perspectives are required.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An actual person does the testing and evaluation (it&apos;s not just automated testing). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting the state digital accessibility standard is not simply checking a box. It is, and should be, a significant part of any plan to build an online system.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the future, we would plan for more time and resources to design, build, and test for accessibility. To do this we recommend user acceptance testing for a typical user and for accessibility to ensure the system works for everyone. Plan a parallel testing and review timeline that aligns standard UAT and accessibility testing such that they each have distinct testing periods and milestones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next Steps, and Positive Feedback!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are actively using the completed parts of the system while design, build, and testing  the remaining functionality continues. We have issued the 2022 RFP for ENRTF funding, which will be the second year using the system for proposals. Initial feedback from testers and users suggests that we have built a system that is more accessible for all users. Comments from project managers and grantees include how easy it is to use, navigate, and work in this online system. We believe including accessibility from the start is helping us build a system that is more user-friendly and accessible for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn More&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.lccmr.leg.mn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/CaseStudyStartingWithAccessibility_tcm38-464054.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Case Study Starting With Accessibility&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Case Study Starting With Accessibility&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Government IT Symposium presentation - Case Study - Starting with Accessibility (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Standard and Statute: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (Part of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Standard)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2019/1/Session+Law/Chapter/10/#laws.5.1.0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2019 law requiring legislative branch to comply with the state digital accessibility standard by 2024&lt;/a&gt; (Laws of Minnesota 2019, 1st Special Session, chapter 10, article 5, section 1)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>463816</id><pubdate>2021-01-26T01:00:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota’s COVIDaware MN exposure notification system will expand to allow more Minnesotans to protect themselves and their loved ones. Starting Monday, January 11, some Minnesota iPhone users  will receive a notification about the opportunity to turn on the COVIDaware MN exposure notification in their phone’s settings.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Expands COVIDaware MN Exposure Notification System</Title><Publisher/><Subject>COVIDaware</Subject><Subject>COVIDaware MN</Subject><Subject>exposure notification</Subject><Subject>covid-19</Subject><Subject>covid 19</Subject><Subject>coronavirus</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Expands COVIDaware MN Exposure Notification System</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of COVID-19 exposure history in COVIDaware MN.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/exposure-history_tcm38-462552.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of COVID-19 exposure history in COVIDaware MN.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/exposure-history-square_tcm38-462543.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2021-001 - Minnesota Expands COVIDaware MN Exposure Notification System</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-462545&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2021-01-10T16:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Starting Monday, January 11, some Minnesota iPhone users will receive a notification about the opportunity to turn on the COVIDaware MN exposure notification in their phone’s settings.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota iPhone Users May Be Notified of New Exposure Notification Setting</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;January 10, 2021 (St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota’s COVIDaware MN exposure notification system will expand to allow more Minnesotans to protect themselves and their loved ones. Starting Monday, January 11, some Minnesota iPhone users will receive a notification about the opportunity to turn on the COVIDaware MN exposure notification in their phone’s settings. Minnesota users can voluntarily choose to turn on COVID-19 exposure notifications in their settings without downloading the COVIDaware MN app.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Knowing when you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 is a critical piece of curbing the spread of this virus, and COVIDaware MN gives Minnesotans a powerful and anonymous tool to know when you’ve been exposed. The new notification on iPhones will give Minnesotans greater access to this technology, so we can all play our part to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Governor Tim Walz&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new exposure notification setting, available on iPhones using operating systems (iOS) 12.5 or 13.7 and higher, builds on the full-featured COVIDaware MN app that was released on Nov. 23, 2020. More than 20 states and territories are now using this secure, anonymous technology to help slow the spread of COVID-19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The iPhone setting, just like the COVIDaware MN app, is entirely opt-in and protects the privacy of Minnesotans. It does not track your location, does not collect your personal information, and will never share your identity with other users, Google, Apple, or the State of Minnesota.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, CIO for the State of Minnesota, MNIT Commissioner&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The exposure notification setting works in the same way as the full-featured COVIDaware MN app. When Minnesotans activate the exposure notification setting, or download the app, the COVIDaware MN system generates a random, privacy-protecting key for a user’s phone that changes every 10 to 20 minutes. It does not track individuals’ locations. Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, the user’s phone and the phones of other users they are near anonymously exchange these privacy-protected keys.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a person receives a positive test, state or local public health officials will provide a unique code that the person may voluntarily enter into their phone. If that person enters the code, users with whom they’ve been within six feet of – for 15 or more minutes over a 24-hour period in the past 14 days – will receive a notification of an exposure. COVIDaware MN will exchange random keys with anyone who uses COVIDaware MN or similar applications developed by other &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.aphl.org/programs/preparedness/Crisis-Management/COVID-19-Response/Pages/exposure-notifications.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;states that use the same technology framework&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When Minnesotans use COVIDaware MN, they are helping others in the community make informed decisions about their health and are playing their part to slow the spread of the virus. The more individuals who download or enable COVIDaware MN, the more effective the tool will be to notify Minnesotans about potential exposures. Minnesotans can learn more about the app on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://covidawaremn.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;COVIDaware MN website&lt;/a&gt;, and download it today from the Google Play or App Store. iPhone users can simply turn on the Setting to help slow the spread of COVID-19 for their communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>462545</id><pubdate>2021-05-19T21:26:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Government IT Symposium 2020 – Accessibility Highlights</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Government IT Symposium 2020 – Accessibility Highlights</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Government IT Symposium logo in the sky over St. Paul buildings.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/symposium-web_tcm38-458245.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Government IT Symposium logo in the sky over St. Paul buildings.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/symposium-web-thumb_tcm38-458244.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-12 - Government IT Symposium 2020 – Accessibility Highlights</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-458209&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-12-17T01:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Office of Accessibility asked Rita Larson to share takeaways from the 2020 Government IT Symposium.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A Government Technology Conference Through the Eyes of a Digital Accessibility Coordinator</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Rita Larson, Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s note:
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota’s digital accessibility coordinators share accessibility news, techniques, and resources with their state of Minnesota colleagues. They attend conferences to learn the latest and maintain their certifications. The Office of Accessibility asked Rita Larson to share takeaways from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mngts.org/itsym/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2020 Government IT Symposium&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting with Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One seminar, “Case Study: Starting with Accessibility = Project and Team Wins,” focused on the importance and benefits of including accessibility at all stages of developing a web application. The Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) is updating their Proposal and Grant Management System from a paper-based to online system. At the start of the project, the LCCMR knew that it was important to include accessibility in all stages of planning, but knew they would need help.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They reached out to the state of Minnesota’s Office of Accessibility for guidance. The Office of Accessibility worked with LCCMR through the entire project. The first step was ensuring the Request for Proposal (RFP) language included the accessibility standards, accessibility testing, and final reviews.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The benefits of including accessibility at all stages of the project include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;reduced costs by finding and fixing issues early in the process, rather than having to do rewrites at the end.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;increased staff skills and knowledge. Included in the plan was staff training on how and what to test.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The resulting online system will be easier to use. Already, the system is more accessible for staff, members, and all applicants (both those with and without disabilities). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The speakers packed a lot of valuable information into a short time frame. The most important resource shared was the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt; which provides a tremendous amount of information. Other resources shared include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.lccmr.leg.mn/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) home page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://lccmrprojectmgmt.leg.mn/#/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;LCCMR Proposal and Grant Management System&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility in Collaboration Tools &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The next accessibility seminar, “Being an Accessibility #A11y with Microsoft 365 &amp;amp; Teams,” focused on how to collaborate in ways that maximize accessibility, diversity, and inclusion, using Microsoft 365 and Teams. The session provided a lot of good information and helpful tips. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both speakers presented a lot of information in a clear and easy to understand way. They discussed how our work lives have changed so much, in particular: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The large role of technology in that change.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The changing way we communicate with each other.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How the Office of Accessibility and many state employees worked together to make the change easier. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was interesting to hear what Microsoft is doing to increase accessibility for all people, regardless of any disability. There was information about how it’s even easier to access and use tools that can help us make sure that documents are accessible to all. A YouTube channel was highlighted for the numerous videos to help people learn how to use Microsoft’s tools most efficiently.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The speakers presented a lot of useful, practical information, including actions everyone can take to increase accessibility for everyone. It’s a shame that this presentation wasn’t longer. The speakers provided a lot of helpful links, including the Microsoft YouTube channel. Some of the resources shared:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/list/appId/1/filterType/Category/filterValue/Accessibility/page/1/sort//order/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services blog - accessibility category&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Option to subscribe to the Office of Accessibility by Text:  
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text to # 468311: MNIT A11y&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/MSFTEnable&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Microsoft’s YouTube accessibility channel (Video)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Local Digital Accessibility Journey&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One panel featured representatives from local governments. “The Digital Accessibility Journey Through Counties, Cities and Towns” included Mel Reeder, League of Minnesota Cities CIO, and Leah Patton, Minnesota County IT Leadership Association Executive Director. This seminar was a great mix of information and questions.  The main topic: assessing where counties, cities, and towns are in their accessibility journey, and the drivers that are pushing them to be more accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Among the important points discussed were: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Key forces driving these governments to be more accessible are generally negative: recent laws and regulations and the fear of litigation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nearly half of all poll respondents are doing some accessibility testing and staff are more aware of the need for accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;More than half noted significant barriers to being more accessible, including understanding the standards, awareness, and money.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The differences and overlaps between accessibility, accommodations and assistive technology were also discussed. It was interesting to find out that while many people may not consider themselves disabled, accommodations for them are often used and helpful. The discussion also included how the COVID-19 pandemic made accessibility more important. From the increase in virtual meetings to applying for permits online instead of in person, our way of life has changed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A very important part of this discussion focused on the importance of developing accessible websites, especially when using vendors. The speakers made a key point: just including accessibility in an RFP is not enough. It is important to verify that accessibility works. Using a third party to verify accessibility is a good idea.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This seminar was really good and provided a lot of information.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Golden GOVIT Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the Golden GOVIT Awards?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Government IT Symposium also awards government agencies and individuals for contributions to advance government technology through collaboration, innovation, service and individual leadership. The Government IT Symposium Steering Committee reviews nominations for the Golden GOVIT Awards, which can come from a government body or individual. Sessions featuring the finalists occur at the symposium. The symposium announces the winners on the final day.  It’s a great way to feature and celebrate hard work and innovation.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The five categories this year were:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaboration (product/program)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Innovation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Service (product/program)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Individual Leader&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rapid Response&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Pathway to Accessible Digital Maps was a finalist for the Collaboration category. The project implemented well-designed and accessible maps. The State of Minnesota’s Maps Accessibility Community of Practice (MCOP) was a key driver in this effort. The team is comprised of over 40 members from 15 Minnesota state agencies, the Legislature, Office of the Secretary of State, Met Council, and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although this team was not the winner, the results of the projects are impressive:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Website resources have been accessed by 5,700 unique visitors in 46 states, 3 provinces in Canada, and 37 countries, with over 4,000 downloads.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota state agencies have adopted accessibility into mapping products. For example, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) implemented accessibility in 150 mapping products that receive over 1.1 million visitors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Resources that state employees and the public can access. Check out:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Map Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;: learn more about map design, static digital maps, and interactive web maps&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Quick Cards:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-map-design_tcm38-375674.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Map Design (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-static-map_tcm38-375675.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Static Maps (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-web-map_tcm38-403740.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Interactive Web Maps (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations to the team. Their efforts have made a difference for many people throughout the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>458209</id><pubdate>2020-12-16T23:00:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Digital Accessibility in Minnesota – 2020 in Review</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility in Minnesota – 2020 in Review</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>2020 with two laptops</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2020-review-web_tcm38-457862.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>2020 with two laptop images</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2020-review-web-thumb_tcm38-457861.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-12 - Digital Accessibility in Minnesota – 2020 in Review</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-457810&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-12-17T01:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Read about the milestones and events that took place in 2020.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>2020 Year in Review</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2020 was a big year for anniversaries. It was the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;100th anniversary of the Smith-Fess Act, which gave rise to vocational rehabilitation services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;50th anniversary of the Developmental Disabilities Act&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;45th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to national anniversaries, September 1 was the 10-year anniversary of the state of Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;digital accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like many other 2020 plans, celebrations of all these important milestones changed or now have future dates due to the coronavirus pandemic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The shift of some long-planned celebrations to virtual events underscores the increased role digital accessibility played this year. As the state’s workforce moved from offices to their homes, the increased reliance on digital communications due to remote work heightened the need for accessible content and technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are just a few examples of key milestones and related events at various agencies throughout the state. Just because an agency isn’t mentioned doesn’t mean that they aren’t also doing similar activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supporting shift to telework&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As they moved home, many of the state’s hard-working digital accessibility professionals saw increasing requests for support and resources for accessibility. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) converted their live training materials to accessible documents to enable state employees to continue with training from home.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) team, the Office of Accessibility, and digital accessibility coordinators supported and continue to support state employees to use online meeting and digital collaboration technology:&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot;&gt;Learning opportunities, instructions, tech support for joining online meetings when using assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot;&gt;Training and learning materials for those who plan, host, and participate in online meetings so all attendees could engage.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot;&gt;Consultations on workflows that converted in-person and paper-based processes to digital work. This enabled more efficient and productive digital collaboration by employees during online meetings, including those using assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increasing commitment to accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDH and DNR: More Digital Accessibility Coordinator visibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two agencies increased their commitment to supporting full-time digital accessibility coordinators. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) created a new full-time coordinator position, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) changed a current role from temporary to permanent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DEED: All-staff training&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several agencies added accessibility training requirements for staff. The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) required all staff to take the first two modules of an online training course in creating accessible Word documents (&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;here’s the public version&lt;/a&gt;). Other agencies created plans to roll out the training to their staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improving access&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More accessible websites&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Multiple agencies reported continued progress on making their websites more accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, one agency has methodically corrected code for pages with:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;empty heading tags, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;no headings, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;no top-level heading, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;missing form control labels, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;iTags, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;multiple link destinations, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;no landmarks. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Multiple agencies reported improving menus and navigation flow to make it easier for everyone, including assistive technology users, to use their sites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several agencies also improved the accessibility of graphical images, including maps and graphical dashboards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Updating to newer, more accessible technology&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Services for the Blind (SSB) developed a Radio Talking Book app for national distribution (&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-432871&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;profiled in an interview last May&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding accessibility to workflows&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNsure reported that they have implemented a content development workgroup. Their goal is to standardize content creation, publishing, and maintenance of accessibility standards and usability best practices in the workflows and service level guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Staff at MNsure are also writing accessibility into the core requirements for forms design and development. Instead of asking for an accessibility review at the end of the forms process, the goal is to embed accessibility into the process and minimize rework.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Metropolitan Council   hired a vendor to do an audit and provide an organizational assessment of digital accessibility practices, gaps, and opportunities at the Council.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even the legislative branch is getting into the action! In addition to involving the Office of Accessibility on a major project (profiled in an upcoming &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility newsletter&lt;/a&gt;), legislative staff attended an all-day training and many formed a Legislative Accessibility Group (LAG) to share tips, ideas, and resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increasing accessibility of purchases&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) accomplishments this year was the significant involvement of its MNIT accessibility coordinator on several Requests for Proposals (RFPs), notably an application for the continuous improvement process. All web postings go through an accessibility review, and the team developed a process to get videos captioned with quick turnaround.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Council on Disabilities also has a dedicated point of contact to ensure that they write accessibility into every RFP and to provide technical assistance on those projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increasing awareness&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The leadership at Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) recently recognized their Digital Accessibility Coordinator and other staff for the work that went into making the biennial budget accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improving onboarding&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Council on Disabilities includes digital accessibility in the new employee onboarding process. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improving communications&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Public Safety (DPS)’s efforts have been highly visible as they have managed many of the Governor’s news conferences. Their staff worked to ensure both captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available at all the conferences. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning for 2021&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many other agencies report increased awareness of the need to improve digital accessibility content and services. They tracked this through a variety of metrics including but not limited to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Number of online PDFs remediated&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Increased requests for information and training&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improved website accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inclusion at RFP planning meetings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Distribution of report style templates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility is a journey – as technology evolves and changes, some problems get solved while new challenges take their place. The passion, dedication, and knowledge the state’s digital accessibility coordinators bring to their jobs are key to making state information and services available and usable to all its citizens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>457810</id><pubdate>2020-12-16T23:00:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Congratulations to Chris Luhman for winning the Individual Leader award and the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfers project for the Rapid Response award. </Description><Audience/><Title>Golden GOVIT Award Winners from the 2020 Government IT Symposium</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Golden GOVIT Awards</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Subject>Recognition</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Receives Golden GOVIT Awards at 2020 Government IT Symposium</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Golden GOVIT logo, Individual Leader logo, and Rapid Response logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GOVITblog_tcm38-458072.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>2020 GOVIT logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/GOVIT%20thumb_tcm38-458071.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-12 - MNIT Receives Golden GOVIT Awards at 2020 Government IT Symposium</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-458074&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-12-16T15:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Congratulations to Chris Luhman for winning the Individual Leader award and the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer project for the Rapid Response award. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Awards Recognize Individual Leadership and COVID-19 Rapid Response Efforts </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Golden GOVIT Awards, part of the Government IT Symposium, recognizes government agencies and individuals that advanced government technology through collaboration, innovation, service, and individual leadership. Announced on December 10, 2020, the Golden GOVIT awards recognized two awards tied to the state of Minnesota and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). Chris Luhman from Minnesota IT Services received the Individual Leader Award. The Pandemic Electron Benefit Transfer (Pandemic-EBT) project, a collaborative response from the MNIT, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), and Code for America won the Rapid Response Award.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Individual Leader Award&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/CLthumb_tcm38-458090.jpg&quot; title=&quot;chris-luhman-thumbnail&quot; alt=&quot;Headshot of Chris Luhman.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;chris-luhman-thumbnail&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chris Luhman, the Chief Information Security Officer for MNIT partnering with DHS and MNsure, won the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mngts.org/itsym/govit-about-us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2020 Golden GOVIT Award&lt;/a&gt; in the Individual Leader Award category. The award recognizes individuals who champion and implement innovation, inspire collaboration, are focused on improving service, and demonstrate a personal commitment to advancing the professional and career development of themselves as well as others in their agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last five years in his role, Luhman has been a strong leader who often thinks outside the box when solving issues, and challenges his teams to do the same. He values sustainable innovation over implementing new technology, and provides strategic guidance to management and staff. Luhman’s insight and expertise are evident in his work to automate and standardize application security processes. He understands the interactions between people, processes, and technology, and leverages each focus area to deliver more effective solutions to serve the state of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rapid Response Award &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT, DHS, and Code for America won a Golden GOVIT Award in the Rapid Response category for their work on the P-EBT program. The Rapid Response category was added this year to recognize government bodies that rapidly and effectively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic through collaboration, innovation, and service. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March, the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act created the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program to provide food benefits to families with children who qualified for free and reduced meals at school, but were not receiving those meals because school buildings had closed. The P-EBT project required extensive data matching with the Minnesota Department of Education to verify families’ free and reduced-price meal eligibility, and required DHS economic assistance staff to work quickly with MNIT and Code for America to create a web-based application for families. The P-EBT program launched on May 29, helping 267,000 children in Minnesota receive food benefits. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help Minnesotans receive their benefits as quickly as possible, and to ensure an efficient process, DHS, MNIT, and Amazon Web Services also created a pilot program to text P-EBT eligible clients. The text message alerted Minnesotans that applied for P-EBT that their benefits had been issued.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about P-EBT, visit the department’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/dhs/p-ebt/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;P-EBT webpage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about the awards, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mngts.org/itsym/govit-about-us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;GTS Educational Events website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>458074</id><pubdate>2020-12-16T21:19:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>HTML Accessibility Learning Ideas from State Employees</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>HTML Accessibility Learning Ideas from State Employees</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356061.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356059.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-11 - HTML Accessibility Learning Ideas from State Employees</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-454016&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-19T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Guide to free website accessibility training and recommendations.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessibility Training Resources and Recommendations</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Taking the time for training is much more productive when you have a plan in mind. Minnesota IT Services’ Office of Accessibility reached out to state of Minnesota employees to give you a guide to free website accessibility training: which trainings they found helpful and why they liked them. While there are hundreds of great training programs out there, this short list gives you a great start toward learning more about web accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those with an International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) certification remember to track the classes you take. If you’re not sure how to do that, find out:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;which learning opportunities count and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;how to submit them&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid=478&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Continuing Accessibility Education FAQ page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Design and UX&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I would recommend Billy Gregory’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx9LSbuqSj4&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;‘You, Ex. Breaking up with bad design’ (video)&lt;/a&gt; because it makes you think of accessibility and design by flipping everything you know upside down. For example, some habits you may rely, or have relied on may not be the best approach for the solution. In a way it led me to a more human-centered design approach, starting with me, as the designer.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Kitty Hurley, Senior GIS Developer, Minnesota IT Services partnering with Department of Natural Resources&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I especially recommend &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEnmA4NPjP4&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;‘Why Everyone Should Design for Chiari Malformation with Veronica Lewis’ (video)&lt;/a&gt; for those wanting to learn more about how acquired disabilities impact end users. Lewis covers information such as how she started learning about accessibility and assistive technology, and what she was doing/trying before she learned more about tools available to her.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;General HTML and Accessibility&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Oh my – I really feel there are several great articles, videos, etc. out there. However, one of my favorites is a complete series of videos on YouTube – &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtTyRajRuyY&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;A11ycasts with Rob Dodson&lt;/a&gt;! Some of the videos are four years old, but still relevant, easy to follow, and provide just enough information for developers to get started digging in further to the endless world of digital accessibility and the web!&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before digging in to all the A11ycasts have to offer, I suggest developers start out by watching ‘&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8xUCzToff8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Fundamentals with Rob Dodson&lt;/a&gt;.’ The video does a great job at describing HTML, DOM, GUI and the accessibility tree and how they relate, in addition to so much more.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another one that covers a lot of good details is ’&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlGU9GNB8iQ&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;What are accessible names and why should you care? By Russ Weakley (video)&lt;/a&gt;.’ This is a wonderful description of accessibility APIs, Document Object Model (DOM) and the accessibility tree.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Kim Wee, Webmaster and Digital Accessibility Coordinator, for Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Education&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HTML and Assistive Technology&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/screenreader/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Designing for Screen Reader Compatibility&lt;/a&gt; does a good job of covering &quot;inclusion, and the importance of coding the language attribute for all screen reader users, including those that have English as a second language.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;JoAnn Rautio, Digital Accessibility Coordinator/Business Analyst with Minnesota IT Services partnering with Department of Employment &amp;amp; Economic Development&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PPdUS9zMhA&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Respecting User Preferences on the Web (video)&lt;/a&gt; with Eric Eggert “did a great job discussing some issues with ARIA. He showed practical examples, such as links made with ARIA that did not respect the high contrast mode in some cases.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Jennie Delisi, Office of Accessibility&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;HTML “Label” and “Name”&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both Kim Wee and JoAnn Rautio recommend the article “&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/articles/label-name/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Decoding Label and Name for Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;” by WebAIM.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The article not only helps clarify the purpose of both Label and Name, but also gives some wonderful advice on the Accessible Name Computation!”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Wee, Webmaster and Digital Accessibility Coordinator, for Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Education&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>454016</id><pubdate>2020-11-19T02:00:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Accessibility and Digital Holiday Cards/Experiences</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Holidays</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility and Digital Holiday Cards/Experiences</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman typing typing text onto a digital holiday card on a tablet, presents in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/holiday-e-card-web_tcm38-454117.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman typing typing text onto a digital holiday card on a tablet, presents in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/holiday-e-card-web-thumb_tcm38-454118.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-11 - Accessibility and Digital Holiday Cards/Experiences</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-454019&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-19T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Consider digital accessibility as you plan your holiday experiences.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Connect with all of your loved ones this holiday season</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connecting during the holidays is more important now than ever. Although we may be doing it in different ways, we have an opportunity in 2020 to connect with accessibility in mind. Consider digital accessibility as you plan your holiday experiences to ensure that all those you are close to can access them! Think about the needs of your family and friends who:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Typically need support to open and read letters&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Live in the community with support&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Live in group homes or nursing homes and have access to a computer with internet or smart phone&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we have what you need to plan more accessible: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;holiday cards, &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;online get-togethers, and &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;recorded messages&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;with ideas from citizens, state employees, and Office of Accessibility staff. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tom Reed, Advocate&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/tom_tcm38-454107.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Tom Reed&quot; alt=&quot;Tom Reed&quot; style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Tom Reed&quot; /&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I love e-cards at the holidays or e-letters. When they come to your email, no one else can snoop at it unless you share it. An e-card is awesome if it is animated,” says Tom Reed. Reed has personal care attendants and sometimes family members assist him with some tasks, but reading his mail is something he prefers to do on his own.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital mail, through e-cards or email, is more accessible for him but adds that there are other specific accessibility considerations to remember, “Nothing as far as my disability, but people with epilepsy may not appreciate the animations.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reed raises a good point. If you have a family member or friend who has seizures, choose your holiday cards carefully. Let people know what the content contains, such as animations, before they open it. Mozilla has an article with more information: &lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/Seizure_disorders#:~:text=Seizures%20caused%20by%20light%20are%20known%20as%20photosensitive%20epilepsy.&amp;amp;text=Web%20technologies%20that%20use%20video,or%20other%20incapacitating%20physical%20reactions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web accessibility for seizures and physical reactions&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Justin Smith, Blogger and Advocate&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/justin_tcm38-454106.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Justin Smith&quot; alt=&quot;Justin Smith&quot; style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Justin Smith&quot; /&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When asked about this topic, Justin Smith spoke about the importance of online family gatherings that are accessible. “I&apos;ll be getting together with grandparents and other relatives online this year for the holidays. For me, it works best to use meeting technology that has auto-captions because I have auditory neuropathy and hearing loss. It helps to see people&apos;s faces when they&apos;re speaking because reading lips helps me better follow the conversation. It&apos;s also great just to be able to see the smiles, hear the laughter, and not feel so far away.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility has a lot of information that can help people host accessible online get-togethers. We list them in the checklist at the end of this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Smith solved the family letter issue in a creative way, “I am a blogger and instead of writing holiday cards, I write an end of the year blog post with highlights from my year. That helps me stay connected with friends, family, and people who follow my blog.” His blog can be found at &lt;a href=&quot;https://justinsmithwrites.com/about-me/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Justin Smith Writes&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Select a hosting site that enables you to create an accessible blog. The American Federation for the Blind provides tips in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.afb.org/about-afb/what-we-do/afb-consulting/afb-accessibility-resources/how-make-your-blog-accessible&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How to Make Your Blog Accessible for Blind Readers&lt;/a&gt;. This includes great information that can  improve the accessibility of your posts for everyone. Remember – blogs are public, so anyone can read the information you share.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another option is to create an accessible Word document or PDF and attach it to an email. The Office of Accessibility has lots of great information to get you started on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessible Electronic Documents page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Samantha and Max&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/samantha-max_tcm38-454122.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Samantha-Max&quot; alt=&quot;Samantha Fischer and her son, Max&quot; style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Samantha-Max&quot; /&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“One thing that not a lot of people know about me is that accessibility plays a large role in my life. I have a stepsister who is a quadriplegic (Cerebral Palsy) and my son, Max, is neuro divergent (ADHD with sensory processing disorder),” says Samantha Fischer, the Digital Accessibility Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Family means a lot to us and it’s important to receive greetings during the holidays to help us feel connected. Like many others in the world, with COVID we haven’t been able to get together like we’ve wanted to. However, recently, my nephew, who was stationed in Afghanistan, sent out an electronic message letting us all know he returned safely. It was great to see him and hear his voice, but there were some issues when my son tried to watch/listen that made it very difficult for him.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fischer offers some suggestions that her son would like everyone to consider when sending messages this year:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color contrast, color contrast, color contrast! &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adding GIFs, fancy text, music and flashing lights can be difficult for those with cognitive disabilities to read, listen, and focus on.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When recording any video or audio messages, background noise, such as dogs barking, babies crying, the sound of someone typing or using the mouse on a laptop, can be distracting.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Having your microphone too close to your mouth can cause “mouth noises” (i.e., the sounds of someone breathing, sharp sounds when someone makes a consonant and the worst offender of all, according to my son, sniffling).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lolly Lijewski&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/lolly_tcm38-454105.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Lolly Lijewski&quot; alt=&quot;Lolly Lijewski&quot; style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Lolly Lijewski&quot; /&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I love getting electronic holiday cards that have an audio greeting or alt text descriptions. Something that tells me what’s going on in the card, who is in it, and a description of any images or photos. Make sure the audio is clear if you use it so people who are hard of hearing can enjoy it too.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I also enjoy written (digital) letters with good description and colorful descriptive language that paint a picture for me. Please keep in mind that not everyone can see photos or images. A good description goes a long way.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;-Lolly Lijewski, Digital Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Human Services&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Checklist&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like all types of successful projects, starting early and planning is key. Here are some key considerations to include in your plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;e-Cards and Digital Letters&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Switch, alternative access, and keyboard accessibility:&lt;/strong&gt; Test using your tab and enter keys to ensure the person can open and progress through the card. This includes being able to use the play button for any media content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accessibility information:&lt;/strong&gt; Check if the holiday card website has information about accessibility. This is a great clue about how accessible the cards may be.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Animation:&lt;/strong&gt; Consider alerting your recipients prior to them opening a holiday card.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ask:&lt;/strong&gt; If you have questions about an e-card’s accessibility contact the site that makes them. Ask if this card is accessible. You can use phrases like, “I’m sending this to someone that is blind and uses a screen reader. Have you tested this with a screen reader?”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Audio and music:&lt;/strong&gt; Make sure that captions can be turned on and ensure the audio is clear.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Contrast:&lt;/strong&gt; Make sure that the text has at least 4.5:1 contrast with the background. If the text is large, 3:1 is okay. Find color and contrast tools on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/websites-applications.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s accessible website and applications page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictures/video visuals that are important for understanding the information:&lt;/strong&gt; Check if there is a way to add alternative text, or if the audio announces what is happening onscreen. You may need to add this information in other ways, such as in the text content of the card.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Text:&lt;/strong&gt; Check if there is a way to add this onscreen text to the information that is read aloud. This will help ensure that people with difficulty seeing the card or those with reading challenges get access to the text on the card.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Blogs&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessibility information: Check if the blog hosting site has information about accessibility. This is a great clue about how accessible you can make your blog.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Test: Use a tool like &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WAVE&lt;/a&gt; to be sure key components like headings and alt text for images are included on  your blog. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Online Get-togethers &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Audio:&lt;/strong&gt; Check your microphone and audio settings. Great suggestions in &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-450251&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tending to Your Audio&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Captions:&lt;/strong&gt; Use a platform that can at least provide automated captions. Test them out ahead of time to see how accurate they may be, and practice turning them on.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chat:&lt;/strong&gt; Some online meeting tools may announce all chat messages to those using a screen reader, making it difficult for them to follow the conversation. More information in &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/index.jsp?id=38-443947&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility Best Practices for Using Chat in Online Meetings&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hosting ideas:&lt;/strong&gt; Even if you keep the group relatively small, ensuring everyone gets a chance to share and catch up can be difficult. &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/index.jsp?id=38-429835&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Remote Meeting Guide – A guide to Effective and Inclusive Remote Meetings&lt;/a&gt; has ideas that can help.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Telephone option:&lt;/strong&gt; There are several reasons why some of your party members may prefer a telephone dial-in option. This can include having a telephone that works with their hearing aids, or the ability to use a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Telecommunications Relay Service.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just a little planning can go a long way towards creating more accessible holiday experiences and ensure all your loved ones can access your greetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: rgb(236, 239, 243);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;line-height: 2rem; font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more abo&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;ut the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>454019</id><pubdate>2020-11-19T02:00:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>At Minnesota IT Services, we recognize the enormous contributions of men and women who served the country in uniform. Recently we caught up with a few of our MNIT veterans about how their military experience has made a significant impact on them both professionally and personally.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Celebrates Veterans Day</Title><Publisher/><Subject>veterans</Subject><Subject>employees</Subject><Subject>spotlight</Subject><Subject>Veterans Day</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Veterans Spotlight</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A veteran saluting the American flag.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/veteran-001_tcm38-321323.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A veteran saluting the American flag.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/veteran-001_tcm38-321324.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-11 - MNIT Celebrates Veterans Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-452969&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-11-10T15:49:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>At Minnesota IT Services, we recognize the enormous contributions of men and women who served the country in uniform. Recently we caught up with a few of our MNIT veterans about how their military experience has made a significant impact on them both professionally and personally.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Celebrates Veterans Day</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Wednesday, November 11th, 2020, we celebrate Veterans Day. At Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), we recognize the enormous contributions of men and women who served the country in uniform. Throughout our history, military service members put on their uniforms to protect the values and liberties of our nation, but that doesn’t stop once the uniform comes off and their time in active duty ends. Veterans take the lessons they learned and the experiences they gained to continue their service to our nation and strengthen our communities. This Veterans Day, we honor the men and women who continue to serve our country.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently we caught up with a few of our MNIT veterans about how their military experience made a significant impact on them both professionally and personally. We want to thank all our veterans for their service!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;The below is edited and condensed for clarity.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Colleen Adams&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Colleen Adams is a Senior Project Manager for MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Adams was active duty Air Force stationed primarily out of Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, South Dakota. She also spent time in Texas and Mississippi for training, and was deployed to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Bahrain in support of Desert Shield and Desert Storm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adams spent six years in the Air Force before being recruited by a government contracting firm to provide computer tracking and support to train Air Force pilots.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did your experience serving in the military help prepare you in your career?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adams&lt;/strong&gt;: I was an accountant before I joined the military. At that time, computers were really starting to become valuable in the field. I joined the Air Force to get training on computers and to learn how they could further the data processing. It was new and exciting to use technology for communications, data processing, and to support bomber crews. Once I got my taste of technology and computers, I never returned to accounting. My military experience, and the work I did in support of the federal government, positioned me for my first job in state government with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety in 1994. I have held various IT positions in my 26 years with the state of Minnesota, but my favorite one has been as a project manager for software development projects.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is there any connection between your service as a veteran and work in state government?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Adams&lt;/strong&gt;: My passion has always been in public service and the state has offered me many opportunities to serve in a variety of business areas, with different and interesting positions, and the ability to work with ever-changing technology. It’s been exciting, rewarding, and a great place to spend my career.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jeffrey Duvio&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jeffrey Duvio is a Telecom Coordinator for MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Duvio served eight years with the United States Navy. He was stationed on U.S.S. Anzio CG-68 Cruiser 2005-2010 as Communications Watch Officer and in the Naples, Italy Command Task Force 69 2010-2013 as Secret Intelligence Supervisor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mnit-veterans-001_tcm38-452967.jpg&quot; title=&quot;mnit-veterans-001&quot; alt=&quot;Jeffrey Duvio on a Navy ship speaking into a radio.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mnit-veterans-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jeffrey Duvio during his service with the U.S. Navy.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did your experience serving in the military help prepare you in your career?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Duvio&lt;/strong&gt;: The Navy honed my IT skills by sending me to networking and radio frequency group schools and providing me security training from Comptia Security+ and A+. It provided structure and on-the-job skills that enhanced my career in IT, auditing, and project management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can we help other veterans in the workforce? &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Duvio&lt;/strong&gt;: If you meet other veterans in the work force, try very hard to be patient with them. They come out of military service with a new set of challenges to transition into the civilian world. Getting back into new social climates, different work conditions, and adjusting to non-military life is a large hurdle for most.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mnit-veterans-002_tcm38-452966.jpg&quot; title=&quot;mnit-veterans-002&quot; alt=&quot;Jeffrey Duvio smiling with a woman holding an animal at the Minnesota Zoo.&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mnit-veterans-002&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Duvio (left) during his time working with the Minnesota Zoo.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dan Kuntz&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dan Kuntz is an Enterprise Network Service Manager for the Network and Telecom Division of Minnesota IT Services. Kuntz served in the United States Army from 1988-1992 as part of the Signal Support Company in Berlin, Germany. He then served from 1992-1995 as a member of the Army Reserve, based out of Fort Snelling, Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mnit-veterans-003.jpg_tcm38-452965.png&quot; title=&quot;mnit-veterans-003&quot; alt=&quot;Dan Kuntz in uniform standing in front of an American flag.&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mnit-veterans-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dan Kuntz in uniform during his service. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did your experience serving in the military help prepare you in your career?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kuntz&lt;/strong&gt;: Providing computer and network support to the Berlin Command has served me well in my career. I started my career in IT by supporting IBM 8088 and 8086 computers that had dual 5 ¼ inch floppy drives, monochrome monitors, no hard drives, and 512k of ram – allowing me to develop a solid background in troubleshooting. I learned how to break down problems, which at times seem impossible, to the basics and solve them with a combination of experience and common sense.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The military leadership training I received also taught me that you personally don’t need to have all the answers, but you need to know where to look for the answers. This includes surrounding yourself with good people that compliment your own skills to solve whatever problems are thrown in front of you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is there anything else that you would like to share?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kuntz&lt;/strong&gt;: I served in Berlin, Germany during the Cold War while the Berlin Wall was still standing. We were 110 miles inside East Germany, surrounded by 250,000 Soviet forces. As one of the 10,000 service members in Berlin, between the American, British, and French Allied forces, I was on the front line against the U.S.S.R. Seeing the Berlin Wall fall and German unification was an amazing time in our history that I’m honored to have witnessed. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mnit-veterans-004_tcm38-452964.jpg&quot; title=&quot;mnit-veterans-004&quot; alt=&quot;Dan Kuntz and his wife smiling in front of the Brandenburg Gate.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mnit-veterans-004&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kuntz with his wife visiting Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Melanie Olson&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Melanie Olson is a Financial Applications and Data Warehouse Supervisor in the Financial Management Systems Division, partnering with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). She served in the United States Army around the world, starting basic training in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina and serving as part of Desert Storm and Desert Shield Saudi Arabia for eight months. Olson finished the remaining of her four-year commitment in the Minnesota National Guard while utilizing the GI Bill to attend college. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How did your experience serving in the military help prepare you in your career?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Olson&lt;/strong&gt;: Both of my grandmothers lived through the Great Depression and along with my mother, survived through much hardship and loss. I inherited their perseverance and grit which helped me throughout my service. The schools I attended before heading to my permanent duty station had over a 50% dropout rate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My military positions required me to put great effort into contingency planning. I use the same sort of planning methodology in the work I perform at the state and in my personal life. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a data analyst, applying situational awareness that I learned in the military translates perfectly to being data-driven. I strive to use as much diverse data as possible in any situation. I also learned to deal with uncertainty, learn from your mistakes, and maintain focus and concentration when surrounded by distractions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mnit-veterans-005.jpg_tcm38-452963.png&quot; title=&quot;mnit-veterans-005&quot; alt=&quot;Group of four women in uniform smiling and holding a blue flag.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mnit-veterans-005&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Melanie Olson in basic training with friends that have remained close for more than 30 years. Rhonda Rogers (lower right); Melanie Olson (lower left); Leslie Jensen (upper left); Mara Glesener (upper right).&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What inspired your military service?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Olson&lt;/strong&gt;: My grandfather, Major Don Merrill Beerbower, was one of the top aces from World War II and was killed in action after the D-Day invasion. Major Beerbower was inducted into the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnaviationhalloffame.org/inductees/b.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame&lt;/a&gt; in 2000. He selected Wah Kau Kong, the first Chinese American fighter pilot, to be his wing man and both men were credited for making the 353rd Fighter Squadron a top scoring squadron of WWII. Minnesota Vietnam Veteran/Aviator/Author, Paul Sailer, wrote two books about Major Beerbower: “The Oranges are Sweet: Major Don M. Beerbower and the 353rd Fighter Squadron” and “I Had a Comrade”. I’m very proud of my grandfather’s service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I would like to thank all veterans and their families for their service to this great nation. I served my country so that all Americans not only have the right to vote, but also are able to use their vote without being deterred. I am very optimistic and want to remind everyone: “perseverance, secret of all triumphs,” a great quote from Victor Hugo. Our 2020 has been a difficult year and we are proud to come together to celebrate those who have served our country.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>452969</id><pubdate>2020-11-10T17:54:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota received top marks in the Digital States Survey, including special recognition for data-driven government.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Recognized for Use of Technology, Data-Driven Solutions</Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>data-driven</Subject><Subject>Governor Tim Walz</Subject><Subject>Digital States</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota Recognized for Use of Technology, Data-Driven Solutions</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Text saying 2020 Category Winner, Digital States Survey, Center for Digital Government on blue and black background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-states-001_tcm38-451557.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Digital States Survey logo. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-states-001_tcm38-451554.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - Digital States Survey Results</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-451558&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-28T18:27:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota received top marks in the Digital States Survey, including special recognition for data-driven government.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>National Technology Survey Results Announced</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After releasing its bi-annual survey, the Center for Digital Government today announced that the State of Minnesota has excelled in its use of digital technology and data-driven solutions. The survey recognizes Minnesota’s effort to create a better government through technology and data. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read more about Minnesota&apos;s survey results from &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/governor/news/index.jsp?id=1055-451592&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;the Office of the Governor of Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flannagan&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find full results to the Digital States Survey on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.govtech.com/cdg/digital-states/Digital-States-Survey-2020-Results-Announced.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Center for Digital Government&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>451558</id><pubdate>2020-10-28T23:21:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><DublinCore><Description>The critical role that women play in protecting our state’s systems, and their thoughts on bringing more leaders into the field. </Description><Audience/><Title>Women of Cybersecurity</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>women</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>education</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Subject>National Guard</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Women of Cybersecurity</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Video chat on a laptop with a blue background. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/csam-interview-001_tcm38-451071.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Video chat on a laptop with a blue background. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/csam-interview-001_tcm38-451069.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - Women of Cybersecurity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-451072&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-27T20:40:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>The critical role that women play in protecting our state’s systems, and their thoughts on bringing more leaders into the field. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with MNIT Cybersecurity Experts</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On October 1, 2020, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://minnesotanationalguard.ng.mil/two-minnesota-national-guard-general-officers-chosen-for-key-positions-at-u-s-cyber-command/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota National Guard announced&lt;/a&gt; that Stefanie Horvath, Chief Business Technology Officer at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) for Minnesota Boards, Councils, and Commissions was selected for a duty position at U.S. Cyber Command. U.S. Army Brigadier General Horvath will serve as the Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Operations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know that there are many, like Brig. Gen. Horvath, across our agency who ensure that the data on our networks – whether it be local, state, or federal information – is protected and secure. Women, in particular, comprise a growing part of the cybersecurity field. In 2020, 27% of cybersecurity professionals are women, compared to 11% in 2017, according to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.isc2.org/-/media/ISC2/Research/ISC2-Women-in-Cybersecurity-Report.ashx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;(ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study&lt;/a&gt;. To wrap up our Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2020, Horvath led an interview with some of the women in cybersecurity at MNIT. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with MNIT’s Cybersecurity Experts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Horvath spoke with Catherine Scott, Enterprise Governance, Risk, and Compliance Supervisor, Nancy Skuta, Senior Information Security Analyst, Deb Stafford, IAM Security Manager, and Vidya Vadlamani, Access Control Services, who represent a cross-section of security professionals at MNIT. The below is edited and condensed for clarity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Horvath: What is your role in securing systems for Minnesota?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Skuta&lt;/strong&gt;: I am a senior security analyst on the threat management and vulnerability management team, which is responsible for scanning all of the devices across the state including workstations, servers, and any other devices that touch our networks. We are scanning them for vulnerabilities, but also compliance. Our compliance work checks against federal requirements and the standard for how we build our applications, devices, and services in the State of Minnesota. If we spot a vulnerability, we work with our enterprise and agency partners to deploy fixes. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While we sometimes feel like the bearer of bad news when we bring up those fixes that need to be addressed, we’re working to ensure that all of these systems are fully secure. It’s such great work that we are able to do with our partners because we know there are hundreds and hundreds of vulnerabilities that come out on a daily basis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vadlamani&lt;/strong&gt;: I am the Minnesota Enterprise Identity and Access Management (MNEIAM) lead and a part-time architect for that service. I joined the State of Minnesota in September 2016, and I’ve been working on this product since that time. We manage the identities of end users over their lifecycle, managing their authorization and authentication to systems. We have to make sure that citizens who log into any external-facing applications are able to do so successfully and securely. It’s a 24/7 job to make sure the sites, log ins, and systems are working in good shape. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Identity and access management is so important to making sure that the right people (identities) can access a system. We push people to adopt a good identity and access system and provide MNEIAM as a solution. One system that is incredibly important for MNEIAM is MNsure, which has about 1.5 million people registered, and it’s important that all users can create and keep their accounts safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stef-horvath-001_tcm38-451100.jpg&quot; title=&quot;stef-horvath-001&quot; alt=&quot;Stef Horvath in a room full of computers, speaking to a group of men.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stef-horvath-001&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Stefanie Horvath during a cybersecurity exercise at MNIT&apos;s Security Operations Center in 2016.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Horvath: What made you get into cybersecurity?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scott&lt;/strong&gt;: My path to cybersecurity has not been conventional. I have a liberal arts college degree, went to law school for a couple of years, and do not have an IT background. I started in the policy and legislative area, and moved over to the area of security policy. In my current job, I am the manager of the Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) team. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The thing that I’m most interested in is protecting people’s data and making sure that we’re using it for the purposes we say we’ll be using it. Before, we could collect a lot of information, but you couldn’t necessarily compile it in a meaningful way. New technology gives us better capabilities to understand what the information means. While we know that collecting sensitive information is necessary for certain programs/processes, maintaining it creates risk unless it is secured properly. We want to make sure that we’re clear on why we are collecting that information and make sure that we are maintaining it as securely as possible.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stafford&lt;/strong&gt;: When I graduated college as a marketing major, I started at a company where my role focused on consulting for business continuity. That business continuity work led me to cybersecurity. When I fell into the technology-side, I went back and got my master’s degree in Information Technology. I’ve moved around and worked at a lot of the different areas within security at MNIT and ended up in the identity and access area. I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to try different disciplines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, as manager of the identity and access management area, I am responsible for securing the access to state services, applications, and more. We are responsible for understanding who has access to what.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Horvath: What skills (technical and non-technical) do you believe women bring to cybersecurity roles that are essential to the work? How can we get other women excited to get involved?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scott&lt;/strong&gt;: Some of the ways we can get other women involved is just increasing awareness at the high school and college levels. We know that this is a growing field with a lot of opportunities, and there should be more understanding that depending on the role, a person may not need to have a deep IT background. I know that the state is increasing the recruiting they’re doing around cybersecurity, to help bring awareness to these opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Within the state, I’ve participated in MNIT’s mentorship program for a number of years. I see that as a way to bring more awareness to the security work. We can encourage those that have taken a more standard path into state government, or work in conventional IT, and may want to branch out, that security is an option. Some of this kind of feeds on itself, the more women that people see at conferences, or presenting as experts on the topic that look like themselves, it becomes more of a norm. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When thinking of skills that women can bring to the table, one thing that is incredibly important is communication and problem-solving skills. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stafford&lt;/strong&gt;: I agree that the mentoring program is good for the ability for women, and others looking for new career opportunities, to understand that security is out there as an option. There are all kinds of roles in security like business continuity and GRC, that need someone with analytical skills. Those skills are hard to teach, and can be something that people just naturally have, which I think women in particular are very good at. We want to understand why things are happening, and their cause. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vadlamani&lt;/strong&gt;: In my experience, there can still be a mindset that women should be in a supporting role in IT. To get more women excited for this field, we need to work to combat and erase that mindset. We need to know that it’s okay for us to be strong and to be in these powerful roles where we can make a difference. If we can say we can do it, we’ll make it happen. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/boys-girls-club-class-001_tcm38-451101.jpg&quot; title=&quot;boys-girls-club-class-001&quot; alt=&quot;Nancy Skuta speaking in front of a classroom of children.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;boys-girls-club-class-001&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nancy Skuta speaking to the Boys &amp;amp; Girls Club during Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2019.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Horvath: Cybersecurity work is difficult, demanding, and sometimes the value is invisible to our agency partners and end users. How do you contend with these challenges? What inspires you to keep up with the work?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Skuta&lt;/strong&gt;: Security is pretty invisible, and people don’t see the number of vulnerabilities that are resolved and never cause us an issue. We need to be behind the scenes, that quiet investigator that is learning what we need to do and sharing it with the teams that need to make those resolutions. What inspired me is that the work is so interesting. Every day is a new day. It’s exciting to see how many groups come together to do this work, to keep our end users up and running safely and securely. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stafford&lt;/strong&gt;: I get inspired because I want to make sure that access to state services is easy for the citizen. I love the idea of a One Minnesota, one identity, single sign on, and I keep trying to expand that area. I also try from the employee standpoint to make access as easy as possible to get into your systems. All that to say – process and process-design is what drives me.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m a behind the scenes person so it doesn’t really bother me that our work is more invisible. I would much rather have others shine than me. I would much rather have people experience an easy sign on and access to state services than to understand how much goes into cybersecurity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vadlamani&lt;/strong&gt;: It’s a race every day, and the technology is changing at a rapid pace. You have to keep up your skills set to support or improve the systems. It is challenging work that can go unnoticed, but it is necessary to keep these systems up and running. There are so many interdependencies between the access, security, and changing technology, that another challenge we face is making sure we understand how our areas interact with each other. That is the exciting work, learning how all these systems work together and keep up with new technology. We are keeping up with anything happening in the private sector.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Horvath: MNIT continues to improve cybersecurity controls and implement cybersecurity tools to secure systems, even this year under a global pandemic. What was a rewarding cybersecurity project you were involved with this past year?  &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scott&lt;/strong&gt;: Over the past year, our team has been involved in making significant improvements to improve our ability to communicate security risk to our agency partners and help them prioritize addressing those security risks. The tool gives a comprehensive look at our systems. We need to be able to be able to assess our security risks and communicate exactly where we need to make change to do better. We’re starting a rolling onboard of the tool and it means we’re on a better road.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Skuta&lt;/strong&gt;: One of the things that our team needed to do when the pandemic hit was to figure out how to scan the desktops, laptops, and other devices while people were working from home. When those systems are no longer on the state’s network, we needed to quickly get our scanning software deployed to all those devices, regardless of whether it’s in St. Paul or Biwabik. Working from home sets up greater challenges for us, for example protecting against phishing campaigns that increased in that time period, so we want to make sure that we have systems that are hardened and it’s difficult for these hacks to occur. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Celebrating all women&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While this interview highlighted a selection of voices and opinions, MNIT would also like to call out and share the names of all the women at MNIT who contribute to securing the State of Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tamanna Ahmed Arnob&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tina Austin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kelly Byrd&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Barb Clark&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deb Frost&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Karen Halpin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rachel Hedin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Zhang Hongjuan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stacy Kaiser&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Zinet Kemal&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tsion Mekonnen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Linda Moua&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Melissa Reeves&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kimberly Salitros&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Susan Scheele&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Colleen Springborne&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Thao Trinh &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Gao Doua Zong Vang&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>451072</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-19T20:25:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services partners with Girl Scouts River Valleys to help girls learn about cybersecurity, hacking, and how to keep systems running.</Description><Audience/><Title>Girl Scouts Solve the Hack</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>Commissioner Tomes</Subject><Subject>Girl Scouts</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Girl Scouts Solve the Hack</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of a video call of two women from MNIT and ten Girl Scouts.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/girl-scouts-001_tcm38-451048.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of a video call with two women from MNIT and four Girl Scouts. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/girl-scouts-001_tcm38-451047.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2020-010 - Girl Scouts Solve the Hack</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-450837&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-26T15:36:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services partners with Girl Scouts River Valleys to help girls learn about cybersecurity, hacking, and how to keep systems running.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT and Girl Scouts Partner on Cybersecurity Event</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October, 26, 2020 (St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and Minnesota’s Employee Resource Group, Women IT ChangeMakers, led an interactive event about cybersecurity with the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys (GSRV) as part of &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-448829&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity Awareness Month&lt;/a&gt; in Minnesota. The October 24 event focused on building cybersecurity best practices to keep individuals and the community safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Cybersecurity is such an important field for our young adults to consider as a career opportunity. We need our experts to be curious and courageous to keep our systems secure. We appreciate the partnership with Girl Scouts and the chance for MNIT to showcase cybersecurity as an incredible career option.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, CIO for the State of Minnesota, MNIT Commissioner&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over a dozen women from MNIT gathered virtually to help about 40 girls build real-world skills, like communication, making decisions in a crisis, and investigating a problem. The program taught the Girl Scouts how to identify phishing emails, test cryptology skills, handle a hack, and more. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“At Girl Scouts, we know that girls are ready to be technology leaders, but they need supportive and challenging environments that are built for them. Girl Scouts provides the girl-led space for girls to discover and hone their passions. Girls need role models who looks like them so they can imagine their future in cybersecurity, and we’re grateful to the women at MNIT for partnering with us to offer this exclusive opportunity.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Hannah Gilbert, Girl Scouts River Valleys STEM Program Manager&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesota students and families can &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot;&gt;visit the MNIT website&lt;/a&gt; to get tips and learn more about cybersecurity best practices. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Girl Scouts River Valleys&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys (GSRV) is one of 111 Girl Scout councils in the United States. GSRV operates as Girl Scouts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, serving 28,000 girls in southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and a single county in Iowa. Our work is supported by more than 9,000 volunteers. Girl Scouts River Valleys provides training and resources for volunteers, programming for girls, fundraises for Girl Scouts, runs the retail shops and service centers, manages the product programs (Cookies and Snacks &amp;amp; Magazines), and much more.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450837</id><pubdate>2020-10-26T19:05:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT Service Delivery Team awarded Operational Excellence award from the Department of Natural Resources.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Service Delivery Team Receives Department of Natural Resources Commissioner&apos;s Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Subject>Excellence</Subject><Subject>DNR</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Service Delivery Team Receives Department of Natural Resources Commissioner&apos;s Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Construction site with construction vehicles and workers working on a large pipe.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/enbridge-construction-web_tcm38-450242.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Construction site with construction vehicles and workers working on a large pipe.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/enbridge-construction-web-thumb_tcm38-450241.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - MNIT Service Delivery Team Receives DNR Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-450196&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-23T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT Service Delivery Team awarded Operational Excellence award from the Department of Natural Resources.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each year, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner&apos;s Awards program provides an opportunity for peers to honor the exceptional accomplishments of fellow DNR staff at all levels, and across all disciplines. These awards recognize the efforts that stand above all others and acknowledge employees whose performance and behavior on the job reflects the DNR&apos;s mission and values. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT Service Delivery team, led by Leah Kemp, received the &lt;strong&gt;Operational Excellence&lt;/strong&gt; award for their work on a public webinar in 2019. The Line 3 Webinar Team provided a new opportunity for the DNR to share information and engage with the public about the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/line3/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project&lt;/a&gt;. The MNIT service delivery team, along with IT conferencing subject matter expert, Alicia Mathews, planned and provided critical setup and troubleshooting for the webinars including managing the tool, coordinating network access, and organizing satellite sites with A/V and network access. The MNIT staff were the behind-the-scenes team that contributed to the webinars’ success. The extended MNIT service delivery team includes Jason Larsen, Mike Lauer, James Rust, Liz Samuel, David Schardin, and Sang Xiong. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Leah Kemp&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;As one of the award recipients, we caught up with Leah Kemp for her thoughts on the recognition.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is there anything you do differently when helping the DNR prepare for an internal event versus public engagement?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kemp:&lt;/strong&gt; For public events, we need to make sure that all Minnesotans are able to participate, especially when we are sharing information and permit processes on something as important as a pipeline project. Since the live webinar could have more than 1,000 participants, this was the first time we used WebEx3000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How important is technology in helping our state agencies connect with the public?  &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kemp:&lt;/strong&gt; Technology played a key role in allowing the DNR to educate people and obtain their comments/concerns/questions about this project. For this project, we managed satellite locations connectivity, so Minnesota residents were able to participate in the process in areas around the state that didn’t have the best connectivity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some tips you would give to help people be more prepared for conducting live events?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kemp:&lt;/strong&gt; My best advice is:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have a project plan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure everyone is aware of what their role is&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand your audio equipment and connectivity&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Manage distractions – cell phones, surroundings, etc.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Test, test, test&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Practice, practice, practice&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What were some of the challenges the team encountered? How did you overcome them?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kemp:&lt;/strong&gt; The biggest challenge was making sure the satellite sites were set up properly to allow citizens to participate. To make that happen, we ensured there was network access, A/V, and the ability for them to ask questions during the event. We collaborated with the sites, ran cable, and tested the setup. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another challenge was making sure the subject matter experts (SMEs) were able to add their answers to questions in real-time, allowing everyone to see who was answering which question. We landed on using OneNote, which worked very well. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There was good participation from citizens, and the project SMEs were able to provide answers and relay them to our leaders to respond in a seamless fashion. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything else you would like to share regarding this experience?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kemp:&lt;/strong&gt; This experience really highlights MNIT&apos;s focus, &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-447022&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;Intro-Strategic Plan&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro-Strategic Plan&quot;&gt;as noted in our Strategic Plan&lt;/a&gt;, on promoting people-centered digital government services. We improved the citizen experience by leveraging emerging technology with intention. Putting on a live webinar event was a large production event that involved the skills of so many different people. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This team is a noteworthy, and now award-winning, example of how MNIT partners with state agencies to deliver value and critical services to all Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;xdefault&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450196</id><pubdate>2020-10-23T14:37:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A few pointers on the importance of audio as we continue to work remotely during this pandemic.</Description><Audience/><Title>Tending to Your Audio</Title><Publisher/><Subject>audio</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tending to Your Audio</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person with laptop showing conference call with different participants and audio wave graphic in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meeting-audio-web_tcm38-450253.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person with laptop showing conference call with different participants and audio wave graphic in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/meeting-audio-web-thumb_tcm38-450254.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - Tending to Your Audio</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-450251&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-22T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>A few pointers on the importance of audio as we continue to work remotely during this pandemic.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An inclusive way to communicate</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By David Andrews, Chief Technology Officer for State Services for the Blind&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are working from home and using video conferencing and collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Zoom, Webex and more, on a regular basis. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we started down this road, there was much ink devoted to the topic of being aware of your visual background, changing your background, how to look like you are in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, and related topics. There were also numerous articles on how to prepare your background and video for job interviews and other important meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While I think this is important, I also think people should devote the same care and attention to their audio. I keep my video on even though, as a blind person, I don’t benefit from it. I understand that it can be helpful for some meeting attendees and that nonverbal communication is very powerful. However, if you analyze most of the meetings you are in, you will realize that a lot of important information is shared through speaking. I hope to raise your awareness of the importance of audio and offer a few pointers along the way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reduce Your Background Noise&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our ears are very good at filtering out background noise, microphones are not as good at it. Also, there may be volume control and compression software in the computer or conferencing software that brings up background noise during pauses. There may be a radio or TV on in the next room, or animals meowing and barking, and the like. While these things aren’t annoying in person, that can be very distracting when using conferencing software. Consider closing doors and windows and tell your housemates when you’re on a call.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Location, Location, Location&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like your video background you should also think about the audio quality in your room. If it is uncarpeted, mostly empty, or large, you may sound like you are in a barrel when you talk. In general, closer to the mic is better. It is also helpful to deaden echoes from around you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whenever possible you should use a dedicated headset or earbuds to listen to your meeting and to talk. Wired USB devices are best as they are more reliable, and less prone to interference. Having to make a Bluetooth connection is one more thing to worry about. The best units have their microphone on an arm that you can adjust in relation to your mouth. If possible, any microphone should be positioned to the side of your mouth so you don’t “pop your P’s.” Remember, if it is on the wire of your headphones or earbuds, it is also easy to twist so it is not facing your mouth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many brands and models of headsets and ear buds on the market. Prices range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. Better-quality devices will probably cost $25 to $75. Do you research before making a purchase as there may be shortages of a certain product due to high demand. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Confirm You Are Muted &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finally, people need to be aware of their mute status at all times. All video conferencing and collaboration platforms have some sort of mute control. Some headsets also have controls on the wire or on the earpiece. When you enter a meeting, check your mute status immediately and keep track of it, so you don’t embarrass yourself!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Give your audio as much attention as you give your video – it is that important. Quick tips include: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a headset &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Watch your mute status&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduce background sounds &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make your room quiet &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deaden echoes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will make the meeting better for everyone. It will also help captioners, automatic captioning software and/or sign language interpreters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more abo&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;ut the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450251</id><pubdate>2020-10-22T00:00:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Interview of several agency leaders on the standard’s impact on their agencies.</Description><Audience/><Title>A Decade of Digital Accessibility in Practice</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Subject>profile photos</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>A Decade of Digital Accessibility in Practice</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People sitting around a table working.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-meeting-web_tcm38-450324.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People sitting around a table working.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-meeting-web-thumb_tcm38-450323.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - A Decade of Digital Accessibility in Practice</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-450250&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-22T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Interview of several agency leaders on the standard’s impact on their agencies.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The impact of digital accessibility in our workplaces</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It has been 10 years since the State of Minnesota implemented a digital accessibility standard. In early September, we celebrated by interviewing several agency leaders on the standard’s impact on their agencies. We also heard from two other leaders who were instrumental in defining the standard and putting it into place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we went out into the field to get the thoughts and reactions of people with disabilities. We wanted to know from state employees if they saw an impact from the accessibility standard on their work. And from those who didn’t work at the state, we wanted to know if they saw any improvements in their abilities to interact with state services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our interviewees represent a wide range of roles and disabilities. Here are their names and how they chose to identify themselves:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/anne-sittner-anderson_tcm38-450267.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Anne Sittner Anderson&quot; alt=&quot;Anne Sittner Anderson&quot; style=&quot;width: 20%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Anne Sittner Anderson&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson, Director of Communications, Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH). She identifies as deaf and communicates in American Sign Language as well as spoken and written English.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/dave-andrews_tcm38-450268.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Dave Andrews&quot; alt=&quot;Dave Andrews&quot; style=&quot;width: 20%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Dave Andrews&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;David Andrews, Chief Technology Officer, State Services for the Blind. He uses a screen reader and a Braille display.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/steve-jacobson_tcm38-450272.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Steve Jacobson&quot; alt=&quot;Steve Jacobson&quot; style=&quot;width: 20%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Steve Jacobson&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Steve Jacobson, Data Quality Analyst. He uses a screen reader with speech and a Braille output.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/lisa-larges_tcm38-450271.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Lisa Larges&quot; alt=&quot;Lisa Larges&quot; style=&quot;width: 20%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Lisa Larges&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lisa Larges, Outreach and Marketing Coordinator, State Services for the Blind. She uses several different screen reading software programs to do her work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/jamie-taylor_tcm38-450269.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Jamie Taylor&quot; alt=&quot;Jamie Taylor&quot; style=&quot;width: 20%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Jamie Taylor&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Taylor, Artist. She is DeafBlind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/john-tuma_tcm38-450270.jpg&quot; title=&quot;John Tuma&quot; alt=&quot;John Tuma&quot; style=&quot;width: 20%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;John Tuma&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John Tuma, Public Utilities Commissioner. Tuma is dyslexic and an auditory learner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Early Impact and Progress&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When asked how long after the standard’s enactment it took for them to notice an impact our interviewees’ answers depended on whether they were working for the state at that time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first change for many was an increased awareness. While Steve Jacobson is not a state employee, he has been on several state-related committees including the first Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee. He noted, “There was some impact even before the standard was adopted because of the presence of the law that defined the need for a standard.” David Andrews adds, “One of the main benefits of the standard is that it increased the awareness of accessibility, and its need.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moving from awareness to substantive change happened fairly quickly. Lisa Larges, who started working for the state in 2013 observed, “By then, many parts of the standard were being implemented.” However, as you may expect, some changes were easier than others. Lisa noted, it “would happen fairly often that I would need to access something using third-party software that hadn’t fully been vetted for accessibility. In the seven years that I have been with the state, there has been a steady and gradual increase in accessibility.” For example, the “phone line at my office desk, with its inaccessible digital display is now accessible; the multi-function machine, with its screen-driven input is now accessible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like Larges, John Tuma joined the state after the standard’s establishment, in 2015. He praised the Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff as “very helpful.” As a dyslexic and an auditory learner, he was accustomed to using his Mac at home to support text-to-speech output. He was also an early adopter of Dragon Naturally Speaking as a tool to dictate instead of type. He was able to install Dragon on his work computer, but early iterations of speech-to-text technology were less satisfactory. When the Office of Accessibility set up a pilot license of Read &amp;amp; Write, he was one of the first to take advantage of the opportunity. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He noted that as people became more aware of the tools for people with disabilities they often became interested in using the tools themselves. For example, when he worked for a law firm, some of Tuma’s colleagues had administrative assistants who typed their letters and documents for them. But today, people must “create their own material.” Tuma’s use of Dragon encouraged them to use it themselves.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrews observed that the increased awareness has resulted in more people discussing accessibility – even if they don’t claim a need for it themselves. “Back in the 1990’s I would be the only one asking about accessibility in meetings. Now there are lots of people doing so, and it is increasingly becoming a part of our testing and procurement processes.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Larges concurs, but points out that the path wasn’t always smooth. “As the standard rolled out, there was also a bit of frustration on the part of some staff who suddenly faced a new layer of complexity as they did their work. All of a sudden, they had to think about: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;whether a document was accessible, or &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;whether a new program they were planning to purchase would be accessible. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over time, the messaging about accessibility has become more upbeat and positive, and state employees have had the chance to see what a difference it can make, and these factors have led to a much more favorable attitude about accessibility.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Taylor agreed, noting that there was “a difference right away but it was not uniform nor consistent nor even. Sometimes an entity would seem to forget until I reminded them of the standard.”  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson stated, “In my heart, I believe that state employees want their work to be accessible and equitable. I think many are overwhelmed when they try to learn how to do it because the learning curve is vast and steep. I consider myself well-educated on communication access, but had to work hard to feel competent in document accessibility.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible Documents&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the first areas where the standard made an impact was in accessible documents. The standard’s implementation team built an online training program on creating accessible Word documents in 2012, which was updated in 2017. It continues to be heavily used. In addition to being displayed on MNIT’s public website, the training is in the process of integrating into agencies’ learning management systems. A number of state agencies also supported classroom training programs on the topic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Larges observed, “Slowly, the word is getting out about this resource, and it’s making a difference. There’s a greater awareness about checking accessibility as one step in finishing a document. An added benefit is that document accessibility improves the quality of documents for everyone.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrews added, “I used to regularly see text boxes and scanned/image documents plunked down in Word documents. While I can’t say it never happens, it is pretty rare. Likewise, I see fewer PDFs that just contain an image, instead of text.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuma agreed, stating that his agency’s “staff is very good about preparing documents with readable text.” Sometimes they have to incorporate old, scanned PDFs into the reading material, and they are aware that copying the PDFs creates a picture so they take pains to convert the picture to real text so his software can read it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jacobson observed that even though he is not a state employee, “If I have a problem with a document or a website, I find that any difficulties I have are taken seriously, and some means of providing access is given.  However, the need to find accessible alternatives grows smaller all the time as the mainstream approaches are generally accessible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jamie Taylor also noted the improvement in PDFs. Previously, “they would often be images – scanned with no structure, no text for a screen reader to grab. Now a lot of forms are not only readable but also fillable online... No extra third-party software needed.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Websites&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Within a few years of the digital accessibility and usability standard’s adoption, state agencies updated their websites to be more accessible and usable. The executive branch websites span over 70 agencies and nearly 2 million pages – now more accessible than ever.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As Jacobson noted, “Over the past five years at least, I generally go to a state website assuming that I am going to be able to navigate the site successfully. It is one of the larger entities I visit where I make that assumption. Of course, I don&apos;t visit nearly every site and know that there are likely sites that can be improved, but I believe it is fair to say this is a change for the better over the past ten years.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Larges pointed out that “as a concerned Minnesotan, apart from my job with the state, every day I visit the COVID-19 Situation Update page of the Department of Health. Much of the data presented there is in graph form, which my screen reading software can’t interpret very well. However, almost every graph is accompanied by a table, and these tables are accessible. I am exceedingly grateful that the designers of this website created a site that gave sighted visitors a way of quickly getting information, but also included a way for nonvisual visitors to have access to the same info.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to accessible website pages, another challenge has been accessible videos. Sittner Anderson recalled that in her first year working for the state (2015), she received an internal link for state employees only to find out that the related videos were not captioned. “Of course, I followed up and advocated for access. I remember being surprised because most state videos were captioned. Raising the bar continues to be a goal.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fewer Barriers&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone agreed that there are far fewer technology barriers today than existed ten years ago. Tuma noted that he’s “seen substantial, continued improvement. I feel much more confident that I could find the information I need in a format that I can access today than 10, 15, 20, years ago.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Taylor stated, “There are much fewer barriers than in 2010. I can more easily get around and do things with the rest of my life just like everyone else.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While better, modern technology may be responsible for some improvements, they felt that the standard – and the law that gave rise to that standard – played a role. Larges observed, “For me, it’s nearly impossible to convey the importance of rules and legislation like these standards. It used to be pretty common that the only barrier between a highly qualified and motivated job seeker and a job was inaccessible technology. Having the same access to this tech makes it possible for me to do my job.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Andrews agreed, noting, “The standards are a great thing! They give developers and others some tangible things they can do and provide a means for making improvements in future updates.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Challenges Ahead&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is not to say that our interviewees believe more change is not needed. Andrews noted that while documents and websites were generally better, large, statewide systems continued to present a challenge. One vendor for a statewide system “has fixed many things, but they are in future releases that we won’t get for a couple years. Sometimes it is two steps forward, one step back. Things get more complex, new web techniques and frameworks are developed, and we and our AT [assistive technology] must adjust.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jacobson concurred, pointing out that as a volunteer to test the state’s job application system, “I saw firsthand how there was a tendency to accept a promise from the software provider to make something accessible as being equivalent to the software being accessible now. We need to work toward minimizing this.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most of the interviewees noted the importance of empathy – of creating an environment that encouraged people to personally understand the value of accessibility. Sittner Anderson observed, “I think having more colleagues with disabilities is a way to push change for the better through in a natural way. I hope the state continues to increase the number of state employees with disabilities.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Larges pointed out, “The Accessibility Standard is only as good as its implementation. All of us in state government are still learning the important discipline of remembering inclusion and accessibility at the start of a project. The more that this becomes second nature to all of us, the more able we will be to serve all of Minnesota as One Minnesota!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450250</id><pubdate>2020-10-22T00:00:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A behind the scenes look at how Minnesota’s Department of Vehicle Services and Minnesota IT Services created an online testing environment for Minnesotans to receive a learner’s permit.</Description><Audience/><Title>Test Your Knowledge: Roadmap to a Virtual Driving Test</Title><Publisher/><Subject>driver&apos;s license</Subject><Subject>state technology</Subject><Subject>online</Subject><Subject>digital services</Subject><Subject>Department of Vehicle Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Test Your Knowledge</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cars driving on a freeway.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/traffic-001_tcm38-450555.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cars driving on a freeway.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/traffic-001_tcm38-450554.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - Roadmap to a Virtual Driving Test</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-450560&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-21T17:39:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>A behind the scenes look at how Minnesota’s Department of Vehicle Services and Minnesota IT Services created an online testing environment for Minnesotans to receive a learner’s permit.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Roadmap to a Virtual Driving Test</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) works with its partner agencies to develop systems and digital services to that put people and their needs are the center of our solutions. In 2020, that focus on the end user results in updating our systems to allow citizens, residents, and visitors to interact with state government in a convenient, efficient, and above all else, safe manner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division (DPS-DVS) is tasked with providing services to those seeking a Minnesota driver’s license. In 2019, DVS administered almost 460,000 knowledge tests, which ensure those seeking a license are prepared to operate a motor vehicle. Before June 2020, all those individuals had been required to complete the tests in-person at a DVS exam station. With new safety measures put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, MNIT and DVS worked quickly to create options for potential test-takers and employees that kept everyone safe by updating facilities and developing an online knowledge test.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;MNIT and DPS really collaborated on solutions that ensured all Minnesotans could access these services. These projects really exemplify how state government serves One Minnesota.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Chief Business Technology Officer for MNIT partnering with DPS, Pancho Henderson&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Updating a physical environment&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In phase one of this project, DVS and MNIT added 40 testing stations that met Minnesota Department of Health’s social distancing and safety guidelines. The team procured and set up the furniture, electrical work, and technical equipment in record time: three weeks. Mike Law, Dev-Ops Manager for MNIT partnering with DPS notes, “Everyone on the project team made this a priority. Before we had virtual knowledge tests set up, we knew that we needed to focus on creating a convenient and safe option for Minnesotans to get this essential service.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The additional testing stations at the DVS downtown St. Paul exam station were made possible by adjusting staff’s priorities to meet the project deadline, obtaining un-used equipment from other exam stations, and creating and implementing safety procedures. While the updated physical environment enabled a safer option for those seeking a driver’s license, DVS recognized that it was essential to find a completely digital solution to meet Minnesotans’ needs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moving to virtual testing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For phase two of the new testing process, MNIT and DVS, along with support from a third-party vendor, Idemia, created an online knowledge test that could be administered at home or by a third-party proxy. After working with the Minnesota legislature to secure funding and changes to statute, the teams had to create a completely new testing environment and ensure that it communicated with existing licensing systems – which they successfully completed within an unprecedented timeline. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/dvs-knowledge-test-001_tcm38-450558.jpg&quot; title=&quot;dvs-knowledge-test-001&quot; alt=&quot;Woman taking the online knowledge test on her computer at home.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;dvs-knowledge-test-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The biggest challenge the team overcame was coordinating with internal and external team members to quickly implement the online knowledge testing so citizens across the state could take the knowledge test without needing to wait in lines or risk exposure,” noted Dawn Van Ryn, Manager for MNIT partnering with DPS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While MNIT worked with a third-party vendor to build the software, the team needed to overcome the challenge of integrating it into existing systems. Once a person passes the knowledge test, that information needs to be sent to DVS’s licensing system. Due to this complexity, the teams made sure that they were in constant communication with one another and their third-party partners to create a smooth process. To support the new virtual environment, MNIT built, configured, and tested new servers, configured new network access, and ensured the security of the system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Since the project was completed, I have heard from a few people whose teens have been able complete the knowledge test online. They were very happy with both the testing experience and that they did not have to drive their teen to the center and wait,” adds Van Ryn. Prior to the launch of online testing, class D knowledge tests were booked six weeks out at regional DVS exam stations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“This online class D knowledge test pilot program puts customers first. It focuses on busy Minnesota families, and teens anxious to earn their Minnesota instruction permit as soon as possible,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services Director Emma Corrie said. “Thousands of people have avoided potential exposure during this COVID crisis by taking the class D knowledge test online, at home, at a time that worked best for them. They didn’t have to take time out of their schedules to make the drive to an exam station or plan and schedule an appointment, weeks in advance.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;This online system makes the class D knowledge test more accessible to Minnesotans who need to take the test.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Director of Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services, Emma Corrie&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and its partners across state government continue to find new ways to ensure that Minnesotans can access services they need, no matter the circumstance. “Giving people the option to take test online shows that we are building a forward-thinking government that cares about real people,” asserts Law. “When we focus on finding the best solution, and getting things right for Minnesotans, we can be the modern government we are striving to become.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From October 8-16, 2020, 11,845 registered for the online test, which can be taken Monday-Saturday. In that time period, on average 1,287 people took the test per day. Minnesotans can successfully take online knowledge tests, which saves time, lessens their COVID-19 exposure risk, and provides an easier overall experience. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450560</id><pubdate>2020-10-21T20:52:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Are Your Smart Devices Securely Configured?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>smart homes</Subject><Subject>connected devices</Subject><Subject>WiFi</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Are Your Smart Devices Securely Configured?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A castle in the clouds surrounded by a shield icon. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-castle-001_tcm38-450309.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A castle in the clouds surrounded by a shield icon. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-castle-001_tcm38-450310.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - Are Your Smart Devices Securely Configured?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-450318&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-20T20:13:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>Does your doorbell camera have a password? Do your smart appliances constantly listen for commands? Are your smart light bulbs and thermostat due for an update? Smart devices can also leave us vulnerable to cyber attacks when we set up our home network or configure the devices.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Future of our Connected Devices Depends on Keeping Them Secure</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Mike Virnig, Information Security Analyst, MNIT partnering with the Department of Education&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does your doorbell camera have a password? Do your smart appliances constantly listen for commands? Are your smart light bulbs and thermostat due for an update? &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The smart devices that connect our homes can enrich our daily lives; however, most smart devices do not have built in privacy and security controls. Unlike computers that have firewalls and antivirus software, it is more difficult to secure a smart device. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Smart devices can also leave us vulnerable to cyber attacks when we set up our home network or configure the devices. The future of our connected devices depends on all of us understanding how to keep them secure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think about a secure smart home as a castle. The internet is the main passage to and from the castle gate. The smart devices, computers, and home network are all contained within your protective castle walls. Start by identifying all the ways that smart devices connect to your networks and develop a plan on how to secure them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Protect the Castle Gate&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first step to a secure castle, or a connected home, is to have a secure gate that only lets approved information in and out. In a smart home, that gate is your modem/router and all traffic from your connected devices must go through it. This is referred to as your home gateway and it is your first line of defense. There are many ways to update and configure modems and routers. If your gateway is provided by your internet service provider (ISP), they are responsible for keeping it updated and should provide the ability to update/reboot it manually from your customer account. If you purchased your own gateway, then you are responsible for maintaining and updating it. Depending on your home network, you may have a separate modem and router, or a modem and router combination device. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Modem or Router Security &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Your owner’s manual is the most important resource for setup and maintenance of your devices. If you no longer have the manual, look up the brand and model on the company’s website and you should be able to get a digital copy. You can also access your gateway by using its IP address. On a Windows computer, locate the Command prompt by using the computer’s search feature or selecting the Windows key and the R key and typing in cmd. At the Command prompt, type in ipconfig. Your device IP address will be listed as the Default Gateway.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-castle-003_tcm38-450316.png&quot; title=&quot;cybersecurity-castle-003&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of a command prompt on a Window&apos;s computer with IP address information.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cybersecurity-castle-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Enter the Default Gateway IP address into a web browser to access your device. Log in to the device with the password located on the device or search for the brand’s default credentials. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If default passwords are being used, it is extremely important to change them. Lastly, install any necessary software and firmware updates to all modems/routers. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Secure the Castle&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now that the gateway is secure, let’s focus on some things that can enhance the security of doorbell cameras, smart thermostats, security systems, and home devices like Alexa and Google Home. These devices likely have a default password in place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check the user manuals or search online for information about how to access your devices and how to update them. Many smart devices have limited functionality, like a smart bulb. Make sure to change the password and ensure the device is updated, if possible, as cyber criminals use default passwords to access your personal information. Read these articles from the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/15/us/Hacked-ring-home-security-cameras.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;New York Times&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.newsweek.com/google-nest-hack-milwaukee-1460806&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Newsweek&lt;/a&gt; to get insight into how hackers accessed home security cameras and smart thermostats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Has Anyone Invaded the Castle?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’ve ever been hacked, your password may be in a database somewhere. Reusing passwords is as dangerous as leaving default passwords in place, as hackers use old passwords thousands of times per second. To check for email account compromises against a database of known breaches, go to &lt;a href=&quot;https://haveibeenpwned.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;haveibeenpwned.com&lt;/a&gt;. To create and store strong passwords, use a password manager.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay Vigilant&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you have secured the gate and castle, remain vigilant. Consistently check for updates and apply them to computers, tablets, phones, smart devices and anything else that connects to your WiFi or network. Also change your passwords regularly as the longer a password is unchanged, the more vulnerable it becomes.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450318</id><pubdate>2020-10-20T20:32:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The National Association for Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) selected four projects from Minnesota as finalists for the 2020 State IT Recognition Award.


</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Projects Recognized as Finalists </Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>NASCIO</Subject><Subject>recognition</Subject><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Subject>Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Projects Recognized as Finalists </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star with text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nascio-001_tcm38-450081.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Star with text: NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nascio-001_tcm38-450083.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-10 - MNIT Projects Recognized as Finalists</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-450203&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-16T21:42:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>The National Association for Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) selected four projects from Minnesota as finalists for the 2020 State IT Recognition Award.


</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Nominations Showcase Use of Information Technology to Create Better Government Services</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce that &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/awards/awards-library/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;four of our projects were selected as finalists&lt;/a&gt; for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/about/mission-strategic-direction/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Association of State Chief Information Officers&lt;/a&gt; (NASCIO) State IT Recognition Awards. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;NASCIO selected 30 finalists across 10 categories for the projects and initiatives from NASCIO member states and territories. Over 60 NASCIO members served as volunteer judges to review the over 90 submissions, narrowing the nominees down to three finalists in each category. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The award nominations showcase the use of information technology to address critical business problems, more easily connect citizens to their government, improve business processes, and create new opportunities that improve the lives of citizens. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations to these four finalists in the 2020 State IT Recognition Awards!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Business Process Innovations Category&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and MDH: Cloud, AI, and Data Lake Transformation&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/nascio-001_tcm38-450200.png&quot; title=&quot;nascio-001&quot; alt=&quot;Minnesota&apos;s Department of Health building with blue sky in the behind it.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;nascio-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aging data center equipment, technical debt, escalating operations cost, and fast-moving demands for IT service changes prompted the Minnesota IT Services team partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to pursue a bold cloud migration initiative. Over 20 months, the team migrated MDH’s 150 application portfolio to an Amazon Web Services (AWS)-based infrastructure. This DevOps (Development-Operations) model features cross-functional team integration and process automation. The team expanded its service portfolio into Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Data Lake technologies.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This effort has catapulted MDH into a highly secure, adaptive infrastructure environment that delivers scalable and responsive business solutions. Our focus on information security as a core value provides confidence that risk of information loss is effectively mitigated. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic crisis demonstrated the value of this initiative. System administrators rapidly scaled up business systems in response to unplanned demand, and Data Lake technologies proved essential to Minnesota’s COVID-19 response.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cross-Boundary Collaboration &amp;amp; Partnerships Category&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Collaborative Maps Community of Practice: Creating Groundbreaking Accessible Map Guides&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/nascio-003_tcm38-450202.png&quot; title=&quot;nascio-003&quot; alt=&quot;Three documents on a table with the titles: Static Maps, Map Design, Interactive Web Map. &quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;nascio-003&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2019, the statewide Maps Community of Practice (MCOP), a group of state staff across 15 agencies, implemented a first-of-its-kind in the world set of online resources, guidance documents, tip cards, and web content for making digital maps accessible. It is vital that our maps are clear and accessible for everyone. The tools and solutions span multiple disciplines in cartographic and geospatial communities ranging from cartographic map design, static web maps, and interactive web maps. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The tools and resource guides created by MCOP are available &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Map Accessibility&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Map Accessibility&quot;&gt;on the Minnesota IT Services website&lt;/a&gt;, and are leveraged internationally by cartographic, geospatial, and accessibility communities in the public and private sectors, and at geospatial, cartographic, and accessibility conferences nationwide. Since its implementation in October 2019, the map accessibility resources have been accessed by 5,700 unique visitors across 46 states, 3 provinces of Canada, 37 countries, and has seen over 4,000 downloads of the resources. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emerging &amp;amp; Innovative Technologies Category&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and DNR: Digital App Manages Public Water Access Sites&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/nascio-002_tcm38-450201.png&quot; title=&quot;nascio-002&quot; alt=&quot;Boy holding a fish that he caught on a boat.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;nascio-002&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Public Water Access Sites Tool (PWA) was developed by MNIT in 2019. The PWA data collection application allows DNR staff to manage Minnesota’s public water access site maintenance with mobile devices and office desktop software. DNR staff can identify locations, type of work and materials needed and prioritize work. Staff collect data on location that is automatically aggregated into a centralized database. PWA meets the state’s digital accessibility standard, and is operable by touch and voice control. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The mobile app allows staff to submit statewide reports in a matter of minutes. In the first three months of use, more than 4,000 work records were submitted and 2,062 completed. Benefits include effective staff deployment, time savings, increased accuracy, real-time reporting, and equipment and materials management. The ultimate benefit is better maintained and safer public water access sites for Minnesotans and visitors.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State CIO Office Special Recognition Category&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and MDVA: Modern Digital VATS-Education System Serves Veteran&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/nascio-004_tcm38-450199.png&quot; title=&quot;nascio-004&quot; alt=&quot;Person in military uniform holding books in front of an American flag.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;nascio-004&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Veterans Application Tracking System (VATS), is a joint project between the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and MNIT. VATS has transformed the process of providing educational benefits through the Minnesota GI Bill to veterans, service-members, and eligible spouses and children. Since July 2019, 2,600 veterans have successfully used VATS. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In a modernization initiative, now veterans can submit applications online and have them processed in a single day, instead of weeks. VATS manages modifications to benefit types, policies, processes, and legislative compliance. Dynamic reporting provides granular reports and audits. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; “The VATS-Education module is an amazing example of how technology can be utilized to create better outcomes for Minnesotans, especially for our Veterans,” said Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes. “Veterans are not only entitled to these education benefits; they are entitled to be able to access those benefits in the most efficient way possible.” &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>450203</id><pubdate>2020-10-16T22:28:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On October 1, 2020, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 2020 “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota. </Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Tim Walz Proclaims “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>state technology</Subject><Subject>Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Subject>proclamation</Subject><Subject>Governor Tim Walz</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Tim Walz Proclaims “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of hands holding devices like a laptop or phone that display a padlock icon. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/CSAM-week1-001_tcm38-448908.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of hands holding a computer displaying a padlock icon. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/CSAM-week%201_tcm38-448907.png</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2020-010 - Cybersecurity Awareness Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-448829&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-10-01T13:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>On October 1, 2020, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 2020 “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Proclamation Recognizes the Need to Strengthen Cyber Habits in Our Increasingly Digital World</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; On October 1, 2020, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/10.01.20Cybersecurity%20Awareness%20Month%20%28003%29_tcm1055-448903.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 2020 “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. The proclamation, in conjunction with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, recognizes that the need to create secure environments, protect Minnesotans’ private data, and practice good cyber habits is a constant priority in our increasingly digital world. Cybersecurity is one of the most critical functions that Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) provides in the executive branch, and it functions best when everyone, individual citizens and our state agencies, works together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Now more than ever, Minnesotans are making digital connections online to socialize, work from remote locations, and take classes and trainings. There is a shared responsibility between the teams that protect state systems and the people who access them to keep those connections secure. MNIT works hard every day to protect the systems that Minnesotans rely upon, and October is a time when we can share best practices to help everyone understand how they can keep themselves safe.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Tarek Tomes, CIO for the State of Minnesota, MNIT Commissioner&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota works with citizens and private sector partners along with state, federal, and local units of government to help secure Minnesota’s IT systems. Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, MNIT will share cybersecurity tips on social media to generate public awareness about staying safe online. MNIT will also educate state employees about cybersecurity best practices and reporting procedures through an internal messaging campaign. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“One of the critical messages for Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October is to consider all of the devices that you need to protect. Our cyber environment at the state includes the devices, systems, software, and so much more. In your home, you should ensure that any technology or device that connects to the internet is secure with a strong password, protected connection, and regularly updated software.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Rohit Tandon, Chief Information Security Officer, MNIT&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While October is the dedicated month for cybersecurity awareness, MNIT places a year-round priority on protecting state data. Find more information about how MNIT secures the state on the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;agency’s public website&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>448829</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>232491</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity Month</Title><Id>259042</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2021-03-19T20:25:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn about features in Microsoft Teams to ensure everyone on your team can access your posts.</Description><Audience/><Title>Microsoft Teams Accessibility Tips</Title><Publisher/><Subject>MS Teams</Subject><Subject>Accessibility Tips</Subject><Subject>Inclusive meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Microsoft Teams Accessibility Tips</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Teams logo with silhouettes of people in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/teams-tridion_tcm38-448431.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Thumbnail image of Teams logo with silhouettes of people in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/teams-tridion-thumb_tcm38-448428.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-09 - Microsoft Teams Accessibility Tips</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-446778&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-09-29T12:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about features in Microsoft Teams to ensure everyone on your team can access your posts.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Communicating with Accessibility in Mind</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By Jennie Delisi and Kris Schulze &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Microsoft Teams has features you can use to ensure everyone on your team can access your posts. The features are available for files, chats, and meetings. Use the digital accessibility basics you already know. For example, use meaningful text for links and headings. Format your posts as you would when drafting emails and documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New features are being released all the time. Check the &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/accessibility-overview-of-microsoft-teams-2d4009e7-1300-4766-87e8-7a217496c3d5&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Microsoft’s Accessibility overview of Microsoft Teams page&lt;/a&gt; regularly for the most recent information and newest accessibility improvements. Fun fact: While writing this article, the authors learned tips and tricks from each other! There is always more to learn.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communicating with Accessibility in Mind&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are two key factors to digital accessibility when using Teams:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan with accessibility in mind.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Know the features and how to use them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the following list  may seem a bit overwhelming, try learning a few each week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Status indicators &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people check your status indicator to determine if you are available for a chat. Others use the status indicator to communicate to others that they need to focus on a meeting or task. This may be true for people with cognitive disabilities such as those that have had a brain injury. We can support our colleagues by respecting their status indicators.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ways to update your status indicator&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/away_tcm38-447010.png&quot; title=&quot;away&quot; alt=&quot;Screen shot of the search box with text /away.&quot; style=&quot;width: 85%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;away&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Update your status from your Profile or from the Search (type a command box). Type &lt;strong&gt;/away, /busy, /dnd, /brb,&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;/available&lt;/strong&gt; to set your status as Away, Busy, Do not disturb, Be right back, or Available.  
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you have both Skype and Teams, you may need to set these presence indicators separately.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Naming Your Teams &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Name your team knowing that some people will have a lot of them. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use short, meaningful team names. It may be difficult for some to find a specific team when navigating within Teams. This difficulty increases as they join more teams. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meaningful link text &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To add text to a link in chats or channel posts:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select &lt;strong&gt;Format&lt;/strong&gt;. The icon for Format is the letter &quot;A&quot; with a paintbrush, located below the message body.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Then, select &lt;strong&gt;Insert link&lt;/strong&gt;. An alternate way to do this: select/highlight the display text, use CTRL + K to open the Insert link dialog box. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Gifs and Emojis &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Select gifs and emojis carefully. Animations can cause issues for some users when there is no way to pause, stop, or hide them. A team owner can set if they want to allow animated emojis and gifs. If you have challenges with animations, send the team owner a note asking them to turn this off for the team (Manage Team &amp;gt; Settings &amp;gt; Fun Stuff). Learn more about accessible communications with emojis and emoticons in our article, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/436147&quot;&gt;Say It With A Face&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mentions Get Attention &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To get someone’s attention, “@Mention” them using @ and the person’s name. This adds an alert into the activity feed and makes it easier for the person to notice that you want them to review something. It also helps them find the information specific to them when they review longer posts and chats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Format and Organize Your Posts &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Format your posts to keep conversations organized and easy to spot in channels: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Teams%20post%201_tcm38-447011.png&quot; title=&quot;teams-format-options&quot; alt=&quot;Screen shot of text format options for posts, including adding bullets and styles, and an option to Add a subject.&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;teams-format-options&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Always use a subject line when starting a channel post. This makes it easier for people to follow conversations and track steps they need to complete. Think of this like the subject line of an email. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select &lt;strong&gt;Format&lt;/strong&gt;. The icon for Format is the letter &quot;A&quot; with a paintbrush, located below the message body. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Text editing options will become available, including a prompt to “Add a subject.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use either Alt+Tab or the mouse to move up to add the subject. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When replying to a post on the same topic use the “reply” option, instead of “Start a new conversation.” This will keep the group together. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use structure in posts, especially longer ones. 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the format button beneath the post text field to open more text editing options (or use CTRL + SHIFT + X). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Just like in documents, you can use styles (e.g. heading levels), bulleted and numbered lists.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Name your documents carefully &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Long lists of documents in Teams Files make it difficult to determine which one you need, even when sorted. Imagine the file name as the meaningful text for a link. Will it tell you which file will open?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use a Profile Photo &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/441391&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Profile photos&lt;/a&gt; help people identify which person shared a post. It also helps them know who is speaking during a meeting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use Accessible Templates &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have accessible, branded templates? Use them. Start in your desktop and save the document to the channel. Instructions are in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/bulletins/2913ca6&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tech Tip of the June 2020 Office of Accessibility newsletter&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Features for Yourself &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard Shortcuts  &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/keyboard-shortcuts-for-microsoft-teams-2e8e2a70-e8d8-4a19-949b-4c36dd5292d2&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Keyboard shortcuts&lt;/a&gt; are available for Microsoft Teams. To find them within Teams there are several options:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;In the search bar, t&lt;/span&gt;ype &quot;Keys”.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;&quot;&gt;Type CTRL+Period (.) from anywhere within Teams Desktop or Web apps.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Open Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Select your Profile icon, which may announce to screen reader users as “Profile, App Settings, and more.” Open the drop-down menu, and select Keyboard shortcuts. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manage Your Alerts &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mute a chat &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you mute a chat, you&apos;re still included in the chat, you just won&apos;t get notifications from it. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select &lt;strong&gt;Chat&lt;/strong&gt; to open the chat list.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find the name of the chat you want to mute.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select &lt;strong&gt;More options ellipses&lt;/strong&gt; and then select &lt;strong&gt;Mute&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you change your mind, just select it again to unmute. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adjust your notifications &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select &lt;strong&gt;Profile &amp;gt; Settings&lt;/strong&gt; or use the shortcut &lt;strong&gt;Ctrl+Comma (,)&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open &lt;strong&gt;Notifications&lt;/strong&gt; to set the type of notifications you want for each type of activity.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use “Do Not Disturb” &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select your Profile icon, which may announce to screen reader users as “Profile, App Settings, and more.”  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open the drop-down menu, and select &lt;strong&gt;Do Not Disturb&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More options for setting this status are listed earlier in this article, in “Status Indicators.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Choose Your Level of Contrast &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Changing your color contrast/ themes may help people that: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have migraines or  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find that having a variety of color themes on their screen helps them focus. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To change your theme: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select your Profile icon, which may announce to screen reader users as “Profile, App Settings, and more.” Or use the keyboard shortcut &lt;strong&gt;Ctrl+Comma (,)&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open the drop-down menu, and select &lt;strong&gt;Settings &amp;gt; General&lt;/strong&gt;.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the &lt;strong&gt;Theme&lt;/strong&gt; section, select from &lt;strong&gt;High contrast&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;Dark&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;Default&lt;/strong&gt; themes. You will need to set this for both the Teams Desktop and Web apps. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using a Screen Reader &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Microsoft has help pages for those using a screen reader. A good starting place is &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/basic-tasks-using-a-screen-reader-with-microsoft-teams-538a8741-f21b-4b04-b575-9df70ed4105d&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using Magnification&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those that need to zoom in to better see content, Microsoft has instructions on how to &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/zoom-in-and-out-of-teams-dc3cd3d8-efb5-4995-8b31-434b3943ba52&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Zoom in and out of Teams&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using Read Aloud Options &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having information like posts and documents read aloud to you can help with editing. At this time, for those in the Government Community Cloud, this option is not yet available for Microsoft Teams Desktop or Web apps. A workaround is to open Teams in Microsoft Edge, and use Read Aloud in Edge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting Accessibility &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our previous blog articles address meeting accessibility: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/429835&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Remote Meeting Guide&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/423822&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessible Remote Meetings&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using a Sign Language Interpreter in a Meeting  &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To keep focus on the sign language interpreter’s video during a meeting you can “pin” their video.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Navigate to the person’s video. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Right click (Shift + F10) and select Pin. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If someone is also trying to share content, you won’t be able to pin both shared content and someone’s video. A workaround is to also join the meeting on the Teams Web app using Edge or Chrome.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;View the shared content using the web app. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep the interpreter’s video pinned on your desktop app.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: You may want to right click on the web tab to Mute the tab so that audio isn’t coming from both the web browser and desktop app.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;View Automatically Generated Captions in a Teams Meeting &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Automatically generated captions, called “live captions” in Teams, are available during Teams Meetings. While not as accurate as having a professional caption writer, there are times where this feature may help during a meeting. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To try out this option: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to the &lt;strong&gt;More options/ellipses&lt;/strong&gt; on the Meeting Control Bar. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select “Turn on live captions.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captions for Meetings &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While auto captions are a great feature, they are not a substitute for having a professional caption writer. Captions by a “CART writer” will have greater accuracy. If you are providing captions using CART, you will need to provide access to this through a separate web page option. At this time, there is not a way to integrate or replace the auto-captions in Teams Meetings or Teams Live Events. &lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>446778</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital</Title><Id>232499</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>232514</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>App</Title><Id>232519</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-09-29T14:48:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn about features in Microsoft Teams to ensure everyone on your team can access your posts.</Description><Audience/><Title>Microsoft Teams Accessibility Tips</Title><Publisher/><Subject>MS Teams</Subject><Subject>Accessibility Tips</Subject><Subject>Inclusive meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of the mn.gov website on June 8, 2010. It has Minnesota North Star and the State of Minnesota seal as logos, with a light grey and purple color scheme.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2010-mn-website-tridion_tcm38-448425.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Thumbnail image screenshot of the mn.gov website on June 8, 2010. It has Minnesota North Star and the State of Minnesota seal as logos, with a light grey and purple color scheme.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/2010-mn-website-tridion-thumb_tcm38-448424.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-09 - Challenges and successes launching the digital accessibility standard in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-446903&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-09-29T12:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Reflecting on the digital accessibility and usability law and its importance in ensuring that Minnesota citizens have access to the vital information and the systems that they need.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Challenges and successes launching the digital accessibility standard in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screenshot of mn.gov from June 8, 2010&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On September 1, 2020, the State of Minnesota celebrated the 10th anniversary of its digital accessibility and usability standard with several virtual events hosted by the Office of Accessibility and the state’s digital accessibility coordinators. The kickoff event was an online, internal broadcast providing “a look back” at how the standard was created and implemented. It was moderated by Chris Taylor, the State of Minnesota’s Chief Inclusion Officer. He interviewed Betsy Hayes, the State of Minnesota’s Chief Procurement Officer, and Rena Rodgers, Cook County Management Information Systems Director. Both Rena and Betsy were instrumental in the development and early successes of the digital accessibility and usability standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When monumental shifts, like the development of Minnesota’s standard, occur, often only a few people are present to witness each piece. As Kim Wee, digital accessibility coordinator for Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Education said, “The looking back event was more than I expected. There were so many goose bump moments! My favorite was from Rena, ‘This really wasn&apos;t a project at all. It was a program.’”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;High value and scope&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Betsy shared why the digital accessibility and usability law was important. &quot;The purpose was to ensure that all Minnesotans, whether it be state employees or citizens that we serve, have access to the vital information and the systems that they needed. It&apos;s simply good business, and it is our obligation. It was our obligation and still remains so to this day to make sure all citizens have that level of access. And we wanted to tap and fully utilize the talent and capacity of all of our state employees.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both Betsy and Rena spoke about how they and their colleagues came to understand the true scope of accessibility’s impact. Rena pointed out that there was a learning curve for many of them at the start. &quot;Understanding the difference between accommodation and accessibility was really key. We were not designing anything for individuals. We were designing technology to a standard.&quot; Betsy added, &quot;It was going to really be more efficient for the state because we were decreasing the number of times that we would have to apply single accommodations. This was a revelation that occurred as we progressed through the project.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Building the Standard&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The group decided to use both &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&lt;/a&gt; in the standard. Rena said that WCAG 2.0 &quot;talked about how to do a lot of things in web development but also application development. It also talked about things like captioning. It had a lot of detail, things like not having blinking lights on your website because that could trigger a seizure. It gave us a lot of meat to work with.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Betsy noted that being part of a larger committee was critical. &quot;We really needed a multitude of stakeholders involved. Subject matter experts from procurement being one of them. Not only did we recognize this initially but the legislature in their wisdom also saw that need and codified into the law the mandate that there be this advisory committee that was very diverse. The legislation specifically called out a ten-member panel that would be involved in this committee. Everything from advocates to many state agencies involved, IT expertise, procurement expertise. And with that broad array of diversity on the committee came a broad variety of interests which was not only instrumental to the project’s success but it was challenging in a way. I think it was that diversity that made the project successful in the end.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2010, the state&apos;s IT department, now Minnesota IT Services, had recently begun consolidation, instead of each agency having their own IT staff. Rena shared that the new organization was &quot;getting going with technology architecture, IT architecture. And they had just put together a process for how you create a standard, how you get a standard approved. And actually, accessibility was the very first standard to come through that (process). The reason that was monumental (was because) no one else in the country had done that at all. When it&apos;s in that architecture, then it affects our purchasing, it affects procurement, and it affects development.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both noted the importance of including a neutral facilitator to help the committee develop common goals. Betsy recalled, &quot;The people who were more on the advocacy side were worried that the standards may not go far enough or that they would take too long to implement. People on the procurement side were perhaps more concerned about what the costs may be, or if it was too long a procurement process.&quot; She added, &quot;We wanted to make sure that the exception process that we determined was not so broad, or other loopholes so wide, that it sort of minimized the goal of maximizing accessibility.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s a program!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rena shared that the original thought of this as a project didn&apos;t fit. &quot;This really wasn&apos;t a project at all. It was a program. It needed a vision. It needed a clear understanding of benefits, that there were multiple stakeholders.” She talked about how other related projects would begin, and some of those projects (like putting the standard in place) were going to be operationalized. She added, “Other projects were going to be added on throughout the life of the program. And really it still is a program that&apos;s ongoing, that continues to grow. But a program is not just a great big ole project! It really is something different that has vision, and benefits, and mixes up operations as well as projects. Once we kind of got out of the ‘project management tools don&apos;t fit this exactly,’ it really made a difference because we navigated through it much differently.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How it turned out (so far)&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the biggest successes of the standard? Rena shared that recently work crossed her desk that she knew was not possible when they started. It was an accessible, interactive map. &quot;I realized that the work is sustainable. The fact that we&apos;re sitting here talking about it ten years later, to me that is the measure of success. If you built something that can continue to be built on, that continues to live and grow and change as technology does. If you built that and it stands that test of time, that&apos;s project success in my opinion.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Betsy also shared, “During this process, how we got there was as important as our destination. To determine and find our common purpose took time. It took collaboration. It took patience with each other. It was that process of working with each other that was needed to help us realize that we did have common interests, and we were reaching for the same goal only with different needs along the way….Having people at the table like Rena, like Mary Hartnett (the Director of the Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans, now retired), and many, many other people with such amazing talent made the work so much easier and fulfilling. It was highly attributable to that level of dedication and passion of the people involved that helped make the project successful, but also made the project quite a joy and fulfilling endeavor to be a part of. So I really want to thank them publicly. And to let others know as well that this was a real game changer for the state. It was also really personally impactful to be a part of this special project.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rena added, “I think at the end of the day, every one of us that was at that table greatly admired the other ones and appreciated the work and the dedication. And became friends, really, truly became friends as a part of working on something so important together.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chris Taylor concluded the program, noting that “as the Chief Inclusion Officer who is responsible to (push) systemic change this is just an incredible example of work that&apos;s gone on before, and continues to have an impact in the system today. So I just want to really thank you for your time today, but also thank you for the work that you all did ten years ago that we still get to benefit from today.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reflecting on the session, David Andrews, Chief Technology Officer for State Services for the Blind shared “I very much enjoyed the looking back session to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our accessibility standard. It was great to hear the voices of Betsy Hayes and Rena Rogers again. We all worked long and hard back then – as we still are! We have come a long way, worked through many difficult problems, and established models that other states have followed.” Dave commented that there are now many more people working on accessibility. “This is good, as the program will grow and continue!”&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>446903</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital</Title><Id>232499</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-09-29T01:00:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>September marks six months since Governor Tim Walz declared a public health emergency. The work that MNIT completed in a few short weeks matured our service delivery years in a matter of months. To talk about this change, we interviewed MNIT employees who played a large role in shaping our COVID response.</Description><Audience/><Title>6 Months of MNIT’s Pandemic Response</Title><Publisher/><Subject>COVID-19</Subject><Subject>pandemic</Subject><Subject>state employees</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Subject>Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>6 Months of MNIT’s Pandemic Response</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Room full of multiple computers. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/COB-001_tcm38-448451.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Multiple computers in a room. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/COB-001_tcm38-448450.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-09 - 6 Months of MNIT’s Pandemic Response</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-448261&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-09-25T17:42:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>September marks six months since Governor Tim Walz declared a public health emergency. MNIT completed work in a few short weeks that advanced the maturity of our service delivery years ahead. To talk about this change, we interviewed MNIT employees who played a large role in shaping our COVID response.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Changes in State Tech to Support the New Worker </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;September marks six months since Governor Tim Walz declared a public health emergency and the World Health Organization officially declared a pandemic, ushering in our new reality. Since that time, most of us have seen an incredible amount of change in our daily lives, remote work being at the top of the list for many. According to Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development, 30% of Minnesota workers teleworked during June because of COVID-19.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By April, more than 35,000 of state employees were working remotely. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) supported this rapid transition of our statewide workforce, increasing capacity to secure networks, training employees on collaboration tools, deploying hardware and software – all with a focus on our partners’ needs. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The work that MNIT completed in a few short weeks enabled the agency the opportunity to demonstrate an ability to scale up for IT crisis response – maturing our service delivery years ahead. To talk about this change, we interviewed MNIT employees who played a large role in shaping our COVID response.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Being ready for the change&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/leadership/jeff-nyberg.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Nyberg, Jeff&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Nyberg, Jeff&quot;&gt;Jeff Nyberg&lt;/a&gt;, MNIT’s Chief Technology Officer and Assistant Commissioner, notes that while COVID-19 pushed MNIT forward, “We have been preparing for this as long as high-speed internet has existed. The tools were already in place to prove that many of us don’t have to be elbow-to-elbow in an office to be productive.” Minnesota’s executive branch had two projects in progress that were accelerated when COVID-19 hit, to ensure state employees could be safe and secure at home. The first was the rollout of a collaboration tool, Microsoft Teams, to the executive branch. Since March, the executive branch has sent about 50,000 instant messages a day through the collaboration tool, and holds as many as 2,800 meetings on the platforms. These numbers continue to increase as more agencies adopt the tool. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second change was the rollout of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to all state employees to keep them secure while working remotely and protect state data. Now over 99% of state employees use MFA to access technology resources remotely. This adoption reduced the number of potentially compromised state employee email accounts by over 80% in one year (September 2019 – September 2020).  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With these tools, Nyberg predicts that we have the opportunity to spread our workforce across the State of Minnesota. “We know now that we can successfully employ the talented people living in Bemidji and Grand Marais.” A remote workforce can even allow state government to include more voices in the room. Our tools, and our need to stay connected during these difficult times, have led to a shift in many teams at MNIT, a more collaborative environment, or as Nyberg notes, “It’s brought us together to move forward.” MNIT has made many changes to the ways that it provides services, based on the radical collaboration that COVID-19 enabled.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We know through experience that people can be innovative, successful, and resilient while working remotely.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jeff Nyberg, MNIT&apos;s Chief Technology Officer&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A better way to provide service&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past six months, Jack McCumber, an Enterprise Workstation Deployment Technician at MNIT, has spent time in parking lots across the metro area handing out replacement laptops to state employees. A year ago, this process used to take almost two hours. MNIT employees would physically go to a person’s workstation, set up their new devices, and then work with them to ensure they had the software and applications needed to complete the user’s work. If you worked in Greater Minnesota, you may have even received a laptop in the mail that you didn’t know how to set up on your own. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s workstation team began its transition to a more efficient and end user-focused process back in December 2019, but COVID-19 created an opportunity to speed up the change. MNIT’s deployment team knew they had to find a safe and secure way to get laptops out to the new teleworkers across the state as quickly as possible to maintain availability of state services. McCumber says, “One of the biggest changes we made from a user perspective was creating a remote login. By having the user login to their new computer from a remote location, we can make sure they have the software they need, and they can set up their laptop with their own password before they even pick it up.” From the technician perspective, this also saves a lot of time. A full replacement of a computer, including software installation, logging in with the user’s information, and swapping the actual equipment, has decreased by at least an hour of work, allowing MNIT to replace about 80-90 computers a week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other improvements over the past six months include installing software for multiple computers at one time from a remote location, allowing the end user to book an appointment with the workstation team using Microsoft Bookings, and curbside pickup. “A lot of people saw a new form of customer service recently. We now have the ability to be closer to our end users and give them an opportunity to ask for help. The bottom line is that they are noticing a better service and getting a computer that works,” says Paul Bladl, Enterprise Workstation Deployment Supervisor. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/COVID-tech-response-001_tcm38-440799.jpg&quot; title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-001&quot; alt=&quot;Person wearing a mask holding boxes in a parking garage. &quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; class=&quot;imageCaption&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s curbside pickup option.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Coordinating a call center&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s networking team faced an immediate question of how to replace the secure phone that many state employees had access to at their desks. Many were unable to use personal phones to make calls or were call center agents that required the phone to be connected to software applications for the call center. The team had 48 hours to come up with the best solution, one which involved ensuring that the devices could be procured in a rapid timeframe. The home office routers allowed state employees to connect the phones they had in their office with a secure state network to continue their work at home. Within two weeks, the networking team deployed 1,100 of these home office routers. As of today, we are now at more than 3,000 users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Casey Neumann, Systems Supervisor at MNIT, adds that the most difficult part of that first deployment was coordinating the logistics for delivering the devices to all the locations needed. Once that initial hurdle was addressed, the team moved on to ensuring that they could use the home office router systems to become more efficient. Automation allows for immediate notifications to all MNIT network and voice teams of requests for a device to get hundreds of devices ready to deploy in an hour. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While home office routers were initially used for call center agents, who need to have a state-issued phone at home, their use case could be anyone that wants to have a phone at their desk at home. In most cases, these routers are more cost effective for state agencies than state-issued cell phones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“With the home office routers, state employees can stay secure, always be connected to VPN, and have network and firewall access follow them all back home. Basically, it makes it feel like they are sitting back at their desk in the office.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Casey Neumann, Systems Supervisor at MNIT&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stronger partnerships&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As state employees made the unprecedented shift to working from home, MNIT staff have been instrumental in ensuring that business partners are able to keep their services available, and even expand them, to help Minnesotans in need. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/leadership/jenna-covey.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Covey, Jenna&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Covey, Jenna&quot;&gt;Jenna Covey&lt;/a&gt;, Chief Business Technology Officer for MNIT partnering with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), notes that her staff are more frequently operating in the emergency management structure of the agency, with weekly meetings to provide updates on IT. One issue that emerged at DNR is how to ensure that staff had access to the tools they needed to work safely, whether in the field, in a park office, or at home, with differing levels of technology access. If a researcher needed to report back a large amount of data in Zippel Bay, they would need to be able to do so with constraints on access to high-speed internet at home. Data management and technology disparities are a critical component of ensuring that the DNR is able to respond to COVID-19 and has been part of their long-term strategies moving forward. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The MNIT and DNR teams found innovative ways to use existing tools that have created incredible efficiencies for our partners,” adds Covey. For the first time in state history, the agency was able to be use existing technology to notarize a signature remotely. Partnering with the Attorney General’s office to ensure compliance, and the DNR’s Land and Minerals Division, MNIT pushed forward the use of e-signatures to find a solution that fit our current environment and will be used moving forward. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The role that technology plays in helping state agencies is not one that will diminish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Even in chaos, there’s an opportunity. We’ve been given an opportunity to get buy-in and generate awareness for technology that we wouldn’t have had without the pandemic.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jenna Covey, Chief Business Technology Officer for MNIT partnering with DNR&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>448261</id><pubdate>2024-12-10T20:03:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota’s CIO and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services, Tarek Tomes, received the 2020 Twin Cities Nonprofit/Public Sector CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award.</Description><Audience/><Title>Commissioner Tomes Receives Twin Cities CIO of the Year Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>Commissioner Tomes</Subject><Subject>Governor Walz</Subject><Subject>CIO</Subject><Subject>Tarek Tomes</Subject><Subject>Tim Walz</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Commissioner Tomes Receives Twin Cities CIO of the Year Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Logo for Twin Cities CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards on a blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/orbie-awards_tcm38-446948.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Logo for Twin Cities CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards on a blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/orbie-awards_tcm38-446946.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-09 - CIO of the Year Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-446949&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-09-22T13:53:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota’s CIO and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services, Tarek Tomes, received the 2020 Twin Cities Nonprofit/Public Sector CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award.


</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT’s Commissioner Awarded by Twin Cities CIO in Nonprofit/Public Sector Category</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s CIO and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), Tarek Tomes, was awarded the 2020 Twin Cities Nonprofit/Public Sector CIO of the Year® ORBIE® Award. The Twin Cities CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards honor chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Tomes also recently accepted the HMG Strategy 2020 Global Technology Executives Who Matter Award. This award honors premier leaders who have delivered unparalleled value to their organizations in innovation, business transformation, digital disruption, and talent development. The award was presented at the 2020 Minneapolis CIO Executive Leadership Summit on September 22nd, 2020. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/governor/news/index.jsp?id=1055-447013&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;You can find the Governor&apos;s release on the award here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>446949</id><pubdate>2020-09-22T20:51:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Read how one experienced online meeting host handled using chat in his online meetings.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Best Practices for Using Chat in Online Meetings</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Best Practices for Using Chat in Online Meetings</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two talk bubbles.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/feedback-002_tcm38-336347.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two talk bubbles.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/feedback-002_tcm38-336352.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-08 - An Experienced Meeting Host&apos;s Story: Accessibility Best Practices for Using Chat in Online Meetings</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-443947&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-21T12:52:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>Read how one experienced online meeting host handled using chat in his online meetings.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An Experienced User&apos;s Story</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility Editor’s note: With the majority of state employees working from home most meetings are now online. This has provided a greater awareness of remote meeting tools and features, and the challenges that they may present for people with disabilities. The Office of Accessibility and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) are working together on known issues with online meeting tools. For example, one product announces every chat message to participants using a screen reader. While this may seem like a good idea, it forces the user to hear both the event audio and chat audio at the same time. We have alerted the vendor to this issue, but until the issue is resolved, the Office of Accessibility tested several temporary workarounds. One approach is to have chat only go to those with specific roles, like the meeting organizer. We collaborated with a user who frequently uses chat in online meetings to test this process in a few meetings, and asked him to share some best practices to make your meetings more effective and inclusive. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Managing chat in large online meetings: An experienced user&apos;s story&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It can be hard to apply a best practice to a specific situation. I host online meetings often, sometimes multiple meetings in a day, and I frequently use the chat panel. As a host, I was faced with finding a way to share information quickly with all attendees. First, I used the following best practice from the Office of Accessibility to manage chat in meetings. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Best Practice for Using Chat in Online Meetings&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell participants how you will handle chat&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Send an email to attendees before the meeting. Ask them to use chat only for communicating with the meeting host or a designated chat monitor. Remind attendees not to use the “everyone” option at the beginning of the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Get help&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ask a colleague or other meeting attendee to act as the designated chat monitor. Agree on roles in advance so everyone knows what to do. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have a process for getting a turn to speak&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The host and the chat monitor can manage opportunities for people that want a turn to speak. They can also verbalize comments for those who prefer to type their communications. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have a process for sharing information&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Share website URLs and files through alternate methods:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When available before the meeting, share these and any meeting documents by email.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If individual attendees need the file or URL during the meeting, share those in the chat with them directly. Do not share using a post that goes to “everyone.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Follow Up&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Send a summary of all information shared during the meeting by email after the meeting. This should include any websites or documents discussed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Putting the best practice in play &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When I learned that every message coming into the chat panel is read out loud for those that use screen readers, I knew I needed to change how I run my meetings. Hearing all of that in addition to trying to focus on the content from the presenter would be overwhelming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I worked with the MNIT Office of Accessibility (they are my digital accessibility coordinator) to test and come up with some best practices and workarounds that would accommodate everyone. Since I frequently use the chat panel in the meetings I host, I realized I was quite locked into my usual approach, so I appreciated the help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How I typically use the chat panel&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I typically use the chat panel when presenting about a product or process. I like to keep attendees engaged by asking them to enter their questions and comments in chat and sending it to everyone. This allows me to answer and react during natural pauses in the content. I think that works much better than allowing people to ask questions verbally, disrupting the flow. As I planned to limit the use of chat during my next meeting, I had two concerns:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do attendees ask questions during a meeting if they aren’t able to use chat as they have been?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How will I keep them engaged by responding to them in real-time?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning for the workaround&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Turns out, shifting gears wasn’t difficult. Here’s how we planned for it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Changing up the chat&lt;/strong&gt;: We decided to send chat messages only to the host rather than to everyone. With this in place, there would be no more overlapping talking from presenter, and the screen reader.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recruiting a chat monitor&lt;/strong&gt;: I’ve been very fortunate to have co-workers who have always helped me in meetings by moderating the chat. Now it was critical. First, we would make this person the meeting host so they were the one receiving the messages from the chat. Then, when I took a pause during the meeting, I could ask the chat monitor to relay a question or comment they received.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Allowing people to speak&lt;/strong&gt;: Unlike prior sessions, we decided to ask attendees to unmute and ask their questions as well. For those comfortable trying the new raise hand function (we have not yet fully tested this for accessibility) they could try this option.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sharing information&lt;/strong&gt;: One really useful thing about chat is the ability to share links to resources, files, etc. So instead of sharing them in the chat, the ones we would be referring to in the meeting would go into the meeting invitation.  For others mentioned during the meeting, we were prepared to send them out post-meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communicating the plan&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once we knew what to do, it was a matter of getting the word out to attendees.  We did this both before and during the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the meeting invitation we included three links to content we would be referring to during the presentation. We also outlined the expectations that chat would only be going to the host.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When the meeting started we reminded attendees of the links in the invitation and walked through using chat. I had prepared a PowerPoint with screen shots of the interface, with the chat drop down options. As I answered questions, I mentioned again that I wanted them to use chat to ask questions and provide feedback. I highlighted the difference for this meeting: these chats would now be sent only to the host.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lessons learned&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As always, a practice session before the meeting helped iron out some details. In particular, we figured out how to set chat to only go to the host, not everyone. Without our advance session, we may have missed that and our plan would not have worked as intended.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In our case, a post-meeting email was needed to share additional resources. We were ready for it; I kept notes about which ones to share, and we sent it within an hour of the end of the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overall, it struck me was that this was a much more focused meeting than ones that allowed chat to everyone. Thinking back, we might have been expecting too much for any attendee to use chat and still be able to pay attention to the content I was presenting. We know that the vendor is working on a fix for this, but it’s made me consider that this might, in some cases, be a better approach to meetings moving forward.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more abo&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;ut the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>443947</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232492</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Accessible Government</Title><Id>232634</Id><Key/></Tag><Tag><Description/><Title>Digital</Title><Id>232499</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2020-09-25T19:55:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Since its adoption in 2010, Minnesota’s digital accessibility and usability standard has been key to state agencies’ mission of providing information that is available and useful for all.</Description><Audience/><Title>The State of Minnesota Celebrates and Reflects on the Anniversary of the Standard</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Subject>profile photos</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>10 Years of Digital Accessibility Standard</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>10 Years - Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard, image of laptop keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/10-years-accessibility-standard-blog_tcm38-444146.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>10 years logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/10-years-accessibility-standard-blog-thumb_tcm38-444144.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-08 - Accessibility Standard Celebration</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-443611&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-20T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Since its adoption in 2010, Minnesota’s digital accessibility and usability standard has been key to state agencies’ mission of providing information that is available and useful for all.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The State of Minnesota Celebrates and Reflects on the Anniversary of the Standard</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s time to celebrate! The State of Minnesota’s digital accessibility and usability standard is 10 years old. First, let’s raise a (virtual) glass to toast:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The collaboration between people with disabilities, state legislators, and state agencies that made the Standard possible. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People with disabilities who were involved in creating the law that led to the standard, and then in writing and implementing the standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The 63 state employees who serve as Digital Accessibility Coordinators (or alternates) for their agencies. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The agency leaders who are serving or have served on the accessibility governance committee. The Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee has always included leaders of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and other state agencies, as well as state employees with disabilities. This ensures broad-based adoption by agencies and their leaders.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;All the state employees who think about digital accessibility when doing their jobs, such as buying technology, writing documents, creating websites, writing code, managing projects, designing content, or building training programs. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;What’s in a standard?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Imagine a situation in which whenever you sent an email, posted a PDF, or created a web page, you weren’t sure whether your user would be able to read the content. How confident would you be in your work? That’s why standards are important. Standards provide the technical framework that help you define what works and what doesn’t.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 23px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Verdana;&quot;&gt;Ten years in Minnesota&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On September 1, 2020, the State of Minnesota celebrates the adoption of a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;digital accessibility and usability standard&lt;/a&gt;, which clearly defines what it takes to create accessible technology and content. To support the standard, the Office of Accessibility works with state Digital Accessibility Coordinators to create training and resources to help state employees and the public understand how to make sure that information and resources are accessible. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the past ten years, &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Over 3,200 state employees took training on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;creating accessible documents&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Agencies updated their websites and removed or replaced over 15,000 inaccessible PDFs, with a single agency accounting for over 10,000. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software vendors are required to &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/mn06000.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;make their products more accessible&lt;/a&gt; to sell to the State.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The state’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt; provided lots of useful information to agencies and the public, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;how to make maps accessible&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because of this standard, the State is in a better position to hire more diverse state employees, particularly people with disabilities (&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_01_EO_19-15_tcm1055-378183.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-15-PDF&lt;/a&gt;); provide better, more efficient services to more Minnesotans; and provide guidance and resources to local and regional governments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There’s still plenty of room for improvement. But thanks to the State digital accessibility and usability standard and an accompanying law that appropriated funds for the Office of Accessibility, state of Minnesota agencies and their employees have the training, support, and resources to ensure that their services and content are accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more abo&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;ut the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>443611</id><pubdate>2020-08-25T13:13:19Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Profile photos can help improve your interactions with colleagues, including those with disabilities. Understand a few key considerations and best practices to ensuree your profile image is equally helpful to you colleagues. </Description><Audience/><Title>Profile Photos: Business Use and Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Subject>profile photos</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>An Accessible Future – XR</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Woman at her desk wearing a virtual reality headset, arms in the air.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/xr-blog_tcm38-444147.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>woman wearing virtual reality goggles</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/xr-blog-thumb_tcm38-444143.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-08 - An Accessible Future – XR</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-444089&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-08-20T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Workplaces are adding new technology into training and online environments. While XR can provide more inclusive experiences for employees, it may also pose some accessibility challenges. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Considerations for Virtual, Mixed, and Augmented Reality </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Verdana&quot;&gt;By: Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst, MNIT’s Office of Accessibility&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While virtual, mixed, and augmented reality are terms we may recognize in relation to video games, TV shows, or coming from a teenager, the technologies are spreading into a more everyday use in our lives.  More workplaces are adding them into our work environments as part of:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;online experiences,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;training spaces,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and considerations for future projects. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most people are familiar with virtual reality (VR), which is a computer-generated simulation or re-creation of a real-life environment or situation. VR does this through visuals, sounds, and sometimes through sensations like vibration. Sounds can seem to originate from different locations with 360-degree views.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then there’s augmented reality (AR) – the layering of computer-generated images on top of existing reality. For example, when watching a football game on TV, the first-down line is overlaid on the field using AR.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AR and VR are not mutually exclusive technologies, which led to a new term, extended reality (XR) to describe all combinations of AR and VR. Implementations of XR will provide more inclusive experiences for employees, as well as pose some accessibility challenges.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;XR In Future Work Spaces&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Opportunities for virtual new employee “orientation events”&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mixed reality could provide ways for new employees to get to know their colleagues, which would be especially helpful for some starting a new job while working remotely. Before a new employee webinar, as attendees arrive, they could meet in a virtual room. They can casually chat as they would at an in-person event. Or, they could complete certain virtual activities, such as a scavenger hunt, in small teams.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Virtual training spaces&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Those who learn by doing could interact with tools and technologies from afar. For example, individuals could use computer simulation in a shared online space to learn how to operate machinery which usually requires the students to be next to the teacher. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Such environments could also help some teachers show a student a complicated process. Some students learn better when the teacher can “physically” point to something, especially when the information can be reviewed in two different applications. For example, when teaching someone how the tags in a PDF correspond to the content in a Word document. You may move back and forth between the two applications and want to display them side by side. “Pointing” to the information on each application will help some students better understand the concepts, know where the teacher would like them to focus their attention. This may help when learning how components or concepts flow together. In this way, XR can save time, by reducing the need to create detailed and accessible screenshots and instructions. It can be more like the side by side training we gave at people’s desks in the past.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increased employment opportunities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people with disabilities are excellent trainers. With XR they could train employees on how to use equipment or technology even if the trainers would not be able to use that equipment outside of the virtual space.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;XR Access Symposium&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the XR Access Symposium I attended in July, I got to learn more about these types of experiences. I also got to try out some technologies for myself. The symposium provided experimental virtual rooms that attendees could join using a mobile or a desktop device. These rooms enabled us to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Talk with other attendees.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Move throughout the room to find out what else was in there.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Manipulate objects within the room.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consume content, such as information displayed on a screen within the room.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some attendees had disabilities, others did not. The event hosts set up both large- and small capacity rooms. They also had rooms with audio description  and others that provided American Sign Language. One goal was to give those newer to accessibility an opportunity to experience an inclusive session. The other was to let people try out some of the accessibility features in development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Speakers shared considerations for universal design and accessibility principles:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Captions – where is the person looking within the virtual room? Where will the captions be? How will you keep the person following the captions from getting dizzy as they read captions and possibly move throughout the space?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sign Language – where does the interpreter appear within the interface? How does this impact the person’s ability to interact within the space?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keyboard only and screen reader users – how do they move throughout the space and manipulate objects? How do they know what is in the room? How do they not bump into other “people” and objects within the space?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Takeaways from the Experts&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning with virtual reality: We can teach machines what they need to do for each individual to optimize learning. Because people learn differently, this technology can provide alternative learning approaches. (Tom Furness, Professor and International Director, Human Interface Technology Laboratory, University of Washington)  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Content without headsets: Some people cannot use a headset or the motion aspects of the virtual environment. Alternatives should be considered to enable access to the same content. (Erin Hawley, Writer and Accessibility Consultant, The Geeky Gimp) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;People using augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC): When designing an experience where participants talk, consider the needs of those using this type of assistive technology. How can they access their assistive technology within these environments? (Joel Ward, Technology Specialist, Booz Allen Hamilton)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Begin with accessibility in mind: There are some projects in the XR space that did not begin with accessibility in mind. “If they are not thinking about accessibility now, they won’t be able to go full enterprise.” This is key when planning XR into your next project. (Joel Ward, Technology Specialist, Booz Allen Hamilton)  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn More&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those that would like to learn more about XR, find great resources:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://peatworks.org/futureofwork/playbook/&quot;&gt;The Accessibility Playbook for Emerging Technology Initiatives by PEAT&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.virtualworldsociety.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Virtual World Society&lt;/a&gt; – “a community using immersive technology to drive positive change.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://github.com/adobe-inclusive-design/id-workshop&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Adobe’s Inclusive Design Curriculum&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.imac-project.eu/approach/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Making 360 degree content more accessible&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/xaur/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;XR Meets Real Accessibility: Understanding XR Accessibility User Requirements&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An upcoming presentation on Sept. 17 by Joshue O Connor’s as part of Inclusive Design 24, titled “&lt;a href=&quot;https://inclusivedesign24.org/2020/schedule/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;XR Accessibility: The art of the possible&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more abo&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem;&quot;&gt;ut the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>444089</id><pubdate>2020-08-20T16:16:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Profile photos can help improve your interactions with colleagues, including those with disabilities. Understand a few key considerations and best practices to ensuree your profile image is equally helpful to you colleagues. </Description><Audience/><Title>Profile Photos: Business Use and Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Subject>profile photos</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Profile Photos: Business Use and Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Camera taking a portrait of a man</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/man-smiling-portrait-blog_tcm38-441355.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Camera taking a portrait of a man</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/man-smiling-portrait-thumbnail_tcm38-441389.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-07 - Profile Photos: Business Use and Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-441391&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-28T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Profile photos can help improve your interactions with colleagues, including those with disabilities. Understand a few key considerations and best practices to ensure your profile image is equally helpful to your colleagues. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessible and Consistent Photos Help Us Stay Connected </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>
		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Profile photos can help improve your interactions with colleagues, including those with disabilities. There are a few key considerations, such as an updated photo and consistent usage, that ensure your profile image is equally helpful to you colleagues. &lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many reasons why people do not have current profile photos, or a photo at all. Some people don’t have a profile photo because they never really thought about it, and don’t have a decent photo on their work computer. Others had once been told not to use them for a technical reason but had not gone back and checked if this had changed. &lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Times have changed! Especially with many people working remotely, it is important to update those photos.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using a Profile Photo Helps Many&lt;/h2&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When using remote meeting tools, your initials may display when you are speaking if you don’t have a profile photo in the system This may cause confusion when people have the same initials. For example, Jennie Delisi and Jeremy DePew, both employees of Minnesota IT Services, often attend the same meetings. Both have the initials JD.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;  &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/webex-identity-confusion_tcm38-441652.png&quot; title=&quot;webex-identity-confusion&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of virtual meeting, both participants have initials JD, one is blue, one is green.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;webex-identity-confusion&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes only a difference of color will visually distinguish these participants. This is not accessible for everyone. Knowing only the person’s initials may also make it difficult to:&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Send them a private chat&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Note their name so you can send a follow up question after the email&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand from the auto-captions and the visual speaker indicator (without the audio) which of the two participants is speaking&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I love seeing other people’s profile pictures because I am a person who remembers faces with names,” says Emily Paoli Johnson from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. For some colleagues, this isn’t just a nice feature; sometimes it is the only way they can remember a person. While working remotely, some individuals may struggle if they do not see the faces of those attending the online meeting. While issues with network connectivity may sometimes prevent turning on video, profile photos can provide some substitute.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suppose you only meet with a colleague every few months – seeing and hearing the person can help recall the previous conversation. The same is true of connecting with colleagues through instant messages, emails, and collaboration tools. Now imagine communicating with someone without ever seeing or hearing that person. How connected do you feel? Jessica Cavazos from the Minnesota Department of Health shares, “I use a profile photo in Office 365 because it’s a little more warm and friendly for virtual correspondence - remember trading photos with your pen pal in elementary school? It provides people the opportunity to place a face with the name.”&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The presence of a profile photo can also make difficult conversations easier. Ben Blanchard from Minnesota IT Services shares, “When working in a position that has a lot of bad news and frustrated people, I’ve found that having a face displaying during an online interaction helps people to remember I’m a person, and as a result, these interactions become easier.”&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another key difference is that a profile photo enables people to identify you with less reliance on reading text. For example, when attending a presentation in your department or at a conference, sometimes you want to follow other information which may be available from the speaker. This could be on internal sites like Yammer, or on external channels like Twitter. When the speaker uses the same photo on their presentation slides that they have on their profile photos (especially when no video is presented during an online training), it makes it much easier to quickly match the photo to your search results. For some with cognitive disabilities this can make the task more manageable. Jessica adds, “Putting photos in presentations is newer to me, but I find it helpful when there is more than one presenter so I can know who is who.”&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And finally, not everyone feels comfortable meeting new people, even in online meetings. Having a profile photo in your emails, collaboration tool profile, or social media channels helps those that may get nervous meeting people for the first time. They can match your profile photo and name prior to the meeting, and this may help them prepare.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Considerations for Your Photo&lt;/h2&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like all digital images, accessibility is a key consideration as you plan, create, and share.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use the highest quality image accepted by the system&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The better the image quality, the better it will magnify. Check that it is clear when viewed at 200%.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Show your face prominently&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Crop the image so your head and shoulders fill the frame. If you use a full body shot, your face won’t be recognizable at small sizes.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Add alt text when possible&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some systems will pull your profile name into the alt text for your profile photo. Be sure to add the alt text when possible, if it is not added automatically.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tips for a Great Profile Photo&lt;/h2&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jeremy DePew, Senior Designer and Communications Advisor for Minnesota IT Services, shares tips for those ready to update their profile photos.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use a recent photo&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The best part having of a profile photo is to build recognition. You want to be seen as you are today, not as you were 20 years ago. Try to update your photo every so often.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Smile!&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You want to look friendly, don’t you?&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use a simple background&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This doesn’t have to be a blank wall, but you should consider how “busy” the background is. The goal is to have some separation between you and everything that is going on behind you. A blurred background is one technique for creating separation. Your camera or phone may have features to create a blurred background, otherwise you can do it manually. &lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
				&lt;strong&gt;Advanced tip:&lt;/strong&gt;
				 You can achieve a blurred background by using a low aperture setting on your camera (such as f/2.8). Aperture, which is the size of the opening on your lens, can be controlled on most conventional cameras, but less frequently on cell phones. The wider the opening (the lower the f stop number), the more blurred your background will be.
			&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lighting is key &lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unless you have a full photography studio in your house, you may consider using natural light. Avoid taking your photo in bright sunlight, which will cause harsh shadows to appear on your face. Instead, take your photo on a cloudy day. The clouds will create a soft, diffused light that is great for portraits. Choose a time in the morning or before sunset. Windows can also provide nice light for a photo. An easy trick to soften window light is to hang a white bed sheet over the window.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lighten shadows using a simple reflector&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are taking your portrait and notice that there’s too much shadow on one side of your face or under your chin, you can use a medium-to-large sized piece of white tagboard or foam core board to bounce light back onto your face and lighten shadows. The reflector should be held relatively close to your face (usually within a few feet), but in a way that it’s not visible in the frame. It’s easiest if you have another person hold the reflector.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hold the camera still&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To achieve a sharp photo, you’ll want to avoid camera movement, which can result in a blurry photo. This is especially important in lower-light situations. Use a tripod or prop the camera on a sturdy object and use the timer feature. If your photographer needs to hand-hold the camera, they can avoid subtle camera movements by taking the photo at the top or bottom of their breath. Leaning up against a sturdy object for support can also help eliminate camera shake.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t use a selfie&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will cause distortions in your posture, and extreme camera angles can look unprofessional. Hand the camera to a friend and let them take your photo.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take a bunch of photos! &lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not every attempt will turn out. Try different expressions, backgrounds and lighting situations. You’ll eventually land on a photo you really like. &lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Crop your photo as a square for Outlook&lt;/h3&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you provide a rectangular photo, it may be compressed either vertically or horizontally. The results are not usually flattering.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Uploading Your Profile Photo&lt;/h2&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some organizations may block your ability to post or change your profile to certain apps. If you find that to be the case, check with your IT resource. It may be that some apps draw the profile photo from other sources. For example, your Teams profile may pull from your Office 365 profile.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Again, be consistent! Use the same profile for all your professional media, such as LinkedIn, that you use for your work apps.&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
			&lt;br /&gt;
		&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
			&lt;br /&gt;
		&lt;/p&gt;
		

		&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
					&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;
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	</BodyText><Author/><id>441391</id><pubdate>2020-07-28T15:28:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>July 2020 is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Office of Accessibility interviewed a state employee about the link between the ADA and the need for accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>ADA, Digital Accessibility, and Improving Culture</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Subject>law</Subject><Subject>anniversary</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>ADA, Digital Accessibility, and Improving Culture</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Digital Accessibility Law, image of map of Minnesota with pointer on it. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA2_tcm38-441336.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>ada, digital accessibility law</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/ADA3_tcm38-441345.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-07 - ADA, Digital Accessibility, and Improving Culture</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-441338&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-28T14:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>July 2020 is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Office of Accessibility interviewed a state employee about the link between the ADA and the need for accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Interview with a State Employee about the ADA Anniversary</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;July 2020 is the 30th anniversary of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)&lt;/a&gt;. People in Minnesota are more aware of digital accessibility since the passing of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=16E.03&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Law&lt;/a&gt; 10 years ago. While the Office of Accessibility gets many questions about the differences between the ADA and Minnesota’s law, both reinforce the rights of people with disabilities and provide a pathway for inclusion. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.adaanniversary.org/media-kit-ada-social-media&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ADA Anniversary website&lt;/a&gt; – updated for our 2020 world with social media and other important digital accessibility reminders– states that the ADA &quot;prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including:  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;jobs,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;schools,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;transportation, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;all public and private places that are open to the general public.&quot; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month we spoke with Ken Rodgers, Disability Programs Coordinator/ADA Title I for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). Ken worked as a cardiac registered nurse before losing his sight to a rare retinal disease. We talked about his office’s work, and the link between the ADA and the need for digital accessibility. Ken&apos;s office has several divisions, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;diversity and inclusion training,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;affirmative action work that monitors the hiring process for the agency, and the&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;discrimination investigation unit.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ken said, &quot;everyone in the office is well educated and well-versed in document accessibility.&quot; They produce numerous documents for their agency, such as the Affirmative Action Plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Nothing goes out, or is published, unless it is fully accessible. Our staff were early adopters of digital accessibility. Our entire office took classes together.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ken feels that more people now understand the need for digital accessibility. His office used to be the singular content for answering questions about digital accessibility for MnDOT staff. But times have changed. &quot;We are at a point that everyone should know these skills, and we should all be doing our work with an eye towards accessibility. We generally have success at doing that, so it is easier to have that expectation of others.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ken shared that as others understood more about digital accessibility, it changed more than just documents. At one point the department was considering which copier/scanner to buy. He adds that his “coworkers were the ones that identified that I would not be able to use it, that it wasn’t accessible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ken reminds people about Minnesota’s digital accessibility law when he encounters barriers. But the law is not enough to change behaviors by itself. “We need people with significant disabilities in every office, so we can make fundamental change. That awareness of the need for digital accessibility can be built by people learning, but it is enhanced with a person. It is what makes me such an advocate for increasing the number of people in our workforce, to become a more responsive workforce.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ADA provides tools to hire more people with disabilities. The accessibility law helps make the workplace functional for them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ken&apos;s Recommendations for Improving Your Team&apos;s Digital Accessibility Culture&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Train and Work With Your Staff on Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ken’s staff who create documents for publication work closely with him. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They took training as a team. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&quot;Accessibility is definitely up front” in Ken’s office.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hire People with Disabilities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;I honestly think the reason why my office is different is because I am a constant reminder of why it is important that what we produce is accessible. I am a person that requires accessibility. If every office has someone who relies on a different way of accessing electronic content, and they interact with that individual every day, that awareness is going to affect how they do their work.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2020 is also the 10th Anniversary of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility Law!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not only is 2020 the 30th anniversary of the ADA, but it is the 10th anniversary of Minnesota’s Digital Accessibility and Usability Law. The Office of Accessibility will be sharing more about the anniversary in the next few months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>441338</id><pubdate>2020-07-28T04:37:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>May 21 marked the 8th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Minnesota held a virtual event, “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.” 

</Description><Audience/><Title>ICYMI: Digital Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>ICYMI: Digital Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Diverse group of people in a group. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-web-full%20size_tcm38-433024.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of diverse people. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-433026.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-07 - ICYMI Digital Accessibility Awareness Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-441317&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-23T14:40:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>May 21 marked the 8th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Minnesota held a virtual event, “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.” 

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn How Minnesota Prioritized Digital Accessibility from our May 21 Event</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May 21 marks the 8th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). As a leader in digital accessibility, the State of Minnesota participates in GAAD every year. Minnesota’s contribution to this year’s celebration was a virtual event, “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.” The event featured interviews and speakers from across state government. Here are links to each of the interviews:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Governor Tim Walz&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/-5nCPfCU19w&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;proclamation for Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota (video)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Employment and Economic Development’s State Services for the Blind, who recently launch a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/GNfan16lt_s&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Radio Talking Book app&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health and its work &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/Ipk6iKRnPKo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;providing critical and accessible information for decision makers and the public on COVID-19&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Department of Revenue’s Employee Development Services and their &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/RB_6IB-wM4U&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;accessibility standards for e-learning training design and development&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find out what you missed by watching all the interview videos on our &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-DiEzEfoN6wm3LHayk6fAOVVkYBa-3PT&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>441317</id><pubdate>2020-07-24T12:30:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>During the COVID-19 pandemic, MNIT is embracing new ways to connect with our agency partners to address their technology needs.</Description><Audience/><Title>Innovative IT Service Delivery</Title><Publisher/><Subject>contactless</Subject><Subject>curbside</Subject><Subject>state technology</Subject><Subject>customer service</Subject><Subject>IT service</Subject><Subject>state IT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Innovative IT Service Delivery</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Support staff working on a computer and wearing a headset.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/help-desk-001_tcm38-350622.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Support staff working on a computer and wearing a headset.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/help-desk-001_tcm38-350624.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-07 - Innovative IT Service Delivery</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-440807&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-17T14:47:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>During the COVID-19 pandemic, MNIT is embracing new ways to connect with our agency partners to address their technology needs.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Transition to Curbside, Contactless, and Mobile IT Delivery</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is enabling a radical shift in the way we do business at the state, and we’re doing it all at once, to meet the needs of all state agencies, and to find ways that technology can change the outcomes of our response to this crisis. The need for digital services and data-driven decisions will not diminish as we move through this pandemic. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We already see first-hand the role that innovative technology and solutions play in supporting our customers, and we need to be creative and innovative to support evolving needs. We wanted to share a few stories about these innovative support measures, and how MNIT staff are working to meet Minnesota and executive branch agency needs, no matter the circumstances.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Curbside delivery&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do you do a job that is all about physical interaction with customers and computers when being told to limit that interaction? MNIT’s Enterprise Service Workstation Deployment team knew that their work, and interaction with state employees, needed to change during the COVID-19 response. The team held a brainstorming session to evaluate how to replace computers knowing that many people would be working from home for the foreseeable future – turning to curbside pickup.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Following a pilot deployment with the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Vocational Rehab Services, MNIT is currently deploying 10-12 computers per day. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/COVID-tech-response-001_tcm38-440799.jpg&quot; title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-001&quot; alt=&quot;Person wearing a mask holding boxes in a parking garage.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Working during the pandemic has required changes for everyone, and MNIT is no exception. On the Enterprise Workstation Deployment team, we’ve used tools ranging from remote access software to homemade curbside pickup signs – all to make sure everyone has what they need to keep the State running. It’s been both challenging and rewarding, and I couldn’t hope to be working with better people right now.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Keenan Perera, Enterprise Workstation Deployment, MNIT Enterprise&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contactless customer support&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT provides hardware support to our agency-based offices, a service which we need to continue during the COVID-19 response. Our staff created a set of instructions early in the process to provide safe support. The service was by appointment-only, and customers had to stay behind a physical barrier, pictured below, for the limited interactions with MNIT staff. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/COVID-tech-response-002_tcm38-440800.jpg&quot; title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-002&quot; alt=&quot;Splatter screen on top of a cabinet in a hallway.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Both IT staff and our agency customers have responsibilities to keep each other safe during in-person interactions. We protect ourselves, wearing gloves and masks, and protect our works by disinfecting the equipment before bringing it in our work areas. Our customers must wear a mask and keep their interactions with our team to drop off and pickup only. If we follow a few simple steps, we can all stay safe, while ensuring that state employees have access to their devices.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Don Brabeck, Systems Analyst Unit Supervisor, MNIT partnering with MnDOT&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;font-style: normal;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Community testing site preparation&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-style: normal;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At over 16 different community testing events, Minnesota IT Services worked with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to ensure that the events ran smoothly. MNIT teams set up the events – running cables in tents, setting up laptops and tablets, and connecting them to WiFi and hotspots.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/COVID-tech-response-003_tcm38-440801.jpg&quot; title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-003&quot; alt=&quot;Person setting up a table during a community testing event.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Once the tents and tables were set up, we provided and setup computers for registering those that needed tests, and processing forms necessary for the testing site. We also set up barcode printers and standard printers to help provide documentation for healthcare workers, volunteers, and community members.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Joel Bilfulk, Service Management, MNIT partnering with MDH&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/COVID-tech-response-004_tcm38-440802.jpg&quot; title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-004&quot; alt=&quot;Person listening holding a radio and tablet to set up a community testing event.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-004&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Our job at the community testing was setup and take down. We were there to make sure everything was ready for all the people that needed testing. Healthcare workers used laptops to submit tests and volunteers used tablets to check people in. Since there were so many devices to get connected online in new locations, it was difficult to get a solid connection. Once we moved over to relying on hotspots, the testing sites really improve – healthcare workers and volunteers were able to be much more efficient.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Cole Weis, ITS3 Senior Service Desk Specialist, MNIT Enterprise&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/COVID-tech-response-005_tcm38-440803.jpg&quot; title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-005&quot; alt=&quot;Two people in a tent behind a table, getting ready for a community testing event.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;COVID-tech-response-005&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I provided technical support and maintenance for all the IT equipment used at the Sabathani COVID-19 test facility. I worked with a fantastic group of selfless individuals who inspired a great deal of hope, joy, and comradery.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Travis Beebe, Student Worker, Service Delivery, MNIT partnering with MnDOT&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>440807</id><pubdate>2020-07-20T14:16:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We sat down with Assistant Commissioner Zarina Baber, CISO Rohit Tandon, and CBTO Corey Stubbendick on their vision for their new roles at MNIT.</Description><Audience/><Title>Meet MNIT Leadership</Title><Publisher/><Subject>leadership</Subject><Subject>commissioner</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>state government</Subject><Subject>project management</Subject><Subject>strategic objectives</Subject><Subject>One Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Meet MNIT Leadership</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Compilation of headshots left to right of Zarina Baber, Rohit Tandon, and Cory Stubbendick on a blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/zarina-leadership-001_tcm38-440372.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Headshot of Zarina Baber.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/zarina-leadership-001_tcm38-440374.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-07 - Meet MNIT Leadership</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-440375&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-14T20:34:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>We sat down with Assistant Commissioner Zarina Baber, CISO Rohit Tandon, and CBTO Cory Stubbendick on their vision for their new roles at MNIT.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Conversation with MNIT’s New Assistant Commissioners and CBTO</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On July 1, 2020, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-438873&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;announced leadership changes&lt;/a&gt; that will help the agency move towards its strategic objectives. Zarina Baber is now MNIT’s Assistant Commissioner for Project Portfolio Management, and Rohit Tandon is the Assistant Commissioner and the State’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). At the agency level, Cory Stubbendick was elevated to the role of Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) for MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA). &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State technology is undergoing rapid and an incredible transformation. Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and innovative technological advances, Minnesotans rely on digital government services more than ever. State technologists hold a pivotal role in defining those connections. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more from MNIT’s new leadership about how their work fits into MNIT’s evolving role in serving the State of Minnesota. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zarina Baber, Assistant Commissioner for Project Portfolio Management&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/leadership/baber-zarina.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Baber, Zarina&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Baber, Zarina&quot;&gt;Zarina Baber&lt;/a&gt;’s role as Assistant Commissioner will ensure strategic alignment between business objectives and investment in technology and modernization projects. Baber comments that, “We will need the ability to navigate these challenging times through more strategic and innovative management of programs and portfolios to ensure we are delivering to the vision and direction of Governor Walz for a transparent, equitable, and thriving Minnesota.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Citing organizational change as one of her passions, Baber has decades of experience introducing change into an organization. As an Assistant Commissioner, Baber will serve as a bridge between strategic goals and operations through the execution of well-defined and planned out delivery of the projects. “Project delivery is both an art and a science. We will leverage a repeatable framework, which will provide us with the science, but we also need to ensure that we build sufficient agility in the process. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is having the ability to quickly innovate at a time of a disruptive event. It is this art that will allow Minnesota’s agencies to adapt their approach that will help deliver value and lead to success!” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT is working to evolve its approach to the development and implementation of technology solutions by putting the people at the center – using a human-centered design lens. The Assistant Commissioner role will take on this emerging framework in project delivery, a principle which Baber has instilled in much of her previous work. A critical project in her previous role at MNIT as the Deputy CBTO partnering with Minnesota Management and Budget included an upgrade to the state’s procurement and reporting software, SWIFT. On that project, Baber and her team built a network partnership of different agency representatives who were both end users and stakeholders in the rollout process. “Our work is always about the people. You can have the best planned project, but your end-user will be the one to decide if the project is successful or not. To deliver success for Minnesotans, our ultimate end user, we must incorporate empathy in our process. It is critical that we take into account the human factor to provide a level of stability, instill confidence while driving for success.”  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Zarina worked to deliver the SWIFT upgrade project, she co-created with MMB leadership to redesign governance and management processes for the overall MMB system and project portfolios. In her new role, Baber will leverage her portfolio and governance experience from both the public and private sector to drive similar efforts across the executive branch – ensuring alignment of these critical investments to agencies’ strategic objectives. As Assistant Commissioner, Baber will also continue in her role as CBTO for the Governor’s Office.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rohit Tandon, Chief Information Security Officer&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-438501&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;Tandon, Rohit&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;z - Tandon, Rohit&quot;&gt;Rohit Tandon&lt;/a&gt;’s position of Assistant Commissioner and CISO will allow him to focus on building good cyber habits within state agencies, “Minnesotans expect all of us to be good stewards of their time, services, and investments, which means balancing cyber risk factors in decisions across state government.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tandon approaches his position as a CISO with an evolving role. A growing understanding of personal data protection, the evolving threats from cyber attackers, and an increasing reliance on digital government services are all factors require MNIT and its security team under the CISO to embed data stewardship across state government. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To mature the state’s cyber risk management, MNIT will focus on building partnerships with agencies to codify the importance of cyber risk into business decisions. Just as many of our partners consider the financial or legal risk in decisions, cyber risk is becoming just as critical to balance. Under Tandon, MNIT will build the necessary trust and leadership among state agencies to pivot our state to this new consideration framework. “MNIT is delivering technology solutions and services at an accelerating pace to meet our partner expectations. From my CISO responsibilities, I see this as an exciting opportunity to build relationships that foster better cyber decisions.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When considering an important project that was completed by Minnesota, Rohit recalls the rollout of multi-factor authentication during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, “It’s such a simple thing that we can do to make sure that the most common threat of stolen passwords is addressed.” The project’s success required support from both MNIT’s leadership and other state agency leaders to understand and champion the impact of the rollout. The partnerships that were built in that project exemplify the way that security risk management can be communicated and successfully adopted in daily practices at state government. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cory Stubbendick, Chief Business Technology Officer&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/leadership/stubbendick-cory.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Stubbendick, Cory&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stubbendick, Cory&quot;&gt;Cory Stubbendick&lt;/a&gt; was most recently a Deputy CBTO for MNIT partnering with MDVA, among other roles at MNIT. The role of MNIT at the Department of Veterans Affairs changed dramatically over the past five years, moving from an organization providing IT services to an organization recommending and implementing technology solutions for MDVA to better serve Minnesota’s veterans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The work happening at MDVA exemplifies how MNIT can most effectively serve as a partner to the agency by engaging in solution development from the earliest stages of ideation through implementation. For example, the Homeless Veterans Registry allows MDVA staff to understand the barriers that exist and the programs that are needed to end homelessness among veterans. Under Stubbendick and the agency’s leadership, MDVA is moving towards an even more data-driven future. MNIT will also work with MDVA to leverage enterprise systems across the entire organization. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stubbendick recalls one of the most important accomplishments during his time at MNIT is the Veterans Application Tracking System (VATS) project. He notes, “This was not only a great modernization project that brings together at several distinct applications into a single enterprise solution, it also introduced agile development for the first time.” Agile is now the standard development methodology that MNIT partnering with MDVA uses for all projects. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>440375</id><pubdate>2024-12-10T20:03:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce the appointment of two executive positions. Zarina Baber is appointed as an Assistant Commissioner for Project and Portfolio Management, and Rohit Tandon is appointed as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services Welcomes New Leaders </Title><Publisher/><Subject>commissioner</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>information security</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>new hire</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Minnesota IT Services Welcomes New Leaders </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343298.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343296.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2020-07 - Minnesota IT Services Welcomes New Leaders</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-438873&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-07-01T18:18:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce the appointment of two Assistant Commissioners positions. Zarina Baber is appointed as an Assistant Commissioner for Project Portfolio Management, and Rohit Tandon is appointed as Assistant Commissioner and the State&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Appoints Assistant Commissioners for Project Portfolio Management and Cybersecurity</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce the appointment of two Assistant Commissioner positions. Zarina Baber is appointed as an Assistant Commissioner for Project Portfolio Management, and Rohit Tandon is appointed as Assistant Commissioner and the State&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT has worked collaboratively with state agency leaders and members of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/blue-ribbon-council-report-june-2020_tcm38-438716.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Governor&apos;s Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology&lt;/a&gt; to develop strategies to modernize state technology and associated business processes, strengthen the State&apos;s cybersecurity defenses, and leverage the power of technology to transform government service delivery. These leadership changes are the next step in that process, as these strategies shift from development to implementation phases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Zarina and Rohit’s appointments demonstrate MNIT’s commitment to secure, innovative, and reliable technology that equitably serves all Minnesotans. With both Zarina and Rohit on board, we have an opportunity to share in their skills to transform the way we deliver services to our agency partners. We are ensuring a security-focused mindset from inception to rollout, and designing solutions hand in hand with our partners while keeping users – the people of Minnesota – at the center of our work.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zarina Baber&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/zarina-baber-600x600_tcm38-438833.jpg&quot; title=&quot;zarina-baber-600x600&quot; alt=&quot;Headshot of Zarina Baber in front of a flag.&quot; style=&quot;width: 35%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;zarina-baber-600x600&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Zarina Baber joins the MNIT leadership team as Assistant Commissioner for Project Portfolio Management. Baber previously served a dual role as the Deputy Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) for Minnesota Management and Budget and CBTO for the Governor’s Office.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Baber has 25 years of IT leadership experience that spans across both private and public sectors. Prior to MNIT, her experience included major program execution, establishing and leading Project Management Offices (PMO), and implementing portfolio management practices. As the Director of the Enterprise PMO at Ameriprise Financial Services, Zarina led the transformation of technology’s annual planning process to a rolling monthly portfolio management process. She implemented a $175 million electronic health record initiative at Fairview Health Services, and stood up the PMO at Target Corporation. Zarina’s public sector experience includes several years at Hennepin County Medical Center, where among other things, she developed and introduced the Information Management Life Cycle. She also led the implementation of a service integration initiative across nine divisions—the data sharing project included business process redesign and cross-divisional systems integration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Her new leadership role will focus on ensuring strategic alignment between business objectives and investment in technology projects. She will use her position to build the partnerships and relationships necessary to move forward the combined vision of the Blue Ribbon Council on Information Technology, Governor Walz’s One Minnesota, and MNIT’s strategic and tactical planning. Her appointment will allow MNIT to build a roadmap for change to create better technology solutions for the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Baber holds a BS in MIS from Carlson School of Management, U of M; MS in Technology Management from the School of Engineering, University of St. Thomas and a Master Certificate in Healthcare Leadership with Focus on Organizational Change Management from Cornell University. In addition, she is a certified Project Management Professional and a Certified Scrum Master.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rohit Tandon&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/rohit-tandon-600x600_tcm38-438831.jpg&quot; title=&quot;rohit-tandon-600x600&quot; alt=&quot;Headshot of Rohit Tandon in front of a flag.&quot; style=&quot;width: 35%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;rohit-tandon-600x600&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rohit Tandon is appointed to the role of Assistant Commissioner and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) following a previous role at MNIT of Deputy CISO. He has also been serving as acting CISO since December 2019. Rohit&apos;s vision as Chief Information Security Officer is that Information Security must guide risk decisions in a faster and less burdensome manner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before Rohit joined MNIT&apos;s efforts to protect fellow Minnesotans&apos; data, he served as the Information Security Leader at Strategic Education, Inc. where he assisted in the merger of Capella Education Company and Strayer Education, Inc. His work for the combined post-merger organization included forming the central Information Security department.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rohit received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Winona State University and an MBA from University of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The appointments are effective July 1, 2020. You can find photos and official bios for Rohit Tandon and Zarina Baber on &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/media/leadership/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Redirect - Leadership&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Redirect - Leadership&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s leadership page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>438873</id><pubdate>2020-10-07T17:38:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Emojis and emoticons can be a great tool for communicating emotions if you keep your audience in mind, understand accessibility considerations, and follow our quick checklist. </Description><Audience/><Title>The Difference Between a Smile and a Grin</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>emoji</Subject><Subject>emoticon</Subject><Subject>social media</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Subject>social media accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Say It With a Face</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Smiling face emoji with various emojis in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/emoji-001_tcm38-436173.png</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Smiley face emoji on a background various emojis.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/emoji-001_tcm38-436189.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-06 - Emojis and Emoticons</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-436147&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-17T16:28:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Emojis and emoticons can be a great tool for communicating emotions if you keep your audience in mind, understand accessibility considerations, and follow our quick checklist. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessible Communications with Emojis and Emoticons</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emoticons and emojis are great tools to convey ideas and emotions, when you keep your audience in mind. Just as you may not speak with co-workers the way you talk with your friends, you should consider your audience when making your emoji or emoticon selections. Since their original use in text messages, these icons have moved into everyday communications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We now commonly encounter them in social media posts, business tools like Microsoft Teams, and even emails. Digital accessibility questions about using emoticons and emojis include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do people add emojis if they do not use a mouse? &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is there a quick check list of considerations for when we would like to use emoticons and emojis?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are there users with disabilities that may find them difficult to use?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How are they read by assistive technologies? Will users hear some odd letters, like a y?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is an Emoticon? What is an Emoji?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-emoji-and-emoticons&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Encyclopedia Britannica&lt;/a&gt; defines an emoticon as “punctuation marks, letters, and numbers used to create pictorial icons that generally display an emotion or sentiment.” Think: emotional icon. If you place a colon and a close parenthesis side by side, they are read as a happy face even though it may visually appear sideways (hint: one of the potential issues for readers). Emojis are picture symbols “of faces, objects, and symbols.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those people looking for more technical definitions Rob Reed covers many of the terms such as Unicode and character sets in “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/11/character-sets-encoding-emoji/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Everything You Need To Know About Emoji.&lt;/a&gt;” He also references the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) information on character encoding. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding Emojis and Emoticons Without a Mouse&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Depending on your application, you can sometimes use characters on your keyboard to add emoticons and emojis. For example (y) creates a thumbs up icon in applications like Skype for Business. &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4534547/windows-10-keyboard-tips-and-tricks&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Windows 10 keyboard tips and tricks&lt;/a&gt; notes that you can use: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Windows logo key + period to get the emoji keyboard, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Alt key (held down) while you type the four-digit code for an emoticon, using the number pad. Don’t have a keyboard with a number pad? &lt;a href=&quot;https://altcodeunicode.com/how-to-use-alt-codes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How to Use Alt Codes&lt;/a&gt; has other options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are times where you may want to reassign the default key combination in certain applications for emojis and emoticons. For example, consider (y). Cliff Tyllick, accessibility consultant, recommends, “Look in QuickCorrect and change the key combination to something like (.y) or *y). Otherwise when you type references to Item (y) they will become Item 👍 (thumbs up) —just like ‘Item (c)’ will become ‘Item [copyright symbol]’ unless you make a similar edit.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some interfaces have the option of adding emojis and emoticons into their text editing options. You can navigate to the emoji option, or the insert icon option, to get a list or menu of available options. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want some fun Alt codes to try out? Check out: &lt;a href=&quot;https://altcodeunicode.com/alt-codes-emoticons-cat-faces-gesture-symbols/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ALT Codes for Emoticons, Cat Faces &amp;amp; Gesture Symbols&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quick Checklist for Using Emojis and Emoticons&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Movement:&lt;/strong&gt; Best practice is to use emojis or emoticons that do not move. Avoid those that move continuously and use with caution if they move for a brief period. This may cause issues for some of your readers. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Magnification:&lt;/strong&gt; Test out what the emoji or emoticons looks like when magnified to 200%. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Frequency:&lt;/strong&gt; Use emojis or emoticons occasionally for emphasis, rather than relying on the icons to communicate a large percentage of the message. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alternative Text:&lt;/strong&gt; Check to ensure there is alt text. Add alt text if possible. If not, add a note within the body of the content to describe the emoji or emoticons.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Color Contrast:&lt;/strong&gt; If the emoticon or emoji is used in place of text, select ones that have good color contrast.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Familiar Symbols:&lt;/strong&gt; Use common symbols to make it more likely that the symbols will work correctly on readers’ devices and improve the chance that they will be familiar with their meaning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emojis May Impact People’s Reading Experiences&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt; applies to social media channels and other types of communications that may have the ability to use emojis and emoticons. Planning digital accessibility into communications means considering the impact of design choices on accessibility, and testing to ensure results are accessible. If emojis and emoticons are designed into communication, it is important to consider how they may impact the understanding of that message. Considerations include characteristics of an emoji such as animation or contrast, as well as the need to think about how emojis are understood across devices or by a variety of audiences. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Varying Interpretations&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is a significant potential for miscommunication while using emojis based on the varying types of emojis across platforms and devices. Those reading the emoticons and emojis may not have the same interpretation of the symbol as the person using it in their communication. Also, a sender’s device may visualize the same emoji in a different way than the receiver’s device. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider differences between the emoticon :( and the emoji ☹️ (sad face):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some may list that emoticon as a frown.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The emoji’s alt text in Microsoft Word says “Sad face with no fill.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those with cognitive disabilities, emoticons and emoji may make it more difficult to understand your message and lead to varying interpretations of what you are trying to communicate. If the emoticon is sideways, some people may be unable to decode the emotion. Even if it is upright, the symbol may be unfamiliar and cause confusion or a misunderstanding of the message, especially when the meanings are non-literal. You may use an avocado to reference healthy eating, but this may not be understood by all your readers. A smiley face may come through on your device or application, but your reader may only get the letter j. They may not realize you had entered a symbol that did not get communicated to them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Characteristics of Emojis and Emoticons&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While it may be entertaining for some, animated emojis can cause a significant problem for other users. Take a moment and watch one of the emojis used in a message you received – do the eyes keep moving? Without the ability to pause or to choose not to receive these moving symbols, some may have difficulty focusing on your message, the messages around it (in applications with long threads), or may experience other issues because they cannot control the movement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://veroniiiica.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Veronica Lewis&lt;/a&gt; discusses how a person with low vision may chose specific emojis based on background color in, “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/blog/how-do-people-vision-impairments-use-emoji&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How Do people with Vision Impairments…Use Emoji?&lt;/a&gt;” Remember, your readers may be using magnification/zoom, they may have a different color scheme on their computer like high contrast mode, or they may be using assistive technology to read them the information in your message.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screen Reader Experience&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lewis also provides insight into the challenges emojis may cause when using a screen reader. She writes, &quot;If my friend sends me five cake emojis, the screen reader will read ‘cake cake cake cake cake.’&quot; Emoticons and emojis can be a part of your communications, as long as you think about accessibility as you craft your message.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the Techies&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the Technique H86 from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H86&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;providing text alternatives for ASCII art, emoticons, and leetspeak emoticons&lt;/a&gt;, “include ASCII characters that form facial expressions and other ways to communicate an emotion.” They recommend ensuring there is a text alternative for emoticons, and provide examples. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lastly, start your search for Unicode blocks of emojis on &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji#Unicode_blocks&quot;&gt;Wikipedia&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>436147</id><pubdate>2020-06-17T15:44:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Flowcharts are powerful tools for communicating steps in a process, or demonstrating organizational structure (org. chart), but the need to create accessible information remains prevalent in all use cases. </Description><Audience/><Title>Key Considerations for Flowchart Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>flowchart</Subject><Subject>flow chart</Subject><Subject>org chart</Subject><Subject>organizational structure</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Key Considerations for Flowchart Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a flow chart on a blue background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/flow-chart-001_tcm38-436172.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a blank flow chart.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/flow-chart-001_tcm38-436187.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-06 - Flowchart Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-436349&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-06-17T14:27:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>Flowcharts are powerful tools for communicating steps in a process, or demonstrating organizational structure (org. chart), but the need to create accessible information remains prevalent in all use cases. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Advice from Digital Accessibility Coordinators</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Flowcharts, and similar diagrams, are powerful tools for communicating steps in a process, or demonstrating organizational structure (org. chart). Specific software can aid in the design of flowcharts, but the need to create accessible information remains prevalent in all use cases. Whether you are designing your org. chart in InDesign, or creating a how-to document to explain a process in Microsoft Word, there are considerations that users can keep in mind. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Following a discussion between the State of Minnesota’s digital accessibility coordinators and a state employee, the Office of Accessibility combined their shared advice into key considerations to think about as you design your next flowchart or org. chart. Ken Graeve, a state employee from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, posed the initial question about flowcharts, “If the flowchart is so complicated that we have to depict it visually in order to make it easier to understand, then how should we make that accessible to the visually impaired while maintaining the simplicity?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start with Your Requirements&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is tempting to select a tool first, but it is a best practice to first understand your requirements to not only improves your chances of a successful diagram, but to also save time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider the Information’s Complexity&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Understanding requirements starts with understanding the information that needs to be communicated. David Miller from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), partnering with the Department of Corrections, says, “Flowcharts with a lot of branching in them would be notoriously difficult to define a ‘proper reading order.’ Authors cannot predict which branch a reader will want to take. And if you find yourself at a node that has multiple ways of getting there, how does the app know which way is ‘back?’&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We recommend considering the number of layers your flowchart will have. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Determine how many layers need to be presented in this one diagram. When working with a complex structure, consider multiple, simpler, diagrams.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Decide if your readers will need to understand: 
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The overall structure, or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the detail of each level.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Determine the Frequency of Updates&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Flowcharts can:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be produced once and never be updated, or &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;be updated and republished, like an org. chart.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;David Miller adds that, “visual representations are much more difficult to track changes over time. Most visual tools don’t have capabilities of identifying differences from one version to another, so the user has to do a side-by-side comparison on their own. For a flowchart with 10 nodes and 40 paths between the nodes, picking up the one or two changes may be extremely difficult.” Identifying those changes will be important as you update your text versions and alt text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan Out The Flowchart Using Text&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning the flowchart with text helps refine what tools you may want to use and whether to make one or several charts. Here’s an example of a common structure used for org. charts:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-flow-chart-001_tcm38-436329.jpg&quot; title=&quot;accessibility-flow-chart-001&quot; alt=&quot;Example flowchart, text details found in List Example heading.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-flow-chart-001&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Option 1: Lists&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Build ordered lists with ‘If X, then go to Y’ language for branching decisions. It&apos;s like a make-your-own adventure book,” says Miller.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;JoAnn Rautio, the digital accessibility coordinator for MNIT partnering with the Department of Employment and Economic Development, adds, “With some straightforward flowcharts it is possible to use nested lists, with the list more or less representing the order of the steps represented by the flowchart.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;List Example&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For a group that all reports to Andrea, you may have:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Annie
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;David&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Karen
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bob&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tricia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ken
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nancy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lea&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Richard
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steve&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Becky
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Andrew&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Charlie&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Option 2: Headings&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Headings can be another way to use text to communicate structure, especially for org. charts. For example:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;First level heading is the name of the chart.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Second level heading is the person at the top of the org. chart.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include paragraph text or an unordered list under this level for people that report to the person at the top of the organization.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Third level headings for each person that reports to the second-level person
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Paragraph text under each third level heading is for the individuals that report to the person in the third level heading.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This only works for so many levels to keep the process understandable. If there are more than 4 levels, consider breaking the charts into several sub-charts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heading Example&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: This is an image of the example, rather than real text. It includes the names and organizational structure in Option 1 but applies the heading structure described in Option 2.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-flow-chart-002_tcm38-436332.png&quot; title=&quot;accessibility-flow-chart-002&quot; alt=&quot;Flowchart headings example, text details found in heading list example.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-flow-chart-002&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Select the Flowchart Creation Tool&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you understand your requirements, select which tool will best communicate the information. Today most tools are unable to create an image or group of images that communicates to users of assistive technology:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the text within the image,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the relationship between two individual points within the image, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the larger structure of the flowchart.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If using one of those tools, it will be important to create a single image used in the final format and consider how to communicate the information in a text only format. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other considerations for flowcharts include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;using colors with good contrast for text and background in the image&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;using methods other than just color (shapes, for example) to communicate concepts&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the quality of the image produced so that if magnified, the image is still clear.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make the Flowchart Into a Single Image&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once the tool has been selected and the flowchart has been created it most likely has a group of images. For those readers who cannot see the image, or find text easier to understand than an image, they may be using assistive technology to read or understand the flowchart by accessing the image description (alt text). When they access each image within the group, it takes more time to access the chart, and this still may not communicate the goal or message of the group of images – the relationship between each image.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this example of a flowchart in a PDF, the diagram is made up of several shapes. The “tag tree” on the left has one of those shapes (the triangle) selected and tagged as a figure tag. There is a figure tag in this tag tree for each part of the diagram. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this case, the focus of the image is the group, not each individual shape. If describing the group of images to someone over the phone, we would describe the relationship between them, because the shapes are representing how four ideas relate to the central one. We would not describe that there is a brown triangle with a line connecting it to the central blue circle, then say that there is a green diamond, with a line connecting it to the central blue circle, and so on. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-flow-chart-003_tcm38-436331.jpg&quot; title=&quot;accessibility-flow-chart-003&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of flowchart components with different shapes showing a relationship between components.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-flow-chart-003&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If, as in the example above, the goal is to communicate the relationship between the different flowchart components, or it is a more complicated flowchart which will be accompanied by text elsewhere in the document, then you’ll want to convert the chart to a single image. If the tool won’t export the entire flowchart as a single image, then take a high-quality screenshot. Be sure to test to ensure this is clear when magnified to 200%. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are occasional times where it is acceptable to include individual elements of a flowchart. JoAnn Rautio notes one scenario: applications that allow the reader to zoom into specific sections or break out the flowchart into individual portions, allowing the user to navigate to the section of interest. In such cases, you will still need to provide an overall text description of the flowchart, as well as an accessible way for all users to navigate to and understand each individual portion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t Forget About Alt Text&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Bernauer, accessibility coordinator for MNIT partnering with the Department of Health, has a great strategy for creating a single alt text for the entire flow chart. “I encourage creators to think about how they would explain the chart over the phone to someone and then include that in the text . We make the visual piece one image and the alt text is something like, ‘Flow Chart of X, text details found (name heading of where details are included).’”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of the digital accessibility coordinators interviewed agree that as the diagram becomes more complicated, and without the ability to move easily between the high-level overview and into areas of interest, alt text for individual portions of the graphic no longer provides useful information. In most situations one alt text for the entire diagram is the best solution. Either summarize the relationships in the alt text or name the flow chart and explain where the reader can find the full description.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Publish the Text Versions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Providing both the visual and the text version used for planning provides access for a wider audience. You might be surprised by the number of people that use each format (visual, text) or both, based on their preference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If publishing in a document, include the ordered list or heading version below the flowchart, or in an appendix. If posting on a webpage, provide the information below the chart or have a link below the image that takes readers to the location of the text version. Do not list the URL for the other version in the flowchart’s alternative text, as this cannot be used by assistive technologies to navigate to the other location.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Flowcharts That Get Updated&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bernauer adds that following the above process makes it easier when the flowchart or org. chart is updated. “When you provide the text version after the visual version, it&apos;s very easy to update once you have it set up. Just one image to add alt text to and whatever text needs to be changed. It&apos;s a five-minute turn-around.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keep Learning!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our digital accessibility coordinators know that new techniques evolve and software vendors improve the digital accessibility of their products. The coordinators read advice from various resources, test to see how they work in their particular use cases, and work with teams to ensure the solution is the best available at the time. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some of the resources they have found helpful:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://accessibility.psu.edu/images/flowcharts/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Penn State’s Flowcharts and Concept Maps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/discussion/mail_thread?thread=9127&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM Email Archive – How to make accessible flowcharts?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.office.com/en-us/article/make-your-visio-diagram-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-e2c847a9-f010-4fef-af65-16e252829d44&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Microsoft’s Make your Visio diagram accessible to people with disabilities&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>436349</id><pubdate>2020-06-17T15:45:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 21 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day for Minnesota. Minnesota IT Services’ Office of Accessibility hosts a live virtual event “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility” to mark the occasion.</Description><Audience/><Title>Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>inclusion</Subject><Subject>digital government</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Diverse group of people in a group. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-web-full%20size_tcm38-433024.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of diverse people. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-blog-thumbnail_tcm38-433026.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2020-05 - Digital Accessibility Awareness Day in the State of Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-433010&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-21T18:23:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services’ Office of Accessibility hosts a live virtual event “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility” to mark the occasion.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 21 to be Digital Accessibility Awareness Day for Minnesota. </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Governor Tim Walz proclaims May 21 to be &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/05.21.20%20Digital%20Accessibilty%20Awareness%20Day_tcm1055-432970.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Awareness Day for Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;. Minnesotans rely on state government for accurate information and critical services, especially in times of crisis. As people rely more on digital connections for their everyday lives, digital content, websites, and services need to be made with accessibility in mind. Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Office of Accessibility is charged with overseeing the implementation of accessibility standards for all executive branch employees and employers. MNIT uses digital accessibility to make information more useful and usable, and joins the world in to celebrate digital accessibility in conjunction with &lt;a href=&quot;https://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It is critical that we always recognize the need for inclusion and accessible services. Every day, Minnesotans think about how to bring the outside world – our families, friends, hobbies, entertainment, education – into our homes, and how to engage with them in meaningful and productive ways. In state government, we know the need for inclusive design is clear. The Office of Accessibility and MNIT, in partnership with agencies across the state, are focused on building Minnesota’s systems with inclusivity in mind.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To showcase the state’s role in digital accessibility, MNIT’s Office of Accessibility conducted a live interview event: “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.” The event emphasized how the State of Minnesota ensures digital accessibility for Minnesotans and state workers across state agencies. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The concept of full inclusion is embedded in the Governor&apos;s ‘One Minnesota’. We are better prepared than most to ensure inclusion in times of crisis because digital accessibility has been state law for ten years. These stories highlighted the myriad ways state agencies work every day to ensure that all state services are available to all Minnesotans.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Minnesota Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The event, “&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-432871&quot; title=&quot;Blog - 2020-05 - Global Accessibility Awareness Day&quot;&gt;Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;,” focused on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health and its work providing critical information for decision makers and the public on COVID-19.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Department of Employment and Economic Development’s State Services for the Blind, who recently launched a Radio Talking Book app.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Department of Revenue’s Employee Development Services and their accessibility standards for e-learning training design and development.  &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>433010</id><pubdate>2020-07-28T13:45:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>With many people working from home, there has been an increase in the use of emails. Take some time to brush up on your accessible email skills. Here is a checklist to get you started.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Communicate Inclusion: An Accessible Email Checklist</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>email</Subject><Subject>Accessible Email Checklist</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Communicate Inclusion</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Email icons floating in front of a person typing on a laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/email-002_tcm38-432809.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Email icons floating in front of a person typing on a laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/email-002_tcm38-432812.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2020-05 - Communicate Inclusion</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-432802&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-20T17:23:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>With many people working from home, there has been an increase in the use of emails. Take some time to brush up on your accessible email skills. Here is a checklist to get you started.


</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An Accessible Email Checklist</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many ways we know someone wants to include us in an activity. If your colleagues want you to join them for lunch, they make sure there is a seat at the table for you. If they want you to be a part of a work group, they may avoid scheduling the meeting on the day you need to pick up your child early from daycare.  Emails also have these subtle cues that indicate you want to include your colleagues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With many people working from home, there has been a sharp increase in the use of emails. Whether you are emailing a group of colleagues or your entire department, take the time to send accessible emails. If you are a State of Minnesota employee you are required to follow the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;, which includes emails. But more than that, accessible emails communicate to our colleagues with disabilities that they are valued members of the team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take some time on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and throughout the year, to brush up on your accessible email skills. Here is a checklist to get you started.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Subject Line&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Include key words about the email topic.&lt;/strong&gt; This will increase the readability of the subject line, and help people find the email later.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t have the file name be the subject line.&lt;/strong&gt; Sometimes we use the share option within a document to start an email. This automatically creates a subject line using the file name. It may be more difficult to read, or hard to pronounce for those using assistive technologies.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Text&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use meaningful text for links.&lt;/strong&gt; Instead of using text that begins with www(dot)…, be sure the reader knows where the link will take them. For example: “I thought you might enjoy this article about &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-423819&quot;&gt;Accessible Remote Documents&lt;/a&gt;.” This is also more informative than “click here” or “learn more.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use styles for headings in long emails.&lt;/strong&gt; Ever get a super long email? They can be hard to visually scan so you can preview their content and find out which parts require immediate action. Though you will need fewer heading levels than in a document, using headings helps everyone quickly find what they need in an email, including those using assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t use hard to read fonts, font sizes, or font colors.&lt;/strong&gt; Just as you would for documents and web pages, choose your font family, size, and color carefully. Set your preference as the default if your employer doesn’t already have one that all employees must use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t forget about list formatting.&lt;/strong&gt; Notice how the bullets make it easy to determine how many items are in this list? Properly format lists in emails to help everyone use information more efficiently.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Images&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Include important images like screen shots.&lt;/strong&gt; Images help many people understand your point. While many are working remotely, we often have to digitally “show” someone what we are talking about since we cannot go to their desk. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Add alternative text to images.&lt;/strong&gt; If someone needs to read text that provides a description of your image, alternative text makes sure they will have access to the same information as everyone else. Remember: good alternative text is short, and similar to how you might describe the image to a colleague over the phone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t forget about your logo!&lt;/strong&gt; Your email signature often includes your organization’s logo. Be sure to have alternative text for logos, including your social media channels. Need instructions? Check out a presentation we gave on how to create &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/presentation-csun_develop-test-deploy-2018_tcm38-374413.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;accessible templates for an entire state (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. It has instructions for creating and deploying accessible email signatures.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A Few Other Tips&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use properly formatted tables.&lt;/strong&gt; Tables are a great way of organizing data you need to share. Just make sure it is an accessible table.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t use tables for layout.&lt;/strong&gt; There are much better tools in most email clients for making your email look good. This includes styles, ways to add white space properly, even ways to add columns. Tables for layout may cause some of your users to have trouble accessing your email using assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t use a background color. &lt;/strong&gt;While your email may stand out when you use a colored background, it can cause lots of difficulty for your readers. If they have challenges with their vision, it may make it harder to find your links. If they forward your email to someone else, the background color may make their default font color difficult to read. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our biggest tip for creating accessible email? Take our &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessible Word Document Training&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Accessible Word Document Training&lt;/a&gt;. You will learn how to follow all of the tips discussed in this article, and the skills will also apply to your Word documents. Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day! Thank you for taking time to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>432802</id><pubdate>2020-05-20T17:28:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>May 21 marks the 8th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Minnesota’s contribution to this year’s celebration will be a virtual event, “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.”</Description><Audience/><Title>Celebrating Digital Accessibility in the State of Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>state government accessibility</Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>COVID</Subject><Subject>coronavirus</Subject><Subject>COVID-19</Subject><Subject>COVID 19</Subject><Subject>corona virus</Subject><Subject>virus</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356061.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356059.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2020-05 - Global Accessibility Awareness Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-432871&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-20T16:17:02Z</Date><ShortDescription>May 21 marks the 8th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Minnesota’s contribution to this year’s celebration will be a virtual event, “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.”


</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Celebrating Digital Accessibility in the State of Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May 21 marks the 8th annual &lt;a href=&quot;https://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)&lt;/a&gt;. As a leader in digital accessibility, the State of Minnesota participates in GAAD every year. Minnesota’s contribution to this year’s celebration will be a virtual event, “Stories of Inclusion: State Government Accessibility.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because not everyone can be at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/events/237698027494853/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;May 21 event (12 p.m., CT)&lt;/a&gt; or wait for the recording to be posted, read on to learn just a few of the ways the State of Minnesota is ensuring full digital accessibility for citizens and employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Health’s COVID-19 Website&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) created a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;COVID-19 webpage&lt;/a&gt; in January as part of the information on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;diseases and conditions&lt;/a&gt; of concern in Minnesota. Because of this virus’ immediate nature, the COVID-19 site is continuously maintained with daily updates to data and statistics. The site contains a page dedicated to providing a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;COVID-19 Situation Update&lt;/a&gt; that was planned for, created, and maintained with accessibility for all Minnesotans in mind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdh-covid-website-001_tcm38-432855.PNG&quot; title=&quot;&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Minnesota Department of Health&apos;s coronavirus webpage.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdh-covid-website-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Services for the Blind Radio Talking Book App&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before newspapers were available online, many people with disabilities would “read” local newspapers (including store discount coupons) by using a specialized radio receiver tuned to their local Radio Reading Service station. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even with the prevalence of online news, such services remain popular. Each region’s Reading Service, called the Radio Talking Book (RTB) in Minnesota offers news and other information to allow multiple generations of blind and low vision and other print-disabled listeners to connect to their communities. However, the radios themselves have become outdated. The Department of Employment and Economic Development’s State Services for the Blind (SSB) recently launched an app that performs all the functions of the old radios, and more. The apps are available on &lt;a href=&quot;https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ssb.rtb&amp;amp;hl=en_US&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Google’s Play Store&lt;/a&gt;, Apple’s App Store, and as an Alexa smart speaker skill. Users can also access the services on &lt;a href=&quot;https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/ssb/rtb/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SSB’s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota’s Radio Talking Book app and website enable any qualified user to access the service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ssb-rtb-website-001_tcm38-432856.png&quot; title=&quot;&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Radio Talking Book website.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ssb-rtb-website-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Revenue’s Accessible e-Learning Program&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Revenue (DOR) develops a wide variety of computer-based training (CBT) for its staff as well as the general public. For example, DOR provides training for certification programs such as the Property Tax Calculation exam, as well as information for state employees on how to handle Power of Attorney forms. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A common challenge of e-learning design and development is how to enable a high level of interaction and engagement at a reasonable cost. Making interactive elements accessible is an added challenge. For example, a common method of encouraging user interaction was to have the user “drag and drop” an element to demonstrate understanding. However, most techniques for this interaction are not accessible to all users, as it requires the use of a mouse, preventing some assistive technology and other keyboard-only users from effectively completing the task.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DOR developed a “CBT accessibility training” program for its e-learning designers and developers. The training teaches, among other topics:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The importance of accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to create accessible courses in Adobe Captivate&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessible Interaction strategies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The basics of how screen readers work&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Advanced testing with screen readers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DOR’s Employee Development Services maintains a template that gets updated as new issues arise. The template includes items such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Closed caption formatting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color palette with sufficient contrast&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pre-set font sizes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wrap&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All of the interviews will be captioned and posted on the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility section&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>432871</id><pubdate>2020-05-20T17:28:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was recently listed among the top five percent of the most accessible homepages in the world according to WebAIM.</Description><Audience/><Title>Striving to Improve Digitally: The Journey to a More Accessible Website</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessible Website</Subject><Subject>web design</Subject><Subject>web development</Subject><Subject>DNR</Subject><Subject>Natural Resources</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Striving to Improve Digitally</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person in front of a laptop showing the Minnesota DNR&apos;s website.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/dnr-website-001_tcm38-432810.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person in front of a laptop showing the Minnesota DNR&apos;s website.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/dnr-website-001_tcm38-432811.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2020-05 - Striving to Improve Digitally</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-432786&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-20T13:32:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was recently listed among the top five percent of the most accessible homepages in the world according to WebAIM.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Journey to a More Accessible Website</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Rebecca Oestreich, Electronic Information Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) provides critical information to Minnesotans and its visitors about the state’s parks, trails, environment, and so much more. We work hard to ensure that all our website visitors can access our content so we were excited to find ourselves among the top five percent of the most accessible homepages in the world according to &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM&lt;/a&gt;, a nonprofit that provides web accessibility solutions. Our work didn’t happen overnight, of course. It’s the result of years of effort by many of our DNR and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff and sustained support by our agency leadership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In February 2020, WebAIM conducted an &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/projects/million/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;accessibility evaluation&lt;/a&gt; on the home pages of the top 1,000,000 web sites by using the automated web accessibility evaluation tool, &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/standalone&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WAVE&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The test found that the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DNR homepage&lt;/a&gt; had zero accessibility errors, and WebAIM ranked DNR as 18,324 out of one million others. In February 2019, we were ranked as 88,261 out of one million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the test showed that we had zero accessibility errors, that does not mean that our homepage is fully accessible. Automated testing tools, like WAVE can only detect 25 percent to 35 percent of potential errors.  Manual testing is necessary to find the remaining issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reaching the top of this list is a great accomplishment, but we&apos;d be okay if everyone reading this article managed to beat us next year. By learning from each other, we can reduce accessibility errors and create a more equitable digital landscape. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to join us in the top 5 percent? Here are a few tips that might help you on your journey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Build Accessibility into your Process&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the DNR migrated to the content management system, Drupal, we had a unique opportunity to tackle website accessibility. Integrating accessibility into every step of this project made it manageable and ultimately successful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Accessibility is an important consideration when developing content and applications. It’s much more efficient to address accessibility from the start rather than trying to retrofit a product at the end,” said Steve Lime, Data and Applications Manager, MNIT Partnering with DNR.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leadership and staff buy-in also made the process much smoother.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Continue to Improve&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our rank increased in 2020 because we take deliberate steps to continually improve our website accessibility. It is a journey rather than an end point. Don&apos;t expect perfection from day one, but actively make improvements over time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We didn&apos;t catch everything right out of the gate. For example, here are some structural issues the DNR recently addressed:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We added missing labels to the search and email signup forms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.paciellogroup.com/resources/contrastanalyser/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Colour Contrast Analyser&lt;/a&gt; detected color contrast issues in the site header, which we fixed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;To make the slideshow carousel more accessible, we integrated the &lt;a href=&quot;https://paypal.github.io/bootstrap-accessibility-plugin/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;PayPal Bootstrap Accessibility Plugin&lt;/a&gt; extension into the website. (Bootstrap is a popular framework for developing responsive and mobile-first websites.) &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Periodic testing was part of the website migration process and continues today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://siteimprove.com/en-us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Siteimprove&lt;/a&gt; continually crawls our website checking for accessibility errors, misspellings and broken links.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When staff want to post something to the website, it is first checked for accessibility by gatekeepers who have gone through accessibility training. If it&apos;s not accessible, it is not posted.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having an accessible website is not only the law, it’s the right thing to do. Together we can break down the online barriers for people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;See you in the top 5 percent!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>432786</id><pubdate>2020-05-20T17:28:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>State technology allows us to not only understand how farmers are continuing their essential work, but also how agricultural work is shaped and supported by technology.</Description><Audience/><Title>Follow the Farmers: How Technology Ushers in Spring in Minnesota, Even During a Pandemic</Title><Publisher/><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>agriculture</Subject><Subject>farmers</Subject><Subject>farming</Subject><Subject>covid-19</Subject><Subject>covid 19</Subject><Subject>coronavirus</Subject><Subject>corona virus</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>GIS Technology</Title><Id>344410</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Follow the Farmers! </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A MnCORS receiver in a field.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mncors-receiver-001_tcm38-432157.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A MnCORS receiver in a field.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mncors-receiver-001_tcm38-432159.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-05 - Follow the Farmers!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-432145&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-05-15T14:58:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>State technology allows us to not only understand how farmers are continuing their essential work, but also how agricultural work is shaped and supported by technology.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How Technology Ushers in Spring in Minnesota, Even During a Pandemic</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During a typical spring, the sight of farmers in the field signifies to Minnesotans that the ground has shaken off the hard winter’s frost, and it is time to start the annual planting that will end up feeding the world. During a time of social distancing, we may not be making the same trips that would bring us these sights. State technology allows us to not only understand how farmers are continuing their essential work, but also how agricultural work is shaped and supported by technology throughout these planting months. Learn more about how agriculture and the planting season is driven by technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The First Signs of Spring: Temperature&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before any planting can begin, farmers, and anyone planting in the state, know that the soil must be at a certain temperature. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) maintains a Six-Inch Soil Temperature Network that provides real-time soil temperatures at locations across the state. The network helps manage best practices for fall nitrogen fertilizer application but can also help planters understand soil temperatures at any time of the year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Location Matters&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While out in the field, the exact planting location for a corn seed can make the difference for an efficient, productive harvest. Many within the state of Minnesota use an application called MnCORS, which Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) built in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), other state agencies, counties, cities, and private enterprises. Originally implemented by MnDOT to provide real-time GPS access for MnDOT survey crews, MnCORS now also provides real-time location corrections for the general public, including Minnesota farmers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the early days of GPS adoption by the agriculture industry, farmers had the ability to record location information while operating farm equipment in the field. The recorded GPS location, however, was not precise because of the distance that the information traveled between the farmer and the satellite. To create precision, farmers would use the GPS location to correct the information after-the-fact to produce soil, terrain and yield maps for future seasons. Today, modern farm equipment—used in conjunction with the MnCORS real-time GNSS network corrections—allows farmers to guide or fully steer equipment, monitor soil conditions, yields, fertilizer and water rates, and more. All of this occurs in real-time, visualized on a multi-function display screen in the cab.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mncors-map-001_tcm38-432161.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MnCORS Map&quot; alt=&quot;Map of MnCORS receivers around the state of Minnesota.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mncors-map-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In spring, the corrected location data from MnCORS tells farmers which fields need to be tilled and where certain crops are to be planted, setting them up for a successful harvest. Across Minnesota, more than 1,900 organizations use MnCORS to improve real-time surveying and mapping accuracy for many industries, including agriculture. From the MnCORS data in April, we can see that farmers are hard at work preparing this season’s harvest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mncors-session-hours-chart-001_tcm38-432162.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MnCORS Session Hours Chart&quot; alt=&quot;Graph showing a spike of users of MnCORS in April.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mncors-session-hours-chart-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From Farm to Market&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://new.511mn.org/?show=roadReports,trafficSpeeds,weatherWarningsAreaEvents,stationsAlert,other-states-info&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s 511 network&lt;/a&gt; is another GIS application that provides a critical state service to farmers and other producers planning trips to weekly farmer’s market stand or other destinations. This MnDOT application helps travelers access information about road conditions, traffic incidents, commercial vehicle restrictions, and weather information any time of the day or night.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s vibrant agricultural industry helps to feed the world. The applications and systems that MNIT and its partners across state government provide for farmers help them to navigate their increasingly technological world, even during a pandemic. Find more information about how state agencies are supporting the community in this time by visiting the websites of Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mda.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Department of Agriculture&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dot.state.mn.us/&quot;&gt;Department of Transportation&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>432145</id><pubdate>2020-05-19T21:41:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Everyone, including those who use assistive technology (AT), should be able to stop phishing attacks. We&apos;ve developed instructions for everyone to stay safe online.</Description><Audience/><Title>Slow Down, Check for Phishing Attacks: An Accessible Way to Stop Phishing Attacks</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility </Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>Phishing</Subject><Subject>Phishing Attacks</Subject><Subject>cyber</Subject><Subject>cyber threat</Subject><Subject>online safety</Subject><Subject>stay safe online</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Slow Down, Check for Phishing Attacks</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of hacker on the screen of one laptop reaching for data from another laptop with a fishing rod.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-010_tcm38-407216.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of hacker on the screen of one laptop reaching for data from another laptop with a fishing rod.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-010_tcm38-407217.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-04 -  Slow Down, Check for Phishing Attacks</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-429836&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-27T12:42:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Everyone, including those who use assistive technology (AT), should be able to stop phishing attacks. We&apos;ve developed instructions for everyone to stay safe online.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>An Accessible Way to Prevent Phishing</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Jennie Delisi, Jay Wyant, Ken Rodgers, Kim Wee, David Andrews, John Israel, Microsoft Enterprise Disability Answer Desk.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have all done it – clicked on a link too fast in an email. We don’t always take the time to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;verify the sender is who we think it is, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;check that the link goes to where we think it will go.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are the first line of defense for phishing scams that target both personal and professional email accounts. When you receive emails asking you for sensitive information, payment, to log into your account, or to open an attachment, you must be sure it is safe to do so.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Instructions are easier to find for those with vision, and for those who use a mouse. But, what if you use a screen reader or an alternative access method like switches? If you write cybersecurity updates for your organization, how do you write instructions to ensure all employees can follow the directions, including those who use assistive technology (AT)?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone should be able to stop phishing attacks. This month we tested methods for verifying email addresses of senders and URLs of links. The instructions below were verified using Outlook Office 365 Pro Plus (desktop application), Outlook 2016, our keyboard, and JAWS 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And why the long list of contributors for this blog? When the Office of Accessibility reviews an issue, we validate the instructions or resources available online. This review often requires a team of internal, and in this case, external contributors, until we can solve any issues. A truly inclusive workforce means having solutions that work for everyone. Thank you to all the contributors that helped ensure we had solutions for both Office 365 Pro Plus and Outlook 2016!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check Sender Email Address&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For each of these instructions, the email must be open, not just in a reading pane.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Easiest Method&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inspect the email address itself, not just the name at the beginning of the contact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, if it says it is sent from the Department of Health in the “From field,” review the actual email address because it could have something different than expected:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It may end with gmx.com or other odd ending instead of a standard government email address.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It may have the person’s name in the first half of the email address with a single letter misspelled.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But what if the contact name is there, but you don’t get the full email address available to inspect? For example, you may have stored their name in your contacts (the display name), but cannot see not their actual email address. Then use one of the following set of steps, based on your app’s version.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Office 365 Pro Plus Desktop Application&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using a Mouse&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hover over the sender’s display name to expose their email address.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Carefully read the email address and verify that it matches your expectations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard option 1: check the Contact Card for the Email Address&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Shift + Tab until you have focus on the reply button.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shift + Tab one more time (this may not have focus).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Shift + F10 to open the context menu.
&lt;ol style=&quot;list-style-type: lower-alpha;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You may have to select the email address in order to get this menu to appear, then open the context menu.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select N to open the contact card where the email address will be displayed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For screen reader users: once the contact card is open, use Tab to navigate to the email address.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard option 2: start a Reply to Review the Email Address&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Reply (Control + R).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Shift + Tab to bring focus to the “To field.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check the email address in the “To field.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Delete (or “discard”) the email draft.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Outlook 2016 Desktop Application&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Review Email Address in Outlook Properties&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure the message header is available using Alt + H, A, 1, O, M. Note this is a toggle and only needs to be done once.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Shift + Tab from the message until focus is on the From address.
&lt;ol style=&quot;list-style-type: lower-alpha;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you are using a screen reader, and hear the person’s name but do not hear the word button after their name, you may need to Shift + Tab once more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Shift + F10, then select Open Outlook Properties.
&lt;ol style=&quot;list-style-type: lower-alpha;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Note if you get cut, copy, paste in this menu: use Escape, then Home. Repeat Step 3 to bring focus to the beginning of the From address.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You may get an option for Open Contact Card – this will work as well.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tab through the properties (or contact card) to the email address and review.
&lt;ol style=&quot;list-style-type: lower-alpha;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For some screen reader users, you will need to go to the Actions button, navigate to the email button, then use Shift + Tab to review the email address.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check the URL for a Link with Meaningful Text&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meaningful text for a URL helps many people, including those with cognitive disabilities and those using assistive technologies. An example of meaningful text for a URL is &lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/link_text&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Links and Hypertext&lt;/a&gt;. The instructions below are not a reason to stop using meaningful text for links. We want to ensure that everyone can review a URL before using the link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some email services rewrite web links for security, marketing, tracking, or simplification purposes. These links may start out with a different domain name than the site you are visiting. For example, the URL for the Office of Accessibility &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-423819&quot;&gt;blog post on accessible documents&lt;/a&gt; begins with mn.gov/mnit. If I copy it from a post in Twitter, it has a Twitter URL that begins with https://t.co.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In these cases, we advise that you not only check the URL before selecting the link, but also check the URL in the address bar of your browser after arriving at the destination site. In our examples above, they were safe URLs, but not all links you see will be. If you are at all unsure about the validity of a link you want to visit, you can enter it directly in the address bar of the browser yourself rather than selecting any links.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using a Mouse&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hover over the link’s meaningful text to expose the URL.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Carefully read the URL to verify it is valid.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard option 1: copy link to another location to review&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Tab to bring focus to the link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Shift + F10 to open the context menu.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use C, ENTER to copy the link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open another non-web location where you can paste the URL such as a blank new email or text file.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Control + V, T to paste a text version of the URL.
&lt;ol style=&quot;list-style-type: lower-alpha;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The T may not be necessary if no paste options are revealed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Note: you may have to select Control again to expose the letter option: Control + V, Control, T&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inspect the URL to verify the address is where you expect it to go.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Delete the pasted location.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Keyboard option 2: create a reply or forward to review&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Control + F to begin to forward the email.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Navigate to the link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Control + K opens the Edit Hyperlink dialog.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If not automatically placed in the address field, use Tab to navigate to it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review the URL.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Delete the draft you have created.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if I identify a phishing email?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are suspicious of the email, and this is a professional email account, report it! Follow your organization’s reporting process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to learn more about cybersecurity and how you can protect yourself? Minnesota IT Services has &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;security tips and resources&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>429836</id><pubdate>2020-05-15T14:29:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Remote meetings are now more common thank ever. We&apos;ve developed a guide to make sure that your remote meetings are as effective and accessible as possible.</Description><Audience/><Title>A Guide to Effective and Inclusive Remote Meetings</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Remote Meetings</Subject><Subject>Meetings</Subject><Subject>Inclusive Meetings</Subject><Subject>Effective Meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Remote Meeting Guide</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of people in an online meeting.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-meeting-003_tcm38-430290.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of people in an online meeting.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-meeting-003_tcm38-430293.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-04 - Remote Meeting Guide</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-429835&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-27T12:42:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Remote meetings are now more common thank ever. We&apos;ve developed a guide to make sure that your remote meetings are as effective and accessible as possible.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A Guide to Effective and Inclusive Remote Meetings</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remote meetings are suddenly our most common way of connecting with one another. While conversations that typically rely on physical cues to ensure inclusive meeting are gone, we must make sure that remote meetings are as effective and accessible as possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While we have provided a &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-423822&quot;&gt;few tips on inclusive meetings&lt;/a&gt; (also available as a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid=681&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;free webinar&lt;/a&gt;) and a &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-429215&quot;&gt;self-help guide to troubleshooting audio or video quality issues&lt;/a&gt;, all this information can seem overwhelming. So we’ve condensed all the key steps into a single guide to effective and inclusive remote meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning and Setup&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t fly solo.&lt;/strong&gt; Assign others to take notes, help with tech troubleshooting, and manage the chat features.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Include necessary information in the meeting invitation.&lt;/strong&gt; When sending out the email announcement or invitation of the meeting, explain the purpose of the meeting and provide materials that will be discussed such as an attachment or link. You should also note if you are providing a separate caption option and provide a link for that capability. For larger meetings, webinars, and formal presentations, include a statement for people who may want to request accommodations, along with contact information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get set up.&lt;/strong&gt; Before you sign into the meeting, ensure you are using a high-quality webcam, microphone, or headset.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting Introduction/Kickoff&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Start with the ground rules.&lt;/strong&gt; If there is a large group, explain how a person will “get the floor” to be able to comment or ask a question. Make sure to account for people who are only using the phone, or don’t have audio capabilities. (See more ideas in the Explanations/Clarifications section.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introductions.&lt;/strong&gt; Remind everyone to say their name before speaking. If you are going to have people introduce themselves, let them know before it happens.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Add important information in a chat feature.&lt;/strong&gt; If you are holding your meeting on a platform that includes chat, include information that you will also explain verbally. This information can include:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A separate call in number.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A separate captioning link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attachments or links that are discussed during the call.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Share recordings.&lt;/strong&gt; If you will be recording, let everyone know that and announce when and where the recording will be available in an accessible format.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If You’re Presenting/Facilitating&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Remove distractions.&lt;/strong&gt; Turn off or mute email and other notifications and set your presence to “Do Not Disturb.” Close applications and content that you aren&apos;t going to be sharing in the meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Describe visuals or what&apos;s being shared on the screen.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Have a side channel with the chat monitor.&lt;/strong&gt; When appropriate, have the chat monitor read aloud the items/questions in the chat before answering. When multiple people have asked to speak, announce the order so they can plan ahead.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure everyone has a chance to contribute.&lt;/strong&gt; Recognize that there are many reasons people may not be quick to jump in. Allow time for participants to add notes in the chat or ask to speak. Provide multiple ways to collect feedback and avoid letting any one person dominate the audio.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introduce yourself.&lt;/strong&gt; Start off by saying &quot;This is Kris, and...&quot;. Introduce yourself every time when you speak.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mute your microphone when not speaking.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you are not speaking, consider turning your camera off.&lt;/strong&gt; Upload a picture or avatar: seeing faces rather than initials creates a positive feeling of interaction among colleagues, rather than strangers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Look directly into the camera when speaking.&lt;/strong&gt; If you don’t like to see yourself while speaking, look at the layout options for a way to hide your self-view window.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consider your background.&lt;/strong&gt; Clear out your laundry and remove distractions. Avoid speaking from a dark room or with light behind you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Avoid speaking too quickly after the previous speaker.&lt;/strong&gt; Give the person time to finish.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Explanations/Clarifications&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Options for enabling people to “get the floor”.&lt;/strong&gt; Ask attendees to use the chat to request to speak. They can use a code, such as q+, to indicate that they would like a turn speaking. For those on the phone, they can interrupt with “Please put me on the queue” and someone managing the queue will add their name into the chat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Respect this queue.&lt;/strong&gt; Announce when it is the next person’s turn, and let them speak. Give them a moment to unmute themselves. If you have a long queue, announce the next 3 or so in order to help people predict when their turn is coming up.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The need to say your name every time you talk.&lt;/strong&gt; Some people do not distinguish voices well. Some people are reading the audio through captions or other methods. If you don’t say your name, it is not clear that a new person is speaking or who that person is.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meeting recordings.&lt;/strong&gt; If the meeting is recorded, viewers can more effectively identify the speaker. Post-meeting transcripts can accurately track positions and decisions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Introductions&lt;/strong&gt;. Having a large group of attendees self-introduce can be unwieldy if not well-managed. Some strategies include:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“I’m going to have everyone on the call take a turn to introduce themselves” or “I’m going to have today’s presenters introduce themselves.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“I’m going to go in alphabetical order by first name” – use whatever method the remote meeting interface uses to order those in the meeting in the participant list. This helps people prepare to unmute, and for those that get nervous, helps then know when it will be their turn.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For those reading captions or using an American Sign Language interpreter, it may take them a moment to get the end of the last sentence spoken by the previous speaker, before being ready to take their turn. For those using screen readers or other types of assistive technologies, it may take them a moment to navigate to the unmute button.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;State “if you prefer to have me introduce you, please type your information into the chat” and then when that person’s turn comes up, have the chat monitor read what they have written. Sometimes people are having issues with their microphone, have lots of background noise, or find this method easier.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ensure inclusion in the conversation.&lt;/strong&gt; At key points of conversation, pause the conversation, and ask if anyone else has something to add. Don’t just take silence as agreement.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can ask all those who agree to put something in the chat like a +1; a -1 if they disagree.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You can go through each person, and ask them if they have any concerns. By going through by name, if they got distracted or had audio issues, you can confirm that their response.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Because you cannot see facial expressions when everyone has their camera off, it is more important to use these alternative methods so you can be sure that the group has come to consensus.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Proactively ask if others have something to share.&lt;/strong&gt; If you have a group member who is taking up a lot of the speaking time, it can be helpful to purposefully see if others have thoughts to share.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“I see X on the queue but I would like to be sure that others have had a chance to weigh in. I’m going to pause for a moment to see if others are ready to contribute.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“X has been doing a great job asking questions, helping us think this through. I want to be sure that others have the same opportunity. I’m going to go through each person’s name, and just do a quick check in before getting back to X.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>429835</id><pubdate>2020-05-15T14:30:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Just in time for Earth Week, we sat down with Jordan Wente and Tanya Belanger to discuss the roles state government plays in meeting the Minnesota&apos;s sustainability goals.</Description><Audience/><Title>Meet the Technologist: How Data Informs Sustainability for the State</Title><Publisher/><Subject>it</Subject><Subject>information</Subject><Subject>Data</Subject><Subject>big data</Subject><Subject>Earth Week</Subject><Subject>Jordan Wente</Subject><Subject>Tanya Belanger</Subject><Subject>sustainability</Subject><Subject>recycling</Subject><Subject>environment</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Meet the Technologist</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of the Sustainability.mn.gov website.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/sustainability-002_tcm38-429794.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of the Sustainability.mn.gov website.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/sustainability-002_tcm38-429798.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-04 - Meet the Technologist</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-429781&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-24T19:51:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Just in time for Earth Week, we sat down with Jordan Wente and Tanya Belanger to discuss the roles state government plays in meeting the Minnesota&apos;s sustainability goals.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How Data Informs Sustainability for the State</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Earth Day has Minnesota Roots.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22, 1970). Vice President Walter Mondale, a former Minnesota senator, worked closely with Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin to lead efforts to establish Earth Day. Mondale and Senator Nelson’s concerns about pollution on the St. Croix River and in Lake Superior was part of the drive to establish Earth Day in 1970.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past 50 years, Earth Day has evolved into Earth Week, with participation around the world. Minnesota state agencies lead environmental efforts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just in time for Earth Week, we sat down with Jordan Wente and Tanya Belanger to discuss the roles that Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), and the Office of Enterprise Sustainability play in meeting the state’s sustainability goals. Jordan Wente is a research analysis specialist for the Office of Enterprise Sustainability within the Minnesota Department of Administration, where he manages the state’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://sustainability.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Sustainability Reporting Tool&lt;/a&gt;. Tanya Belanger is a program coordinator at MNIT and the agency’s Sustainability Coordinator.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is sustainability an important focus?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jordan:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesotans believe in the need to be good stewards of our environment and natural resources. That mindset is also spelled out in goals set by the legislature, and administration priorities. It just makes sense for the state to incorporate sustainability work, ethos, and prioritization into our operations because we know that this is a priority for Minnesotans. We also know that the state can lead by example.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tanya:&lt;/strong&gt; The state is a leader in so many ways. By walking the walk, we can have a large impact. Minnesota state government is one of the state’s largest employers, and we have a carbon footprint through our facilities, water usage, electricity, and vehicle fleet, among other things. When we take measurable steps to reducing our footprint, by focusing on implementable changes, we can set an example for others to follow.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How does Minnesota use data to show how state agencies meet sustainability goals?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jordan:&lt;/strong&gt; You can’t manage if you don’t measure. Governor Tim Walz signed &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/governor/assets/2019_04_04_EO_19-27_tcm1055-378973.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Executive Order 19-27&lt;/a&gt; in April 2019, which sets standards for sustainability across all state agencies. To meet these standards, it is critical that we have a data-driven approach. Right now, there is a huge push around the world to use data to inform decisions. We are all striving to better quantify and optimize operations based on our data. With sustainability it’s the same approach.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is my job to quantify state sustainability operations and track those operations across our focus areas: greenhouse gas emissions, energy, fleet fossil fuel, solid waste, water consumption, and sustainable procurement. The collection of that data involves millions of data points throughout a year. We’ve integrated the data into a central location where it can be used for planning purposes, analytics, and statistical analysis. The central location, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://sustainability.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;sustainability reporting tool&lt;/a&gt;, helps agencies benchmark where they are relative to the goals in the executive order, and how they can move forward each year to reduce their footprint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s also important for us to be transparent about the sustainability of government operations. Previously, sustainability was typically tracked in an anecdotal manner, not against fixed goal. By using data and transparent reporting tools, the state is leading the way to make sure that any Minnesotan can measure our progress.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the future of technology for sustainability?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tanya:&lt;/strong&gt; Huge! Our technologists are working at every single agency across the executive branch. We can think about how technology can play a role in sustainability on a large scale. For example, last year we implemented an e-signature capability that helps reduce the use of paper, and we can encourage our agency partners to utilize these tools that are easier and sustainable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jordan:&lt;/strong&gt; I see a trend for greater automation in data. As we have more real-time data on our operations with automation, we better answer the questions that really matter to our stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are MNIT’s sustainability goals for the next year?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tanya:&lt;/strong&gt; MNIT is going to really focus on what the sustainability data says about our facilities. I will be using the Sustainability Reporting Dashboard, and other tools, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability to identify opportunities for reduction of water, energy, and solid waste consumption.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our second priority will be to improve our education and awareness conversation among MNIT employees through tabling events and outreach campaigns. Our final priority, and one that is exciting, is how MNIT can go above and beyond Governor Walz’ executive order to further the state’s sustainability priorities through technology. Technology can be an incredible catalyst for change, and there is a hunger for an increasingly digital government. At MNIT, we can do our part to make sure that change happens with sustainability in mind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do you hope we will be celebrating at the 100-year anniversary of Earth Day?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jordan:&lt;/strong&gt; I hope that we are celebrating a circular or zero-waste economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tanya:&lt;/strong&gt; I agree with that, and I will leave you with an inspiring article on the topic. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/reports/creating-circular-economy-great-lakes-region&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Read about it here&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>429781</id><pubdate>2020-04-24T20:42:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Find tips to help you have the best experience using online meeting and conferencing tools with a few simple steps. Learn more here.</Description><Audience/><Title>Conferencing and Collaboration Tool Self-Help: Troubleshoot Your Audio and Video Quality Issues </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Conferencing</Subject><Subject>Collaboration</Subject><Subject>Audio Quality</Subject><Subject>Audio Issues</Subject><Subject>Video Quality</Subject><Subject>Video Issues</Subject><Subject>remote meetings</Subject><Subject>video conferencing</Subject><Subject>online meeting</Subject><Subject>remote meeting</Subject><Subject>video chat</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Conferencing and Collaboration Tool Self-Help</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of people meeting via web conference.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/web-conference-003_tcm38-429218.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of people meeting via web conference.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/web-conference-003_tcm38-429219.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2020-04 - Conferencing and Collaboration Tool Self-Help</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-429215&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-04-20T19:41:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>Find tips to help you have the best experience using online meeting and conferencing tools with a few simple steps. Learn more here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Troubleshoot Your Audio and Video Quality Issues </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Internet service providers, IT staff, and service desks are working around-the-clock to meet the extraordinary demand created by the new teleworking environment. While they are working to ensure that conferencing and collaboration tools are available to everyone teleworking, users may still experience service interruptions, network connectivity issues, or other technical difficulties.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before you swear off using your webcam and conferencing tools from frustration, and before you reach out for IT help, there a few easy tips and tricks you can do at home to have a better online meeting experience and stay connected to your colleagues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Troubleshooting Issues with Video or Audio Quality&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are on a video conference or online meeting, and suddenly experience lower video or audio quality, it may be due to your network connection. When you first recognize the issue, follow the steps below:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disconnect from your virtual private network (VPN). Many organizations, including the state of Minnesota, require VPN connection to access sensitive information, but this may cause interruptions with your network connection.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Exit out of applications that might distract you or slow down your computer. Set your status on collaboration of chat applications to “do not disturb”.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Disconnect from the meeting and re-join.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check your computer audio settings or try a different headset. If the tool you are using offers a dial-in number call into the meeting from your phone instead.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn off the video option in the meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Proactive Tips for a Better Meeting Experience&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At the beginning of the day, restart your computer and network router to ensure the best network connections.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set up your meetings at off times, for example, schedule your meeting on the 15th or 45th minute, instead of on the hour or half-hour.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check whether you need to install any software updates on your computer, which may include patches to these online meeting tools.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Service Issues and Outages&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes a poor online conference experience is due to vendor issues and outages. Some of the companies offering conferencing services, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://status.webex.com/service/status?lang=en_US&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Webex&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://west.statuspage.io/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Intercall&lt;/a&gt;, allow you to check whether the tool you are using is experiencing a service outage or issue. Research the tool you are using to find out whether this information is available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Parting Advice&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many online meetings include a video option. Make sure that you set up the best video conferencing environment so that colleagues can read the visual cues that normally come with in-person meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be in a space with enough lighting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When setting up your lighting, make sure there is more light in front of you than behind you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lastly, remember that live video is not always perfect. Give yourself a break if you have an unexpected interruption, such as a loved one walking into the video screen, or if you need to exit out of the meeting and rejoin due to a poor network connection.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>429215</id><pubdate>2020-04-20T20:04:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses by cleaning and disinfecting your computer and mobile devices. Find tips for electronic hygiene that you can start today.</Description><Audience/><Title>Keep Your Electronics Clean: Tips for Electronic Hygiene You Can Start Today </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Electronic Hygiene</Subject><Subject>Reduce the spread of bacteria</Subject><Subject>bacteria</Subject><Subject>viruses</Subject><Subject>electronics</Subject><Subject>virus</Subject><Subject>coronavirus</Subject><Subject>corona virus</Subject><Subject>corona</Subject><Subject>covid-19</Subject><Subject>covid19</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Keep Your Electronics Clean</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A magnifying glass being help over a cellphone showing germs on the screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mobile-device-hygiene-001_tcm38-424374.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A magnifying glass being help over a cellphone showing germs on the screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mobile-device-hygiene-001_tcm38-424375.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2020-03 - Keep Your Electronics Clean</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-424345&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-23T16:27:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>Reduce the spread of bacteria and viruses by cleaning and disinfecting your computer and mobile devices. Find tips for electronic hygiene that you can start today.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Tips for Electronic Hygiene You Can Start Today </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We use technology every day – for entertainment, work, communication, and so much more. However, we may not have the same cleaning routines for our technology devices that we do for other objects that we touch every day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As we become more aware about the impact of bacteria and virus transmission on our health and communities, take the time to develop hygiene routines for your devices:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cell phones, tablets, desk phones&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Computer and laptop keyboards, touchpads, mice and on/off buttons.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are two ways to remove germs from mobile devices and computers:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cleaning:&lt;/strong&gt; physical removal of germs and impurities from surfaces through washing. This does not kill the germs, but it removes them from the surface and lessens the chance of transmission. This is like washing your hands with soap.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Disinfecting:&lt;/strong&gt; using chemicals to kill the germs residing on surfaces. Disinfecting does not necessarily “clean” the surface, but it rids the surface of live viruses and bacteria. The CDC states that disinfecting a surface after cleaning it can further lower the risk of spreading germs. This is like using sanitizer on your hands.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Clean First, Then Disinfect&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before you Start&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider using gloves while cleaning your equipment. If gloves are used, properly dispose of the gloves and immediately wash your hands with soap and water.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn off the device before cleaning or disinfecting it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When wiping down &lt;strong&gt;any&lt;/strong&gt; device or technology hardware with a disinfectant wipe, squeeze out excess liquid before using. Do not spray any liquids directly onto an electronic device. &lt;strong&gt;Do not use bleach for cleaning devices, as it can damage the finish&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to do it&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;First, clean the surfaces using soapy water and a hand towel (squeeze out excess liquid). Removing any contaminants, dust, or debris.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Then apply a surface-appropriate disinfectant. The quickest and easiest way to do this is with disinfecting wipes (squeeze out any excess liquid).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disinfecting Mobile Devices&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For Apple devices, use Clorox Wipes, or products with similar concentrations of disinfectant.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Samsung has not yet released information on how users can disinfect its mobile devices without damaging the screens or casing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The following solutions are NOT recommended&lt;/strong&gt; for disinfecting your cell phone or other mobile device because it could cause damage:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Window cleaner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kitchen cleaners&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Paper towels—they don’t disinfect, anyway&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rubbing alcohol&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Makeup remover&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dish soap or hand soap with water&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Vinegar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disinfecting Laptops and Other Hardware&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, turn off the computer/laptop and disconnect the keyboard or mouse you are about to disinfect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keyboard and laptop:&lt;/strong&gt; Turn them upside down and shake or tap out any crumbs, dust or dirt over a trash can. Next, wipe the keyboard with a disinfecting wipe, or spray a towel with disinfectant and wipe off the keyboard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mouse:&lt;/strong&gt; Turn off or remove the batteries (if wireless) and ensure there’s not dirt or particles stuck in the scroll wheel. Next, wipe the outside of the mouse with a disinfectant wipe, or spray a towel with disinfectant and wipe off the mouse. Take care not to get liquid into openings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Laptop Touchpads:&lt;/strong&gt; Turn off the laptop and then wipe the touchpad with a disinfectant wipe, or spray a towel with disinfectant and wipe off the touchpad.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Computer and laptop on/off buttons:&lt;/strong&gt; Wipe off the button and surrounding area with a disinfectant wipe, or spray a towel with disinfectant and wipe off the button and surrounding area. Be careful not to get disinfectant into the gaps between the button and the casing that surrounds it.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HP laptop touch screens:&lt;/strong&gt; HP has very specific instructions on how to clean their all-in-one computer touchscreens, but nothing on how to clean their laptop touchscreens. In an abundance of caution for your HP laptop touchscreen, it’s best to use their &lt;a href=&quot;https://store.hp.com/us/en/tech-takes/how-to-clean-laptop-screen&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;instructions on how to clean their all-in-one computer touchscreens&lt;/a&gt;. Please note that they do not provide information on how to disinfect their laptop touchscreens.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;References&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;CDC: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/cleaning-disinfection.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Interim Recommendations for US Households with Disinfected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;CNET: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cnet.com/how-to/help-keep-coronavirus-off-your-phone-how-to-effectively-disinfect-and-clean-your-device/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Help keep coronavirus off your phone: How to effectively clean and disinfect your device&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;CNET: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-clean-and-disinfect-your-keyboard-and-mouse/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Your keyboard and mouse are filthy. Here’s how to clean them&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HP: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://store.hp.com/us/en/tech-takes/how-to-clean-laptop-screen&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How to clean your laptop screen&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;HP: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00292159&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;HP PCs – Cleaning and Disinfecting your Computer&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Service Master Clean: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.servicemasterclean.com/blog/best-practices-to-disinfect-hospital-computer-stations&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How to implement best practices to disinfect hospital computer workstations and nurse workstations&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>424345</id><pubdate>2020-03-23T18:07:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Many employers are holding remote meetings. Accessibility isn’t just about including people with disabilities. Learn how everyone can participate equally in your remote meetings.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible Remote Meetings </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>remote meetings</Subject><Subject>telework</Subject><Subject>teleworking</Subject><Subject>remote worker</Subject><Subject>remote working</Subject><Subject>working remotley</Subject><Subject>Accessible Remote Meetings</Subject><Subject>Accessible Meetings</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible Remote Meetings </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Wendy Ady video conferencing with Chief Technology Officer, Jeff Nyberg.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wendy-ady-001_tcm38-418198.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Wendy Ady video conferencing with Chief Technology Officer, Jeff Nyberg.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wendy-ady-001_tcm38-418199.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-03 - Accessible Remote Meetings</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-423822&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-19T16:29:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Many employers are holding remote meetings. Accessibility isn’t just about including people with disabilities. Learn how everyone can participate equally in your remote meetings.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How to Have Digitally Accessible Remote Meetings </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Kim Wee, Kris Schulze, Jay Wyant, Jennie Delisi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many employers are shifting to teleworking or holding remote meetings. Following accessibility best practices isn’t just about including people with disabilities – it’s about ensuring that everyone can participate equally in the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So what do you do to ensure effective and inclusive remote meetings?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, take a deep breath. This information is familiar for those already adding digital accessibility practices into workflows.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Second, take a few minutes to plan. Review the basic tips and links we provide below to plan for inclusive meetings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;note-info&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Online meetings are different than broadcasts. This article covers online meetings. Broadcasts happen when you are in one location broadcasting to many people, and attendees only participate through online questions and answer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Which tool will you use?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Phone meeting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Online meeting option (Skype for Business, Webex, Teams, etc.)
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure these have a phone number option for joining. Don’t have a number? Ask your support team or IT help desk to assign one for you. This will enable people to participate if they:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Experience low bandwidth&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use caption and video relay services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You may need captions for your meeting. More information is provided below, but note if you will be using a live captioner.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are you sharing?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Documents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Whiteboard&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chat&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Polling/interaction tools&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Showing videos (continue to follow typical accessibility best practices for videos)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How many people will speak during the meeting?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are you sharing the captions with all attendees?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make sure your online meeting tool supports the features you need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who will have a role?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Meeting leader:&lt;/strong&gt; this person must provide the structure, so people take turns and do not try to speak at the same time.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chat monitor:&lt;/strong&gt; this person will also monitor whether the captions are working.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Multiple presenters?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Note taker:&lt;/strong&gt; different person than the meeting leader.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meeting Rules&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Send these with the meeting invitation as a separate email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;One person speaks at a time.&lt;/strong&gt; This ensures that whoever is speaking can talk without interruption. It also helps those who may be reading live captions provided through relay or video interpreting services (for those that use American Sign Language), and will provide a more accurate caption file if you are recording the meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Say your name before speaking.&lt;/strong&gt; Not everyone has a distinctive voice. Saying your name both ensures transition between speakers and ensures everyone knows who is talking. You may not realize that someone is using captions or an American Sign Language interpreter during the call. By saying your name before you speak, this will identify you to those who may not be able to determine who you are just by the sound of your voice.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When possible, send accessible documents to be discussed ahead of time.&lt;/strong&gt; This ensures a more efficient meeting and effective use of everyone’s time. It also helps those who use assistive technologies and anyone who needs extra time to review documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you use a whiteboard feature, share your screen, or if you present a PowerPoint, describe what is on the screen.&lt;/strong&gt; Visual descriptions provide equitable access for those that cannot see the screen or are only using the telephone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If using a method for asking questions or requesting a chance to speak, we suggest using a method such as hand raising or indicating this in the chat.&lt;/strong&gt; This is why the person running the meeting needs to delegate someone else to monitor the chat. The monitor may also read from the chat to share the information with those attending only by phone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For large meetings, getting an opportunity to speak during the meeting can follow a simple process. One process may be having users type &lt;strong&gt;q+&lt;/strong&gt; into the chat feature when they have a question. The chat monitor then lets the leader know when there are questions or comments to share.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Invitation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Typically, meeting invitations should be sent with a request for accommodations and timeline so that accommodations can be prepared (e.g. captions, sign language interpreter). Include a person’s name and contact information should someone require these types of accommodations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But, during these unusual times, there may not be the availability or time to get these types of accommodations in place. Continue to include the request for accommodation language, but we will give you some options for how to handle these unusual situations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The best way to provide captions is to use a professional captioner. This can be delivered:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In person&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remote: A captioner connects to the meeting from their location, and provides captions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you work for a state or federal agency, begin by investigating your typical process for acquiring a captioning service. They may be able to handle your request, even at the last minute.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captions can be delivered to participants:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Directly into the meeting platform, such as using Webex’s caption pane.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Into a browser page when your online meeting tool doesn’t have a caption option. This can also be an option for tools that only allow one line of captions to display at a time, which can be difficult to follow.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Through auto-captioning tools. Note: This is a &quot;necessary evil&quot; when a live captioner is not available due to an emergency situation. These captions must be monitored as they will make errors. Have a chat line open, if possible, to post clarifications and to allow participants relying on the captions to ask questions if they have trouble understanding due to auto-caption errors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We know that this checklist does not contain everything you need. Once you have determined what you plan to share and how, you may need more training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility has resources for you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check out our companion article on what you need to get started &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-423819&quot;&gt;creating accessible Word documents&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61512&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Electronic Documents&quot;&gt;documents page&lt;/a&gt; has information for making all types of documents accessible. And, here’s a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/?id=38-417349&quot;&gt;PowerPoint accessibility checklist&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making or showing a video? Our &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/multimedia.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Multimedia&quot;&gt;multimedia section&lt;/a&gt; can be a good starting place.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Need more details about remote meetings and accessibility? Jay Wyant and Kris Schulze did a presentation in 2019: &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/presentation-it-symposium_integrating-local-remote-participants_tcm38-374415.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;presentation-it-symposium_integrating-local-remote-participants&quot;&gt;Integrating Local and Remote Meeting Participants&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Looking for information on auto-captions? While we typically do not recommend using auto-captions due to the high error rate, we understand that many meetings have had to quickly shift from in-person to online without time or budget to prepare. Here are some resources but know that once you have some time to plan, this is not an equivalent option for those requiring captions for participation. These are resources, and are not endorsements of their products, or of their reliability.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.office.com/en-us/article/present-with-real-time-automatic-captions-or-subtitles-in-powerpoint-68d20e49-aec3-456a-939d-34a79e8ddd5f&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;PowerPoint auto caption information&lt;/a&gt; – note, this feature may not be turned on at your location.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://support.google.com/docs/answer/9109474?hl=en&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Google Slides auto caption information&lt;/a&gt; – note that this information is provided for those in school systems. Many employers and state agencies do not approve of Google products being used.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webcaptioner.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Captioner&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://streamer.center/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Streamer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, if you are looking for more specifics on what is available for each type of remote meeting option, the differences between live captions and auto captions, the article &lt;a href=&quot;https://tinachildress.wordpress.com/2020/03/13/captioning-options-for-videoconferencing-and-learning-management-systems/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Captioning Options for Videoconferencing and Learning Management Systems&lt;/a&gt; has good details.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>423822</id><pubdate>2020-05-15T14:30:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Teleworking has suddenly become a new normal. You may find yourself writing more frequently. Here are some accessibility writing tips for remote workers.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible Remote Documents: Writing Tips for Remote Workers</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessible Remote Documents</Subject><Subject>telework</Subject><Subject>teleworking</Subject><Subject>remote working</Subject><Subject>telecommuting</Subject><Subject>accessible documents</Subject><Subject>document accessibility</Subject><Subject>Remote Workers</Subject><Subject>Writing Tips</Subject><Subject>accessibility writing tips</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible Remote Documents</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-002_tcm38-346797.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-002_tcm38-346800.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-03 - Accessible Remote Documents</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-423819&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-19T16:21:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Teleworking has suddenly become a new normal. You may find yourself writing more frequently. Here are some accessibility writing tips for remote workers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Writing Tips for Remote Workers</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By: Jay Wyant&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Teleworking has suddenly become a new normal for many people. Meetings are either cancelled or held online, our &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-423822&quot;&gt;article on accessible remote meetings&lt;/a&gt; has more information on this topic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may find yourself writing more frequently – creating documents for online, remote collaboration – and communicating more often through email than by phone or in-person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure you start with accessibility in mind.&lt;/strong&gt; You can avoid extra time fixing it when you’re done and be sure that everyone can read the drafts. Fortunately, if you work for the state of Minnesota, your agency should have made it easy for you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use Templates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you use Word, select File&amp;gt;New (or Alt, F, N). That will launch a view of available templates. This is what it looks like for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every document in our templates is formatted with MNIT’s branded font and styles, and is accessible. Even the blank document’s default font and styles are the same as the rest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t have templates like this? Ask your communications office if they would make one or two. If you’re an independent contractor, select one of the existing templates that looks good to you and follow the rest of the steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start With an Outline&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just like your fifth grade English teacher taught you. What’s the main point? What are the key sub-points?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Main points and key sub-points become your headings. Don’t know all of your headings yet? Don’t worry – it’s easy to change their style once you have identified them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use the Built-in Styles&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you’ve got a top-level outline identified, make them headings. If you chose a template with pre-existing content, simply replace the filler text with yours. If you chose a blank template, go to the Home ribbon, select the Styles section (Alt, H, L) then select the appropriate heading. Or open the styles pane and float it nearby for easy reference (Alt, H, FY).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So far in this post, I have:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessible Remote Documents (Heading 1)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Writing Tips for Remote Workers (Heading 2)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Templates (Heading 3)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Start with an outline (Heading 3)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make the above text a list, I used bullets, via the List Paragraph style. (Selecting the bullet icon option or ALT, H, U) should give you the same result, but always check the styles pane to confirm.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re an independent contractor using someone else’s template, now’s a good time to test the headings for &lt;strong&gt;sufficient contrast&lt;/strong&gt;. To ensure readability, text should be at a 4.5:1 ratio to its background. 3:1 is acceptable for large text (18pt or greater). &lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.paciellogroup.com/resources/contrastanalyser/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Test the heading text&lt;/a&gt; and adjust as necessary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Add Alternative Text (Alt Text)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sharing a screenshot in an email, Word document, or PowerPoint? It needs a text alternative called “alt text” in the Microsoft tools. Use this alt text feature to describe your screenshot, graph, or picture. If the detail is critical to understanding the image (such as a technical issue) use the body text to provide more details.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, the alt text of the template view above image reads: “screenshot of Microsoft Word’s New Document view, presenting a list of thumbnails of the different templates available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It doesn’t attempt to describe each thumbnail. But if the document’s purpose is to review all the templates, then you want to make sure that you provide a more detailed description in the body of the document. Use simple alt text so the user knows that it’s the image referenced in the body text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use Meaningful Links&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When sharing links in documents or even in emails, embed the link in text that defines the link. That helps people who have to skim your document quickly decide whether they should follow the link. It also helps people with disabilities find and use the link more effectively. After all, which do you think is easier to read?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out this great tweet about how &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MNIT_Services/status/1234931760322031616&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;we worked with college students on user-centered design&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out this great tweet about how we worked with college students on user-centered design: &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MNIT_Services/status/1234931760322031616&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://twitter.com/MNIT_Services/status/1234931760322031616&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meaningful text should be used for links in all electronic documents, including email, Word, and PowerPoint or their equivalent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn More&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take our FREE &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessible Word Document Training&quot;&gt;Introduction to Accessible Documents&lt;/a&gt;. (If you’re a state of Minnesota employee, ask your training staff about access to the course in ELM, the enterprise learning management system).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>423819</id><pubdate>2020-05-15T14:30:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT joined employers across the state of Minnesota to speak about the ability for the state to inspire, hire, and retain talent in the technology sector.</Description><Audience/><Title>The Next Generation of Talent: Takeaways From Leaders in the Minnesota STEM Industry </Title><Publisher/><Subject>tech careers</Subject><Subject>tech careers</Subject><Subject>IT careers</Subject><Subject>IT jobs</Subject><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>employment</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Next Generation of Talent</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Annie Porbeni, David Berthiaume, and Jeff Nyberg at the Minnesota High Tech Association’s (MHTA) TechTalent event.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tech-talent-001_tcm38-422778.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Annie Porbeni, David Berthiaume, and Jeff Nyberg at the Minnesota High Tech Association’s (MHTA) TechTalent event.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tech-talent-001_tcm38-422779.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-03 - The Next Generation of Talent</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-422759&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-12T15:55:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT joined employers across the state of Minnesota to speak about the ability for the state to inspire, hire, and retain talent in the technology sector.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Takeaways From Leaders in the Minnesota STEM Industry </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) joined employers across the state of Minnesota for a day of dialogue about technology and STEM education and talent in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Assistant HR Director, Annie Porbeni, Recruiting Director, David Berthiaume, and Chief Technology Officer, Jeff Nyberg spoke at Minnesota High Tech Association’s (MHTA) TechTalent event. TechTalent seeks to understand the influences of Minnesota’s talent pool, what skills companies require new hires to have, and what employees at all levels need to feel engaged and committed in a company.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the event, MNIT speakers answered questions about their biggest takeaways from the conference and the future of hiring for the executive branch’s IT organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What were your key takeaways from your time at the TechTalent event?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Annie Porbeni:&lt;/strong&gt; It was a refreshing event. I was inspired by the opportunity to share what we do, how we do it, and hear from others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jeff Nyberg:&lt;/strong&gt; There are so many organizations that are out there for us to work with that help young people and people starting over in their careers. We need to be purposeful when engaging with our broader community, and really think about what barriers to entry might exist for starting a job at MNIT. With the new workforce in technology, there are a lot of kids coming out of high school who would be ready for our ITS Trainee Program, based on their experience with IT, that we need to provide opportunities for with our community partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David Berthiaume:&lt;/strong&gt; I completely agree that recruiting talent without experience is becoming the new norm, when considering that unemployment rates are at historic lows. On the flipside, we also need to focus more energy around retaining our current talent.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does MNIT mean to the larger technology workforce in Minnesota?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Annie Porbeni:&lt;/strong&gt; MNIT’s participation is necessary, especially since we provide a different, government services perspective to Minnesota’s technology community. Our narrative and organizational design process is ingrained in our mission and the mission of being public servants. MNIT’s voice is important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David Berthiaume:&lt;/strong&gt; Our workforce is changing, alongside many other employers in the area, and we need to be an employer-of-choice to be successful as we move forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What can we do to improve how state technology is perceived by perspective employees and the industry?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jeff Nyberg:&lt;/strong&gt; We need to continue to highlight our technology innovations and the good work that government services can provide. When you think of state technology, we are doing so much more than working on a mainframe. We still have some mainframe work, but we also have access to AI, robotics process automation, cloud technology, and even autonomous vehicles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David Berthiaume:&lt;/strong&gt; It seems to me that people forget that level of impact that MNIT has on technology for the citizens of Minnesota, and that is something that we need to continue to address in our outreach to community partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you learn anything about how we can adjust our recruiting/hiring efforts and programs?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Annie Porbeni:&lt;/strong&gt; Yes. We realized that the technology industry is constantly changing. The need to serve employees and focus on quality programs targeted at employee growth and development is important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jeff Nyberg:&lt;/strong&gt; We can continue to work on our internship program from a recruiting standpoint, especially expanding our ability to bring in non-traditional employees and student workers. The technology and STEM community, including MNIT, can also do a better job helping people identify jobs in IT that aren’t necessarily coding. There are so many opportunities for business analysts, project managers, and much more. We have a responsibility to expand the definition of “good jobs” in technology and communicate that effectively to parents and kids in high school. The state needs amazing IT project managers and security analysts, just as much as it needs amazing cloud architects and Java developers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you are interested in learning more about a career in state technology, &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-304400&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro - Careers&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;visit our Careers page&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>422759</id><pubdate>2020-03-12T18:09:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Application Tracking System, developed by Minnesota IT Services, receives Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Wins National Award for Helping Veterans Access Education Benefits </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Veterans</Subject><Subject>Education</Subject><Subject>Benefits</Subject><Subject>Award</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>vats</Subject><Subject>Veterans Application Tracking System</Subject><Subject>Excellence</Subject><Subject>mnit</Subject><Subject>mdva</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Wins National Award for Helping Veterans Access Education Benefits </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota employees that worked on the Veterans Application Tracking System, holding the Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/poe-award-001_tcm38-421840.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota employees that worked on the Veterans Application Tracking System, holding the Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/poe-award-001_tcm38-421841.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_PR - 2020-03 - Minnesota Wins National Award for Helping Veterans Access Education Benefits</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-421838&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-04T15:22:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Application Tracking System, developed by Minnesota IT Services, receives Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Veterans Application Tracking System (VATS), Receives Excellence Award</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;March 4, 2020&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:emily.shimkus@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emily Shimkus (MNIT)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;651-485-1354&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sonnee@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anne Sonnee (MDVA)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;651-757-1536&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs presented the Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award to the Minnesota’s Veterans Application Tracking System (VATS), a joint project between the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). VATS transformed the way Veterans in Minnesota apply for and receive education benefits through the Minnesota GI Bill. Since July 2019, 2,600 Veterans have successfully used VATS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On February 24, MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke accepted the award on behalf of the state from VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. The Pillar of Excellence Award recognizes outstanding programs that support Veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Receiving the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award is a great honor. Those who raise their hand to serve our country exhibit extraordinary courage, discipline, and sacrifice, and they deserve the best from their state and nation when they return home. I am proud of our state’s work to make Minnesota a leader in taking care of our veterans.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Governor Tim Walz&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDVA ensures that Veterans have access to the range of earned benefits, including education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Through the Minnesota GI Bill, Veterans along with eligible spouses and children, have access to a maximum benefit of $10,000 to use for higher education, on-the-job training or apprenticeship programs, or to reimburse fees for licenses, certification or college admission exams.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The VATS-Education module is an amazing example of how technology can be utilized to create better outcomes for Minnesotans, especially for our Veterans. Veterans are not only entitled to these education benefits, they are entitled to be able to access those benefits in the most efficient way possible.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“MDVA understands the importance of the educational benefits granted by the Minnesota GI Bill in improving our Veteran’s lives, and therefore the health of our community. We are committed to informing Veterans of the many possibilities available to them.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;MDVA Commissioner Herke&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To better access earned education benefits, MNIT and MDVA developed the application tracking system. VATS streamlines the application process then shares and manages Veterans’ needs with stakeholders on Minnesota’s institutes of higher learning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Applying for the Minnesota GI Bill through the Veterans Application Tracking System has allowed me to not only pay for classes and books but also allows me to reduce how much I had to take out in student loans, which will not only benefit me while I&apos;m in school but far into the future,”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Veteran Raymond Camper&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans submit applications online while accessing a single database that houses information for all Minnesota education programs and services. With consolidated electronic case notes, a formerly weeks-long application process for reimbursement of tuition can be completed within a single day. VATS was developed with flexibility in mind, so the system can easily accommodate changes like adding a new benefit type, business policy or process, or making modifications to comply with legislative mandates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;VATS replaced multiple manual, paper-based processes, and an existing 15+ year old application that was expensive and difficult to support. With VATS-Education in place, there are now automated workflows for approvals, appeals and denials, and MDVA staff can access the system to make decisions on benefits from wherever they may be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is a cabinet-level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the five State Veterans Homes, MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach and Veterans employment. Veterans and their families are encouraged to visit www.MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet for more information about benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421838</id><pubdate>2020-03-09T14:31:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>User experience students at Prime Academy worked with MNIT to interview users and provide recommendations about the Minnesota Service Hub, our service request and incident report platform.</Description><Audience/><Title>Human-Centered Design: MNIT Partners with UX Bootcamp </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Human-Centered Design</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A photo of Commissioner Tomes with  Eli Eijadi, Alan Jones, Amanda Gunderson, Willie Stephenson, Andy Rollins from the Prime Academy.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/prime-academy-2020-001_tcm38-421734.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A photo of Commissioner Tomes with  Eli Eijadi, Alan Jones, Amanda Gunderson, Willie Stephenson, Andy Rollins from the Prime Academy.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/prime-academy-2020-001_tcm38-421735.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-03 - Human-Centered Design</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-421713&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-03-02T21:05:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>User experience students at Prime Academy worked with MNIT to interview users and provide recommendations about the Minnesota Service Hub, our service request and incident report platform.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Partners with UX Bootcamp </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured from left to right:&lt;/strong&gt; Eli Eijadi, Alan Jones, Amanda Gunderson, Commissioner Tomes, Willie Stephenson, Andy Rollins, Mark Hurlburt (Prime Academy President and Co-Founder), Christy Larsen (Prime Academy Director of Employer Partnerships)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) strives to connect with the broader Minnesota technology community – creating relationships with partners that inspire the emerging workforce to seek out opportunities within the state, and developing a stronger technology base across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, MNIT partnered with Prime Academy, an organization that has an 18-week immersive User Experience Design program that helps people with interests in design, organization, and technology build the foundational skills to start a career in user experience (UX). The partnership allowed UX students to develop their skills, while also providing feedback on a critical service that MNIT supports.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Putting the people we serve at the center of our design is a fundamental aspect of technology at MNIT. I am immensely impressed by the level of empathy and analysis that these students displayed.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Commissioner Tomes&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Prime Academy students took a deep dive into the Minnesota Service Hub, which allows state employees to do everything from report internet connectivity issues, to application service outages. MNIT is responsible for managing, responding to, and reporting on support tickets that come through the Minnesota Service Hub. We know that it is one of our most critical services that we provide to state agencies. The Prime Academy students interviewed users from around MNIT, developed a final report, and presented their findings to MNIT. Take a look at the photos from their final presentation and the user interviews to get a sense of the important role that UX work plays.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prime Academy has been a great partner with MNIT’s ITS Trainee Program and helping us build a pipeline of trained IT talent. &lt;strong&gt;Interested in working in UX or IT? &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-304400&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro - Careers&quot;&gt;Visit our Careers page&lt;/a&gt; to view all the opportunities for employment with MNIT.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/prime-academy-2020-001_tcm38-421728.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;prime-academy-2020-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Prime Academy Students conducting user experience testing with MNIT staff.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/prime-academy-2020-003_tcm38-421729.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;prime-academy-2020-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Andy Rollins conducting user experience testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/prime-academy-pres-2020-001-img_1704_tcm38-421730.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;prime-academy-pres-2020-001-img_1704&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ed Krum presenting about MNIT’s partnership with Prime Academy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/prime-academy-pres-2020-008-img_1731_tcm38-421732.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;prime-academy-pres-2020-008-img_1731&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Eli Eijadi presenting the findings from the user experience testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421713</id><pubdate>2020-03-03T14:52:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Frederick Jones, the great Minnesota inventor. </Description><Audience/><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: The great Minnesota inventor, Frederick Jones</Title><Publisher/><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>Frederick Jones</Subject><Subject>Minnesota inventor</Subject><Subject>inventor</Subject><Subject>Black History Month</Subject><Subject>refrigeration</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: Part 4</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Inventor Frederick Jones working at a drafting desk.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/frederick-jones-001_tcm38-421436.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Inventor Frederick Jones working at a drafting desk.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/frederick-jones-001_tcm38-421437.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-02 - African American Leaders in Tech: Part 4</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-421430&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-28T16:58:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Frederick Jones, the great Minnesota inventor. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>The great Minnesota inventor, Frederick Jones</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above:&lt;/strong&gt; Inventor Frederick Jones working at a drafting desk. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/6917435811/sizes/l/in/photostream/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Photo courtesy of USDAgov&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring notable African American figures in technology. Every week during the month of February we have celebrated an individual who serves as an inspiration for our work as technologists in government services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To wrap up our series, we are highlighting a great Minnesotan, Frederick McKinley Jones, who was the first African American to receive the Presidential Medal of Technology. Jones developed and patented the first successful refrigerated transportation system in the world, revolutionizing the availability of perishable items such as food, medicine, and crops. The impact of Frederick Jones’ innovations cannot be overstated, and allows MNIT to be inspired by the ability that technology can transform people’s lives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;There are 3 things to do to become successful. First, don&apos;t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Don&apos;t be afraid to work. Try lots of jobs. Work for nothing if you have to, but get the experience. You never know when what you have learned will come in handy. Second, you have to read. Find out what others know. You don&apos;t have to buy books. Use libraries! You can educate yourself by reading. All my life has been study and work. That&apos;s what I get fun out of. And third, you have to believe in yourself. Don&apos;t listen to others tell you you&apos;re wrong. Remember, nothing is impossible. Go ahead and prove you&apos;re right.&quot;
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&lt;cite&gt;- Frederick Jones, in acceptance speech upon receipt of the Merit Award, Phyllis Wheatley Auxiliary&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Frederick Jones&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Frederick Jones was born in Kentucky and raised by a single father until at the age of 8, when we went to live at a local catholic church. Those next four years in elementary school were the only formal education that Jones had in his life. At the age of 12, Jones set out on his own, securing a job sweeping at an auto repair shop. Piquing his interest in engineering, he worked his way up to be the shop mechanic after only three years, teaching himself the trade. Jones’s interests, however, went beyond auto repair, and even though he designed racing cars on the side, he quickly became frustrated that he wasn’t allowed to race them himself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jones set off from Kentucky and made his way north, working odd jobs until he found himself in Minneapolis working as a janitor. His engineer skills were noticed, and he got a job as a mechanic on a farm in Hallock, Minnesota for Walter Hill, the son of James J. Hill. He used the skills that he learned on the farm to get his engineering license, and worked his way up to earn the highest-grade license possible for an engineer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1930, his reputation as an investor led to a job offer from Ultraphone Sound Systems and its owner, Joe Numero. Numero would later found and own Thermo King, the company that Jones worked for while he developed his transformational refrigeration technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime of Contributions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1930s&lt;/strong&gt; – Frederick Jones developed his first patent while working for Ultraphone Sound Systems. The patent was for a movie theatre ticket machine.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1939&lt;/strong&gt; – He received a patent for the first successful refrigeration transportation system in the world while working for Thermo King.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1941&lt;/strong&gt; – He improved upon the original patent with the revolutionary Model C refrigeration system. The Model C was smaller, lighter, and placed on top of the cab of trucks. During World War II, Thermo King and Jones sold the unit exclusively to the U.S. military to aid in transportation of food and medical supplies. After the war, it was made commercially available and transformed the world.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1944&lt;/strong&gt; – He was accepted into the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers as the first African American.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1953&lt;/strong&gt; – Received the merit award from Phyllis Wheatley Auxiliary for “outstanding achievements which serve as an inspiration for youth.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legacy&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By his death in 1961, Frederick Jones had amassed 61 patents to his name, 40 of which were in the field of refrigeration. Jones’s work was recognized after his death by many national organizations. He was inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame in 1977, in the Minnesota Science and Technology Hall of Fame in 2010, and most notably, he was the first African American to receive the Presidential Medal of Technology in 1991.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Always an inventor, throughout his life, Jones created a portable x-ray machine, built many personal radios, and developed a wireless broadcasting transmitter, among much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;A self-taught, African American engineer born in 1893, Jones overcame prejudices his entire life to design and build electronic innovations that forever impacted the world,&quot;
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&lt;cite&gt;— 2007 dedication of Thermo King&apos;s Frederick McKinley Jones Research and Development Center.&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some good places to start for secondary research about Frederick Jones:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chicago Sun-Times: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/2/17/21140227/frederick-mckinley-jones-inventor-refreigeration-trucks-black-history-op-ed-suntimes-denise-oneal&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How an unsung black inventor saved lives as ‘The King of Cool&lt;/a&gt;’”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Historical Society: “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnhs.org/library/tips/history_topics/63jones.php&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Frederick McKinley Jones&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota Science and Technology Hall of Fame: “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.msthalloffame.org/frederick_mckinley_jones.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;How has he transformed the scene?&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MinnPost: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2015/08/minnesota-knows-cold-frederick-mckinley-jones-patented-world-s-first-successful-ref/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota knows cold: Frederick McKinley Jones patented the world’s first successful refrigerated transportation system&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Star Tribune: “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.startribune.com/from-tiny-hallock-to-huge-inventions/369538631/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;From tiny Hallock to huge inventions&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Star Tribune: “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.startribune.com/science-centric-black-minnesotans-honored-at-african-american-heritage-museum/566846462/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Science-centric black Minnesotans honored at African American Heritage Museum&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421430</id><pubdate>2020-02-28T17:33:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes and Assistant HR Director, Annie Porbeni, sat down for an interview about diversity in their roles.   </Description><Audience/><Title>Perspectives on Diversity: MNIT Leadership Discuss Diversity and the Legacy of Inclusion</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Diversity</Subject><Subject>Inclusion</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Perspectives on Diversity</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, Data Architect Ellena Schoop, and Assistant Human Resources Director, Annie Porbeni sitting at a table talking. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/diversity-perspectives-interview-001_tcm38-421183.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, Data Architect Ellena Schoop, and Assistant Human Resources Director, Annie Porbeni sitting at a table talking. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/diversity-perspectives-interview-001_tcm38-421184.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2020-02 - Perspectives on Diversity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-421181&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-27T15:16:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes and Assistant HR Director, Annie Porbeni, sat down for an interview about diversity in their roles.   </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Leadership Discuss Diversity and the Legacy of Inclusion</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured above from left to right:&lt;/strong&gt; MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes, MNIT Data Architect Ellena Schoop, and MNIT Assistant Human Resources Director, Annie Porbeni discussing diversity and inclusion.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is committed to promoting inclusive practices within our agency. We know that state government works best when its workforce resembles that people that it serves. As part of our Black History Month focus on notable African American figures in technology, we wanted to take the time to also speak with our Commissioner, Tarek Tomes, who is MNIT’s first African American Commissioner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellena Schoop, a Data Architect at MNIT, spoke with Commissioner Tomes and MNIT’s Assistant Human Resources Director, Annie Porbeni, in a recent interview. The below is edited and condensed for clarity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellena Schoop: For me, this conversation is a big deal. I don’t recall a person of color being a manager or supervisor of mine, nevertheless a CEO. Commissioner Tomes, what does diversity mean to you?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commissioner Tomes:&lt;/strong&gt; Diversity is everything related to different perspectives and different ideas. It is everything from the race, to gender, to beliefs, to where people come from. It’s how you blend all those different perspectives together. True diversity allows us to celebrate and understand our differences, which is impossible to unless you allow yourself to share in someone else’s experiences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like you, I’ve been confronted with this question many times. I never had a teacher of color. For many people, that’s a really foreign construct, and sometimes can be taken for granted. I never walked through my day-to-day with that being an inhibitor or concern, but it’s a reality. My kids don’t have teachers of color. When you think about where we are in society in 2020, it is still an exception when children of color have teachers of color. Where you live and geography plays a large role in that. But I grew up in public schools, so do my kids, and the opportunities for them to be in places where they have mentors that look like them are rare. I think it’s important for us to understand how vital it is to have those diverse perspectives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellena Schoop: I think I had only one teacher of color throughout my time in school and it was almost like an anomaly. Even now, in 2020, we are still dealing with a lot of firsts. How do you feel about being the first African American Commissioner of MNIT? What does that mean to you?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commissioner Tomes:&lt;/strong&gt; At times, it feels almost overwhelming, but it is also incredibly humbling. I can’t say that I approach my work differently because of that because I have been doing this my whole career. I’ve always worked with the perspective that, “I want to break down barriers. I want to make it so someone is not afraid to hire someone of color after I’m gone.” The experience that they have with me as an employee is one that really makes them feel that people of all different backgrounds are capable – look into the capabilities of a person and not how the person looks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I was lucky enough to work for Mayor Carter in St. Paul who is the first African American mayor in the history of St. Paul. It’s tough sometimes – in 2020 we are still celebrating a lot of firsts. It shows you where we are and where we’re not, and how far we still have to go.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For me, as it relates to the role of CIO, it isn’t as much about me, as it is about the opportunity that different perspectives and viewpoints bring. I certainly have things I feel strongly about that I support, and my background and where I come from plays a large role in that. It’s about how the work we do can help others and how to ensure that the positive impacts we have endure after we have moved on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the things that is difficult for any of us to navigate is that I’m incredibly proud of who I am, but I refuse to be defined as a black CIO. I refuse to be defined by anything other than the same measures of success that others would have. I think that as we walk those lines of pride sometimes, it’s important that we don’t let ourselves be marginalized or put into a box of “pretty good black CIO” or “pretty good black manager.” First and foremost, we want to serve others and be good managers, irrespective of where we come from.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellena Schoop: Similarly, I feel a responsibility to break down those stereotypes especially around women of color. Annie Porbeni, I believe that you are also the first woman of color in your position. Can you tell me about your thoughts?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Annie Porbeni:&lt;/strong&gt; For me, it was a bit of a surprise. I do have a different perspective of what diversity means coming from my background. Diversity wasn’t a word that was used growing up outside of the United States in Nigeria. I was first exposed to the term “diversity” when I had the opportunity to get my master’s degree in Canada. It was also when I first encountered the idea that who you are can be framed by the color of your skin.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another surprising aspect I am finding is the lack of diversity in management. I am the highest-ranking woman of color in MNIT and I don’t like to be the first and only. It’s a bit discouraging because I know that there are so many others before me that could have been hired but maybe weren’t. When I find myself in that position, I ask, “Why is it that way?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Being the assistant HR Director, I sometimes question why it is so difficult to find people who are capable of the work that are from different locations, groups, or especially people of color. Unfortunately, while we look at the term “diversity” in terms of uniqueness, or a positive difference, at other times “diversity” is only looked at in terms of race. When people don’t go beyond the issue of race, that’s where we can have the kinds of things where we have one-off accomplishments that we fall into – as the first people of color in our positions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For me, that’s a problem and with that, and shows the need to work on changing how we view diversity. I agree with Commissioner Tomes that we need to constantly be bringing people of color, people with different backgrounds, into these positions. It’s a part of my job that I take very seriously.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellena Schoop: Mentors were mentioned earlier, and they are extremely important. What role does mentorship play in the work that we do at MNIT?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Annie Porbeni:&lt;/strong&gt; The mentorship program is an opening box for us. It’s a great opportunity for us to move beyond. We have an interesting dimension in how we want to bring cross-cultures together, giving people a different kind of mindset in terms of where a person is coming from. I think we can move beyond just understanding someone’s culture. There’s a lot we can do with the mentorship program, but it’s a good first step to where we are going.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner, I know you’re very interested in the sponsorship part of the program and that’s the next step. Sponsorship is intentionally looking at someone and making sure that you are able to guide that person from Point A to Point B.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commissioner Tomes:&lt;/strong&gt; I totally agree. I think that we need to make ourselves available for people to talk to and honestly share personal journeys in a vulnerable way, as well as encouraging people to really go out and make a difference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making ourselves available may also mean helping people to grow themselves as they think about connecting in the bigger world. I can help them answer, “How can I as a technologist make a difference in this world?” With the work that we do, I think our impact is so enormous, we lift up stories that sometimes wouldn’t otherwise be told and we do it in a manner that tells a truth by data. Our truth does not live in a manipulated manner, nor in a space where there’s always context to put around things. By having those conversations, we convey ownership to people that are responsible to outcomes, we empower stakeholder groups to how they can advocate for different results.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ellena Schoop: What would you like for your legacy to be?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commissioner Tomes:&lt;/strong&gt; I would like my legacy to be that I was there for our folks. I was there for the technologists that worked in this organization. That I empowered and supported them. That I tried everyday to serve them in a way that allows them to be the best that they can be. That we use technology to help people’s lives. That we were unafraid to tackle the difficult challenges. That we were unafraid of the consequences of failing. That we did not make a big detour around risky asks. That we embraced the opportunity when the spotlight was brightest, and when the needs of the people that were going to be impacted by technology were the greatest. Whether that be insulin, or people returning home from incarceration, or housing barriers, that we embraced the opportunity to leverage technology to change those outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is as exciting a time to do what we do as there has ever been. The rate of innovation and change, and the community of technologists that are connected with doing things to help people, is growing so much. If you can build a culture that gives people meaningful opportunities, and they feel valued and there is a genuine interest in them and their growth – you have the foundation to really make a difference. That’s really exciting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Annie Porbeni:&lt;/strong&gt; That would be a much easier question if I could answer it with respect to my kids. Something I always put on myself is that when I leave a place, the employees will always remember that that HR Director is the one that made it possible for me to be able to not only believe in myself, but to continue in a space where I’ve never had the opportunity before. It’s never about the Director, it’s about the human resource. It is always about: if I can do it, you can do it. There should never be any barriers to get there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I feel that I can use my position to create those changes within this space. I also believe in influencing those at the top of the organization to think about the ways that we provide opportunities to our staff differently than they have thought about it in the past. I want my legacy to be providing that awareness, the consciousness to try and overcome norms that impact in disparate ways. To give a sense of worth and courage to those that don’t believe they are deserving or capable of opportunities in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421181</id><pubdate>2020-02-27T19:17:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota’s Accessible Maps Community of Practice were asked to travel to California to share their work and knowledge around map accessibility best practices for map designers and creators.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota’s Accessible Maps Community of Practice Shares Best Practices with the State of California</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessible maps</Subject><Subject>maps</Subject><Subject>map accessibility</Subject><Subject>digital maps</Subject><Subject>web maps</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>California Mappin’</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Amy Ellison, Cartographer for the State Parks and Trails Division at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources giving a presentation on map accessibility.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-map-presentation-001_tcm38-421145.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Amy Ellison, Cartographer for the State Parks and Trails Division at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources giving a presentation on map accessibility.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-map-presentation-001_tcm38-421146.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-02 - California Mappin’</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-421163&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-26T22:16:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota’s Accessible Maps Community of Practice were asked to travel to California to share their work and knowledge around map accessibility best practices for map designers and creators.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota’s Accessible Maps Community of Practice Shares Best Practices with the State of California</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state of California heard about the incredible work Minnesota’s Accessible Maps Community of Practice had done to create best practices for map designers and creators and asked some of its members to travel to Sacramento to share their knowledge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So the last days of January, Amy Ellison, Cartographer for the State Parks and Trails Division at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Kitty Hurley, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Application Developer for Minnesota IT Services traveled to California. Being savvy map users, they knew there was no beach where they were headed, but they made the trek out west.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Amy and Kitty provided a full day hands-on workshop to 50 attendees representing the spectrum of California state map designers and creators. The workshop provided an overview of the entire process of making accessible maps:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Why accessible maps matter and who benefits.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to incorporate accessibility into map design.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How to use color effectively.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making accessible static maps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making and testing accessible interactive web maps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attendees were able to try out their newfound knowledge in exercises as well as take home copies of our famous &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/CompleteSetAccessibilityQuickCards_tcm38-294078.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Complete Set&quot;&gt;quick cards (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many of the attendees were new to accessibility and expressed varying degrees of astonishment that they could actually make maps accessible for people with disabilities. For example, attendees were interested to learn about the significant numbers of people who were colorblind and how they could implement strategies to make maps more useful for that population.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wish you could have been there? Here’s the next best thing: check out the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Map Accessibility&quot;&gt;Map Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; section of our website!&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421163</id><pubdate>2026-02-09T18:16:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>At the state of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Coordinator meeting, MNIT Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten recognized state employees who had obtained their digital accessibility certification.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Digital Accessibility Certifications: Celebrating State Employees Achievement in Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessibility Certifications</Subject><Subject>Digital Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility Certifications</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A photo of Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten and Chief Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant with the Digital Accessibility Certification recipients.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-certification-001_tcm38-421144.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A photo of Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten and Chief Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant with the Digital Accessibility Certification recipients.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-certification-001_tcm38-421147.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-02 - Digital Accessibility Certifications</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-421160&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-26T22:15:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>At the state of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Coordinator meeting, MNIT Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten recognized state employees who had obtained their digital accessibility certification.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Celebrating State Employees Achievement in Accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the monthly State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Coordinator (DAC) meeting, Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) Deputy Commissioner Jon Eichten recognized state employees who had recently obtained their digital accessibility certification.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Eichten stated that it was critical for the state to increase its capacity for digital accessibility, calling out the need to increase “competencies and skill sets in accessibility at both MNIT and agencies.” He recounted that just that morning at a hearing “the staff in the House were reiterating how they expect any document that gets sent to them for hearings by state agencies to be fully accessible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two groups of state employees were recognized. The first were the employees who had most recently passed the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/cpacccertification&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)&lt;/a&gt;. Those included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kursten Dubbels&lt;/strong&gt; - Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rita Williams-Larson&lt;/strong&gt; - Minnesota IT Services partnering with Pollution Control&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David Andrews&lt;/strong&gt; - State Services for the Blind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Samantha Fischer&lt;/strong&gt; - Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tamara Sawyer&lt;/strong&gt; - Minnesota Management and Budget&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lea Dooley&lt;/strong&gt; - Minnesota IT Services partnering with Department of Human Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jay Wyant&lt;/strong&gt; - Minnesota IT Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second group were those who recently passed the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dhs.gov/office-accessible-systems-technology&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of Accessible Systems and Technology Trusted Tester Version 5 (TTV5) certificate&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;JoAnn Rautio&lt;/strong&gt; - Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kim Wee&lt;/strong&gt; - Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Education&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An even larger cohort was expected to take the exam soon, so watch this newsletter for more updates!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/news/index.jsp?id=38-403321&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Learn More About Digital Accessibility Certifications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>421160</id><pubdate>2020-05-15T14:30:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Dr. Shirley Jackson for her work in physics and nuclear policy. </Description><Audience/><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: World-Renowned Physicist, Dr. Shirley Jackson</Title><Publisher/><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>Shirley Jackson</Subject><Subject>physics</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: Part 3</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Former President Barack Obama giving Dr. Shirley Jackson the National Medal of Science.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/shirley-jackson-001_tcm38-420780.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Former President Barack Obama giving Dr. Shirley Jackson the National Medal of Science.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/shirley-jackson-001_tcm38-420782.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-02 - African American Leaders in Tech: Part 3</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-420788&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-21T19:22:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Dr. Shirley Jackson for her work in physics and nuclear policy. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>World-Renowned Physicist, Dr. Shirley Jackson</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above:&lt;/strong&gt; Former President Barack Obama giving Dr. Shirley Jackson the National Medal of Science. &lt;a href=&quot;https://president.rpi.edu/president-biography&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Photo courtesy of Renseelaer Polytechnic Institute&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring notable African American figures in technology. Every week, we will share an individual who serves as an inspiration for our work as technologists in government services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson was the first African American woman to receive a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Chair the Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner, and to lead a technology-focused university, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Dr. Jackson improved every organization she touched, focusing on the strategic direction and leaving a legacy in her wake.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We who are in leadership positions must embrace not just the concept of mentoring and role modeling, but also the actuality. We must be there, physically, for our youth, and we must set personal examples of commitment, hard work, and adherence to high ethical standards.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;– Dr. Jackson&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Dr. Shirley Jackson&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shirley Ann Jackson grew up in Washington, D.C., graduating from Roosevelt High School at the top of her class. She noted that her love of science was cultivated at home; her parents would encourage and help her on school science projects. Jackson began her time MIT in 1964, as one of only 30 women in her freshman class. While at MIT, Jackson organized the Black Student Union, focusing on expanding the diversity of the student body.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jackson received her doctorate in 1973, as the first African American woman to earn a doctorate from MIT and the second African American woman in the U.S. to earn a Ph.D. in physics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime of Contributions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After graduating from MIT, Dr. Jackson went on to a prolific career in physics, nuclear policy, and finally heading a prominent research institution. She began her career working at research labs: the Fermi National Accelerator Lab in Illinois; the European Center for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland; and finally Bell Labs. Jackson worked at Bell Labs from 1976-1991, focusing her research on theoretical physics, solid state and quantum physics, and optical physics. Her most well-known work from her time revolved around the polaronic aspects of electrons in two-dimensional systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1995, President Clinton appointed Dr. Jackson to serve as Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC is responsible for protecting the public health and safety of Americans related to nuclear energy. During her tenure as Chairman, Dr. Jackson worked to improve the effectiveness of the commission, utilizing a bottom-up strategic assessment of the organization – risk-informed and performance-based. She also established the International Nuclear Regulators Association, which offered advice and assistance to other countries on nuclear safety.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1999, when her term expired at the NRC, Dr. Jackson became the first African American woman to lead a technical research institution was she was appointed President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. She continues to lead RPI today, and brings her strategic and scientific approach to the organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legacy&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Jackson has served on numerous boards, councils, and commissions of both national and international acclaim.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2014-2017&lt;/strong&gt; - President Obama appointed Dr. Jackson as Co-Chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2011-2017&lt;/strong&gt; - Served on the U.S. Secretary of State International Security Advisory Board&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2013-2017&lt;/strong&gt; - U.S. Secretary of Energy Advisory Board&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2019-2014&lt;/strong&gt; - Served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, where she was Co-Chair of the President’s Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lifetime member of the MIT Corporation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Former Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;She holds 53 honorary doctoral degree and has been honored by countless organizations for her commitment and contributions to science. Most notably, Dr. Jack received the W.E.B. DuBois medal from the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard, the Vannevar Bush Award from the National Science Board, and the National Medal of Science awarded by President Obama.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dr. Jackson’s legacy is building even today, for both her expertise in energy policy and her push for the next generation of scientists and technologists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Africana: &lt;a href=&quot;https://books.google.com/books?id=TMZMAgAAQBAJ&amp;amp;pg=RA2-PA333#v=onepage&amp;amp;q&amp;amp;f=false&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Museum of American History: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://americanhistory.si.edu/profile/1235&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Women’s Hall of Fame: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/shirley-ann-jackson/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Shirley Ann Jackson&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New York Times: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/college/faculty/coll_pres_jacksonbio.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Biography of Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D.&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PBS: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/about/meet-our-guests/shirley-jackson&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Finding your roots: Shirley Ann Jackson&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://president.rpi.edu/speeches/2004/keeping-connection&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Office of the President Speeches, March 2004, ‘Keeping the Connection&lt;/a&gt;’”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://news.rpi.edu/luwakkey/2566&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson Appointed to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>420788</id><pubdate>2020-02-21T19:48:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Roy Clay Sr. for his foundation work on the modern computer. </Description><Audience/><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: Godfather of Silicon Valley, Roy Clay Sr</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Roy Clay Sr</Subject><Subject>Roy Clay</Subject><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>silicon valley</Subject><Subject>computers</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: Part 2</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A circuit board.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/circuit-003_tcm38-420273.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A circuit board.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/circuit-003_tcm38-420271.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-02 - African American Leaders in Tech: Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-420269&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-14T17:02:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Roy Clay Sr. for his foundation work on the modern computer. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Godfather of Silicon Valley, Roy Clay Sr.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring notable African American figures in technology. Every week, we will share an individual who serves as an inspiration for our work as technologists in government services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This week, we dive into the technology sector and one of the pioneering figures of the computer era. Roy Clay Sr. was instrumental in both the development of the personal computer, and the development of Silicon Valley. As a pioneer throughout his career, Clay created opportunities for other African Americans in technology, bringing to life his mother’s advice for himself and many others, “You will experience racism for the rest of your life, but don’t you ever let that be a reason why you don’t succeed.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are inspired by the dedication that Clay had to create opportunities for those around him, and by the transformational technology that he developed along the way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Roy Clay Sr.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Roy Clay Sr. was born in Missouri, and raised in the Ferguson, Missouri school system while it was still under segregation. He was a believer in education and reflected on his schooling in Ferguson and the inspiration he received from his teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“My first teacher inspired me to do well. By the time I left that little school, I thought I could learn to do anything.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;– Roy Clay Sr.&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;He was among the first African Americans to attend St. Louis University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1946. He began computer programming in 1956 and worked for the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, where he wrote software that explained how radiation particles spread in the atmosphere after an atomic event. While at Lawrence, Clay made an impression on David Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard Co (HP). After a rigorous interview process, Packard hired Clay to be instrumental in the development of an ambitious project – taking the room-sized computers of the day and making them available for personal use. Clay fostered a creative work environment with his staff – they would play golf together in the morning before coming into the office, and leave the office once their work was completed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime of Contributions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While at HP and afterwards, Clay contributed significantly to the modern computing world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1966&lt;/strong&gt; – Clay was the software development manager and lead developer for the HP2116A, the first computer sold by HP. Clay and his team were able to improve the reliability and size of computing. The HP2116A was only the second 16-bit computer on the market. While at HP, Clay was the first Director of the HP Research and Development Software and Hardware Group, as well as a founding member of the HP Computer Division.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1971&lt;/strong&gt; – At the birth of Silicon Valley, Clay became a consultant who specialized in identifying startups for the venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp;amp; Byers. The companies that he worked with had an immense impact on the future of technology. He is most known for three specific companies: Tandem Computers, Compaq, and Intel Corporation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1977&lt;/strong&gt; – He left HP as the highest-ranking African American to start his own company, ROD-L Electronics.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1977&lt;/strong&gt; – Clay developed the automated Dielectric Withstand (Hipot) Test, which ensures that electrical products don’t shock or start fires. This testing technology, automated in the manufacturing process, was the first of its kind.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legacy&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Outside of his work in the technology sector, Roy Clay Sr. is just as well known for his contribution to the broader community. Clay was the first African American councilman for Palo Alto in 1973 and the first Vice Mayor for the city in 1976. Outside of his work for the city, Clay also was the first African American member of the Olympic Club and founded the Virginia Clay/Unity Care Annual Gold Club Classic in honor of his late wife.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Clay has worked with many community organizations that encourage, “young minorities to design and build technology projects.” While on the city council, he organized networking events for African Americans in the industry. In 2003, Clay was inducted into the Silicon Valley Hall of Fame.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Black Entrepreneur Profiles: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.blackentrepreneurprofile.com/people/person/roy-l-clay-sr&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Roy L. Clay, Sr.&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mercury News: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/08/28/roy-l-clay-sr-how-a-silicon-valley-tech-pioneer-came-close-to-being-michael-brown/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Roy L. Clay Sr.: How a Silicon Valley tech pioneer came close to bring Michael Brown&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;On Tech Street: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://ontechstreet.com/2015/02/roy-clay-sr-godfather-silicon-valley/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Roy Clay Sr., the Godfather of Silicon Valley&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.rodl.com/management.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;ROD-L Electronics website biography&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Root: “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theroot.com/before-bill-gates-there-was-roy-l-clay-sr-1790890151&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Before Bill Gates, There was Roy L. Clay Sr.&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>420269</id><pubdate>2020-02-14T17:27:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Katherine Johnson, one of NASA’s “human computers”.
</Description><Audience/><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: Aerospace Technologist, Katherine Johnson</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Katherine Johnson</Subject><Subject>hidden figures</Subject><Subject>black history month</Subject><Subject>nasa</Subject><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>Aerospace</Subject><Subject>mathematics</Subject><Subject>math</Subject><Subject>human computer</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>African American Leaders in Tech: Part 1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A space shuttle leaving earth&apos;s atmosphere.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/space-shuttle-001_tcm38-419608.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A space shuttle leaving earth&apos;s atmosphere.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/space-shuttle-001_tcm38-419610.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-02 - African American Leaders in Tech: Part 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-419582&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-07T19:45:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring African American figures in technology. In this article we celebrate Katherine Johnson, one of NASA’s “human computers”.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Aerospace Technologist, Katherine Johnson</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is celebrating Black History Month by honoring notable African American figures in technology. Every week, we will share an individual who serves as an inspiration for our work as technologists and in government services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We start out our series with Katherine Johnson. Most of us were introduced to her contributions through the popular book and movie, Hidden Figures, but Katherine has played an important role in the history of science and technology beyond that moment in history.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At MNIT, we are inspired by Katherine Johnson’s dedication to science and technology. She was a lifelong learner who inspires us to explore, innovate, and succeed:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Everything was so new. The whole idea of going into space was new and daring. There were no textbooks, so we had to write them.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;– Katherine Johnson in an interview on March 6, 1996.&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Katherine Johnson&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Katherine Johnson, born Katherine Coleman, grew up in West Virginia and quickly emerged as a standout academic, graduating from high school at age 14 and from West Virginia State College at 18. When West Virginia University began integrating its graduate schools, Johnson was one of three African American students, and the only woman, to begin classes in 1939.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1953, after years as a public-school teacher and stay-at-home mom, Johnson and her family moved to Langley, Virginia for her to begin working for what would become NASA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Many women were hired by NASA for what was considered monotonous and time-consuming work – measuring and calculating the results of wind test tunnels – and were called ‘human computers.’ By 1953, as research into space grew exponentially, so did the demand for mathematicians, leading NACA to expand their workforce by hiring African American women. While Johnson and her African American colleagues faced discrimination within the workplace, as they were forced to used segregated facilities until 1958, she spoke in length about the need to be assertive in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Her dedication to math and science was integral to her life and personality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to the church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed…anything that could be counted, I did.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;- &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-johnson-the-girl-who-loved-to-count&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Katherine Johnson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johnson worked at NASA until retirement in 1986 and by that time she had co-authored or authored 26 scientific papers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lifetime of Contributions&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johnson was an aerospace technologist and her calculations ensured the success of some of NASA’s most important missions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1960&lt;/strong&gt; – Co-authored the article, “Determination of Azimuth Angle at Burnout for Placing a Satellite Over a Selected Earth Position” with engineer Ted Skopinski. This was the first time a woman in the Flight Research Division received credit as an author of a research report.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1961&lt;/strong&gt; – Johnson calculated the trajectory for the flight of Alan Shepard, the first American in space. She also calculated the launch window for his Mercury mission that same year.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1962&lt;/strong&gt; – She is perhaps most well-known for her work on John Glenn’s mission, the first American to orbit Earth. At NASA in 1962, computers programmed the orbital equations but Glenn would not begin his mission until Johnson confirmed the results by hand using a desktop mechanical calculating machine.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1969&lt;/strong&gt; – Her team calculated the trajectory for the Apollo 11 flight to the moon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1970&lt;/strong&gt; – While the Apollo 13 mission was aborted, Johnson calculated backup procedures and charts that made sure the crew landed safely.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legacy&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Johnson is an inspiration for women in the STEM field. Her dedication to the work led to an amazing list of accomplishments that set a path forward for many women behind her. Her contributions in her field enabled a successful space shuttle program and drove decades of research into technology that we use today. While working at NASA, Johnson was a pioneer for the use of computers to perform tasks. NASA noted that Johnson holds a historical role as one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist. In 2015, President Obama awarded Johnson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-g-johnson&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.nasa.gov/feature/katherine-g-johnson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>419582</id><pubdate>2020-02-07T21:15:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is leading the way in addressing the disparities that women in IT face. MNIT employees created a new group to build a network of women leaders in technology. </Description><Audience/><Title>Women in Technology: Building a Network of Women Leaders</Title><Publisher/><Subject>women in IT</Subject><Subject>women in information technology</Subject><Subject>women in tech</Subject><Subject>women in technology</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Women in Technology</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) Jenna Covey speaking to the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-001_tcm38-419036.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) Jenna Covey speaking to the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-001_tcm38-419050.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-02 - Women in Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-419020&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-02-05T18:28:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is leading the way in addressing the disparities that women in IT face. MNIT employees created a new group to build a network of women leaders in technology. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Building a Network of Women Leaders in Technology</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is leading the way in addressing the disparities that women in IT face. Ellena Schoop, an enterprise data architect, and Dr. Annie Porbeni, assistant HR director leverage the statewide Employee Resource Group (ERG) to build a network of women — Women IT ChangeMakers. The resource group will begin the work to address conversations women in IT have been having for years: the difficulty women have moving from traditional business to IT, the lack of promotion opportunity and/or career pathways that support women in technology, wage disparity, among others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“In the coming years, public-sector IT in Minnesota will continue to face challenges retaining talent and competing for talent with the private sector,”&lt;/strong&gt; says MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;“If we want to remove structural inequities and improve the lives of all Minnesotans, our state agency workforce must be reflective of the communities we serve. A diverse workforce dedicated to the mission of helping everyone is our competitive advantage.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Women IT Changemakers began in November 2019 and has grown to include over 100 women throughout the state . This includes private and non-profit partnerships. The group is looking to expand its membership to be inclusive of the technologists and data scientists throughout state government. While MNIT continues to outperform its IT peers when it comes to hiring and retaining women in the workplace, we know that it is important to shed light on this issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since the disparity of women leadership in technology impacts women the most, it is important that women help define and implementable the strategy to close the gap. According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fastcompany.com/90274067/this-is-why-women-leave-jobs-in-tech&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fast Company&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;“This year’s Women in the Workplace survey discovered that one of the biggest hurdles women face is making the leap into management roles. This is an area where women still remain underrepresented as they are less likely to be hired into management roles and even more unlikely to be promoted into them.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This is a retention issue but also a gap in women’s voices,”&lt;/strong&gt; says Ellena Schoop. &lt;strong&gt;“When we don’t have women playing a key role in IT, we miss out on ideas and ingenuity, especially in leadership.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Women IT ChangeMakers established six workgroups that will address these hurdles focused on: accountability, leadership, outreach, education, and awards. These workgroups will create workplans for actions that can take place within the next year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0628_tcm38-419053.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0628&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Enterprise Data Architect, Ellena Schoop speaking to the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0638_tcm38-419054.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0638&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Executive Director of Code Savvy, Jean Weiss speaking to the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0679_tcm38-419055.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0679&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Michelle Tallman speaking to the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0684_tcm38-419056.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0684&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Assistant HR Director, Annie Porbeni speaking to the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0699_tcm38-419057.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0699&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Millicent Kasal speaking to the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0704_tcm38-419058.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;women-it-chagemakers-IMG_0704&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Members of the Women IT ChangeMakers Employee Resource Group working to establish subgroups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>419020</id><pubdate>2020-02-05T19:40:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Wendy Ady, Director of Office 365 Operations and Deployment at Minnesota IT Services addresses the need for a fluid mindset in technology adoption.</Description><Audience/><Title>Technology Through the Decades: Adapting With New Technology</Title><Publisher/><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>skype</Subject><Subject>office 365</Subject><Subject>o365</Subject><Subject>microsoft</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tech Through the Decades: Part 6</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Wendy Ady video conferencing with Chief Technology Officer, Jeff Nyberg.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wendy-ady-001_tcm38-418198.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Wendy Ady video conferencing with Chief Technology Officer, Jeff Nyberg.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/wendy-ady-001_tcm38-418199.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-01 - Tech Through the Decades Part 6</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-418166&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-31T14:35:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>Wendy Ady, Director of Office 365 Operations and Deployment at Minnesota IT Services addresses the need for a fluid mindset in technology adoption.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Adapting With New Technology</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above: &lt;/strong&gt;Wendy Ady video conferencing with Chief Technology Officer, Jeff Nyberg.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The impact that technology has on the everyday lives of Minnesotans is changing exponentially. As we head into 2020, we wanted to reflect on where we were 10 years ago, the challenges and opportunities addressed by technology today, and where we might be headed in 2030. Technology touches nearly every aspect of the services that Minnesota state government provides, and the evolution of those services is underpinned by advances in technology, better business processes propelled by new applications or data management, and a focus on access for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last few weeks, we have been sharing the perspectives of employees from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who work hard every day for the State to ensure that Minnesotans have access to a better government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wendy Ady is the director of Office 365 operations and deployment at Minnesota IT Services and has seen an explosion of technology in the collaboration and productivity tool space over the past decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Wendy Ady&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is an application that was gaining traction 10 years ago?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wendy:&lt;/strong&gt; I recall instant messaging was beginning to become a hot topic. People were excited about the prospect of reducing the number of email messages they had to manage, but were also struggling to identify how something akin to text messaging in their personal lives could be applied in a business context. A common concern of the time was that people might use instant messaging for chatting, which would be a distraction that took time away from meaningful work. In fact, instant messaging with integrated on-demand voice and video call capabilities have become a foundational collaboration tool. It allows us to stay connected and to work with colleagues and business partners among and across geographic boundaries and teams.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has technology changed the way people work over the past decade?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wendy:&lt;/strong&gt; I think we’re in the early stages of a very significant shift right now for people who spend their working hours at a desk, particularly in the productivity tool space. Around 2010, we were already using productivity tools to create artifacts (documents, files, etc.) that could be shared with others. If you wanted to collaborate, you’d put the artifacts in a central location such as a SharePoint site. From there collaboration mostly consisted of turning on track changes and taking turns editing documents. Occasionally, the tools would tell you when it was your turn to take the next action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past 2-3 years we’ve seen exciting and powerful convergence and integration among the tool sets. Now, rather than taking turns editing a document, multiple people can work on that same document simultaneously. We can see the changes others are making and even have dedicated instant message discussions within the document. These functionalities enable people to collaborate in real-time while also keeping a record of the discussion and decisions for those who may need to participate at another time. This type of convergence and integration is going to power and transform the way we work in the new decade.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What ongoing challenges have you seen with recent technology changes?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wendy:&lt;/strong&gt; Being able to keep up with the pace of change and adopting new technology has always been challenging. When new tools or capabilities become available, we wonder: how will this help me; what can I do with it; do I really need it? The challenge for office workers now is that the changes are happening more often, and we need to adapt and adopt incrementally.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People tend to be nimble and more open to rethinking how something is done or presented to them when it happens in our personal interactions with technology. I think we’re still wrestling with the need to compartmentalize work and personal interactions with technology into different silos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At home, people have become more flexible about technology changes. Their phone sends them an update notification that they complete because they know it will make their phone run better or enhance security. They see applications auto-update or have different feature and interfaces without batting an eye and adapt to the new operating procedures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At work, it seems people aren’t as ready to adapt to similar changes with the applications, devices, and systems that we use to complete our daily tasks. However, I believe in the next 10 years, we will need to change that dual mindset – people will have to think about work, and productivity enhancing technology at work, as fluid and flexible as similar technology at home. If you don’t allow time and mental room for incremental adoption, you miss out on the opportunities that new advancements in productivity tool technology can provide. At the pace that things are changing, it will become increasingly harder to catch up once you’re behind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What technology capabilities do you think will be available in 2030?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wendy:&lt;/strong&gt; I think the future will bring continuous change based on human-centered design. Software companies will advance the trend of continually releasing features, collecting light touch or no touch feedback, using AI to assess real-time user experiences and patterns, and reiterating rapidly on that feedback to provide better experiences. By participating in that cycle, the modern office worker will significantly contribute to what appears in subsequent releases. It’s exciting to imagine how the compressed, iterative development and deployment cycle will inform office productivity tools and transform the office worker experience over the next decade.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>418166</id><pubdate>2020-01-31T15:44:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Do you have an accessible PowerPoint template? If so, be sure to use it. If not, you can still create an accessible PowerPoint. Learn how.
</Description><Audience/><Title>PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>PowerPoint</Subject><Subject>checklist</Subject><Subject>how to create an accessible presentation</Subject><Subject>accessible presentation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person writing checkmarks on a checklist.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/checklist-001_tcm38-417668.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person writing checkmarks on a checklist.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/checklist-001_tcm38-417669.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2020-01 - PowerPoint Accessibility Checklist</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-417349&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-27T21:53:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Do you have an accessible PowerPoint template? If so, be sure to use it. If not, you can still create an accessible PowerPoint. Learn how.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How to Create Accessible PowerPoint presentations</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you have an accessible PowerPoint template? If so, be sure to use it. If not, you can still create an accessible PowerPoint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plan Your Content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Include only concepts and brief descriptions on slides, not full sentences.&lt;/strong&gt; This makes it easier to read from the back of the room. It also supports those with difficulty taking notes to remember key points when they review your slides after the event.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Display only simple tables.&lt;/strong&gt; Complex table data is difficult to see from the back of the room and is difficult to make accessible within a PowerPoint presentation. You can show sections of a table on a slide, provide an accessible PDF of a table you are referencing, or highlight key elements of the table in your slides.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use graphics that support your slide topic.&lt;/strong&gt; Graphics help many people with vision understand your topic more quickly but not every slide needs a graphic. Consider it as one tool for communication.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure color is not the only way you are communicating.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Choose video content with accessibility in mind.&lt;/strong&gt; Videos you choose to show during your presentation should have:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accurate captions turned on during your presentation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Description of visuals that are displayed. Consider those that are unable to see. If you close your eyes, can you understand why the presenter selected a video from just the audio?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Create Your Slides&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Every slide needs a unique slide title.&lt;/strong&gt; This is a specific type of content placeholder. Select Home – Arrange – Selection Pane, and check for Title 1.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Font size should be fairly large.&lt;/strong&gt; This needs to be viewable from the back of the room. 24-point font is the minimum size, but we recommend larger.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Font color is important.&lt;/strong&gt; Use a tool like the &lt;a href=&quot;https://developer.paciellogroup.com/resources/contrastanalyser/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Colour Contrast Analyser&lt;/a&gt; to verify your text color contrast is sufficient.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Add alternative text to each graphic.&lt;/strong&gt; A brief description, without the words “graphic” or “picture of,” provides a text description for those using assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use properly formatted tables with the previous font and color considerations.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Don’t use the notes area to add information for your attendees.&lt;/strong&gt; Not everyone can access the notes area easily. Consider providing supplemental information in another format, like an accessible Word document or PDF.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Use meaningful text for links.&lt;/strong&gt; Instead of posting a link like &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mnit/accessibility&lt;/a&gt;, use &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility (mn.gov/mnit/accessibility)&lt;/a&gt;. This makes it easier for those using assistive technology to access the document and provides the link for printed handouts.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test for Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Run the accessibility checker in PowerPoint. Review any identified issues and fix them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do a quick check of alternative text for all images. Sometimes file names sneak in and won’t be caught by the checker.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to View – Outline View. Ensure all text (other than alternative text and tables) is present and remove any extra spaces.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to Home – Arrange – Selection Pane. Content order should be bottom to top for most versions of PowerPoint (at the time of this article).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider Making an Accessible PDF of Your Presentation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can export your PowerPoint presentation using the Acrobat tab within PowerPoint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open the tags pane. Verify that the tags are in the correct order and have the correct type of tag. Run the Acrobat Pro accessibility checker.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is more to testing in Acrobat Pro, so if you plan to create a PDF, reach out to a colleague with experience to help you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything Else?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This checklist was created by the State of Minnesota’s Office of Accessibility to help you consider digital accessibility as you create a PowerPoint, but it does not include tips for all the things you might add into your presentations. Please visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/office?activetab=pivot_1:primaryr2&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Microsoft Accessibility help pages&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>417349</id><pubdate>2020-01-28T16:47:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>With the holidays approaching, sports are a hot topic of conversation. We were curious how national sports teams to ensure the digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible Presentations: Getting Presenter Buy-In</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>PowerPoint</Subject><Subject>presentations</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>Accessible Presentations</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible Presentations</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A panel of presenters speaking to a large group</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/presentation-001_tcm38-330876.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A panel of presenters speaking to a large group</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/presentation-001_tcm38-330878.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-01 - Accessible Presentations</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-417339&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-27T20:13:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>You may have heard that making accessible presentations is hard or it will make your presentation boring. This doesn’t have to be true. Learn more.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Getting Presenter Buy-In</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Dalena Nguyen, Project Analyst and Anne Sittner Anderson, Director of Communications for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility, including communication access and equal opportunity, is at the heart of the work of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. When MNCDHH hosts events and conferences, we make accessibility a priority.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Beginning with our calls for presenter proposals for an upcoming conference or event, we make it clear that presenters must provide accessible slides and handouts for their presentation. This is the only way we can ensure that all our audience members have equal opportunities to access the content before, during, and after the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH also provides information on how to make material accessible, provided by the Minnesota IT Services’ Office of Accessibility. Check out their &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents/powerpoint.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessible PowerPoint&quot;&gt;Accessible PowerPoint Presentations page&lt;/a&gt;. If you would like a condensed version, visit their &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/CompleteSetAccessibilityQuickCards_tcm38-294078.pdf&quot; title=&quot;CompleteSetAccessibilityQuickCards2017&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - Complete Set&quot;&gt;Accessibility Quick Cards (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;. Scroll down to find the PowerPoint quick card.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why Accessible Presentations Matter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When people think about accessibility, they may think of curb cuts or automatic doors. Some presenters may already be strong advocates for captioning and sign language interpreters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unfortunately, many presenters do not realize that document accessibility is just as important as curb cuts and captions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNCDHH has experienced resistance from some presenters about making PowerPoint presentations accessible. This is a common experience also shared by many conference organizers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are the three most common objections MNCDHH has received from presenters:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making my presentation accessible is hard and time-consuming.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It will make my presentation boring and ugly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It does not matter because the people who see my presentation will not need it to be accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are a conference organizer, you may have received these same comments. Here are MNCDHH’s counteracting points.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Making presentations accessible is hard and time-consuming.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This doesn’t have to be true. Making an accessible PowerPoint is not hard and will not consume a lot of time if the built-in accessibility tools are used as the document is being created. It might be harder to add accessibility after a PowerPoint is created, but exactly how hard depends on what the presenter put in the PowerPoint and how the presenter structured the presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It will make my presentation boring and ugly.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An accessible PowerPoint can have photos and designs that make a presentation aesthetically pleasing. There are ways to achieve this that you can find in the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MicrosoftPowerPointQuickCard_tcm38-294083.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Quick Card - PowerPoint&quot;&gt;PowerPoint Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It does not matter because the people who see my presentation will not need it to be accessible.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Yes, it really does matter. There is a portion of the human population that depends on accessibility for equitable access. Creating inaccessible PowerPoint presentations excludes them from being equal participants during the session. Most of the time, presenters do not know who will be in the room during the presentation, and they do not know who will be accessing the PowerPoint on the conference website or app. With 20% of the U.S. population having some type of disability, the chances are high that the accessibility features will make a meaningful difference to some members of the audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is especially important for the deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing population with whom MNCDHH works. At least 40% of deaf people have additional disabilities, as was noted by MNCDHH’s board member, Jamie Taylor, in her message, “&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deaf-commission/news/index.jsp?id=1063-413455&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Why Presenters Need to Make Accessible PowerPoints&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to get support for accessible presentations from presenters.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are the best practices for conference and event organizers to follow while working with their presenters? Along with our tips, MNCDHH is sharing tips from Jeremy DePew, Minnesota IT Services Senior Designer and Communications Advisor and Ryan Odland, Regional Representative of the North Central Region, Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Set a list of minimum requirements for presenters.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I try to set minimum requirements of what needs to be done to their slides before I’ll review their PowerPoint.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Jeremy DePew&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some minimum requirements that conference organizers can share with their presenters:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add alternative text to all images.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a unique title for all slides.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add labels to all pie charts and other graphs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Provide presenters with a pre-built template.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, the presenter needs to use our agency’s PowerPoint template, which has been optimized as an ‘accessible starting place.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Jeremy DePew&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An accessible pre-built template is a great starting point for presenters, who can then customize the template to fit their presentations. This also forces presenters to pay attention to some of the requirements from conference organizers, saving time and energy for everyone. Presenters will still need to make their added content accessible, such as images, titles for slides, pie charts, etc.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be a gracious teacher.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If they are brand new to accessibility, I’m pretty lenient, but am sure to use my interaction as a teaching opportunity, so they can do more on their own the next time around. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Jeremy DePew&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes presenters do not know how to make their PowerPoint presentations accessible and it is a barrier for them. Like Jeremy, MNCDHH is always willing to help our presenters learn how to use the built-in accessibility tools that PowerPoint offers. It is important that all conference and event organizers are willing to provide that same support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember the “teach a man to fish” philosophy. A presenter who grows in his or her understanding of accessibility will continue improving for the presentations they provide in the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Provide ample time to review presentations for accessibility and return them to the presenters for any needed accessibility fixes. Give presenters a reasonable timeline for completing those fixes.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Essentially, if you have another person edit your PowerPoint, you lose out on the quality of information you hope to capture during your presentation. To make the changes yourself, you take the full control of the process and create a lasting imprint on your audience with the information you wish to convey.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Ryan Odland&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the presenters balk at having to make these fixes, connect with them directly (a phone call or in-person meeting may be better than email) to learn about the presenter’s concerns. If the presenter is concerned about his or her time, work with them to craft a doable timeline. If the presenter does not know how to do the fixes, provide guidance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overall, it is much better for everyone if presenters fix their own accessibility issues for their one PowerPoint than for the conference organizer to fix multiple PowerPoint presentations from different presenters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be reachable for both presenters and conference attendees.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This process is a two-way street. To ensure that the participant has the accessible material, it is important to maintain an open communication far in advance to give the presenter ample time to prepare their materials in an accessible format for the participant.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Ryan Odland&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Make sure that both presenters and audience members know how to reach your organization in advance so that they can communicate their questions and needs to you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Promote empathy for audience members.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because there are so many people who need accessible PowerPoints, making your PowerPoints accessible is not about convenience, it’s about equality.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Jamie Taylor&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Share, straight from the horse’s mouth, why accessible documents make a difference! This year, MNCDHH worked with our board member, Jamie Taylor, to craft a &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/qtN_805FvxU&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;special message for future presenters (video)&lt;/a&gt;. We plan to send this video to all our presenters so they understand why we are requiring accessible documents. Our hope is that Jamie’s message will create empathy and support from presenters and motivate them to learn how to create accessible documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You are welcome to share this resource with your presenters too!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Demonstrate the real-life impact of document layouts.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I try to relay to the presenter how their quirky layout choices might impact a real person using assistive technology. For example, by using multiple returns to create extra space between paragraphs (instead of simply adjusting the paragraph spacing option by a few points) the presenter is forcing a screen reader user to listen to “blank, blank, blank” over and over. Annoying, right? This tends to make it real for them.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Jeremy DePew&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is another critical step of building empathy and having a clear communication channel with your presenters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Appeal to the side of efficiency and effectiveness.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Efficiency and effectiveness are the keys. As a presenter, our purpose is to deliver information in the best way possible so they may take away valuable knowledge and tools to enhance their own. The quality of information depends on how accessible the media is to your audience. Do you want this information to be used? If yes, consider how to create such a device that meets your purpose.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;cite&gt;Ryan Odland&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our time and energy are valuable. Presenters are busy professionals who genuinely want to reach their audience. If they understand that creating accessible documents from the beginning will yield the most wins, this should help conference organizers get buy-in from their presenters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Options&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suppose the time has come to post the accessible PowerPoint presentations on the conference website and/or app, and there are presenters who refuse to make their documents accessible. What should conference organizers do? We see two options for state entities:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Option 1:&lt;/strong&gt; Conference organizers can decide to remediate the presentation(s) themselves if they have the staff time and resources to do it. While this may create work for your team at the expense of other projects often at the expense of other projects, conference attendees will have access to accessible documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Option 2:&lt;/strong&gt; Take a firm line and leave the presenter’s PowerPoint as is. Do not post the PowerPoint on the conference website or app. Conference attendees will, unfortunately, not have access to the presentation and may complain. However, this approach demonstrates that your organization clearly supports accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you can see, there is no easy solution. Therefore, supporting our presenters, maintaining a good relationship with them, and getting buy-in is critical to the success and usability of our conferences and events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have additional ideas, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:dalena.nguyen@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;dalena.nguyen@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-417349&quot;&gt;Learn more about how to create accessible PowerPoint presentations.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>417339</id><pubdate>2026-02-09T18:16:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Rick Lorenzen, IT supervisor for the Ecological and Water Resources Office talks about the increasing involvement of technology decisions in business management.</Description><Audience/><Title>Technology Through the Decades: Managing Business with Technology</Title><Publisher/><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>business management</Subject><Subject>natural resources</Subject><Subject>dnr</Subject><Subject>ecology</Subject><Subject>water resources</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tech Through the Decades: Part 5</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Rick Lorenzen holding a ruggedized laptop showing data from a Mille Lacs lake survey.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rick-lorenzen-001_tcm38-416785.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Rick Lorenzen holding a ruggedized laptop showing data from a Mille Lacs lake survey.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rick-lorenzen-001_tcm38-416786.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-01 - Tech Through the Decades Part 5</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-416778&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-21T17:04:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>Rick Lorenzen, IT supervisor for the Ecological and Water Resources Office talks about the increasing involvement of technology decisions in business management.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Managing Business with Technology</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above: &lt;/strong&gt;Rick Lorenzen holding a ruggedized laptop showing data from a Mille Lacs lake survey.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The impact that technology has on the everyday lives of Minnesotans is changing exponentially. As we head into 2020, we wanted to reflect on where we were 10 years ago, the challenges and opportunities addressed by technology today, and where we might be headed in 2030. Technology touches nearly every aspect of the services that Minnesota state government provides, and the evolution of those services is underpinned by advances in technology, better business processes propelled by new applications or data management, and a focus on access for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the last few weeks, we have been sharing the perspectives of employees from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who work hard every day for the State to ensure that Minnesotans have access to a better government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rick Lorenzen is an IT supervisor for the Ecological and Water Resources Office where Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) partners with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He says that one of the biggest changes he’s seen with technology over the past decade is the constant feeling of being “online”. He takes advantage of “airplane mode” when he’s able to be more intentional about his time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Rick Lorenzen&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What were some technology issues that you faced in 2010 that have been addressed as we start 2020?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rick:&lt;/strong&gt; In 2010, the lack of high-speed connectivity and ability to store information digitally were issues. The DNR has many outstate locations that either had terrible bandwidth or didn’t have wireless connections available. Even in our central office in St. Paul, we would have trouble viewing video because of bandwidth issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While data storage issues have mostly been resolved as technology advanced, some of our issues connecting to remote or off-line sites have remained an issue. At the beginning of the past decade, however, we developed a first of its kind system to collect data offline and store it so it could be accessed and loaded to a database at a later point. The system was used to record fish surveys for DNR staff, replacing waterproof paper and pencils. Now we have many offline data collection applications that allow staff to be in the field, or on the water collecting data for later analysis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How has technology changed the way that the DNR operates as an agency?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rick:&lt;/strong&gt; Since I began programming in 1980, business management relied on technologists to manage all the data and their eyes would glaze over during technical conversations. Now, management at DNR, and other organizations, has a lot of interest in the data. A few years ago, it began with an interest in discussing data as a general term – what do we have, how do we use it, how do we protect it. Now, these conversations are shifting into the actual needs of the business – our agency partners. We are finding ourselves responsible for making the data accessible and storing it, and our partners at DNR are making critical business decisions about what to do with it. That is the difference: technical data stewardship versus data ownership. This dynamic has created a stronger relationship with our agency partners at the DNR, we are brought in as technologists to provide tools to help analyze the data for the DNR as a business, and ultimately have an innovative influence on how the data will serve all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some changes in data collection that you expect to see by 2030?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rick:&lt;/strong&gt; I’m hoping we see further advancement in data integration. We have literally hundreds, if not thousands, of small data collections by biologists and researchers that have fulfilled their original purpose for collecting that data for a specific study. However, a large percentage of these data collections, do not contain a unique waterbody identifier because the data collector knew which waterbodies were involved in the study and used an abbreviated name field to tell themselves which lakes were involved during their analysis to produce the report. It’s the same for many other collected data attributes –researchers use abbreviated species names instead of a unique identification code. Without these unique identification codes, we cannot easily connect to worldwide data collections to gain the advantages provided by “big data”. We are now designing systems that ensure a unique identifier is included as part of the data being collected by providing drop-down selection lists for waterbodies and species. Wherever data is being collected, we need to use big data identifiers to match it up with data from other states, federal data, and around the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another hope is that researchers will rely more on analyzing data from sensors and point clouds than they do on data that was hand-collected by humans. Up to now, we have relied more on our human researchers and interns to collect data in the field, but they are human and have the potential to make mistakes. In the beginning of the past decade, some researchers insisted they needed to be able to enter location coordinates by hand because some of their GPS hardware didn’t easily connect with their computer applications. Some of the typed-in locations that were supposed to be on a lake in Minnesota, showed up in Canada or South America when displayed on a map because of human error. Now, we can take for granted that the device used to record the survey results will record the location accurately and no one is retyping location coordinates anymore.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We do work on our end as technologists to minimize human errors during data collection. We can ensure the length of a fish entered is valid for the specific kind of fish while the fish is still in hand. Unfortunately, we cannot prevent some errors, like when a human selects the wrong species from a drop-down list of valid species. Researchers know that when we rely on humans to input data into systems, some portion of the data contains erroneous “noise” that must be filtered out by data analysts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sensors could help with this and help us to identify things in a less error-prone environment. For example, there are researchers using pictures interpreted by special software to identify and track monster-size whale sharks by their markings instead of by embedding tags in their flesh. The special software was adapted from software created for astronomers to identify star clusters in space. Before 2030, I hope we will be able to survey our fish and even identify and track a unique lake trout by taking its picture instead of catching it in a high-mortality gill net.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>416778</id><pubdate>2020-01-22T15:24:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer for the Office of Accessibility breaks down the growth of digital accessibility and opportunities still to be realized with VR.</Description><Audience/><Title>Technology Through the Decades: The Growth of Digital Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Subject>Digital Accessibility</Subject><Subject>augmented reality</Subject><Subject>virtual reality</Subject><Subject>AR</Subject><Subject>VR</Subject><Subject>XR</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>government</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tech Through the Decades: Part 4</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A split screen of close up Jay Wyant texting on a two way pager about the Accessibility Matters video and Jay standing in front of his computer with the video displayed on the screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/jay-wyant-001_tcm38-416042.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Jay Wyant texting on a two way pager about the Accessibility Matters video.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/jay-wyant-001_tcm38-416133.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-01 - Tech Through the Decades Part 4</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-416140&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-14T18:22:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer for the Office of Accessibility breaks down the growth of digital accessibility and opportunities still to be realized with VR.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Growth of Digital Accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above: &lt;/strong&gt;Jay Wyant texting on a two way pager about the Accessibility Matters video. You can &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9dypgQOjV6I&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;watch the video here&lt;/a&gt; or listen to an &lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/5oMPgoU507c&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;audio described version here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The impact that technology has on the everyday lives of Minnesotans is changing exponentially. As we head into 2020, we wanted to reflect on where we were 10 years ago, the challenges and opportunities addressed by technology today, and where we might be headed in 2030. Technology touches nearly every aspect of the services that Minnesota state government provides, and the evolution of those services is underpinned by advances in technology, better business processes propelled by new applications or data management, and a focus on access for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing the perspectives of six employees from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who work hard every day for the State to ensure that Minnesotans have access to a better government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jay Wyant is the Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO) for the Office of Accessibility, housed within Minnesota IT Services. As the Minnesota’s first and only CIAO, hired in 2012, and as a person who was born deaf, he has had a front-row seat in both the evolution of accessibility in technology and as the State has worked to improve the accessibility of its services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Jay Wyant&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are some of the areas where you have seen the most growth in digital accessibility for Minnesota government?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jay:&lt;/strong&gt; It wasn’t too long ago that I was using a 2-way pager to communicate with people. Since then, a lot has happened in the field of accessible technology. The question was whether we had the capacity and leadership support to implement it in our state systems. A key impetus was a coalition of advocates in 2009 who persuaded the legislature to require the state to have a digital accessibility standard. The resulting task force set up such a standard in 2010, and then went back to the legislature the next year to ask for funding to create the Office of Accessibility, to be run by a Chief Information Accessibility Officer. Having such an Office has been key to increasing awareness of agencies’ responsibility to implement accessible standards and technology across state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past decade, one of the biggest changes I’ve seen is the almost uniform inclusion of responsive design in our websites. While mobile sites are not inherently accessible, the principles of designing for mobile tend to create more accessible sites. Now, most public-facing websites that are run by the State are mobile friendly. Agencies are working hard to update their public-facing applications and other digital services to support mobile users, which makes the technology much more accessible for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another key change is the growth of digital accessibility as a body of practice. When I started at the State, it was not possible to get people certified in accessibility but a few years ago a worldwide organization, the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), started establishing certifications. This was a tremendous advancement because not only did it provide state employees with an incentive to learn more about accessibility, but it also codified that digital accessibility is a profession with specific internationally-recognized skillsets.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a development in digital accessibility that has also hit mainstream technology?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jay:&lt;/strong&gt; It is much more common now to have online videos that are captioned. While people with disabilities remain key drivers, there are other factors at play, such as teenagers and young adults who are used to having it on their TVs. So, it made sense to them to add text to their videos so that they are sharable around the world. It follows a trend where newer technologies are built with accessibility in mind. For example, accessibility is built very effectively into our smart phones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other examples of how technology providers are supporting accessibility functions include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot;&gt;The popularity of “dark mode.” Color inversion was initially developed to support people with low vision. Now, many users understand the value of this function and use it to customize how to view their screens, although not all dark mode designs are necessarily accessible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot;&gt;Alternative (alt) text. Content management systems and social media sites now commonly support this feature. Facebook takes this one step further, automatically adding alternative text to images – now users must edit the text to make it more accurate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What advancements will help improve digital accessibility even more by 2030?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jay:&lt;/strong&gt; The new frontier is immersive technology. Most people know about virtual reality, or VR, which is a computer-generated simulation or recreation of a real-life environment or situation. VR does this through vision and sight, often through 360-degree views and making sounds appear as if they are coming from different locations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then there’s AR, or augmented reality – the layering of computer-generated images or other stimuli on top of existing reality. The first-down line that football broadcasters overlay on the field is a simple example of augmented reality. Three-dimensional architectural renderings on photos of existing sites are another. Holograms and motion-activated commands are other examples.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On top of that, some people are promoting another term, XR, for extended reality to refer to all computer-generated real/virtual environments. It can be VR, AR, or even combined VR and AR.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whatever you call it, immersive technology can make things more accessible for some, but more difficult for others. For example, how do you account for captioning when you’re inside the VR event. Should the captions stay in the same place? If you’re in a virtual event with multiple speakers scattered in an area, should each have its own set of captions? Or perhaps only appear when you stare or press a button?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is important that digital accessibility is not an afterthought but included in every discussion so that the technology is available for the most amount of people. Otherwise, we’ll be in a position where the State will want to use advanced technology but can’t because it isn’t accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Along with immersive technology or XR, artificial intelligence (AI) offers huge promise along with challenges. We are already seeing companies leverage AI for accessibility. For example, Facebook uses AI to generate the alternative text on images. Just as with XR, we need to make sure that the State harnesses AI so that it expands the potential population that can access information as well as improve the State’s efficiency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There has been increased visibility of people with disabilities and the value of accessibility in the past few years. We are now more aware of what we need to do as a State to make it more welcoming and functioning for all. I am excited for the help and support of our partners to work to accomplish that over the next few years.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>416140</id><pubdate>2020-01-14T18:46:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Brenda Gabriel, Division Manager partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health talks about the evolution of data storage and machine learning for the State.</Description><Audience/><Title>Technology Through the Decades: How Big Data Changes Our Ability to Solve Citizen Problems</Title><Publisher/><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>data</Subject><Subject>data storage</Subject><Subject>machine learning</Subject><Subject>ai</Subject><Subject>artificial intelligence </Subject><Subject>minnesota</Subject><Subject>government</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tech Through the Decades: Part 3</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Brenda Gabriel standing in front of the a row of computer servers.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/brenda-gabriel-001_tcm38-415891.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Brenda Gabriel standing in front of the a row of computer servers.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/brenda-gabriel-001_tcm38-415892.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-01 - Tech Through the Decades Part 3</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-415887&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-09T21:12:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Brenda Gabriel, Division Manager partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health talks about the evolution of data storage and machine learning for the State.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How Big Data Changes Our Ability to Solve Citizen Problems</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above: &lt;/strong&gt;Brenda Gabriel standing in front of the a row of servers.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The impact that technology has on the everyday lives of Minnesotans is changing exponentially. As we head into 2020, we wanted to reflect on where we were 10 years ago, the challenges and opportunities addressed by technology today, and where we might be headed in 2030. Technology touches nearly every aspect of the services that Minnesota state government provides, and the evolution of those services is underpinned by advances in technology, better business processes propelled by new applications or data management, and a focus on access for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing the perspectives of six employees from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who work hard every day for the State to ensure that Minnesotans have access to a better government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brenda Gabriel is a division manager, working with MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). She has seen Minnesota technology come a long way since she started as a computer operator (loading cards into a computer). She started with the state in 1991 with the MN Revisors of Statutes Office and then transferred to MDH in 1998. She recently was part of a team that migrated a large number of MDH applications to cloud-based servers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Brenda Gabriel&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What trends were you starting to see a decade ago that are increasingly true now?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brenda:&lt;/strong&gt; There is a lot of information that can be used to inform business. To achieve this outcome many barriers need to be overcome. A few of those obstacles are data agreement, data cleaning, how to store the data for optimal output and the right analytical tool(s). It became increasingly transparent that we didn’t have the luxury of building big data warehouses. The process was slow and information quickly became outdated. If you spent two years building a data warehouse, by the time it was scrubbed to be usable information, it would be out of date. At the Department of Health, the data could be health care claims information that researchers would use to understand trends like health care costs or uninsured rates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, we can store much of these big data sets on cloud-based servers, and even automate some of the manual data scrubbing with machine learning, meaning that researchers can spend more time analyzing the information. This can start to really impact people’s lives when the analytics finds trends like a certain medication is being over administered across the state or certain actions are happening in a care facility. The agency can create more targeted education materials that would address these issues. My prediction is that these changes will keep growing – that in 10 years, we can automate a minimum of 30 percent of labor-intensive work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What has been accomplished with data that you never imagined possible?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brenda:&lt;/strong&gt; The explosion of data that makes you think about how you collect, secure, and transform information for new uses. Data governance is critical because we can have these discussions with our business partners and ensure that we are using proper data use agreements at all levels of government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You need to work with your business partners on data governance. Now, it’s not the technology that is holding our work back – the tech can do almost whatever people want to do. We ask questions about what can be done with the data beyond its original collection case to solve real problems for people. In order to use information differently you need to work on creating a strong data governance with your business partners to ensure information uses are approved and secured.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What capabilities do you hope to be available by 2030?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brenda:&lt;/strong&gt; We can use our role as technologists to create accessible services for anyone. The technology is coming that will remove barriers for constituents – they shouldn’t have to go to a building to receive a license or mail in a form to request a birth or death certificate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At MDH, our next frontier is also dealing with different epidemics or health conditions. We want to be able to set up different systems to collect information that is emerging at the time of a public health emergency, and then exchange that information with external partners in a more consistent format. We have already begun our work on preparing for public health emergencies with the Medical PreCheck and POD Locator applications that allows for rapid distribution of life saving medication during an emergency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I haven’t seen anything slow down in technology, only speed up. There’s a lot of good that can come from new innovations, but we need to keep our humanity in mind. At MDH, my goal is to be proactive and intentional with our work.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>415887</id><pubdate>2020-01-14T18:46:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Hal Watson, GIS Section Supervisor, was recently awarded the Manager of the Year by MNIT and shares a few tips for managing at an IT agency. 
</Description><Audience/><Title>Meet the Technologist: Translating Leadership Skills Into Successful IT Projects</Title><Publisher/><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>it</Subject><Subject>information technology</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Subject>management</Subject><Subject>it manager</Subject><Subject>it supervisor</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Meet the Technologist</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hal Watson stand in front of a white board that reads: understand your values, embrace complexity, encourage entrepreneurism, and make room in the story for everyone.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hal-watson-001_tcm38-415254.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Hal Watson stand in front of a white board that reads: understand your values, embrace complexity, encourage entrepreneurism, and make room in the story for everyone.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hal-watson-001_tcm38-415255.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-01 - Meet the Technologist</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-415257&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-03T21:54:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hal Watson, GIS Section Supervisor, was recently awarded the Manager of the Year by MNIT and shares a few tips for managing at an IT agency. 
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Translating Leadership Skills Into Successful IT Projects</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hal Watson leads an 11-member team at MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and was recognized as “Manager of the Year” at our 2019 annual award ceremony for his contributions to MNIT and for his mission-oriented leadership. Hal instigates year-round discussions with his team about how they can provide the best geographic information system (GIS) tools and analysis to the DNR and help manage and conserve the State’s natural resources. He came to the State with a background in conservation as the GIS coordinator for The Nature Conservancy’s Midwest region. Now his team delivers enterprise data, software, and spatial analysis tools to DNR staff across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of our “Meet the Technologist” series, we sat down with Hal to see what we could learn about his guiding principles for leadership and how that connects Minnesotans to a better government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Hal Watson, GIS Section Supervisor&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are key elements to your leadership style?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hal:&lt;/strong&gt; I always have four phrases on the whiteboard in my office: understand your values, embrace complexity, encourage entrepreneurism, and make room in the story for everyone. These principles give me a roadmap for my interactions with my team and provide a framework for how we can be most successful. I know that if we can deliver the best geospatial products and services to the DNR, we are able to help make Minnesota a better place and help preserve our natural resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s talk about the first one. Why is it important that we have an organization which understands its values?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hal:&lt;/strong&gt; This is the most important principle that we can embrace. Along with shared experiences, shared values are key to developing a cohesive team because they define who you are as a group. Several years ago, I asked my team what values they brought to work with them every day. Then, on one of our annual off-site section meetings we discussed them together and committed to five guiding values which now define our group culture. For us those values are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Respect ─ Honoring the worth and dignity of others. We work hard to treat others with the fairness and courtesy they deserve.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Humor ─ It is important for us to be able to laugh at ourselves and with each other.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Integrity ─ We value trustworthiness, honesty, and uprightness of character. When we say we’ll do something, we do it or explain to you why not. When things go wrong, we take responsibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learning ─ Learning new things is a lifelong process, and we want to learn every day.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Positive Attitude ─ Because it’s always better working with positive people.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now when we get together to discuss our goals and our plans for the year, we make sure to take some time to have a conversation about one of these values – we tell each other stories about how we’ve seen them in action or share the challenges we’ve faced in living up to our ideals. Our common values are something we all agree to hold each other to. They form the bedrock upon which our mission, our vision, and our strategy is built.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does “embracing complexity” mean to you?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hal:&lt;/strong&gt; When we approach problems, whether it’s from a group perspective or a technical issue, we shouldn’t try to reduce a problem in a way that forces it to fit to the solutions that we already bring to the table. That’s very tempting, especially because our agency partners often don’t know what is and isn’t possible. My team often works with field researchers that have complex issues they are trying to model or address. I encourage folks to try to look at and understand a problem in all its complexity. Yes, there are often limits to how you can respond, but at least you are making informed decisions in a collaborative manner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On a personal level, everyone has challenges they are facing in their personal and professional lives. As a co-worker we often must look below the surface when we are struggling to work with others in productively. Usually when there is a significant problem between staff or teams there is more than one factor feeding into it, or multiple problems are happening at several levels. Complexity is something that should be embraced, understood, and worked through. We look for elegant solutions, but there is no short-cut to getting there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do you encourage entrepreneurism?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hal:&lt;/strong&gt; People need to be given space to be creative. I try to give my team an environment where people can be rewarded for their creativity in ways that make them feel good. For example, we have set up a system where my team can be entrepreneurial about how they train DNR staff in computer mapping and spatial analysis. The more training they do and the more successful they are at it, the more opportunities they have for professional development for themselves and their teammates, creating a wonderful positive feedback loop. Our GIS trainers are able to have more control over how they are growing as an employee, and they bring opportunity to everyone else on the team as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is it so important to make room for everyone in the story?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hal:&lt;/strong&gt; This is a lesson I learned from one of my mentors. When you are working on a team – aside from tackling the obvious job at hand – one of the invisible things that is going on is that you are writing a story about how people in the group value and relate to one another. Often when we walk into a room there is that one person who we find it difficult to work with – for whatever reason. Paradoxically, those are the people from whom you can learn the most about yourself, which is the silver lining. The difficulty may stem from a personality difference or the person being at a different stage in professional development, but “making room in the story for everyone” forces you to find common ground. You can’t give up on that person. It’s not easy, but it’s our job to develop solutions, applications, and training for people that meets them where they are standing, and the process we use to accomplish that starts with trust and must encourage them to join with us and write that story together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there projects where you have been successful because of these principles?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hal:&lt;/strong&gt; One of my favorite projects is a fish telemetry application that allows researchers to visualize the movement of fish up and down several river systems in Minnesota. For years now, researchers at the DNR have been tracking fish in the Mississippi and other rivers utilizing transponders and receivers that collect millions of location records as the fish move up and downstream. Along with the big data/sensor aspect of it, the project was very complex because the researchers hadn’t really ever analyzed their own processes and thought about how they did their work, and the language to do that was just plain unfamiliar to them. It was frustrating on both sides and took a lot of patience and persistence to slowly uncover the full picture of what they were doing and figure out how to create a system to account for their research process. We had to meet each other halfway, which required everyone to let go of their initial expectations. In the end, together we created a system where they can explore their data visually and temporally. Now they can better understand how fish are moving through various lock and dam systems along the river, how and where individual fish travel over their lifetimes, and better assess threats to fish in the river system. Along the way my team was able to explore NoSQL technology and solve some very interesting problems about how to create effective visualizations given the complicated and dense nature of their data.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>415257</id><pubdate>2020-01-06T17:32:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Rohit Tandon talks about the ways publicized security incidents have changed how government and the private sector think about cybersecurity.</Description><Audience/><Title>Technology Through the Decades: How Increased Awareness in Cybersecurity Impacts on Consumer Privacy</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>cyber security</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>information security</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>state government</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>electronic devices</Subject><Subject>mobile devices</Subject><Subject>cell phone</Subject><Subject>ipod</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tech Through the Decades: Part 2</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Rohit Tandon sitting at his desk working on a computer while listening to an ipod.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rohit-001_tcm38-415209.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Rohit Tandon sitting at his desk working on a computer while listening to an ipod.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rohit-001_tcm38-415210.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2020-01 - Tech Through the Decades Part 2</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-415213&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2020-01-03T19:21:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>Rohit Tandon talks about the ways publicized security incidents have changed how government and the private sector think about cybersecurity.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How Increased Awareness in Cybersecurity Impacts on Consumer Privacy</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above:&lt;/strong&gt; Rohit Tandon sitting at his desk working on a computer and listening to an ipod.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The impact that technology has on the everyday lives of Minnesotans is changing exponentially. As we head into 2020, we wanted to reflect on where we were 10 years ago, the challenges and opportunities addressed by technology today, and where we might be headed in 2030. Technology touches nearly every aspect of the services that Minnesota state government provides, and the evolution of those services is underpinned by advances in technology, better business processes propelled by new applications or data management, and a focus on access for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing the perspectives of six employees from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who work hard every day for the State to ensure that Minnesotans have access to a better government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rohit Tandon is the Interim Chief Information Security Officer for Minnesota IT Services. He says he lives on technology now, even more so than a decade ago – if he writes something down on paper, he tends to be able to find, sort, and archive it only when it’s in a digital state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Rohit Tandon, Interim Chief Information Security Officer&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you think back to a decade ago, how were you using technology?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rohit:&lt;/strong&gt; The mobile device as your central/only device was just becoming a thing. I remember I still had to carry around my phone and iPod so that I could listen to music, but I was really looking forward to a time when I could have an unlimited stream of music that I wanted to listen to on my phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the phone was becoming a centralized place to gather information, it also was able to become your email, GPS, calendar, and even note taker. I used Evernote to take notes, instead of carrying around a pen and paper, which allowed me to be more efficient with categorizing and accessing information at work. I expected there to be even more of an infusion of this mobile platform – wherever I went, I could keep my technology with me and there was an App for that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past decade, this has completely turned out to be true. At work and home, I live on technology. By utilizing my phone and technology to manage daily checks and balances like my calendar, home security system and lighting, and even note taking, I can offload simple mental tasks and focus my energy into more meaningful activities at work and with my family.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is the biggest change in your field over the past decade?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rohit:&lt;/strong&gt; The biggest change is the increased security awareness. There has been a compiling impact on the visibility of cybersecurity from both consumer data breaches and election security. Previously cybersecurity was thought of a backend issue -- it was not at the forefront of business decisions. Then consumers felt the impact of data breaches at places like Target, Home Depot, and Equifax. There was a consumer push for more investment in cybersecurity. At the same time the 2016 elections put a lot of media pressure on security from a national level. We started thinking about what cybersecurity means for social media and news sites, and how the information that we put online becomes public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The push for investment and understanding of cybersecurity then just compounded. For example, during the 2019 legislative session, MNIT received funding that will allow our security team to, among other things, deploy cybersecurity tools that will improve detection and blocking of attacks, create training that will help state employees spot phishing emails, and improve our response times and awareness of threats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another change over the past decade is that our tools have become much more mature in preventing and detecting cyber attacks. We can better understand the doors that cyber criminals unlock, or the data and information that is accessed, even when that behavior is anonymous. We also leverage AI in our software to understand and address anomalies in the behavior of what an end-user should be doing. It allows us to quickly address a potential incident for our state systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a challenge in cybersecurity that you hope to be addressed by 2030?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rohit:&lt;/strong&gt; I heard a great analogy from Sonil Yu. We treat our systems and devices as pets; we want them to live forever, taking care of them and becoming attached to them in a static state. However, as cyber criminals become more sophisticated, we have a constant need for updating our software, infrastructure, and systems. From what we’ve seen with the rise of ransomware and other attacks over the past few years, we need to treat our technology as disposable and become comfortable with a cycle of constantly replacing and investing in it as such. This probably sounds cold-hearted towards technology, but unlike pets we need to be comfortable letting go of our systems and devices when they are sick or aging but still alive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I also think there will be a conscious effort to gain control of the privacy that we have given up. As cookies and bots grow more sophisticated, we should be thinking about whether we would be comfortable if the information that is on our screens would be broadcasted in a public square. The history of our searches, purchases, and activity online is creating a repository of information where some software may know more about you than your family. I think there will be a fight back for privacy, led by a younger generation that does not feel the need to expose all their information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any crazy predictions about security for 2030?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rohit:&lt;/strong&gt; I am going to take a wild guess and say quantum computing will change everything about encryption by 2030. Quantum computing could crack encryption by doing exponentially more calculations at a time, not just checking whether the code reads a “1” or “0” like current computing platforms. Encrypted data allows us to protect information and relies on the fact that it takes current computing processes an infinite amount of time to break the encryption. It is a security change that could revolutionize the industry.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>415213</id><pubdate>2020-01-03T19:25:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We sat down with GIS Data Specialist, Nancy Rader to talk about how technology has and can increase access to geospatial data.</Description><Audience/><Title>Technology Through the Decades: Increasing Access to Geospatial Data Through Technology</Title><Publisher/><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>gis data</Subject><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>technology</Subject><Subject>state government</Subject><Subject>minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tech Through the Decades: Part 1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Nancy Rader sitting in her cubicle reading an old printed catalog of geographic data next to her computer monitor showing the new Geospatial Commons.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nancy-rader-001_tcm38-414684.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Nancy Rader sitting in her cubicle reading an old printed catalog of geographic data next to her computer monitor showing the new Geospatial Commons.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/nancy-rader-001_tcm38-414686.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-12 - Tech Through the Decades Part 1</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-414675&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-30T21:05:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>We sat down with GIS Data Specialist, Nancy Rader to talk about how technology has and can increase access to geospatial data.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Increasing Access to Geospatial Data Through Technology</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured Above:&lt;/strong&gt; Nancy Rader sitting in her cubicle reading an old printed catalog of geographic data next to her computer monitor showing the new Geospatial Commons, an online collaborative space for users and publishers of geospatial data.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The impact that technology has on the everyday lives of Minnesotans is changing exponentially. As we head into 2020, we wanted to reflect on where we were 10 years ago, the challenges and opportunities addressed by technology today, and where we might be headed in 2030. Technology touches nearly every aspect of the services that Minnesota state government provides, and the evolution of those services is underpinned by advances in technology, better business processes propelled by new applications or data management, and a focus on access for all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing the perspectives of six employees from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) who work hard every day for the State to ensure that Minnesotans have access to a better government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Q&amp;amp;A with Nancy Rader, GIS Data Specialist&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nancy Rader is a GIS data specialist who works in the Geospatial Information Office at MNIT. Over the past decade, she says that technology has most changed her life by giving her the ability to find information and answer questions without having to physically go somewhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What problems did you think technology would be able to solve by 2020? Has that happened?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nancy:&lt;/strong&gt; While my job has always focused on improving access to geospatial data so that as many people as possible can use it, how we accomplish that goal has changed so dramatically over the past two decades that it is almost unrecognizable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 1996, I was hired to fill orders for geospatial data since most of it was not available online. Every time someone requested data, I would help them choose what they needed from our printed catalogue that described the available datasets: county boundaries, public land survey lines, stream and river locations, road maps, elevation grids, etc. Everything was a custom order that involved finding the data on storage tapes, copying it onto CDs and then mailing it. The staff time and materials costs meant that we had to charge users for the data, which raised some equity issues. People that had money to pay for the information could purchase it, but cost was a huge barrier to students, general members of the public, and nonprofits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the cost of data storage plummeted and data transfer speeds improved in the 2000s, we were able to start putting data sets online for free download. At first, each agency developed their own distribution site. Then, agencies worked together to develop the Minnesota Geospatial Commons, which launched in 2015, replacing the individual sites. The Commons is now a single place that anyone with internet access can use to find and access Minnesota geospatial information at no charge. The site is self-service and available 24/7; the content is provided by state agency and local partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The time and cost savings, and the increase in number of people served, has been tremendous. In the late ‘90s, I filled about 100 data orders a year; now tens of thousands of people access the Commons resources, currently numbering 844 datasets, applications and web services. They can download data or, increasingly, access the data via web services without having to download it at all. Our imagery service, which is used to display many years of air photos, is accessed several million times per month. As people spend less time and money acquiring data, they can spend more time on value-added analyses that benefit citizens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is one thing that hasn’t changed with the increased access to geospatial data over the past decade?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nancy:&lt;/strong&gt; The need for collaboration. We have always worked together to share information with our community and to find technology solutions that enable us to share more effectively and efficiently. The specifics and software may change, but the desire to provide useful, documented information remains the same. I couldn’t do my job without cooperative and collaborative colleagues who are motivated by our shared goal of making information more available and useful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What do you hope will be available by 2030 that will increase access to geospatial data even more?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nancy:&lt;/strong&gt; A first hope is for increased access to historical data since people need that to see how the physical and cultural landscape has changed over time. For example, to assess the effectiveness of a change in policy, they may need to know how patterns of land use or land ownership have evolved, or where the quantity and quality of wetlands are changing, or where road or stream locations have been in the past. The Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council, which we have been a part of since its inception, has an archiving workgroup dedicated to these issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A second hope is for increased capabilities to compile and maintain statewide datasets from locally-sourced data. One example project is Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1). In cooperation with Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Communications Network (ECN), we are aiding local GIS data providers by hosting data, building data quality workflows, and enabling the sharing of geospatial data that helps send a caller experiencing an emergency to the right 9-1-1 call center quicker and with more accuracy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything else about how you think technology will change how we interact with government?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nancy:&lt;/strong&gt; We are heading into an era of data overload. As we add information, we must make sure it is of high quality and is worth finding, not just clutter. We also need to talk more with the end users of our systems to see how we can better help solve their problems and answer their questions. For me, the focus will be on the people that use, or could use, the Geospatial Commons. In light of how much has changed so quickly, it’s exciting to think of what else lies ahead.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>414675</id><pubdate>2019-12-30T21:38:01Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Ten State of Minnesota employees were finalists or recipients of awards recognizing their advocacy, skills, and work in digital accessibility this November and December. 
</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota Employees Recognized for Their Work in Digital Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>awards</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Subject>advocacy</Subject><Subject>government</Subject><Subject>IT awards</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Excellence in Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes presenting David Andrews with an award at the Golden GOVIT Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gov-it-awards-2019-002_tcm38-413705.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes presenting David Andrews with an award at the Golden GOVIT Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gov-it-awards-2019-002_tcm38-413710.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-12 - Excellence in Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-413701&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-18T22:30:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>Ten State of Minnesota employees were finalists or recipients of awards recognizing their advocacy, skills, and work in digital accessibility this November and December. 
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State of Minnesota Employees Recognized for Their Work in Digital Accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Think back to Minnesota, in the year 2009. How often did the phrase “digital accessibility” come up in your work conversations, meetings, or at conferences?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you read about people being recognized for their work in this area? How about being recognized for work in accessibility with an award that was not focused on digital accessibility?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For many of us that work in this area, the answer was: seldom or never.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fast forward to 2019…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nine state employees in Minnesota were finalists for awards recognizing their advocacy, skills, and work in digital accessibility this November and December. Better yet, one state employee won an award! You read that correctly, 10 state employees in 2 months!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, a little about them and the non-accessibility focused awards for which they were nominated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Quality Assurance Teams Championing Digital Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Team of the Year award recognizes an operational team across the agency that provides excellent customer service for both the executive branch partners and Minnesotans using state technology. At MNIT, accessibility is a part of the agency’s quality assurance work and when MNIT announced the finalists for this annual award, not one but two quality assurance teams were recognized.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/quality-assurance-team-001_tcm38-413712.jpg&quot; title=&quot;quality-assurance-team-001&quot; alt=&quot;MNIT Central’s Quality Assurance Team receiving their award on stage and smiling, one giving a thumb’s up. Others on stage are applauding.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;quality-assurance-team-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first finalist, MNIT Central’s Quality Assurance Team, is often in the right place, at the right time. They are an important part of large teams working on projects that impact all state employees. Their projects include major system upgrades and rollouts of new products and services. In meetings they are often the ones asking, “What about accessibility?” because they know that early consideration improves the accessibility of projects overall, and saves time and money. This year they went from a team that thought about the importance of digital accessibility to incorporating it into their projects and creating plans to increase their knowledge of digital accessibility. In addition, they were major players in the digital accessibility testing of a large system upgrade, while working in partnership with the Office of Accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Also recognized as finalists, the MNIT partnering with the Department of Human Services EAQAT Team is passionate about the relationship between quality assurance and digital accessibility. The team’s primary focus is creating quality assurance (QA) test plans, test cases, and QA test closure documents that address digital accessibility. This team uses and develops data collection tools, shares information, and takes pride in the work they do every day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/quality-assurance-team-002_tcm38-413713.jpg&quot; title=&quot;quality-assurance-team-002&quot; alt=&quot;MNIT Partnering with DHS’ EAQAT Team posing with Commissioner Tomes and their certificates.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;quality-assurance-team-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Inspiring Leaders&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gov-it-awards-2019-001_tcm38-413711.jpg&quot; title=&quot;gov-it-awards-2019-001&quot; alt=&quot;MNIT Commissioner Tomes, David Andrews, and Kim Wee at the Golden GOVIT Awards.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gov-it-awards-2019-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Golden GOVIT Awards are given at the Government IT Symposium in Minnesota, held every December. They “recognize government agencies and other public sector institutions that have advanced government technology through collaboration, innovation and service.” Nominations were given by peers, to those they felt champion and implement innovation, inspire collaboration, are focused on improving service, and demonstrate “a personal commitment to advancing the professional and career development of him/herself as well as others in their agency.” Two state employees that have dedicated their careers to digital accessibility were selected as finalists.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Wee has a passion to ensure all Minnesotans are able to use the information developed in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) “in the same way, regardless of their disability or special technology needs.” As a MNIT employee, she is always learning about digital accessibility and applications, participating in accessibility committees, and building websites with accessibility in mind. She presents locally and nationally on digital accessibility and is known as an accessibility expert by her colleagues at MNIT, MDE, and in other agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;David Andrews, Chief Technology Officer at State Services for the Blind, won the Golden GOVIT Individual Leader Award! He is known by many in the community not only for his long-standing commitment to improving digital accessibility in the state, but also for his willingness to share his knowledge and train others. Dave&apos;s advocacy as part of a group of dedicated individuals led to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The passing of the State of Minnesota’s digital accessibility law,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The hiring of the Chief Information Accessibility Officer, and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The establishment of the Office of Accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of this journey, he co-chaired the Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee for the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Others around the world know Dave as a member of the Minnesota Assistive Technology Advisory Council, an author and invited expert on the ePUB Accessibility 1.0 W3C submission in 2017, and conference presenter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Impact&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is most remarkable about these awards is that neither were specifically looking for individuals that work in digital accessibility and yet these individuals and teams stood out. Some colleagues will read the nominations and learn about digital accessibility for the first time. Others will better understand how digital accessibility is an important part of all digital information work: its purchase, creation, and upgrading/maintenance. Best of all, this is where we want digital accessibility to be – a part of everyday technology conversations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is a great way to close this calendar year on a high note. Let’s celebrate the achievements of these individuals and the dedication of the Minnesota digital accessibility community. This is a strong (and growing) community!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider your own team members doing great work in digital accessibility. In 2020, commit to seeking out opportunities to help others learn the value your colleagues bring as they promote inclusion and create digital spaces and information that can be used by all.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>413701</id><pubdate>2019-12-19T13:46:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Internships are the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the working world and explore potential career options. Here are some tips to land your next internship.</Description><Audience/><Title>How to get an Internship</Title><Publisher/><Subject>intern</Subject><Subject>internship</Subject><Subject>career</Subject><Subject>career development</Subject><Subject>IT jobs</Subject><Subject>IT Careers</Subject><Subject>IT internships</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>State of Minnesota jobs</Subject><Subject>State of Minnesota careers</Subject><Subject>State of Minnesota internships</Subject><Subject>jobs</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>How to get an Internship</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two women looking at a laptop computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-working-006_tcm38-413706.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two women looking at a laptop computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-working-006_tcm38-413708.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-12 - How to get an Internship</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-413689&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-18T22:12:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Internships are the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the working world and explore potential career options. Here are some tips to land your next internship.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A Former Office of Accessibility Intern&apos;s Advice for Landing Your Next Internship</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Molly, Former Office of Accessibility Intern, now Studying Abroad!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Internships are the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the working world and explore potential career options. As the holiday season approaches, you may have relatives asking about your job search and though the prying is well-intentioned, below is some advice that might help you land an internship and get your relatives off your back (no, Auntie Brenda I don’t have a job yet)!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What You Can Learn From Internships&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The stereotypical internship includes: making coffee runs, getting stuck doing all the photocopying and printing, and learning exactly zero job skills. I’m happy to report I’ve never found that the case with my actual internship. I gained valuable professional skills working in the Office of Accessibility at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). Since digital accessibility involves working with many different types of documents, I was able to create and remediate PDFs. Working to make documents accessible also helped grow my technical knowledge; I improved my ability to use and learn new software. The Accessibility internship also improved my communication skills because I had to communicate about deadlines or my capacity to work on certain projects. Even better, I only was stuck with printing duty one time which ended in an almost-jammed printer (whoops)!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The All-Powerful Resume&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a fellow internship-seeker, I know one of the most nerve-wracking parts of applying for jobs is worrying if your resume is good enough. Below are a few tips:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brag a little in your resume.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;While the goal of a resume is to list off your work experience, don’t downplay the roles and responsibilities you held. For example, not only were you a part of Rocket Club, you were chosen to co-lead and coordinate all efforts to build a functioning rocket!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Talk about translatable skills!
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have you studied abroad? Mention how that experience helped you become more confident and self-starting. Translatable skills can be anything from adaptability to organizational skills.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make your resume accessible.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making an accessible resume will ensure that any and all prospective employers can read it. Furthermore, an accessible document will demonstrate technological savvy, which is always in demand. For example, use Heading Styles! (&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/electronic-documents/index.jsp&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessible Documents&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Visit the Office of Accessibility Electronic documents section&lt;/a&gt; for more information on document accessibility).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finding The Right Fit&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Apply to any and all internships that look interesting, even if they might not directly relate to your desired career path. Gaining work experience in a professional environment – regardless of the field – can help you learn non-job-specific skills that are still highly valuable in the working world. The worst that can happen is a polite rejection letter in your inbox (I would know). Besides, you may even discover that you want to pursue a different career!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Preparing For The Interview&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Building a resume is stressful enough, but interviewing might be the toughest part of the internship search. There are lots of things to make you anxious — is there any spinach in my teeth? — but I’m typing out this article right now to tell you that you can do it! When I interviewed for the position of Digital Accessibility Intern, I had no previous experience with digital accessibility, had no clue what Section 508 meant, and I was incredibly nervous. All you can do is your best. Here is my “best:”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Get a good night’s rest.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review potential questions the night before and then hit the sack. Sleeping will help you be fresh for the interview.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;It is okay to acknowledge your weaknesses when answering a question.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure to talk about how you are working on them though!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you leave the room, congratulate yourself for putting yourself out there.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I’m proud of you for going after something you want. And even if it doesn’t work out, I’m still proud of you!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And if you are interested, keep an eye on the &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-304400&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro - Careers&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;MNIT Career Opportunities page&lt;/a&gt; and apply to the Office of Accessibility Internship when it is posted! I look forward to reading your (you, the next Accessibility Intern) articles in this newsletter.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>413689</id><pubdate>2026-02-09T18:16:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The State of Minnesota&apos;s InDesign Accessibility Community of Practice recently created a short how-to document on how to create accessible documents in Adobe InDesign.</Description><Audience/><Title>InDesign Accessibility Update</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>InDesign</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>InDesign Accessibility Update</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person at a table working on a digital tablet next to color swatches.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/design-001_tcm38-413707.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person at a table working on a digital tablet next to color swatches.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/design-001_tcm38-413709.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-12 - InDesign Accessibility Update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-413702&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-18T06:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota&apos;s InDesign Accessibility Community of Practice recently created a short how-to document on how to create accessible documents in Adobe InDesign.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Update from the State Accessible InDesign Practices group</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Jessica Cavazos, Health Educator, Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Comprised of members from various Minnesota executive branch agencies, our InDesign Accessibility Community of Practice meets monthly to test and develop best practices for creating accessible PDFs from Adobe InDesign. We recently finalized a short how-to document, “Creating Accessible Documents in Adobe InDesign.” Our group members have rigorously tested these best practices to ensure they meet the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Digital Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;. We also tested using methods including the Acrobat Accessibility Checker, reviewing with JAWS (a screen reading software), and CommonLook (a plug-in for Acrobat Pro DC which tests and remediates PDFs).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some of the best practices include:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Paragraph Styles to create the tag structure of your PDF, but don’t use them to change the look of your text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Character Styles to change the look of your text — font attributes (font, color, size).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have you struggled with your reading order even though you put everything in the Articles Panel? Turns out that reading order is dependent on how items are ordered in the Layers Panel as well as the Articles Panel. Creating Accessible Documents with Adobe InDesign provides more information to help you achieve proper reading order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/indesign-accessible-documents_tcm38-413703.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;indesign-accessible-documents&quot;&gt;Learn how to create accessible documents in Adobe InDesign&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are currently working on a webinar series and a more detailed document to help users create accessible documents with Adobe InDesign. Stay tuned for more updates from us in the coming months!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>413702</id><pubdate>2019-12-19T13:46:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Two projects developed by Minnesota IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Health have been recognized in the Amazon Web Services City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Awarded for Leadership in Cloud-Based Innovation </Title><Publisher/><Subject>award</Subject><Subject>Amazon Web Services</Subject><Subject>aws</Subject><Subject>Cloud</Subject><Subject>Innovation</Subject><Subject>Medical PreCheck</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Awarded for Leadership in Cloud-Based Innovation </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A bright cloudy sky with a seal that reads: Winner 2019 AWS City on a Cloud.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/aws-city-cloud-award-001_tcm38-412430.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A bright cloudy sky with a seal that reads: Winner 2019 AWS City on a Cloud.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/aws-city-cloud-award-001_tcm38-412431.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2019-12 - Minnesota Awarded for Leadership in Cloud-Based Innovation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-412424&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-12-05T18:35:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Two projects developed by Minnesota IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Health have been recognized in the Amazon Web Services City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge. 
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Two Projects Recognized in the AWS City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;December 5, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:emily.shimkus@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emily Shimkus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;651-485-1354&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is excited to announce recognition of two projects for Amazon Web Services (AWS) 2019 City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge. Both projects were completed in partnership with Minnesota’s Department of Health. MNIT was listed as one of the winners in the “Constituent Services Award” for a Point of Dispensing (POD) Medical PreCheck and POD Locator Applications, and was named a finalist for the “Dream Big Award” for its planned use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to scan documents for personally identifiable information (PII).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The City on a Cloud Innovation Challenge recognizes local and regional governments, private and public schools and districts, and organizations that serve the public sector as hubs of innovation. On December 4, the finalists and category winners were recognized during the AWS Worldwide Public Sector Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We are excited by the opportunities that cloud-based services can provide the state, and proud of our teams that are embracing the new technology to provide better service for Minnesota,” said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. “With the MDH applications serving as a model, we will continue to leverage innovative capabilities that cloud-based services provide.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;POD Medical PreCheck and POD Locator Apps&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Medical Precheck and POD Locator App prepare Minnesota for rapid responses to public health emergencies, where efficient distribution of medications to an exposed population, potentially a very large population, can save lives. During an emergency, Point of Dispensing (POD) sites allow for the rapid distribution of life saving medicine and treatments. The Medical PreCheck App ensures that users receive a safe medication with an online pre-screening form. The POD Locator finds the nearest point of distribution for medication, as well as public transportation and parking information. Without modern technology and these applications, dispensing rates for medicines and medical countermeasures would slow to a crawl, and Minnesotans would have a difficult time finding active dispensaries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hopefully this technology is never needed. But, if it is, cloud services ensure that the applications are available even if the number of Minnesotans using the POD Medical PreCheck and POD Locator applications increase from zero to thousands within minutes. Cloud-services also allow the application to be stored, ready to use, without provisioning additional hardware. The innovative applications provide significant value to the emergency response community, and allow for high levels of automation, reducing the potential for human error at a time when there could be significant strain on state systems. The Medical PreCheck and Locator Application also won a NASCIO award for its citizen service in October 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/I0YosP70cac&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Watch a video about the POD Medical PreCheck and POD Locator Apps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AI and Machine Learning&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The second finalist for MNIT is currently in development at MDH where the team aspires to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to transform business processes currently reliant on manual review of unstructured data in separate documents. Leveraging cloud technology, MNIT will help MDH scan documents to protect personally identifiable information. The technology can also scan medical information included in investigations to extract targeted information. Another use is to search for patterns and trends suggesting over-administered medications, anomalous care-giver actions, or instances of preventable situations to alert programs or researchers when patterns start to form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the project is in development, the effects of this technology may be seen across Minnesota government, where AI and ML can help to reduce the time and resources spent reviewing, publishing, and storing many paper-based systems. MNIT is also able to keep the data that is reviewed by the AI on our local cloud services, not shared with AWS, in order to protect the data of private citizens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read the press release from &lt;a href=&quot;https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/publicsector/announcing-the-2019-aws-city-on-a-cloud-innovation-challenge-winners/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;amp;utm_medium=twitter&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Amazon Web Services’ website announcing the full list of winners&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>412424</id><pubdate>2019-12-05T19:03:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On November 22, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) awarded employees, partners, and teams for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Celebrates Excellence in Technology and Service at its Annual Award Ceremony </Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Excellence in Technology</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes speaking in the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/annual-awards-2019-001_tcm38-411816.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes speaking in the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/annual-awards-2019-001_tcm38-411815.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2019-11 - Excellence in Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-411607&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-25T22:59:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>On November 22, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) awarded employees, partners, and teams for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Celebrates Excellence in Technology and Service at its Annual Award Ceremony</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On November 22, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) awarded employees, partners, and teams for their work delivering outstanding IT service to Minnesota and its executive government. Nominated by their peers, recipients receive the highest recognition for their service excellence, and exemplary performance in fulfilling MNIT’s mission, vision, values, and priorities. Here are this year’s winners!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes a successful project that helped contribute to the success of a business partner across the executive branch. The &lt;strong&gt;Transportation Asset Management System (TAMS) Project&lt;/strong&gt; is the single source of data for managing and maintaining roadside infrastructure including the work, equipment, materials, and staff needed to maintain that infrastructure. In its second phase, the project team added GIS functionality, and the number of roadway sections that are managed by the system, including traffic barriers, culverts and drainage ponds, pedestrian infrastructure, pavement striping, and signs. Now, almost all roadway maintenance work can be tracked by TAMS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes the individual contributions of an employee that contributes to MNIT’s mission, visions, and values through their daily work. &lt;strong&gt;Gabriella Tsurutani&lt;/strong&gt; is a Senior IT Business Analyst, partnering with MnDOT, and is awarded for her excellent client service and performance that allows her to be a mentor for her team. Gabriella is a go-to person on her team for her technical and business knowledge, but also brings a level of personal understanding to the team that brings out the best of those working with her. She plays a leadership role within her team, where she is typically assigned the complex, high-profile, enterprise projects for the agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Manager of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The manager of the year award recognizes a manager who not only contributes to the mission of MNIT but lift other team members up as an example of leadership. &lt;strong&gt;Hal Watson&lt;/strong&gt; leads an 11-member team at MNIT partnering with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Hal is mission-oriented and works with his team to instigate year-round discussions on how their team can best partner with the DNR, MNIT to provide Minnesota’s citizens with the best products for managing and conserving natural resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Team of the Year&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes an operational team across the agency that provides excellent customer service for both our executive branch partners and Minnesotans using the technology. This year’s winner provides support for over 360 applications for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and MNsure, allowing Minnesotans to do everything from sign up for the health insurance exchange to receive treatment. The &lt;strong&gt;Major Application Support Team&lt;/strong&gt; uses its varied experience to provide efficient and critical support for the tens of thousands of DHS staff and its partners, the 12,000+ patients and clients at direct care and treatment facilities who access DHS systems, and the 123,000+ Minnesotans that enrolled in MNsure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nominations for the awards opened July 1, 2019 and closed on August 30, 2019. A team of Employee Recognition Committee (ERC) members reviewed and scored each nomination according to a previously-defined rubric. Those with the top average scores became finalists. From the group of finalists, the Executive Team chose a winner that closely matched the organizations mission, values, and priorities.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>411607</id><pubdate>2019-12-05T15:53:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT program manager Alison Slaats recently received the Polaris Leadership Award for her contributions to the geospatial community in Minnesota. We sat down with Alison to learn more about her work.</Description><Audience/><Title>Meet the Technologist: Geography and its Role in Decision-Making</Title><Publisher/><Subject>GIS</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>mngeo</Subject><Subject>award</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Meet the Technologist</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Portrait of Alison Slaats.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alison-slaats-001_tcm38-411411.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Portrait of Alison Slaats.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alison-slaats-001_tcm38-411412.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-11 - Meet the Technologist</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-411399&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-25T17:57:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT program manager Alison Slaats recently received the Polaris Leadership Award for her contributions to the geospatial community in Minnesota. We sat down with Alison to learn more about her work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Geography and its Role in Decision-Making</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last month, Alison Slaats, a program manager of the Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), received the Polaris Leadership Award for her contributions to the geospatial community in Minnesota. Alison is a collaborative leader at the State, using her expertise in geospatial information systems (GIS) to help people solve real world problems, and has been a part of many successful projects across the executive government. We sat down with Alison to learn a little about her work here at MNIT, what the award means to her, and to hear some of her favorite projects that have used geo-enabled technology to make Minnesota better.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is GIS and why is it so important that we celebrate leaders in the field?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alison:&lt;/strong&gt; Maps are used every day in all sort of ways, whether you are figuring out how to get to work fastest or looking for a nearby park. In government, geography and its applications in GIS play an important role in helping stakeholders make better decisions around public safety, transportation planning, access to health services, preservation of resources, and more. GIS helps by using maps and analysis to present information that helps us make better decisions and use resources more wisely.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tell us about what you do at MNIT.&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alison:&lt;/strong&gt; As a part of the Geospatial Information Office, we use spatial data to make digital maps and perform analysis often using different data sets from different state agencies. The work we do is essential to supporting the work of many state agencies. For example, during the height of the avian flu outbreak in 2015, the GIS team and I worked with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, and the USDA to map and report on turkey farms and quarantine areas in Minnesota, which helped the state manage the situation more efficiently and effectively, resulting in better coordination between agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this award mean to you?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alison:&lt;/strong&gt; It’s a real honor because it’s recognition by my peers and recognition of service that is so important for the citizens of Minnesota. The geospatial community provides services that promote better decision-making for all levels of government, and we take seriously the ability that GIS has to improve the lives of the people in our state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this award mean for MNIT?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alison:&lt;/strong&gt; There have been at least 15 MNIT staff that have also been recognized with this award, meaning that we are hiring and keeping great people within the GIS industry. MNIT is a great place to work in the GIS field, and I believe MNIT employees can have substantial impact on improving government services and lives in Minnesota. MNIT is an environment where innovation and individual problem-solving is encouraged. As MNIT GIS employees, we come up with maps, analysis, and processes that bring people together to solve problems and support better decision making.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Are there any accomplishments or projects that define some of the work you have done at MNIT?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alison:&lt;/strong&gt; One of the most recent projects that really exemplifies how we work with so many different parts of the state to problem solve is for a multi-agency project called MNCrash, that supports the effort to reduce traffic injuries and deaths. By supporting a crash records database and electronic crash report interface using GIS, law enforcement officers can click on a map to capture the location of a crash, rather than manually typing in the information that can vary from officer to officer. By coordinating this project with the Minnesota Department of Public safety and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, we can support the work that both agencies do so that they can allocate resources effectively to make Minnesota roads safer for all travelers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find a few more projects that Alison has contributed to on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mngislis.org/page/AlisonSlaats&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;GIS/LIS Polaris Award Winner website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a fun GIS project you’ve worked on?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alison:&lt;/strong&gt; A few years ago, I helped to make maps for local Girl Scouts to use when selling cookies. The maps helped divide up the region into different sales territories for Girl Scout troops. The maps helped the girls to know where they should focus their efforts to be more successful in their annual cookie sales.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>411399</id><pubdate>2020-01-03T22:08:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>With the holidays approaching, sports are a hot topic of conversation. We were curious how national sports teams to ensure the digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>Digital Accessibility and Sports</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>sports</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility and Sports</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A football on a tee in a stadium.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/football-002_tcm38-410967.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A football on a tee in a stadium.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/football-002_tcm38-410965.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-11 - Digital Accessibility and Sports</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-410973&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-20T20:57:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>With the holidays approaching, sports are a hot topic of conversation. We were curious how national sports teams to ensure the digital accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How Accessible is Your Team?</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Molly&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Soccer is just ending, hockey and basketball are starting their seasons, and football is in full swing. With the holidays approaching, sports are a hot topic of conversation at the holiday gathering. In my family, we always have the football games on during Turkey Day. My uncle and I always escape the people we don’t want to engage, and find a place to talk about the chances of our teams winning based on their stats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But what if my uncle or I had a disability? Would we be able to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Buy tickets online for a game?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stream games?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Look up stats on team websites?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s take a look at some of the work being done by national sports teams to ensure the digital accessibility of their online offerings, as well as some accommodations available for those that attend in person.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The National Football League (NFL)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On their website the National Football League (NFL) has an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.nfl.com/accessibility&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;NFL Accessibility Statement&lt;/a&gt;. In the opening lines the statement promises ongoing commitment to creating quality experiences on its website for “fans with disabilities that is full and equal to that provided to fans without disabilities.” NFL.com commits to following the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Levels A and AA. Coincidentally, the State of Minnesota follows these same standards! The League statement further states that they work with the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) to maintain their website and provide training on an ongoing basis, and that their website will undergo periodic tests, with assistive technology and by assistive technology users. Finally, the league supplies a dedicated email to contact for issues concerning accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.vikings.com/footer/accessibility&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vikings’ Accessibility Statement&lt;/a&gt; appears similar to the NFL’s statement. It promises an ongoing commitment to accessibility and usability of its site for all fans and that they work with an accessibility consult to help the team implement WCAG 2.0 guidelines on their site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Major League Baseball (MLB)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mlb.com/official-information/accessibility/frequently-asked-questions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MLB Accessibility Information webpage&lt;/a&gt; states that they utilize the guidelines put out by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and that they are working to make MLB.com satisfy levels A and AA of the WCAG 2.0 guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, MLB.com “launched an accessible media center for our MLB.com Gameday Audio subscribers, offering features such as volume control, ability to choose the home or away feed and access to archived games, and more.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;They also link to their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mlb.com/official-information/accessibility/frequently-asked-questions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Accessibility FAQ webpage&lt;/a&gt; which has answers for question like “what is the best way for a screen reader user to navigate MLB stats?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mlb.com/twins/ballpark/disability-access-guide#assistive-listening-devices&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Access Guide for Guests with Disabilities&lt;/a&gt;, the Minnesota Twins and Target Field state that they have Assistive Listening Devices that transmit ballpark audio to all guests, free of charge. The St. Paul Saints provide color contrasting directional signage and braille for fans with vision disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The National Hockey League (NHL)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.xcelenergycenter.com/guest-services/accessibility-ada-services&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Xcel Energy Center Accessibility/ADA services webpage&lt;/a&gt;, the Minnesota Wild provide closed captioning services at all Xcel Energy Center home games. Captioning appears on the east and west ends of the arena scoreboard. Xcel Energy also supplies Assisted Listening Devices for loan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Florida Panthers’ website lists a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nhl.com/panthers/info/websiteaccessibility&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Policy on Website Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;. The Policy States that the company has adopted WCGA 2.0 standards for its website. The Policy further states that the company conducts monthly tests of the website for accessibility compliance and that “The company actively solicits feedback on the usability and accessibility of its website and digital contact in order to maintain an open channel of communication with its end users.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The National Basketball Association (NBA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Timberwolves play in the Target Center. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.targetcenter.com/plan_your_visit/ada_information&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Target Center ADA information page&lt;/a&gt; lists a few digital accessibility features. The Target Center loans assisted listening devices to guests during events. Additionally, the AIRA app designates the Target Center a free location for use with AIRA. AIRA is a service that delivers access to visual information to blind or low vision individuals and allows them to better navigate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the world of sports becomes increasingly digitized, digital accessibility becomes more important. From live streaming games, buying merchandise and tickets online, to checking up on team news on their website it is important that all features are accessible to everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, take just 15 minutes with your family this holiday season to try different ways to access your online sport experiences:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tab through links on the web page of your favorite team. Only use your keyboard to navigate. Perfect for when the Bluetooth mouse goes missing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you have text to speech on your mobile device or tablet, check out how it reads your webpage to you. Now you can continue cooking, while listening to how bad your team is doing!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Turn on captions or audio description if available for a streamed or broadcasted game. Great for those moments where everyone is loud, and you cannot hear the game!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, you may be surprised by who in your family tells you that this makes it easier for them to engage with their sporting experience!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>410973</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn about one Minnesota State Agency’s quest to share their love prairies through accessible podcasts.  </Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible Podcasts</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessible</Subject><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>podcasts</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible Podcasts</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A microphone with the word Podcast setting in front of a computer showing audio waveforms.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/podcast-001_tcm38-410966.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A microphone with the word Podcast setting in front of a computer showing audio waveforms.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/podcast-001_tcm38-410964.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-11 - Accessible Podcasts</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-410972&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-20T20:56:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn about one Minnesota State Agency’s quest to share their love of prairies through accessible podcasts.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>How One Minnesota State Agency is Reaching a Larger Audience</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Claire Gahler, Content Strategist with the Minnesota Department of Human Services&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;*tap tap tap* Is this thing on? *tap tap*&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Oh, hey! I’m just tuning up my imaginary microphone, setting sound levels and making sure I’m ready to record. You know, for my snazzy new podcast.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;*crickets*&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Okay, not really. But I am here to chat about podcasts and how creating an accessible podcast is totally doable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People listen to podcasts. According to the Pew Research Center, 32% of Americans listened to a podcast in the past month. That’s up from just 9% in 2008!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The percentage of Americans who have listened to a podcast has also substantially increased over the last decade. As of 2019, 51% of Americans ages 12 or older have ever listened to a podcast, according to Edison Research and Triton Digital survey data, and 32% have listened to a podcast in the past month, up from 26% in 2018 and just 9% in 2008. Furthermore, 22% of those 12 and older said they have listened to a podcast in the last week, up from 7% when this was first measured in 2013.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/audio-and-podcasting/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Audio and Podcasting Fact Sheet&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pew Research Center - July 9, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2017, a few of us at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) thought it was time to explore the world of podcasting. Megan, a regional ecologist, and Jessica, a research scientist, wanted to share their love of all things prairie. They pitched an idea for a podcast with a focus on prairie conservation, restoration, and management. Our expert voices were on board! Next we needed technical help. Dan, an information officer at the DNR, offered to be our tech resource. He finessed the recorded audio and prepped the files for distribution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With our tech squared away, we focused on promoting the podcast. We created a website with the audio files for download and worked with the DNR’s Digital Media Coordinator on a social media plan. The Prairie Pod podcast was ready to make its debut!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;*record screech*&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wait! What about accessibility?!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As with all good projects, accessibility should begin at the start of your project. Say it with me – incorporate accessibility at the start of a project. Twenty percent of the American population lives with some degree of hearing loss (from the Minnesota Department of Human Services Living with Hearing Loss video). Remember when I mentioned 32% of Americans listened to a podcast in the past month? Consider how much higher this could be by making podcasts accessible to the 20% of the population living with hearing loss!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first questions we asked, focused on how to create an accessible podcast. What does that mean? What are the requirements? What did we have to do to make our podcast accessible?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The answer? Not much.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We needed an accessible website to host the podcast – check.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We needed a useable media player – check.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We needed an accessible transcript of the audio – ummm, well, not yet.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At first glance, the idea of transcribing over 45 minutes of audio was daunting. But because we built accessibility into the start of our project, we were able to create a timeline that allowed space for transcription.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For our first season, we stayed in-house and gathered a crew to help transcribe eight 45-minute episodes, planning three to four hours per episode. This number could be higher if you’re not familiar with the technical language. We had additional time at the start as we learned best practices. We needed to identify each speaker and note any background noise (like chirping birds). It is important that anyone reading the transcript would have a similar experience to those listening to the audio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We added additional time to make the transcripts documents accessible. We started in Word using an accessible template and once the transcript was finalized, we converted it to a PDF via Word’s plug-ins. As with all PDFs, there were a few minor updates that needed to be done to get a fully accessible PDF.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A quick note – some podcasters recommend embedding the transcript into the web page as web text (versus a separate document like a Word or PDF file). This can help ensure readability, as long as your web page is properly formatted for accessibility, so it can be accessed by users of assistive technology. As an added bonus, it’s great for search engine optimization, too!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I know, I know. This sounds extreme for a 45-minute podcast. But we believe in the information we’re sharing. And we believe in the importance of access for all. Plus, transcripts provide plenty of added benefits:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a printable document to reference later,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a boost to appear in online searches,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;an additional opportunity to review the content before going live, to name just a few.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In July 2018, we shared our first episode of the Prairie Pod podcast – How to Grow a Prairie from Scratch. Along with the audio, there was a transcript of the episode, a list of resources, and suggestions for prairies to visit.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This summer we kicked off our second season. And again, we talked accessibility in our prep meetings. We wanted to use a transcription service but we needed funding. With the successful launch of season one, we were able to build a case to leadership for support (i.e. funding) to move forward with season two.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To pull a successfully accessible podcast off, timing was key. Episodes needed to be recorded well in advance of the July launch to allow time for the transcription service to do their work and allow time for us to review the transcripts. With technical jargon, it was important our experts reviewed each transcript to make any clarifications. It was far less time than keeping the work in-house, but we still weren’t completely hands-off.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are excited with the positive feedback for the Prairie Pod and we learned so much about the world of podcasting through this experience. As with everything, the more you do the better you get. I hope we’ll have many more seasons of the Prairie Pod AND maybe a few new podcasts to enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/prairiepod/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Prairie Pod podcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/multimedia.jsp&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services – Multimedia Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://podcast-accessibility.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Podcast accessibility&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>410972</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services&apos; recent projects enhance the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs ability to provide care and resources to servicemen and women.</Description><Audience/><Title>Technology aids Minnesota veterans’ ability to access resources and services</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Veterans</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Tech</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>VATS</Subject><Subject>Education</Subject><Subject>Homeless</Subject><Subject>Veterans Affairs</Subject><Subject>mdva</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Technology Helps Veterans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A veteran saluting the American flag.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/veteran-001_tcm38-321323.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A veteran saluting the American flag.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/veteran-001_tcm38-321324.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-11 - Technology Helps Veterans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-409869&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-08T18:50:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services&apos; recent projects enhance the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs ability to provide care and resources to servicemen and women.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Technology aids Minnesota veterans’ ability to access resources and services</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services recent projects, the VATS-Education system and Homeless Veterans Registry, enhance the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs ability to provide care and resources for our state’s servicemen and women.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz declared November to be Military Family Month in Minnesota, honoring the men and women that have risked their lives in service to the state and country. State government is working to ensure these families have access to the services and resources to which they are entitled. Over the past year, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) completed two projects that allow for easier self-service by veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Homeless Veterans Registry&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota is committed to ending homelessness among its veterans, and an important step toward that goal is understanding the barriers individuals may face in accessing affordable and permanent housing. In August 2019, MNIT debuted a new application that allows housing and service professionals to more efficiently assess the needs of homeless veterans, prioritizing those that are facing the most barriers, have been experiencing homelessness the longest, or need critical care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The application was developed using a human-centered design, by interviewing the end users, assessing their needs, and creating a more powerful application that addresses those challenges. MNIT collected feedback from the social service providers that input the information of veterans experiencing homelessness, the professionals that review the information to understand housing barriers, and the organizations that perform outreach to housing units.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The streamlined nature of the new application allows our community partners to self-serve any updates about the veterans, housing availability, and resources available to those experiencing homelessness,”&lt;/strong&gt; says Deanna DeMay, a member of the project team from MNIT partnering with MDVA. “&lt;strong&gt;The new application also provides MDVA and its community partners better data and reporting on homelessness in Minnesota, helping to identify common barriers to housing that can be addressed.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Veterans Application Tracking System for Education&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While housing is a critical issue for those experiencing homelessness, MDVA also assists in making sure that veterans have access to the range of benefits to which they are entitled, including education, health care, and employment opportunities. Through the Minnesota GI Bill, veterans along with eligible spouses and children have access to a maximum benefit of $10,000 to use for higher education, on-the-job training or apprenticeship programs, or to reimburse fees for licenses, certification or admission tests. To better access these education benefits, MNIT worked with MDVA to overhaul the application system with a project called the Veteran Application Tracking Systems (VATS) that streamlines that information sharing of applicants and manages the need of Minnesota Veterans as well as institutions of higher education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of MNIT’s priorities is to modernize aging technologies, and VATS has now replaced multiple manual, paper-based processes, and an existing 15+ year old application that was expensive and difficult to support. With VATS-Education in place, there are now automated workflows for approvals, appeals and denials, and MDVA staff can access the system to make decisions on benefits from wherever they may be. Veterans can submit applications online, and with a master/single database, that houses information which can be accessed across all education programs and services. With consolidated electronic case notes, a weeks-long application process for reimbursement of tuition can be completed within a single day. VATS was built with flexibility in mind, so the application can easily accommodate changes like adding a new benefit type, business policy or process, or making modification to comply with legislative mandates. Dynamic reporting provides granular reports and audits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The new VATS-Education system allows MDVA to have a better relationship with Minnesota Veterans, allowing them to understand the process for their application for continuing education benefits,”&lt;/strong&gt; says Patty Breiland, a member of the project team from MNIT partnering with MDVA. &lt;strong&gt;“For our business partners at MDVA, the new application also provides a better workflow management tool so that veterans can receive their benefits faster.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about both applications on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdva/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MDVA’s website&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://linkvet.org/app/custom/education&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;VATS-Education&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/homelessnessandprevention/homelessveteranregistry.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Homeless Veterans Registry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>409869</id><pubdate>2019-11-08T19:29:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota leads the nation in voter turnout. We are also leading the effort to provide more accurate voter precincts by utilizing geospatial data. </Description><Audience/><Title>Geo-Enabled Elections Communications</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Geo-Enabled Elections</Subject><Subject>voting</Subject><Subject>elections</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>data</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Geo-Enabled Elections</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of people standing in line outside a building next to a sign that reads: Vote Here.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/voting-002_tcm38-409421.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of people standing in line outside a building next to a sign that reads: Vote Here.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/voting-002_tcm38-409420.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-11 - Geo-Enabled Elections</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-409417&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-11-05T20:10:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota leads the nation in voter turnout. We are also leading the effort to provide more accurate voter precincts by utilizing geospatial data. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>How good is Minnesota’s voter record data? Pretty good in fact.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Geospatial Information Office and Minnesota Secretary of State utilize geospatial data to validate voter records&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota leads the nation in voter turnout year after year (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/11/27/minnesota-2018-voter-turnout-tops-the-nation&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;learn more on MPR&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;), and we are leading the effort to provide more accurate voter precincts through a recent pilot program utilizing geospatial data. The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) selected Minnesota as one of five states participating in the “Geo-Enabled Elections” project that focuses on using geospatial information to inform election practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before Minnesotans can cast their vote on election day, one thing everyone must do is figure out where they vote. Polling places are decided by voting precincts—groups of addresses located close together—and managed by Minnesota’s 87 counties. The counties share this information with the Office of the Secretary of State (OSS) who incorporates it into &lt;a href=&quot;https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;an online tool&lt;/a&gt; that that allows you to plug in your address to find your polling place. When you head into the voting booth, most Minnesotans assume their house or apartment number is assigning them the correct voting precinct.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the “Geo-Enabled Elections” project, OSS and the Geospatial Information Office within Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) utilized geospatial data and techniques to “pin” the location of each voter residence on a map, the teams validated voter records in the same way that many people use smartphones to navigate to an unfamiliar location, with better accuracy and efficiency. The “pins” represent a location based on longitude and latitude on Earth, rather than relying on a street address, which reduces the risk of election errors and helps voters more easily verify they are included in the right precinct.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;OSS provided the Geospatial Information Office with addresses from the county-provided active voter records, without any personal information, and then MnGeo ran them through a geocoding service which shows where any address is using longitudinal and latitudinal information. Those results were then compared to the geospatial coordinates of a voting district. While there was a potential to find errors that needed to be corrected, voting data showed a much brighter picture: only around 8,000 records out of 1.3 million needed to be analyzed to confirm they were in the correct precinct. Many of these records were flagged because the “pin” was placed on a driveway rather than on the rooftop of a house, a house or apartment building was split in half between two voting districts. After review of the flagged 8,000, it was clear that the majority of these records were false positives, meaning that after they were reviewed, the conclusion was that voter was correctly associated with their precinct. Because of this project, the state has defined a replicable process to review voter addresses and precincts, flag them if they may be wrong, and share any concerns with Minnesota counties to ensure voter records are as accurate as possible.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>409417</id><pubdate>2019-11-05T20:40:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services led an interactive event about internet safety at the Boys &amp; Girls Club as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>Cybersecurity for All Ages</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>Boys &amp; Girls Club</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity for All Ages</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes speaking with a group of kids raising their hands.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-boys-girls-club-001_tcm38-409098.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes speaking with a group of kids raising their hands.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-boys-girls-club-001_tcm38-409100.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2019-10 - Cybersecurity for All Ages</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-409090&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-31T20:12:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services led an interactive event about internet safety at the Boys &amp; Girls Club as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota IT Services Leads Event About Internet Safety with the Boys &amp; Girls Club</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 30, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:emily.shimkus@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emily Shimkus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;651-485-1354&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Technology surrounds students. Whether they are using school computers to research a project, messaging friends to hang out, or laughing with their families while watching a cat YouTube video, Minnesotan youth are more connected than ever. Online tools and resources can be a great asset for helping students to learn, communicate, and discover, it is just as important to take the time to provide information for how they can stay safe online and for all of us to support a safe online environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services led an interactive event about internet safety at the Boys &amp;amp; Girls Club – Mt. Airy location as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota. The event focused on helping students, families and all Minnesotans use the internet safely and securely. Some of the skills students and families can build to stay safe online include managing settings on social networking sites, preventing cyber-bullying, protecting against viruses, and practicing good cyber-ethics. Approximately 32 students aged 9 to 12 participated in the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“As kids are spending more and more time on their phones and other devices, it is even more critical that we take the time to share online safety basics with students across the state,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;“We want to encourage kids to take advantage of all that technology has to offer, but do so in an environment where they can still be protected.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the Boys &amp;amp; Girls Club – Mt. Airy location, youth from 3rd through 8th grades played games to better understand how security software and hardware works to protect their computing devices that are connected to the Internet. The games included taking on roles as Trojans, firewalls, hackers, and anti-virus software ricocheting around a “computer system” and stacking up a giant Jenga set to represent how cybersecurity risks can be balanced by layers of defense. While the students learned about the different types of risks and cyberattacks that could harm their computers, they also spent some time talking about how to safeguard against malicious individuals (cyberbullies and predators) online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesota students and families can visit the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;security section on MNIT&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt; to get tips and learn more about cybersecurity best practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Boys &amp;amp; Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities serve over 9,000 youth at ten Twin Cities’ locations. The Boys &amp;amp; Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Clubs represent more than 90 years of service to youth. Dedicated staff at ten metro-area locations and a year-round residential camp provide activities and support to more than 9,000 young people from kindergarten through high school graduation. Club sites are placed in targeted neighborhoods where the need is greatest.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>409090</id><pubdate>2019-10-31T20:58:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services is pleased to announce that Security Operations Manager, John Israel, was presented with the Visionary Security Operations Leader Award at the Cyber Security Summit.</Description><Audience/><Title>Visionary Leadership Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Security</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Cyber Security Summit</Subject><Subject>Leadership</Subject><Subject>Visionary</Subject><Subject>John Israel</Subject><Subject>Security Operations</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Cybersecurity Expert Awarded</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Portrait of John Israel.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/john-israel-001_tcm38-409103.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Portrait of John Israel.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/john-israel-001_tcm38-409099.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2019-10 - MNIT Cybersecurity Expert Awarded</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-409092&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-31T20:12:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services is pleased to announce that Security Operations Manager, John Israel, was presented with the Visionary Security Operations Leader Award at the Cyber Security Summit.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT’s John Israel Awarded by Cyber Security Summit</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 30, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:emily.shimkus@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emily Shimkus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;651-485-1354&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is pleased to announce that Security Operations Manager, John Israel, was presented with the Visionary Security Operations Leader Award at the Cyber Security Summit. On October 29, 2019, Israel received the award which recognizes those who have shown exemplary leadership to develop and foster strategies that protect critical systems and data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We are grateful for John’s expertise both at MNIT and in the broader cybersecurity community,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Aaron Call, Chief Information Security Officer at MNIT. &lt;strong&gt;“With his leadership, Minnesota is better prepared to identify and defend against cyber-attacks, a critical task for securing state systems and information.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In his role, John Israel also supervises the Security Operations Center (SOC), and coordinates responses to cyber incidents that occur across state systems. The SOC is responsible for evaluating, remediating, and investigating incidents such as compromised networks and user accounts, misconfigured systems, malware infections, and much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://cybersecuritysummit.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cyber Security Summit&lt;/a&gt;, held in Minnesota each year, brings industry, government, and academic cybersecurity interests together to improve the state of cybersecurity. In its ninth year, the Summit gathers more than 1,000 national and international leaders from critical infrastructure sectors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesota students and families can visit the MNIT website to get tips and learn more about how the state aims to keep its systems secure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>409092</id><pubdate>2019-10-31T20:58:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On October 10, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recognized MNIT for our leadership in employing people with disabilities.</Description><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Awarded for Leadership in Hiring</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State employees holding Leadership in Hiring Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hiring-award-002_tcm38-408431.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State employees holding Leadership in Hiring Awards.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hiring-award-001_tcm38-408432.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-10 - MNIT Awarded for Leadership in Hiring</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-408433&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-25T14:45:49Z</Date><ShortDescription>On October 10, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recognized MNIT for our leadership in employing people with disabilities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Recognized for Employing People with Disabilities</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On October 10, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) recognized MNIT for our leadership in employing people with disabilities. At an Employers Hiring People With Disabilities Month event, MNIT received a plaque, along with more than 20 other employers in both the private sector and public sector, and participated in a discussion about creative hiring practices used to attract employees with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were honored and grateful for the recognition and to DEED for creating a space and time to speak about the importance of hiring people with disabilities. As an organization, we strongly believe in recruiting a diverse workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“By removing barriers and opening our candidate pools, we ensure that we are employing the best talent,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Sarah Herder Lewis, MNIT’s director of Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion. &lt;strong&gt;“We are proud of our efforts to recruit and hire a diverse workforce and will continue to improve our hiring process to push for more equitable processes where possible.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While those attending the event showcased the great progress that Minnesota has made in hiring people with disabilities, there is always a need for broader support and education. MNIT aspires to be a leader in employing individuals with disabilities. We participate in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Connect 700 program&lt;/a&gt;, which allows eligible individuals with disabilities the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to perform a specific position for up to 700 hours on the job. As a pre-probationary trial work program, it allows for a non-competitive selection process for individuals with certain disabilities seeking employment in classified positions in state government. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find more about the recognition and the event on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.careerforcemn.com/careerforce-blog/minnesota-employers-honored-creating-workplaces-welcome-people-disabilities&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED’s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>408433</id><pubdate>2019-10-25T14:52:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. We asked employees of Minnesota IT Services about their role in accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>Everyone in an IT Organization Has a Role</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>National Disability Employment Awareness Month</Subject><Subject>NDEAM</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>information technology</Subject><Subject>employment</Subject><Subject>disabilities</Subject><Subject>disability</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Your Role in Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three people sitting at a table during an interview.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-meeting-002_tcm38-408416.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three people sitting at a table during an interview.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-meeting-002_tcm38-408417.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-10 - Your Role in Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-408414&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-25T12:53:35Z</Date><ShortDescription>October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. We asked employees of Minnesota IT Services about their role in accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Everyone in an IT Organization Has a Role</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and this year’s theme is “The Right Talent, Right Now.” Accessible information technology (IT) ensures employment opportunities are available to all qualified candidates, including those with disabilities. Some examples of relevant IT include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading employment opportunities on the website&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Applying for a position&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Completing your time card&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading and responding to email&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Writing and reviewing electronic documents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Accessing the organization’s intranet and external website&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using software tools needed to do your job&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In most cases, we don’t get to see all the people working behind the scenes to develop, implement, and support inclusive hiring practices, and to ensure the computers, software, phones and websites are up to date and operating as expected. At Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), all employees are involved in ensuring we have an inclusive workplace.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At MNIT, “The Right Talent, Right Now” is evident in our recruitment strategies to hire people with disabilities. By employing a diverse team, we work better and smarter to build more inclusive digital environments. MNIT considers digital accessibility in recruitment strategies and the accommodation process. &lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota IT Services is committed to being a leader in employing individuals with disabilities,”&lt;/strong&gt; says David Berthiaume, Recruiting and Retention Director. &lt;strong&gt;“We often leverage social media platforms to communicate our hiring needs and recently we have been able to add alt text to several of our recruiting graphics in an effort to become more digitally accessible.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sarah Herder Lewis, Director of Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion says, &lt;strong&gt;“As ADA Coordinator, my role is ensuring that people with disabilities receive the accommodations they need to be successful on the job. Accommodations can be equipment, software, or services that facilitate equal access to systems and information. I have taken time to learn about digital accessibility and work with knowledgeable colleagues to improve the accessibility of our documents about the accommodation process. This ensures that those using these types of assistive technologies can review the information.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We asked a group of MNIT employees to tell us more about their role in ensuring the state’s digital technology is accessible to all current and potential employees, and to state government stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT leadership recognizes the importance of embedding accessibility everywhere into business processes to create an inclusive culture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Chief Business Technology Officers (CBTOs) manage the IT operations for State of Minnesota agencies, serving as the MNIT partner for the agency’s executive leaders. Bruce Yurich, the CBTO partnering with Minnesota Management and Budget, says, &lt;strong&gt;“Accessibility is the responsibility of everyone at all levels from executive leadership to staff. When truly adopted into the organization, accessibility isn’t an extra responsibility, but just another step in a larger process of delivering services to our employees and the public. For example, as executive leaders we set the vision and expectation that accessibility be built into our processes, and follow through by providing the resources and room for our teams to carry it out.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dan Oehmke, Director of the Enterprise Service Desk, agrees. &lt;strong&gt;“We in IT have a legal and moral obligation to improve digital accessibility. This includes continuing to increase our understanding, while considering opportunities to better serve others. It’s about enabling our colleagues and fellow citizens to participate as fully as possible in the business of government.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But what does this look like in daily operations?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The MNIT Tridion Web team is responsible for the development, coding, design, deployment and digital experience for the consumer-facing digital/web services,”&lt;/strong&gt; says Colette Johnson of the MNIT Web team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Put simply, the Tridion Web team develops the templates and tools that serve as the foundation of agency websites. Agencies then work with these tools to post content and follow the state’s standards to enable users to search for and find what they need. &lt;strong&gt;“Working with agency customers and stakeholders, the team manages the content management system, Search, and other systems required to bring digital information to life, get them tagged appropriately, optimized for organic search, and support of the State of Minnesota Accessibility Standards.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other jobs support those who make digital content accessible. Did you know that Application Administrators play a role? Grant, from the Enterprise Application Operations team, shared that he supports &lt;strong&gt;“several applications owned by the Enterprise Office of Accessibility. These applications assist users in remediation of documents and sites, which ensures assistive technologies such as screen readers can properly navigate content.”&lt;/strong&gt; Because of the work Grant and his peers do, agencies can share resources, ensuring affordable access to more accessible software and content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What happens when an agency needs to buy new software or upgrade old technology? How do we make sure that these systems are accessible? That’s when it’s critical to have staff who are knowledgeable about the potential impact for end users that use assistive technology, the different digital accessibility considerations throughout the project life cycle, and who to involve in making decisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nicholas Bawek explained, &lt;strong&gt;“As a Systems Architect, I support digital accessibility in my work by ensuring assistive technology systems with a client/server relationship component (such as screen readers) are functioning properly, and changes are coordinated between the client-side software and the server-side application or licensing functions. In addition, when acting as the Solution Architect on an Enterprise rollout project (e.g. Windows 10 or O365 ProPlus), I aim to make sure that the Office of Accessibility is properly included in the project plan, and receives the resources and information they need to conduct a proper accessibility assessment of the solution delivery.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With experience comes improvement, and Colleen Adams, Senior Project Manager partnering with the Office of Higher Education, has words of advice. &lt;strong&gt;“The two biggest accessibility lessons I have learned are: Bake in accessibility standards early in software development; and, conduct initial and periodic accessibility reviews with a digital accessibility coordinator throughout the project. Both of these best practices will significantly reduce rework later.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Finding the person on your team who has deep digital accessibility knowledge is one way to find a peer mentor and develop your skills. They are often passionate about the topic, and willing to help you find resources and ways to ensure your next project better includes digital accessibility. Natalie Zett, Lead Business Analyst partnering with Department of Human Services, is a good example. &lt;strong&gt;“As state employees serving ALL of the people of Minnesota, we need to remember that each of us has differing abilities and ways that we access and understand information. Fortunately, we have digital accessibility standards and excellent support from the Office of Accessibility to ensure that our content is accessible by everyone. In my project work, I ensure that accessibility guidelines are included in all aspects of business and solution requirements elicitation and creation. In my work as a team lead, I enjoy being available as a resource for anyone who wants to make accessibility a part of their daily work.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Staff in any organization can improve their digital accessibility skills through a number of activities such as intranet postings with articles about digital accessibility, opportunities to take trainings and attend conferences. And support from leadership is key, but often the first step is simply engaging in conversations about inclusion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before National Disability Employment Awareness Month draws to a close, we encourage you to ask yourself and your colleagues:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is your specific role in ensuring the digital technology used in your organization is accessible?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>408414</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>When it comes to cybersecurity, knowledge is power. We’ve broken down a few key terms that you should know to be more secure.</Description><Audience/><Title>Cybersecurity and You: Defining What it Means to be Cyber-secure</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>cyber security</Subject><Subject>terms</Subject><Subject>Firewall</Subject><Subject>Internet of Things</Subject><Subject>IoT</Subject><Subject>Multi-Factor Authentication</Subject><Subject>WIFI</Subject><Subject>Passphrase</Subject><Subject>Botnet</Subject><Subject>Distributed Denial of Service</Subject><Subject>DDoS</Subject><Subject>Malware</Subject><Subject>Phishing</Subject><Subject>Ransomware</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity and You</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A hacker on the the screen of one laptop reaching for data with a fishing rod from the screen of another laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-010_tcm38-407216.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A hacker on the the screen of one laptop reaching for data with a fishing rod from the screen of another laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-010_tcm38-407217.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-10 - Cybersecurity and You</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-407203&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-17T16:05:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>When it comes to cybersecurity, knowledge is power. We’ve broken down a few key terms that you should know to be more secure.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Defining What it Means to be Cyber-secure</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When it comes to cybersecurity, knowledge is power. The more you understand how your digital profile can impact your ability to keep data secure, the better off you will be. The more you understand the tactics that cyber criminals use to access your information, the better you can protect yourself. We’ve broken down a few key terms that you should know to be more secure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. Take responsibility for your data and be better prepared!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Protection&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Firewall&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A firewall is a defensive technology that is focused on keeping out cyber criminals. It acts as a barrier that protects from internal and external cyber-attacks. A firewall can be a software utility, or a hardware device.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Internet of Things (IoT)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Any object or device that is connected to the internet. The rapidly expanding number of “things,” which can send and receive data, includes cars, appliances, smartwatches, lighting, home assistants, home security, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MFA is a security process that requires more than one method of authentication to verify your identity. One of the most common methods of MFA is to log in using a username and password. Then, a one-time code will be generated and sent to your phone or email, which you need to enter within a certain amount of time. The unique code is the second factor for multi-factor authentication.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other methods used for multi-factor authentication could include a security token, a fingerprint, facial recognition, or even voice recognition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open WIFI&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Open WIFI networks are unencrypted, meaning that anyone can create a fake hotspot and trick your device into joining automatically. When you use an open Wi-Fi, your passwords and personal data are at risk for attack. Always check with an establishment for legitimate Wi-Fi networks before connecting, and when in doubt, use your phone’s hotspot.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Passphrase&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A passphrase is a combination of words and characters that can be much easier to remember than a traditional password. For example, a passphrase “LivingtheDre@m!” might stick in your head better than the password “L$rvx7ms.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cyber Attacks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Botnet&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Botnet is a collection of private computers that are connected to the internet, infected with malware, and then controlled as a group by an unauthorized person without the owners’ knowledge. Botnets are used for nefarious purposes, like sending spam emails. Almost any device connected to the internet can be infected and pulled into a botnet without its owner noticing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A DDoS attack is where an attacker tries to make an online service or website unreachable to legitimate users by flooding it with unwanted requests from multiple computers. Similar to a crowd of people blocking the entry of a store, making it harder to shop, DDoS attacks make it hard for any legitimate business to occur.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Malware&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Malware is software that is designed to disrupt, damage or gain unauthorized access to a computer system or application. Viruses, trojans, spyware, and ransomware are some of the different kinds of malware that you may encounter. Malware can occur when a person falls victim to a phishing scam.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phishing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Phishing is a scam where a cyber criminal uses fake email, social media, phone calls, voicemails or texts that look like they are from a reputable source. The goal is to trick you into revealing sensitive information like password or credit card numbers. They sometimes contain attachments that infect your computer, and often contain links to fake websites that capture the information you enter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ransomware&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ransomware is a type of malware that will make your computer files inaccessible unless you pay an online ransom to regain access to them. Ransomware has impacted cities and state governments across the country. Most recently, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.npr.org/2019/08/20/752695554/23-texas-towns-hit-with-ransomware-attack-in-new-front-of-cyberassault&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;a ransomware attack hit 22 towns in Texas&lt;/a&gt;, and attackers asked for $2.5 million to unlock files that were critical to deliver services to citizens.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>407203</id><pubdate>2019-10-17T16:17:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services is proud to announce that the National Association for Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) selected Minnesota’s Medical PreCheck and Locator App for a State IT Recognition Award.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Receives NASCIO Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Award</Subject><Subject>NASCIO</Subject><Subject>National Association for Chief Information Officers</Subject><Subject>Medical</Subject><Subject>PreCheck</Subject><Subject>App</Subject><Subject>application</Subject><Subject>State IT</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Receives NASCIO Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The team that worked on the Medical Pre Check and Locator App.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/medical-pre-check-team-001_tcm38-406709.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The team that worked on the Medical Pre Check and Locator App.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/medical-pre-check-team-001_tcm38-406710.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2019-10 - MNIT Receives NASCIO Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-406699&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-16T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services is proud to announce that the National Association for Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) selected Minnesota’s Medical PreCheck and Locator App for a State IT Recognition Award.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Applications that Aid in Medical Disaster Response Receive National Award Recognizing State IT Excellence</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 16, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:emily.shimkus@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emily Shimkus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;651-485-1354&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Developed by Minnesota IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Health, the Medical PreCheck and Point of Dispensing Locator App was recognized by the National Association for Chief Information Officers.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce that the National Association for Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) selected Minnesota’s Medical PreCheck and Locator App to receive a State IT Recognition Award. MNIT and its partners at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) received the award in the “Digital Government: Government to Business” category for the project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On October 15, Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes, alongside representatives from the project team, accepted the award on behalf of the agency at the NASCIO Annual Conference in Nashville, TN. For over 30 years, the NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards have honored information technology projects that are impactful, transformational, and address needs within state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota IT Services partners with state agencies to provide accessible information,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;“When the unthinkable happens, we know Minnesotans don’t want to worry about where they can access lifesaving medicine. The Medical PreCheck and Locator App will allow for transformational delivery of services.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Many of our programs offer critical services that impact public health and safety, and it’s important that we work with information technology experts to provide those services in a way that is clear and accessible to Minnesotans,”&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said. &lt;strong&gt;“We appreciate the partnership and support MNIT provides us to accomplish that goal, and this award shows that our partnership is yielding encouraging results.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Medical PreCheck and POD Locator App prepare Minnesota for rapid responses to public health emergencies, where efficient distribution of medications to an exposed population, potentially a very large population, can save lives. During an emergency, Point of Dispensing (POD) sites allow for the rapid distribution of life saving medicine and treatments. The Medical PreCheck App ensures that users receive a safe medication with an online pre-screening form. The POD Locator finds the nearest point of distribution for medication, as well as public transportation and parking information. Without modern technology and these applications, dispensing rates for medicines and medical countermeasures would slow to a crawl, and Minnesotans would have a difficult time finding active dispensaries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The innovative applications provide significant value to the emergency response community, and allow for high levels of automation, reducing the potential for human error at a time when there could be significant strain on state systems. At even further benefit, the applications are built with modern technology, and stored with cloud services, ensuring that the applications are available even if it scales from zero users to thousands within minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/Newsroom/ArtMID/484/ArticleID/833/NASCIO-Announces-Recipients-for-2019-NASCIO-State-IT-Recognition-Awards&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;press release from NASCIO’s website&lt;/a&gt; announcing the full list of winners here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s public health system is known as one of the best in the nation. It is built upon a strong partnership between the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), local public health agencies, tribal governments and a range of other organizations to protect, maintain, and improve the health of all Minnesotans. It has about 1,500 employees and an annual budget of approximately $500 million in state, federal and fee-based funds.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>406699</id><pubdate>2019-10-16T14:29:15Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the State of Minnesota, in honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness month. </Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Governor Walz</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A computer and a shield with an icon of the State of Minnesota. Text reads: October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-007_tcm38-404538.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A computer and a shield with an icon of the State of Minnesota.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-007_tcm38-404539.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-10 - Cybersecurity Awareness Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-404535&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-01T19:02:37Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the State of Minnesota, in honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness month. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor Walz Proclaims October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the State of Minnesota, in honor of &lt;a href=&quot;https://niccs.us-cert.gov/national-cybersecurity-awareness-month-2019&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Cybersecurity Awareness month&lt;/a&gt;. October&apos;s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) is a collaborative effort to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and to ensure that everyone has the resources they need to be safe and secure online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/governor/news/index.jsp?id=1055-404508&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;You can find the Governor’s Proclamation and release on the month here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>404535</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T21:33:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services celebrated its newest graduates from the MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee program. A program designed to prepare students for state service.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Welcomes the Most Recent Graduates of MNIT’s ITS Trainee Program</Title><Publisher/><Subject>career</Subject><Subject>careers</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>Information Technology</Subject><Subject>Trainee</Subject><Subject>IT career path</Subject><Subject>MNPathways</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>ITS Trainee Graduates</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>ITS Trainee graduates Mason Berge, Elizabeth Thompson, and Abubakar (Abu) Abdi with MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/its-trainee-001_tcm38-404476.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>ITS Trainee graduates Mason Berge, Elizabeth Thompson, and Abubakar (Abu) Abdi with MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/its-trainee-001_tcm38-404477.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2019-10 - ITS Trainee Graduates</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-404480&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-10-01T16:08:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services celebrated its newest graduates from the MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee program. A program designed to prepare students for state service.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Welcomes the Most Recent Graduates of MNIT’s ITS Trainee Program</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services recently celebrated its newest class of graduates from the MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee program. The three graduates, Abubakar (Abu) Abdi, Mason Berge, and Elizabeth Thompson, have completed 960 hours of classroom training, in addition to independent work time, module testing, and specialized topic training. This most recent class of graduates will all be working at MNIT partnering with Minnesota’s Department of Transportation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In its second year, The MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee program is designed to provide a competitive entry-point into state service, specifically, preparing participants for an ITS1 classification. The program focuses on creating opportunities for underutilized protected group members who have successfully completed specialized IT training certifications and/or meet the trainee qualifications. By addressing racial, gender or disability disparities in state employment, the program helps MNIT recognize talent that falls outside of traditional work experience, bringing on board individuals that have an interest in building their career in IT, giving them the tools to be successful, and creating a pathway to professional advancement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The ITS Trainee Program gives sought-after training and creates a clear career path for Abu, Mason, and Elizabeth,” said Tarek Tomes, Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services. “We want to provide meaningful challenges that provoke the curiosity and career growth of individuals within state service, while promoting a diverse workforce.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This ITS Trainee Program is one of eight ‘MNPathways’ programs that creates internships and entry level job opportunities that lead to career pathway jobs in some of our largest job families in state government. The State of Minnesota is the largest employer in Minnesota and filled over 6,000 jobs last year, ranging from snow plow drivers and food service workers to doctors, nurses and engineers. MNPathways also partners with five other public sector partners - Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, City of Minneapolis and City of St. Paul to collaboratively work on shared career pathway programs to build a better and more diverse state, county and municipal workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Interested in working in IT? Visit our &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-304400&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro - Careers&quot;&gt;Careers page&lt;/a&gt; to view all the opportunities for employment with MNIT.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>404480</id><pubdate>2019-10-02T13:19:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>It is clear that digital accessibility is a good thing. What is not clear is what to do when you hit a rough patch. Learn how to keep moving down the road to digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>Road to Digital Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Digital Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Road to Digital Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer code with lines of light forming the shape of a road.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-road-001_tcm38-403442.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer code with lines of light forming the shape of a road.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-road-001_tcm38-403446.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-09 - Road to Digital Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-403317&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-20T15:33:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>It is clear that digital accessibility is a good thing. What is not clear is what to do when you hit a rough patch. Learn how to keep moving down the road to digital accessibility.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Getting un-stuck on the road to digital accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By: &lt;/strong&gt;Zoua Vang, Communications Specialist, Olmstead Implementation Office&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is clear that digital accessibility is a good thing and everyone should be doing it. What is not clear is what to do when you or your organization hits a rough patch and gets stuck on the road to digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Perhaps you are just starting out and don’t know where to begin. Or maybe you and your co-workers were trained on how to make documents accessible but that was a few years ago and everyone has become a little rusty. Or maybe you feel your organization has this digital accessibility thing figured out, but with new technologies coming online all the time, how do you know what you don’t know?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In this article we talk to three digital accessibility coordinators who shared some tips and tricks for helping you and your organization get back on the road to digital accessibility:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kim Wee&lt;/strong&gt;, Webmaster and Accessibility Coordinator for Minnesota IT Services, partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky Bernauer&lt;/strong&gt;, Accessibility Coordinator for the Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Department of Health (MDH)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anne Sittner Anderson&lt;/strong&gt;, Director of Communications and Accessibility Coordinator for Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New to the journey&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether you are just starting or have been on the journey for years, it is important to be familiar with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://dev-level-access.pantheonsite.io/the-digital-accessibility-maturity-model-introduction-to-damm/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM)&lt;/a&gt; and refer to it often. This tool helps make things less overwhelming as it allows you to see what the road ahead looks like, to be able to identify beginning and end points, and locate where you are on the road so that if you get stuck it won’t be for too long because you’re tracking progress.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Becky Bernauer’s digital accessibility journey started soon after Minnesota’s Accessibility Standards Law took effect in September 2010.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I felt responsible. I was working on websites at the time and knew our PDFs weren&apos;t accessible,” said Bernauer. “No one knew where to begin back in those days. Someone had to get on top of it. I just started digging in and sharing my knowledge.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since those early days, the State of Minnesota’s Office of Accessibility has created useful step by step tools to assist with implementation of digital accessibility. A good start is to visit their free &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Training Modules&lt;/a&gt; which provide step by step instructions on how to make documents accessible. The Office of Accessibility also provides an &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/implementation-toolkit.jsp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Implementation Toolkit&lt;/a&gt; that details strategies for how organizations can implement accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;note-info&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State employees should check with their training coordinator on how to access those modules in Enterprise Learning Management (ELM).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s be honest, learning something new that requires you to rewire your brain can be exciting but also overwhelming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“When you are starting out, there’s a knowledge gap, so the goal is to keep everyone from being overwhelmed yet still excited. When starting out we need to build momentum and keep the team moving,” said Becky Bernauer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One thing they did at MDH that helped staff more quickly adopt digitally accessibility, was to create and implement templates that had accessibility features already embedded. Beyond templates, it’s getting serious about standards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bernauer says “It has to start with ‘Nothing goes out to the public unless it is done right.’ The more pushback there is and the more they are forced to redo the work, the better they get and the less frustrated they become.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is a fine balance of holding staff accountable and knowing when to provide them with more support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“One of best things MNIT did was to find a bunch of people in state government with accessibility questions and put them all in a room so they could support each other and work toward solutions,” recalls Bernauer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Wee says at MDE, it was critical for them to cultivate a trusting and supportive group.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“When getting started it is important to have people trust others in the room. I can’t stress this enough” said Wee. “It’s really hard for people to work through the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis and score the categories honestly if they feel they can’t be honest and forthright.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Feeling safe to explore and learn is one thing, but strong leadership is just as critical at the foundational stage. Whether an organization has thousands or just a few employees, every person interviewed agreed that for an organization to become digitally accessible, leadership is imperative in making this organizational shift happen. Strong leadership means work flow processes can be revamped and new procedures instituted to ensure digital accessibility is prioritized.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing (MNCDHH) there is support from all staff and office protocols are clear.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“All of MNCDHH’s digital content goes through me but I do not make my colleagues’ documents accessible,” said Anne Sittner Anderson. “My colleagues know that they need to make their documents accessible before they send them to me. If they accidently forget, it is caught when I check the document, and I return it to them. We believe in the ‘teach a man to fish’ theory.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So you and people at your organization have attended trainings on how to make documents accessible and there may even be established protocols for digital accessibility, but is that enough?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Needing to get back on the road&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Having established procedures for digital accessibility is a great start but that shouldn’t be where it stops. It can’t be. Even at places like MNCDHH where they have been leaders in digital accessibility, they say there is always more to do.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“My amazing colleagues are all staunch advocates for accessibility and MNCDHH was the lead agency to get the digital accessibility and usability law passed with our partners in 2009,” said Sittner Anderson. “However, I am always modifying my approach as I learn new accessibility features or methods.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility veterans say individuals or organizations that are more advanced acknowledge that while they are doing the best they can right now, they know that technology is always changing and they must continue to learn and evolve so their products remain accessible and usable. The goal is to build a mindset that continual improvement in digital accessibility should be a source of pride, not frustration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When you feel stuck or directionless, digital accessibility veterans say go back the basics! Revisit the DAMM. Look at where you started, see how far you’ve come and celebrate those successes. Next, look at where you want to go and start taking steps to get you there.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At MDE, they rely on knowledgeable and well trained staff to help infuse change and excitement into their work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We have content managers for each of the program areas,” said Kim Wee. “The content managers at the Department of Education have had advanced training in accessibility. This has been extremely helpful with making sure the content that is being posted to our internal and external websites is accessible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MDH has similar approach. There, they use quality control staff at the division level and the division staff are routinely trained. Whether it is at MNCDHH, where there are only six employees, or at larger organization like the Minnesota Departments of Education and Health, they say it all comes down to having policies and a structure to support the work. Policies set a clear direction on where everyone needs to be and a structure ensures there will be resources to support the work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From time to time, experts notice that staff may become complacent about making their work digitally accessible because over time, it is viewed as another “to do” and people forget why they are doing it in the first place.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The key to making this work sustainable is making others passionate about it,” said Bernauer. “We have to always help people reconnect with why this work matters. We aren’t just doing it because it’s the law, we are doing it because it is the right thing to do.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Summary&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is one thing that our digital accessibility veterans want you to know. Where you or your organization is on the digital accessibility road doesn’t matter, what matters is that you are traveling in a direction that will get you to a better place. A few things to consider having in place to ensure momentum and forward movement are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continue to help staff understand “why” digital accessibility is important&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build trust by providing a safe space for learning&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create and maintain digitally accessible templates&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Invigorate leadership and implement policies that support digital accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Build or strengthen infrastructure to support organizational change&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

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&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>403317</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:23Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Did you know that there are certifications for digital accessibility? As the Accessibility profession continues to gain visibility, learn how to stay ahead of the curve.</Description><Audience/><Title>Digital Accessibility Certifications </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Digital Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Certifications</Subject><Subject>IAAP</Subject><Subject>WAS</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility Certifications </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of a circuit board with a checkmark.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-certification-001_tcm38-403441.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of a circuit board with a checkmark.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/digital-certification-001_tcm38-403444.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-09 - Digital Accessibility Certifications</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-403321&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-20T15:33:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>Did you know that there are certifications for digital accessibility? As the Accessibility profession continues to gain visibility, learn how to stay ahead of the curve.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How to grow your career in accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, Office of Accessibility&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that there are certifications for digital accessibility? The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)&lt;/a&gt; currently offers two certification exams, the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) and Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS). Folks who have both certificates are deemed to hold the Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) certificate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility as a profession continues to gain visibility as government agencies and the private sector respond to increasing demands to provide accessible digital services and information. Organizations want to know that their employees and contractors can credibly deliver on accessibility promises and the IAAP certificates have become key contributors to that credibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Folks preparing for the CPACC gain broad knowledge about different models of “disability” along with a foundational understanding of digital accessibility and how it applies across the spectrum of information and communication technology. WAS takes a deeper dive into more technical aspects of how to make web technology accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To date, at least two State of Minnesota employees hold the CPWA certificate and several others hold the CPACC certificate. The Office of Accessibility obtained online training licenses for State employees who wish to attain IAAP certification in accessibility. There are currently three CPACC cohorts and one WAS cohort. The goal is to get at least 40 State employees certified as accessibility professionals by the end of Summer 2020.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are not a state employee and have questions about the certifications, visit the CPACC Frequently Asked Questions page on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;IAAP website&lt;/a&gt;, which also lists contact information for the organization.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>403321</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Find in-depth information on what digital accessibility is, why it is important, and how to apply it to your work.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Closing the Digital Accessibility Gap</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Digital Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>disability</Subject><Subject>Disabilities</Subject><Subject>Cognitive Disabilities</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Closing the Accessibility Gap</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of two people filling in the last piece of a bridge.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/bridge-gap-001_tcm38-403443.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of two people filling in the last piece of a bridge.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/bridge-gap-001_tcm38-403447.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-09 - Closing the Accessibility Gap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-403322&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-09-20T15:32:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Find in-depth information on what digital accessibility is, why it is important, and how to apply it to your work.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Cognitive Disabilities, Accessibility Standards, and Assistive Technology – Learn, Apply, Advocate</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By: &lt;/strong&gt;Glenda Sims and Jennie Delisi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Digital Accessibility?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that the web was originally designed to work for everyone, even if you have a disability? Digital Accessibility is when people with disabilities can independently use technology. All people need to be able to get information, communicate, learn, work, and play online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you can see, you might not know that people who are blind can use the web. A special type of software called a screen reader makes it possible for a blind person to use computers. Accessibility helps more than just people who are blind. There are five disability types that are commonly considered in digital accessibility: seeing, hearing, speaking, moving and thinking.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For this article, “thinking” includes disabilities that impact emotions, problem solving, memory and other ways we use our brain.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table class=&quot;table-primary-light&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th&gt;Disability Type&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th&gt;Disability Examples&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th&gt;Assistive Technology Examples&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-1-seeing_tcm38-403406.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol representing inability to see, eye with line drawn through it indicating not.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-1-seeing&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Seeing&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Blind, low vision, color blind&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Screen readers, refreshable braille display, screen magnifiers&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-2-hearing-icon_tcm38-403407.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol to indicate spectrum of ability to hear, with ear in the center and lines of different sizes around it.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-2-hearing-icon&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Hearing&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Deaf, hard of hearing&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Captions, sign-language interpretation&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-3-speaking-icon_tcm38-403408.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol indicating speaking, face with lines indicating sound coming from the mouth.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-3-speaking-icon&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Speaking&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Not able to speak clearly&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Keyboard, AAC device&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-4-moving-icon_tcm38-403409.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol of index finger pointing, with a line around it indicating touching.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-4-moving-icon&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Moving&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Not able to use a keyboard or a mouse&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Speech-to-text software, on-screen keyboard, eye-gaze&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-5-thinking-icon_tcm38-403410.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol of a brain.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-5-thinking-icon&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thinking&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Attention, memory, time, language, math, making choices&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Text-to-speech software, augmented reality (a video overlay that shows “How To” do a task), app based pill reminder, password manager, fingerprint reader&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some people have two or more disabilities. For example, a person may be DeafBlind. or a person may have difficulty using a computer mouse (moving), and being understood when they talk (speech) to their computer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can a person with a disability use a computer or a smartphone? To use technology, they must be able to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Perceive&lt;/strong&gt; it with their mind&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understand&lt;/strong&gt; how to use it&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Operate&lt;/strong&gt; it&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, a person who is deaf may enjoy a video on YouTube with captions if:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Closed Captions can be turned on
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Perceive - can see the “CC” button&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand - understand that clicking on the “CC” button will turn on Closed Captions&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Operate - can click the “CC” button and see the Closed Captions turn on&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Closed Captions are accurate
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Perceive - can see the Closed Captions on screen and in sync with the video&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Understand - the Closed Captions include all spoken words and important sounds&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Operate - able to turn Closed Captions on&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-6-captions_tcm38-403412.png&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of a video with closed captions.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-6-captions&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Image used with permission from the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)*&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is digital accessibility so important? Imagine if you could not use your smartphone, TV or computer by yourself. According to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2018/time-flies-us-adults-now-spend-nearly-half-a-day-interacting-with-media/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2018 Nielsen study&lt;/a&gt;, “American adults spend over 11 hours per day listening to, watching, reading or generally interacting with [digital] media.” Technology is not just for play. We use technology every day to be successful at work, at school and in our lives. This quote from Mary Pat Radabaugh explains why digital accessibility is a human right. “For most people, technology makes things easier. But for people with disabilities, technology makes things possible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cognitive Disabilities and Cognitive Skills&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make technology accessible for people with cognitive disabilities, we need to have a broad understanding of these types of disabilities. A disability is a condition that limits a major life activity. Communicating, learning and working are examples of major life activities. Some types of cognitive disabilities are aphasia, autism, attention deficit, dyslexia, dyscalculia, intellectual and memory loss.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;table class=&quot;table-primary-light&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;th&gt;Cognitive Disability Examples&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;th&gt;Has Significant Difficulty&lt;/th&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Aphasia&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Speaking (finding words), writing or understanding language&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Autism&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;May have difficulty understanding some communications or social interactions&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Focusing and keeping attention&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Dyslexia&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Recognizing letters and words&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Dyscalculia&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Recognizing numbers and symbols&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Intellectual&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;“intellectual functioning (such as learning, problem solving, judgement) and/or adaptive functioning (activities of daily life such as communication and independent living)”*&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;Memory Loss&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;remembering new events or past memories or both&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many more types of cognitive disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some webmasters, software designers and developers may not understand cognitive disabilities. They may have no experience talking to a person with cognitive disabilities. They may misunderstand how much ability a person may have. They may feel like they don’t know the right things to say. They may feel overwhelmed and unable to find solutions if the focus is on a cognitive medical diagnosis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But webmasters, designers and developers love to solve problems. So using simple to understand descriptions of the problems makes it easier for them to focus on the problem and start to solve it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next, let’s talk about words and phrases you can use to describe problems or barriers you may find.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attention&lt;/strong&gt; - able to focus and keep focused on the current task&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Processing Speed&lt;/strong&gt; - rate at which the brain handles information&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short-Term Memory&lt;/strong&gt; - able to retain information for short periods of time&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long-Term Memory&lt;/strong&gt; - able to store and recall information for later use&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Logic &amp;amp; Reasoning&lt;/strong&gt; - able to reason, prioritize and plan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Language Processing&lt;/strong&gt; - able to recognize letters and words. Able to understand written or spoken language&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Math Processing&lt;/strong&gt; - able to recognize numbers and symbols. Able to understand and calculate simple math&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first three skills (attention, processing speed and short-term memory) are part of automatic processing. The last four skills (long-term memory, logic and reasoning, language processing and math processing) are part of higher thinking. The diagram below shows how information is input into our brain, flows through automatic processing, can tap into higher thinking, and results in output (a decision).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-7-cognitive-skills_tcm38-403413.png&quot; alt=&quot;Thinking Flow Diagram. Detailed description is in the caption.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-7-cognitive-skills&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Thinking Flow Diagram: Input to automatic processing group (attention, processing speed, short-term memory), leading to higher thinking group. The higher thinking skills each interact with a decision cog: long-term memory, logic and reasoning, language processing, math processing. The decision cog leads to output.)&lt;/figcaption&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Let’s try out an example using the Thinking Flow Diagram above. Here is a sample task: buy the e-book you need. Imagine you are shopping online for an e-book you need for work or school. Your computer has a fingerprint reader. You log on to your favorite online bookshop using your fingerprint. You find the book you need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are the cognitive skills you applied:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Automatic Processing&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Attention&lt;/strong&gt; - you keep your attention on the task for buying this book (even if you get interrupted by a phone call or a text message).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Processing Speed&lt;/strong&gt; - luckily, this site does not have any time limits, so you can take all the time you need to read the information on this page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Short-Term Memory&lt;/strong&gt; - luckily, this site didn’t make you remember anything new.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Higher Thinking&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long-Term Memory&lt;/strong&gt; - you need to remember the name or URL of your favorite online bookshop. You need to remember the name of the book and the author. You also need to remember what book format you use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Logic &amp;amp; Reasoning&lt;/strong&gt; - you need to consider all the different book formats.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Language Processing&lt;/strong&gt; - you need to recognize the letters and words on the page to be able to read the information about this book and find the button to buy the book. Or, to process this text, you need it to be read out loud to you by your assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Math Processing&lt;/strong&gt; - you need to recognize the numbers that represent the price of the book and calculate if you can afford it based on how much money you have.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Decision&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make a choice to press the “Buy Now” button (which you have set up so it will automatically charge to your credit card).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But what if you have a reading disability where you need to be able to highlight text and have your assistive technology reads those words out loud. Because the text for the coupon code is in an image, your assistive technology will not read it aloud.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Problems&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you cannot do something on your own, some people will tell you, “Just go ask for help.” But you should be able to be independent if you want.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if you need information presented a different way? You may prefer to read information in a quiet space. Or, maybe you learn best watching a How-To video on YouTube. For some people with cognitive disabilities, if information is not presented in the way they learn best, they cannot learn independently.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if you take in and learn information best from videos? The first problem might be that a video with the information you need does not exist. There might be other problems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Difficult words&lt;/strong&gt; - The words and examples in the video script might be too difficult.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Complicated directions&lt;/strong&gt; - The video may not break things down so the steps are easy to follow. Do you ever get lost when the directions are too complicated?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No captions&lt;/strong&gt; - Many people use the captions, including some people with cognitive disabilities. If the captions are not there, some people may not be able to follow along. They may not remember the information as well. Or they may not learn the new vocabulary.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Not able to turn captions off&lt;/strong&gt; - For other people the captions can be distracting. If you are unable to turn off the captions, they may have difficulty focusing on your content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Can’t play video&lt;/strong&gt; - And what if you can’t control the video player using your way of interacting with a computer (such as your voice)? You may not be able to use the video at all.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Being able to access your information independently is a civil right. This is very important when the information about you is personal and something you want to keep private. Let’s look at how these barriers can impact a common situation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if you took a medical test that you are kind of embarrassed about, and want to get the results by yourself. As an adult, you may not want to show your parents, your staff, or any other kind of helper the results. Your doctor told you the results can be checked on a computer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But what if:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The website does not work with your assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You cannot remember your login and password. And then you have trouble resetting it because the steps are not easy to follow.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Once you open the results, they are in a PDF that doesn’t work with your assistive technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The only way you can keep a copy of your results is to print something on paper.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These same type of barriers can be encountered when a person may be:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Interacting with their case manager,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reading reports that may not be accessible PDFs,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reviewing the letters that may help a person track the requests they have made.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What about requesting to move out of your group home to live in a more inclusive setting? You have a lot of information to track, and may not always have the assistive technology you need on available computers. If you ever need to file an appeal of a decision, you may need to have a lot of different types of documents in accessible formats that you can review, and share, with staff, case managers, or lawyers. You might need a way you can track what you have done already, and what you need to do next. You may have many reasons why you want to access the information independently.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technology Solutions&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Technology (Software/Hardware)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many solutions to help you access digital content. Several types of assistive technology can help people with cognitive disabilities. If you use PDFs, there are different types of software that make them read out loud. Need them to only read you the tricky words? Need them to read the whole PDF? Maybe you need them to help you read everything on a computer? Today there are many different ways you can be independent on a computer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It isn’t just for reading. There is assistive technology that can help you:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Type or speak to your computer to help you write emails&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Search the internet&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Post to Facebook&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep records&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make documents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are also assistive technologies that help you:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remember your passwords&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Organize your thoughts before writing a letter&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep track of where you are in a project&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AT Programs and Services (Learn)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you live in the United States, there are services to help you learn about different kinds of assistive technology. They can help you try them out and compare what is available. Sometimes you can borrow them to try at home, school, or work. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/admin/star/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota STAR Program&lt;/a&gt; is one program. Other states also have &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.at3center.net/stateprogram&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;assistive technology act programs&lt;/a&gt;. Ask at your local library too! Sometimes they have computers with different types of assistive technology on them, ready to use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technology Solution Example&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s an example of how assistive technology can help. Meet Joe. He has access to a Windows 10 computer, internet, his own email account and files with a secure password. The computer is located in his apartment. He views his email using Outlook, and PDFs using Acrobat Reader. He can independently (without AT) launch Outlook and save files.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, Joe wants to talk to his case manager. He thinks there is a mistake in his waiver budget because it includes something he does not use. It says “blended meals” but he makes his own meals with support from his personal care attendant. He found this out using an assistive technology software. It helps him read accessible PDFs. He is able to highlight the text in the PDF and have it read out loud to him. He is able to do this at the time that works best for his focus and attention. This did not have to be when his staff was available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Joe copies the text from the PDF into an email. He uses the “dictate” feature built into Outlook to type for him what he wants to say. and then uses the “read aloud” feature to listen back to what is in his email. He sends the email to both the case manager and himself, so he has a copy he can file. He is able to reread this before his meeting with the case manager.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The case manager replies with an accessible PDF with the information corrected. She also sends an accessible email so Joe can review the information. On Friday, Joe has an appointment with his independent living skills worker. Instead of spending all the time reviewing the budget, they only review the amounts. Joe prefers to have someone with better math skills review the numbers with him. He can now use the rest of the time to do other tasks for which he needs help. He would like help doing some laundry, banking, and planning a visit to his brother.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Joe can review accessible information by himself, at his own speed. This makes him confident the budget included what he feels is important and that he has found any errors. And, he can use the staff time for things where he wants help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Kind of Rules Are There?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governments and groups of people have worked together to create rules to make technology easier to use. It is pretty cool that there are rules in Minnesota, the United States, and the world that help people have equal access to technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-8-standard-types-icon_tcm38-403414.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbols and text for WCAG (World), Olmstead (US, Minnesota), State Standard (Maybe your state).&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-8-standard-types-icon&quot; /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;figure style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-9-state-icon_tcm38-403415.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol with map outline of State of Minnesota.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-9-state-icon&quot; /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Digital Accessibility Rules (Your State)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many states have decided that they need their own digital accessibility rules. They may call them different things, like standards or policies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In Minnesota, Executive Branch agencies follow the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;. Digital information created or used by these departments must be accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-image-10-olmstead-icon_tcm38-403416.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol with map outline of United States.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-10-olmstead-icon&quot; /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Olmstead Plan (Your State, United States)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&amp;amp;RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&amp;amp;dDocName=opc_home&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan&lt;/a&gt; helps ensure people with disabilities are living, learning, working, and enjoying life in the most integrated setting. The Plan helps “Minnesotans with disabilities have the opportunity, both now and in the future to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Live near family and friends&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Decide the level of support they need&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Work at a job they enjoy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to school where they want to&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be a part of their community.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal is that “people with disabilities should have access to the same opportunities as people without disabilities. This includes the right to make everyday decisions about their lives.” (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&amp;amp;RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&amp;amp;Rendition=Primary&amp;amp;allowInterrupt=1&amp;amp;noSaveAs=1&amp;amp;dDocName=dhs-309645&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;What’s in the Minnesota Olmstead Plan - PDF&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Olmstead Plan is partially based on the federal Olmstead decision. Learn more at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ada.gov/olmstead/olmstead_complaints.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;United States government page about the Olmstead Plan&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/iaccessibility-mage-11-wcag-icon_tcm38-403417.png&quot; alt=&quot;Symbol of Earth.&quot; style=&quot;width: 30%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-image-11-wcag-icon&quot; /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;International Web Accessibility Standard (World)&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many people around the world want the web to be accessible to all people. This includes people with disabilities. A group of people at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C&lt;/a&gt; created a rule called the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)&lt;/a&gt;. This rule explains how to make the web work better for people with disabilities. Some countries have made this rule required for governments to follow. Examples are the United States, Canada and Europe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Will These Rules Help Me?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The accessibility rules we have are good, but they need to be better. A group of people have been working on making the web more accessible for people with cognitive disabilities. The name of this group is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/task-forces/coga/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cognitive Accessibility Task Force&lt;/a&gt;. The nickname for this group is COGA (COGnitive Accessibility). This group is led by Lisa Seeman at the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;W3C&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Members of this group research types of cognitive disabilities as well as specific user needs. They identify where user needs are not being met and are writing a guide for “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/coga-usable/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is an example of three types of user needs for people with cognitive disabilities:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Easy to Use and Secure Authentication&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I need a secure way to log in that is easy enough for me to use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;No Distractions&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I need to be able to read content or complete a task without distractions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prevent Errors&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;I need help avoiding mistakes, and minimizing mistakes I might make.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you look at these user needs, you may be thinking, everyone will benefit from these improvements. Correct! But for a person with a cognitive disability, if these user needs are not met, they may not be able to use the site at all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This task force and their research includes people with all types of cognitive disabilities. Examples of just a few of the types of disabilities that have been included are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learning&lt;/strong&gt;: Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Age related&lt;/strong&gt;: Alzheimer’s, dementia, memory&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Intellectual&lt;/strong&gt;: Down Syndrome&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Accidental&lt;/strong&gt;: traumatic brain injury&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mental health&lt;/strong&gt;: anxiety, depression, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next Steps&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now you know it is possible for the web to be used by people with all kinds of abilities. As our computers become smarter, we can expect even more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Imagine you had a magic wand and could solve a problem for yourself, a friend, a family member or a student. What do you wish a computer could do to help? If we dare to dream...if we take the time to ask...we can find solutions to problems. Our questions might even inspire the next cool invention. Check out this example: this new software is helping a second grade student who was having a hard time learning to read. Karrick learns to read with &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrO-l1IKjbw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Immersive Reader [Video]&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you want to be a part of the solution? Here are some ways you could help. Pick the option that is best for you:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When you find a digital accessibility barrier, tell someone. Send an email, make a phone call, or complete a “contact us form.” You can:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tell them a quick story about the barrier. Be specific.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include the website address, document title and location, or software name.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use one or two sentences to describe what happened.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Thank them for reviewing this issue.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask them to contact you to learn more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ask for the name of the person you should talk to about the problem.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Find other people you can work with to learn more, teach others, and plan ways to improve digital accessibility.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Check out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Web Accessibility Perspectives videos!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In your advocacy groups, start talking about digital accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Spend even a small amount of time per month learning about assistive technology and digital accessibility. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; has good information to get you started.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Help the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/task-forces/coga/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cognitive Accessibility Task Force (COGA TF)&lt;/a&gt; at the W3C.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Suggest ways the web could be easier for people with cognitive disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review learning materials&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Send feedback&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can be a part of the solution! Know how digital accessibility helps you and those you care about. Tell someone. The digital community must be inclusive, so all our voices can be heard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reference List&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Copyright © 2019 W3C ® (MIT, ERCIM, Keio). Updated 23 January 2019. Retrieved from https://www.w3.org/WAI/perspective-videos/contrast/&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Parekh, Ranna. (2017). What Is Intellectual Disability? Retrieved from &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/intellectual-disability/what-is-intellectual-disability&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/intellectual-disability/what-is-intellectual-disability&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

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&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>403322</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Commissioner Tomes visited with Minnesotans and MNIT’s business partners at the Minnesota State Fair.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT at the State Fair</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>Fair</Subject><Subject>Commissioner Tomes</Subject><Subject>Tarek Tomes</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT at the State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes and MNIT Employees at MNIT&apos;s State Fair booth.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/state-fair-002_tcm38-400546.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Tomes and MNIT Employees at MNIT&apos;s State Fair booth.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/state-fair-002_tcm38-400549.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2019-08 - MNIT at the State Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-400524&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-23T19:02:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Commissioner Tomes visited with Minnesotans and MNIT’s business partners at the Minnesota State Fair.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Enjoying the Great Minnesota Get-Together with MNIT and our Business Partners</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Great Minnesota Get-Together is underway, and MNIT is proud to be a part of it again this year. In addition to a booth in the Education Building, MNIT also had the opportunity to lead cybersecurity-focused activities for kids and families during STEM Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes presented a proclamation from Governor Tim Walz announcing STEM Day and then spent some time engaging with Minnesotans and MNIT’s state agency partners. MNIT staffed a table with a cybersecurity tower and cipher activities at STEM Day in Dan Patch Park. MNIT is also showcasing how we work to create a better Minnesota and handing out prizes in the Education building for the duration of the fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are proud to participate in the State Fair, and to share information with Minnesotans about career opportunities, state information technology, and the work we do to keep state systems safe and secure. Stop by and visit us in the Education Building!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some photos from our first day of the fair:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-006-img_0324_tcm38-400525.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-006-img_0324&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Tomes delivering the STEM Day Proclamation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-009-img_0353_tcm38-400526.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-009-img_0353&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Tomes with the STEM Day Proclamation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-004-img_0286_tcm38-400527.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-004-img_0286&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT team members wearing incognito glasses in front of our cybersecurity photo wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-011-img_0367_tcm38-400528.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-011-img_0367&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A boy working on a Caesar Cypher.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-028-img_0688_tcm38-400537.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-028-img_0688&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A little girl working on a Caesar Cypher.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-012-img_0373_tcm38-400529.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-012-img_0373&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Two young fairgoers wearing incognito glasses in front of our cybersecurity photo wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-015-img_0390_tcm38-400531.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-015-img_0390&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Tomes with our team members at the MNIT STEM Day booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-016-img_0401_tcm38-400532.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-016-img_0401&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioners Steve Grove and Tarek Tomes in front of our cybersecurity photo wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-019-img_0419_tcm38-400533.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-019-img_0419&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Tomes announcing the winner of a $200 college savings plan at the Office of Higher Education booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-023-img_0444_tcm38-400534.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-023-img_0444&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Tomes visiting our partners at the Minnesota Department of Health booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-025-img_0450_tcm38-400535.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-025-img_0450&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
State Auditor Julie Blaha, Representative Kristen Bahner, and Commissioner Tomes at the Minnesota House of Representatives booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-030-img_0704_tcm38-400536.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-030-img_0704&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A crowd of fairgoers around MNIT&apos;s booth in the Education Building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>400524</id><pubdate>2019-08-23T19:59:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Thursday, August 22, 2019, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Walz Proclaims “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair”</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Governor Walz</Subject><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>State Fair</Subject><Subject>proclamation</Subject><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>Science</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Engineering</Subject><Subject>Math</Subject><Subject>education</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>STEM Day at the State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of young fairgoers playing cybersecurity Jenga.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-state-fair-001_tcm38-350796.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of young fairgoers playing cybersecurity Jenga.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-state-fair-001_tcm38-350795.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2019-08 - STEM Day at the State Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-400072&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-22T14:20:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Thursday, August 22, 2019, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor Walz Proclaims “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair”</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;August 22, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:emily.shimkus@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Emily Shimkus&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;651-485-1354&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair seeks to teach students, parents, educators, and all Minnesotans about the exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/proclamation-stem-day-2019_tcm38-400071.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;proclamation-stem-day-2019&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Thursday, August 22, 2019, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“When we help students spark an early interest in STEM learning, we position them for continued success as they navigate Minnesota’s future of dynamic, innovative, and creative career opportunities,”&lt;/strong&gt; said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. &lt;strong&gt;“I thank Governor Tim Walz for his support around education and technology initiatives in Minnesota, and for supporting STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair is a chance for students, parents, and educators to celebrate and freely participate in collaborative and engaging activities involving STEM. SciMathMN, in collaboration with its many partner organizations, is the driving force behind the STEM Day at the Fair effort. By approaching STEM learning in this fun and interactive way, STEM Day at the Fair aims to help students make the critical connection between the skills they learn in the classroom and future career opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota is the largest employer in Minnesota, employing over 50,000 employees in state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges and universities. STEM career opportunities range from nursing and medicine, to engineering, to monitoring the quality of Minnesota lakes and streams, to web developing and coding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every organization participating in STEM Day at the Fair will have students and fairgoers of all ages will be able to engage in a wide range of displays, games, and crafts involving robotics, engineering, computer coding, geography sciences, and animals. There will also be STEM-oriented entertainment on the stage at Dan Patch Park. For more information, visit &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scimathmn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;scimathmn.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/proclamation-stem-day-2019_tcm38-400071.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;proclamation-stem-day-2019&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Read Governor Walz’s “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair” proclamation online&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT):&lt;/strong&gt; Led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, MNIT is the information technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the state’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects, and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SciMathMN:&lt;/strong&gt; SciMathMN is a non-profit organization that advocates for effective, engaging and rigorous science, technology, engineering and mathematics education opportunities for all Minnesota students, preparing them for citizenship, career, and college.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>400072</id><pubdate>2019-08-23T19:59:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As Molly, MNIT&apos;s Accessibility Intern, prepares to go back to college, she reflects on her work and what this experience means for her going forward.</Description><Audience/><Title>The Accessibility Intern Experience</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Intern</Subject><Subject>testing</Subject><Subject>at</Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Subject>screen reader</Subject><Subject>web accessibility</Subject><Subject>document accessibility</Subject><Subject>accessible</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Accessibility Intern Experience</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Accessibility intern Molly working at her desk.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-intern-molly-001_tcm38-400031.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Accessibility intern Molly working at her desk.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-intern-molly-001_tcm38-400032.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-08 - The Accessibility Intern Experience</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-399918&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-21T16:08:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>As Molly, MNIT&apos;s Accessibility Intern, prepares to go back to college, she reflects on her work and what this experience means for her going forward.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A Day in the Life of Molly, MNIT&apos;s Accessibility Intern</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Molly, Accessibility Intern for Minnesota IT Services&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the beginning of the summer, I started as the Accessibility Intern. When I started in the position I had very little idea of what an accessibility intern did and even less of an idea of what to expect out of my day to day work. Unsurprisingly, my first day was a whirlwind. But, now that the storm has calmed down, and indeed is almost over, I have the chance to reflect a little bit on what an accessibility intern does, what my day to day looked like, and importantly, what this means for me going forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does an accessibility intern do? Well, I help make digital content accessible. Sorry, that’s sort of vague, isn’t it? Let me try again and take it step by step. Firstly, what do I use to do my job?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few tools of the trade I use included Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, a keyboard, a screen reader, and lots of food to snack on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I use Microsoft Word to create documents. Documents like reference guides, reports, checklists, and questionnaires. To make the documents I use headings, paragraph and list styles, alternative text with pictures, and other accessibility best practices. That way my source documents start out as accessible bases. Sometimes the documents stay in this format. Sometimes they are converted to other formats, like PDFs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With PDFs I move onto Acrobat. In Acrobat I run the accessibility checker and fix any errors that are found. I check the tags, adding and removing ones as needed. The most common tags I run into are paragraph tags, list tags, and link tags. I also use Acrobat to create fillable forms. Forms are common for questionnaires or surveys or other similar documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another tool I use a lot of is the keyboard. Prior to this internship I used keyboard shortcuts, such as CTRL + B to create &lt;strong&gt;bolded font&lt;/strong&gt; or ALT + 0250 to create the ‘ú’, or the letter ‘u’ with an acute accent. But I never realized that those were keyboard shortcuts and I certainly didn’t realize how much more you can do with a keyboard. TAB and SHIFT + TAB were the two most important keyboard shortcuts I learned. I use them a lot during keyboard testing to navigate webpages and documents. I will say here that a full keyboard is superior to a laptop keyboard when it comes to testing. For example, keyboard testing often uses the F keys. On a laptop, you have to hold down the function key in order to use those F keys, and learn different key stroke combinations. Using a full keyboard reduces the number of keys you need to press at the same time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The screen reader I use is called JAWS and it is one of the most commonly used screen readers in the United States. I switched my screen voice to the “David” voice, so I call my machine David. Using David, I comb through digital content, such as a web page or a PDF, and listen for errors. Common errors are text not being correctly coded or tagged and images missing alternative text. This means that screen readers won’t read what is there. When David finds errors in my documents, I go back and fix the source document and then have David check again.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My final tool of the trade: food. The food is just a me thing. I find I tend to be more focused and less grumpy with a belly full of snacks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’s what I use to work, but what do I work on? In general, the projects I work on are both large and small. One large project was checking mobile apps for accessibility. For a smaller project I worked on creating a checklist for how to make documents accessible. A third project was a card sort. Card sorts are used to determine information structure for websites or documents. During the first card sort I asked participants to group questions into categories; during the second one I asked them to sort the same questions into pre-determined categories. An important part to this card sort was the diversity of participants, some individuals used screen readers, some had accessibility experience, and some didn’t. That diversity allowed me to get the best possible feedback for my card sort.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those projects that involve evaluating something for accessibility, there are tests upon tests to complete – and not the standardized ones taken in school. There are keyboard tests, screen reader tests, tests with switches, tests for color contrast, and many others. Testing requires time and patience. It’s smart to do the testing once, go do something else, and then come back and redo the test again to verify the results. That way my findings are more accurate. And during the break between tests I have time to go grab more food.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those projects that involve the creation of content, there are drafts upon drafts upon drafts. With every draft there are paragraphs that get cut, sentences that are rearranged and words that are added. The end goal is to create a product that is polished, easy to understand, and informative. Sometimes it takes several days and several bags of chips to come up with a final product. But it always feels so good to turn in the final version!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, that’s what I do for this internship; using software like Microsoft and JAWs and the keyboard I make digital content, like PDFs and webpages, accessible!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This internship was one amazing and informative ride. I have learned a lot about accessibility in terms of what it is, what standards there are, and how to create accessible digital content. I tend to draft a lot of papers and create presentations so, some of the most practical things I learned from this internship, I can easily implement outside of this job. Finally, a very important take away from this internship is my newfound ability to advocate for digital accessibility and the benefit of diversity in teams. I have a base of knowledge with which to make suggestions to encourage the implementation and normalization of digital accessibility in any setting. And while it may seem like only one voice advocating for accessibility can’t change anything, in the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” I am not the only advocate and many voices together makes an unstoppable force for change.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>399918</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Robin Rust, a State Program Administrator for MnDOT recently attended the Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit. Here are her thoughts.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Summit Summary: Impact of Digital Accessibility on a Team</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>Summit</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Summit Summary</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356061.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356059.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-08 - Accessibility Summit Summary</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-399915&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-08-21T15:54:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Robin Rust, a State Program Administrator for MnDOT recently attended the Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit. Here are her thoughts.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Impact of Digital Accessibility on a Team</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Robin Rust, State Program Administrator, Minnesota Department of Transportation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Editor’s Note&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Robin recently attended the Minnesota Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit. We asked her to share about the impact of the conference on her work, her key take-aways, and how her team benefitted from the training she received. Many people ask us how best to present a request for training about digital accessibility to a supervisor or manager. We have found it helpful to include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brief information about how the topic directly impacts your work, and the work being done on your team.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Specific learning objectives you may have.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Finally, include information about how you will share the information with your team.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While we do not know the exact dates of next year’s Minnesota Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit, they plan to have it again. Consider adding this and other digital accessibility training opportunities onto your training and development plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Robin’s Thoughts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thank you for all the great offerings at the Accessibility Summit! I attended knowing there are simple things I can do over the course of my work that would improve accessibility, but I didn’t know what they were or where to learn them. The Summit included ample opportunities to learn easy tips as well as providing lots of stories and stats to demonstrate their importance. The Experience Lab was invaluable showing the impact of hearing loss, activities that test cognitive function, and I was able to use my face as a mouse!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the things that surprised me were the low number of people who report having a disability compared to the number of people estimated to have one. Disabilities affect more people than most realize. A 2017 study quoted at the Summit estimated 30% of employees have an undisclosed disability. This means that many employees, unbeknownst to those around them, are dealing with an invisible disability that may impact their vision, hearing, or cognitive function. Some disabilities may come and go, such as concussion symptoms, others are permanent. As we age, there is a greater likelihood of developing a disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After learning valuable information at the Summit, I wanted to share the highlights with my teammates so they could benefit from my new knowledge too. I requested time in an upcoming team meeting to provide an update. In preparation, I organized my notes into 3 main points and created a simple slide presentation that could be included in the meeting notes. In an effort to recreate the Experience Lab as best as I could, I found an online demo of hearing loss and examples of color blindness tests. My teammates now have a greater awareness for the value of accessibility. Sharing the key takeaways also sparked discussion around things we can do to make sure we aren’t unintentionally excluding people, especially for those joining meetings remotely.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The more we know, the better we can understand others, relate to their unique situation, and help accommodate their ability to perform. Accessible solutions frequently benefit more than just the intended audience. Contributions to advancements in accessibility today, may create a solution that helps you in the future. For those considering attending next year, I recommend it. You may learn something that will help you improve the world for those around you, or even yourself!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>399915</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Meetings are a great way to increase productivity and bring people together to accomplish goals. But how can we make them accessible for everyone?</Description><Audience/><Title>Making Remote Meetings Work for You </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>meetings</Subject><Subject>meeting</Subject><Subject>web conferencing</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Remote Meetings</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of people meeting with another group via web conference.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/web-conference-002_tcm38-394684.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of people meeting with another group via web conference.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/web-conference-002_tcm38-394685.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2019-07 - Remote Meetings</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-394650&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-07-31T15:26:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>Meetings are a great way to increase productivity and bring people together to accomplish goals. But how can we make them accessible for everyone?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Making Remote Meetings Work for You </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Meetings are a great way to increase productivity by bringing people together to accomplish a shared goal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At least that’s the idea. What happens when:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;You have to call in and you can’t hear anyone other than the meeting facilitator?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There’s a hum from the air conditioner or heating that makes it hard for you to hear?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The presenter says, “I have a loud voice, so I don’t need the microphone”?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to the rapid growth in smartphones, webinar and conferencing software, and ubiquitous WiFi, people are starting to frame meetings by the technology (“let’s Skype”) as often as the physical location. Lack of physical presence is no longer seen as a barrier to a successful meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
This is great for folks who aren’t as mobile, while often creating challenges for others who may not hear as well, or have difficulty accessing software controls.
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So how do we take advantage of new technologies without letting them become a barrier for some participants?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There’s no magic wand that can address all potential problems (although the American Bar Association &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/resources/toolkits/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;toolkit&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/mental_physical_disability/Accessible_Meetings_Toolkit.authcheckdam.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;checklist&lt;/a&gt; are very comprehensive), and this is a newsletter article, not a book. So here are just three basic concepts that you can use to help ensure your meetings are successful:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Know your technology&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Know your room&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Know your participants&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Know Your Technology&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ever started up a familiar tool to find that the vendor had “upgraded” it since the last time you used it, and the controls weren’t where you thought they were?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Perhaps you planned to hold the meeting with a tool that used the computer’s audio, then at the last minute a colleague said “I’m driving, so mind if I call in? So, you had to switch to a different tool that had a phone number. Then while you’re running the meeting, someone asks a question via chat that you don’t see until after the meeting finishes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technologies evolve. Meeting requirements change. People communicate in multiple ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan for all possible ways to access the meeting to reduce last-minute changes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Practice with your software controls.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assign roles – don’t try to run the meeting, manage the chat, and monitor audio all by yourself.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you’re not a frequent user, do a dry run before the meeting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Know Your Room&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not all rooms are created equal. What options does the room provide? How do you connect to the projector? Does it interfere with your ability to share information with remote attendees? How strong is the network signal? Can you switch rooms if needed?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some considerations to keep in mind when designating a room for your meeting:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ethernet port (both for conference transmission and captioner if on site)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reliable connection between room’s audio sources (handheld and fixed mics) and the conference computer&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conference phone (as backup if audio cannot be reliably sent through computer or for call-in participants)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In-room audio synched with conference audio, including possible induction loops&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are two stories that illustrate these considerations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Inductive Experience&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where we work, in the Centennial Building (built in 1958), the Blazing Star meeting room on the ground floor was recently remodeled. It is a popular location for meetings involving folks from other agencies, vendors, and members of the public. Because of this, Minnesota IT Services made the decision to add an induction loop to the remodel plans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Induction loops are relatively simple concepts. The vendor laid a network of copper wire on the concrete floor, which were then connected to the room’s sound system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;figure xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/blazing-star-induction-loop_tcm38-394671.jpg&quot; title=&quot;blazing-star-induction-loop&quot; alt=&quot;blazing-star-induction-loop&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;blazing-star-induction-loop&quot; /&gt;
&lt;figcaption&gt;Figure 1: Blazing Star meeting room with carpet removed and lattice of flat copper wires on the concrete subfloor.&lt;/figcaption&gt;

&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This means that folks who wear assistive listening devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants have clearer, cleaner access to sound from the microphone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The room is equipped with several headsets that access the induction loop. When we tested the new setup, a person with “normal” hearing expressed preference for wearing the headset – because the sound was as clear as if the speaker was sitting next to her, rather than across the room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also learned that the setup is different when you have remote attendees, as the ceiling microphones are coordinating with the ceiling speakers as well as the other microphones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, our testing revealed that room’s ceiling mics don’t seem to properly function with the web. We’re excited about the new induction loop. We expect it will make meetings easier and more productive for some participants. A key factor to remember – it requires using the microphone system!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A Hotel Conference Experience&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I recently attended a strategic planning meeting in a hotel conference room with international participants, some of whom were calling in from their respective countries. Unfortunately, there were problems with the room’s network and sound systems, and the remote participants had difficulty hearing the speakers in the room even though everyone scrupulously used the microphone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The first problem was that the hotel kept changing the designated room, making advance preparation difficult.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Second, a high bandwidth WiFi provided by a conference sponsor was not enabled in time, so they had to rely on the public hotel lobby network, causing slow, delayed transmission. There was no way to plug computers into an Ethernet port for faster, more reliable network access.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Third, the room was not enabled with a conference phone line, so the remote participants had to rely on audio from the computer (connected to slow WiFi). This made for spotty sound quality.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There was a CART writer (captioner) in the room, so remote participants could read the captions and they could comment via chat. However, they expressed frustration that they couldn’t engage in the discussion as effectively as they would have liked.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Know Your Participants&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What if a remote participant has a hearing loss? Or has poor cell phone coverage? Or what if the participants are from around the world, with varying accents and command of the language used in the meeting?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When organizing a meeting, provide attendees with the opportunity to request accommodations in advance. That might range from a request for CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) to an advance electronic copy of all materials. Be sure to allow enough time to support such requests. For example, It can take at least two or three days’ advance notice to secure a CART writer, and at least as many days to Braille a report or make an accessible PDF of a PowerPoint deck.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some considerations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a CART writer for large or important meetings even when it isn’t requested. This enables live captions for all participants, as well as a text file for your records.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the writer is onsite, ensure a wired network connection with outbound transmission rights (some office buildings lock this down, so you may have to apply for exceptions).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the writer is remote, ensure that every speaker uses a mic for quality audio.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the CART feed stops (such as from a dropped connection), pause the meeting. Inform everyone verbally and via chat what is happening. Resume only when the CART becomes available again.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assign a person to manage the chat. The person with poor cell coverage as well as other participants out of necessity or personal preference may contribute through chat. Then the monitor can, when needed, read the chat out loud.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maintain strict control of speaker order. Require everyone to speak in turn – no overlapping speakers. Have each speaker self-identify (“This is Jay...”). This includes the person reading from the chat.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Describe all key visuals. If you’re presenting the agenda on a slide, read it out. Do the same with a chart or similar information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Summary&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’ve never thought about some of these issues before, holding a meeting with remote and local participants can suddenly seem like a daunting task. The key is to demonstrate to participants that you’re aware of what they need to be successful (because they’ve had the chance to tell you), and to take the time to prepare for the meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And if things aren’t working? Don’t be afraid to postpone the meeting to another time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility site&lt;/a&gt; has a variety of resources, such as a section on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/meetings.jsp&quot;&gt;Meetings&lt;/a&gt; as well as others on social media and multimedia.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>394650</id><pubdate>2019-07-31T20:26:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>PDFs are used to share information electronically and in print. We asked some PDF creators, about the challenges in creating accessible PDFs.</Description><Audience/><Title>Creating Accessible PDFs as a Team</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>pdf</Subject><Subject>Accessible PDF</Subject><Subject>document remediation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>PDF Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-002_tcm38-346797.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-002_tcm38-346800.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-07 - PDF Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-394646&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-07-31T14:56:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>PDFs are used to share information electronically and in print. We asked some PDF creators, about the challenges in creating accessible PDFs.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Creating Accessible PDFs as a Team</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Government agencies often use PDFs to communicate information in a way that can be read online, shared electronically, and printed. They come from several different types of source documents, but the end requirement is the same: all PDFs must be accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We asked some seasoned accessible PDF creators, and those that remediate documents made by others, about the challenges they or their colleagues face when creating accessible documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commentary from:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elly Pretzel&lt;/strong&gt;, Webmaster &amp;amp; Design Specialist (Health Program Representative Sr.), Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention &amp;amp; Control Division, Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky Bernauer&lt;/strong&gt;, Accessibility Coordinator for the Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Department of Health (MDH)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chad Miller&lt;/strong&gt;, Digital Access Coordinator at the Minnesota Council.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Samantha Fischer&lt;/strong&gt;, Accessibility Coordinator at the Department of Employment and Economic Development.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elly:&lt;/strong&gt; “Accessibility is a factor in everything we do. We can’t communicate effectively without making the delivery tool itself both useful and accessible to everyone. In my work I frequently focus on creating products (infographics, reports, statistic packages, posters, brochures, fact sheets, maps, forms, emails, websites, etc.). Those end products are communications, they are messages and information, they are documents for humans. Documents we create need to be as useable as possible for everyone, and that needs to happen within an extremely small timeframe and budget. For us, that means the end products frequently include accessible PDF files.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky:&lt;/strong&gt; “The biggest challenge is probably getting all staff trained to create Microsoft Word documents that will produce accessible PDFs without the need for remediation/fixing. About 99% of PDF issues can be fixed in the originating software.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Chad Miller agreed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chad:&lt;/strong&gt; “The greatest challenge I face is a native document containing accessibility issues that can’t be fixed in Acrobat, such as insufficient color contrast. This involves contacting the original owner, fixing the issue in the native document, and reviewing/remediating a new PDF—usually within a limited timeframe.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Elly shared a different perspective:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elly:&lt;/strong&gt; “The biggest challenge I face when creating accessible documents is change. The software we use is constantly evolving, features in the software are frequently updated (sometimes for the better, sometimes not), and the kinds of software and hardware available to both us and the end users are constantly changing. Also, what we know about accessibility (and usability) is ever-evolving. We are extremely fortunate to have an ever-growing collection of accessibility information and resources available to us, both in the general knowledge base and in the people, who are willing and able to help educate us. We have the opportunity to be aware of the changes and open to learning more, and the responsibility to test (and re-test) our own products and adapt as things change around us.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The struggle with change also happens on a personal level. For me personally, the older I get the harder some adaptions in workflows are to implement. I have to remind myself not to follow those engrained-memory wagon trail processes, and don’t forget the new things we have learned along the way. I strive to educate, empower, and encourage others… and sometimes I have to remember to educate, empower, and encourage myself so that I can learn and adapt too.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selecting which tool is the right tool to use in the workflow can be tricky. In Becky’s experience, some people think that if they have tables, the entire document should be created in Excel, but this is not always the case.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky:&lt;/strong&gt; “Sometimes that means using Word instead of Excel—setting up a good structure with headings, then bringing the tables in from Excel, instead of trying to design something in Excel. Sometimes it means using InDesign instead of Word, it really depends on what the needs are.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Samantha Fischer, shared another example involving deciding which tool to use to create a document.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Samantha:&lt;/strong&gt; &quot;A lot of people use tables in Word to create fillable forms and for those using assistive technology, it can be very confusing to understand where they need to input the information.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Complex documents may have additional considerations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elly:&lt;/strong&gt; “Before we get to that final PDF, any given project may have pieces gathered from multiple different software packages (often pieces created by different content experts as well). Content may start from products like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and other places… then we might create additional parts using software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Microsoft Excel, or GIS tools (or any multitude of other tools and sources) … and for many of my projects those pieces come together in publishing software like Adobe InDesign. Regardless of the source, any PDF will go through Adobe Acrobat and I usually end my PDF workflow in CommonLook for final checks and remediation.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When making decisions about which remediation tool to use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Samantha:&lt;/strong&gt; “I use both Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and CommonLook to remediate PDFs; the program I use depends on the document, the needs of the end user and what program was used to create the PDF. For documents with text, photos, tables and lists I typically use CommonLook. For documents that have form fields as well, I will start in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and then move into CommonLook.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mastering the ability to select the right tool and use it properly takes training and practice. Ever heard that it takes a village to raise a child? Well, it takes a village to create accessible documents too. Different agencies and divisions are ensuring staff have the learning opportunities and support they need. Here are some examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky:&lt;/strong&gt; “My agency supports creating accessible PDFs by providing Accessible Word training for staff, supplying Division Accessibility Coordinators throughout the agency with the knowledge and software to consult and/or help staff with issues, and by having an agency accessibility policy that helps to ensure all staff create accessible products.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chad:&lt;/strong&gt; “Within the Minnesota Council on Disability, every staff member receives training for creating accessible Word and PowerPoint documents. If any of these documents need to be converted to PDF, an assistant and I handle the conversion and remediation. If a PDF is made available to the public, I review it myself.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky:&lt;/strong&gt; “The state supports MDH’s effort by providing our Division Accessibility Coordinators with CommonLook software, so they can assist with remediating tougher issues and speed up the process of remediation. The Office of Accessibility also supports us with Communities of Practice work groups. These groups research issues, then create guidance documents for things like setting up your InDesign document properly, and what to consider when creating accessible maps, or how to ensure a PDF is accessible. There is also a network of Digital Accessibility Coordinators throughout the state who are experts in various pieces of accessibility. They are there to support us when we need help.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few other tips to keep in mind:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Becky:&lt;/strong&gt; &quot;Always, always going back to the originating document to fix an accessibility issue will help workflow in the future. Staff always reuse documents, so when possible, you should always fix the original document rather than just fixing the PDF. If you fix the Word document, next time you won’t have to fix the PDF. Before trying to research and solve a problem, connect with your organization&apos;s Digital Accessibility Coordinator or check the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt; to see if there is some information that will help.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chad:&lt;/strong&gt; “I find it helpful to follow a checklist of remediation steps and refer to a set of notes covering PDF issues I’ve encountered in the past. Even after remediating hundreds of documents, it’s easy to miss a step or forget how to address a particular tagging issue.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Elly:&lt;/strong&gt; “Accessibility isn’t a novelty, it needs to be considered in everything. PDFs are only one communication tool, but that one that is readily available and has the means to be useful and accessible in multiple circumstances. When resources are limited an accessible PDF can meet a variety of needs and still be a useful communication product.”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>394646</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The state’s Design Leadership group and the Office of Accessibility recently discussed how to make images accessible on social media platforms and how to better reach our readers.</Description><Audience/><Title>Alt Text for Social Media</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Social Media</Subject><Subject>Alt Text</Subject><Subject>increasing readership</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Alt Text for Social Media</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cursor hovering over the &quot;Change Alt Text&quot; option in Facebook to add alt text to a photo of Jenna Covey and Joan Redwing.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alt-text-facebook_tcm38-340596.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cursor hovering over the &quot;Change Alt Text&quot; option in Facebook to add alt text to a photo of Jenna Covey and Joan Redwing.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alt-text-facebook_tcm38-340599.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-06 - Alt Text for Social Media</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-390816&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-27T15:55:39Z</Date><ShortDescription>The state’s Design Leadership group and the Office of Accessibility recently discussed how to make images accessible on social media platforms and how to better reach our readers.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Pump Up Your Social Media Using Pictures With Alt Text </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state’s Design Leadership meeting occurs every other month. Employees from across agencies who lead design for the state gather to discuss branding, projects, and share best practices. At a recent meeting attendees asked: how can I make my social media images accessible? The conversation addressed updates to social media platforms in the last year and ways to better reach all your readers. This article is an overview/summary, and you can get more details in the presentation PDF &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/presentation-social-media-alt-text_tcm38-390850.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;presentation-social-media-alt-text&quot;&gt;Social Media and Alt Text&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Who uses alt text (and why)?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many reasons to use quality alt text! While most alt text users are people using assistive technologies, this is not the entire group. Some people do not download images for a variety of reasons – they read your alt text as text that appears in place of the image. &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/70897&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Google indexes&lt;/a&gt; your alt text. Artificial intelligence may be learning how to improve automated alt text from your image’s alt text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is alt text?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alternative text is called a variety of names, and is accessed differently depending on the social media tool and the device you’re using (see “Where, oh where is alt text?” below). You may find it called alt text, alternative text, or image descriptions, but no matter what it’s called, it means the same thing. Alt text is a text description of the image that can be used to access the information in place of the image itself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What makes good alt text?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A concise description that communicates why the author used that image, the image’s purpose. For example, sometimes we don’t include the names of people in the image, because it is about what they are doing, or an event. But other times the names of the people in the image is important. Text in the image should be included in your alt text, unless it is included in the post. Alt text is a bit of an art – if this image wasn’t there, what might you miss?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And the typical “don’t” list for document and website alt text is the same for social media images.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don’t include the word “graphic” or “image,” since assistive technologies already announce this.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Don’t describe absolutely every aspect of the image.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And what about automated alt text? Don’t rely on it! While we applaud the addition of this feature, it does not always add what you want it to say.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some images we tested had descriptions such as “four people, people smiling, people standing” which was not the way we would have described the image. In that particular case, the location mattered, but the artificial intelligence did not catch the clues from the background. We would have written something like “four Minnesota IT Services staff working at the state fair booth.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If a person in the photo has an account on that platform and it identifies the account, it may add in their name, even though you did not want to identify the individual.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where, oh where, is the alt text?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The location to add the alt text can be tricky, because each social media tool is different. And, the device you’re using when you are adding the alt text changes things too! Are you on your phone? On your computer? More on this in the next section.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do I add it?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By the time this article goes to publication, there may be accessibility improvements in different publications. Below is what is current on the day we published this post.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LinkedIn has different ways to add alt text, depending on the type of post you are creating.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A short post? After adding your photo, at the bottom of the pop up is the option to “Add alt text.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Selecting this brings you to a text box with the text “Text describing what’s in the photo.” Enter your alt text, select save, then next.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For articles, your banner image now includes the option to enter a caption. Within the article, images will have an option to “Add description.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/linkedin-alt-text-001_tcm38-390821.png&quot; title=&quot;linkedin-alt-text-001&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of LinkedIn window Edit your photo. Minnesota Digital Accessibility Law Celebration post. Arrow pointing to Add alt text option.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;linkedin-alt-text-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pinterest&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not just photos any more, Pinterest is one of the most recent platforms to add alt text. The description you add when creating your pin becomes the alt text for the pin.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/pinterest-alt-text-001_tcm38-390822.png&quot; title=&quot;pinterest-alt-text-001&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of pin being added for the Accessibility support for Skype for Business.&quot; style=&quot;width: auto; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;pinterest-alt-text-001&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/pinterest-alt-text-002_tcm38-390823.png&quot; title=&quot;pinterest-alt-text-002&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Accessibility support for Skype for Business pin, with html elements exposed over the pin. They include long alt which is the description for the pin included in the previous image.&quot; style=&quot;width: auto; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;pinterest-alt-text-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Instagram&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding alt text in Instagram requires noticing the light grey text at the bottom of the screen with the text “Advanced Settings.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This will bring you to a screen with an option to “Write Alt Text.” After selecting this, you are brought to a screen where you can add the alt text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/instagram-alt-text-001_tcm38-390824.png&quot; title=&quot;instagram-alt-text-001&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Instagram New Post dialog box. Blue and green arrow pointing to Advanced Settings.&quot; style=&quot;width: auto; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;instagram-alt-text-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Social Media Scheduling Apps&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Be sure to select a social media scheduling app that has the option for adding alt text. Tweetdeck is one platform with this option, and it follows a similar process to Twitter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Twitter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Desktop:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add you photo, find the “add description” option.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the Image description window that opens, enter your alt text in the field with the text “Describe this photo for the visually impaired.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Smartphone:&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/picture-descriptions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Twitter provides instructions&lt;/a&gt; on how to add alt text for both Android and iOS devices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can add the alt text as you upload an image on some devices. And, if you have already added the image, right click (or Shift + F10) and select “change alt text” to read the current alt text automatically added, and choose “Override generated alt text” if helpful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/help/www/214124458607871&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, at this time you can only edit the alt text on computers and iOS devices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But what about…?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sometimes you will not be able to make the alt text work. You are on your phone at an event, and cannot edit the alt text for a particular type of post until later. Or you know that others may benefit from a description of the image and don’t use assistive technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The phrase “Image Description:” is something you may read in posts. This is another way add the alt text directly into the post.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay current on each social media platform’s accessibility by following &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&amp;amp;vertical=default&amp;amp;q=%23a11y&amp;amp;src=typd&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;#a11y&lt;/a&gt; and each platform’s social media accounts. We look forward to reading your posts, and your alt text.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>390816</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Many of us are familiar with accessibility in the physical world. What about in the digital space? Molly, an intern for the Office of Accessibility shares resources available in the digital world.</Description><Audience/><Title>Normalizing Digital Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Normalizing Digital Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An automatic door switch that shows a wheelchair icon with text - push to open.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/door-opener-001_tcm38-390847.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An automatic door switch that shows a wheelchair icon with text - push to open.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/door-opener-001_tcm38-390848.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-06 - Normalizing Digital Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-390811&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-27T15:55:33Z</Date><ShortDescription>Many of us are familiar with accessibility in the physical world. What about in the digital space? Molly, an intern for the Office of Accessibility shares resources available in the digital world.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Accessibility Resources for the Digital World</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Molly, Office of Accessibility Intern&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It sits next to doors, a few feet off the ground, and usually is silver with a blue design in the center. Can you guess what the item is? An automatic door switch! An automatic door switch is a common sight in the physical world, but what resources exist to help people with disabilities in the digital world?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hello! My name is Molly, I am an intern for the Office of Accessibility, and I can start to answer that question. Laws, regulations, and guidelines – from the state, federal, and even international level – all regulate digital accessibility. There are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Section 508; requires that people with disabilities and those without can access technology in a comparable manner.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Americans with Disabilities Act; prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); aims to create a single shared web standard for accessibility that meets everyone’s needs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Digital Accessibility and Usability Law; requires the Executive branch agencies in the State of Minnesota to follow the State Accessibility Standard.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Together, these provide the rules for digital accessibility, albeit in a dry, dusty way that involves lots of big words.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, how do average people like me start to make digital things accessible? I found that answer in the styles pane of Microsoft Word.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You know the styles pane, right?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/word-styles-pane-001_tcm38-390820.png&quot; title=&quot;word-styles-pane-001&quot; alt=&quot;The styles pane in Microsoft Word.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;word-styles-pane-001&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re like me, it’s likely gathering dust at the top of every Word document. Turns out, it is actually very helpful in making a document accessible. Instead of increasing the size of your font to identify sections, use heading styles. You can use list styles Instead of manually inserting dashes or symbols for bullets.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These (and other strategies) not only visually structure your document, they also help assistive technology (AT) users navigate documents too!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive technology, or AT, as mentioned above, helps people with disabilities navigate the world. Those automatic door switches from the introduction are an example of AT. Other examples include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Speech to text software (such as Dragon Naturally Speaking)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Captions or transcripts for video/audio recordings&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screen readers (such as JAWS)
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screen readers are software that convey to people with low vision what is on a display, using non-sighted methods.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive technologies are all jolly well and good, but why does that matter to you, if you don’t use them? Let’s circle back to the automatic door switches. Now, pretend that all the doors you’d ever need to open have handles based on someone who is seven feet tall and you are only five feet tall. You would probably never be able to open doors without the help of handy dandy automatic door switches. Now, those door switches would positively affect you, and the switches wouldn’t negatively affect the seven-foot-tall people—they might even help if they have their hands full and need to open a door.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;AT for digital media works under the same principle. It doesn’t hurt to use headings or add alternative text – it only helps all users navigate the document, regardless of how they access it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are business and economic benefits as well. I’ve heard grumbles that, “You have to install the automatic door switch and that costs time and money.” Well, an American Institute for Research report on the purchasing power of people with disabilities found that the disposable income (after-tax money at your disposal) for working-age people with disabilities is about $490 billion – which is similar to that of other important markets, such as African Americans ($501 billion) and Hispanics ($582 billion). The report also found that the discretionary income (money for nonessential items) for working-age people with disabilities is around $21 billion dollars – a larger number than the African-American and Hispanic markets combined. This means that people with disabilities have money to spend. Corporations that do not make their content accessible are missing a large market. So, if you install the automatic door opener in your café, people with disabilities that couldn’t get into your business before will now eat there, and that leads to profit. The same principal works for digital media: the more accessible you make your content, the more traffic it will receive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may be thinking, how does implementing digital accessibility practices help someone who doesn’t own a business or manage web content? Learning about accessibility practices and applying them gives you useful skills that translate to other jobs and other areas of life. For example, you can apply accessibility practices to slides for presentations or add your accessibility qualifications on your resume.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On a broader scale, teaching people at a young age about accessibility, and encouraging accessibility best practices helps to normalize accessibility as a right, and makes everything a lot easier for AT users. Using accessibility practices from the beginning makes sure that individuals with disabilities do not have to work harder than people without disabilities to access the same information. It is difficult to suddenly incorporate accessibility practices into pre-existing structures that are not accessibility-friendly. That’s why it is important to teach accessibility practices to the young and upcoming workforce. Accessibility becomes integrated into the fabric of software, digital media, and the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When I leave this internship, I will have confidence in my ability to use accessibility best practices in all digital media that I create, from documents to slide shows. I will also know that I am contributing to the normalization of digital accessibility, in this increasingly digital world. Learn more:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A Hidden Market: The Purchasing Power of Working-Age Adults with Disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT Office of Accessibility Electronic Documents&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>390811</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On June 4, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced the launch of their new website featuring improved navigation and user experience.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT partners with Revenue to help create a better user experience</Title><Publisher/><Subject>web design</Subject><Subject>web development</Subject><Subject>revenue website</Subject><Subject>user experience</Subject><Subject>ux</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Revenue Launches New Website</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person looking at the Minnesota Department of Revenue&apos;s new website on a laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/revenue-website-001_tcm38-390473.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person looking at the Minnesota Department of Revenue&apos;s new website on a laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/revenue-website-001_tcm38-390472.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2019-06 - Revenue Launches New Website</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-390421&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-25T20:10:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT worked with the Minnesota Department of Revenue to launch their new website featuring improved navigation and user experience.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT partners with Revenue to help create a better user experience</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On June 4, the Minnesota Department of Revenue (Revenue) announced the launch of their new website, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;www.revenue.state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;. The website, which serves as hub for individuals, businesses, tax professionals, researchers, and government partners looking for specific tax-related information, was developed with the end-user’s experience in mind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The work on this initiative began nearly three years ago, with usability testing done in 2016 and initial requirements documented in 2017. Work on Revenue’s new Drupal website began in July 2018 with a detailed requirements elicitation. Early in the project planning stages, Revenue used the technology tools it had in place on the old website to help determine trends and site traffic – data-driven decision-making that helped the Department of Revenue work with Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) to shape the look, feel, and content on the public website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Strong Collaboration and Partnership&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project’s success was a result of strong collaboration across agencies, teams, and divisions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The teams working on this project, in my view, embodied what is possible with an iterative project approach. All teams – regardless if the team member was from MNIT partnering with Revenue, Revenue, or a vendor – were active, transparent, and supportive of everyone else. Everyone worked together to overcome obstacles and the whole project was better off as a result.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Lexi Hafften - Business Analyst&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT technology leads supported Revenue in three key areas: 1) project management, 2) business analysis and quality assurance (QA), and 3) development. MNIT staff based at Revenue coordinated with the product owner (the Communications division at Revenue) to make sure that requirements for the website’s features and functions were captured and documented, that the business’s needs were being met during development, and that the schedule and budget remained on track.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An Innovative Approach, Learning by Doing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During project development, Revenue and MNIT put out a call to agency-based IT leads for additional support – anyone who was interested in working with Drupal and eager to learn something new was invited to participate in the project. This “grassroots” effort pulled in diverse skillsets, staff learned from each other in the process and ultimately enhanced Minnesotan’s digital experience with critical government services through the improved website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By working in partnership with vendors who skillfully used Agile Methodology for project management, the project team was able to learn new techniques and efficiencies from them as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The vendors were doing Agile really well, and we’ve been able to learn from that. We can apply some of those strengths to other projects, and our partners are noticing as we mature.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Todd Meissner - Project Manager&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key Factors Driving Project Success&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several driving factors contributed to the project’s success, namely:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Buy-in.&lt;/strong&gt; It was an agency-wide effort to update the website content. The project stakeholders fully understood the project requirements and embraced the new technology.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Transparency.&lt;/strong&gt; The vendors, business, and MNIT teams worked together to ensure that any issue that arose and any question asked was clearly and immediately addressed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focus on user experience.&lt;/strong&gt; During development, the whole team put an emphasis on keeping user experience at the forefront. Responsiveness and accessibility were always included in the acceptance criteria.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strong project leadership.&lt;/strong&gt; The MNIT project managers allowed the business Product Owner to stay focused on responding to decisions needed for the content on the actual website, and the project manager from MNIT worked closely with project managers from the vendors engaged on the project.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Content management.&lt;/strong&gt; Using data, the team was able to advocate for prioritizing content on the website that Minnesotans access the most during the migration. Having a clear vision and asking the tough questions about what Minnesotans really needed helped.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;User adoption.&lt;/strong&gt; The Drupal lead from MNIT provided a lot of direct support and training to staff at Revenue, driving a smooth adoption of the technology behind the new website.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screenshots of the New Site&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/revenue-homepage-new_tcm38-390478.jpg&quot; title=&quot;New Revenue homepage&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the new Revenue homepage.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;revenue-homepage-new&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/revenue-business-page-new_tcm38-390479.jpg&quot; title=&quot;New Revenue business page&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the new Revenue business page.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;revenue-business-page-new&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/revenue-self-employeed-page-new_tcm38-390480.jpg&quot; title=&quot;New Revenue self employed page&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the new Revenue self employed page.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;revenue-self-employeed-page-new&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screenshots of the Old Site&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/revenue-homepage-old_tcm38-390475.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Old Revenue homepage&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the old Revenue homepage.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;revenue-homepage-old&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/revenue-business-page-old_tcm38-390476.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Old Revenue business page&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the old Revenue business page.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;revenue-business-page-old&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/revenue-self-employeed-page-old_tcm38-390477.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Old Revenue self employed page&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of the old Revenue self employed page.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;revenue-self-employeed-page-old&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>390421</id><pubdate>2019-06-26T14:13:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Celebration at the state Capitol marks ten years since the Digital Accessibility and Usability Law was passed. The law was passed to make digital information accessible to all Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>Digital Accessibility and Usability Law Anniversary</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Usability</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Digital Accessibility and Usability Law Anniversary</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Jay Wyant announcing award recipients at the Accessibility and Usability Law Anniversary Celebration in the Minnesota State Capitol.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-law-celebration-001_tcm38-383921.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Jay Wyant announcing award recipients at the Accessibility and Usability Law Anniversary Celebration in the Minnesota State Capitol.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-law-celebration-001_tcm38-383923.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2019-04 - Digital Accessibility and Usability Law Anniversary</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-383919&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-06-07T19:45:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Celebration at the state Capitol marks ten years since the Digital Accessibility and Usability Law was passed. The law was passed to make digital information accessible to all Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Celebrating Ten Years of Disability Inclusion as One Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;May 7, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Celebration at the state Capitol marks ten years since the Digital Accessibility and Usability Law was passed, which defined the ways that digital information, like websites, applications, and documents, could be made accessible so all Minnesotans, disabled or not, have equal access to state services and programs.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Accessibility advocates and State of Minnesota employees, led by Minnesota’s Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Commissioner Tarek Tomes, gathered today in the Capitol Rotunda to celebrate 10 years since the passage of the Digital Accessibility and Usability Law. The law requires state government to develop and comply with a standard for delivering equal access to information for all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Government by nature exists to serve its citizens. That’s why the 2009 law calling for a statewide digital accessibility standard was so critical,” said Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan. “It is through the building of meaningful partnerships that we have come a long way these last ten years.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Digital accessibility is a key benchmark for us – if something is not accessible, then some people won’t be able to do their job,” said MNIT Commissioner Tarek Tomes. “MNIT’s Office of Accessibility has been an integral part of this work, leading trainings, providing resources, and serving as problem-solvers, strategists, and leaders in shaping the accessible landscape of Minnesota’s digital services.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The celebration at the Capitol honored key legislators and advocates, and it provided opportunities for attendees to experience technology used by people with disabilities. The brief recognition ceremony honored advocacy champions critical in raising awareness of the need for legislation and the legislators who worked to draft and pass the law. Senator Ann Rest, Senator Torrey Westrom, Representative Bill Hilty, and Mary Hartnett, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Deafblind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing, were all honored, along with key government leaders and advocates who helped to frame the way the law works.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We wanted to take the time to honor the folks who made the law possible,” stated Jay Wyant, the state’s Chief information Accessibility Officer. “The law raised awareness of the value of accessibility and made it possible for the state to dedicate resources toward implementing accessibility and usability throughout state services and systems.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Following the ceremony, attendees were invited to immerse themselves in the Experience Lab, which featured interactive stations showcasing how people with disabilities use technology to read and understand information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Honorees&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Champions&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Ann Rest&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Representative Bill Hilty&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Torrey Westrom&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Champions&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;David Andrews&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dana Badgerow&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chuk Hamilton&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mary Hartnett&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Moccia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jamie Taylor&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Colleen Wieck&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joan Willshire&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All the honorees stressed that they were part of a larger group of individuals and organizations who worked to identify the need and ensure the law’s passage. They include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Thomas Huntley&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Jim Abeler&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Phil Sterner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Jeremy Kalin&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rep. Melissa Hortman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Dick Day&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Jim Vickerman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Rick Olseen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Tony Lourey&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Steve Jacobson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alicia Lane-Outlaw&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reggie David&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kim Peck&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alex Bartolic&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Bruce Hodek&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Meredith Anderson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Dan McCarthy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joan Breslin Larson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Julie Dinger&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joan Gillum&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jo Erbes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Troy W. Mangan&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Charlie Peterson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Barbara Skoglund&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Margot Imdieke Cross&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cristyn Rybak&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Nancy Erickson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Sherman&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jed Becher&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rebecca Slininger&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ed Valencia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>383919</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On May 11, five IT experts from Minnesota IT Services volunteered to judge teams of teen girls competing in Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza event.</Description><Audience/><Title>Championing Young Women in Tech</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Tech</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Women</Subject><Subject>Appapalooza</Subject><Subject>Development</Subject><Subject>Application</Subject><Subject>Technovation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Championing Young Women in Tech</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Ellena Schoop, Nancy Skuta, Commissioner Tomes, Rahul Nori, Karen Simons, and Wendy Ady in front of the Technovation[MN] Appapalooza sign.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-001_tcm38-384703.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Ellena Schoop, Nancy Skuta, Commissioner Tomes, Rahul Nori, Karen Simons, and Wendy Ady in front of the Technovation[MN] Appapalooza sign.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-001_tcm38-384704.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2019-05 - Championing Young Women in Tech</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-384684&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-05-15T20:41:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>On May 11, five IT experts from Minnesota IT Services volunteered to judge teams of teen girls competing in Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza event.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Staff at Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Saturday, May 11, five IT experts from Minnesota IT Services volunteered to judge teams of teen girls competing in Technovation[MN]’s exciting Appapalooza event. Appapalooza celebrates the hard work that students across the state did during a 3-month curriculum to design, code, and pitch mobile phone apps with the potential to make a significant impact to the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technovation[MN], formed in 2014 to bring the Global Technovation Challenge to Minnesota. The Challenge is the longest running and largest global technology competition exclusively for girls to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Appapalooza was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and it brought together 348 girls in 87 teams from schools across the state. To prepare for the event, each team researched a topic, worked with a coach or mentor to develop an application to solve a problem, then demonstrated and pitched their app at the event. There were 91 judges and 170 mentors involved in the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Commissioner and State Chief Information Officer Tarek Tomes had the special honor of addressing the crowd at the culmination of the awards ceremony. His message to the young women was that he couldn’t wait to see “the apps you will create, and the companies you will own.” He even managed to capture the moment on Twitter with a great selfie highlighting the crowd.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Ellena Schoop, Nancy Skuta, Karen Simons, Wendy Ady, and Rahul Nori each judged teams. Check out their reflections on their experience as judges:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“In 2018, I was asked to help a team of young ladies and their mentor with locating some state data regarding trade schools and apprentice programs throughout the state. It turns out, they were building a mobile app that would make this data available right at your fingertips. I put them in touch with DEED [Department of Employment and Economic Development] and Office of Higher Education to assist with locating the public data, and I quickly realized they were part of Technovation. I thought this was incredible. I found out that year that they were short on judges for this event and decided to sign up. I also thought it would be great to have support from Minnesota IT Services, which is always looking for new partnerships, especially in the IT workforce.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The experience was so rewarding that this year, not only did I sign up – but I was even more deliberate about recruiting additional IT professionals within MNIT to participate. I think about how these young coders are solving community problems, connecting people with services, building new services, changing business models to service individuals and communities, and I am inspired. They are on our heels, and I’m excited to make room for them in this world of technology.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;– Ellena Schoop&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Being a judge for TechnovationMN’s Appapalooza 2019 event was a joy and an honor. This is my second year as a judge, and I judged in the junior category, which is for middle school aged girls. As a judge, we review a pitch video presented by the students, a demonstration of their app, and review the code they used to create their app. I had six teams in the group that I was privileged to evaluate. What is so inspiring is not only that the students are developing an app at age 11, but that they are creating an application to help solve a problem in their community. The students are encouraged to think broadly and critically about our world and how technology can help resolve and solve problems. When you see what these girls are developing, you can’t help but feel encouraged for our future.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Appapalooza event also gives the students an opportunity practice public speaking. The students are required to give a four minute presentation, not only to the six to seven person judging panel, but for a room full of other teams, family members, and mentors. The students are learning valuable skills in technology, public speaking, marketing, and team work. I highly recommend judging and/or mentoring to other MNIT staff.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;– Nancy Skuta&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Last year, I read an article about how women are succeeding in many STEM fields EXCEPT for a significant drop in women’s participation in the tech industry. The percentage of women earning a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science has dramatically dropped from a high of 37% in 1984 (might have been the year I earned mine) to the current 18%! That article drove to me to look for an opportunity to encourage girls in the field which has been so good to me. When Nancy and Ellena shared their experience as judges for Technovation Minnesota [last year], I knew that was the opportunity I was looking for. As a judge, I saw these teams demonstrate creativity, teamwork, problem solving, innovation and lots of enthusiasm. The future looks bright!”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;– Karen Simons&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Famous British politician Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give”. I signed up to be a judge at Technovation [MN], so that I can pay it forward and encourage these technology savvy kids. It was fascinating to see the interest and spark in all the young middle school aged girls. Not only did they work together as teams to develop resourceful apps, but also made pitch videos and delivered presentations to promote them. Events like these will empower the future of the state and address our IT workforce needs.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;– Rahul Nori&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-001_tcm38-384686.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-appapalooza-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Tarek Tomes taking a selfie with a room full of young women in tech and their supporters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-002_tcm38-384687.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-appapalooza-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT’s Ellena Schoop, Nancy Skuta, and Wendy Ady judging the competition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-003_tcm38-384688.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-appapalooza-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ellena Schoop, Nancy Skuta, Rahul Nori, Wendy Ady, and Karen Simons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-004_tcm38-384689.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-appapalooza-004&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ellena Schoop, Nancy Skuta, Commissioner Tomes, Emily Shimkus, Rahul Nori, Karen Simons, and Wendy Ady in front of the Technovation[MN] Appapalooza sign.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-005_tcm38-384690.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-appapalooza-005&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Young women getting ready for the Appapalooza.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-appapalooza-006_tcm38-384691.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-appapalooza-006&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Young girl smiling for the camera as Commissioner Tomes speaks at the Technovation[MN] Appapalooza event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>384684</id><pubdate>2019-05-15T22:01:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Maps are a great way of sharing complex information, but resources to make these maps accessible were not always easy to find. Until now.</Description><Audience/><Title>Maps for All</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>maps</Subject><Subject>digital maps</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Maps for All</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A map with a pin showing a location.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/map-pin_tcm38-318043.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A map with a pin showing a location.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/map-pin_tcm38-318042.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-04 - Maps for All</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-382609&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-29T16:15:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>Maps are a great way of sharing complex information, but resources to make these maps accessible were not always easy to find. Until now.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Making Maps Accessible</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s never been easier to create accessible content. There are abundant tools and training resources on creating accessible documents and web pages. Maps have been another story. Maps typically are loaded with lines, dots, icons, shadings, and other elements to draw the viewer’s eye. Yet the occasional map creator could not readily find resources on how to make digital maps accessible. Until now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s in a map?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Several years ago, a few state employees with cartography and geographic information systems (GIS) training got together and asked themselves the question: what makes a good map? And how can we make them accessible?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team solicited input from a wide range of map designers, creators, and accessibility experts. After much wrangling, the team decided on two broad categories of maps: static and interactive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, design&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While each category has unique considerations, the team also determined that there were basic guidelines that all map designers should follow. They combined two areas of specialized knowledge, digital accessibility and cartography, to create a set of guidelines for map design. They intended the resulting Map Design Guide document to be a “working document” as more map experts explore the concept of accessibility in maps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This guide is particularly valuable because many map creators do not have formal map or cartography training. They may be graphic designers, GIS specialists, or administrative staff who have been asked to quickly create a map. Until now, there was no one source that combined guidance on both maps and accessibility. This design guide brings accessibility to the forefront. The static and interactive map teams referenced the Design Guide in their work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The design guide starts by defining what makes up a map, including, at minimum:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Title&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;North Arrow&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Scalebar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Legend&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The design guide then provides detail on how to best work with map components to make them accessible, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fonts&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Objects (such as location points)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Symbology (what an image means, such as a fence, train tracks, location point)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Patterns (such as for shading an area)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Line styles&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Legend&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about accessible map design by reading the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/map-design-guide_tcm38-375673.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Map Design Guide (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Static maps&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Static maps are typically in a fixed format such as a PDF document or a web page. The static map team started by recognizing that it may not be possible to make such a map fully accessible. So, they developed a list of best practices of how to combine maps with additional information such as a data table or narrative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First the team provided a set of recommendations that make a map easier to understand, such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Organize the map’s message by arranging all the elements in a logical reading order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use captions and alternative text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Order unique information first in a list of repetitive text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then the team developed several typical design scenarios. Static map creators can then adopt the scenario that makes the best sense for their particular map:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include map, description, and data together in the document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide descriptive text near the map.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Link from the map to more information.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide a human contact.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Delve into this topic by reading the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/static-map-accessibility-guide_tcm38-375672.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Static Map Accessibility Guide (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, what use is a well-designed map if the document is not accessible? Since many static maps are presented within the PDF format the static map team supplemented the static map guide with a &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/map-tagging-acrobat-professional_tcm38-382613.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - map-tagging-acrobat-professional&quot;&gt;Quick Guide to Tagging PDFs (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interactive Maps&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With an interactive map, a user can interact with the map typically using a mouse and/or keyboard to select areas, enter coordinates, toggle layers, zoom in and out, and pan around the map. The team recognized that while each map has its own unique set of requirements, there are a few core recommendations when designing and developing an interactive map:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Focus on the map’s purpose and ensure the map’s primary message is conveyed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support keyboard accessibility, and do not allow keyboard traps.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Organize elements of the map into a logical reading order.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure dynamic content changes are clear to all users.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide good color contrast ratios and use a combination of color, texture, and shapes to distinguish map elements. Do not rely on color alone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Recognize the technological constraints of your web mapping framework.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow web accessibility principles (see &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Testing is key! Use testing tools and exercises.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team continues to refine the Interactive Map Accessibility Guide. The document covers a wide variety of information including, but not limited to: detailed best practices, live examples, accessibility features for mapping libraries (Esri JavaScript API, Leaflet, Mapbox), and evaluation tools. Their goal is to have the guide and companion quick card out by this summer. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to the detailed guides, the map team also created a series of Quick Cards. State of Minnesota employees can obtain from their Accessibility Coordinators laminated copies of the quick cards. Anyone can also download accessible PDF versions from the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/maps/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Map Accessibility&quot;&gt;Map page&lt;/a&gt; on the Office of Accessibility website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-map-design_tcm38-375674.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Map Design Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/quick-card-static-map_tcm38-375675.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Static Map Quick Card (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>382609</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T20:39:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In March, eight State of Minnesota employees attended the 2019 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. We asked them to share their experience. </Description><Audience/><Title>CSUN Recap</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>CSUN</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>CSUN 2019 Recap</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota employees at the CSUN Conference check-in.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/csun-001_tcm38-382616.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>State of Minnesota employees at the CSUN Conference check-in. Jiffy the dog, in front.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/csun-001_tcm38-382617.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-04 - CSUN 2019 Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-382608&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-29T16:00:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>In March, eight State of Minnesota employees attended the 2019 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. We asked them to share their experience. 

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State of Minnesota Accessibility Staff Share Their Experiences</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured above from left to right:&lt;/strong&gt; Kim Wee, David Andrews, JoAnn Rautio, Kris Schulze, Jay Wyant, Lolly Lijewski, Kim Sandrock, Lois Butcher.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March, eight State of Minnesota employees arrived at the 2019 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. Their goal? Learn as much about digital accessibility as they could in four days, then bring back the information to Minnesota and apply it to their work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We asked five of the attendees to share with us more about what they learned, the impact of the experience, and information they thought might help our readers. In case you missed it, &lt;a href=&quot;https://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTkwMzI5LjM5NDYxOTEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTkwMzI5LjM5NDYxOTEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzM2NTI2NCZlbWFpbGlkPWplbm5pZS5kZWxpc2lAc3RhdGUubW4udXMmdXNlcmlkPWplbm5pZS5kZWxpc2lAc3RhdGUubW4udXMmZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&amp;amp;&amp;amp;&amp;amp;100&amp;amp;&amp;amp;&amp;amp;https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/bulletins/2382361&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;March’s Office of Accessibility newsletter&lt;/a&gt; includes links to session handouts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lolly Lijewski&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lolly is the digital accessibility coordinator in the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Compliance Office.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CSUN 2019 was so chock full of excellent sessions, it was hard to choose. In any session time slot, I could find four to six sessions I wanted to attend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I learned about:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;the value of simulations;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;tips and tricks for training;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;how several organizations built their accessibility programs;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;new developments in artificial intelligence;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;and even how to talk with software engineers from someone who is one himself.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The conference was most enjoyable and extremely valuable. As CSUN is an international conference, we were exposed to presenters from all over the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It was so exciting to be amongst so many people who were passionate about accessibility! #A11Y&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lois Butcher&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lois is an administrative assistant at the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Office of Research and Innovation.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a first-time attendee of the CSUN conference, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Starting with the keynote address, I became very aware of what a valuable experience the conference would be. There were so many takeaways, but my favorites were:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a heightened awareness of how universal accessibility benefits everyone;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;networking and connecting with people within the accessibility community, both local to me and across the nation; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;education opportunities at the conference and beyond.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;My mind was buzzing with ideas by the time I got back home. I have been sharing ideas and training opportunities with anyone who will listen or has need of this information. I am so grateful that the Minnesota Department of Transportation granted me the opportunity to attend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Wee&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kim Wee is the webmaster and accessibility coordinator for Minnesota IT Services, partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A session which continues to impact my work was called &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.slideshare.net/7mary4/coaching-and-celebrating-accessibility-champions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Coaching and Celebrating Your Accessibility Champions (Link to Slideshare handouts)&lt;/a&gt;. A key take away was that they built out three different teams or levels of champions. The presenters described how this cascaded into thousands of people. That was intriguing to me because we have accessibility coordinators at the State of Minnesota but we really want to have more accessibility champions across the state. I will keep this in mind when we talk about how we build capacity here at the state, how you get more buy-in from state employees, and how to get more people interested in becoming accessibility champions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;JoAnn Rautio&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;JoAnn is the accessibility coordinator for Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To continue to develop my expertise in accessibility testing, I attend CSUN whenever I can. I get hands-on time with new products, like Microsoft Accessibility Insights and JAWS Inspect, and information updates about axe, WAVE, JAWS and other tools I use as part of my work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;CSUN gives me the opportunity to address bugs and issues I have with those accessibility testing products directly with the vendor and the programmers of the software. This type of access to these individuals provides better opportunities to troubleshoot together. I also have the ability to make recommendations on how to improve the tool for users like me and other State of Minnesota employees. This makes our jobs more efficient!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Kim Sandrock&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Kim Sandrock is the training coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health’s Public Health Laboratory.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A picture I took at CSUN is of a slide from WebAIM’s presentation where they tested over a million web pages for accessibility errors. At the end of the presentation is a question, “What are you going to do about it?” I thought that was a great way to end the presentation, by calling on us to take the information we learn at the conference back home with us and to make changes that will make a difference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I learned a lot of valuable information, a lot of which was technical accessibility information. But I think the most important thing I learned was that my job as an Accessibility Coordinator for my division is not just to meet legal requirements, but to impact our global society by making valuable information accessible for all.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>382608</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Tarek Tomes Announced as MNIT Commissioner</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Tarek Tomes being announced as MNIT&apos;s Commissioner.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tarek-tomes-001_tcm38-380630.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Tarek Tomes being announced as MNIT&apos;s Commissioner.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tarek-tomes-001_tcm38-380629.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2019-04 - Tarek Tomes Announced as MNIT Commissioner</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-380628&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-04-16T14:49:17Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced Tarek Tomes as the incoming Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). Read more here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Incoming Commissioner Tomes Starts New Role April 29</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;April 16, 2019&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On April 16, 2019, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced Tarek Tomes as the incoming Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the state’s Chief Information Officer. Commissioner Tomes brings both public and private-sector experience to the role, having most recently served as the first Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Saint Paul. Incoming Commissioner Tomes will begin in his new role on Monday, April 29.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/governor/news/index.jsp?id=1055-380153&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Read more on the Governor&apos;s website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>380628</id><pubdate>2019-04-19T15:00:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On March 21, students from the St. Cloud State’s Forensics class met with cybersecurity professionals from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). Learn more here.</Description><Audience/><Title>Cybersecurity Students Tour MNIT</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity Students Tour MNIT</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cybersecurity students posing for a photo with members of the MNIT Security Team.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-student-tour-001_tcm38-377446.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The MNIT Security Team talking with a group of cybersecurity students.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-student-tour-002_tcm38-377447.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-03 - Cybersecurity Students Tour MNIT</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-377443&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-27T21:29:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>On March 21, students from the St. Cloud State’s Forensics class met with cybersecurity professionals from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). Learn more here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>St. Cloud State Cybersecurity Forensics Students Visit Minnesota IT Services </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On March 21, students from the St. Cloud State’s Forensics class met with cybersecurity professionals from Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). The students toured the State of Minnesota’s Security Forensics Lab and the Security Operations Center (SOC).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s Forensics division supports State of Minnesota agencies, boards, and commissions, and assists with law enforcement and other government organizations to protect Minnesotans from cyber-threats. They work closely with MNIT’s Security Operations Center (SOC) in evaluating, remediating, and investigating incidents such as compromised networks and user accounts, misconfigured systems, malware infections, and much more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT security team talked with the students about the state of cybersecurity in Minnesota, the threats we face, and how we handle them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What type of threats and challenges does the State of Minnesota face?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota’s systems are probed and scanned more than 3 million times each day. Most of the time those seeking to gain unauthorized access to state systems are reaching for the low hanging fruit, looking for account information through email scams like phishing. Phishing can occur over email when a scammer uses fraudulent messages to get you to share personal information such as account passwords or other credentials. Emails may also have attachments or links that can contain malware. Opening or clicking these infected attachments and links can let the attackers past any defenses you might have. Educating our employees on how to spot and report suspicious emails helps protect the data in state systems. Learn more about how to protect yourself from email attacks in our &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot;&gt;security section&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another challenge is that technology and business needs are always changing. As the technology we use changes, we work to ensure it is secure. Working with our business partners so they know exactly what information and technology they have, what the security risks are, and how their business decisions and investments impact those risks. Knowing agency business needs and constraints allows MNIT to reprioritize, escalate or postpone IT projects, making us more effective and efficient business partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested in a career in Cybersecurity?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit our careers page to learn about all of the opportunities for employment with Minnesota IT Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-304400&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro - Careers&quot;&gt;Visit Our Careers Page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-student-tour-002_tcm38-377449.jpg&quot; title=&quot;cybersecurity-student-tour-002&quot; alt=&quot;The MNIT Security Team talking with a group of cybersecurity students.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cybersecurity-student-tour-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-student-tour-003_tcm38-377450.jpg&quot; title=&quot;cybersecurity-student-tour-002&quot; alt=&quot;The MNIT Security Team talking with a group of cybersecurity students.&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cybersecurity-student-tour-003&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>377443</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T20:49:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Anne Sittner-Anderson shares practical tips on writing in plain language for the web and discusses the Executive Order which requires state agencies in Minnesota to do so. Learn more here.</Description><Audience/><Title>Do Plain Language </Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Plain Language</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Do Plain Language </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A girl reading a digital tablet and writing in a notebook.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tablet-reading-001_tcm38-377265.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A girl reading a digital tablet and writing in a notebook.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tablet-reading-001_tcm38-377268.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-03 - Do Plain Language</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-376673&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-21T16:46:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Anne Sittner-Anderson shares practical tips on writing in plain language for the web and discusses the Executive Order which requires state agencies in Minnesota to do so. Learn more here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Why Fancy Talk and Shop Talk are Big Don’ts </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Anne Sittner-Anderson, Communications Coordinator for the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“At our company, we believe that all new products should bring specific and measurable improvements to a patient&apos;s overall quality of life and access to health. We ask patients and practitioners what features and improvements they want in their medical products — then we get to work. In recent years, we have answered patient demands for better quality in all environments, simpler and faster controls and adjustments, and products that are more discreet and attractive. In the process, we&apos;ve set new standards for the industry.” &lt;cite&gt;– Anonymous Company Website&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Consider the previous paragraph. What is this company trying to say? As a customer, are you confused? Could the company’s message be simplified and summed up into one sentence?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Perhaps a simple, “We listen to patient and provider feedback, then use their recommendations to create the new high-quality products they want,” would suffice. It gets to the point a lot quicker and you don’t have to pause and decode the message.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Skip the Fancy Talk&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In fact, there is a high probability that most of this company’s customers skip over this content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the Nielson Norman Group, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-long-do-users-stay-on-web-pages/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;average amount of time that a user stays on a webpage&lt;/a&gt; is less than a minute. In fact, users usually leave the page within 10-15 seconds, and they tend to take in only the title and the single, most visible message. This means you have mere seconds to make your point. Don’t confuse your reader by using too many or complicated words. Leave the fancy talk off your website if you want your users to remember your information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So using the example above, imagine you are holding the paragraph in one hand, and the sentence in the other hand. Which hand feels heavier and which one is lighter? Most, if not all, would say, “I remember the point of the simple sentence the best.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Shop Talk is for the Shop, Not Online&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“specific and measurable improvements”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“overall quality of life and access to health”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;“simpler and faster controls and adjustments”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These word choices are fine in conversations between medical professionals but do real-life patients usually talk like this?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Do you think the audience could repeat the information back to their friends or family?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;No and no.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If the audience members can read what’s on the website and are able to repeat the same information to themselves, this would be a BIG win for communication effectiveness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain Language Principles for the State of Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2014, then-Governor Mark Dayton signed Executive Order 14-07, which required the Office of the Governor and all state agencies to communicate with the public using plain language principles. This was a wise move as it obligated our state employees to produce content that can be more easily understood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Plain Language is communicating so people can understand content the first time they read or hear it. Minnesotans benefit with clarity, saved time, and improved satisfaction. To achieve this, do following steps:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use everyday language;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Write in short and complete sentences;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Present information in a format that is easy-to-find and easy-to-understand; and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Clearly state directions and deadlines to the audience.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So How Do You Write for the Web?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Luckily, there are tons of resources for writing in plain language for the web. Here are a few.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://plainlanguage.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;PlainLanguage.Gov&lt;/a&gt; is an official website of the United States Government. This site includes information on federal law and requirements, plain language guidelines, examples of plain language, training, and resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing Education offers a “&lt;a href=&quot;https://learning.umn.edu/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&amp;amp;courseId=108382&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Writing for the Web&lt;/a&gt;” course, which includes information on plain language. As part of the course, you will get a book on the topic, which serves as an excellent resource. This course emphasizes what matters the most in web writing and teaches you how to be concise and precise. This will entice your audience and guarantees that your website’s content will be intuitive. There are likely other colleges that provide similar classes, so be sure to check your local college.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Minnesota Department of Revenue produced a video on plain language, “&lt;a href=&quot;https://youtu.be/9X8RVXAskPU&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Introduction to Plain Language: Say it Simply&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Special thanks to Dave Andrews and Emory David Dively for their contributions to this article.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>376673</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>When designing websites, when should you use a button or a link. What is the difference? Minnesota IT Services&apos; Kim Wee shares her thoughts on the topic. Read more here.</Description><Audience/><Title>Buttons vs. Links</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Buttons</Subject><Subject>Links</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Buttons vs. Links</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two designers working on a web page design.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/web-design-001_tcm38-377266.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two designers working on a web page design.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/web-design-001_tcm38-377269.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-03 - Buttons vs. Links</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-376674&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-03-21T16:46:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>When designing websites, when should you use a button or a link. What is the difference? Minnesota IT Services&apos; Kim Wee shares her thoughts on the topic. Read more here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Learn the Difference and When to Use Them</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;By:&lt;/strong&gt; Kim Wee&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Part of my job as webmaster and accessibility coordinator for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) partnering with the Minnesota Department of Education includes testing websites and applications for accessibility. An ongoing issue that I continue to see is styling links, spans, or div tags as buttons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From the designer perspective, this seems innocent enough, but is it? With Accessible Rich Internet Application (ARIA), the developer can change a link’s behavior by adding the &lt;strong&gt;role aria=button&lt;/strong&gt; so the element displays in a list of form elements when using screen reading software. If using &lt;strong&gt;role=button&lt;/strong&gt; instead of the semantic &lt;strong&gt;button&lt;/strong&gt; element, you will also need to make the element focusable and define event handlers for click and keypress events, including the Enter and Space keys.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even if you do all this, how does this affect other assistive technology (AT) users? Will this last the test of time? Let’s take a closer look.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://marcysutton.com/links-vs-buttons-in-modern-web-applications&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Reference from Marcy Sutton&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Buttons natively:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Receive keyboard focus by default&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“Click” with the Space key&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Submit form data to a server&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reset a form&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are disabled with the disabled attribute&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Inform browsers and assistive technology with the implicit button role&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Show :focus, :hover, :active, :disabled&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A button is the perfect element for:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opening a modal window&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Triggering a popup menu&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Toggling an interface&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Playing media content&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Links:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create hypertext&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Navigate the user to a new page or view&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Change the URL&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Support page jumps with internal href attributes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are focusable by default with the href attribute&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Register a click with the Enter key&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have the implicit link role&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Can’t be disabled like buttons&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Allow opening in new window/tab&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Show :link, :visited, :focus, :hover, :active&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More to Keep in Mind&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Device Independence&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Users must not be required to use any specific device to operate the control. In other words, users must be able to gain focus on it and activate it using a keyboard or voice commands as well as a mouse.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Color Contrast&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The design of the button must have sufficient color contrast, and the button must not disappear in high contrast mode.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Name, State, Role, Value&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The button must properly expose itself to accessibility APIs using the appropriate State, Role, and Value for the object.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State&lt;/strong&gt; – What is it doing? Implicitly, what else can it do?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Role&lt;/strong&gt; – What type of object is it?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Value&lt;/strong&gt; – What value does it have?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How to Choose Between Link and Buttons&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Will this control be used to initiate an immediate action? Use a button!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Is the action to navigate to another page? Use a link!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you choose to not use the semantic &lt;strong&gt;button&lt;/strong&gt; tag and create something that looks like a button using a link, span or div tag and don’t add all the stuff to make it function as a button, you run the risk of not meeting the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/#name-role-value&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.0 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A guideline&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In closing, think about this - If a screen reader user calls tech support and gets instructions to “click the button” in your User Interface that’s really coded as a link, they may have trouble finding it. Also, consider voice interfaces: if you say a command to click a button but it’s really coded as a link, that element may not work.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>376674</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota state agencies follow the State Accessibility Standard to make sure web content is easy to use or understand. But for people with cognitive disabilities this may not be enough. We can do more.</Description><Audience/><Title>What is COGA?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>cognitive</Subject><Subject>disability</Subject><Subject>COGA</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>What is COGA?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>COGA Task Force at the January meeting.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/w3c-group-001_tcm38-373683.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>COGA Task Force at the January meeting.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/w3c-group-001_tcm38-373684.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-02 - What is COGA?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-373446&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-26T22:37:38Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota state agencies follow the State Accessibility Standard to make sure web content is easy to use or understand. But for people with cognitive disabilities this may not be enough. We can do more.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Making Online Content Easier to Understand</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pictured above:&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Back row, left to right – John Rochford, Michael Cooper, Gareth Ford Williams, Steve Lee
&lt;br /&gt;
Front row, left to right – Glenda Sims, Jamie Knight and Lion (&lt;a href=&quot;https://abilitymagazine.com/lion-autism-jamie-knight/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;more about Jamie and Lion&lt;/a&gt;), Abi James, Lisa Seeman, Janina Sajka, Jennie Delisi, and E.A. Draffan.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;People need to know about things from the government. In Minnesota, agencies put this information on the web. The agencies follow the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;State Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt; to make sure web content is easy to use or understand. But people with cognitive disabilities may have trouble using the web. They may not read well, or have trouble with memory. The web accessibility standard does not meet all their needs. We can do more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative sets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). WCAG is part of the state standard. This group has a task force called the Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Accessibility Task Force, or COGA. COGA helps people understand why people have trouble using the web. Then they show people how to make it better. They also make suggestions to improve the guidelines. The task force considers many disabilities including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Learning disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developmental disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Autism&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acquired cognitive disabilities such as brain injuries&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Neurologic issues such as dementia&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mental health conditions that impact memory and/or executive functioning&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These disabilities affect people in different ways. Some people have difficulty with memory. It may be hard to remember things from one screen to the next. They may not remember the numbers needed for a form. Some people get easily distracted. Movement or ads might make it hard to finish a task. Other people may have trouble organizing, planning, or problem solving.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s a simple example. Some passwords require different types of characters: numbers, lower and upper case letters, and symbols. You may get locked out of your account if you enter the wrong password too many times. What if you have trouble typing in numbers or letters correctly? You may confuse letters like b and d. What if you forget where you store your password reminders? You can try to reset your password, but what if you have trouble understanding and following the directions? These types of barriers can keep people from completing a timecard at work, logging into their bank, or paying their bills.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thirteen &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/2000/09/dbwg/details?group=67703&amp;amp;public=1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;COGA members&lt;/a&gt; and experts from around the world met in January. They reviewed the work COGA has done, and planned the work for next year. They discussed submitting new success criteria if a new guideline is published. They updated a document about the need for new technologies and techniques.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Presenters informed the group about the future of accessibility guidelines. The new rules are called AG or Silver, because they are likely to drop the “WC” from the name “WCAG.” Other presenters were from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The COGA group meets weekly using remote meeting programs. There are several ways you can follow their work:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review their &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/cognitive-a11y-tf/#publications&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;publications&lt;/a&gt;. They are updating documents like the Cognitive Accessibility Roadmap and Gap Analysis. The date of each draft is included at the top of each document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Going to a conference? Look for members of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/2000/09/dbwg/details?group=67703&amp;amp;public=1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;COGA task force&lt;/a&gt; that may be presenting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow along on social media. The hashtag #COGA is used by group members when posting research, updates, and upcoming presentations.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;note-info&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;note-text&quot;&gt;The COGA task force would like to thank the W3C UK and Ireland office who provided all the support for the meeting and arranged the funding to cover on-site meeting costs.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>373446</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff will participate in CSUN&apos;s 34th annual Assistive Technology Conference that brings together subject matter experts on digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>CSUN, Here They Come!</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Subject>AT</Subject><Subject>CSUN</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>CSUN, Here They Come!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Snow falling as Kim, Kris, JoAnn, and Jay stand in front of the Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-staff-001_tcm38-372422.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Snow falling as Kim, Kris, JoAnn, and Jay stand in front of the Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-staff-001_tcm38-372423.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-02 - CSUN, Here They Come!</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-372414&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-20T19:17:53Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff will participate in CSUN&apos;s 34th annual Assistive Technology Conference that brings together subject matter experts on digital accessibility.


</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Staff Will Participate in CSUN</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pictured above from left to right: Kim Wee, Kris Schulze, JoAnn Rautio, and Jay Wyant.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.csun.edu/cod/conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CSUN&lt;/a&gt; is the place to be to learn about digital accessibility. The California State University Northridge (CSUN, pronounced see-sun) Center on Disabilities is hosting the 34th annual Assistive Technology Conference that brings together subject matter experts to discuss everything about assistive technology and digital accessibility, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The role of artificial intelligence in user-centered design and development.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Managing requirements and testing in an agile lifecycle.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Techniques for making accessible Office 365 documents.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improvements to voice input options for mobile and desktop applications.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) staff will again participate in this event that attracts a nationwide audience and major industry vendors, like Microsoft and Amazon. Information learned at past conferences has influenced how the state tests for accessibility, and how we design documents and web pages. It has informed us about new assistive technologies that are providing even greater independence for individuals with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I have learned so much while attending this conference. Many of the sessions have given me a deeper dive into the more technical aspects of accessibility that is often needed to do my job,” said Kim Wee, MNIT Webmaster and Accessibility Coordinator partnering with the Department of Education. “I also have opportunities to have one-to-one conversations about some complex issues with individuals who have a lot of knowledge and expertise. These conversations have led to some great connections and quick fixes that end up saving a lot of time and may I say…headaches!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT and other State of Minnesota agency staff have given presentations at past conferences, and this year is no exception. Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer and Kris Schulze, MNIT User Experience Manager will discuss “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2019/sessions/index.php/public/presentations/view/1221&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Integrating Local and Remote Meeting Participants&lt;/a&gt;.” Jay shared that “with over 35,000 employees, as well as contractors and vendors scattered around the country, there’s a lot of meetings that require IT services. For example, in January the State of Minnesota executive branch had 4,629 Skype sessions that combined video and audio and 1,454,985 Skype instant messages. In addition, state employees hold over 4,000 WebEx meetings every month. Not only is that a lot of meetings, they all need to be accessible, and they all need to work for everyone regardless of whether you’re in the room, at your desk, at home, or even out of town.” Kris added “We’ll be sharing our findings from our tests of large-scale broadcast options such as Skype Meeting Broadcast and the importance of testing and practicing to figure out the best way to provide closed captions.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The Map Accessibility Workgroup (a cross agency work group of subject matter experts) has been developing resources for good map design and accessibility so that the state’s maps are usable for the broadest audience possible” said JoAnn Rautio, MNIT Accessibility Coordinator and Business Analyst partnering with the Department of Employment &amp;amp; Economic Development. Co-presenter Kim Wee added, “our &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2019/sessions/index.php/public/presentations/view/1208&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Map Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; session will showcase the work by introducing a framework and current best practices on map accessibility including: accessibility and cartographic best practices, static map accessibility strategies, and interactive map accessibility strategies.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The work that Minnesota state employees do while at the conference goes beyond presenting. A Texas colleague commented:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The most important accomplishments at CSUN happen outside the presentations. In 2015, Jay Wyant and I met over lunch to share our ideas for and progress on developing training on creating accessible documents in Microsoft Office applications. Starting from that exchange, both of us have led transformative initiatives—he in his role for the State of Minnesota; me in my role as an accessibility coordinator in a 30,000-employee state agency in Texas. The State of Minnesota is now a leader in teaching employees to implement accessibility statewide. My agency is developing knock-your-socks-off videos that are making our employees’ jobs easier even as they produce documents that are highly accessible. Neither initiative would have been as successful without that conversation.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When Minnesota showed up in force to present all they had developed, I was envious. Besides giving the state well-deserved international recognition, it was clear that the experience strengthened ties between the accessibility experts at your various agencies. They are no longer colleagues doing similar jobs. They’re professionals collaborating on a joint mission. They’re making a lasting difference, and through CSUN the world knows.” – Cliff Tyllick, Accessibility Coordinator, Texas Health and Human Services Commission&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, as a first time presenter and attendee, Kris is “beyond excited to be attending CSUN on behalf of MNIT. There are so many sessions I&apos;m planning to attend about user experience, usability, and inclusive design. I can&apos;t wait to put ideas and what I&apos;ve learned to work for the MNIT Experience IT program. From a personal side, as a mom of a son with cerebral palsy who uses assistive technology, I am passionate about making sure our world and our workplace is inclusive for all. The opportunity to connect with others that have that same passion and drive will be incredible!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to follow along with them as they present and learn? Follow their Twitter posts—in addition to some of the tweets that will be on the Minnesota IT Services account (&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MNIT_Services&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@MNIT_Services&lt;/a&gt;) follow the conference hashtags &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CSUNATC19&amp;amp;src=typd&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;#CSUNATC19&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/search?q=%23CSUN19&amp;amp;src=typd&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;#CSUN19&lt;/a&gt;. If you are at CSUN, please stop by their session and introduce yourself! And, good news! All of their presentation handouts will be posted on the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt; by March 18.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
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&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>372414</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>User Experience (UX) Design students from Prime Academy teamed up with DHS and MNIT to assist in transitioning to a person-centered design model.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Person-Centered Design </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Person-Centered Design </Subject><Subject>ux</Subject><Subject>User Experience</Subject><Subject>Design</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Person-Centered Design </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Students from the Prime Academy presenting to an audience.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/prime-academy-dhs-001_tcm38-371897.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Students from the Prime Academy presenting to an audience.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/prime-academy-dhs-001_tcm38-371898.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2019-01 - Person-Centered Design</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-371911&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-02-14T21:46:31Z</Date><ShortDescription>User Experience (UX) Design students from Prime Academy teamed up with DHS and MNIT to assist in transitioning to a person-centered design model.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Understanding Who We Serve and How We Serve Them</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pictured above: Prime Academy students Beth Megas, Tony Gillen, Patrick Little, and Dionne Sims.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;User Experience (UX) Design is the process of creating meaningful and relevant experiences for users through design, usability, and function. UX designers build experiences that simplify complex processes for end users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Recently, User Experience Design students from &lt;a href=&quot;https://primeacademy.io/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Prime Academy&lt;/a&gt; teamed up with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) to develop personas, use cases, and journey maps that provide insights into the experience of people that navigate the human services system. The students performed stakeholder interviews and analysis to design a set of educational tools and resources for DHS staff, intended to build empathy and assist cross-functional teams in transitioning to a person-centered design model.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through interviews the students found that some staff were feeling overwhelmed by complex processes that could be simplified. Some were experiencing symptoms of Compassion Fatigue, a state of tension and preoccupation with the suffering of those being helped to the degree that it can create a secondary traumatic stress for the helper. However, when asked if they knew what compassion fatigue was, most had never heard of it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To proactively address these issues the students developed a pulse survey, a quick survey designed to gain frequent insights, measure employee engagement, and recognize symptoms of fatigue. They created empathy exercises to promote open discussion around the quality of interaction with citizens. The students also developed a Citizen Interview Script as a guide to help staff understand each citizen’s unique experience and capture their feedback.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prime Academy’s 18-week immersive User Experience Design program was created to help people with interests in design, organization, and technology build the foundational skills to start a career in user experience. Prime Academy has been a great partner with MNIT’s ITS Trainee Program and &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-351253&quot;&gt;helping us build a pipeline of trained IT talent&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Interested in working in UX or IT? &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-304400&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Page Intro - Careers&quot;&gt;Visit our Careers page&lt;/a&gt; to view all the opportunities for employment with MNIT.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>371911</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T20:41:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is updating their eLearning Services from Flash to HTML5 creating training opportunities that are more accessible.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility in eLearning</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>eLearning</Subject><Subject>Flash</Subject><Subject>HTML5</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility in eLearning</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer developing a training course.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/elearning-002_tcm38-366057.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer developing a training course.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/elearning-002_tcm38-366056.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2019-01 - Accessibility in eLearning</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-366053&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2019-01-16T17:16:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is updating their eLearning Services from Flash to HTML5, creating training opportunities that are more accessible.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Creating Accessible eLearning in HTML5</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Laura Lochen, Instructional Designer, MnDOT&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s note:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;eLearning Services within the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is undergoing a significant technical and logistical overhaul. This article shares some of their experiences. The team welcomes hearing from other groups experiencing a similar challenge, and also hopes their story will help others.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;eLearning Services within the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has been creating interactive eLearning for close to 20 years. First we worked in Authorware creating interactive CDs. Then we migrated to Flash in about 2004, which allowed us to put our courses on the web for all MnDOT learners to access. Flash was a mature and robust software at the time we started using it. It was fully programmable, so we learned how to strong-arm it into doing all the interactivity we needed. At the time we started working in Flash, we did not consider accessibility. By the time we took on the challenge of making interactive and accessible eLearning, our developers had well-honed programming skills in Flash. It became a matter of designing and coding interactivity, then testing the programming to get it to do what we wanted. Once we created an activity or action, we could keep the programming, and use it over and over. This allowed for quicker and more reliable course builds overall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In came HTML5, and that required a full-fledged change to our whole system. This was not a slow change with a long-term sunset. This was an immediate stop that left MnDOT with well over 100 eLearning courses that would not play on browsers in two years. Our team was in a bind. How could we move forward while fixing what we had? None of the current eLearning in our LMS (learning management system) was expendable; someone was using it. Fortunately, we were able to hire two full-time temporary people to help us rebuild our library while still moving forward on current projects. So far, we’ve found HTML5 is nowhere near as mature and robust as Flash, and there are some things you simply cannot do. However, we are fully committed to accessibility, and we strive to find workarounds that let us maintain our interactivity and accessibility. We constantly weigh those two, but HTML5 has forced us into some compromises.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Currently, we are working with two course development tools, Lectora Inspire 17, and Storyline 360 version 3.23. Originally, this was in an effort to find one solution. However, due to issues with almost every software we have tried, it is likely we will move forward using both. We also use Captivate 2019 for a few projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some Issues and comparisons:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Browser compatibility - Flash published a self-contained package that would run the same way on all browsers. HTML5 publishes multiple pages that often run differently on different browsers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screen reader compatibility - We have also found a significant difference in the way that JAWS reads the information on the page vs. NVDA. JAWS compatibility takes up easily 25 percent of our development time, and 70 percent of our accessibility work. All the other accessibility and interactivity can be built into a template. Even when we find a workaround for something, an update to the Storyline or Lectora software will make it function differently, or not at all. Sometimes it feels like a moving target.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Multiple software products instead of one - Some items were simple in Flash (scale up or scale down pictures, adding video over a stationary background, etc.), but are very complicated in HTML5. Often, it takes multiple software products to reproduce interactivity done previously only in Flash.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software accessibility - Every eLearning software company seems to have varying degrees of skill and knowledge about what accessibility really means for usability. They vary significantly from company to company. Often a company claims to work well with screen readers, and we find it does not.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Some solutions that we use:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For browser compatibility, we are limiting the browsers we work with to Internet Explorer 11 and Chrome. That way we can create templates and reusable activities that will be consistent. As long as the learner knows what browsers are optimal, this is a workable solution.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We still struggle daily with screen reader compatibility. There are some things a screen reader won’t currently do in HTML5. We never want to limit our designs to satisfy the software inconsistencies. We hope that compatibility will improve as HTML5 gets more use as an eLearning option. While we try to make everything work, there will be some things that will have to wait for the assistive technology (AT) software to catch up. We realize that the AT, as well as our knowledge, is still evolving.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We use both Lectora and Storyline 360 as our main development software. They seem to give us the best options for interactivity and accessibility. We also use JavaScript and GreenSock to force the software to do what we need and want.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We hope the larger software companies eventually pick up their game, and take a more serious look at the issues those of us in the public sector are encountering. It’s nice to have “bells and whistles,” but it’s disappointing when we can’t use them to provide our learners with the best learning experiences possible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As for our team, we are searching for a happy medium, and creating new procedures and templates that we will be able to use going forward. While it feels like we are back at “square one,” it’s also an exciting, engaging, and frustrating task to take on. We do not want to compromise the quality of our product, and the style our customers expect. However, we do need to be as accessible as possible given the tools we have. As we learn more, we can start to build our capacity back to where it was and, hopefully, help others in the process.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>366053</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This hunting season, hunters and wildlife researchers are using a new online application developed by MNIT and the DNR to monitor Chronic Wasting Disease.</Description><Audience/><Title>New Application Monitors Chronic Wasting Disease</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>deer</Subject><Subject>hunting</Subject><Subject>Chronic Wasting Disease</Subject><Subject>CWD</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>New Application Helps Hunters Check for Chronic Wasting Disease</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A deer standing in a snow covered forest.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/deer-003_tcm38-362170.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/deer-003_tcm38-362171.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-12 - New Application Monitors Chronic Wasting Disease</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-362167&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-12-13T15:26:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>This hunting season, hunters and wildlife researchers are using a new online application developed by MNIT and the DNR to monitor Chronic Wasting Disease.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Hunters on the Lookout for Chronic Wasting Disease leverage State IT and Scientific Data</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;December 13, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease afflicting deer that causes the animals’ brains to deteriorate until they experience emaciation, abnormal behavior, loss of bodily functions, and ultimately death. This hunting season, hunters and wildlife researchers are using a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/cwdcheck/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;new online application&lt;/a&gt; developed by state science and technology experts at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to see whether or not the deer they harvested tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“IT makes the biggest impact to citizens when it’s developed in partnership with other government agencies and offices,” said MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne. “Working with the DNR, MNIT was able to help ease the process for recording deer samples for hunters as the state continues to monitor Chronic Wasting Disease in its wild deer populations.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This fall, the DNR required that hunters harvesting in mandatory testing areas (such as Deer Permit Area 603, otherwise known as the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone, in southern Minnesota) bring their deer to designated CWD sampling stations. Hunters provide lymph node samples of their harvested deer and detail the exact location where the deer is harvested, and Wildlife Health Program staff at the DNR send their samples to a laboratory for analysis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the DNR’s Wildlife Health Program researchers receive new data from the CWD testing laboratory, they are able to upload it directly to the new online application developed by MNIT. The application then automatically refreshes and displays the testing results online at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mndnr.gov/cwdcheck&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mndnr.gov/cwdcheck&lt;/a&gt; – directly informing hunters with the most current information about CWD testing results.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The application allows Minnesota hunters who have provided CWD samples to simply enter their MN DNR number into the site to check the results of their test.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and its nearly 20,000 members throughout Minnesota support aggressive actions to protect Minnesota’s wild deer from Chronic Wasting Disease,” said Craig Engwall. “The new application launched by MNIT has been a great new tool to help hunters check on their deer and stay safe.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new online application also streamlines and increases government transparency to the process that hunters can use to track Chronic Wasting Disease. Since September, the online, public-facing application has received 11,216 unique views to the site, and it has processed 9,032 sample lookups. The application currently assists state wildlife experts in monitoring the 5,532 recorded Chronic Wasting Disease testing samples for the season.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Previously, only hunters within the CWD Management Zone could look up their results on the DNR website, and we created summary tables that were uploaded to the CWD webpage periodically. This new app allows us to complete both of these steps at the same time,” said Wildlife Health Program researcher Kelsie LaSharr.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to the sampling tables on the application, ten deer harvested from hunters in the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone have tested positive for the Chronic Wasting Disease since July 2018, with another three harvested outside the disease management zone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To read more about Chronic Wasting Disease, search testing results, learn about late-season hunts, and follow the state’s efforts to manage the disease, visit the DNR’s Chronic Wasting Disease website at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mndnr.gov/cwd&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mndnr.gov/cwd&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>362167</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T21:26:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This month, the Office of Accessibility answers your questions, everything from font size to the importance of captioning online presentations. Read more here.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Questions and Answers from the Office of Accessibility Inbox</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>font size</Subject><Subject>captions</Subject><Subject>captioning</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Mailbag</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of many email icons.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/email-001_tcm38-353290.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>An illustration of many email icons.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/email-001_tcm38-360653.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-11 - Accessibility Mailbag</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-360635&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-29T15:44:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>This month, the Office of Accessibility answers your questions, everything from font size to the importance of captioning online presentations. Read more here.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Questions and Answers from the Office of Accessibility Inbox</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This month, questions and answers from the Office of Accessibility staff’s inboxes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visually Appealing Accessible Documents&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: Can I keep using banner images, rich graphics as part of my documents?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I receive many documents from people (coworkers and others) that I need to remediate. They have banner images, decorative images, call out boxes, and other elements to make the document visually engaging. How can I best maintain these visual aspects while ensuring everyone can access them?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer: Design with accessibility in mind, know the limits of each tool.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This person’s documents were primarily created in Microsoft Word. We suggested that her coworkers and colleagues start by taking our course on the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/training/word-document-training.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessible Word Document Training&quot;&gt;Basics of Digital Accessibility taught through Microsoft Word&lt;/a&gt;. If they are State of Minnesota employees, this will soon be available within the Enterprise Learning Management tool (ELM).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you know what is possible when using Microsoft Word, you should also investigate tools specifically designed to incorporate graphics. InDesign is one, and the Department of Health’s Jessica Cavazos and the Great Lakes ADA recently archived an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.accessibilityonline.org/ada-tech/archives/110677&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;InDesign Accessibility Webinar&lt;/a&gt;. Starting with a tool like InDesign, then exporting to PDF and remediating the PDF can produce a document that is both visually rich and accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Font Size&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: What is the minimum font size we should use?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have been telling people not to use font sizes smaller than 11 the majority of the time. Is this a standard and is there something written somewhere I can cite?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer: There is more to text accessibility than just font size.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are different ways that size of text is measured, depending on your format. Pt, em and others are one way of discussing font. Kerning and other spacing options plus the specific font style itself impact the perception of size, and the readability of the text.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, ensure that regardless of the font size selected, it can magnify clearly to 200% and that it has sufficient color contrast. Second, review concepts such as those found on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://wave.webaim.org/cognitive&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM WAVE tool’s cognitive page&lt;/a&gt;. While it recommends at least 10 point font, ensure you have considered the readability of the font style, spacing, and font size, and its potential impact on all your users. Finally, this is a great opportunity to do a quick usability review. Get feedback from a group - provide them different samples. The information you communicate is only useful if it can be read.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Coworker’s Digital Content is not Accessible&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: How do I best handle a coworker’s lack of digital accessibility.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I received this (person attached the digital example – could be an email signature with colorful and difficult to read font, an inaccessible document, a webpage with accessibility barriers, or software that cannot be operated only using your keyboard) and I cannot believe they did not take the time to consider accessibility. What should I do? Report it? Email the person?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer: Best practices for handling inaccessible content depends on the situation.&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A coworker once gave a great analogy: you wouldn’t tell a baby learning to walk how bad they were for falling, because they are just learning. You provide them with support, encouragement, and help to learn the new task. Using this great advice, one option is to reply to the person, and:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Let them know you appreciate their effort.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Tell them the issues you have identified.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provide some resources to help them learn how to address the specific issues – we recommend the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt; as a great source!&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But there are times when you know this person has already been told, when the situation requires an immediate fix, or when this is becoming a performance issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review your accessibility policy, as this may provide actions you need to take.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow reporting procedures provided by the organization – is there a form to complete? An email address where issues are to be sent?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider following up with your own manager, or the person’s manager.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Finally, consider if the issue is something that should be reported to your Chief Information Accessibility Officer, Compliance Officer, or Human Resources Department. Each of these resources can help you know appropriate actions to take based on the specific situation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility is part of all of our jobs. And, it is a skill we must learn. Even small advocacy actions have a ripple effect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning Events&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: When do I need to caption my web presentations?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m hosting a virtual training session. A co-worker told me that whenever I hold an online meeting or training I have to use captioning services. Is that true?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer: It depends on how you organize the program&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether you caption an online training or meeting depends on how you plan attendance:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If attendance is limited to specific invitees, such as a committee or workgroup, then it is sufficient to check with them as to whether they need any sort of accommodation. One way to do that is to include a note in the invitation with a specific person to contact if an accommodation is needed. Since it can take at least several days to arrange for captioning, be sure to allow enough time in the invitation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If attendance is open to anyone – such as an agency-wide training – your best bet is to arrange for captioning (or CART – communication access real-time translation) services. In theory, you could follow the same steps outlined for an invitation-only meeting but there are several issues with that approach:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;An attendee’s schedule may change at the last minute, and, whenever possible, attendees with disabilities should be accorded the same flexibility as others.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The state accessibility standard &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.0&amp;amp;showtechniques=124#captions-live&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;specifically calls for live captions&lt;/a&gt;, as specified in WCAG 2.0 success criteria 1.2.4.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Note: Captioning is not the only accommodation that may be requested. So if you are already providing captions, you should note that in the invitations, along with the contact information in case any other accommodations are needed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility Standards&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Question: Does [my product] have to comply with the accessibility standard?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’re buying something that isn’t an IT product, such as a pavement thickness reader, a credit card verification service, digital smoke alarm, or similar product. So do I need to ask the vendor for accessibility information?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Answer: Consider how users access the product’s information or output&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve all heard about the “Internet of things” (IoT). As digital technology becomes pervasive, we have to continually ask ourselves – is the technology or service something that requires some sort of interface or information output? In the case of a pavement thickness reader, we would ask: how does the vendor plan to present the data? Is the data in a proprietary format or one that can be configured for use by a common tool such as an Excel spreadsheet? Such content needs to be accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the case of the digital smoke alarm, do all the alarms connect to a central monitoring system that an admin would view via a computer? Then we would ask the vendor to tell us how that computer interface supports the accessibility standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And of course, if the product has a digital display, is software or an app, or generates digital document output (such as a PDF), these need to be accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>360635</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT&apos;s Experience IT Team and the Office of Accessibility helped test options to conduct large-scale accessible broadcast events for 1,000 to 10,000 attendees. Read more here.</Description><Audience/><Title>Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>User Experience</Subject><Subject>Skype Broadcast</Subject><Subject>Skype</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person at a computer displaying a slide presentation with a video of a presenter. Text: Welcome to the Skype Broadcast Test.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/skype-broadcast-001_tcm38-360654.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person at a computer displaying a slide presentation with a video of a presenter. Text: Welcome to the Skype Broadcast Test.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/skype-broadcast-001_tcm38-360652.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-11 - Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-360595&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-28T19:13:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT&apos;s Experience IT Team and the Office of Accessibility helped test options to conduct large-scale accessible broadcast events for 1,000 to 10,000 attendees. Read more here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Large-scale Broadcast Event Usability and Accessibility </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Kris Schulze, MNIT Experience IT program manager&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This past year, Experience IT and the Office of Accessibility at Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) helped test options to conduct large-scale broadcast events for 1,000 to10,000 attendees. Our question: How do we best host a broadcast event for all 2,300 MNIT staff while planning for inclusion from the start?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This issue arose in part because we discovered licensing limits with our default web presentation tools, Cisco WebEx and Microsoft Skype for Business. We needed a tool that would economically reach 2,300 attendees, and would allow captions, live video, PowerPoint content, and live Question and Answer (Q&amp;amp;A). We wanted an experience for ALL our end users that was easy to use and provided decent video and audio quality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During this time, Microsoft’s Skype Meeting Broadcast entered the picture as an option. We held multiple live test events to learn the technology, determine the best way to provide captioning, validate network and firewall settings at multiple locations around the state, and test for accessibility and usability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our test audiences started off small and worked up to larger numbers of people joining the test broadcasts. The initial accessibility and usability testing helped our team work out a repeatable process for hosting accessible Skype Broadcast events. With each successive test, we enlisted more and more MNIT staff to join the broadcasts. During each test event, we crowdsourced feedback from attendees to help us identify and troubleshoot issues and improve our processes before the next test. One of the trickiest issues was working out how to minimize lag time between the live broadcast and captions that were displayed in a separate caption window (find out why this was our preferred option below). End user feedback was critical in making sure we could troubleshoot any production issues and provide better instructions for users so they would have a positive experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Discoveries from this feedback were exciting, especially because many of the respondents were not regular users of captions or assistive technology. For example, we had just over a 50% response rate for one of our larger tests of 360 people. Of those:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;79% responded that the closed captions were average to very good quality (with 17% responding N/A)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;83% believed they were average to very easy to view (with 14% responding N/A)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employee comments included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Easy to use and the ability for captions to go back and read if you missed something or didn&apos;t hear it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The closed captions in a separate window were nice. I liked being able to customize the font size/color/selection as well as the background color. It was also nice to be able to see the captions at the same time as the presentation.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Pacing of captioning was much improved over the first Skype Broadcast test in August. It was at most one sentence ahead of the speaker.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Glad to see the closed caption is now synced up vs. other tests we have done. I like the fact you can move that separate browser window anywhere you want. I would recommend that information is provided in a slide before each Skype Broadcast as a standard or add a link to the email invite for any meeting in case someone joins the meeting late.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During earlier tests we also received great feedback about general usability and captions. User feedback helped us create clearer instructions for using Skype Broadcast and captions. We included these in the meeting invitation and on the information page on the employee intranet. We also developed the practice of using the first several minutes of the broadcast to provide instruction on how to navigate the Skype Broadcast attendee panel, open the caption window, and submit questions in the Q&amp;amp;A panel. The feedback also highlighted difficulties with real-time captioning, minimal lead/lag time and revealed frustrations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The captions are still a few seconds ahead of the audio and video feeds, which makes it really annoying to read the captions. Also, it&apos;s impossible to scroll back up in the captions window, it keeps jumping down to the bottom. Even after the session had ended I couldn&apos;t scroll back up to see a sentence I missed, which was very annoying.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I would rather see the captions overlaying the video. Opening the captions in Chrome on Android closes the window with the video. You cannot use them if you want to see the event.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The closed captioning did work from the start in IE but it was frustrating as I tried to scroll up to read what I missed and it would keep dropping down as each new line was added before I could even find where I left off. I fixed that by eventually seeing the checkbox to stop the auto-scroll but it was yet another frustrating thing.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our primary takeaway was that people who may not have used captions discovered they were really helpful in case they missed a word or wanted to back up and re-read something. This reinforces the belief that if you design and plan for accessibility from the start, far more people than those who use assistive technology benefit from it. The second takeaway – from resolving the issues such as those listed above – is that if you provide basic instruction on how assistive technology works and encourage people to try it out, they adopt it more readily. This familiarity builds an awareness of the importance of planning for accessibility and how it creates positive user experiences for everyone as they go about their daily work. It doesn’t matter if they’re planning for an online meeting, a website, or an email. The key is to think about accessibility and usability for all up front.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to know why we captioned the broadcast events the way we did? Keep reading – this was one of our biggest challenges!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know that providing live, real-time captioning for a web broadcast event can be kind of tricky? You may have come across promotions for Microsoft’s auto-captioning service as part of their cloud offerings. However, it is not yet available in our Office 365 Government Community Cloud and we required a more reliable accuracy rate than it could deliver. We found our best option was to use live real-time captioning services, often termed Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART). If you would like to learn more about CART, visit our captioning information on our &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/multimedia.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Multimedia&quot;&gt;multimedia accessibility webpage&lt;/a&gt;. We also learned that it wasn’t a simple matter to provide access to those captions. Microsoft’s Skype Meeting Broadcast did provide a “cc” button – but only for the automated captions. To provide captions in a different way required a separate link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, did you know there is about a 30-second lag-time for broadcasts? That meant if our caption writer was in the room transcribing real-time with the presenter, our attendees would read the captions 30 seconds before they hear them on the broadcast. We found it worked best for the caption writer to caption listening to the delayed broadcast rather than from the live event. This minimized any lag or lead-time, and synched the captions more closely with what viewers were experiencing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The separate caption window allowed users to adjust text size, font, and colors. Users were also able to resize and move the caption window, such as below or to the side of the presentation. So, although we would have loved for the captions to be built within the Broadcast panel, the customizable features were worth the separate window.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An alternative for the lead/lag-time issue would be to invest in video mixers or use a free open source software such as Open Broadcaster Software that would allow for adding captions as an overlay similar to TV captions. For the purposes of our testing, however, we used only the features that were available through Skype Meeting Broadcast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/skype-broadcast-002_tcm38-360749.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Skype Broadcast Test&quot; alt=&quot;4 laptops: 1 - &quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;skype-broadcast-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>360595</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is pleased to announce that the Cyber Security Summit recognized two MNIT professionals with 2018 Visionary Leadership awards.</Description><Audience/><Title>Two Minnesota IT Services cybersecurity experts recognized with Visionary Leadership Awards</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Cyber Security</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Cybersecurity Experts Awarded</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building with computer code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-breakfast_tcm38-333898.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building with computer code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-breakfast_tcm38-333897.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-11 - MNIT Cybersecurity Experts Awarded</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-357866&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-11-05T16:13:12Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is pleased to announce that the Cyber Security Summit recognized two MNIT professionals with 2018 Visionary Leadership awards.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Two Minnesota IT Services Cybersecurity Experts Recognized with Visionary Leadership Awards</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;November 5, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is pleased to announce that the Cyber Security Summit recognized two Minnesota IT Services professionals with 2018 Visionary Leadership awards. On October 23rd, Stefanie Horvath, MNIT’s Executive IT Director, was presented with the Governance Champion Visionary Leadership Award, and Neal Dawson, MNIT’s Vulnerability Management Director, was presented with the Security Operations Visionary Leadership Award.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am tremendously proud of the talent at MNIT that protects Minnesota and works to strengthen our cybersecurity posture,” said Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Johanna Clyborne. “Stefanie Horvath and Neal Dawson are both highly skilled and innovative leaders. Minnesota is fortunate to have their expertise defending state technology services from the ever-changing cybersecurity threat landscape.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As MNIT’s Executive IT Director, Stefanie Horvath coordinates audits, implements enterprise-wide process improvements, manages consolidation waves, leverages organizational improvements, and leads enterprise-wide projects. Prior to joining MNIT, she was the Chief Information Officer for the Department of Military Affairs, and she currently serves in the Army National Guard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Neal Dawson leads the Threat and Vulnerability Management Team at MNIT, which works to manage information security risks by identifying security related vulnerabilities on state computer systems. Neal guides his team as they scan state computers, servers, and network devices for known security threats. His team then reviews, prioritizes, and communicates the vulnerability assessment scan results to MNIT’s enterprise and agency-based teams, keeping everyone informed the minute something unusual occurs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both Stefanie Horvath and Neal Dawson were nominated by their peers in the industry for their Visionary Leadership Awards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://cybersecuritysummit.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cyber Security Summit&lt;/a&gt;, held in Minnesota each year, brings industry, government, and academic cybersecurity interests together in an effort to improve the state of cybersecurity. This past Summit marks its 8th year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesota students and families can &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Security Page&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot;&gt;visit the MNIT website&lt;/a&gt; to get tips and learn more about how the state aims to keep its systems secure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>357866</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:32:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The State of Minnesota unveiled a new website design for the State of Minnesota’s online portal to better connect Minnesotans to digital government resources.
</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota’s Redesigned Web Portal Connects Minnesotans to Digital Government Resources</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>Government</Subject><Subject>Website</Subject><Subject>web design</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State of Minnesota’s New Website Design</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A laptop showing the mn.gov website. Text: mn.gov has a new design.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-portal-002_tcm38-356172.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A laptop showing the mn.gov website.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-portal-002_tcm38-356173.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-10 - State of Minnesota’s New Website Design</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-356142&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-22T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota unveiled a new website design for the State of Minnesota’s online portal to better connect Minnesotans to digital government resources.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State of Minnesota’s Redesigned Web Portal Connects Minnesotans to Digital Government Resources</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 22, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; On October 22, 2018, the State of Minnesota unveiled a new website design for &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mn.gov&lt;/a&gt;, the State of Minnesota’s online portal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The portal has long been a destination for Minnesota residents and businesses, who visit for up-to-date state news and to locate information and digital resources. The portal serves as a front door to more than 500,000 web pages and documents found across more than 70 Minnesota agency, board, council and commission websites. The new site design, provided by Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), makes it easier, faster and more intuitive for visitors to get the information they’re looking for.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Mn.gov is the entry point to hundreds of online services and, it benefits more than 5.5 million Minnesotans. Minnesota IT Services worked hard to ensure the site is intuitive, user-friendly, and provides Minnesotans with the service they deserve. Their hard work on the re-design of this website improves upon the state’s ability to connect with its citizens,” said MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne. “Through mn.gov, Minnesotans can find public meetings, buy a hunting and fishing license, register a business, find a transparent state budget, and much more.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With more than 18 million total visits to mn.gov in 2017, and an average of 772,000 page views each day in 2018, mn.gov has been an important resource for Minnesotans looking to interact with state government online. The goal behind the redesign of mn.gov was to streamline those interactions and reduce the number of clicks it would take users to find relevant content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The portal’s new homepage design emphasizes a powerful search function that locates information and resources across a wide range of State of Minnesota websites. Sometimes, citizens can find the specific roles of government organizations to be murky, and it may not always be clear which specific agency website will provide the information they’re looking for. For example, if a teacher is looking for resources to promote environmental education, would they visit the DNR website? The Department of Education website? The Pollution Control Agency website? Searching for “environmental education” on the portal takes away the guesswork and delivers the teacher directly to resources they need. Additionally, the homepage showcases popular topics and information, includes a jumping off point to the State Careers website, and offers a breakdown of government resources by city, county, state, and federal levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improved site architecture, or the arrangement of content, allows site visitors to browse related resources in a more intuitive way. While browsing content grouped under “residents,” a citizen can &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/greatoutdoors/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;find an outdoor attraction&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;learn how Minnesota taxes work&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href=&quot;http://511mn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;find traffic data&lt;/a&gt;, among other things. In the “business” section, site visitors can learn how to &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/starting-business/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;start a company&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/business-forms-fees/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;find business forms&lt;/a&gt;, or &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;get help from business experts&lt;/a&gt;. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;state portal&lt;/a&gt; can help people quickly and easily find all of these resources, which exist on separate state agency websites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;www.mn.gov&lt;/a&gt; re-design is fully public and functional, work will continue to ensure that Minnesotans can use the site to access up-to-date and helpful resources into the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>356142</id><pubdate>2019-06-06T22:07:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>ADA Coordinator Ken Rodgers shares his perspective on the importance of accessibility, ensuring employees have the resources they need to succeed.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility and Technology Today </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>Government</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility and Technology Today </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356061.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man using a refreshable braille display</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/assistive-tech-005_tcm38-356059.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-10 - Accessibility and Technology Today</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-356010&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-18T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>ADA Coordinator Ken Rodgers shares his perspective on the importance of accessibility, ensuring employees have the resources they need to succeed.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Perspective of an ADA Coordinator on Current Technology</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ken Rodgers: Disability Programs Coordinator – ADA Title I/Affirmative Action, Minnesota Department of Transportation&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The month of October brings many things, among them significant weather changes and several national commemorations and celebrations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One national event celebrated this month has particular importance to me personally: National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has been the leader in organizing the celebration of and highlighting gains in disability inclusion in employment for more than 70 years. The 2018 NDEAM theme is “America’s Workforce: Empowering All.” What follows is my perspective about the relationship between my job as an ADA Title I Coordinator and the current accessible technology environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the major tasks of my job is to ensure our employees who experience significant medical conditions or disabilities that interfere with their ability to perform their job duties are able to continue to perform those duties. As I happen to be a person who is totally blind myself, I am only able to independently do my job because of the existence of accessible technology. Likewise, whatever limitations that currently exist within the accessible technologies I use daily have a tremendous effect on how effective and successful I can be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I consider myself fortunate in several ways: to be employed at a time that major businesses have such a focus on the value of accessibility, and by the fact I work for the State of Minnesota that has declared “accessibility” as a core value.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Awareness of the Importance of Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like most people in today’s workforce, my workday revolves around using a computer. In order for me to do that I rely on specialized software known as a screen reader. A screen reader interacts with the coding to provide me with an audio output of the visual content on the computer. In other words, I listen to what most of you see on the screen. Sounds simple enough, right?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In many ways, it certainly does actually seem simple, but this is totally dependent whether the apps, programs, and web sites I use are aware of the need for their content to be accessible. It wasn’t too many years ago that because so few sites or programs were accessible, I was quite limited in my ability to access content. As awareness has improved, including a growing focus on the equally important aspect of USABILITY, encountering barriers is happening less and less. One contributing factor is many technology leaders, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Apple have promoted their accessibility teams and departments who are responsible to ensure continuing awareness and accessibility of their products. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But at least there are now places to report accessibility problems when encountered that can appropriately ensure the issue is heard and will be followed up.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Two other major technology tools I rely on heavily are the telephone and accessing documents. You might think “how difficult can it be to pick up the phone when it rings or dialing a number to make a call?” But business telephones today are used for much more than for just making and receiving calls. My phone is a small computer that contains a complex flat screen menu system that is not accessible for someone who cannot see. For the last several years I used a third-party software program that has allowed me to access my phone using my desktop computer. I was able to access all the features of my phone through my keyboard. All was great until my desktop was upgraded to Windows 10. My phone software was not compatible with Windows 10 and wouldn’t be until December 2018. Fortunately for me, the latest series of work phones had many basic accessibility features built in. I’m able to have the buttons and controls “speak” to me to help me know where I am and how to select the right function. This is another example of a major technology company that was aware of the importance of accessibility enough to make the business decision to embed accessibility as a regular phone feature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In my work I often need to read documents, forms, and correspondence including medical documentation. These are usually electronic forms completed online or scanned paper forms. It wasn’t too long ago that PDF formatted documents existed only as ‘image-based’ versions. Screen readers cannot access images, pictures, or graphics so, in the past, when I attempted to read such a document my screen reader would say it was an empty document – it could not “see” the text. Today it is possible to convert an image-based PDF document into a “searchable” version by converting the image to text. Again, as the major technology companies become more aware of the importance of accessibility, these features are being incorporated into the products more routinely, making them tools of choice for someone like me.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility - A Core Value of the State of Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One important additional aspect contributing to my being successful at my job working for the State of Minnesota is the fact that accessibility really is a key value promulgated through Governor Mark Dayton’s leadership and our legislative body. Our state leaders realized the importance of accessibility and legislated an accessibility statute that all state agencies must adhere to. Because of the desire of our state leadership to drive the value of transparency and to be accessible to all its stakeholders, the awareness of the need to be accessible is widely adopted throughout state government. Is it perfect? Again, absolutely not! But I am thrilled that we continue to move the dial forward. Often when I encounter issues and problems, I no longer have to convince others of my right to the information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is clear to me I would not be able to do my job without the heavy use of accessible assistive technology. But, just as I am supported by advancements in assistive technology, I am also limited by its limitations. Thankfully for me and many, many other employees who live and work with disabilities, the accessibility and usability of assistive technology is getting better. With the continued knowledge, emphasis and understanding of the growing importance of the concepts of accessibility and usability, dare we all hold our collective breaths and expect things to continue to get better with each update? I certainly hope so!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>356010</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Everyone should be able to interact with state government. This is why we have an accessibility law, standard, and an Office of Accessibility in Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>People and Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>Government</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>People and Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of people collaborating around a meeting table.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-working-005_tcm38-356060.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Group of people collaborating around a meeting table.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-working-005_tcm38-356058.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-10 - People and Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-356011&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-18T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Everyone should be able to interact with state government. This is why we have an accessibility law, standard, and an Office of Accessibility in Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Most Important Part of Digital Accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)&lt;/a&gt; theme is “America’s Workforce: Empowering All.” People are the reason we have an accessibility &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/16E.03&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;law&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;standard&lt;/a&gt;, and an &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility&lt;/a&gt; in Minnesota. Everyone should be able to participate in all that state government offers, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using the services we provide (and the information about the services), and&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joining our work force&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, people ensure everyone is able to participate. Thank you to all the state employees who work hard to make our documents, websites, applications, and communications accessible to both our employees and the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To highlight the impact of this work, we asked state employees to share with us what makes digital information more accessible for them. One individual identified critical needs that are often overlooked. They said they find things more accessible that are “easy to navigate and not complicated. Pictures, colors, quotes, caption, videos, etc. are all a plus!” This response may surprise some people, because often discussions about accessibility focus on satisfying a single need. For example, the needs of people who cannot see or those who cannot hear. In the past, such perceptions have led website creators to create text-only versions of their sites as a way to “solve” accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota Accessibility Standard&lt;/a&gt; addresses the needs of all users, which includes those who may have learning disabilities, memory challenges, and difficulties processing information. We want to use pictures because they benefit many people. But we also want to be sure that those who cannot see them get the information through alternative text. We need to think about using color the same way. Do use color, just make sure it is not the only way the information is communicated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before you say “I’m never going to get this” remember: having a person in mind as you think through each of the different people that may use your document or website can be very helpful. Some call this “personas.” Imagine a person who cannot see the screen. Imagine another person who can see, but has difficulty moving a mouse. Then imagine a third person who does not hear the audio in your video. And thanks to the employee that contributed to this article, imagine the person who says:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Communication is huge! For instance, I am a visual and verbal (auditory) learner. If I can view and listen to a demonstration or lesson (without any distractions!), then I am able to retain all the information much more effectively. Although it is not always possible, it is my ideal structure conducive to effective training/learning.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesotan” applies to all citizens, regardless of whether or not they have a disability. As we work toward empowering all, it always comes back to the most important part, the people.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>356011</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed October as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota to draw attention to the need for visibility around this critical issue.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Governor Mark Dayton</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>The text Cybersecurity Awareness Month next to a cybersecurity icons.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-006_tcm38-355748.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A shield icon with an icon of the State of Minnesota.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cybersecurity-month-006_tcm38-355747.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-10 - Cybersecurity Awareness Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-355751&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-16T16:44:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed October as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota to draw attention to the need for visibility around this critical issue.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Creating Awareness Around the Critical Issue of Cybersecurity</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 16, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Throughout the month of October, Minnesota’s information technology experts take time to educate state employees and the public about cybersecurity threats.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt; - October is “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota, as proclaimed by Governor Mark Dayton on October 1, 2018. The Governor’s Proclamation, in conjunction with &lt;a href=&quot;https://staysafeonline.org/ncsam/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Cybersecurity Awareness Month&lt;/a&gt;, draws attention to the need for visibility and public education around this critical issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“We live in a world that is increasingly inter-connected and dependent on technology, and keeping your information secure online is as important now as it has ever been,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Commissioner Johanna Clyborne. &lt;strong&gt;“You don’t have to be a computer expert to create a strong password or spot phishing attempts to harvest your personal data. Taking the time to learn some safety tips on your own contributes to a more secure Minnesota for everyone.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While MNIT plans to advocate for smart cybersecurity investments during the upcoming legislative session, the agency is focusing this month on sharing cybersecurity tips with the public on social media, and on educating state employees about how to address some of the biggest security threats to state data and systems. Some of MNIT’s efforts involve visiting state agency offices to distribute materials containing safety tips and reporting procedures, encouraging employees to develop and maintain strong passwords for their accounts, and coordinating an internal messaging campaign to help state employees recognize suspicious emails and report them right away.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Phishing,” a messaging technique that cyber-attackers use to trick people into providing information, credentials, or money to malicious sources, is a particularly persistent threat to state systems that targets state employees. Sometimes, these messages contain malware or ransomware, which prevents users from accessing systems until payment is made. Since July 2018, the Security Operations Center (SOC) at MNIT has identified over 1,673 unique phishing messages targeting state users – an average of 22 messages per day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“When a ransomware attack hit the city of Atlanta’s computer systems last spring, it affected internal programs and customer-facing applications that allowed residents to pay bills. That can happen on a broader scale here in Minnesota if we’re not prepared,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Chief Information Security Officer Aaron Call. &lt;strong&gt;“MNIT is devoted to ensuring state employees are aware of the risks out there so that we can keep state systems safe, but there is always more we can do to put Minnesota in the best position possible to meet the threat head on.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Minnesota IT Services will continue the fight to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running, you can learn how to keep your personal information secure online. Keep phishing at bay by deleting email messages (without clicking on any links or opening any attachments) if they contain the following:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Links embedded in messages that display a weird address when you hover your mouse over them&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Spelling mistakes and poor grammar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A vague salutation - something like &quot;Dear valued customer&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A request for personal or work credentials via email&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Threatening, urgent language&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attachments that you weren&apos;t expecting&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested in some more cybersecurity tips you can use at home? &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot;&gt;Check out our security section&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>355751</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T20:43:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota received top marks in the Digital States Survey results. A Survey to help benchmark state government&apos;s use of digital technologies. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Receives &quot;A-&quot; Grade in National Government Technology Survey</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Digital States Survey</Subject><Subject>Award</Subject><Subject>digital technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Receives &quot;A-&quot; in Technology Survey</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building with computer code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-breakfast_tcm38-333898.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building with computer code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-breakfast_tcm38-333897.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-10 - Minnesota Receives &quot;A-&quot; in Technology Survey</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-354563&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-10-02T14:12:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota received top marks in the Digital States Survey results. A Survey to help benchmark state government&apos;s use of digital technologies. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota Tops Bi-Annual Digital States Survey Results</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 2, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Conducted every two years, the Digital States Survey is the most comprehensive review of best practices, policies, and progress made by state governments in their use of digital technologies to serve residents and streamline operations.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Saint Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt; - The Center for Digital Government announced today that the State of Minnesota topped its bi-annual Digital States Survey results. The Survey is used to help benchmark state government use of digital technologies, and it has allowed Minnesota to take stock of its innovation efforts as it look toward the future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota received an overall grade of A- in the 2018 Digital States Survey, up from a grade of B+ in 2016. Under the Digital States criteria, an “A” grade reflects states that are trending sharply up, showing improved results across all survey categories, including adaptive leadership and innovation in digital technologies, service delivery - programmatic impacts and transformation, citizen experience with government, and emerging technologies/innovation and collaboration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Only ten states received an &quot;A&quot; grade in the 2016 Digital States Survey, and this year Minnesota joined the list of top performers. According to the Center for Digital Government, top states use modernization to achieve operational efficiencies and strategic priorities under nimble leaders, and they widely adopt strong performance measures and metrics as they work to provide services to their citizens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to its top grade, Minnesota is recognized as “Top 5” for its exemplary work in Emerging Technologies/Innovation (3rd Place) and in Finance and Administration (4th Place).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am tremendously proud of our team of talented IT professionals whose continued dedication is making a difference every day – even though often it is behind the scenes and often goes unrecognized,” said Johanna Clyborne, Commissioner and Chief Information Officer. “Their work to make government more efficient has resulted in improved access to services for Minnesotans.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Over the past two years, Minnesota has continued to emphasize improvements in core technologies that support the delivery of digital services. The expansion of network bandwidth across the state, consolidation of state data centers, server virtualization, and enhanced information security have all helped ensure the reliable delivery of digital services to Minnesotans. The Digital States Survey recorded Minnesota’s efforts to make more services available to mobile users and to deliver more government accountability, as a demonstration of Minnesota’s adaptive leadership and innovation in digital technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota IT Services’ accomplishment reflects the success and innovation we are seeking in our state on every major tech front - from artificial intelligence to blockchain, to digital transformation, to cybersecurity, to big data; the citizens of Minnesota are already benefiting from these important advancements and MNIT’s striving for excellence,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, President &amp;amp; CEO of the Minnesota High Technology Association.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Center for Digital Government aims to use the Digital States Survey to help states successfully leverage IT investments and projects to maintain and even improve services and efficiencies across all aspects of government. Throughout 2019, Minnesota will follow up with the Center for Digital Government to promote collaboration and information sharing through face-to-face meetings, webinars and other specially designed activities and tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A national overview of all 50 states and their grades can be found on the Center for Digital Government’s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Center for Digital Government&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Center for Digital Government is a government research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of eRepublic, a national publishing, event, and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>354563</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:32:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Ensuring online tools meet state accessibility standards can be difficult. A scoring system can help simplify the RFP process.</Description><Audience/><Title>Scoring Accessibility: Addressing Accessibility in the RFP Process</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>RFP</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Scoring Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person selecting 5 out of 5 stars in a rating scale.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rating-001_tcm38-352376.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person selecting 5 out of 5 stars in a rating scale.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/rating-001_tcm38-352379.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-09 - Scoring Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-352361&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-21T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Ensuring online tools meet the state accessibility standard can be difficult. A scoring system can help simplify the RFP process.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Addressing Accessibility in the RFP Process</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Margaret Klein, Director, Office for Diversity and Equality, MDVA Accessibility Coordinator&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Forming a project team to design a new software tool with wide reaching impact can be a daunting task – even before your agency’s Accessibility Coordinator does their job by asking “will this new business tool meet the state’s accessibility standard?” During this past year, one project team stepped up to this challenge, and in doing so, also created a new scoring system for their Request for Proposals (RFP) evaluation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) a project team set out to obtain and implement a wide-reaching business tool for supervisors, employees, and payroll staff. Employees will use this new tool to retrieve their work schedule, punch in and out, be paid shift differential for night and weekend work, make leave requests, and be assigned overtime. This new software would replace outdated technologies and impact nearly 1,300 employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve all heard that it’s more cost effective to plan for accessibility on the front end than it is to fix inaccessible systems after they’re implemented. So, if we expect a new wide-reaching business tool such as this to meet the state’s accessibility standard, how do we measure proposed solutions and make the best-informed decision we can?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nearly all RFPs submitted through the state include this boilerplate requirement:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Completed Accessibility Compliance Voluntary Product/Service Accessibility (508 VPAT and WCAG 2.0 VPAT).*&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does this requirement mean and how does it help an agency ensure that the product purchased meets these legal standards?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A VPAT® is a checklist that includes all the components of the accessibility standard. Vendors submitting a response to an RFP use this checklist to affirm how their product supports accessibility in accordance with each technical criteria. The state also recommends that the form be completed by a person well-versed in the technical aspects of the product’s support for accessibility. Respondents are encouraged to review the relevant guidance forms in the &quot;Products&quot; tab of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Accessible IT Procurement&quot;&gt;Accessible IT Procurement&lt;/a&gt; section of the Office of Accessibility website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This project team went one step further by integrating accessibility requirements throughout the evaluation process. They considered the existence of a fair and consistent evaluation of accessibility within the RFP process to be as important as defining the key business requirements for the desired product. A critical first step was for the RFP selection committee to receive training on what accessibility means and what the state accessibility standard requires. People don’t know what they don’t know, making training important to a successful outcome. In addition, the project team allocated points in the initial screening phase for accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After the proposals were evaluated according to all screening criteria, including business, technical, and accessibility requirements and points assigned, high scoring vendors were asked to demonstrate their product to the RFP selection committee. These presentations were focused on core business requirements and specific functional exercises. Before the presentations, vendors were provided with specific information on the evaluation process. They were told to be prepared to present specific functionalities, including accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The RFP selection committee was able to observe and evaluate the ability of the vendor to meet requirements such as requesting time off for an employee, clocking in and out of work, obtaining work schedules, and bidding for overtime, as well as is the accessibility of each interface.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the presentations, the RFP selection committee reminded the vendor to demonstrate key specifications, such as requiring a certain exercise be performed twice, with keyboard only and with mouse only. The RFP selection committee could see whether the vendor really understood how their product meets our accessibility standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To assist in the scoring of vendor demonstrations, the RFP selection committee was provided a draft evaluation sheet, or rubric, that called out specific elements to look for, such as keyboard accessibility. The reviewers used this rubric to score how the vendors performed those exercises from an accessibility perspective. In this way, real accessibility points could be attributed to each vendor’s proposal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project teams and RFP selection committees do important work in helping the state of Minnesota to be legally compliant, and in making state employment an option for qualified persons with disabilities. The multi-phased model used by this project team brought the agency forward by making accessibility a normal part of business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of the state’s Accessibility Standard is to improve the accessibility and usability of information technology products and services for all government end users in Minnesota. The standard incorporates the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://section508.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Section 508&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt; of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Supplementing the standard are statutes on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=363A.42&amp;amp;year=2011&amp;amp;keyword_type=all&amp;amp;keyword=accessibility&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;public records&quot;&gt;public records&lt;/a&gt; (363A.42) and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=363A.43&amp;amp;year=2011&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;continuing education&quot;&gt;continuing education&lt;/a&gt; (363A.43) effective January 1, 2013 that can make agencies financially liable for inaccessible records and other documents and course material modified or produced after that date.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;*Editor’s note: At this time of this project, there were two VPAT documents. Since then, all content has been merged into a single VPAT document. &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-352362&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Companion blog post VPAT 2.x.&quot;&gt;See the companion blog post VPAT 2.x.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota, &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot;&gt;subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt;. Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>352361</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T20:56:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In response to the recent Section 508 refresh, the ITIC issued a new version of VPAT. Learn more about what is changing with VPAT 2.0.</Description><Audience/><Title>Understanding the Changes and Requirements of VPAT Version 2.x</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>VPAT</Subject><Subject>Voluntary Product Accessibility Template</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>VPAT Version 2.x</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person reading the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) webpage on the Section 508 website.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-vpat-001_tcm38-352377.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person reading the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) webpage on the Section 508 website.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-vpat-001_tcm38-352380.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-09 - VPAT Version 2.x</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-352362&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-21T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>In response to the recent Section 508 refresh, the ITIC issued a new version of VPAT. Learn more about what is changing with VPAT 2.0.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Understanding the Changes and Requirements </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;First, What’s a VPAT?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC)&quot;&gt;Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC)&lt;/a&gt;, a technology industry association, developed the form Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT) as a way for corporations to attest how their products supported the federal accessibility rule &lt;a href=&quot;htthttps://section508.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Section 508&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota accessibility standard, established in September 2010, incorporated Section 508 and the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines&lt;/a&gt; (WCAG) 2.0. Vendors who wanted to sell to the state had to submit not only Section 508 VPATs, but also a similar document regarding their support for WCAG 2.0.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Changed in VPAT 2.0 and 2.x?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In April, you learned about the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-336319&quot; title=&quot;update to the state accessibility standard&quot;&gt;update to the state accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt;. This update reflects the fact that Section 508 incorporated WCAG 2.0. In response to the Section 508 refresh, the ITIC issued a new version of the VPAT, which they called &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;VPAT 2.0&quot;&gt;VPAT 2.0&lt;/a&gt;. This VPAT was much larger and more detailed than the original VPAT document, as it included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ten pages of introductory/ explanatory text&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WCAG 2.0 criteria&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Section 508 criteria outside of WCAG 2.0&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;EN 301 549 (the European accessibility standard) criteria&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, within each WCAG conformance criteria, the document listed where it applied within Section 508 and EN 301 549. It also provided opportunity for the vendor to note how they supported that criteria in up to four different deliverables:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Web&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Electronic Docs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Software&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Authoring Tool&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since announcing the VPAT 2.0 last fall, the ITIC has published two updates: 2.1 and 2.2. 2.1 addressed minor grammatical and formatting issues. 2.2 split the document into four versions:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WCAG 2.0 only&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Section 508 only (which contains WCAG 2.0)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;EN 301 549 only (which contains WCAG 2.0)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;International (WCAG 2.0, 508, and EN 301 549)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does the State of Minnesota Require?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the past, Minnesota RFPs required vendors to submit separate documents for Section 508 and WCAG 2.0. Since there was no standardized WCAG equivalent to the ITIC’s Section 508 VPAT, Minnesota created its own form for WCAG 2.0 and Section 508. Vendors typically used the Minnesota form for WCAG 2.0. If they had already completed an ITIC Section 508 VPAT they were welcome to submit that instead of the Minnesota 508 form.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota is currently developing its own version of VPAT 2.0 that most accurately reflects the state accessibility standard. Until then, vendors are requested to complete an ITIC VPAT 2.0 or newer (referred to as “VPAT 2.x”) that includes the following completed sections:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;WCAG 2.0&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Section 508&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state’s version of the VPAT will be published on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp&quot; title=&quot;accessible procurement page&quot;&gt;accessible procurement page&lt;/a&gt; (currently in the “Products” tab) along with guidance for vendors, RFP creators, and VPAT reviewers. Our RFPs refer vendors to the site so they have full opportunity to understand our expectations. They have the option to submit their VPAT information using either the ITIC or Minnesota version. What matters is that the information be complete and accurate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
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&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>352362</id><pubdate>2018-09-21T18:33:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT, DHS and MNsure formed a team to preform tests on PDF forms, web applications, and websites for digital accessibility.</Description><Audience/><Title>QA Testing Accessibility: Enterprise Accessibility Quality Assurance Team</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Quality Assurance</Subject><Subject>PDF forms</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>QA Testing Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of people collaborating with the use of laptops.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-003_tcm38-352378.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of people collaborating with the use of laptops.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-003_tcm38-352381.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-09 - QA Testing Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-352356&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-21T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT, DHS and MNsure formed a team to test PDF forms, web applications, and websites for digital accessibility. Learn more about their work.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Work of an Accessibility Quality Assurance Team</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jean Alexander shares about her work as a supervisor with Minnesota IT Services and the team she leads on projects for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and MNsure.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may have heard the term accessibility but wondered what it really means. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) into law, which guarantees individuals with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else. However, since this law was written before the World Wide Web arrived, it did not detail how to apply it to web-based or digital technologies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In support of the ADA and related laws, the State of Minnesota mandated that our digital products, such as applications, forms and documents, meet &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines&lt;/a&gt; (WCAG) 2.0 Levels A and AA, as well as the federal Section 508 rules. WCAG and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Section 508&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt; criteria address the access needs of individuals with a cross-section of disabilities including visual, auditory, cognitive, and physical.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For those new to accessibility, WCAG’s organization of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;accessibility principles&quot;&gt;accessibility principles&lt;/a&gt; can be a great introduction to the importance of digital accessibility. Our applications and forms are improved for all end users when we learn how to make them “Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (or POUR)” for end users with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What does accessibility mean? It means having the same capability and quality of user experiences for all users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Desire to Help&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Human Services mission statement is: The Minnesota Department of Human Services, working with many others, helps people meet their basic needs so they can live in dignity and achieve their highest potential. It is our legal duty as employees of the State of Minnesota to ensure we consider accessibility in every document we produce, the technology we create, the contracts we sign, and products we purchase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2017, Minnesota IT Services, in partnership with the Department of Human Services and MNsure, formed the Enterprise Accessibility Quality Assurance Team (EAQAT) to execute accessibility tests on various projects: PDF forms, web applications and websites for digital accessibility. This team:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Works with Business Analysts and developers to explain accessibility guidelines, and how to use them when writing accessibility requirements.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaborates with the technical teams to provide an understanding of how to put accessibility code into their work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Provides services for digital accessibility testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Approach&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The EAQAT took various trainings on how to use screen readers, magnifiers, and other assistive technologies. They scoured the 508 Compliance and WCAG 2.0 Levels A and AA for requirements language used by designers and developers. The team produces Quality Assurance (QA) artifacts including Test Plans, Test Cases, and Test Closures that provide visibility to stakeholders of the testing effort.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is no small task to ensure the application has met the above and other 508 Compliance guidelines. While a development team may have certified their code as accessible, it does not mean it is without flaws. The EAQAT uses tools to execute their tests in various browsers and versions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the testing, discoveries are reported in the defect management tool. These items are discussed with the project stakeholders and, on occasion, the EQUAT demonstrates to the project team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;EAQAT collaborates with the Minnesota IT Services, partnering with DHS Accessibility Coordinator, Lea Dooley. Lea helps prioritize reported defects and provides assistance with accessibility tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Benefits&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By testing state products for accessibility and usability, the discoveries and their resolutions provide the following benefits to all end users:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Encourages collaboration between teams (business analysts, development and quality assurance) to implement accessibility in the state’s products.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Corrects technical gaps and areas where standards are not met before the final product is available and in use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Helps end users successfully navigate through applications and forms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Satisfies the state’s legal duty to include accessibility in all products we produce.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Users find our applications, forms, and other documents are more usable after EAQAT has completed their testing, reported their findings, and issues have been resolved. This helps all end users successfully use the state products in their jobs or when completing applications or other paperwork that is required or needed by various agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where We’re Going&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;EAQAT is excited to share their findings with project teams, to champion the end user, and to make a difference! The team is working on Fiscal Year19 goals, which include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Posting Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on SharePoint.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adding accessibility in the QA Process flowchart.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using new accessibility tools to enhance testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Making presentations at Program Management Division staff meetings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating an Accessibility Request form on SharePoint for project teams that need accessibility testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota, &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot;&gt;subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt;. Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;background-color: #ECEFF3;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px;&quot;&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Subscribe to our Newsletter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 2rem;&quot;&gt;Would you like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota? Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Subscribe Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author>Jean Alexander, Enterprise Accessibility Quality Assurance Team Supervisor</Author><id>352356</id><pubdate>2018-09-21T18:33:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The State of Minnesota launched a new program designed to build a pipeline of trained IT talent to state agencies. On September 4, 2018, the state welcomed the first six IT trainees to the MNIT-MNPathways program.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Launches New MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee Program</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Training</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>Information Technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Launches New IT Trainee Program</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Traniees during the mn pathways trainee program award ceremony.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-002_tcm38-351314.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Traniees during the mn pathways trainee program award ceremony.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-002_tcm38-351315.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-09 - Minnesota Launches New Trainee Program</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-351253&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-09-05T22:01:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota launched a new program designed to build a pipeline of trained IT talent to state agencies. On September 4, 2018, the state welcomed the first six IT trainees to the MNIT-MNPathways program.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Building a Pipeline of Trained IT Talent for State Agencies</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;September 5, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee Program works to prepare tomorrow&apos;s workforce with the skills they need to succeed in future information technology careers with the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Saint Paul, MN: The State of Minnesota has launched a new program designed to build a pipeline of trained IT talent to state agencies. On September 4, 2018, the State of Minnesota welcomed its first cohort of six IT trainees to the MNIT-MNPathways program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee program is designed to provide a competitive entry-point into state service. Specifically, it prepares program participants for an entry-level position with Minnesota IT Services (MNIT). Selected candidates for the program receive the specialized training, skills, and knowledge they need to adequately prepare for permanent, classified employment with MNIT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“To obtain a qualified, diverse IT workforce of tomorrow, we have to look at innovative ways to opening the door to careers in technology today,” said Johanna Clyborne, Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services. “Our goal is to provide opportunities to address racial, gender or disability disparities in state employment, as well as career pathway and mobility opportunities for current state workers. Minnesota needs diverse talent and skilled employees to help us succeed in our mission to deliver the IT services that Minnesotans need, not just now but into the future.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It is exciting to see our public sector partners collaborating on shared career pathway programs focused on building a stronger and more diverse state, county and municipal workforce. In this case the state is building on the very successful model of the City of Minneapolis to attract and retain its own diverse IT talent pool,” said Emma Corrie, Director of Strategic Workforce Initiatives, Office of Governor Mark Dayton.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Within one year of starting the program, six MNIT-MNPathways ITS Trainee program participants will complete over 960 hours of classroom training, in addition to independent work time, module testing, and possible re-testing to satisfy all program and technical requirements. Satisfactory performance, determined by the program participant&apos;s supervisor, will govern when the trainee is converted to a probationary status in the ITS1 classification. The State of Minnesota plans for up to 24 candidates to participate in the program in the first year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Software Development is bitter till it gets sweet! I graduated from my IT training program and applied to over a 100 jobs…it was bitter because I always lost out to Computer Science degree holders. My software development training was not landing me a job even though I knew I had the IT skills and motivation to be a great employee,” said Willie Suggs, MNIT Pathways participant. “When I met Tom Kine and Thom Jones at the MNIT office that supports DHS, it became sweet! I am using my skills and feel incredibly supported and on my way to building a career working for the State of Minnesota!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am grateful that the MNIT Trainee program took a chance on an unknown entity, and has given me that place to learn and grow. Stepping into an entirely new environment is incredibly scary, and I am thankful for the way I have been welcomed into the fold. This program is the perfect first step into a new career and I am very happy to be here,” said Elizabeth Wong, MNIT Pathways participant.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This ITS Trainee Program is one of eight ‘MNPathways’ programs championed and staffed by the Office of Governor Mark Dayton. MNPathways creates internships and entry level job opportunities that lead to career pathway jobs in some of our largest job families in state government. The State of Minnesota is the largest employer in Minnesota and filled over 6,000 jobs last year, ranging from snow plow drivers and food service workers to doctors, nurses and engineers. MNPathways also partners with five other public sector partners - Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, City of Minneapolis and City of St. Paul to collaboratively work on shared career pathway programs to build a better and more diverse state, county and municipal workforce. MNPathways works to meet Governor Mark Dayton’s important goal of hiring a diverse workforce that reflects the changing demographics of the communities Minnesota state government serves. For more information, contact emma.corrie@state.mn.us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Over the past eight years, we have sought to create new avenues into state government,” Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans said. “This program joins our multiple internship opportunities, the Star of the North Fellowship, and the Connect700 program as one more way we are actively working to recruit new, diverse talent and train-up the next generation of state leaders.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 90 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the state’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. We work to set IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about career opportunities at MNIT and other state agencies contact david.berthiaume@state.mn.us and visit the State of Minnesota Careers website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photos of partners and trainees pictured below:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-img_7712_tcm38-351244.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-pathways-trainee-img_7712&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pictured Left to Right: Tom Kine, Thom Jones, Willie Suggs, Commissioner Clyborne&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-img_7730_tcm38-351245.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-pathways-trainee-img_7730&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pictured Left to Right: Tom Kine, Howard Dunlavy, Alex Bliss, Commissioner Clyborne&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-img_7746_tcm38-351246.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-pathways-trainee-img_7746&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pictured Left to Right: Kipp Graham, Tammy Dickinson, Mark Halburt, Commissioner Clyborne, Emma Corrie, David Berthiaume&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-img_7760_tcm38-351247.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-pathways-trainee-img_7760&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pictured Left to Right: Jennifer Winegarner, Tim Quicksell, Patrick Wenum, Commissioner Clyborne, Emma Corrie, David Berthiaume&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-img_7770_tcm38-351248.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-pathways-trainee-img_7770&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pictured Left to Right: Ellena Schoop, Lina Jamoul, Commissioner Clyborne, Emma Corrie, David Berthiaume&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-pathways-trainee-img_7783_tcm38-351249.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-pathways-trainee-img_7783&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Pictured Left to Right: Kris Stiebler, David Berthiaume, Daniel Norman, Robert Sheran, Elizabeth Wong, Commissioner Clyborne, Willie Suggs&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>351253</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:32:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Commissioner Clyborne visited with MNIT’s business partners and enjoyed classic experiences at the Minnesota State Fair.</Description><Audience/><Title>Commissioner Clyborne Visits the State Fair</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>Information Technology</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Johanna Clyborne</Subject><Subject>MNIT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Commissioner Clyborne Visits the State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Johanna Clyborne and Taylor Mills working at the MNIT booth at the Minnesota State Fair.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/state-fair-commissioner-001_tcm38-351043.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Commissioner Johanna Clyborne and Taylor Mills working at the MNIT booth at the Minnesota State Fair.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/state-fair-commissioner-001_tcm38-351042.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-08 - Commissioner Clyborne Visits the Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-351025&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-31T18:41:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>Commissioner Clyborne visited with MNIT’s business partners and enjoyed classic experiences at the Minnesota State Fair.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Enjoying the Great Minnesota Get-Together with MNIT and our Business Partners</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year marks the first time that Minnesota IT Services has hosted a booth in the Education Building for all 12 days of the Minnesota State Fair. On Thursday, August 30, MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne spent some time engaging with Minnesotans and fairgoers on cybersecurity and state IT at MNIT’s booth. She then took some time to visit MNIT’s state agency partners – the Departments of Revenue, Health, Commerce, Transportation, Education, and Minnesota State Council on Disabilities – all of whom were also housed in the Education Building at the State Fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Clyborne made a few additional stops – at the Army National Guard pavilion, the Department of Natural Resources’ fish pond, and the giant slide for a break and some cheese curds. She also visited the Department of Natural Resources building, which showcased the MN Great Outdoors website (designed by Minnesota IT Services in collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources – State Parks and Trails, the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission, and the Metropolitan Council) on an iPad.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services is proud to participate in the State Fair this year, and to share information with Minnesotans about career opportunities, state information technology, and the work this agency does to keep state systems safe and secure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8230_tcm38-351032.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8230&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Johanna Clyborne and Taylor Mills working at the MNIT booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8234_tcm38-351033.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8234&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne holding a giant gavel at the Youth in Government booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8244_tcm38-351034.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8244&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne visiting the Office of Higher Education and Minnesota Careers booths.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8270_tcm38-351035.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8270&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne visiting the Minnesota Council on Disability booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8272_tcm38-351036.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8272&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne visiting the Minnesota Department of Education booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8280_tcm38-351037.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8280&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne visiting the Minnesota National Guard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8319_tcm38-351038.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8319&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne enjoying cheese curds in front of the big yellow slide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8324_tcm38-351039.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8324&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne visiting the Minnesota State Senate booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8328_tcm38-351040.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8328&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner Clyborne testing her knowledge of state IT with the MNIT Quiz.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>351025</id><pubdate>2018-08-31T21:02:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT lead cybersecurity activities for kids and families during STEM Day and in the 4-H Building the first weekend of the Minnesota State Fair.
</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT lead cybersecurity activities for kids and families during STEM Day and in the 4-H Building the first weekend of the Minnesota State Fair.</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>STEM at the Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of young fairgoers playing cybersecurity Jenga.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-state-fair-001_tcm38-350796.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A group of young fairgoers playing cybersecurity Jenga.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-state-fair-001_tcm38-350795.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-08 - STEM at the Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-350765&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-27T18:41:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT lead cybersecurity activities for kids and families during STEM Day and in the 4-H Building the first weekend of the Minnesota State Fair.</ShortDescription><Subtitle> MNIT Helps Families Connect with Cybersecurity Concepts</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Great Minnesota Get-Together is underway, and MNIT is so proud to be a part of it again this year. In addition to a booth in the Education Building on the fairgrounds, MNIT also had the opportunity to lead cybersecurity-focused hands-on activities for kids and families during STEM Day at the fair and in the Minnesota 4-H Building throughout the fair’s first weekend.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Communications Director Cambray Crozier presented a proclamation from Governor Mark Dayton announcing STEM Day at the Fair on August 23. MNIT staffed a table with cybersecurity Jenga, cipher activities, and lollipops at both STEM Day in Dan Patch Park and at the 4-H Building August 24-26. MNIT cybersecurity workers also handed out some goofy glasses for people to take photos with a giant cybersecurity selfie wall, encouraging fairgoers to think about how to protect their identities online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Feedback from STEM Day and the 4-H Building has been positive! One kid waiting for his brother to perform in the 4-H musical told one of our workers that cybersecurity Jenga was “more fun than the marbles game that’s usually here,” and several educators came by, took photos of the activities, and expressed an interest in using these ideas in their classrooms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although MNIT’s presence at STEM Day and the 4-H Building is finished for this year, fairgoers can swing by the Education Building during the rest of the fair to play a game on our iPads, spin a prize wheel, win earbuds or webcam covers, and learn a little more about all of the work MNIT does to keep the state secure and keep the business of government running.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_0147_tcm38-350784.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_0147&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT staff teaching cybersecurity concepts to fairgoers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_0148_tcm38-350785.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_0148&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nancy Skuta, Ellena Schoop, and Gao Vang taking a selfie in front of the Cyber Selfie Wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8027_tcm38-350786.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8027&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Young fairgoers wearing glasses with a fake nose and mustache in front of the Cyber Selfie Wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8032_tcm38-350787.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8032&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A young fairgoer decoding a secret message at the MNIT STEM Day booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8044_tcm38-350788.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8044&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A young fairgoer learning about online safety by playing cybersecurity Jenga.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8066_tcm38-350789.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8066&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A group of young fairgoers playing cybersecurity Jenga.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8072_tcm38-350790.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8072&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fairgoers wearing glasses with a fake nose and mustache in front of the Cyber Selfie Wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8098_tcm38-350791.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8098&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Gao Vang, Ellena Schoop, and Nancy Skuta talking to kids about cybersecurity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/state-fair-2018-IMG_8177_tcm38-350792.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;state-fair-2018-IMG_8177&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Cambray Crozier and Jim Davnie presenting the STEM Day proclamation on behalf of Governor Mark Dayton.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350765</id><pubdate>2018-08-29T18:11:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Connecting the DNR&apos;s Fish Cam to a live feed online opened a whole new can of tech worms. Learn how MNIT staff make it happen.</Description><Audience/><Title>DNR Fish Cam: A State Fair Tradition </Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>Fish</Subject><Subject>Fish Cam</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>DNR Fish Cam</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A variety of species of fish that live in Minnesota, swimming in a pond at the state fair.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/fish-cam-001_tcm38-350680.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A variety of species of fish that live in Minnesota, swimming in a pond at the state fair.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Fish-Cam_300%20x%20300_tcm38-253412.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-08 - DNR Fish Cam 2018</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-350457&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-24T20:39:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Connecting the DNR&apos;s Fish Cam to a live feed online opened a whole new can of tech worms. Learn how MNIT staff make it happen.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A State Fair Tradition </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you can&apos;t make it to the State Fair this year, or if you just saw the DNR fish pond at the fair and want to check in on the little swimmers, check out the DNR Fish Cam from any computer or mobile device. In its 8th annual appearance, the DNR fish cam is back at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2010, avid angler and MNIT staff member supporting the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Betsey Cotone thought, “If we can live stream an eagles nest, we should be able to do the same thing with fish.” This thought became reality in 2010, when the MNIT team at DNR installed the first live feed in the fish pond at the Minnesota State Fair.  While livestreaming fish underwater sounds straightforward, the reality is there are far more technical details that need to be considered. The MNIT crew needed to develop some creative solutions for the camera, location, network, and whether it can go “fin to fin” with a huge 30-year-old sturgeon. All of these factors impact what you see on your screen when watching the live feed on your computer or mobile device.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Camera, Location, Action&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With virtually no budget and a potentially big idea, MNIT’s Jed Becher began searching for a reliable and low-cost solution. After a bit of searching, it was identified that an ice fishing camera from Marcum Technologies would met all of the requirements Jed was looking for.  In keeping up with the ever-improving quality of HD video, the crew switched to a high definition (HD) camera in 2014. This original HD camera posed its own problem as it was not waterproof.  The solution? The camera was “dipped” in a rubberized coating material often used in the creation of tool handles. The camera was also USB based so a USB extender also needed to be used.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Fish-Cam-Set-Up_tcm38-254184.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Theodore Bhagyam setting up the Fish Cam&quot; alt=&quot;Theodore Bhagyam setting up the Fish Cam&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Fish-Cam-Set-Up&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stocking-Fish-Pond_tcm38-254186.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Sturgeon getting ready to enter the pond &quot; alt=&quot;Sturgeon getting ready to enter the pond &quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stocking-Fish-Pond&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Streaming Content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Streaming 40 species of Minnesota’s diverse fish population is a great way to educate and entertain Minnesotans, and it is even better if the live footage is readily available to the public.  Connecting the new fish camera to a live feed online opened a whole new can of tech worms, from wiring the camera to the bandwidth of the network.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Running 200 feet of custom cable to the camera through an old winding water supply pipe was no easy task for the team. Thankfully they are resourceful, and used a boat keychain to float a fish line down the 200-foot cable down the winding pipe from the DNR building to the pond. A rope was then pulled up the tube and finally the video cable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Fish Cam has come a long way since its inception in 2010. The advancement in technology and equipment has resulted in a higher quality feed, which benefits both those watching both at the state fair and online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/statefair/webcam/fish.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Watch live video of the DNR Fish Camera&quot;&gt;Watch live video&lt;/a&gt; of the 45 species of fish streaming now on the DNR website. Now clearer than ever!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Fish-Cam-Team_tcm38-254185.jpg&quot; title=&quot;The team behind the fish cam&quot; alt=&quot;The team behind the fish cam&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Fish-Cam-Team&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350457</id><pubdate>2018-08-31T16:21:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>For the first time ever, MNIT will be at the Great Minnesota Get Together for all 12 days of the fair. Find out where you can find us at the fair!</Description><Audience/><Title>Visit MNIT at the Fair</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Visit MNIT at the Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Map of the Minnesota State Fair with the Education and 4H buildings circled.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/state-fair-map-001_tcm38-350677.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Map of the Minnesota State Fair with the Education and 4H buildings circled.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/state-fair-map-001_tcm38-350676.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2018-08 - Visit MNIT at the Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-350675&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-24T17:39:26Z</Date><ShortDescription>For the first time ever, MNIT will be at the Great Minnesota Get Together for all 12 days of the fair. Find out where you can find us at the fair!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Find us at the Great Minnesota Get Together!</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Aug. 24-26&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; 4-H Building &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-family: &amp;quot;Open Sans&amp;quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. all three days&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT moves its STEM booth and activities over to the 4-H building for three days from Friday through Sunday, Aug. 24-26. Kids and parents will have fun with the cybersecurity photo wall and we&apos;ll hand out goofy glasses and tips there, too. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every Day at the Fair! Thursday through Monday: Aug. 23 - Sep. 3&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where:&lt;/strong&gt; Education Building&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When:&lt;/strong&gt; 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. all 12 days &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There&apos;s something for fair goers of all ages at the MNIT booth to help them learn about all the great work MNIT does. Adults can take a short quiz about MNIT and kids can play a game created by MNIT employee Tom Coffee for a chance to win a webcam cover or cool earbuds.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350675</id><pubdate>2018-08-29T13:08:54Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services&apos; Dan Oehmke, shares his experiences with Jennie Delisi on testing enterprise applications for accessibility. </Description><Audience/><Title>Experiencing Accessibility: Considerations in an Enterprise Project</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>applications</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Experiencing Accessibility </Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Support staff working on a computer and wearing a headset.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/help-desk-001_tcm38-350622.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Support staff working on a computer and wearing a headset.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/help-desk-001_tcm38-350624.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-08 - Experiencing Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-350614&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-24T15:09:04Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services&apos; Dan Oehmke, shares his experiences with Jennie Delisi on testing enterprise applications for accessibility. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Considerations in an Enterprise Project</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During a conference call some time ago, my stress and frustration levels quickly maxed out. We were reporting issues with accessibility for an enterprise application to one of our software vendors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our team set up a demo to demonstrate the accessibility issues. What started out as simple annoyances quickly led me to anger and great frustration. Even though I knew our accessibility experts had found these issues. Even though they had described them to me. This was my first direct experience watching someone use assistive technology. Something I knew was very important to those who need it, but had never experienced myself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We were watching a colleague use a screen reader on the application. At first it was intriguing to see how the desktop and browser were configured to work with the screen reader. Soon, however, the screen reader was blaring in a jarring and irritating tone. While navigating a long list of items ending with ellipses, it kept shouting “dot, dot, dot” over and over again. “Item 1, dot, dot, dot, Item 2, dot, dot, dot, Item 3, dot, dot, dot.” I just wanted it to stop. We had hardly started and already my patience was frayed and I wanted to leave. Site focus, which I could see, didn’t match navigation by the screen reader. There were menus that didn’t read the same as they looked on the screen. I just wanted it to stop. I wanted to be done. There were navigational traps where users could not escape, without closing down the application and starting all over again. I was incredulous. Wouldn’t those who depended on these features be even more angry and frustrated? How could it be this bad? Shouldn’t this work? Are they ignoring Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines? What if I needed this? Wouldn’t I be even more upset? How many other applications have these same issues?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While I cannot recall all the details and issues, it was a memorable event. Very illuminating to realize how little I really understood. It was also memorable for several members of the vendor’s team. As our team finished the demo, there was a long, awkward silence. Finally, someone on the vendor’s team blurted out, “But it’s supposed to work. . . we had a third-party test it. . .” They, too, were realizing how little they understood.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;From there, we increased expectations for the vendor and ourselves. And we began assessing other options in the marketplace. That, however, is a story for another time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our Interview With Dan&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After receiving Dan’s piece, we took some time to speak with him about his work with Minnesota IT Services, digital accessibility, and how the above experience has changed the way he approaches his work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst, MN Office of Accessibility:&lt;/strong&gt; What is your current position at Minnesota IT Services?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan:&lt;/strong&gt; I lead the Enterprise Service Desk, a large team which includes several enabling IT service functions, to include 90 agents who take calls or tickets from end users to provide IT help.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jennie:&lt;/strong&gt; You have worked for many years with the National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD), whose purpose is “to advance and promote the effective use of information technology and services to improve the operation of state government.” How do you see accessible digital technology playing a part in improving the operation of state government?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan:&lt;/strong&gt; One of the things I have learned working with you and Jay Wyant, [Chief Information Accessibility Officer] is a pretty straight forward concept: equal access for all users. When you think about that, it makes sense. While I was on the board of NASTD, particularly when I was the Program Chair for the annual conference, I invited Jay to do a presentation, part of which was to help increase awareness around accessibility for colleagues in other states. As IT leaders from the various state governments, we serve partners who may have employees with requirements for assistive technology. We also very possibly have prospective job applicants or existing employees who may use assistive technology. Not to mention, that as IT leaders, we ought to model and lead the way for others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jennie:&lt;/strong&gt; As a manager, how does having more accessible technology impact your hiring practices and those you supervise?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan:&lt;/strong&gt; It requires you to take a step back as a manager or supervisor. If you have never worked with somebody, or you don’t have family member with a disability it takes you a little bit to figure it out. I have an adult child, 30 years old now who still lives with us, who has a disability. So that gives me a little bit of a jump start, but often when we are talking assistive technology and accessibility, there are different disabilities. And so, I’ve been learning more about some of those types of needs. The challenge as a supervisor is to understand and support needs that you maybe haven’t experienced personally yourself, and haven’t been exposed to. But none the less you have a legal and moral obligation to do so. I think it doesn’t take very long for any of us to realize that we have people with a wide range of abilities, many in our personal network. Family members, friends, coworkers. And so, over time as you become more conscious and more aware of that, I think it becomes easier to understand how to adapt your hiring process to be more inclusive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I think if we have somebody on our staff who has a similar set of requirements as some of our partners, we are going to better understand through our own personal observations and experience, what the needs are for the larger group. We are going to be better positioned to do some thinking and testing and planning. And we will be a little bit more responsive to people with similar needs and expectations. The more diverse your group of employees, the more perspectives, ideas, and opportunities you have for problem solving. Literally, thinking out of the box, and overall having a better solution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jennie:&lt;/strong&gt; You wrote a piece for this newsletter about your experiences on a particular project. How will your experiences on that project change the way you approach future projects?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan:&lt;/strong&gt; I went into that project thinking I had pretty good understanding of the general topic. And I think I generally did compared to some other people, maybe a lot of folks, because of our family situation with our son. It helped me put myself more in their shoes. What I described in that article: how absolutely frustrated and unsatisfied I was with the screen reader experience [with that particular application], and I thought “there are people who have to use this to do their job.” It strengthened my commitment and passion for helping people. Part of the challenge is, as they are trying to be able to do their job, trying to live productive lives, trying to get tools that will help them do that, they run into similar barriers. Advocating for themselves, a family member, for other people, for their general community, or whatever, and they are often frustrated. The frustration I saw in some of the feedback we received on our project, and the particular application we were working was pretty understandable. It didn’t feel good to get it because that certainly wasn’t our intent. But I think it is important that when you hear feedback like that to appreciate it, as hard as it may be, and try to really understand where the other people are coming from without becoming defensive avoid the temptation to turn your ears off. You’ve got to internalize the feedback and understand it. And then use it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You’ve got to find something that best fits the overall set of requirements. But, you’ve also got to rate those requirements. In our last evaluation, accessibility featured very prominently, as one of the very top criteria. The solution has to both serve the functional needs of service management AND needs to meet accessibility requirements. And because of that type of thinking, we had accessibility subject matter experts, you and Jay, at the table right out of the gate. How can we incorporate this expertise into our list of requirements? How do we evaluate that? Eventually we found a way to do that that worked pretty well. That was a pretty clear commitment on our part, and pretty good engagement by you as experts in the space.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jennie:&lt;/strong&gt; What is your perception, now, of the role of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) in the process of procurement?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan:&lt;/strong&gt; VPAT is interesting to me because a vendor might give you a VPAT and say they are accessible because they can provide you a VPAT. Then when you start looking at the detail inside the VPAT you might realize, well, this particular company for this particular product has a VPAT but it pretty clearly says it doesn’t work well for people who require assistive technology. In other instances they might say that it does, or they might stay silent on some of the challenges, but I did pick up that if a company has a third-party do the VPAT assessment for them, they have the opportunity to be pretty objective and pretty open, and to also tell you what a work around might be. I saw in our evaluation process fairly current VPATs and really old VPATs. When you get a really old VPAT and it doesn’t have much useful information, that seems to signal that vendor’s not very committed to meeting the requirement, potentially because they don’t understand it yet. They don’t have that insight, they haven’t had that “Aha” moment. And then you’ll see other vendors who will have a webpage that is saying “here’s our latest VPAT” and there might be different versions of the VPAT. You can see that they are updating it. You can see that they are identifying work arounds when they have something that doesn’t work.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jennie&lt;/strong&gt;: So the VPAT is really just a piece of the evaluation?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dan:&lt;/strong&gt; It is just a piece of the evaluation. In our case, in this last assessment of “where do we go, what application do we pick” we were able with the 2 finalists to do a hands-on evaluation and to involve accessibility in that hands-on evaluation. With one of the vendors they even explicitly asked us “hey, as you are doing your hands-on evaluation would you mind sending us a report of what you see every single day? Further, would you mind having a daily stand up call at 8:45 so that we can ask you questions about that? That sends a pretty clear signal that there is a degree of commitment to getting some feedback and of course, we would like to see some follow-up, which with that particular vendor, by the time we were done with the hands-on portion of the evaluation, they had already made three fixes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jennie:&lt;/strong&gt; Thanks for your time Dan!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you would like to learn more about the accessibility work being done by Minnesota IT Services and the State of Minnesota, &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot;&gt;subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt;. Once a month we will bring you more tips, articles, and ways to learn more about digital accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Dan Oehmke, Jennie Delisi</Author><id>350614</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed Thursday, August 23, 2018, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Dayton Proclaims “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair”</Title><Publisher/><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>Science</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Engineering</Subject><Subject>Math</Subject><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Governor Dayton Proclaims “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair”</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-2017_800x400_tcm38-309149.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-2017_300x300_tcm38-309147.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-08 - STEM Day at the Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-350408&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-22T15:21:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed Thursday, August 23, 2018, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;August 23, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair seeks to teach students, parents, educators, and all Minnesotans about the exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed Thursday, August 23, 2018, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/gov-stat/pdf/2018_08_23_STEM_Day_at_the_Fair_proclamation.pdf&quot; title=&quot;STEM Day at the Fair proclamation&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair is a chance for students, parents, and educators to celebrate and freely participate in collaborative and engaging activities involving STEM. SciMathMN, in collaboration with its many partner organizations, is the driving force behind the STEM Day at the Fair effort. By approaching STEM in this fun and interactive way, STEM Day at the Fair aims to help students make the critical connection between the skills they learn in the classroom and future career opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesota is committed to developing a workforce with strong STEM skills. STEM touches everything we do, and it will play an increasingly bigger role in everything we do in the future. I thank Governor Mark Dayton for his support for STEM Day at the Fair, as well as his support around STEM education initiatives in Minnesota.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every organization participating in STEM Day at the Fair will be helping students and fairgoers of all ages experience a wide range of displays, games, and crafts involving robotics, engineering, computer coding, geography sciences, and animals. There will also be STEM-oriented entertainment on the stage at Dan Patch Park. For more information, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://scimathmn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;visit scimathmn.org.&quot;&gt;scimathmn.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Students and STEM learners of all ages can find out more about STEM careers in the State of Minnesota by connecting with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Careers Website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MN Careers&lt;/a&gt; team located at the Department of Education booth in the Education building. The State of Minnesota is the largest employer in Minnesota, employing over 50,000 employees in state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges and universities. STEM career opportunities range from nursing and medicine, to engineering, to monitoring the quality of Minnesota lakes and streams, to web developing and coding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read Governor Dayton’s “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair” proclamation on the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/gov-stat/pdf/2018_08_23_STEM_Day_at_the_Fair_proclamation.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Governor&apos;s website here&quot;&gt;Governor’s website here.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT):&lt;/strong&gt; Led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, MNIT is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SciMathMN:&lt;/strong&gt; SciMathMN is a non-profit organization that advocates for effective, engaging and rigorous science, technology, engineering and mathematics education opportunities for all Minnesota students, preparing them for citizenship, career, and college.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>350408</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:32:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Andre Magallanes, Office of Accessibility intern, shares his impressions of working in digital accessibility, and the projects he has been completing.</Description><Audience/><Title>Intern Update: Accessibility in Action</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>digital accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Intern Update: Accessibility in Action</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A hand press a large red button during accessibility testing.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-testing-001_tcm38-350623.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A hand press a large red button during accessibility testing.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-testing-001_tcm38-350625.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-08 - Intern Update: Accessibility in Action</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-348798&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-16T16:06:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>Andre Magallanes, Office of Accessibility intern, shares his impressions of working in digital accessibility, and the projects he has been completing.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Working in Digital Accessibility Can Shift Your Perspective</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Editor’s note&lt;/strong&gt;: Andre Magallanes, Office of Accessibility intern, agreed to tell us more about his impressions of working in the field of digital accessibility, a bit about the projects and tasks he has been completing, and how some of these experiences have shifted his perspective of what digital accessibility means. Want to know more about Andre? We interviewed him last month: “&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-346772&quot; title=&quot;Meet the first Office of Accessibility Intern!&quot;&gt;Meet the first Office of Accessibility Intern!&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since coming to the Office of Accessibility, it’s been amazing to see the integration and fruition of accessible technology. That being said, I have also seen the aspects that still need to improve, which is exactly one aspect that I wanted to obtain. That means, in terms of accessibility, what is working and what isn’t?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the projects we have is redesigning a web site to be more friendly, efficient, and accessible. When I first heard that I was getting to do this, I thought, sweet I’ll get to use some wireframe skills, then pick the best one and put it up. However, the reality is very different. First and foremost I got the run-down on the original site and all of the inaccessible nightmares on there. When you experience it for yourself, you see why accessibility needs to be a priority in the development phase.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The software tool used to build the site is supposed to be an easy collaboration tool that can be used by anyone, but the tool also limits the user’s control and some accessibility challenges cannot be resolved by the user. So as we transition into a newer version of the site, I was excited because I saw the lead developers and product managers from the company that makes the tool explaining and showing how it’s so much more accessible now…until I tested it myself and got over 25 accessibility issues on a page with two heading levels and one image. They did better with the overall information and focus flow, but it just wasn’t enough or as advertised.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Looking at this experience, I’ve seen how important it is to have communication between development, designers, and end users. As I continue to work on this I am learning that no matter how badly we want to make it 100% accessible sometimes it’s out of our hands…for now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have also gotten the opportunity to absorb a lot of interesting and useful information from Jennie [Delisi] and Jay [Wyant] and the experiences they’ve given me. For example, last quarter I took a class on the management of systems and creating systems while in development. My group’s project was on creating an in-class automated captioning software that students could use to follow along with.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then for my first accessibility coordinators meeting, I got to meet an awesome CART provider and see all of her skills. Computer Assisted Real time Transcription or CART is 96% accurate with an average of around 150 words per minute! Honestly, I was so amazed at how fast and accurate she was that I started feeling bad for thinking that one of our business points was cutting down the cost of paying for people in her profession. Not only that, but the reality is that the service needed is much more than just words on a screen. I had never thought about putting who said what, being able to remediate live, or more of the “little things” that can be hugely important at times.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All this tied together when we went on a work field trip and the captions for the company’s demonstration were out of sync, non-expandable, and didn’t have labels of who was saying what. The presenter was using software that used automated captioning live and on the spot. I was amazed. I was glancing at it every once in a while and thought, “Wow, that’s pretty much what I wanted to make and its working.” Afterward, I talked to Jay and Jennie…and they told me all of the little flaws that it included that I had overlooked. That was exactly what happened with my class project. We were advocating accessibility, but we hadn’t accurately included the perspective or needs of experts or all end users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It made me realize that a lot of that is probably going on with various projects and products in different industries. When accessibility best practices are followed, this allows the end user to make sense of the information being given to them. Information is obscure and just data unless it has a story that gives it context and meaning. With accessibility we can make sure that everyone is able to get the same story, to ultimately provide a great end user experience. Accessibility might sometimes be thrown around as a buzzword rather than implemented in development, or at all, and there are a lot of aspects that still need to change. However, it’s humbling and eye opening to see people who are active and passionate about making this change and constant improvement take place. I hope I can continue to learn and be a part of that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To read more about Andre’s adventures in Minnesota, and the work being done by the Office of Accessibility, &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot;&gt;subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-testing-002_tcm38-350629.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-testing-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Andre standing behind a computer setting up for accessibility testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-testing-003_tcm38-350630.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-testing-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Andre starting his tests for accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-testing-004_tcm38-350631.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-testing-004&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Andre testing a webpage for accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>348798</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:36Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT joined Minnesota 4-H at their Engineering Design Challenge. Youth from across the state showcased their designs to “plant a seed and water it.” </Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Encourages STEM Learning at 4-H Engineering Design Challenge</Title><Publisher/><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>Science</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Education</Subject><Subject>Mathematics</Subject><Subject>4-H</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>STEM Engineering Design Challenge</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Kids showing how their 4-H engineering design project to water seeds with a system of toys and pulleys works.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-4h-001_tcm38-348830.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Kids showing how their 4-H engineering design project to water seeds with a system of toys and pulleys works.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/stem-4h-001_tcm38-348831.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>_Blog - 2018-08 - STEM Engineering Design Challenge</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-348323&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-08T21:53:23Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT joined Minnesota 4-H at their Engineering Design Challenge. Youth from across the state showcased their designs to “plant a seed and water it.” </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Encourages STEM Learning at 4-H Engineering Design Challenge</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT joined Minnesota 4-H at their statewide Engineering Design Challenge. Around 200 youth from grades 3 – 12 from across the state gathered at Saint Cloud State University on Monday, August 6th, to showcase their elaborate constructions designed to “plant a seed and water it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Deputy Commissioner Jenna Covey participated as a judge for the competition, awarding blue, red, and white ribbons to students based on the sophistication and structure of their designs, their group presentation, their innovative ideas, and problem-solving skills. Deputy Commissioner Covey emphasized as a judge, she was planning to take a close look at the kid’s innovation skills. “How are kids solving problems and working together to solve those problems? It’s something that we’re always looking for at MNIT. Every day, we think about how we can solve problems using technology skills,” said Deputy Commissioner Covey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT further encouraged kids at the Engineering Design Challenge to engage with STEM as it relates to cybersecurity. Kids practiced creating cyphers and writing “codes” with Scrabble tiles, and they saw how botnets, viruses, and weak passwords can make a computer system “crash” with Jenga blocks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-001-img-7817_tcm38-348815.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-001-img-7817&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids showcasing their volcano themed engineering design project made of dominos and stacking blocks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-002-img-7818_tcm38-348816.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-002-img-7818&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids talking next to their seed planting and watering project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-004-img-7824_tcm38-348818.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-004-img-7824&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An engineering design project made of wood, k’nex, and marble tracks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-005-img-7835_tcm38-348819.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-005-img-7835&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT’s Deputy Commissioner Jenna Covey, reviewing a project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-011-img-7892_tcm38-348827.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-011-img-7892&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The judges looking at a project made from dominos, books, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-006-img-7871_tcm38-348821.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-006-img-7871&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An engineering design project with a carnival theme.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-007-img-7839_tcm38-348822.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-007-img-7839&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids showcasing their project made up of wood, duct tape, and water balloons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-008-img-7848_tcm38-348823.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-008-img-7848&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The game Jenga was used at the MNIT booth to show layers of defense versus the risks of cyber-attacks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-009-img-7862_tcm38-348824.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-009-img-7862&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids showing the judges how their project works.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-012-img-7894_tcm38-348826.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-012-img-7894&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A kid getting his photo taken in front of MNIT&apos;s cyber selfie wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/stem-4h-010-img-7882_tcm38-348825.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;stem-4h-010-img-7882&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The front and back of an ice age themed seed watering device.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>348323</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff worked closely with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to modernize the process of addressing complaints. Learn more here.
</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Helps MDH Clear Backlog of Elder and Vulnerable Adult Maltreatment Complaints</Title><Publisher/><Subject>modernization</Subject><Subject>health</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Helps MDH Clear Complaint Backlog</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Quote from Commissioner Clyborne. Full quote available in the linked article.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/clyborne-quote-001_tcm38-348283.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-08 - MNIT Helps MDH Clear Complaint Backlog</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-348282&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-08-08T16:23:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff worked closely with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to modernize the process of addressing complaints. Learn more here.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MDH Clears Backlog of Elder and Vulnerable Adult Maltreatment Complaints</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) worked closely with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to modernize the process of addressing elder and vulnerable adult maltreatment complaints. MNIT developed a solution to eliminate the cumbersome paper-based processes and inefficient manual hand-offs between workers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I’m proud of the hard work of the Minnesota IT Services team, in collaboration with OHFC, to move quickly to put in place an efficient, effective technology solution that addresses previous practical challenges. This is our mission: to work in partnership with agencies, sharing expertise and data to create and leverage solutions to better serve all Minnesotans.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressrel/2018/ohfc080818.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Read the full press release here&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot;&gt;Read the full press release here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>348282</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This June, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) issued a recommendation that updates Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to 2.1. Learn more here.</Description><Audience/><Title>WCAG 2.1 Update</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>W3C</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>WCAG 2.1 Update</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person navigating a website on a mobile device.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-001_tcm38-346798.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person navigating a website on a mobile device.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-001_tcm38-346801.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-07 - WCAG 2.1 Update</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-346766&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-07-19T15:18:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>This June, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) issued a recommendation that updates Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to 2.1. Learn more here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What’s New With WCAG 2.1?</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This June, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) issued a recommendation that updates Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to 2.1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state of Minnesota accessibility standard references two sources: WCAG, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Read our &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-336319&quot; title=&quot;blog review&quot;&gt;blog review&lt;/a&gt; about the recent Section 508 refresh and its impact on the standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What was wrong with WCAG 2.0?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nothing was wrong - it was just old and needed an update. WCAG 2.0 was published in 2008, after years of work by international committees. Since then:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The internet continues to evolve.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Committee members have become more aware of other disabilities and their impact on how individuals may access digital content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All WCAG 2.0 criteria remain. WCAG 2.1 builds on WCAG 2.0. by adding new criteria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s different about WCAG 2.1?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 adds 17 new criteria to the guidelines. The new criteria address a range of improvements to access for people in these three groups:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Users with cognitive or learning disabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Users with low vision&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Users with disabilities on mobile devices&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the criteria address what seems like common sense issues. However, before now there were instances where evaluators could not point to a specific criteria to express why a particular behavior was not accessible or a how a certain coding practice hindered usability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here are some examples:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example 1:&lt;/strong&gt; Imagine having a tablet attached to your wheelchair. A web page fixed to a particular orientation could present problems to that user. This criteria says that in most cases, any given site or page should rotate to fit the user’s view.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New criteria: 1.3.4 Orientation (AA): Content does not restrict its view and operation to a single display orientation, such as portrait or landscape, unless a specific display orientation is essential.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example 2:&lt;/strong&gt; Have you ever had a popup window that you can’t make go away? Imagine being a person with low vision who relies on extreme screen magnification who can’t get to the “close” link for a popup. Calling out this practice should help reduce its frequency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New criteria: 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (AA): Where receiving and then removing pointer hover or keyboard focus triggers additional content to become visible and then hidden, the following are true:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dismissable: A mechanism is available to dismiss the additional content without moving pointer hover or keyboard focus, unless the additional content communicates an input error or does not obscure or replace other content;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hoverable: If pointer hover can trigger the additional content, then the pointer can be moved over the additional content without the additional content disappearing;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Persistent: The additional content remains visible until the hover or focus trigger is removed, the user dismisses it, or its information is no longer valid.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example 3:&lt;/strong&gt; Imagine a button for a form that reads “Send,” but is coded “Submit.” A person speaking to the computer or phone would expect that saying “Send” should create action. Imagine that user’s frustration when nothing happens – because the program will only respond to the command “Submit.” This happens more often than you’d think, but before now, it was often considered nothing more than sloppy coding. Now this criteria specifically makes such code a failure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;New criteria: 2.5.3 Label in Name (A): For user interface components with labels that include text or images of text, the name contains the text that is presented visually.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do I find these new criteria?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;WCAG 2.1 recommendation&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 recommendation&lt;/a&gt; lists the 17 new criteria. In addition, while 2.0 grouped criteria within guidelines by conformance level (first A, then AA, followed by AAA), these new criteria were simply appended to the end of the guideline. For example, in WCAG 2.0, guideline 1.4 Adaptable had 9 success criteria (1.4.1 through 1.4.9), with 1.4.6 through 1.4.9 at level AAA. WCAG 2.1 adds 4 more criteria, 1.4.10 through 1.4.13. All are A or AA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Is WCAG 2.1 now part of Minnesota’s state accessibility standard?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Not yet. On June 14, 2018 we adopted an update to the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stnd_State_Accessibility_tcm38-61585.pdf&quot; title=&quot;State Accessibility Standard - 2018&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stnd_State_Accessibility - 2018&quot;&gt;accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt; to incorporate the Section 508 refresh. Any new update proposals to the accessibility standard need to be reviewed and supported by the Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Standards Committee, which then recommends the update to the MNIT Executive Team. We are working on several other updates to the standard in addition to WCAG 2.1 and plan to submit all the updates together for approval in the near future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Future&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.1 was considered an incremental advance. The W3C is not stopping here. While the Silver Task Force and W3C Silver Community Group are developing the framework for a successor to the WCAG, there may be a WCAG 2.2. Who knows?&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>346766</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:50Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>&quot;Digital Accessibility&quot; means that everyone can access and navigate digital information. Find tips and resources for designing accessible digital content.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible Design: Usability Standards Benefit Everybody</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Digital Accessibility</Subject><Subject>UX</Subject><Subject>digital content</Subject><Subject>content creation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible Design</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-002_tcm38-346797.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-computer-002_tcm38-346800.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-07 - Accessible Design</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-346773&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-07-19T13:18:01Z</Date><ShortDescription>&quot;Digital Accessibility&quot; means that everyone can access and navigate digital information. Find tips and resources for designing accessible digital content.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Usability Standards Benefit Everybody</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;From the User Experience Design team at DHS&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lolly Lijewski sits in her third floor cubicle in the Elmer L. Andersen Human Services Building typing Word documents, sending emails and reading tables off a PDF. The assistive technology she uses helps her do her job like everyone else. Lolly, blind since birth, uses screen readers to read, navigate and interact with digital content on her cell phone, laptop, and desktop computer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver convert text to speech, reading text aloud and describing titles, headings, pictures, tables, and other structural elements of web pages and documents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Through the years, I’ve developed a repertoire of skills,” she says, praising advances in digital accessibility that have enabled her to perform her job quickly and successfully.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Accessibility?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Digital Accessibility&quot; means that everyone, whether or not they have a disability, can perceive, understand, and navigate information contained in electronic media. An accessible document can be read using a variety of assistive technologies, such as screen readers, magnification software, or speech recognition programs. Accessible content typically features a clean, professional design that’s easy for everyone to use. Accessible video features closed captioning, audio descriptions, and transcripts. Using the term “digital accessibility” distinguishes these features from physical accessibility features such as aisles that are large enough for wheel chairs to maneuver, among other things.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s the Law&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital accessibility is also a state standard. Minnesota state agencies are committed to providing all individuals, with or without disabilities access to the information they need. The state standard requires agencies to develop programs, websites, and documents that anyone can read, including people who use common assistive technologies. The State of Minnesota&apos;s Accessibility Standard is based on &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Section 508&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt; of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://section508.gov/refresh-toolkit/revised-508-standards-quick-reference-guide&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (as recently amended)&quot;&gt;Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (as recently amended)&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0&lt;/a&gt;, Level AA.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota takes accessibility seriously. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is home to the Office of Accessibility and there are accessibility trainers, testers, and coders throughout all state agencies. MNIT is also partnering with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to create a new User Experience Design team (UED). The team will support DHS strategic initiatives designed to improve user experience and engagement. This means optimizing the usability of software applications and working across the enterprise to increase compliance with accessibility standards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Accessible design is inclusive design,” states UED member Lea Dooley. “Everyone benefits from content that’s more readable, scannable and has good structure.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You Too May Need Accessible Design&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“At any given time, 15-20 percent of our population has some degree of disability — whether permanent or temporary”, Dooley says. That means any one of us may need accommodation at some point during our lives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although we typically attribute accessibility challenges to cognitive, neurologic, or sensory impairments (i.e. hearing or vision loss, mobility challenges, physical limitations, or traumatic brain injury), software and device manufacturers are increasingly realizing that all individuals benefit from accessibility features. Technologies include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Screen magnification.&lt;/strong&gt; People using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs and other devices with small screens see content differently and need the ability to zoom in on content.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Custom controls.&lt;/strong&gt; We’ve become accustomed to adjusting volume, color contrast and font size to suit our unique preferences. These capabilities become even more important when we’ve misplaced our eyeglasses, are working in difficult environments such as bright sunlight, or are simply adjusting to changes that come with age and health.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alternatives to the mouse.&lt;/strong&gt; Individuals with temporary or long-term disabilities that affect fine motor skills benefit from keyboard navigation alternatives such as keyboard shortcuts and voice-commands. These tools are especially valuable when tasks are highly repetitive.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Closed captioning.&lt;/strong&gt; People with situational limitations, such as noisy rooms or low audio, as may occur at a gym while using the treadmill, rely on closed captioning to enjoy their favorite programs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Alternative text.&lt;/strong&gt; You may not see this if you don’t use a screen reader, but your browser does. Providing alternative (“alt”) text options for images not only describes images to screen reader users, but also improves search engine rankings. People with a slow internet connection or who have limited or expensive bandwidth also appreciate alt text, which they can read rather than take the time to download images.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Design Principles Everyone Can Use&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT UED team has crafted five simple principles to help teams build more accessible products:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understand the problem before crafting solutions.&lt;/strong&gt; Build accessibility into the front end of your projects. Don’t consider it an after-thought or wait for testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Simplify.&lt;/strong&gt; Do everything you can to make things simple and intuitive.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Think all ages.&lt;/strong&gt; Produce designs that are accessible and usable for people of every age, with or without disabilities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Align with system modernization and person-centered principles.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim for efficient designs&lt;/strong&gt; that provide context and avoid jargon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Educational Opportunities&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many opportunities to learn about accessibility. The Office of Accessibility and DHS provide information for the public and state employees via these sites&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;MNIT: Office of Accessibility&quot;&gt;MNIT: Office of Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://infolink.dhs.int.state.mn.us/InfoLink/Agencywide_Activities/Accessibility/index.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;DHS: Accessibility&quot;&gt;DHS: Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State employees can seek additional training within their agency’s learning management system. Other resources available at your local library via programs such as Lynda.com or researching screen readers, assistive technology, or empathy in design through YouTube or webinars. A good start is this &lt;a href=&quot;https://inclusivedesignprinciples.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;fact sheet on inclusive design principles&quot;&gt;fact sheet on inclusive design principles&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>346773</id><pubdate>2018-11-30T17:45:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Office of Accessibility is excited to announce that Andre Magallanes will be joining us for the summer. Learn more about Andre here!</Description><Audience/><Title>Meet the 1st Office of Accessibility Intern!</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Internship</Subject><Subject>Intern</Subject><Subject>Job</Subject><Subject>UX</Subject><Subject>infomatics</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Interning with Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Photo of Andre Magallanes standing in front of the Minnesota IT Services sign</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/andre-magallanes-001_tcm38-346799.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Photo of Andre Magallanes standing in front of the Minnesota IT Services sign</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/andre-magallanes-001_tcm38-346802.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-07 - Interning with Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-346772&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-07-19T13:15:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Office of Accessibility is excited to announce that Andre Magallanes will be joining us for the summer. Learn more about Andre here!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Meet the 1st Office of Accessibility Intern!</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility is excited to announce that Andre Magallanes will be joining us for the summer from the State of Washington. Andre is helping with many projects, such as recording and organizing data submitted by our eLearning participants and redesigning and testing our internal SharePoint site for accessibility. You are probably asking yourself: why would someone come this far to do a summer internship? We asked him!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Where do you go to school and what are you studying?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I go to the University of Washington. I want to study Informatics, a tech degree that deals with the study of information. There are things like UX, Universal Design, development – it is broader than just computer science. Informatics deals with how information is communicated to the user or between systems. The intersection of people, technology, and information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When I got to the University of Washington I wanted to do computer science because when I was growing up my father was into computers. This is how we bonded. We built a computer together one time for fun! Something memorable. However, I took my first JAVA class and I didn’t like it. I got the worst grade I’ve received in any of my classes. I would not want to write code every day of my life for a career. I took another course that was the introduction to informatics, and I completely fell in love with the class. There was a portion on accessibility, discussing how to design for people with different abilities. My father has a disability, and I find this approach interesting because it focuses on what people can do instead of what they can’t.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What did you do just prior to starting the internship?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Three days prior I was in Peru, visiting my family. I had been in Peru for about two weeks. My grandma is 92 and I wanted to visit her before I join the military.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why the Office of Accessibility all the way in Minnesota?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Next summer I’m going to Officer Candidate School for the Marine Corps, so this summer I had nothing to do! All my friends said it was important to do an internship. I was looking for accessibility internships and there were only 2 that I found! I thought that it was interesting that there were internships at all, because in school it was often presented like an extra thing, not that people were actually in charge solely of something like accessibility. When I looked at my own state, there was nothing there. Minnesota is one of the few states that actually has an Office of Accessibility, and that’s a model.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I feel so strongly about accessibility and its importance, I wanted to take the opportunity to work in the field itself rather than just practice it in theory. What will it look like when I enter the field? And, how is that different from now?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are you looking forward to learning/doing?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I wanted to do a lot of hands-on stuff and I’ve been able to do that, even in the first week! It has been amazing to learn from people who are knowledgeable about accessibility. For someone to be such a professional in the field itself, it seems to be really cool. Coming here and seeing people who are so passionate about accessibility is such an eye opener because it is something that is out there and being worked on to progress.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I am looking forward to seeing the results with people with disabilities, and others that do not have disabilities, to see how it works in their daily life and work, and how I can help improve this system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What has surprised you most about the work done by the Office of Accessibility?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I didn’t know what to expect, so everything is a surprise! I don’t want to sound like I thought you guys didn’t do anything, but I honestly had no idea what to expect. I thought about documents, for example, but to what extent I wasn’t sure. For example, I didn’t know there were accessibility coordinators, coming up with new ways to teach other people the various kinds of assistive technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Anything else you think our readers would like to know?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I have this view in mind that technology is a popular sovereignty – made by people for people, and that is something we have to keep in mind when we innovate. If it is for people, then everyone should have access to that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To read more about Andre’s adventures in Minnesota, and the work being done by the Office of Accessibility, &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;subscribe to our newsletter&quot;&gt;subscribe to our newsletter&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>346772</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:47Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>When it comes to finding solutions, our staff tries everything – including occasionally shouting into the void and seeing if anything sticks. This method worked as TweetDeck announced its rolling out a new alt text feature.  </Description><Audience/><Title>TweetDeck Delivers on Requests for Increased Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>tweetdeck</Subject><Subject>twitter</Subject><Subject>alt text</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Scheduling Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A series of tweets around TweetDeck announcing a new Alt Text feature.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/twitter-alt-text-tweet-001_tcm38-345621.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A post in TweetDeck showing and image with Alt Text.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/twitter-alt-text-tweet-001_tcm38-345620.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-07 - Scheduling Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-345625&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-07-05T21:52:28Z</Date><ShortDescription>When it comes to finding solutions, our staff tries everything – including occasionally shouting into the void and seeing if anything sticks. This method worked as TweetDeck announced its rolling out a new alt text feature.  </ShortDescription><Subtitle>TweetDeck Delivers on Requests for Increased Accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Unstoppable! When it comes to finding solutions, our staff tries everything – including, when it comes down to it, occasionally shouting into the void and seeing if anything sticks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When she can, Emily Shimkus, MNIT’s Communications and Public Affairs Liaison, likes to schedule posts from MNIT’s official Twitter account using TweetDeck (Twitter’s account managing tool), but “I couldn’t schedule tweets with images because TweetDeck didn’t allow me to apply alternative text to the images in scheduled posts,” she explained. “Tweets that included images would not have been accessible if I used TweetDeck to schedule them.” On April 25, Emily used social media to call attention to this accessibility issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/twitter-alt-text-tweet-001_tcm38-345622.png&quot; title=&quot;tweetdeck-alt-text-001&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of Emily’s tweet: When #tweetdeck allows me to schedule tweets that include alt text with images, I will be UNSTOPPABLE!&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;tweetdeck-alt-text-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Emily wasn’t alone in her frustration. Advocates for digital accessibility have been asking Twitter to look into this issue for a long time. She was surprised, however, when that tweet from April received a response on the 4th of July:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/twitter-alt-text-tweet-002_tcm38-345623.png&quot; title=&quot;tweetdeck-alt-text-002&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of reply to Emily’s tweet saying she’s now officially UNSTOPPABLE, includes link to announcement about alt text on TweetDeck.&quot; style=&quot;width: 70%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;tweetdeck-alt-text-002&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Early in the morning, her social media feed became “all a-twitter” over this fantastic new digital development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“MNIT Communications has been a great partner. Whenever we encounter accessibility issues with communications tools, they jump in and work with us to solve it. Emily clearly caught their attention with her “UNSTOPPABLE” tweet. Thanks to her, we all benefit,”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Jay Wyant, Minnesota’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer.&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’re interested in using TweetDeck to schedule posts and would like to include an image, now all you need to do is add an image to your post and select the text at the bottom of the image that says “Add description.” You can apply alt text to the photo and schedule the tweet to post whenever you want it to.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/twitter-alt-text-tweet-003_tcm38-345624.png&quot; title=&quot;tweetdeck-alt-text-003&quot; alt=&quot;Screenshot of showing the MNIT Twitter account using TweetDeck to schedule a post with alt text.&quot; style=&quot;width: 50%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;tweetdeck-alt-text-003&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>345625</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility participated in the M-Enabling Conference and the Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit. Here’s a quick summary of the two events.</Description><Audience/><Title>Gathering Together on Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Assistive Technology</Subject><Subject>M-Enabling</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Gathering Together on Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>View of main ballroom at M-Enabling, showing two full-size captioning screens alongside separate slide screens.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-conference-001_tcm38-343299.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>View of main ballroom at M-Enabling, showing two full-size captioning screens alongside separate slide screens.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/accessibility-conference-001_tcm38-343297.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-06 - Gathering Together on Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-343278&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-20T21:08:40Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility participated in the M-Enabling Conference and the Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit. Here’s a quick summary of the two events.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility Participated in Two Recent Conferences</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The week of June 11-15, 2018 saw two major accessibility-focused events. While both had “Summit” in their titles, they were very different events. The state’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO) traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the M-Enabling conference before returning to join Minnesota state employees at the Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit in Minneapolis. Here’s a quick summary of the two events.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;M-Enabling Summit: Networking with Eyes on the Future&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The M-Enabling conference typically gathers leaders from major corporations and accessibility service providers. This year was no exception. The CIAO, Jay Wyant, had conversations with the accessibility leads from Microsoft, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), G3ict, Amazon, Sprint, and others.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panels discussed the impact of the latest technological developments on accessibility and speculated on the impact of future technology from self-driving cars to artificial intelligence (AI). In between, Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai spoke on the commission’s support for people with disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-m-enabling-future-tech_tcm38-343255.jpg&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-m-enabling-future-tech&quot; alt=&quot;Key technologies to watch: 5G, AI, Vehicle Tech Smart Cities, AR/VR, Robotics.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-m-enabling-future-tech&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Caption: Slide from Consumer Technology Association (CTA) on future technology to watch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wyant served on a panel with others on the role of accessibility certification in various markets, from academia to government to private enterprise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The conference was fully inclusive, with speakers describing their slides and captioning provided in every presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-m-enabling-2018_tcm38-343254.jpg&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-m-enabling-2018&quot; alt=&quot;View of main ballroom at M-Enabling, showing two full-size captioning screens alongside separate slide screens.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-m-enabling-2018&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Caption: View of main ballroom at M-Enabling, showing two full-size captioning screens alongside separate slide screens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit: Training and Awareness&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-kim-david-kris_tcm38-343252.jpg&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-kim-david-kris&quot; alt=&quot;Speakers stand in front of audience with large screen. Kris Schulze is speaking into microphone.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-kim-david-kris&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Caption: MNIT employees Kim Wee, David Miller and Kris Schulze introduce themselves to the audience at the start of their Keynote presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) planned the two-day Assistive Technology and Accessibility Summit at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. K-12 and post-secondary educators, and state employees came together to learn more about assistive technology and accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-janet_tcm38-343251.jpg&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-janet&quot; alt=&quot;Peters gesturing next to the presentation monitor.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-janet&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Caption: Janet Peters of the Great Lakes ADA presenting on media accessibility. Note the ASL interpreter in the foreground as well as CART captions on the slide screen.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Day 2 of the Summit focused on accessibility of digital technology and how users of assistive technology are impacted by the designs and structure of websites, documents, and multimedia. Speakers represented a wide range of backgrounds, including state of Minnesota employees, Keith Bundy and Kevin Rydberg from Siteimprove, Janet Peters from the Great Lakes ADA, and Rachel Kruzel from Augsburg University. The speakers shared their accessibility tips, tricks, and design considerations. Minnesota IT Services, Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Management and Budget, and Minnesota Department of Education staff shared best practices on accessible online meetings, graphics, PDFs and PowerPoints.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-kursten_tcm38-343253.jpg&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-kursten&quot; alt=&quot;Kursten Dubbels at podium next to large screen showing images of PowerPoint and Slides.&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-kursten&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Caption: Kursten Dubbels (MDE) presenting on the accessibility of Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key take-aways from the event:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“I was surprised (as a state employee) to hear about some of the struggles educators continue to face when advocating for accessible digital content for their students, but was amazed by their passion, dedication and commitment. This conference is a great way to come together, share the needs, but also educate each other (state employees and educators) and share resources.” – Jessica Cavazos, Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“The accessibility quick cards from the Office of Accessibility are my new best friend! They are informative, easy to follow, to make things accessible. Everything I create from now on will be more accessible.” – Educator attendee&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;“I just keep learning and learning from this accessibility community.” - Attendee&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Couldn’t make it this year? Check out the handouts and consider attending next year!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to everyone who planned, presented and attended this event!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>343278</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Learn how Minnesota&apos;s Legislative Networking Group (LNET) is working to make Minnesota&apos;s legislative website more accessible.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility in Government: Legislative staff work toward a more accessible website</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Minnesota Government</Subject><Subject>web design</Subject><Subject>web accessibility</Subject><Subject>Legislature</Subject><Subject>mnleg</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility in Government</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343298.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota State Capitol Building.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/capitol-002_tcm38-343296.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-06 - Accessibility in Government</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-343304&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-20T20:55:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>Learn how Minnesota&apos;s Legislative Networking Group (LNET) is working to make Minnesota&apos;s legislative website more accessible.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Working Toward a More Accessible Legislative Website</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Editor’s note: Elaine, a librarian at the Legislative Reference Library and the Accessibility Coordinator for LNET (Legislative Networking Group), wrote this post about recent activities toward making the legislative branch’s content more accessible.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Legislature’s website&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legislature’s website&lt;/a&gt; is the unified effort of staff from the House and Senate and several joint legislative offices including the Revisor of Statutes, the Legislative Reference Library, the Legislative Auditor, and other offices within the Legislative Coordinating Commission. Legislative staff from the various offices collaboratively manage the website through the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/about&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;LNET (Legislative Networking Group)&quot;&gt;LNET (Legislative Networking Group)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LNET manages the content and design of the Legislature’s website and acts as a forum for all legislative offices to share and discuss issues. The group meets year-round to continuously improve usability and content on the legislative web pages. LNET members act as consultants for one another on issues of technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While each body and office manage distinct websites, many legislative website activities are collaborative. Offices share data to make pages that include information from multiple offices, such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/cal&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;combined calendar&quot;&gt;combined calendar&lt;/a&gt;, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/cc/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;conference committee page&quot;&gt;conference committee page&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/mybills/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;MyBills&quot;&gt;MyBills&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Much of the Legislature’s website, which consists of web pages and PDF documents for download, is compliant with the state accessibility standards and many of its documents posted from 2017 to the present are accessible, or the information is provided in an alternative accessible format such as HTML. Like many organizations, large amounts of older materials may not meet accessibility standards and may require a large dedication of resources if the older material is to be remediated. Legislative staff continue to work toward increasing the accessible online presence of the Minnesota Legislature’s website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The website is coded so that it is usable by keyboard and with a screen reader, which includes use of jump navigation, alt text, heading tags, and meaningful link language. The Legislature uses popular tools such as WebAIM’s WAVE to test for accessibility. IT staff from the legislative offices are currently coordinating to transition the website to Bootstrap, a web interface framework, that will improve the way it works on diverse screen sizes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Many materials, such as bills, session laws, statutes, and rules, are available in HTML as an alternative to PDF. Several legislative offices publish reports and use CommonLook software to remediate PDFs, when applicable. Tagged PDFs are offered when possible. Because the nature of legislative work is complex, fluid, and fast-paced, tagged PDFs may not be immediately possible. An additional accessibility challenge for the Legislature is that some documents that are submitted for posting come from public citizens or non-legislative entities and are not electronically accessible. For specific documents that may not be accessible, the Legislative Coordinating Commission facilitates requests for remediation to make the documents accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Audio and video archives are continually expanding on the Legislative website. Streaming video programming is captioned in both the House and Senate. Recent Senate video files have searchable captions. In addition, the House is exploring ways to possibly make transcripts of audio files available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you have comments or questions, please fill out the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/comments&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Ask a Legislative Librarian form&quot;&gt;Ask a Legislative Librarian form&lt;/a&gt; at the Legislature’s website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>343304</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On June 12, MNIT, DNR, Metropolitan Council, and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission announced the launch of the new MN Great Outdoors website. Here is a recap.</Description><Audience/><Title>MN Great Outdoors Launch Recap</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Parks</Subject><Subject>Trails</Subject><Subject>GIS</Subject><Subject>Travel</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MN Great Outdoors Launch Recap</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking during the launch event.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-003_tcm38-342569.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking during the launch event.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-003_tcm38-342566.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-06 - MN Great Outdoors Launch Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-342303&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-14T14:13:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>On June 12, MNIT, DNR, Metropolitan Council, and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission announced the launch of the new MN Great Outdoors website. Here is a recap.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State of Minnesota Launches New Minnesota Great Outdoors Online Tool</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Tuesday, June 12, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR), the Metropolitan Council, and the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission (GMRPTC) came together at Fort Snelling State Park to announce the launch of the new &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/greatoutdoors/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;MN Great Outdoors website&quot;&gt;MN Great Outdoors website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Clyborne kicked off the press event, sharing some examples of searches that the site can perform and explaining how hard the Minnesota Office of Geospatial Information worked to bring together disparate sets of data to complete the site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Erika Rivers, MN DNR’s Director of Minnesota State Parks and Trails, spoke to the history and significance of the project, followed by Alicia Vin Zant – the owner of Seven Spokes Bike Shop and a mother of nine – who described how useful and time-saving this site will be her for family as they plan outings to spend time together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;John Edman from Explore Minnesota and Tom Ryan from GMRPTC each spoke about how this new site will help drive visitors to parts of Minnesota that they might not have known were there. Minnesota Information Technology Services developed the website over the past two years in collaboration with the MN DNR, Met Council, and GMRPTC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/media/blog/index.jsp?id=38-341965&quot;&gt;Read the Press Release&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-020_tcm38-342287.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-020&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Signage for the launch event: Your Gateway to Minnesota’s Great Outdoors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-001_tcm38-342278.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sign for the Fort Snelling State Park Visitor Center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-011_tcm38-342281.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-011&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking during the launch event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-005_tcm38-342279.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-005&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Attendees of the launch event searching through the MN Great Outdoors website on their cell phones.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-007_tcm38-342280.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-007&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An attendee of the launch event viewing the homepage of the MN Great Outdoors website on their cell phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-013_tcm38-342282.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-013&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Erika Rivers, Director of the DNR Parks and Trails speaking during the launch event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-015_tcm38-342283.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-015&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alicia Vin Zant owner of Seven Spokes Bike Shop speaking during the launch event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-016_tcm38-342284.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-016&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
John Edman from Explore Minnesota speaking during the launch event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-018_tcm38-342285.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-018&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tom Ryan, chair of the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission speaking during the launch event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-019_tcm38-342286.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-019&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The speakers answering questions from the media during the launch event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-021_tcm38-342288.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-021&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Alicia Vin Zant speaking with PBS.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-022_tcm38-342289.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-022&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An attendee of the launch event searching through the MN Great Outdoors website on a tablet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-028_tcm38-342291.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-028&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Speakers left to right: Tom Ryan – Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission – Chair, Erika Rivers – DNR Parks &amp;amp; Trails – Director, Johanna Clyborne – MNIT Commissioner, Alicia Vin Zant – 7 Spokes Bike Shop – Owner&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-029_tcm38-342292.JPG&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mn-great-outdoors-press-photo-029&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Signage for the launch event: mn.gov/greatourdoors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>342303</id><pubdate>2018-11-30T20:45:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Department of Education and MNIT are sponsoring a conference on assistive technology and accessibility June 14 and 15, 2018 at Augsburg University.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT and MDE Share Insight on Assistive Technology and Accessibility</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>AT &amp; Accessibility Summit</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A panel of presenters speaking to a large group</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/presentation-001_tcm38-330876.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A panel of presenters speaking to a large group</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/presentation-001_tcm38-330878.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-06 - AT &amp; Accessibility Summit</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-342447&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-13T18:43:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Education and MNIT are sponsoring a conference on assistive technology and accessibility June 14 and 15, 2018 at Augsburg University.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT and MDE Share Insight on Assistive Technology and Accessibility</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota IT Services are sponsoring a great conference on assistive technology and accessibility June 14 and 15, 2018 at Augsburg University. The Office of Accessibility is proud to host the conference handouts and serve on the executive planning committee for the event. Wishing all attendees well as you work together to make digital technology accessible to all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-agenda_tcm38-342415.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-agenda&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;button-brand-secondary&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-agenda&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;View the Agenda&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-5-minute-website-test_tcm38-342406.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-5-minute-website-test&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-5-minute-website-test&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;5-Minute Website A11y Testing (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: David Miller&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessibility-action_tcm38-342408.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessibility-action&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessibility-action&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessibility-action_tcm38-342408.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessibility-action&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessibility-action&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Accessible Classrooms, Flipped Classrooms, and Accessible Meetings (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Kris Schulze&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessible-presentations_tcm38-342411.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-presentations&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-presentations&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Accessible Presentation Slides &amp;amp; PowerPoint (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Kursten Dubbels&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-hierarchy-digital-needs_tcm38-342417.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-hierarchy-digital-needs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-hierarchy-digital-needs&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Bundy’s Hierarchy of Digital Accessibility Needs (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speakers: Keith Bundy and Kevin Rydberg&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessible-documents_tcm38-342409.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-documents&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-documents&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Creating Documents Accessible to Everyone (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Rachel Kruzel&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-keynote-handout_tcm38-342418.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-keynote-handout&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-keynote-handout&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Heuristic Approach to Accessibility Design (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speakers: David Miller, Kris Schulze, and Kim Wee&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-digital-community_tcm38-342416.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-digital-community&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-digital-community&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Including Everyone in Your Digital Community: Social Media Accessibility (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Jennie Delisi&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessibility-101_tcm38-342407.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessibility-101&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessibility-101&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;PDF Accessibility 101 (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Tamara Sawyer&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessible-graphics_tcm38-342410.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-graphics&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-graphics&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;The Art of Making Graphics Accessible (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Jessica Cavazos&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-reading-barriers-tools_tcm38-342474.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-reading-barriers-tools&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-reading-barriers-tools&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Tools for Fast, Easy Reading for Students with Reading Barriers (Breakout Session PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Christine Jones&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessible-videos-presentation_tcm38-342412.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-videos-presentation&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-videos-presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Using and Creating Accessible Videos in Your School (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Speaker: Janet Peters&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/at-summit-accessible-videos-resources_tcm38-342414.pdf&quot; title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-videos-resources&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xlink:title=&quot;at-summit-accessible-videos-resources&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Resources from Slide Presentation (PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>342447</id><Tag><Description/><Title>Events</Title><Id>337918</Id><Key/></Tag><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The launch of a helpful trip-planning resource for Minnesotans offers a new and convenient way to access more than 700 great outdoor locations on one easy-to-use map.</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota Launches New Minnesota Great Outdoors Online Tool</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Parks</Subject><Subject>Trails</Subject><Subject>GIS</Subject><Subject>Travel</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Great Outdoors Website</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person looking at the night sky over a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-002_tcm38-341962.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person looking at the night sky over a lake.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-great-outdoors-002_tcm38-341960.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-06 - Minnesota Great Outdoors Website</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-341965&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-06-08T18:51:36Z</Date><ShortDescription>The launch of a helpful trip-planning resource for Minnesotans offers a new and convenient way to access more than 700 great outdoor locations on one easy-to-use map.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State of Minnesota Launches New Minnesota Great Outdoors Online Tool</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;June 12, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Launch of helpful trip-planning resource for Minnesotans offers a new and convenient way to access more than 700 great outdoor locations on one easy-to-use map.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt;: Just in time for Great Outdoors Month, the State of Minnesota announced the launch of a new online tool to help outdoor recreationalists find amenities at Minnesota’s parks and trails across the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Great Outdoors website allows people planning to visit parks and trails – both regional and state-owned – to easily filter their search based on location, accessibility, camping amenities, lodging, interpretive programming, rental equipment availability, and landscape features, among other interests.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Consolidating geospatial information that exists in dozens or hundreds of places into a single website makes it easier for Minnesotans to find the outdoor options that might be just beyond their back door, or near a favorite destination,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Johanna Clyborne. &lt;strong&gt;“This is our mission: to work in partnership with agencies, sharing expertise and data that provides full, rich experiences for Minnesotans.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Users accessing the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mn.gov/greatoutdoors&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Great Outdoors site&quot;&gt;Minnesota Great Outdoors site&lt;/a&gt; can:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Search for parks and trails by name&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pan and zoom across a map of Minnesota to find parks and trails&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Drop a pin on a specific location to compare parks and trails without losing track of what you’ve seen&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use search filters to come up with a list of parks and trails with specific amenities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Previously, you would have to know which office or region managed the park or trail you were looking for. Now, you have a clear, easy-to-navigate launchpad to find all of the information you need to plan your trip,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr. &lt;strong&gt;“By bridging technology with Minnesota’s beautiful parks and trails, we aim to make it even easier for people to connect with the bountiful outdoor opportunities available in our state.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While this website does not include information about national or city parks and trails, it provides in-depth information about state and regional parks that is helpful to Minnesotans and visitors in all corners of the state, during all times of the year. The website’s search filters even break out trails by use, indicating trails that are best for hiking, off-highway vehicles, snowmobiles, and bicycles. To date, the Minnesota Great Outdoors site includes more than 184 parks and 419 trails.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“This new site will help connect even the most casual parks and trails visitors with the great outdoor recreational opportunities available in greater Minnesota,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Renee Mattson, Executive Director of Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission. &lt;strong&gt;“It’s the perfect ‘first-stop’ for information when planning out a trip to a new area or region.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This new mobile-friendly site was made possible by the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.legacy.mn.gov/parks-trails-fund&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Legacy Parks and Trails Fund&quot;&gt;Minnesota Legacy Parks and Trails Fund&lt;/a&gt;, and it shows all state and regional parks and trails that are eligible to receive Legacy funding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the online map is now fully public, work continues to add additional information about Minnesota’s state and regional parks and trails, particularly related to recreational activities and the locations of these opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/mn-legacy-amendement-info_tcm38-342244.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Learn about the legacy amendment&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;About - Blog -  mn-legacy-amendement-info&quot;&gt;Learn about the legacy amendment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/connect/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;View other state apps and mobile sites&quot;&gt;View other state apps and mobile sites&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>341965</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:32:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On Saturday, May 12, two IT experts from Minnesota IT Services volunteered to judge Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza event. Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza challenges Minnesota teen girls to team up, design, code, and pitch mobile phone apps with the potential to make a difference in the community.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT staff volunteer to encourage the IT workforce of tomorrow</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Technovation</Subject><Subject>Appapalooza</Subject><Subject>apps</Subject><Subject>mobile</Subject><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>design</Subject><Subject>code</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Young Women in Tech</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Ellena Schoop with a team she worked with from Eagan High School &amp; Dakota Hills Middle School.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/appapalooza-001_tcm38-341243.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Ellena Schoop and Nancy Skuta standing in front of the Technovation MN sign at the entrance to the awards ceremony.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/appapalooza-002_tcm38-341245.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-05 - Young Women in Tech</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-341239&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-05-30T20:46:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT tech experts judged Technovation [MN]’s Appapalooza event, challenging teen girls to design, code, and pitch apps that make a difference in the community.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Volunteers Encourage Tomorrow&apos;s IT Workforce</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Saturday, May 12, two IT experts from Minnesota IT Services volunteered to judge Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza event. Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza challenges Minnesota teen girls to team up, design, code, and pitch mobile phone apps with the potential to make a difference in the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Appapalooza’s goal is to encourage young women to solve real-world problems with technology. To prepare for the event, the teams researched a topic and then worked with a coach or mentor to develop an application to solve a problem. The teams then created a proposal to submit to Technovation[MN], which included a pitch video, demo video, and their fully coded application.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The competition was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and it brought together 340 girls in 78 teams from 39 schools across the state. Along with 80 other judges, MNIT’s information security analyst Nancy Skuta judged teams in the junior division (girls from grades 4-8), and senior data governance planner Ellena Schoop judged teams in the senior division (girls from grades 9-12).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At Appapalooza, the student groups presented their apps to the judges in a room full of their peers, parents, and guests. The judges, having evaluated the teams’ apps before the event, had one last opportunity to adjust their scores based on each group’s presentation and the following Q+A session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Keep in mind some of these students are as young as 10 and they are getting up in front of as many as 75 people to give a presentation. Pretty impressive,” said Nancy Skuta.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Out of 57 junior teams, six were selected as regional winners. Out of 21 senior teams, three were selected. Nancy was lucky enough to have two winning junior teams in the batch of five that she got to evaluate as a competition judge.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One group, Cryptic Coders from Falcon Ridge Middle School, was selected as a junior division regional winner and awarded the US Bank Cybersecurity Challenge award. Their app is designed to be a “Cyber protection app that oversees a teen’s entire cyber profile through prevention, authentication and notifications.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to working as a judge, Ellena Schoop served as a team mentor. A team she is currently working with, due to their integration of state data, Computer Glitz, is from Eagan High School &amp;amp; Dakota Hills Middle School. Their app, Hands On, won in the senior division for their application (Ellena did not evaluate their app during the competition).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://technovationmn.org/technovationmn-announces-2018-appapalooza-winners/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Check out a complete list of the Appapalooza winners&quot;&gt;Check out a complete list of the Appapalooza winners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The event was very well run and a lot of fun. It is SO inspiring to see what these students come up with. They are tackling some pretty tough issues, ranging from domestic violence to air pollution – and the practical approaches of helping students navigate through trade school and college applications, grants, loans, etc. The future is bright!” said Nancy Skuta.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We were not allowed to judge based on the quality of the video and demo, but rather the content,” Ellena Schoop added. “This to me was important, because some from rural MN and/or even worldwide don’t have the same access to resources as others. It was a truly an incredible and inspiring event. These high school kids are right on our heels!”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Appapalooza event on May 12 was part of an international app-building competition. The winners from this event advanced to the semi-finals for a shot at competing in the global competition in San Francisco.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation_tcm38-341211.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ellena and Nancy standing in front of the Technovation MN sign at the entrance to the awards ceremony.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ellena-team_tcm38-341208.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ellena-team&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ellena with a team she worked with from Eagan High School &amp;amp; Dakota Hills Middle School.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-student-march_tcm38-341210.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-student-march&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Appapalooza participants entering the awards ceremony.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/technovation-award-assembly_tcm38-341209.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;technovation-award-assembly&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The audience gathering before the Appapalooza awards ceremony.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/ellena-ann_tcm38-341207.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;ellena-ann&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
volunteer coaches Ellena with Ann after the awards ceremony&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>341239</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:37Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The third Thursday of May is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Every year, the Office of Accessibility works with agency accessibility coordinators to organize activities on that day to promote the value of accessibility. This year, we expanded the celebration to the entire week – hosting presentations at a different state location each day over the lunch hour.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day All Week</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Global Accessibility Awareness Day Recap</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Kris Schulze presenting to a large group.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gaad-001_tcm38-340597.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Kris Schulze presenting to a large group.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/gaad-001_tcm38-340598.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-05 - Global Accessibility Awareness Day Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-340615&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-05-23T12:53:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) by hosting presentations at a different state locations. Find a recap of the the week&apos;s events here.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The third Thursday of May is &lt;a href=&quot;http://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Global Accessibility Awareness Day&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day&lt;/a&gt; (GAAD). Every year, the Office of Accessibility works with agency accessibility coordinators to organize activities on that day to promote the value of accessibility. A popular activity is the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/nomousechallenge.jsp&quot; title=&quot;No-Mouse Challenge&quot;&gt;No-Mouse Challenge&lt;/a&gt;, which encourages employees to do their job for fifteen minutes without touching their computer mouse or trackpad.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, we expanded the celebration to the entire week – hosting presentations at a different state location each day over the lunch hour. The topics were:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Monday:&lt;/strong&gt; How an enterprise software app, Siteimprove, crawls designated websites for broken links, misspellings, and accessibility issues.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tuesday:&lt;/strong&gt; A case study on how accessibility was “baked into” the planning, design, and development process of Workforce One, a key case worker and services management tool for the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wednesday:&lt;/strong&gt; Guidance on how business analysts (BAs) can integrate accessibility into their processes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thursday:&lt;/strong&gt; Review of free web page testing tools and how to use them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Friday:&lt;/strong&gt; How to work with updated Microsoft SharePoint templates, called “Modern Pages” to best ensure accessibility&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employees attended in person as well as through webcast. In-person attendees picked up copies of &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;accessibility quick cards (PDF)&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;accessibility quick cards (PDF)&lt;/a&gt; and phone stands and got to meet the presenters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An interesting challenge was ensuring full inclusivity at each event. Since they were at different locations, we had to rely on accessibility coordinators and their network and facilities teams to ensure:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Good quality audio for both the room and webcast&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reliable internet connection for both the webcast computer and the onsite captioner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Caption display on both the room screen and webcast view&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ability to manage slides in room and via webcast&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Each of these elements sound simple enough, but collectively they create a situation fraught with numerous pitfalls. No matter how early we started setup, every day preparation continued to the last minute and sometimes past the start time. Fortunately, we were successful every day thanks to the collective efforts of numerous participants!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-siteimprove-presentation_tcm38-340577.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-siteimprove-presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Travis Vermeulen of Siteimprove talks about the tool behind a view of the slides and captions on a laptop.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-deed-presenters_tcm38-340581.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-deed-presenters&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Heidi Dolan and Cathy Russell summarize their presentation on integrating accessibility into Workforce One development in front of the projector screen displaying captions under the concluding slide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-jay-presentation_tcm38-340579.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-jay-presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant talks about how business analysts can present a case for integrating accessibility into their processes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-kris-presentation_tcm38-340580.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-kris-presentation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Packed house listened intently as Kris Schulze discussed the changes to SharePoint with the addition of Modern pages and libraries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-becky-jay-booth_tcm38-340582.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-becky-jay-booth&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT/Health Accessibility Coordinator and Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO) Jay Wyant show off the GAAD information table at the Department of Health’s Freeman Building prior to the Friday presentation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/gaad-kim-jennie-outfits_tcm38-340578.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;gaad-kim-jennie-outfits&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Accessibility Analyst Jennie Delisi and Accessibility Coordinator Kim Wee wore GAAD appropriate clothing for Thursday’s talk!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>340615</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Facebook is working hard at increasing its accessibility through “automatic alternative (alt) text”, a feature that uses object recognition technology to create a description of a photo. Here are some things to consider before automatically generating your alt text.</Description><Audience/><Title>Facebook Accessibility – Image Descriptions</Title><Publisher/><Subject>accessibility</Subject><Subject>alt text</Subject><Subject>alternative text</Subject><Subject>Facebook</Subject><Subject>Image Descriptions</Subject><Subject>object recognition technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Facebook Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cursor hovering over the &quot;Change Alt Text&quot; option in Facebook to add alt text to a photo of Jenna Covey and Joan Redwing.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alt-text-facebook_tcm38-340596.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cursor hovering over the &quot;Change Alt Text&quot; option in Facebook to add alt text to a photo of Jenna Covey and Joan Redwing.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alt-text-facebook_tcm38-340599.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-05 - Facebook Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-340576&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-05-23T12:42:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>Facebook&apos;s “automatic alt text” uses object recognition technology to create a description of a photo. Here are some things to consider before generating alt text automatically.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Image Descriptions</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A discussion about Facebook accessibility, specifically image descriptions, started in our Minnesota accessibility coordinator group, so the Office of Accessibility provided some testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s the Issue?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Facebook is working hard at increasing the accessibility of their product. Recently they added “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/help/216219865403298?helpref=faq_content&quot; title=&quot;automatic alternative (alt) text&quot;&gt;automatic alternative (alt) text&lt;/a&gt;” which is “a feature that uses object recognition technology to create a description of a photo.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For a photo of two people, the automatic alt text might say “2 people, people smiling, people standing.” The alt text included in the image below demonstrates how sometimes Facebook gets it wrong! Because there is a poster behind the two people and the poster includes images of people, the automatic alt text indicates there are “4 people, people smiling, people standing.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/alt-text-photo-001_tcm38-340586.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;alt-text-photo-001&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So there are some things to consider, should you decide to let Facebook create your alt text for you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If Facebook knows any people in the image (they have an account), Facebook will name them in the alt text. Do you want to share that person’s identity, or have their permission to share it with everyone that may encounter that photo?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The automatic alt text is very automatic and literal. Does the automatic description convey what you were trying to communicate to those who read your post? For example, if you were on the phone telling a friend or co-worker about the photo, is that how you would describe the image?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;And, sometimes, the automatic alt text will provide the wrong information—it is just learning! What if it says something is in the image, but it isn’t? You may be communicating something you don’t want to say.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Because some assistive technology users listen to a “list of links” when reviewing a webpage, it is important to know that whatever the alt text is becomes the name of the link for that image (most images on Facebook also function as links). If your links all start with “Image may contain” (the beginning of the alt text added by Facebook) then in a list of links sorted alphabetically, there is no way to easily navigate this list. Want to understand more about link lists? Our February article “&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/blog/#/detail/appId/1/id/326600&quot; title=&quot;Descriptive Hyperlinks for All&quot;&gt;Descriptive Hyperlinks for All&lt;/a&gt;” may help.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What Can I Do?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is really easy to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/help/214124458607871&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;add/edit alt text&quot;&gt;add/edit alt text&lt;/a&gt; for your images, and Facebook has a handy article on how to do this. Go back and review the alt text for images you have already posted and check what is there. Get in the habit of adding alt text yourself each time you post a photo. At this time, the desktop interface works best, so when posting from a mobile device you may need to go in at a later date to update.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/alt-text-photo-003_tcm38-340585.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;alt-text-photo-003&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/alt-text-photo-002_tcm38-340583.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;alt-text-photo-002&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some accessibility best practices are to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Always check the alt text for images being posted to be sure they say what you want it to, and that they haven&apos;t identified anyone you do not have permission to identify.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Delete the text “Image may contain.” This helps assure viewers the alt text has been edited and is likely accurate.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use unique descriptors. Avoid starting every alt text with statements such as “Picture of…” Remember that the beginning of the alt text also is the beginning of the link name if someone is listening to a list of links. Imagine all the links from a page in a list, with sorting options (order they appear, alphabetical). While most people will not navigate Facebook this way, it’s just something to consider.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Finally, the alt text is only heard by individuals using screen readers but they may not be the only people that would benefit from a description of the image. When entering text to accompany the image, describe the image as part of the post (“Commissioner Clyborne chats about data security with...”)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When posting multiple images, it gets a little trickier. After posting, select a single image. Facebook will invite you to “add a description.” This description will help viewers identify who or what is in the picture as well the activity. Then right-select the image to add the alt text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to all the State of Minnesota accessibility coordinators who participated in the discussion, notably Chad Miller of Minnesota Council on Disability, and David Miller, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Department of Corrections. Interested in keeping up with the latest in social media accessibility? Sign up for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_273&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Office of Accessibility updates&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility updates on Social Media, eLearning and Multimedia Accessibility&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>340576</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:32Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On Wednesday, May 16, MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne spoke at Metropolitan State University’s ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of their new MN Cyber Range, a simulation and training platform for instructing and certifying cybersecurity experts.</Description><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>training</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Creating Cybersecurity Training Opportunities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking to the audience at the cyber range ribbon cutting ceremony. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-cyber-range-001_tcm38-340475.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking to the audience at the cyber range ribbon cutting ceremony. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mn-cyber-range-001_tcm38-340476.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-05 -  Cybersecurity Training Opportunities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-340473&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-05-22T13:41:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>On Wednesday, May 16, MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne spoke at Metropolitan State University’s ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of their new MN Cyber Range, a simulation and training platform for instructing and certifying cybersecurity experts.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Commissioner Clyborne congratulates Metropolitan State University on opening the MN Cyber Range</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of MNIT’s top priorities is working with partners to secure the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Wednesday, May 16, MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne spoke at Metropolitan State University’s ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of their new MN Cyber Range.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Simply put, we’re here tonight because cybersecurity needs to remain a top priority for Minnesota. Minnesota needs opportunities for advanced training for cybersecurity staff to promote upskilling to meet emerging threats in an ever-changing landscape.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Commissioner Clyborne&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MN Cyber Range is a simulation and training platform for instructing and certifying cybersecurity experts. It’s designed to deliver realistic training scenarios to help trainees prepare for challenges that they could face during a cyber-attack, using up-to-date tools in a controlled, safe environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“While the current actions being taken by the state of Minnesota are important, especially in the realm of cyber security and workforce development, we need creative solutions such as the cyber range.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;Commissioner Clyborne&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After a welcome from Metropolitan State University President Ginny Arthur, the ribbon cutting program continued with remarks from government leaders, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota state representative Tony Albright, and Major General John Jensen. Afterwards, attendees got to see a short demo of a Cyber Range simulation in action.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer, Aaron Call, sits on the Minnesota Cyber Advisory Board, which provides guidance for MN Cyber Range activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cyber-range-clyborne-call-001_tcm38-340466.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cyber-range-clyborne-call-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cyber-range-clyborne-speaking-001_tcm38-340467.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cyber-range-clyborne-speaking-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cyber-range-group-001_tcm38-340469.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cyber-range-group-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cyber-range-simulation-001_tcm38-340470.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cyber-range-simulation-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cyber-range-table-001_tcm38-340471.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cyber-range-table-001&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>340473</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The goal of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is to increase the number of people that understand accessibility and why it matters.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>gaad</Subject><Subject>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Global Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a computer mouse covered by a circle with a line through it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/No-Mouse-Challenge--thumbnail_tcm38-232066.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-05 - Global Accessibility Awareness Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-327943&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-05-17T21:47:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>The goal of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is to increase the number of people that understand accessibility and why it matters.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Mark Your Calendars for May 17th!  </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May 17th, 2018 is a great day for celebrating achievements, educating people, and having conversations about what needs to happen next in the world of digital accessibility. Why? It is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The Office of Accessibility will be sponsoring and coordinating events for state employees, but this day is not just for state employees. It is for anyone who writes emails, creates documents, codes webpages, purchases software, posts on Facebook…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The world increasingly depends on technology to communicate and do business. We can all participate, including individuals with disabilities, when digital technology is accessible. The goal of GAAD is to increase the number of people that understand the basics of accessibility and why it matters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How can I get involved?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Easy!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do something small: can you add an &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/blog/welcome-global-accessibility-awareness-day-trivia#.WnSJ6vmnEb8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;accessibility trivia question&quot;&gt;accessibility trivia question&lt;/a&gt; to a meeting agenda?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Follow along on social media: #GAAD is the search term used on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MNIT_Services&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota IT Services Twitter account&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services Twitter account&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MNITServices/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota IT Services Facebook page&quot;&gt;Facebook page&lt;/a&gt; will feature accessibility tips, resources and more.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Share with friends: our &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;accessibility quick cards&lt;/a&gt; are accessible PDFs that can be emailed or printed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Attend an event: the Global Accessibility Awareness Day site has an &lt;a href=&quot;http://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/events.php&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Global Accessibility Awareness Day Event Page&quot;&gt;event page&lt;/a&gt; which lists many events, including some in Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Host your own event: a table with information, a presentation or a training.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Are you a state employee? If so, check your agency&apos;s intranet page for more information, and reach out to your accessibility coordinator if you would like to help.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We will be on the lookout for #GAAD #Minnesota shares on social media. Spread the word!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>327943</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Find out about recent updates to Section 508 and from the WCAG to make information technology and web content more accessible.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Standard Updated</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Section 508</Subject><Subject>WCAG</Subject><Subject>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Standard Updated</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cellphone and electronic tablet laying on top of a laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/electronic-devices-001_tcm38-336348.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cellphone and electronic tablet laying on top of a laptop.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/electronic-devices-001_tcm38-336351.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-04 - Accessibility Standard Updated</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-336319&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-19T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Find out about recent updates to Section 508 and from the WCAG to make information technology and web content more accessible.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Section 508 Refresh and the WCAG</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Section 508 Refresh&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On January 18, 2017, the United States Access Board published an updated &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Section 508 rule&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt; rule. In the making for nearly a decade, the rule updated the federal procurement requirements designed to ensure that all information and communications technology (ICT) is accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A year later, on January 18, 2018, that rule became enforceable. Federal agencies who failed to appropriately apply it in their purchasing decisions could be held liable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt; was designed to automatically update whenever Section 508 refreshed. A work group took a close look at the refresh and recommended formally updating the standard with some specific references to Section 508. For example, Section 508 itemized what types of documents constituted “official business” and were therefore covered under the rule. The work group felt the list was more confusing than helpful. The updated state standard omits that itemization and simply references official business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information on the standard and how to apply it to your work, review the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-guidelines-2018_tcm38-336072.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Guidelines 2018&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-guidelines-2018&quot;&gt;accompanying guidelines&lt;/a&gt; (PDF). The guidelines, unlike the standard, will update regularly with feedback from agencies and employees. To review the latest version, look for it on the same web page as the standard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What about WCAG?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The state accessibility standard comprises two sources, Section 508 and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), 2.0&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), 2.0&lt;/a&gt;. Section 508 has refreshed, so what about WCAG? The Word Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has submitted a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;candidate recommendation for version 2.1&quot;&gt;“candidate recommendation” for version 2.1&lt;/a&gt;. Public comments closed March 30. Committee members hope to release it as an approved version later this summer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A key challenge to creating an update is that some of the success criteria are aspirational – criteria they think technology should follow but for which there are currently no known implementations. In order to make these criteria qualify for the guidelines, the writers had to prove that such criteria were feasible and possible with current tools and resources (such as current browsers).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Before Minnesota formally enforces 2.1, the Office of Accessibility will work with its agency partners to develop guidelines and recommendations on how to best support the new criteria.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Future of WCAG&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The W3C is not stopping there. There’s a new version of WCAG, code-named “Silver.” But instead of creating an updated group of success criteria to add to the existing set, Silver is an attempt to reimagine accessibility guidelines from the ground up. The current guidelines were written with a focus on accessing information through a browser. Today, many people access information on the internet without a browser – such as through mobile apps or computer programs. So the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/task-forces/silver/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Silver Task Force&quot;&gt;Silver Task Force&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/community/silver/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;W3C Silver Community Group&quot;&gt;W3C Silver Community Group&lt;/a&gt; are developing the framework for a successor to the WCAG.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The W3C welcomes anyone who wants to be involved. If you’re interested, check out the above links and join the community group!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>336319</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Whether you are an accessibility coordinator, a content creator, a quality assurance professional, webmaster, or a user of the document or website, the art of sending quality feedback packaged within a thoughtfully crafted communication is a skill we can all improve. Find tips on providing accessibility feedback here.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Feedback</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>communication</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Feedback</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two talk bubbles.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/feedback-002_tcm38-336347.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Two talk bubbles.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/feedback-002_tcm38-336352.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-04 - Accessibility Feedback</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-336318&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-19T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Whether you are an accessibility coordinator, a content creator, a quality assurance professional, webmaster, or a user of the document or website, the art of sending quality feedback packaged within a thoughtfully crafted communication is a skill we can all improve. Find tips on providing accessibility feedback here.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What Makes Accessibility Feedback More Effective?</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Have you heard the phrase “feedback is a gift?” While this can be true, how it is communicated can make the difference between it feeling like a slap in the face, a “gotcha!” or encouragement. Whether you are an accessibility coordinator, a content creator, a quality assurance professional, webmaster, or a user of the document or website, the art of sending quality feedback packaged within a thoughtfully crafted communication is a skill we can all improve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The main content of accessibility feedback typically includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Defining the issue: where was it found (software, webpage, document) and the challenge or barrier (e.g., “missing” content, improperly structured headings, poor color contrast, navigation difficulties).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some type of further information: information about the State Accessibility Standard, resources to learn how to fix the issue, or even testing results if that is how the issue was determined.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Words We Choose Have Impact&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While providing feedback on an accessibility issue is the reason for the communication, it is often not the most important part. Many times the communications go to people who may be less familiar with accessibility standards and techniques for addressing the issues. In addition, the recipients may have a fear about what the communications mean and what happens next.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tamara Sawyer, Accessibility Coordinator for Minnesota Management and Budget says “I start out with positive feedback. It sets a good tone and lets them know I saw/recognized the effort they put into it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We find offering our help usually wins people over and they are grateful for the assistance. It’s the carrot not the stick” says Lolly Lijewski, Communications Specialist at Minnesota Department of Human Services. “We try to encourage our [team] members to coach, and not do the work for staff. We always leave them with tip cards and ideas about how to get training.” The importance of providing or offering coaching, advice, and resources was mentioned in some way by all of the accessibility coordinators we reached out to when writing this article.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But, sometimes the person that wants to provide feedback doesn’t have the knowledge or experience to also provide coaching-type information. When possible, some accessibility coordinators will address this situation by reaching out to subject matter experts and connecting them to the person that needs the training or more resources. Especially for highly specialized situations, organizing a meeting with experts to determine a potential solution can help everyone on the team. Anne Sittner Anderson, communications coordinator for the Commission of Deaf, Deaf Blind &amp;amp; Hard of Hearing Minnesotans, experienced this in a particular situation. In response, she assembled a small group of advisors “and added a new process to my video production based on their feedback.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The tone and the information shared works best when it is supportive, provides at least some type of further information, and lets the person know where they can go should they need further assistance with the issue.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Feedback You Receive From Others and Need to Forward&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your job involves being the go-between, someone to whom accessibility issues are reported but then turns around and provides the feedback to someone else, there is some information that you can gather as a first step. Bridget Anderson, Supervisor of the Communications Division at the Minnesota Department of Revenue, reaches out “to the customer or employee directly to better understand their issue or needs.” That way, “when we reach out to our employees who created the original content, we [can] explain the issue and offer advice on how to correct the issue.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the issue has been raised by a customer/citizen, Lijewski says “we offer our services as a way to resolve the issue, and we act as the communicator with the citizen until the issue is resolved if possible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lijewski also fields accessibility challenges brought forward by employees regarding internally used software or documents. “Usually one of us (Accessibility Standards and Design Team, or ASDT) talks with the person who has the issue. Who the ASDT member is depends on their skills and expertise. We triage issues based on who the best person is to handle the issue. For example, if it’s PDFs it’s one person, if it’s a screen reader issue, it’s me. Then we work with the person until it’s resolved if possible.” Sawyer will sometimes try to replicate the issue. If the person reporting the issue uses a screen reader, for example, she may open the document or webpage and use the screen reader to listen for the issue. She then calls “the person who sent in the complaint” and discusses the issue “to make sure I fully understood…and didn’t miss anything else” before forwarding the information to the group that created the content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even though David Miller, Lead Quality Analyst for Minnesota IT Services Partnering with the Department of Corrections, typically receives issues identified by quality analysts and reports them to developers and/or business analysts, he still emphasizes the need to “explain in plain language what the issue is and why it is an issue” because “most people are still new to the concept of accessibility.” When possible, he will “include screenshots and/or code snippets that illustrate the issue.” After doing some research, he may also include “an example of what the HTML might look like when fixed” as well as links to web articles on how others have resolved similar issues. Communicating about accessibility issues ultimately develop relationships. While providing factual information about the issue to the content or application creator, we should also have a goal of opening or maintaining a dialogue with that individual. When providing the description of the issue, consider how the message will be received, even if it is someone you know well. Most individuals are doing their best and want to do the right thing. Using the strategies of positive feedback and offering help (through resources, future interactions, or doing research) can go a long way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Bonus strategy from Rick Newquist, business analyst supervisor with Minnesota IT Services partnering with Minnesota Department of Human Services and MNsure: communicate when you find something good! He says that “us software people mostly hear about bugs, the need for enhancements, mistakes, etc.” You can also contact people to say “fantastic job” when you find they have done a great job making something accessible, or have improved the accessibility of a software, website or document.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>336318</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On April 18, 2018, MNIT hosted a Cybersecurity Breakfast that included a panel discussion on cybersecurity for state government leaders and policymakers. </Description><Audience/><Title>Cybersecurity Leadership Breakfast</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>cyber security</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity Leadership Breakfast</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Aaron Call, MNIT&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast as the attendees look on.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-breakfast-002_tcm38-336241.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Aaron Call, MNIT&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast as the attendees look on.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cyber-breakfast-002_tcm38-336243.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-04 - Cybersecurity Leadership Breakfast</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-333899&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-18T18:56:06Z</Date><ShortDescription>On April 18, 2018, MNIT hosted a Cybersecurity Breakfast that included a panel discussion on cybersecurity for state government leaders and policymakers. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Leaders and Policymakers met to discuss cybersecurity in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On April 18, 2018, MNIT hosted a Cybersecurity Breakfast. The breakfast included a panel discussion on cybersecurity for state government leaders and policymakers. This event provided an opportunity to learn about and discuss the current cybersecurity threat landscape. The Cybersecurity Breakfast addressed the unique way that cybersecurity issues impact state government and Minnesota’s private-sector tech industries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Panelists&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Steve Simon&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Secretary of State
&lt;br /&gt;
State of Minnesota&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Margaret Anderson Kelliher&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
President and CEO
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota High Tech Association&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Patrick Joyce&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Vice President of Global Information Technology and CISO
&lt;br /&gt;
Medtronic&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Johanna Clyborne&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioner
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota IT Services&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Photos from the Event&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-001-img_6949_tcm38-336107.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 001&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-001-img_6949&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Signage for the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-002-img_6950_tcm38-336108.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 002&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-002-img_6950&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne waiting to be interviewed as a TV crew sets up equipment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-003-img_6963_tcm38-336109.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 003&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-003-img_6963&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne answering questions during a TV interview prior to the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-004-img_6994_tcm38-336110.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 004&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-004-img_6994&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-005-img_6996_tcm38-336111.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 005&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-005-img_6996&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aaron Call, MNIT&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-006-img_7040_tcm38-336112.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 006&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-006-img_7040&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Steve Simon, The State of Minnesota&apos;s Secretary of State, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-007-img_7042_tcm38-336113.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 007&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-007-img_7042&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Steve Simon, The State of Minnesota&apos;s Secretary of State, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-008-img_7053_tcm38-336114.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 008&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-008-img_7053&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Margaret Anderson Kelliher, President and CEO of the Minnesota High Tech Association, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-009-img_7069_tcm38-336115.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 009&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-009-img_7069&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patrick Joyce, Vice President of Global Information Technology and CISO for Medtronic, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-010-img_7071_tcm38-336116.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 010&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-010-img_7071&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patrick Joyce, Vice President of Global Information Technology and CISO for Medtronic, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-011-img_7076_tcm38-336117.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 011&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-011-img_7076&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aaron Call, MNIT&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-012-img_7083_tcm38-336118.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 012&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-012-img_7083&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Steve Simon, The State of Minnesota&apos;s Secretary of State, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-013-img_7101_tcm38-336119.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 013&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-013-img_7101&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking to the panelists at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-014-img_7107_tcm38-336120.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 014&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-014-img_7107&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aaron Call, MNIT&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast as the attendees look on.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-015-img_7110_tcm38-336121.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 015&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-015-img_7110&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patrick Joyce, Vice President of Global Information Technology and CISO for Medtronic, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-016-img_7124_tcm38-336122.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 016&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-016-img_7124&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-017-img_7141_tcm38-336123.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 017&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-017-img_7141&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;An attendee asking the panelists a question during the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-018-img_7154_tcm38-336124.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 018&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-018-img_7154&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Aaron Call, MNIT&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-019-img_7157_tcm38-336125.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 019&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-019-img_7157&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT Commissioner Johanna Clyborne speaking to the panelists at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-020-img_7161_tcm38-336126.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 020&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-020-img_7161&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Patrick Joyce, Vice President of Global Information Technology and CISO for Medtronic, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-021-img_7164_tcm38-336127.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 021&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-021-img_7164&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Margaret Anderson Kelliher, President and CEO of the Minnesota High Tech Association, speaking at the Cybersecurity Breakfast.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/photo-022-img_7174_tcm38-336129.JPG&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Breakfast 022&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;photo-022-img_7174&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Panelists and moderators from left to right: Patrick Joyce, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Johanna Clyborne, Steve Simon, Aaron Call.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>333899</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) today unveiled a comprehensive plan to defend the state of Minnesota from attacks against its IT infrastructure. The five-year strategic plan prioritizes initiatives for the management, control, and protection of the state’s information assets. It also highlights specific milestones for the following year – things that MNIT expects to accomplish with existing resources.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Unveils 5-Year Cybersecurity Strategic Plan For The State of Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Strategic Plan</Subject><Subject>IT</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>cyber</Subject><Subject>cyber security</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Unveils 5-Year Cybersecurity Strategic Plan For The State of Minnesota</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cover of the 2018 Information Security Strategic Plan.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/security-strategic-plan-2018_tcm38-335684.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-04 - MNIT unveils 5 year Cybersecurity Strategic Plan</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-335686&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-12T19:33:18Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) today unveiled a comprehensive plan to defend the state of Minnesota from attacks against its IT infrastructure. The five-year strategic plan prioritizes initiatives for the management, control, and protection of the state’s information assets. It also highlights specific milestones for the following year – things that MNIT expects to accomplish with existing resources.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;April 12, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To keep citizens safe and Minnesota’s IT systems running despite a barrage of sophisticated cyber-attacks each day, Minnesota IT Services developed a plan to help level the playing field for state government.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) today unveiled a comprehensive plan to defend the state of Minnesota from attacks against its IT infrastructure. The five-year strategic plan prioritizes initiatives for the management, control, and protection of the state’s information assets. It also highlights specific milestones for the following year – things that MNIT expects to accomplish with existing resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services secures and manages systems at over 1,300 locations across Minnesota, and every day, it faces threats originating from over 150 countries. Some of these threats include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.twincities.com/2017/06/20/minnesota-state-database-hacked-in-apparent-protest-of-yanez-verdict-philando-castile/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Denial of Service Attacks&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Denial of Service Attacks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. Hackers bombard websites with so much traffic that the site cannot be accessed by legitimate customers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kare11.com/article/news/one-company-two-cities-hit-by-ransomware-in-one-week/89-533660921&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Ransomware Attacks&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ransomware Attacks&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. Hackers encrypt data and then extort money from their victims, who must pay to get the security codes to recover their data. In most cases, hackers destroy the data after a short period of time if the victim fails to pay up.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Internet Attacks Against State Agencies. Hackers routinely attack computer systems that are connected to the Internet. On average, state systems that are accessible from the Internet are probed over 3 million times daily.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2017/06/amid-global-threats-and-infighting-capitol-minnesotas-cybersecurity-operatio&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Internet Attacks against State Vendors&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Internet Attacks Against State Vendors&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. Hackers target private-sector companies who provide services to help state agencies operate many critical systems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Every day we see both in the news and across Minnesota’s digital networks that the cyber threat is growing more sophisticated, more skilled, more organized, and more professional,” said Commissioner Johanna Clyborne. “On behalf of the people of our state, we need to shore up our cybersecurity defenses against those intent on stealing our personal information or disrupting the services on which so many Minnesotans rely. We know this fight requires strict attention and diligence as the battlefield evolves rapidly. By investing in this plan, we will be better equipped to prevent disruptive attacks and protect the people of Minnesota.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Information Security Strategic Plan organizes Minnesota’s cyber-strategic approach into four different categories: Proactive Risk Management, Improved Situational Awareness, Robust Crisis and Incident Response, and Partner for Success. These four categories encompass every angle of strategy from developing secure applications, conducting continuous risk assessments, detecting and responding to security incidents more quickly, to educating employees and government leaders about risk management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Government systems are a target,” said Aaron Call, Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer. “In 2017, our nation saw high profile data breaches in various industries and services that directly impacted citizens’ personal and financial security. It’s no secret that malicious cyber-attackers probe state systems over 3 million times each day looking for vulnerabilities. We have a lot of work to do, but I’m confident that executing on our strategic plan will help us to proactively mitigate risks and protect Minnesotans.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In total, Minnesota IT Services’ plan identifies 18 major strategies that MNIT hopes to achieve over the next five years, resources permitting. Addressing these strategies will require assistance from policymakers and business leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Dayton&apos;s 2018 Budget for a Better Minnesota would invest $19.7 million to minimize the state’s risk exposure by migrating business systems to upgraded, modern, secure data centers. It would replace and upgrade unsecure networking equipment, servers, and workstations. It would also fund the deployment of sophisticated software to combat increasingly complex hacker attacks, and procure services for continuous security monitoring, penetration tests, and independent security audits. In addition, the proposed investment would reinforce the State’s cybersecurity team by adding well trained staff, and expanding monitoring and other core security services. &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/gov-stat/pdf/2018_03_16_FINAL_Better_Technology_Fact_Sheet.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Read more about the Governor’s proposal&quot;&gt;Read more about the Governor’s proposal&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services continues the fight to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesotans are encouraged to gather information about state efforts, share resources, and &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/security/&quot; title=&quot;learn more at MNIT’s website&quot;&gt;learn more at MNIT’s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. We work to set IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Information and Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/data-breach-cost-infographic_tcm38-335672.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Cost of a Data Breach Infographic&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;data-breach-cost-infographic&quot;&gt;Cost of a Data Breach Infographic&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/data-breach-cost-infographic-text-version_tcm38-335671.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Cost of a Data Breach Infographic (text version)&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;data-breach-cost-infographic-text-version&quot;&gt;Cost of a Data Breach Infographic (text version)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/securing-the-state_tcm38-335673.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Securing the State&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;securing-the-state&quot;&gt;Securing the State&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/security-tip-mail_tcm38-335663.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Security Tip: Email Attacks&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;security-tip-mail&quot;&gt;Security Tip: Email Attacks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/security-tip-shopping_tcm38-335665.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Security Tip: Safe Online Shopping&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;security-tip-shopping&quot;&gt;Security Tip: Safe Online Shopping&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/security-tip-passwords_tcm38-335664.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Security Tip: Safe Passwords&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;security-tip-passwords&quot;&gt;Security Tip: Safe Passwords&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>335686</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T20:59:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On Saturday, March 24, MNIT had the opportunity to engage with a newer, younger audience in cybersecurity at the Works Museum.</Description><Audience/><Title>Teaching Kids Cybersecurity</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>teaching</Subject><Subject>kids</Subject><Subject>children</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Teaching Kids Cybersecurity</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s Nancy Skuta demonstrating cybersecurity game activities at the Works Museum.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/works-museum_tcm38-334161.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s Nancy Skuta demonstrating cybersecurity game activities at the Works Museum.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/works-museum_tcm38-334162.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-04 - Teaching Kids Cybersecurity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-334147&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-04-03T17:48:32Z</Date><ShortDescription>On Saturday, March 24, MNIT had the opportunity to engage with a newer, younger audience in cybersecurity at the Works Museum.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Led Cybersecurity Activities for Kids at the Works Museum </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Saturday, March 24, MNIT had the opportunity to engage with a newer, younger audience at the Works Museum in Bloomington. The Works is a kids-focused engineering, technology, and design museum that aims to give kids hands-on experience solving problems and exploring new concepts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT Cybersecurity Team led activities for elementary and middle school-aged students as part of the museum’s Explore IT! Series on Saturday afternoons. Our creative team introduced students to cybersecurity vocabulary and asked them to think about using hard-to-guess passwords that can help to keep everyone safe. Families posed by our &quot;selfie wall,&quot; created &quot;codes&quot; with a cipher, played security-themed Jenga, and burned off some extra energy by running around to act out a computer mainframe under attack!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We had a fabulous time sharing our expertise at the museum, and we look forward to many more opportunities to educate about cybersecurity in the future. Check out our photos from the event below!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-001_tcm38-334124.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-001&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Incognito glasses at the Works Museum.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-002_tcm38-334125.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-002&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Scrabble pieces used to teach kids the importance of strong passwords.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-003_tcm38-334126.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-003&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids getting their photo taken in front of MNIT&apos;s cyber selfie wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-004_tcm38-334127.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-004&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids acting out a computer attack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-005_tcm38-334128.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-005&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Family looking at a placard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-006_tcm38-334129.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-006&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids getting their photo taken in front of MNIT&apos;s cyber selfie wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-007_tcm38-334130.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-007&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The game Jenga was used to show layers of defense versus the risks of cyber-attacks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-008_tcm38-334131.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-008&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT&apos;s Nancy Skuta demonstrating some of the activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-009_tcm38-334132.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-009&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A family getting their photo taken in front of MNIT&apos;s cyber selfie wall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-010_tcm38-334133.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-010&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids acting out a computer attack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-011_tcm38-334134.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-011&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kids acting out a computer attack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-012_tcm38-334135.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-012&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT&apos;s Nancy Skuta demonstrating some of the activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/works-013_tcm38-334136.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;works-013&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
MNIT&apos;s Nancy Skuta demonstrating some of the activities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>334147</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT was proud to stand with one of our partners, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), as they opened a brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis. MNIT staff worked with teams from  MDVA, the Minnesota Department of Administration, and construction crews from the private sector to outfit this new facility with sound technological infrastructure.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Brings Tech to Veterans</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Veterans</Subject><Subject>tech</Subject><Subject>mdva</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Brings Tech to Veterans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Partners cutting the ribbon at the opening of the brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mdva-ribbon-cutting_tcm38-333713.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Partners cutting the ribbon at the opening of the brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/mdva-ribbon-cutting_tcm38-333714.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-03 - MNIT Brings Tech to Veterans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-333705&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-28T17:34:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT was proud to stand with one of our partners, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), as they opened a brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis. MNIT staff worked with teams from  MDVA, the Minnesota Department of Administration, and construction crews from the private sector to outfit this new facility with sound technological infrastructure.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The Technology behind the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs newest residential building.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services is a state agency that operates in partnership with others. Oftentimes, our work developing, configuring, and implementing IT goes towards a larger goal of helping another state agency provide a specific service in a more efficient, streamlined manner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On March 22nd, MNIT was proud to stand with one of our partners, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), as they opened a brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis. MNIT staff worked with teams from MDVA, the Minnesota Department of Administration, and construction crews from the private sector to outfit this new facility with sound technological infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The construction design and plan for Building 22 began in 2011, and it included the removal of an existing Veteran residential building and re-architecting the network fiber for the entire Minneapolis Veterans Home campus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team from MNIT worked on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Planning and designing the fiber network to support the addition of Building 22 to the Minneapolis campus&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Procuring and implementing wireless and wired network capabilities&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Setting up Cisco desktop and conference room phones and fax machines for administrative purposes&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Coordinating the move of existing tech hardware (computers, phones, printing devices) from other buildings into Building 22&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acquiring, configuring, and setting up point of care touchscreens and medical carts to enhance residential healthcare&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aaron Call, MNIT&apos;s Chief Information Security Officer and Interim Chief Operations Officer, offered a few words for MDVA&apos;s Veteran Residents at the Grand Opening of Building 22. He thanked, first and foremost, the Veterans and service members for their service, he thanked MDVA and the Department of Administration for inviting us to join the event, and he thanked the MNIT staff who delivered top service to our business partners on this successful project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Grand Opening included, among other things, remarks from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Commissioner Larry Shellito from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, Commissioner Matt Massman from the Minnesota Department of Administration, and a Keynote Address from Kay Bauer, a Vietnam Veteran nurse. Ms. Bauer shared stories from her &quot;memory bank&quot; of near misses with explosions, treating soldiers overseas, and working with her &quot;sisters&quot; in nursing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After a ribbon cutting ceremony, Deputy Commissioner Douglas Hughes and others led tours of the first floor of Building 22. When asked about MNIT&apos;s collaboration on the project, Deputy Commissioner Doug Hughes remarked, &quot;The MNIT staff assigned to work specifically with MDVA are great, and we love working with them.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The successful completion of this big project is a great example of what Minnesota&apos;s state agencies can do for its citizens when they work in true partnership with one another. Minnesota IT Services is honored to have played a part in serving Minnesota&apos;s Veterans and their families with the MDVA and Minnesota Department of Administration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdva-aaron-call-speaking_tcm38-333676.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Aaron Call speaking at the opening of a brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdva-aaron-call-speaking&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdva-audience_tcm38-333677.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Audience at the opening of a brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdva-audience&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdva-guard_tcm38-333678.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Color Guard at the opening of a brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdva-color-guard&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdva-ribbon-cutting-1_tcm38-333679.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Partners cutting the ribbon at the opening of the brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdva-ribbon-cutting-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdva-ribbon-cutting-2_tcm38-333680.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Partners cutting the ribbon at the opening of the brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdva-ribbon-cutting-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdva-ribbon-cutting-3_tcm38-333681.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Partners cutting the ribbon at the opening of the brand new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdva-ribbon-cutting-3&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/mdva-tour_tcm38-333682.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;MDVA Deputy Commissioner Doug Hughes leading a tour of the new Veterans Home in Minneapolis.&quot; style=&quot;width: 90%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;mdva-tour&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>333705</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:13Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Alternative text (alt text) is a valuable tool that ensures non-visual readers and other users of assistive technology (AT) get information from pictures, graphics, and other images. Learn how to incorporate alt text in your content.</Description><Audience/><Title>Best Practices for Alternative Text</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Alternative Text</Subject><Subject>alt text</Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Best Practices for Alternative Text</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of alt text in html</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alt-text-001_tcm38-330875.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Screenshot of alt text in html</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/alt-text-001_tcm38-330877.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-03 - Best Practices for Alternative Text</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-330880&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-21T21:28:52Z</Date><ShortDescription>Alternative text (alt text) is a valuable tool that ensures non-visual readers and other users of assistive technology (AT) get information from pictures, graphics, and other images. Learn how to incorporate alt text in your content.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>How to add Alt Text to Your Content</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Becky Bernauer, Web and Accessibility Coordinator, Minnesota IT Services Partnering with Minnesota Department of Health&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Alternative text (alt text) is a valuable tool that ensures non-visual readers and other users of assistive technology (AT) get information from pictures, graphics, and other images. Good alt text also provides other benefits depending on the document type.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Instructions for Adding Alt Text in Microsoft Office&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This process works for all Microsoft content creation programs, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Right-click (Shift + F10) the image and choose Format Picture.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the Format Picture pane, select the Layout &amp;amp; Properties icon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Alt Text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the Description field enter a description of the image.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Leave the Title field blank. Best practice: Limit alt text to 150 characters or less.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Must Do&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keep it short and meaningful.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Example: &quot;Hmong children fishing&quot;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This example lets the reader know specific, such as that the children are Hmong and they are fishing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the image has text on it, include the text in the alt text description.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Things to Think About&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid using symbols as part of your alt text. Some symbols will not be read.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Do not provide a URL as part of the alt text. Assistive technology user cannot follow a link that is in the alt text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Stay away from images of text. Text cannot be easily copied and used by the audience.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Decorative Images&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you have an image that does not provide information and is purely decorative in nature, the alt text for the image in Word, PowerPoint and emails should be the word &quot;decorative.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For PDFs, remove the alt text for decorative images, then mark as background (an artifact) in the PDF.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Use Alt Text When a Short Summary is Not Possible&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If a chart or graph cannot be easily summarized, you should:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;provide an explanation of the graphic in the surrounding text, and/or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;provide a table of the data that created the chart or graph directly below the graphic when possible, and/or&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;provide a link to a long description directly below the image.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A long description is a link to detailed information, such as a webpage that contains a table of the data that created a chart or graph that was too big to include in the document.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A chart with many data points might have a data table that can be provided in one of these ways:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;below the graphic&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;in the appendices of the document&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;via a link to a web page containing the data table.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The alt text should provide the location of the data/long description. Examples of alt text (for the chart) when providing a data table:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chart X, the data for this chart can be found in Table X below.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chart X, the data table for this chart can be found in Appendix X of this document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Chart X, the data for this chart can be found by following the link provided below this chart.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In some cases, such as an organizational chart that was created in Visio with objects that cannot be properly tagged or organized, you may need to provide the same information with text in a Word document or Web page. This allows the person using assistive technology to get the information in a manner that is understandable, similar to giving an explanation over the telephone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Other Resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the links below for more information:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WebAIM article on alternative text (https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility Website (https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>330880</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Jennie Delisi, Kim Wee, and Jay Wyant represent the state of Minnesota at the 33rd CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. Industry leaders attend as presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees at what has been recognized as the largest conference on digital accessibility and assistive technology (AT) held in the world.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility Presents at the Assistive Technology Conference</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>assistive technology</Subject><Subject>CSUN</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota at CSUN</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A panel of presenters speaking to a large group</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/presentation-001_tcm38-330876.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A panel of presenters speaking to a large group</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/presentation-001_tcm38-330878.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-03 - Minnesota Presents at CSUN</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-330597&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-21T18:16:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Jennie Delisi, Kim Wee, and Jay Wyant represent the state of Minnesota at the 33rd CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. Industry leaders attend as presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees at what has been recognized as the largest conference on digital accessibility and assistive technology (AT) held in the world.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility Presents at the Assistive Technology Conference</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The 33rd &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2018/sessions/index.php/public/conf_sessions/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CSUN Assistive Technology Conference&lt;/a&gt; will take place March 21-23. It has long been recognized as the largest conference on digital accessibility and assistive technology (AT) held in the world. Industry leaders in accessibility and AT attend as presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees. Top technology providers, from Microsoft and Google to Adobe and Facebook, will present on their latest developments in accessible technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State of Minnesota staff are also participating in two presentations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2018/sessions/index.php/public/presentations/view/140&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Develop, Test, Deploy: Accessible Templates for an Entire State&lt;/a&gt;. Jennie Delisi, Kim Wee, and Jay Wyant tell the story of how state agencies collaborated to create accessible email and Word templates, then made them readily available to all state employees. We have posted the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/csun-presentation-develop-test-deploy-2018_tcm38-330871.pdf&quot; title=&quot;csun-presentation-develop-test-deploy-2018&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;csun-presentation-develop-test-deploy-2018&quot;&gt;presentation slides&lt;/a&gt; (PDF), the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/document-template-accessibility-testing-instructions_tcm38-330873.pdf&quot; title=&quot;document-template-accessibility-testing-instructions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;document-template-accessibility-testing-instructions&quot;&gt;document template accessibility testing instructions&lt;/a&gt; (PDF), a &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/document-accessibility-testing-report_tcm38-330872.docx&quot; title=&quot;document-accessibility-testing-report&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;document-accessibility-testing-report&quot;&gt;sample report you can use&lt;/a&gt; (Word), and the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/template-deployment-instructions_tcm38-330874.pdf&quot; title=&quot;template-deployment-instructions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;template-deployment-instructions&quot;&gt;IT template deployment instructions&lt;/a&gt; (PDF).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2018/sessions/index.php/public/presentations/view/265&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Strategic Approaches for Buying Accessible Technology&lt;/a&gt;. The US Department of Labor&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.peatworks.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Partnership on Employment &amp;amp; Accessible Technology&lt;/a&gt;, Texas, and Minnesota jointly present on a framework for buying accessible technology and services. This &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.peatworks.org/content/csun-assistive-technology-conference&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;presentation&lt;/a&gt; will be available here.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want to follow the conference? Check out the twitter hashtag &lt;strong&gt;#CSUNATC18&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A note about the name. CSUN is the conference host&apos;s acronym, California State University at Northridge. The conference was previously named the &quot;International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference,&quot; but everyone, including its organizers always referred to it as &quot;CSUN.&quot; The new name reflects that reality and puts a lens on the conference&apos;s focus on removing &quot;the barriers that prevent the full participation of persons with disabilities in educational, workplace and social settings.&quot; In addition to over 100 sessions each day on accessibility, visitors to its exhibit hall have the rare opportunity to check out a wide range of assistive technology and other accessibility tools. And, this is the place you should hang out if you want to run into Stevie Wonder!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>330597</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:39Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Income tax filing season can bring some particular cybersecurity risks​. What should you watch for?</Description><Audience/><Title>It&apos;s Tax Season - Be Aware of Scams that Target W-2s  </Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>cyber security</Subject><Subject>taxes</Subject><Subject>scam</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>W-2 Scams</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person in front of a computer with an overlay of a W2 tax statement.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/taxes-002_tcm38-328344.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person in front of a computer with an overlay of a W2 tax statement.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/taxes-002_tcm38-328343.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-03 - W2 Scams</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-328340&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-03-05T21:10:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>Income tax filing season can bring some particular cybersecurity risks​. What should you watch for?</ShortDescription><Subtitle>It&apos;s Tax Season - Be Aware of Scams that Target W-2s  </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While cybersecurity should be a year-round concern for small business owners, income tax filing season can bring some particular risks, according to the IRS. The agency says it received an increase in reports of attempts to obtain employees&apos; W-2 forms in hopes of stealing people&apos;s personal information and identities. The scams often go after employees in companies&apos; human resources and payroll departments, but any staffer or manager could be a target. In the scam, a potential thief poses as a company executive, sending an email from an address that might look legitimate, and requests a list of employees and their W-2s.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Owners need to be sure that anyone with access to employee records, including W-2s, understands that they should not send the forms or staffer information to anyone without checking to be sure this is not an attempted scam. The IRS wants companies to report W-2 scam emails to the agency, and it also wants to know if anyone has become a victim. For more information, visit the IRS website, www.irs.gov, and search for &quot;Form W-2/SSN Data Theft: Information for Businesses and Payroll Service Providers.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The IRS also warns all taxpayers about emails that look like they are coming from the agency but that are phishing attempts aimed at getting harmful software into a PC or a server. The emails might say that the taxpayer has a refund waiting at the IRS, or that the agency needs more information from the taxpayer. There is likely to be a link or an attachment that the reader of the email is supposed to click on - and that is how thieves and hackers gain entry to a computer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Remember - the IRS only contacts taxpayers by US Mail!&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media; it sends letters by US mail. Company owners and their employees need to be on guard against all kinds of phishing scams, and no one should ever click on a link or attachment until they are completely sure the email is legitimate. And if an email says it&apos;s from the IRS, it is not.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accountants and other tax professionals are also targets of thieves looking to steal personal information and identities, the IRS says. It has a page on its website devoted to providing paid tax preparers with information so they can protect themselves and their clients. The address is www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/protect-your-clients-protect-yourself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are a few real world examples that occurred recently.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Successful Business E-mail Compromise Attack in Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An employee affiliated with a state agency reported falling for a social engineering attack in which they received an email from a Gmail account that used the display name of an executive in the organization and directed the recipient to transfer funds to an external account. The employee did so before realizing that these were not legitimate requests. This has been reported to the police and investigations are underway. This type of attack is commonly known as a &quot;Business Email Compromise&quot; attack and is used by attackers to trick employees into wiring funds or providing copies of sensitive data. During tax season, these requests often include directions to provide copies of employee W-2s to someone pretending to be an executive in the organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Pittsburg, KS Employee Tax Info Breach&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The City of Pittsburg, Kansas says it was subjected to a sophisticated phishing scheme targeting employee payroll data. Officials say sensitive information for current and former city employees who received a W-2 for 2017 was released. &quot;This was not a technical attack against our firewall or network filters, but instead it was a social attack aimed at our employees. While we believe we have significant safeguards in place to reduce the risk of these types of threats, we take full responsibility for this incident occurring and will do better in the future to protect all sensitive data.&quot; The city says it is taking precautionary measures to protect anyone affected by the release. They said that within 24 hours of the attack, local law enforcement, IRS, and FBI were all notified. City officials say the breach did not involve access to the city&apos;s technical network, adding that no evidence was found to suggest employee information had been misused.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Source: KOAM TV&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Confidential Information of Batavia, Illinois City Employees, Elected Officials Stolen in Phishing Scam&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The City of Batavia, Illinois announced Friday that personal and financial information of 268 people was compromised through a bogus email. The information stolen included names, social security numbers, addresses, and earnings for current and former employees as well as elected officials. The Batavia City Administrator said an employee responded to an email 31 January that appeared as though it came from his official e-mail account and requested W-2 tax form information. The employee started questioning the inquiry after replying with a copy of the W-2 records. The city administrator said it was not an internal hack of the city&apos;s computer system. It was a response to a request that led to the information being stolen, she said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/crime/ct-abn-batavia-phishing-st-0204-20180202-story.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Chicago Tribune&quot;&gt;Chicago Tribune&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Charlotte Housing Authority Hit with W-2 Tax Breach&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Charlotte, North Carolina Housing Authority was hit with one of the tax season&apos;s earlier W-2 breaches, which was identified ten days before the Federal Trade Commission&apos;s Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week kicked off. The housing authority said an email was sent to an employee purportedly from the CEO asking for all current and former W-2 records. The email was received and acted upon, but the fact that it was fraudulent was not discovered until 19 January. The information compromised includes employee names, addresses, social security numbers, and wage information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Source: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.scmagazine.com/charlotte-housing-authority-hit-with-w-2-tax-breach/article/740570/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;SC Magazine&quot;&gt;SC Magazine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional Resources and articles on Business E-mail Compromise (BEC) Scams:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FBI&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ic3.gov/media/2017/170504.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Business E-Mail Compromise&quot;&gt;Business E-Mail Compromise&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;IRS&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/protect-your-clients-protect-yourself&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself&quot;&gt;Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Security Ledger&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://securityledger.com/2017/05/fbi-business-email-compromise-is-a-5-billion-industry/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Business Email Compromise is a $5 Billion Industry&quot;&gt;Business Email Compromise is a $5 Billion Industry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Consumer Affairs&lt;/strong&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/w-2-phishing-scam-targets-consumers-tax-refunds-012318.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;W-2 phishing scam targets consumers&apos; tax refunds&quot;&gt;W-2 phishing scam targets consumers&apos; tax refunds&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Source: Multiple Open Sources and MN Fusion Center&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Minnesota IT Services&apos; Enterprise Security Office</Author><id>328340</id><pubdate>2020-02-10T15:12:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility is a resource for all state agencies, to help fulfill their obligations to make their communications and information technologies accessible to all.</Description><Audience/><Title>What is the Office of Accessibility, and what does &quot;accessibility&quot; mean?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Office of Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A diverse group of people.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-diverse-001-1200x400_tcm38-327953.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A diverse group of people.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/people-diverse-300x300_tcm38-327952.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-02 - Office of Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-327944&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-02-27T22:33:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility is a resource for all state agencies, to help fulfill their obligations to make their communications and information technologies accessible to all.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What is the Office of Accessibility, and what does &quot;accessibility&quot; mean?</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2009, the state legislature charged the State Chief Information Officer /CIO, also known as the Minnesota IT Services Commissioner to create state accessibility and usability standards (&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=16E.03&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;state accessibility and usability standards (16E.03, subd. 9)&quot;&gt;16E.03, subd. 9&lt;/a&gt;) for information technology, software, and hardware. The same statute charged the State CIO to &quot;require state agencies to adhere to the standards developed under this subdivision.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A related statute created the Technology Accessibility Advisory Committee (TAAC), with representatives from multiple state agencies. While the TAAC mandate ended in 2013, Minnesota IT Services incorporated the same committee within its permanent governance structure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Starting in 2011, the legislature appropriated funds for use by &quot;the chief information officer for the purpose of coordinating technology accessibility and usability.&quot; (Chapter 94 - S.F. 1456) Those funds set up the Office of Accessibility, headed by the Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What we do&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;state accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt; and the Office of Accessibility were intended by the legislature to be a resource for all state agencies, to help agencies fulfill their obligations to make their communications and information technologies accessible to all state citizens and employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since those beginnings, we&apos;ve:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Added an Accessibility Analyst, Jennie Delisi, to the staff&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Partnered with agencies to create a vibrant network of Accessibility Coordinators (45 at last count) interspersed throughout agencies&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developed a &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Section&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;website (mn.gov/mnit/accessibility)&lt;/a&gt; chock full of resources, best practices, and toolkits for state employees and the public&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developed training programs and presented brown bags throughout the state&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Implemented free statewide tools for testing and accessible PDF remediation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consulted on projects large, such as statewide systems, and small throughout the state&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And now, we&apos;re publishing a newsletter, designed to share our information and resources with you.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Whether you are a person that writes social media posts, codes in HTML5, or creates Microsoft Word documents, we will have information for you. And, when you subscribe to our newsletter, you will be able to indicate which topics are most of interest to you. Here&apos;s how to sign up:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;visit our &lt;a href=&quot;https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNIT/subscriber/new?topic_id=MNIT_270&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Accessibility Newsletter Subscription Page&quot;&gt;subscription page&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;enter your email address,&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;select submit.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is &quot;accessibility&quot;?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Access&quot; is defined in various dictionaries as both a noun and a verb-approaching or entering a place, or in computing terms, to obtain, examine, or retrieve data or a file. Given these terms, what would you say is the definition of &quot;accessibility?&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=16E.015&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;16E.015&quot;&gt;16E.015&lt;/a&gt;, the legislature declared that &quot;&apos;Accessibility&apos; and &apos;accessible&apos; are defined by the accessibility standards developed and required under section 16E.03.&quot; In other words, the legislature asked the State CIO to develop a statewide accessibility standard, and further declared that standard to be the resource for how to define what is accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So we look at accessibility, not so much as a definition, but as a means to the goal that any individual, including those with disabilities, is able to use all information technology such as websites and applications and obtain any needed information.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>327944</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:08Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesotans work hard and pay their taxes. In return, they expect and deserve high-quality, efficient services from their state government. That is why Minnesota IT Services, under new leadership, is strongly committed to fixing the problems with our state&apos;s Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS).</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota releases project roadmap for Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS)</Title><Publisher/><Subject>mnlars</Subject><Subject>License and Registration</Subject><Subject>Driver and Vehicle Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Under New Leadership, the State has the Right Roadmap to Fix MNLARS</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person diving a car.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/driving-300x300_tcm38-327172.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-02 - Dana Bailey Op-ed</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-327175&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-02-20T16:40:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesotans work hard and pay their taxes. In return, they expect and deserve high-quality, efficient services from their state government. That is why Minnesota IT Services, under new leadership, is strongly committed to fixing the problems with our state&apos;s Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Progress is too important to be stalled</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;By: Dana Bailey, Executive Director of Projects and Initiatives at Minnesota IT Services&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans work hard and pay their taxes. In return, they expect and deserve high-quality, efficient services from their state government. They should get nothing less.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That is why Minnesota IT Services, under new leadership, is strongly committed to fixing the problems with our state&apos;s Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS). There is no excuse for the problems this system has created for Minnesotans these last six months, and we deeply regret the impact it has had on our people and businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have a long way to go to get this right - and we need a significant investment to do it - but we are committed to getting this project done well once and for all, for the people of Minnesota. With the resources we need and support from the Legislature, we can and will deliver on that promise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just three months ago, Governor Mark Dayton asked me to join Minnesota IT Services as Executive Director of the MNLARS project. Since then, I have driven 1,600 miles across our state to meet with deputy registrars, auto dealers, credit unions, lenders, auctioneers, and other Minnesotans. I talked with them one-on-one to understand how the MNLARS system was working, see firsthand the problems it was creating for businesses and people, and ask them what we can do to get this project done right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We took their detailed feedback seriously. We responded to each of their concerns. And then, we took everything we learned and put together a comprehensive plan to fix the problem.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are already making significant progress to make MNLARS work better. The backlog created by MNLARS&apos;s technical problems at one point reached as high as 380,000 delayed vehicle titles. Working around the clock, we have cut that backlog in half. Later this month, we are hopeful a whole new round of fixes will cut that backlog even further.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than that, over 3 million Minnesotans have received their plates and stickers through the system already. The MNLARS system has not experienced a shutdown or outage since before Thanksgiving - over 99 days. And since the MNLARS system launched in July, over 775,000 Minnesotans have received their titles to-date, with an average 5,300 more getting their titles every day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;But we must follow the priorities that deputy registrars, auto dealers, and so many other Minnesotans have helped us put forward. Without that plan or &quot;roadmap,&quot; and without the funding we need to fully-implement it, Minnesotans will not get the quality, reliable services that they expect and deserve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At this point, we can&apos;t stop working, and we can&apos;t slow down. This system represents a core function of government: Minnesotans need it to work smoothly so they can get their business done. It processes more than $1 billion in transactions each year, and ensuring the data it holds is accurate and usable helps to keep us all safe.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m not the only one fighting every day to fix this system. Every day, 62 software engineers and dedicated state employees are working tirelessly to get this right - and just a few weeks ago, Governor Dayton announced his choice for a new Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services to lead us through to fixing this critically important service for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Brigadier General Johanna Clyborne began her new role as Commissioner just this week. Upon her appointment, she said: &quot;There is no service that more urgently requires our time, attention, and expertise. I will not let you down. And most importantly, I won&apos;t let the people of Minnesota down.&quot; It is clear from her first few days in the office, she means business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Everyone at Minnesota IT Services, and Governor Dayton, share the same mission: to make the MNLARS system work flawlessly for the people of Minnesota. We are accountable for getting this done right.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The $43 million needed to complete this project is not an easy number, but it&apos;s a necessary one. We understand the frustration that comes with this financial need, and we share it. But frustration alone will not fix the problem, nor get Minnesotans the services they expect and deserve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNLARS is too important to stop improving, and we need to cross the finish line. We are committed to moving forward and making this system right. To do so, we - and the many deputy registrars, auto dealers, and hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who need this system to work well - now need legislative support to finish the job. We look forward to working with the Legislature this session to do exactly that. The people of Minnesota deserve nothing less.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>327175</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:32:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Hyperlinks are an incredibly useful tool for digital communication but can frustrating for people who rely on assistive technology if they are not descriptive. Descriptive hyperlinks inform users about where they will land once they select a link, and it’s the preferred method for accessibly sharing digital content.</Description><Audience/><Title>Descriptive Hyperlinks for All</Title><Publisher/><Subject>acessibility</Subject><Subject>descriptive hyperlinks </Subject><Subject>hyperlinks </Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Descriptive Hyperlinks for All</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cursor hovering over a hyperlink that reads &quot;make your hyperlinks descriptive&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hyperlinks-descriptive-001_tcm38-326629.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A cursor hovering over a hyperlink that reads &quot;make your hyperlinks descriptive&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/hyperlinks-descriptive-001_tcm38-326630.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2018-02 - Descriptive Hyperlinks for All</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-326600&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-02-13T17:43:58Z</Date><ShortDescription>Hyperlinks are an incredibly useful tool for digital communication but can frustrating for people who rely on assistive technology if they are not descriptive. Descriptive hyperlinks inform users about where they will land once they select a link, and it’s the preferred method for accessibly sharing digital content.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Making Digital Content More Accessible</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hyperlinks are a common and incredibly useful tool for communicating on tech platforms. Using a hyperlink in a document is a convenient way to cite a source or direct a reader to relevant online content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The challenge? Simply pasting a hyperlink into a web page, word document, email, or social media post can be messy. The text in hyperlinks is typically long, cumbersome, and – perhaps the most frustrating for people who rely on assistive technology to navigate digital resources – undescriptive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Descriptive hyperlinks inform users about where they will land once they select a link, and it’s the preferred method for accessibly sharing digital content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Confused about what, exactly, a descriptive hyperlink is and when you would use it?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Example:&lt;/em&gt; You would like to link to Minnesota IT Services’ tips for Social Media use and outreach in a document.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Instead of writing something like “If you’d like to read more about posting to social media in an effective, accessible manner, go to: &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/social-media.jsp&quot; title=&quot;MNIT’s Accessible Social Media Tips&quot;&gt;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/social-media.jsp&lt;/a&gt;,” you could write, “If you’d like to read more about posting to social media in an effective, accessible manner, check out MNIT’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/social-media.jsp&quot; title=&quot;MNIT’s Accessible Social Media Tips&quot;&gt;Accessible Social Media Tips&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why does that work best?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The purpose of the link is described in the link text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If someone using a screen reader is listening to a “list of links” on a web page or in a document (a common way to navigate content), it is easy for them to understand where that link will take them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/accessibility-links-list_tcm38-326652.jpg&quot; title=&quot;JAWS Links List for this blog post (3 links)&quot; alt=&quot;JAWS Links List for this blog post (3 links)&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto; border: 5px solid #003865;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;accessibility-links-list&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What if you expect the reader to print out your document?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In that case, you might consider including the link in parentheses, like this: “If you’d like to read more about posting to social media in an effective, accessible manner, check out MNIT’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/social-media.jsp&quot; title=&quot;MNIT’s Accessible Social Media Tips&quot;&gt;Accessible Social Media Tips (https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessiblity/social-media.jsp)&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why does that work in this situation?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If printed, the URL is available
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;caution: when there is an underscore (_) in the URL it may cause some confusion because of the line that prints indicating this is a link.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If read online, the link will directly take you to that location.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If using a screen reader and listening to a “list of links” the name “Accessible Social Media Tips” continues to inform the individual of where the link will take them.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding a descriptive hyperlink is an easy win for accessible content. Be sure to keep these tips in mind when you’re using hyperlinks!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>326600</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) today released a project roadmap for the State of Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS). The project roadmap is a complete strategy to aggressively address system shortcomings in MNLARS and build out system features that will support a modernized delivery method for Driver and Vehicle Services in the future. Its full execution will require additional funding and legislative support.</Description><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota releases project roadmap for Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS)</Title><Publisher/><Subject>mnlars</Subject><Subject>License and Registration</Subject><Subject>Driver and Vehicle Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State of Minnesota Releases Project Roadmap for Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS)</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cars traveling on a highway.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/transportation-traffic-2_tcm38-318972.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-01 - MNLARS Roadmap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-325465&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-01-30T23:04:55Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) today released a project roadmap for the State of Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS). The project roadmap is a complete strategy to aggressively address system shortcomings in MNLARS and build out system features that will support a modernized delivery method for Driver and Vehicle Services in the future. Its full execution will require additional funding and legislative support.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;January 31, 2018&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;All high-priority defects will be fixed by July 2018, with additional functionality developed through December 2019&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) today released a project roadmap  for the State of Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS). &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNLARS%20Roadmap%20Executive%20Summary_tcm38-325463.pdf&quot; title=&quot;MNLARS Roadmap Executive Summary&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNLARS Roadmap Executive Summary&quot;&gt;View the executive summary of the roadmap&lt;/a&gt;. The project roadmap is a complete strategy to aggressively address system shortcomings in MNLARS and build out system features that will support a modernized delivery method for Driver and Vehicle Services in the future. Its full execution will require additional funding and legislative support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“This roadmap reflects the top priorities and conversations that our technical team had with stakeholders, as well as a core understanding of underlying structural fixes necessary to be fully functional,” said MNIT Chief Enterprise Architect Joan Redwing. “We will continue to work on the back-end to stabilize MNLARS, but we’re focused on addressing the issues that directly impact Minnesotans first.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DPS and MNIT launched MNLARS in July 2017 to replace a 30-year-old legacy system to process vehicle title and registration transactions, but the system has encountered technical complications since that time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The Department of Public Safety is committed to continuing work with our technical and business partners in order to make MNLARS a system that works reliably for everyone,” said DPS Commissioner Mona Dohman. “We owe it to the users of this system and the people of Minnesota to focus our efforts on the path forward.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNLARS project roadmap is the direct result of more than eight meetings across the state of Minnesota, covering over 1,600 miles, based on suggestions from more than 100 stakeholders. The roadmap was produced in partnership with deputy registrars, auto dealers, financial institutions, legislators, and other stakeholders who use this system for their work each day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In conjunction with these stakeholder meetings, MNIT completed a deep technical assessment of the MNLARS system and an inventory of all remaining system defects and gaps in functionality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Top priorities put forth in the roadmap include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fixing Bugs and Glitches.&lt;/strong&gt; Resolving system defects and time-consuming workarounds that are leading to delays and inconveniences for Minnesotans.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Example: Building automated tools to ensure the consistent calculation of complex or seasonally-used transactions.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Filling Gaps in Functionality.&lt;/strong&gt; Completing partially delivered features.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ability to transfer specialty plates, impounded plates, inventory management, and allow deputy registrars to edit transactions. Ability to bulk-update addresses for fleet vehicles.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Empowering Users.&lt;/strong&gt; Adding features that will allow system users to make changes and fix mistakes without starting over or having to contact DPS. Adding the ability to print in-process work, transactions, and duplicate titles.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Adding functionality to MNLARS that existed in the old system, like transferring specialty plates. Adding the ability to edit the cart, scan, and see specific details of all transactions.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Delivering Faster Title Turnaround.&lt;/strong&gt; Providing the technology tools needed to speed up processing of vehicle titles.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Continuing to decrease the number of backlogged titles. Managing title processing system errors more efficiently.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Modernizing Business Processes.&lt;/strong&gt; Working collaboratively with local deputy registrar offices to build new features in the system that support a more modern mode of business operations for driver and vehicle services.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Building ability to add or delete multiple transactions in the cart, without checking out.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improving Customer Service.&lt;/strong&gt; Adding 63 DVS call center staff and five training positions in FY19. The additional call center staff will help DVS improve customer service by responding to emails promptly, reducing wait times and answering the 65,000+ calls it receives each week. It will also ensure the state is ready to answer questions from Minnesotans leading up to REAL ID availability in October 2018. The five trainers will work with Driver License Agents on the new driver’s license system and REAL ID requirements.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Phone calls from the public and stakeholders increased during the MNLARS rollout, peaking at 110,000 during the week of September 10. Email response times were as high as six weeks due to the influx of consumer questions and issues.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stabilizing and Optimizing System Performance.&lt;/strong&gt; Ensuring that each piece of the system is operating efficiently and working optimally to support heavy use.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;System slowdowns during daytime when system is under heavy use.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Improving User Experience.&lt;/strong&gt; Making the system more user friendly and tailored to the needs of local deputy registrar offices.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Modifying the way the system looks and feels to more closely align with deputy registrar needs. Enhancing screen colors and formatting based on user feedback. 
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNLARS roadmap will additionally undergo rigorous external review by an industry leader, in keeping with IT best practices. The State of Minnesota is currently completing a request for proposals, and the results of that assessment will be made public when it is complete.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For details, &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNLARS%20Roadmap%20Expanded_tcm38-325464.pdf&quot; title=&quot;view the expanded version of the roadmap (downloadable PDF)&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNLARS Roadmap Expanded&quot;&gt;view the expanded version of the roadmap (downloadable PDF)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Legislative Support Needed to Implement Roadmap&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The need for each fix and improvement indicated on the roadmap is clear, but current resources will only support a small volume of that work for the remainder of the biennium. Without additional funding, deputy registrars and other system users will continue to contend with cumbersome workarounds, system errors, and gaps in system functionality for the foreseeable future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The roadmap will cost an additional $43 million which the Legislature must appropriate to complete MNLARS defect fixes and add necessary features by December 2019. An estimated $37 million in additional funding is needed to make critical system improvements and enhancements. $6 million is needed for customer service capacity increases at DPS in the current biennium. This investment would provide the hardware, software, and human resources necessary to support an aggressive delivery roadmap with concurrent work streams – the approach that is needed to address multiple stakeholder priorities simultaneously, and to manage large volumes of customer service demand through the rollout of REAL ID.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For details, &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNLARS%20Funding%20Sheet_tcm38-325467.pdf&quot; title=&quot;MNLARS Funding Sheet&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNLARS Funding Sheet&quot;&gt;view the downloadable PDF of the budget request&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, the agency builds, maintains, and secures the state’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. The agency also serves Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, the MNIT team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Minnesota Department of Public Safety&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is a large and complex agency dedicated to prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, enforcement and education. The agency’s 15 divisions serve Minnesotans with programs in law enforcement, fire code development, fire investigation and safety inspection, forensic science, crime and fraud prevention, crime victims’ services, homeland security and emergency management, emergency communications network management, traffic and motorcycle safety, driver licensing and vehicle registration, alcohol and gambling enforcement, pipeline safety and rule enforcement, and public safety education.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>325465</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:31:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today at a press conference, Governor Dayton announced his appointment of Johanna Clyborne as the new Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Dayton Announces New Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services</Title><Publisher/><Subject>commissioner</Subject><Subject>cio</Subject><Subject>leadership</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Dayton Appoints Brigadier General  Johanna Clyborne to Serve as MNIT Commissioner</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Portrait of Commissioner Johanna Clyborne</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/commissioner-johanna-clyborne-300x300_tcm38-324939.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2018-01 - New Commissioner Announcement</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-324942&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2018-01-24T20:38:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today at a press conference, Governor Dayton announced his appointment of Johanna Clyborne as the new Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today at a press conference, Governor Dayton announced his appointment of Johanna Clyborne as the new Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/commissioner-johanna-clyborne_tcm38-324938.jpg&quot; title=&quot;commissioner-johanna-clyborne&quot; alt=&quot;commissioner-johanna-clyborne&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;commissioner-johanna-clyborne&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>324942</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:06:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This massive project included more than 40,000 Identity, Skype, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint accounts and sites. What we did and the teams that successfully completed this migration.</Description><Audience/><Title>Looking Back at 2017: Migrating the State to the O365 Government Cloud</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cloud</Subject><Subject>microsoft</Subject><Subject>sharepoint</Subject><Subject>outlook</Subject><Subject>skype</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Clouds connected by wires.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cloud-computing-001_tcm38-321702.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Clouds connected by wires.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/cloud-computing-001_tcm38-321697.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - O365 Government Cloud</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-321627&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-21T23:09:41Z</Date><ShortDescription>This massive project included more than 40,000 Identity, Skype, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint accounts and sites. What we did and the teams that successfully completed this migration. Read more.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Migrating the State to the O365 Government Cloud</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the first six months of 2017, we migrated the State of Minnesota to Microsoft Office 365 government cloud (O365). This included more than 40,000 Identity, Skype, Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint accounts and sites that would be migrated on concurrent schedules. An absolute completion deadline of May 31 created a sense of urgency for everyone connected to the project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The move to O365 required significant preparations in order to minimize disruption to our customers in the executive branch and one county. The bulk of the preparation lasted from March 2016 through December 2016, when MNIT and Microsoft resources tested and created custom code that would allow email boxes to exist in two locations – in the existing dedicated environment and the future O365 environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The approach required the team to find a method that would allow email, calendars, contacts, and collaboration spaces to co-exist between two separate environments until the migration was complete – no simple task given the complexity and size of our environment. Ultimately, the solution we selected allowed the login information for every employee to be duplicated, confirmed and validated in the new environment which paved the way for all of the services to be moved (Email, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The timeline felt relentless – each week thousands of email boxes had to move to stay on track with the completion date. The team pushed the boundaries and found an approach to go beyond the Microsoft recommended maximum of 2,000 mailboxes being migrated each week. In fact, the state hit a high watermark of 9,000 mailboxes in one week, a new record for both Microsoft and MNIT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To prepare collaboration sites for the move, more than 60 team members worked on the project, engaging many agencies and evaluating sites in terms of our overall risk profile — were sites highly complex, did they need simple updates or a major overhaul, or did they need to be deleted altogether? Ultimately, we were able to delete nearly two-thirds of the sites, a significant risk reduction.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communications&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the entire O365 project, we communicated with end-users multiple times during each wave so they knew what to expect and what they needed to do. We sent out more than 132,000 email messages on precise schedules for the Outlook and Skype portion of the project. Technical liaisons at our agency offices also coordinated communications during every step of the project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;User Experience, Adoption and Training&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Extensive training was required to make sure every user in the state could access their accounts once migrated. As part of this undertaking, we leveraged MNIT and agency partner staff within each of the agencies, who became “floor helpers.” Floor helpers attended training sessions presented primarily via Skype before migration. They were available on the day the migration occurred, and their purpose was to literally walk the floors of agencies and make sure users were able to login to their email accounts. This helped to minimize the downtime, and allowed daily business to continue. Technical staff convened the morning of every migration to get progress updates from the floor helpers and provide immediate assistance to them if they needed more help on the floor, or if there were login issues that required more technical expertise to resolve. This approach turned out to be a critical success factor in migrating over 40,000 users with minimal impact.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More than 600 early adopters and floor helpers attended 11 training sessions and there were over 820 views of the demo recordings. The total number of attendees was actually much higher, because some agencies viewed the sessions from conference rooms with a large group of attendees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There were 49,235 hits and 21,550 unique visits to our extranet site, created especially for all end users. It gave them access to Quick Guides and other training information. The site is still available and state employees continue to check for updates and instructions on how to use the new features.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the course of the project, the technical teams were challenged with finding the best approaches to minimize the impact to users, because a project of this magnitude had never been attempted before. With everyone’s tremendous effort, we met the deadline of May 31, 2017.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What we Learned&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project managers are the glue that kept everything together, kept all the moving parts moving in the right direction, and made sure we all knew the plans. They helped leverage our strengths and connections between the multiple fast paced projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our technical teams know our systems and environments backwards and forwards, and they were ready to take on the massive challenge of migrating an entire state. Countless hours and untold efforts were spent planning and implementing this migration successfully.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you want to make sure migrations are smooth and seamless, it takes a great deal of planning and collaboration on all fronts. From technical teams and floor helpers, to tech liaisons, project managers and communicators, to usability experts, business analysts and quality assurance analysts, everyone worked tirelessly from the beginning to make sure the interruptions to business were minimal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We learned that there’s no such thing as too much communication. For each batch of migrations, we sent out email messages 10 days in advance of the switchovers, then five working days before, the day before and the day the new environment went live. We told users what would happen and when, what to expect, and what would be different (no surprises!). Organized scheduling and close collaboration with the technical teams are essential to successful communications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Instructions and user guides are really GOOD things to have available! All our communications and training sessions included links to detailed instructions and a contact person if they had questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Change can be difficult, and the personal touch goes a long way when you’re making big changes. Having a team of people physically on site during the migrations was key to helping us troubleshoot email issues immediately, and isolate any problem areas. We designed colorful badges and posters to identify helpers and their stations, and placed instruction guides at workstations. Some agency offices chose to greet their employees at the door instead with instruction guides and a friendly smile.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>321627</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:00Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff partnered with DEED this year to replace an aging and insecure software at WorkForce Centers throughout the state to help job seekers find jobs more easily. Learn more. </Description><Audience/><Title>Looking Back at 2017 - Cybrarian Implementation</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person searching for jobs online.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/job-search-001_tcm38-321706.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person searching for jobs online.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/job-search-001_tcm38-321701.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - Cybrarian Implementation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-321707&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-21T23:03:48Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff partnered with DEED this year to replace an aging and insecure software at WorkForce Centers throughout the state to help job seekers find jobs more easily. Learn more. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Cybrarian Technology helps Minnesotans Find Jobs</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT staff partnered with the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to replace an aging and insecure software used by citizen job seekers at more than WorkForce Centers throughout the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new Cybrarian software enables Minnesota’s WorkForce Center System to provide high quality PCs with job-focused software to help connect our State’s job seekers with programs available to them and to their future employers. Cybrarian made significant improvements in simplicity, usability and security for users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This project included the implementation of Cybrarian software; a commercial off-the-shelf desktop application to secure public resource room computers and track customer traffic for federal reporting and cost allocation purposes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project was unique in that the core team included staff from MNIT’s application development, product development, middleware and DEED business partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This team worked together effectively. The result? The project was completed on time with all objectives met and nearly $50,000 under budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How they did it&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using Agile Scrum methodology to manage the project, the team met each day for scrum meetings and maintained constant communication throughout the project. The team received immediate feedback and acceptance from the product owner on a daily basis, and consistent feedback from stakeholders through monthly sprint review sessions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team worked with the vendor to customize the Cybrarian tool to make sure it fit DEED’s needs, including single sign-on functionality with the Minnesota Works job bank.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The core team included staff from application development, product development, middleware and DEED. Meeting in the same room each day throughout implementation allowed for smooth task integration and a deep understanding of both the technical intricacies of Cybrarian and DEED’s business needs among the entire team, regardless of role. In addition to being part of the core team, the DEED product owner remained in constant communication with stakeholders, including Workforce Center representatives from around the state throughout the course of the project, again strengthening the technical team members’ understanding of business needs.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>321707</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. The bulk of the work on this project happened in 2015-2016, but there was some carryover into 2017, with a lot of results experienced then that are worth a mention in this Look Back. Here’s a look at what we did, and the results. </Description><Audience/><Title>Looking Back at 2017 - Transforming our Partnerships</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man and a woman shaking hands.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/handshake-002_tcm38-321705.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man and a woman shaking hands.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/handshake-002_tcm38-321700.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - Transforming our Partnerships</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-321708&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-21T23:03:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. The bulk of the work on this project happened in 2015-2016, but there was some carryover into 2017, with a lot of results experienced then that are worth a mention in this Look Back. Here’s a look at what we did, and the results. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Transforming our Partnerships </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This particular project involved work that was done in 2015-2016, with a little carryover into 2017. It is definitely worth a mention in looking back at our efforts, because it embodied our aim to be partners in performance with our agency business partners, modernize our service model, and provide transparency in the services we provide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) provides Information Technology (IT) services and products to State of Minnesota government entities. Before 2016, our government stakeholders were not involved in the rate process for those products and services. Traditionally, the cost estimations, usage calculations and expense predictions that went into determining rates were generated by MNIT’s leadership, and services and finance divisions, and were a “black box” to MNIT’s stakeholders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In June 2016, MNIT leadership set out to improve the rate definition process in a way that engaged our agency stakeholders as full partners in the process:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Partners were involved in cost prediction and rate definition from the very beginning.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transparency and partnership were baked into the process.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Moving to a two-year (biennium) period for rates provided more stability and less forecasting.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reorganized in an “Enterprise Service” model of service delivery.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This project created a collaborative environment for MNIT and agency partners to design services that are easy to understand, and to set a rate structure that is scalable, consistent, comprehended by non-technical decision-makers, and more usable for IT investment planning. This model ensures that the rates are consistent, transparent, demonstrably based on real volumes and costs, easy to understand, easy to predict, and fair and balanced regardless of the size of the agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our new service packages and rates are now published on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/services/&quot; title=&quot;Services on MNIT&apos;s Website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s website&lt;/a&gt;. New service categories and service bundles make it easier and more transparent for our agency business partners to make decisions about the IT services they need to help accomplish their missions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One goal of this process was to continue the transformation of MNIT’s service delivery to an Enterprise Service model. In this model, MNIT-provided services would be “bundled” into groups that included individual offerings available within that service, and would be owned by an enterprise service team. That team would then be responsible for documenting, delivering, maintaining and staffing that service for the enterprise. This approach has many advantages:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Centralized enterprise teams can work more cohesively together. Consolidating resources, expertise, experience and skills allows flexibility and agility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There is a single point of contact for the enterprise service.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Standard definitions for enterprise services are understandable, have transparent processes and rates, and use plain language.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cross-training ensures increased availability of services and resources.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consistent, documented, and repeatable support processes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Solutions are available equitably across the enterprise, rather than in niches.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Economies of scale.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Concept&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project began in November 2015 with the advent of the Service Advisory Team, and ended in September 2016 with the submission of final rates information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our agency partners had expressed several concerns that drove the need for this project:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;They were unable to estimate costs and order services accurately for the coming fiscal year because of a lack of understanding about the services and how rates were calculated.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;This lack of clarity raised questions around the fair distribution of cost among agencies of various sizes and needs, and varying levels of service maturity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Billing invoices were complex and often confusing, so agencies weren’t really sure what they were purchasing or how much it cost.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Our rate planning cycles conflicted with agency budget cycles, resulting in misalignments between budgets and costs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the aim of making this process truly collaborative, MNIT engaged our agency partners in the earliest stages of planning. Lead by MNIT’s Assistant Commissioner and Chief Operations Officer of Enterprise Services Tom Schaeffer, an advisory team was assembled with members from a mix of IT and business areas. Also included were MNIT’s Chief Business Technology Officers (CBTOs), and executive leadership from several agencies. The advisory team met weekly for four months in 2016. They reviewed MNIT’s FY17 service offerings, and defined the structure and content of each enterprise service for the FY18-FY19 biennium. MNIT enterprise service teams, at the direction of this advisory team, documented formal definitions for the FY18-19 Enterprise Services and the different offerings/products that would be made available under each service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This feedback loop progressed through several iterations of review and modification. MNIT’s Assistant Commissioner and Chief Operations Officer of Enterprise Services also hosted town-hall meetings at several agencies to drive awareness of the new model and answer questions. These meetings achieved another level of agency engagement and feedback, with attendee inputs driving further optimization of the services and documentation. The final approved documents were published on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/services/&quot; title=&quot;Services on MNIT&apos;s Website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s website&lt;/a&gt; with a new fresh, responsive and accessible design. They are available to the public and all agency partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new service offerings are now structured so internal costs (staff, training, software licenses, hardware costs, etc.) are encapsulated into functional “service bundles,” rather than as individual offerings. This allows agency decision-makers, who are not technical experts, to make purchasing decisions based on function, utility, and business requirements, rather than technical components. For example, agencies are now able to purchase a field office as a bundle with a monthly rate, rather than purchasing each part in a piecemeal fashion. This change not only simplified the way we describe our services, but also made monthly invoices to agency partners vastly easier to understand, predict, and use for decision-making.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new service offerings and definitions served as the basis for the definition of rates. MNIT enterprise service teams, in collaboration with MNIT financial management staff, reviewed actual volumes and costs for FY17, then forecasted volumes for FY18 and FY19 based on historical data, usage predictions, and technology changes. Internal costs were determined and allocations were documented. MNIT CBTOs and agency partners monitored progress on a daily/weekly basis, and provided input and unique agency-specific viewpoints. At the end of this four-month-long iterative process, the team was able to assign rates to each service offering that were demonstrably rooted in actual usage costs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Impact&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Understanding and ordering services from Minnesota IT Services is now easier and more transparent. Services and rates are published on &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/services/&quot; title=&quot;Services on MNIT&apos;s Website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MNIT’s website&lt;/a&gt; with a responsive design that helps our agency partners quickly find what they need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Monthly invoices to agencies shrunk from dozens of pages to just a few, reducing by 50 percent the number of individual service codes agencies had to search through. In FY17, there were 431 individual services. In FY18, executive branch agencies can order from 215 total services. Most agency requirements can be met with the nine enterprise service bundles that may be augmented as needed from the remaining 206 stand-alone/add-on services, which gives agencies the flexibility to deliver to their individual business needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our agency partners no longer have to order individual pieces of equipment ”a la carte.” They simply order the bundle of services that fulfill a function. For example, Desktop Bundles include the computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, all the cabling, plus 24/7/365 technical support services – each of which the agencies had to order and pay for individually before.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In keeping with the State of Minnesota’s plain language initiative, care was taken to choose product names and descriptions that are meaningful to our agency partners, and descriptive of their functionality. For example, previous services IP Telephony and VoIP are now simply Telephone Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Significance&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This project aligns with several of MNIT’s vision and value statements:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Partners in Performance – collaborate closely with our agency partners.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Move Government Forward – leverage the best available technology to deliver consistent quality service.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Transform – identifying best practices and implementing them across the enterprise.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The goal of MNIT&apos;s leadership team was to improve the rate definition process for the future by engaging agency stakeholders as full partners in a transparent process. Agency partners became active participants in the cost-prediction and rate-definition process from beginning to end, instead of being passive recipients of the new rates shortly before they came into effect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition, MNIT wanted to define rates for two-year “biennium” periods, rather than one year. This would give agencies more stability in terms of IT budgeting, and eliminate the need for agencies to spend several months every year on forecasting and rate review exercises.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>321708</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </Description><Audience/><Title>Workforce One 6.0 Implementation	</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Workforce One</Subject><Subject>modernization</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People working with computers and files.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/computer-002_tcm38-321520.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>People working with computers and files.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/computer-002_tcm38-321522.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - Workforce One 6.0 - Public</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-321525&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-20T22:31:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Workforce One 6.0 Implementation	</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Editor’s note: In 2015, the Workforce One Rewrite project won a NASCiO award. Workforce One 6.0 added functionality to the current system.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Workforce One (WF1) 6.0 Implementation added case management functionality for Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) and State Services for the Blind (SSB) to the current system. With this implementation, all work programs associated with the Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Department of Human Services MFIP and SNAP programs integrate into one cohesive case management system. The team excelled in their efforts, launching on time and under the estimated budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now, all programs can scan and upload documents into the system, moving toward paperless case management. Since implementation on June 27, 2017, system users have uploaded over 22,000 documents for the consumers of the 17 distinct programs represented in WF1 6.0. This implementation also interfaces with the state’s SWIFT system so VRS, SSB and Trade Adjustment staff can initiate consumer purchases and payments within WF1 6.0.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Workforce One 6.0 implementation team used the Agile/Scrum method to plan and implement project requirements. They worked very closely with DEED Product Owner Annie Tietema, and program management representatives from VRS, SSB, DHS and ETP to clearly establish support, high level requirements, timelines and budget constraints. This key group worked diligently to assure up front project funding and on-going enhancement/maintenance deliverables and budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Workforce One 6.0 implementation team worked closely with program and field staff to understand and implement user requirements to both enhance usability and accessibility of the system. Accessibility was a key deliverable for the system and SSB and VRS were integral in assisting with UAT and accessibility testing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The WF1 Team demonstrated accomplishments from each sprint to system users and made adjustments based on users’ feedback. A sandbox environment was updated after each sprint to allow users to experiment with new features. User Acceptance Testing and training on the system provided additional in-depth feedback and user understanding before the system launched.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testimonials from our business partners:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nothing but positive feedback from my team regarding WF1. To quote Wonder Woman “You should be very proud of this achievement!”.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;--Eric Wittbrodt Rehabilitation Area Manager&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A big thank-you is in order for WF1. You guys really thought it through and made it accessible, relatively simple, and workable. I know how hard you worked on it and it shows.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;--Catherine Golding, VR Counselor&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;..thank you all so much for your work on the project! I hear that&apos;s it&apos;s been a journey to get to this moment. You all should be proud. Just like any new technology it will take time for people to get comfy and yes there will be kinks. But I know the team will work it out. I must say I&apos;m extremely excited about the Talent Pool search capabilities. Sounds like it will not only be a good tool for grantees but overall work between the workforce areas and business development area.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;--Shawntera Hardy, DEED Commissioner&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;..It was very exciting to come in today and log into the new system that you have worked so hard on! Thank you for everything you have done the past two years to make this a reality, it is actually almost surreal that it is finally here. I look forward to our continuing work together over the next months and years and am grateful that we are at this point and able to meet our WIOA obligations and have a more user friendly system for staff.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;cite&gt;--Carol N. Pankow Director, State Services for the Blind&lt;/cite&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>321525</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:06Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </Description><Audience/><Title>Looking Back at 2017: Modernizing Applications to Serve MN Veterans</Title><Publisher/><Subject>modernization</Subject><Subject>veterans</Subject><Subject>minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A veteran saluting the American flag.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/veteran-001_tcm38-321323.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A veteran saluting the American flag.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/veteran-001_tcm38-321324.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - Modernizing Applications to Serve MN Veterans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-321325&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-19T21:57:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Modernizing Applications to Serve MN Veterans</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Mark Dayton recently proclaimed November, 2017 to be “Veterans and Service Members Appreciation” month. Currently, there are more than 353,000 veterans and service members living in Minnesota, and those veterans may often need to interact with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. MNIT is proud to honor the brave men and women who have fought for our country, and to help modernize the systems that help provide services to those veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT staff partnering with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs completed a project this year to develop an automated process for state benefits applications submitted by Minnesota Veterans. The project developed an application called the Veteran Application Tracking System, or VATS, that could be used by several divisions in the MDVA to streamline information sharing and manage all the needs of Minnesota Veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of MNIT’s priorities is to modernize aging technologies, and VATS has now replaced multiple manual, paper-based processes, and an existing 15+ year old application that was expensive and difficult to support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our MNIT MDVA Project team worked with several other departments and agencies to make this project a success: MNIT staff at MDVA, Enterprise Services and the Department of Health; MDVA business, Minnesota Management and Budget, and Ramsey County. Being able to easily reach out to other state employees was extremely helpful, and using the expertise of these groups and individuals produced a better solution.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With VATS in place, there are now automated workflows for approvals, appeals and denials, and MDVA staff can access the system to make decisions on benefits from wherever they may be. Veterans can submit applications online, and with a master/single database, that information can accessed across all veterans programs and services. With consolidated electronic case notes, a 30 minute search now takes just a few seconds, so applications are processed more quickly. VATS was built with flexibility in mind, so the application can easily accommodate changes like adding a new benefit type, business policy or process, or making modification to comply with legislative mandates. Dynamic reporting provides granular reports and audits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project team and business worked very closely on this project. The project manager and business analyst met frequently with the business to make sure they captured a full understanding of their requirements for the new application. Additionally, the Project Steering Committee met regularly and received progress updates, made decisions, signed off on completed components, and removed barriers as necessary. Having the project sponsors engaged in the Steering Committee meetings really helped keep this project focused and successful.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>321325</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:25:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </Description><Audience/><Title>Security Risk Scorecards: Innovation to Secure the State</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity </Subject><Subject>minnesota</Subject><Subject>government</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man signing papers with binary code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Signing-2_1200x500_tcm38-313409.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man signing papers with binary code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Signing-2_300x300_tcm38-313407.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - Security Risk Scorecards</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-321304&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-19T20:13:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Security Risk Scorecards: Innovation to Secure the State</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2016 and 2017, MNIT began using Security Risk Scorecards for State of Minnesota government. The Scorecards have now become of our standard operations, they are helping to improve the security of information and information technology systems for State of Minnesota government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The initial project stemmed from the belief that government business leaders need to understand their IT and the risks involved in order to make informed decisions about IT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using a foundational framework, common business software, color coding and plain business language, the scorecards bridged the gap of understanding between business and information security.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Now business leaders know exactly what information and technology they have, what the security risks are, and how their business decisions and investments impact those risks. The feedback from all agency leaders has been very positive. In a letter to the State CIO, Minnesota Department of Human Services’ business leaders called the Scorecard review meeting “the most useful meeting of the year”.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Security Risk Scorecard project not only met a business and security need, but it also aligned with the priorities of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, who in 2017 signed onto “&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/gov-stat/pdf/2017_07_14_NGA_Cybersecurity_Compact.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Governor Dayton&apos;s Compact to Improve State Cybersecurity&quot;&gt;A Compact to Improve State Cybersecurity&lt;/a&gt;,” an effort by 38 governors to improve state cybersecurity. The compact covered three main areas of cybersecurity, which Minnesota is already leading on: (1) build cybersecurity governance; (2) prepare for and defend against cybersecurity threats; and (3) develop a cybersecurity workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It also aligns with the continuing top priority of MNIT’s Commissioner and State Chief Information Officer Thomas Baden for the management, control, and protection of state systems and data to protect the privacy and security of all Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is this important?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In order to secure and protect state systems and data, we needed to know exactly what we were working with. This project helped us build that foundational knowledge base.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the first time ever, we have a complete picture of all the information technology being used by Minnesota State government, and the risk posture of our state. That knowledge can help business and IT leaders make informed decisions about IT investments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;An innovative approach&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Security Risk Scorecards were designed to give business leaders a picture of risks they accept by default. What’s unique is that by using common business terms and formats, we opened the way for frank conversations. Knowing agency business needs and constraints allows MNIT to re-prioritize, escalate or postpone IT projects, making us more effective and efficient at any level of investment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of our first steps was to choose a holistic approach that covered all potential information at risk, not just technology systems and applications, but information in any form, such as sensitive information shared over the phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Then we chose a nationally recognized framework and business standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This aligned the Scorecards with state and national standard business practices so government leaders were presented with a common language that didn’t use IT jargon. The categories (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover) were intuitive to those with no IT background, so leaders could understand the consequences of risks and posture. We used:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The NIST Cybersecurity Framework to create, implement, and review our program, with organizational guidelines and benchmarks for critical infrastructure.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The International Standards Organization (ISO) Cybersecurity Standard framework, a certifiable standard for securing all information and information technology systems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Microsoft Excel to display the Scorecards, software that is readily available and low-to-no cost because we already used it for other purposes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lastly, we took this effort personally and proactively. Security staff collaborated with each agency business to set a target for each key Risk Scorecard area – where they think they need to be in terms of risk and maturity of their systems. This will always be different for each agency, for example the Department of Revenue may have greater risk, and need more maturity than systems at the Department of Agriculture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s the value?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ultimately, risk is owned by the business. However, that risk, and the relative business decisions, affect the service delivery, operations and cost of the services MNIT provides to those agency businesses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The real focus of the Scorecards is to show business leaders the health of the information systems and applications they rely on. That knowledge opens the way for hard conversations that many state governments are engaged in about modernizing outdated systems and applications. Knowing the risks involved help business and IT leaders make informed decisions about when and how to invest in IT.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our dashboard for Scorecards includes NIST’s key framework areas: Identify (assets, information and technology), Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. The words are straightforward plain language, they make sense to non-IT, and it is endorsed by the National Association of Board of Directors and Business Associates. The benefits of using the framework to create the Scorecard is that it leverages business language to bridge the gap between non-IT business person and IT. It’s easier to benchmark when there’s a common language for leadership and their peers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How does the Scorecard work?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Security Risk Scorecard is actually a spreadsheet in Excel that displays like an application. Behind the scenes, a data set generates detailed dashboards with numeric risk/maturity scores that roll up into a business-friendly main dashboard.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Building the foundational data set was the most labor-intensive part. Over the past three years, MNIT’s enterprise security and IT staff gathered information about and from applications, infrastructure, computers, facilities and other business processes. The sheer volume of data is enormous: we secure and manage systems at over 1,300 locations, support and secure over 2,800 agency applications; oversee and deliver over 350 projects with major IT components; maintain 4,368 virtual and 1,598 physical servers; we deliver over 3,000,000 emails per week; we support over 28,000 enterprise IP telephony stations. Some agencies also have specific federal and state compliance and data privacy regulations that factored into the process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One of the best features is that once the data set and the Excel framework were created, the Risk Scorecards can be used forever. Updates are loaded semi-annually, so there is always a current snapshot of the risk and health of IT for the entire state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s next?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Security Risk Scorecard reviews have been completed for 2017 for every agency except one. Now that they’re part of our standard operations, we’re updating the foundational data set and gearing up for the next round of reviews with agency leaders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We aren’t aware of any other states that have similar efforts in place, but the word has gotten out about this project, and the interest has been very high. Our staff have given nearly a dozen presentations about this project in the past year, including to the Minnesota Society of CPAs’ Risk Management Conference and a recent MS-ISAC conference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The concept and implementation are completely repeatable by anyone. The only cost is staff time to gather information and input it into the Scorecard.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>321304</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:38:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 5 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</Description><Audience/><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 5: Promoting Adoption and Lessons Learned</Title><Publisher/><Subject>intranet</Subject><Subject>web development</Subject><Subject>web design</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 5</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319081.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319083.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-11 - MNIT Intranet Story Part 5 - Public</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-319089&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-12T20:39:03Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 5 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Promoting Adoption and Lessons Learned</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Promoting Adoption&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What good is an intranet if no one uses it? What if they can’t find things? Even though we’d relied on our personas, and our employees’ card sorting feedback, these were still huge question for us. The majority of our staff was not used to having an intranet just for our agency.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We decided to invite employees to play “Around the intranet in 5 Days”, an engagement game complete with prizes. We designed avatars for each member of our Communications team as “tour guides” for the week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/team-avatars_tcm38-319066.png&quot; title=&quot;Communication Team Avatars&quot; alt=&quot;Avatars of the MNIT Communication team.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;team-avatars&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Meet Cambray, Adam, Jeremy, Suzanne and Emily.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every day for first week, one of our guides was featured on the home page with a clue to help employees find something in the new intranet. The clue led them to the guide’s “hiding spot” on another page, where they could enter their name in a drawing for nominal prizes to be given away at the end of the week. We checked with our legal counsel first to make sure we were following the state’s policy regarding prizes—we chose gift baskets with popcorn and chocolate, and lunch dates with the Commissioner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The response was phenomenal – there were a total of 1529 entries, with five winners across the agency. Employees had a great time, and we collected a lot of positive feedback and constructive suggestions when they couldn’t find things. But the real payoff was that 1,529 unique times, employees found a topic on the new intranet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; Beginning on day one of the launch, do something for your staff that’s designed to help familiarize themselves with all the new features of your intranet. Whether you choose something simple or complex, it’s sure to add a little fun and excitement into the mix. You can also use this as a way to gather feedback for improvements right away.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moving from project into operations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our intranet has been live for about a month. Home page content changes daily and gets easier every day, especially when we have breaking news. We’ve kept track of all the comments and questions that employees have sent us. We started a tracking document for issues and things to fix, like broken links, missing documents, an extra page needed here and there. And especially we’ve kept a list of all the positive comments and “thank-you’s” that staff have sent us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve accomplished nearly everything on our project list, and are moving on to the next phase of building functionality, like a dynamic feed to display real-time IT incidents and changes, and interactive online forms. As we complete them, we’ll announce what’s new on the intranet home page, keeping it fresh and alive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; A simple Excel spreadsheet can help keep you track of issues after your launch. Make it a priority to address any broken or missing links, problems with documents, pages or content as soon as possible. This reassures your employees that the content on your intranet is accurate, timely and that you’re responsive to their needs. It can also identify and address any larger functionality problems with your developers while the project is still open. The line between where the project ends and daily operations begin is a gray area, but your team and your project manager can figure that out together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What we learned&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We learned a lot about projects, the technology we use, about our audience and about ourselves. Planning a course with clear requirements and objectives is very, very helpful. Knowing that we can count on our teammates and on our colleagues in other divisions was an extraordinary benefit. And the warm reception and hundreds of positive comments from our employees made it all worthwhile.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; Celebrate! Take time to look back at all your hard work and congratulate your entire project team on a job well done! Now, on to the next big project!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>319089</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT and partners at DEED, OHE, DLI, U of M, MnSCU bridged the career gap for Minnesotans with technology to streamline access to education and occupation opportunities.</Description><Audience/><Title>ETPL Provider Portal and Career and Education Explorer:</Title><Publisher/><Subject>education</Subject><Subject>minnesota</Subject><Subject>career opportunities</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A woman working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/computer-001_tcm38-320273.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A woman working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/computer-001_tcm38-320272.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - ETPL Provider Portal and Career and Education Explorer:</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-320274&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-12T20:36:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT and partners at DEED, OHE, DLI, U of M, MnSCU bridged the career gap for Minnesotans with technology to streamline access to education and occupation opportunities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>ETPL Provider Portal and Career and Education Explorer</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project produced two applications -- the Eligible Training Provider Portal and the Career and Education Explorer -- to create a streamlined user experience for Minnesotans and the 1,000+ job counselors who serve them to move seamlessly from education searches to occupation searches.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Eligible Training Provider Portal is a web-based data entry portal, built in-house, used by over 300 Minnesota training providers and institutions to enter program, course and apprenticeship offerings that are eligible for state and federal funding assistance. The data entered by training providers is then displayed to users through the Career and Education Explorer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Career and Education Explorer is a web-based search and display tool, built in-house, used by job counselors, job seekers, and employers to review education offerings and related occupation information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team included developers, a database administrator and a project manager from MNIT, the product owner, and subject matter expert from DEED.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using Agile Scrum methodology to manage the project, the team met each morning to review tasks completed the day before, discuss the work to be done that day, and any impediments getting in the way of that work. This constant communication among technical staff and business partners allowed for immediate business feedback, maximized productivity and fostered a great team culture.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The IT project manager and business product owner together reported team progress to stakeholders through monthly sprint reviews. This led to ongoing stakeholder feedback and acceptance at each stage of development, and allowed for iterative scope revaluation with project sponsors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project team worked with several other agencies to accomplish the goals of the project, and the core project team itself included members of both MNIT and two divisions within DEED (Labor Market Information and Workforce Coordination), creating a true partnership that was essential to the success of the project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team also worked with the Office of Higher Education (OHE) to acquire data and ensure that education data in the tools remained in sync with data produced by OHE. The team also worked with the Department of Labor and Industry to ensure that apprenticeship information met DLI standards. Finally, the team worked with the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities staff to ensure that the field requirements in the bulk data import files submitted by large institutions met the requirements in the WIOA law without placing an undue burden on the school.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ETPL Provider Portal and the Career and Education Explorer bring together previously separate education and occupation data from multiple state agencies, training providers, and departments within DEED to create a seamless user experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The product owner for the ETPL Provider Portal and Career and Education Explorer stated:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The secure ETPL Provider Portal and public Career and Education Explorer maintain Minnesota’s Eligible Training Provider List and helps people all across the state explore careers and find related education, or explore education and find related careers, thus bridging the gap between educational and occupational opportunities and crucially helping Minnesota comply with the letter and spirit of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>320274</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 4 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</Description><Audience/><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 4: Communicating Before and After the Launch</Title><Publisher/><Subject>intranet</Subject><Subject>web development</Subject><Subject>web design</Subject><Subject>communicating</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 4</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319081.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319083.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-11 - MNIT Intranet Story Part 4 - Public</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-319090&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-11T20:40:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 4 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Communicating Before and After the Launch</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This was going to be a big change for our staff, and we knew we needed to get the communications right. Having a communications plan was imperative to outline exactly how, when, and with whom we would communicate. The more we communicated, the better.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; A good communications plan makes sure you’re getting the right message to the right people at the right time!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communicating Before the Launch&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We prepared our employees for move to a new platform. We thought it might be easier, but any change is still “change”. We scheduled a series of weekly messages that had some new information, and some details repeated from the message before, in case they missed an earlier email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With all change, knowing what to expect is a key factor in acceptance. We wanted our staff to know exactly what to expect and to be transparent about the changes. One of the biggest differences was that everyone’s browser home page (in Chrome and Internet Explorer) would now open to the new employee intranet every day. This was a huge shift for all 2,000+ employees, so we addressed that up front, along with issues about bookmarks to old website content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We also met in person with our Enterprise Service Desk support staff, to prepare them in case the received calls or tickets from employees when the intranet launched. We gave them a sneak-peek tour of the site, and provided FAQs and troubleshooting materials.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; It’s best to over communicate, rather than under communicate. Make your messages transparent—don’t sugar coat or cloak unpopular changes in vague language. Use plain language and be open with your employees—they appreciate honesty.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Communicating on Launch Day&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We wanted launch day for employees to be stress-free, exciting and fun! The morning of the launch, we provided every employee with a small chocolate bar and a note from the Commissioner that announced the new intranet. And we announced our post-launch promotions. Our administrative assistants helped with the massive coordination (packaging and delivering these tokens to all employees across the state!). It was a huge effort, but well worth it, judging by the comments we received from staff afterward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; If you’re going to make big changes that you expect will be unwelcome, try adding an element of fun and enjoyment to your launch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check back later this week for part 5 in the MNIT Intranet Story to learn how we promoted adoption and the lessons we learned.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>319090</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </Description><Audience/><Title>Looking Back at 2017: Improving Water Quality with BuffCAT</Title><Publisher/><Subject>buffcat</Subject><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>geospatial</Subject><Subject>clean water</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up photo of clean and clear water.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Clean%20Water%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-233153.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up photo of clean and clear water.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Clean%20Water%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-233151.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - BuffCAT</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-320110&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-11T20:40:29Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you did in 2017. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Improving Water Quality with BuffCAT</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Staff from MNIT and BWSR partnered with Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) across Minnesota and state partners like Department of Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture to develop BuffCAT, the Buffer Compliance and Tracking Tool. BuffCAT helps review more than 500,000 parcels and also helps SWCDs maintain a consistent approach.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;BuffCAT was developed to aid Minnesota’s new buffer law in 2016 to improve water quality. That law established a perennial vegetation buffer up to 50 feet along lakes, rivers, and streams and 16.5 feet along ditches. The Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) needed to reduce the time and expense of SWCD compliance reports by eliminating paper-based compliance forms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;BuffCAT was custom developed to allow for a systematic and consistent approach to collecting data related to buffers using GIS mapping and a mobile collector application for field use. BuffCAT is also critical to validating success and the progress within the 500,000 parcels that need state review. BuffCAT tracks this progress while reducing administrative time and costs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;BuffCAT is exceptional because it is a creative and valuable application of GIS technology used to target specific enforcement of a new law. Beginning with a prototype to help gather requirements, the application was created in collaboration with end users and the local SWCDs. Their feedback helped inform design decisions and get stakeholder buy-in. After using the prototype, 90% of users recommended moving forward with the application statewide. End users were provided with training and documentation for the application.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project had limited resources and a small IT staff. Using project fundamentals of a project charter, executive sponsor team, project schedule, and regular status reports kept the project on track and managed the impact of resource constraints.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With a limited budget and tight timeline, the team decided to develop a prototype using ArcGIS Online, a technology well understood by IT that was also uniquely suited to the business needs. This would also help build stakeholder buy-in. The team validated that the required datasets were available and that one statewide map would meet the business need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By using a prototype, end users were able to visualize the user interface and workflows with real data. It took about two months to develop the prototype, that was developed and demonstrated first to BWSR, then to SWCDs. After giving them time to test the prototype, feedback was solicited from the participants. One form of feedback was a survey to the SWCDs that provided valuable responses and insight to the current release.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;GIS is not a simple application and skills vary across the user base. The team worked with Department of Admin to offer a Collector for ArcGIS training for field users. Documentation and guidance was created for users to reduce the number of support issues the application would encounter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start to finish, the business need was met in approximately seven months, giving SWCDs a full year of use of BuffCAT in order to make the compliance assessments needed for public waters, and two years for public ditches.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The team worked with the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGEO) to collect spatial parcel data statewide. Prior to the development of the BuffCAT application, statewide parcel data had only been collected by MnGEO for less than ¾ of the state. Due to the need for parcel data to allow SWCDs to report buffer compliance to the state, submission of parcel data from all 87 Minnesota counties to MnGEO was completed within several months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upon passing of the buffer law, the DNR was required to map all streams and ditches that were applicable to the law. The BuffCAT team worked with DNR staff to be sure the most recent version of this “buffer map” data was incorporated into the BuffCAT application.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;By the end of 2016, over 90,000 parcels of land have been reviewed by districts with BuffCAT. In one day, more than 6,000 parcels were reviewed and edited by SWCD staff around the state. Progress continues and a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/buffer-law/map/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;compliance map generated from BuffCAT&lt;/a&gt; shows the percentage of buffer compliance by county. Being able to demonstrate progress with a visual is beneficial to the buffer law, the conservation districts, and the state agencies working to improve water quality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As reported by the Pine Journal, Carlton County SWCD employee Laura Christensen used BuffCAT to review 6,356 parcels. She used the BuffCAT application tool to determine that 6,079 parcels were already compliant. The remaining 277 county parcels needed field verification. This demonstrates the applications impact and cost savings for just one county. BuffCAT is helping SWCD’s work smart all across Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testimonial&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The BuffCAT application was extremely user friendly. By providing multiple layer options such as aerial overlays, parcel data and LIDAR, I was able to easily discern 99% of my counties compliance without having to step foot in the field. Communication between BWSR and the SWCDs was key in the BuffCAT’s success. BWSR and MNIT did a truly great job in communicating maintenance schedules as well as thoroughly and promptly answering any questions that arose. In my experience, the IT behind the program did, and is doing, a truly great job. Very personable and helpful.”-- Laura Christensen, Conservation Technician, Carlton Soil and Water Conservation District&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>320110</id><pubdate>2018-11-30T21:07:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you done in 2017.</Description><Audience/><Title>Bringing GIS to K12 Education in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>gis</Subject><Subject>education</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Looking Back at 2017</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Students working on laptops and tablets.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/students-001_tcm38-319950.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Students working on laptops and tablets.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/students-001_tcm38-319946.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-12 - Looking Back 2017 - GIS to K12 Education</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-319952&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-06T21:04:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff worked hard on many projects over the past year, some on behalf of our agency partners, others to improve cybersecurity for the state, and others still that strengthened the foundations of our enterprise services. Here’s a look at some of the important work you done in 2017.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Bringing GIS to K12 Education in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In July 2017, at Esri&apos;s International User Conference in San Diego, MNIT staff in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) were recognized for their efforts with a highly competitive Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The SAG award recognized MNIT and MDE&apos;s work over the past three years to develop GIS workshops for K12 teachers throughout the state of Minnesota. The SAG Award also recognized MNIT and MDE&apos;s work in launching a statewide middle and high school GIS mapping competition, which has gone on to serve as a prototype for a national GIS mapping competition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There to accept the award from Esri&apos;s founder Jack Dangermond was MNIT&apos;s Scott Freburg, K12 GIS Project Lead housed at MDE. This project is ongoing and has several collaborative partners, including folks from the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office, Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education, and the Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/k-12-gis-award_tcm38-319945.png&quot; title=&quot;GIS Award Presentation&quot; alt=&quot; Jack Dangermond presenting MNIT&apos;s Scott Freburg with an award&quot; style=&quot;width: 75%; height: auto; text-align: center;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;k-12-gis-award&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is prevalent throughout local, state and federal government, as well as all 500 fortune 500 companies. Unfortunately, our K12 education system isn’t producing many students with GIS skills, including spatial and critical thinking and problem solving.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To address this, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) signed a license agreement with Esri of Redlands, CA to provide FREE GIS software to all K12 schools, districts and clubs in 2013. This project started in 2014 to develop and bring GIS training opportunities to teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Initially MDE developed a partnership with the Minnesota Alliance of Geographic Education (MAGE) at Macalester College, as well as the Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium and Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) to develop hands-on training workshops. By partnering with local, regional and state GIS professionals around Minnesota, it allowed training sites to be developed and put on all around the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Between 2014 and 2017, over 60 workshops were held and more than 500 teachers attended. Many of these teachers attended more than one workshop. From this, GIS usage accounts jumped from less than 10 to over 230.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because this project was so successful, three other states began similar projects and Esri started a National Competition in 2017. More than 25 states competed and the overall high school winner was from Minnesota’s own Duluth Denfeld High School.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project started a collaboration with GIS/LIS Consortium to hold a one day (all-day) hands on training the first day of their statewide conference in October 2017. This is an ongoing project and has many collaborators. It has been a large task but Minnesota will reap the benefits for years to come as students enter college with increased spatial and critical thinking skills.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>319952</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:57Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 3 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</Description><Audience/><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 3: Development</Title><Publisher/><Subject>intranet</Subject><Subject>web development</Subject><Subject>web design</Subject><Subject>development</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 3</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319081.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319083.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-11 - MNIT Intranet Story Part 3 - Public</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-319091&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-05T22:09:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 3 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Information Architecture, Design, Development, and Adding Content</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Information Architecture&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Figuring out how to organize the information is a lot easier when you ask your audience to help guide your direction. We held a card sorting exercise using an online tool that allowed all our employees to participate, and made collecting the results easy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Card sorting is a UX (user experience) tool to help design or evaluate the information architecture of a site. In a card sorting session, participants organize topics into categories that make sense to them and they may also help you label these groups. Card sorting helps understand user expectations, and also assists in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Building site structure&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Deciding what to put on the homepage&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Developing and labeling categories and top navigation&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Design and Development&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We wanted something fresh and engaging, easy to navigate, and aligned with our brand. Our senior designer, our web content manager and the web development team collaborated on the design, provided art direction, and sourced photos for landing pages. Many hours of dedicated hard work went into building the infrastructure and the functionality that would pull everything together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We planned to promote adoption after launch by having all employee browser home pages open to the new intranet site. We engaged the lead enterprise workstation management engineer early in the project to develop a process that would work for all MNIT staff in all locations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; Use business requirements to track concurrent tasks and dependencies with all the teams that are working on a project. That way, everything moves forward at the same time towards launch day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding Content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once the site structure in place, there was still a lot of work to be done! The entire Communications team pitched in to create content during the final month. Our web content manager and the project manager met with us daily to direct us and keep track of all the tasks that needed to be done.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; Quick daily check-in meetings help pinpoint issues, and make adjustments to assignments. It’s also a great team energy booster!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check next week for part 4 in the MNIT Intranet Story to learn about our process with communicating changes to MNIT employees.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>319091</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 2 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</Description><Audience/><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 2: Taking inventory, migrating content, and getting to know our audience.</Title><Publisher/><Subject>intranet</Subject><Subject>web development</Subject><Subject>web design</Subject><Subject>project management</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 2</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319081.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319083.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-11 - MNIT Intranet Story Part 2 - Public</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-319092&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-12-01T20:43:46Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 2 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Taking inventory, migrating content, and getting to know our audience.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Conducting an Inventory&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since we already had an existing intranet, we needed to identify what we had, where it was, if it should be moved to the new intranet, and where it should go. The team met with staff from Human Resources, Finance, and Legal divisions to make sure we wouldn’t leave anything behind.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best practice:&lt;/strong&gt; If you have an existing intranet site, a good inventory can help map out what needs to be done for the developers. It can be as simple as creating a spreadsheet and copying the URL of the source content you need to move. When you have the new structure built, then you can add the target URL you want to move the content to.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Navigating the Separation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our move to a new intranet was a bit tricky because it involved 1) moving content from one platform (SharePoint) to an entirely different platform (Tridion) and 2) separating the old MNIT Commons site collection and pulling apart the intranet site from the collaboration sites that had been tied together. Our senior graphic designer developed a great illustration that helped tell the story:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/intranet-split_tcm38-319065.png&quot; title=&quot;Intranet Split&quot; alt=&quot;A representation of a fork in the road showing the splitting up of the MNIT employee intranet and collaboration sites.&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;intranet-split&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The separation of the old MNIT Commons involved an enormous amount of planning, collaboration and heavy lifting for the project team, the content owners, the web development team, and the SharePoint support team. The site inventory came in handy to help identify what content should move, where it moved to, and what content would be deleted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Knowing our Audience&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we began to build this new intranet, our primary goal was to help a diverse group of employees do their jobs more easily. Questions quickly arose at team meetings:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do we know what information employees need?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do we understand users’ core motivations and goals?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do we accommodate different user groups who do different types of work?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;How do we ensure that every design decision is based on a clear hierarchy of users’ needs?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although it was vital to involve real employees in our project, &lt;strong&gt;it wasn’t feasible to involve users in every single decision&lt;/strong&gt;. So we used a technique widely used in best practices. We created intranet user personas--a virtual panel of key employees—to provide direction and clarity around key issues.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is a persona? A user persona is an imaginary person you create to represent a large group of users who share many characteristics in common. It is an archetypal user to whom many real users are quite similar.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For our project, we created four personas with names that represented large groups of our employees: Newbie Nick, Manager Mike, Near-Retirement Nancy, and Developer Deborah. For every decision we made, we asked ourselves how it would affect those personas: “Where would Newbie Nick look for benefits? How would Manager Mike find training information for his staff? Does Nancy need information about the post-retirement option? Where would Deborah look for a job posting that she was interested in bidding on?”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; When you create user personas you flesh out details about the imaginary people to make them highly realistic and relatable. And you conduct research to understand the different patterns that tie users together into clearly delineated groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What’s the value? User personas help an intranet team escape conceptual debates around personal preferences as well as political jousting between stakeholders. Referencing user personas at key decision moments forces personal preferences to recede and shifts the focus to users’ needs. This smooths the decision-making process and results in a simpler, more purposeful intranet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check back later this week for part 3 in the MNIT Intranet Story to learn about our process with information architecture, design, development and content.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>319092</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 1 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</Description><Audience/><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 1: Project Management</Title><Publisher/><Subject>intranet</Subject><Subject>web development</Subject><Subject>project management</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The MNIT Intranet Story Part 1</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319081.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team working on a computer.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/team-working-001_tcm38-319083.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-11 - MNIT Intranet Story Part 1 - Public</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-319093&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-11-28T21:51:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 1 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Project Management</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT recently built and launched a new employee intranet. We&apos;ve received many emails from employees with questions about what went into the project. Here is part 1 of the story of our project, including some best practices and lessons learned.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Project Team&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our project plan, project manager, and a superb team of experts paid off for our intranet project. We involved teams from Communications, Project Management, Web Development, Enterprise Endpoint Systems Management (Workstation Management), Middleware (Apache configuration), and Microsoft SharePoint support teams and content owners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Understanding our purpose - why are we doing this?&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our intranet project was tied to a much larger purpose: to write a policy that would make sure information gets shared with the intended audience. The policy was the MNIT Communications policy. It outlined the types of information we share as an agency, the audiences we share information with, and the vehicles we use to do that.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the intranet project, the purpose was very clear: create a private website for MNIT staff with the current information, news and updates they need as employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project Managers are worth their weight in gold&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our project manager kept us on track, and kept the project in-scope. Frequent check-ins kept everyone in the know and our eyes on the end goal. After the launch, we used an issue tracker to make sure we addressed any outstanding problems, and kept track of all the ideas for improvement that employees sent us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Scope and Requirements&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We learned that it&apos;s essential to have a clear picture of how you want the intranet to function and look at the beginning of the project. Our plan allowed for the flexibility to make changes along the way to make sure we met all the requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;margin-left: 40px;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Practice:&lt;/strong&gt; Business requirements are key to a successful outcome. They define your purpose and objectives. They help developers know how to design and build your intranet. The document is a roadmap that sets expectations, milestones and timelines to keep the project on track and on budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Coming next week in The MNIT Intranet Story Part 2: Advance planning, an inventory of content to keep, and using personas to identify audience needs.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>319093</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>To ensure that REAL ID compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards are available for Minnesotans by the State’s deadline of October 2018, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that they have contracted with a private sector partner to develop the driver services portion of the Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS).</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Departments of IT Services, Public Safety Announce Private Sector Partner to Develop Driver Services Portion of MNLARS System</Title><Publisher/><Subject>mnlars</Subject><Subject>mndot</Subject><Subject>driver’s licenses</Subject><Subject>REAL ID</Subject><Subject>minnesota </Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Departments of IT Services, Public Safety Announce Private Sector Partner to Develop Driver Services Portion of MNLARS System</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Cars traveling on a highway.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/transportation-traffic-2_tcm38-318972.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-11 - Public and Private Sectors Partner on MNLARS</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-318974&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-11-28T18:07:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>To ensure that REAL ID compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards are available for Minnesotans by the State’s deadline of October 2018, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that they have contracted with a private sector partner to develop the driver services portion of the Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS).</ShortDescription><Subtitle>FAST Enterprises has successfully implemented driver and vehicle services systems in eleven other states. </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;November 28, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FAST Enterprises has a long history of providing high-quality, customer-focused IT development services to the State of Minnesota on-time and on-budget.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SAINT PAUL, MN&lt;/strong&gt; – To ensure that REAL ID compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards are available for Minnesotans by the State’s deadline of October 2018, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that they have contracted with a private sector partner to develop the driver services portion of the Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS). FAST Enterprises, the State’s new vendor, has a long history of providing high-quality, customer-focused IT development services to the State of Minnesota on-time, and on-budget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FAST Enterprises has developed a proven driver services product that has been used in numerous other states to manage driver’s license databases and services, and issue REAL ID-compliant cards. FAST Enterprises has successfully delivered similar systems in 11 other states, and can use its existing software to meet the aggressive timeline for REAL ID that was put in place by the Minnesota Legislature in 2017. FAST Enterprises will provide the software, implementation services, conversion, and training for Minnesota’s driver’s license IT system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“We are committed to building a system that ensures all Minnesotans are able to access the services they need, in compliance with state and federal timelines,” said MNIT Services Commissioner Thomas A. Baden, Jr., “Bringing in FAST Enterprises – which has repeatedly proven its ability to deliver this product on-time, without problems or delays – is the best possible way to modernize our driver and vehicle services, and provide Minnesotans the quality, timely services they expect and deserve.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It is important to get this right and get it done on time,” said Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman. “There are few services in state government as important or fundamental in the lives and businesses of Minnesotans than obtaining a driver’s license. It is essential for our work, our livelihoods, and our way of life, and the State of Minnesota is committed to delivering that service.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to successfully delivering similar driver’s license IT systems in 11 other states, FAST Enterprises has provided excellent services to the State of Minnesota for nearly a decade. For example, FAST Enterprises’ integrated tax processing solution, GenTax®, is currently used by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Minnesota began using the GenTax® program in 2008. The GenTax® system supports a variety of users and functions, including over 90 account types and taxes. The project was completed in multiple rollouts – every rollout for this project was delivered on-time, on-budget and delivered high-quality services for its users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State’s contract with FAST Enterprises to develop and implement the new driver’s license IT system will cost $26 million, and be paid for with existing state resources for the development of the MNLARS project. To learn more about the State of Minnesota’s efforts to modernize the Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS), and its partnership with FAST Enterprises, &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/assets/mnlars-fact-sheet_tcm38-318942.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;MNLARS Fact Sheet&quot;&gt;view the fact sheet here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About State and Federal REAL ID Requirements&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 as part of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations. It sets standards for identification and keeps federal agencies from accepting state-issued IDs that don’t meet those standards. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted a formal extension to Minnesota for REAL ID compliance through October 10, 2018.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans do not need to take action at this time, and can continue to board commercial airplanes and access federal facilities with their existing driver’s licenses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to DHS, passengers with driver’s licenses issued by a state that is compliant with REAL ID (or a state that has been issued an extension because it continues to demonstrate progress toward full compliance) will still be able to use their driver’s licenses or identification cards until October 1, 2020. At that time, every air traveler will need a REAL ID-compliant license, or another acceptable form of identification, for domestic air travel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Fast Enterprises&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fast Enterprises (FAST) is a leading provider of software and professional services that helps governments to enhance customer services, reduce costs, improve the efficiency of internal operations, and maximize return on investment. FAST professionals work on-site with government agencies to implement modernized enterprise systems based on the company&apos;s commercial off-the-shelf GenTax®, FastDS-VS®, and FastUI® software products. In production for government agencies around the world, FAST’s software solutions are used to manage hundreds of government programs for tax and revenue, driver licensing and compliance, vehicle titling and registration, and unemployment insurance tax and benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>318974</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:31:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Minnesota High Tech Association presented Minnesota IT Services’ with a Community Impact Tekne Award, while Commissioner Baden received a special Public Service Award for his work securing state services.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT and Commissioner Baden honored with Tekne Award</Title><Publisher/><Subject>community impact</Subject><Subject>tekne award</Subject><Subject>public service</Subject><Subject>commissioner baden</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Honored at Tekne Awards</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>2017 Minnesota Tekne Award Recipient logo </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tekne-award_tcm38-318278.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>2017 Minnesota Tekne Award Recipient logo</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tekne-award_tcm38-318276.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-11 - MNIT and Commissioner Baden honored with Tekne Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-318262&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-11-16T20:36:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota High Tech Association presented Minnesota IT Services’ with a Community Impact Tekne Award, while Commissioner Baden received a special Public Service Award for his work securing state services.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Minnesota IT Services and Commissioner Baden Honored at the 2017 Tekne Awards </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;November 16, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) has named Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) as the recipient of the 2017 Tekne Award in the Community Impact award category. Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Thomas Baden was also presented with a Public Service Award, recognizing his work in advocating for state cybersecurity initiatives. Held November 15 at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the Tekne Awards honor organizations and individuals who have played a significant role in developing new technologies that positively impact the lives and futures of people living around the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services received the Community Impact Award for its work in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to develop the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www2.mda.state.mn.us/webapp/foodlicensingwizard/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Food Business Licensing and Food Safety Wizard&quot;&gt;Food Business Licensing and Food Safety Wizard&lt;/a&gt;, a web-based tool that enables anyone wanting to make or sell food in Minnesota to more quickly get a food license. By walking through a simple series of questions presented in plain language, users can quickly find out which license they need, and the next steps for starting their new food business. The tool is available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong and formatted to fit mobile screens to make it easy-to-use and accessible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Food businesses are a popular entry point for entrepreneurs, especially for new Minnesota citizens, and food business licensing is a complex topic that defies easy answers. This tool cuts through the complexity and makes it easy for budding entrepreneurs to navigate the rules and regulations they must follow to safely make and sell food.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Thomas Baden, Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, was also one of three recipients of MHTA’s Public Service Award at the Tekne Awards celebration. Honored for providing outstanding leadership to advance technology and innovation in Minnesota at the State, Commissioner Baden has worked to raise awareness about cybersecurity issues in state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2015, Thomas Baden was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to serve as Commissioner and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“State systems and Minnesotans’ data are increasingly under attack, and those attacks are growing more sophisticated. Commissioner Baden’s technical expertise and leadership has helped Minnesota IT Services elevate the subject of cybersecurity at the State Capitol. We are grateful for the work he has done on behalf of this critical issue, and we will continue to move this agenda forward in 2018,” said Minnesota IT Services’ Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Schaeffer.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tekne Awards were presented to 13 of Minnesota’s most influential companies and recognized innovations in software, healthcare, STEM education, workforce development, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesota continues to be a national leader in technology and science, and this year’s Tekne Award recipients are clear evidence of that,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, president and CEO of MHTA. “We are honored to recognize Minnesota IT Services and Commissioner Baden for their innovations and achievements.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year’s Tekne Awards ceremony was emceed by meteorologist and entrepreneur Paul Douglas. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tekneawards.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;List of 2017 Tekne Award recipients and finalists&quot;&gt;A list of 2017 Tekne Award recipients and finalists&lt;/a&gt; is available online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesotans can &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/who-we-are/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;visit the MNIT website&quot;&gt;visit the MNIT website to learn more&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. We work to set IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MHTA is an innovation and technology association united in fueling Minnesota’s prosperity. We help bring together the people of Minnesota’s technology ecosystem and lead the charge in directing technology issues to Minnesota’s state capitol. MHTA is the only membership organization that represents Minnesota’s entire technology-based economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size − involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Minnesota. Find out more on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mntech.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MHTA website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>318262</id><pubdate>2020-05-04T22:30:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybercorp Scholarship for Service</Title><title>Blog - 2017-11 - Cybercorp Scholarship for Service</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-317517&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-11-07T23:01:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT is proud to have four Cybercorps grads working as Information Security Analysts in our security operations program today. Miles Forbes, Jordan Jenkins, Scott Rysdahl, and Jordan Potti engage everyday in defending Minnesota’s cyberspace. They know firsthand the vulnerabilities and threats that expose our systems and data, and the diligence needed to transform cybersecurity research into active practice.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Graduates Defend Minnesota’s Cyberspace</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img title=&quot;cybercorp-scholarship&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; alt=&quot;cybercorp-scholarship&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/cybercorp-scholarship_tcm38-317522.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;cybercorp-scholarship&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Left to Right: Scott Rysdahl, Jordan Potti, Jordan Jenkins, Miles Forbes&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://niccs.us-cert.gov/formal-education/cybercorps-scholarship-service-sfs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cybercorps-- Defending America’s Cyberspace&lt;/a&gt;. It sounds like something from a futuristic sci-fi movie, right? Well, it is looking to the future, and it is science, but it’s definitely not fiction. The defense of cyberspace, and the need for a highly evolved workforce is very real. It’s a need that is being addressed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in a unique way through Scholarships for Service (SFS). This national initiative has also opened opportunities for MNIT to recruit and build the next generation of professionals that protect the government’s critical information infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT is proud to have four Cybercorps grads working as Information Security Analysts in our security operations program today. Miles Forbes, Jordan Jenkins, Scott Rysdahl, and Jordan Potti engage everyday in defending Minnesota’s cyberspace. They know firsthand the vulnerabilities and threats that expose our systems and data, and the diligence needed to transform cybersecurity research into active practice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The vast majority of SFS grads go to work for a federal agency, especially those &quot;three-letter acronym&quot; agencies that pop into most people&apos;s minds when they hear the word &quot;cybersecurity&quot;. One of the benefits is access to the federal job fair held in Washington DC. Potti recounted his experience: within an hour of entering the hall, he was ushered upstairs to an interview with the Department of Homeland Security. With each of the grads, their level of commitment and dedication to cybersecurity is very apparent, and it’s worth mentioning some of that federal super-secret spy work they all passed up to use their talents defending and safeguarding us in the state of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Forbes, Jenkins and Rysdahl agree that the Cybercorps SFS is great opportunity for anyone, even if they don’t have an IT or cybersecurity background. Forbes explained that cybersecurity requires a diverse skillset and the ability to see where relationships exist and then identify anomalies in those relationships. In Forbes’ SFS cohort, one person majored in graphic design, another in literature, and his own major was in math.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Forbes was wrapping up his bachelor’s degree in math at the University of South Alabama when he was approached by a professor about an opportunity to apply for the Cybercorps SFS. “I’m 25, and now I have my master’s.” The program paid for it all – books, tuition, travel, a stipend, a computer, and his thesis on how to protect the intellectual property of digital components during international manufacturing. That’s something he wouldn’t have been able to accomplish so quickly otherwise, he explains.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Early in 2017, Forbes attended the national cybersecurity job fair in Washington DC. There he met Aaron Call, MNIT’s Director of Information Security who encouraged him to apply at MNIT, one of the organizations that qualifies for SFS service fulfillment. SFS recipients must fulfill their term of service as IT cybersecurity employees in any Federal, state, local, or tribal government organization. So far, only two states— Minnesota and Iowa—actively recruit Cybercorps SFS graduates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jenkins began his education at Anoka Ramsey Community College and continued at St. Cloud State University when he was accepted into the SFS program. Jenkins and Rysdahl learned of opportunities at MNIT from Chris Buse after they’d been in the program a few months. St. Cloud State University is the only program-eligible institution in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jenkins has now been at MNIT for about five months and currently works in MNIT’s Threat and Vulnerability Management Unit. He is very interested in penetration testing, that is, attacking our own systems like an adversary to find and fix weaknesses. Scott Rysdahl has been working as a Security Analyst in MNIT’s Security Operations Center for the past 18 months. He was attending Lake Superior College in Duluth and had a bachelor’s degree in English when he applied for the SFS and began working towards his master’s degree at St. Cloud State. Rysdahl is currently working to finish his master’s thesis.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jordan Potti interned with MNIT, and has been working with MNIT MDH Application Security for about six months. Potti, like Rysdahl, attended Lake Superior College in Duluth. He was accepted into the Scholarship for Service program and completed his degree at St. Cloud State University, something he says would not have been possible without the Cybercorps scholarship. He really enjoyed the extra volunteer commitments, and thought it was great having the program push him to do more. “Wow, if everyone did that in college, they’d be so much better off when they finish.” Potti says he enjoys everything about cybersecurity. In his spare time he does a blog, writes a lot of open source security tools, and does a lot of “bug bounty”, where huge organizations like the Department of Defense and private corporations pay you to try and find the “bugs” and hack into their applications or systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While at St. Cloud State, Jenkins, Rysdahl and Potti all participated in the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) where student “Blue Teams” attempt to defend big simulated businesses from the “Red Teams” (industry specialists who actively conduct intensive hack attacks). Potti and Rysdahl both participated as team captains. Their team placed third at regional competition, and won the state competition two years ago. This year, Potti be on the other side of the fence as he volunteers on the CCDC Red Team, so we’ll stay tuned to hear about that experience later!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although Cybercorps SFS requires a lot of commitment from recipients, it gives back a great deal and they highly recommend the program to anyone. Rysdahl’s advice to students considering application to SFS is to weigh the pros and cons before you start, because the level of service and commitment is exceptionally rewarding, but also rigorous and demanding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the scholarship program, all recipients are required to participate in volunteer work while they are in school, doing things like teaching kids of all ages at libraries and summer programs, staffing booths at cybersecurity events and seminars, giving and attending lectures, and participating in research groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It’s more service than scholarship,” Forbes explained. Rhysdahl adds, “With other scholarships, the work is 95% done once you receive it, but in this program, when you get the scholarship, your work is just beginning.” Jenkins echoed that thought, “There’s a lot more involved than you think.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Potti’s advice for anyone considering Cybercorps SFS is to just do it. “There’s no downside, and there are so many benefits, you won’t regret it.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aside from the monetary benefits, Jenkins explains it like this: “It’s a chance to go above and beyond, and it forces you to do extra things that maybe you wouldn’t seek out.” As Forbes put it, the Cybercorps aren’t “boots on the ground”, but they are the forces that are defending our nation’s economy and our way of life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the SFS program, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://niccs.us-cert.gov/formal-education/cybercorps-scholarship-service-sfs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies website&lt;/a&gt;. Details about the Cybercorps Scholarship for Service program can be found on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.stcloudstate.edu/cose/cybercorps/default.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;St. Cloud State University website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>317517</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As MNIT’s Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse steps into a new role at the Office of the Legislative Auditor, Aaron Call will lead security initiatives at Minnesota IT Services  </Description><Audience/><Title>Aaron Call named Minnesota IT Services’ Interim Chief Information Security Officer</Title><Publisher/><Subject>security</Subject><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>minnesota</Subject><Subject>government</Subject><Subject>ciso</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Aaron Call named Minnesota IT Services’ Interim Chief Information Security Officer</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Portrait of Aaron Call</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/aaron-call_300x300_tcm38-317604.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-11 - Interim Chief Information Security Officer</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-317594&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-11-07T21:57:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>As MNIT’s Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse steps into a new role at the Office of the Legislative Auditor, Aaron Call will lead security initiatives at Minnesota IT Services  </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;November 7, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As MNIT’s Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse steps into a new role at the Office of the Legislative Auditor, Aaron Call will lead security initiatives at Minnesota IT Services&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/aaron-call-vertical-web_tcm38-317599.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Portrait of Aaron Call&quot; alt=&quot;Portrait of Aaron Call&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto; padding: 10px&quot; class=&quot;float-right&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;aaron-call-vertical-web&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is pleased to announce that Aaron Call will serve as Minnesota IT Services’ Interim Chief Information Security Officer. As MNIT’s Chief Information Security Officer since 2007, Chris Buse, takes a new opportunity at the Office of the Legislative Auditor at the end of November, Aaron Call will take the lead in implementing the enterprise security architecture for Minnesota state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aaron Call’s diverse professional background in IT, law, and criminal justice make him uniquely positioned to help the state address the cybersecurity challenges of our modern era. He has previously led security operations in the US Department of Defense, and his work in international private-sector organizations steeped him in network warfare against the most advanced global adversaries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the last three years, Aaron has served as the Director of Information Security for Minnesota IT Services. In this role, Aaron managed the Enterprise Security Office – a team of cybersecurity experts who work to keep their “eyes on the glass” to protect the people of our state from more than 3 million probes and cyber-attacks a day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“State systems and Minnesotans’ data are increasingly under attack, and those attacks are growing more sophisticated,” said Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Thomas Baden. “As our Director of Information Security, Aaron Call has already been a tremendous asset to the state of Minnesota. We are certainly proud and very fortunate to have his experience and leadership as Interim Chief Information Security Officer.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Having served as the state of Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer for just over ten years, I know first-hand how vigilant and nimble we need to be to meet the cyber-threat in Minnesota,” said Chris Buse. “The State of Minnesota is in great hands with Aaron Call. His expertise and dedication fully equip him to move the state forward as we work together to protect all Minnesotans.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aaron is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and the Southern Illinois University School of Law. Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesota students and families can visit the MNIT website to get tips and learn more about cybersecurity best practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. We work to set IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>317594</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:31:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota students are surrounded by technology. Whether it’s in the classroom, at home, or interacting online – we are becoming an ever more connected society. Educating our youth about ways in which they can stay safe online and support a safe online environment for all is critically important.</Description><Audience/><Title>Sparking Cybersecurity Learning at the Boys and Girls Club</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Learning Cybersecurity</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s Chris Buse teaching kids about cybersecurity.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/learning-cybersecurity_tcm38-316846.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>MNIT&apos;s Chris Buse teaching kids about cybersecurity.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/learning-cybersecurity_tcm38-316849.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-10 - Learning Cybersecurity</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-316850&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-27T05:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota students are surrounded by technology. Whether it’s in the classroom, at home, or interacting online – we are becoming an ever more connected society. Educating our youth about ways in which they can stay safe online and support a safe online environment for all is critically important.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Sparking Cybersecurity Learning at the Boys and Girls Club</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 27, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Leadership from Minnesota IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Education engage with kids on Internet safety during Cybersecurity Awareness Month&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; Minnesota students are surrounded by technology. Whether it’s in the classroom, at home, or interacting online – we are becoming an ever more connected society. Educating our youth about ways in which they can stay safe online and support a safe online environment for all is critically important.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Education led interactive event about Internet safety at the Boys &amp;amp; Girls Club – Mt. Airy location as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Minnesota. The event focused on helping students, families and all Minnesotans use the Internet safely and securely, and engaged students in creating messages and images to communicate to their peers the importance of staying safe online. Some of the skills students and families can build to stay safe online include managing settings on social networking sites, preventing cyber-bullying, protecting against viruses, and practicing good cyber-ethics. Approximately 40 students from 27 different schools participated in the event.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“The Internet is a dynamic and exciting place to explore, but it has a dark side, too,” said Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer, Chris Buse. “Learning about Internet safety and best practices early on is crucial to keeping kids and their families from becoming victims down the road.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“It’s never too early to talk to children about staying safe online. Kids today are growing up with the Internet already playing a strong role in their lives – they use it to play games or help with homework, so it’s our responsibility to make sure they’re prepared to use it safely,” said Deputy Commissioner Charlene Briner.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the Boys &amp;amp; Girls Club – Mt. Airy location, youth from 3rd through 8th grades played games – one in which they took on roles as Trojans, firewalls, hackers, and anti-virus software ricocheting around a “computer system” – to better understand how security software and hardware works to protect their computing devices that are connected to the Internet. While the students learned about the different types of risks and cyberattacks that could harm their computers, they also spent some time talking about how to safeguard against malicious individuals (cyberbullies and predators) online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;They say actions hurt more, but words have a bigger effect. Words do hurt, we need to stay safe on the internet,&quot; said Jayla Seacer, an 8th grade student from Saint Paul.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesota students and families can &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot;&gt;visit the MNIT website&lt;/a&gt; to get tips and learn more about cybersecurity best practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. We work to set IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About the Minnesota Department of Education&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Led by Commissioner Dr. Brenda Cassellius, the Minnesota Department of Education is an innovative agency serving a wide range of customers: approximately 850,000 K-12 students and their families; 118,000 young children participating in a variety of early learning programs including Head Start and ECFE; 82,000 adult learners participating in adult education programs including GED and citizenship programs; Minnesota’s 339 school districts and over 52,000 licensed teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Boys &amp;amp; Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities serve over 11,000 youth at nine Twin Cities’ locations. The Boys &amp;amp; Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Clubs represent more than 80 years of service to youth. Dedicated staff at nine metro-area locations and a rural camp provide activities and support to more than 11,000 young people from kindergarten through high school graduation. Club sites are placed in targeted neighborhoods where the need is greatest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/learning-cyber-2_tcm38-316812.jpg&quot; title=&quot;learning-cyber-2&quot; alt=&quot;learning-cyber-2&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;learning-cyber-2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/learning-cyber-3_tcm38-316813.jpg&quot; title=&quot;learning-cyber-3&quot; alt=&quot;learning-cyber-3&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;learning-cyber-3&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/learning-cyber-4_tcm38-316814.jpg&quot; title=&quot;learning-cyber-4&quot; alt=&quot;learning-cyber-4&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;learning-cyber-4&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/learning-cyber-5_tcm38-316815.jpg&quot; title=&quot;learning-cyber-5&quot; alt=&quot;learning-cyber-5&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;learning-cyber-5&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/learning-cyber-6_tcm38-316816.jpg&quot; title=&quot;learning-cyber-6&quot; alt=&quot;learning-cyber-6&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;learning-cyber-6&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>316850</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:31:49Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The Department of Transportation uses technology to keep busses running on time and to monitor traffic. The Department of Health uses technology to track infectious disease and evaluate healthcare programs. Nearly every government function that Minnesotans depend on is reliant upon technology.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Cybersecurity in Partnership</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>Government</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity in Partnership</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team of cybersecurity professionals working.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cybersecurity-Team_1200x500_tcm38-314665.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A team of cybersecurity professionals working.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cybersecurity-Team_300x300_tcm38-314667.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-10 - Cybersecurity in Partnership</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-314670&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-11T19:50:13Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Department of Transportation uses technology to keep busses running on time and to monitor traffic. The Department of Health uses technology to track infectious disease and evaluate healthcare programs. Nearly every government function that Minnesotans depend on is reliant upon technology.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>What we mean when we talk about “Securing State Services” </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is, by nature, a highly collaborative state agency. Working in tandem with over 70 government agencies, boards, and commissions, we provide enterprise and local IT services that enable our partners to effectively serve the people of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nearly every government function that Minnesotans depend on is reliant upon technology. The Department of Transportation uses technology to keep busses running on time and to monitor traffic. The Department of Health uses technology to track infectious disease and evaluate healthcare programs. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development fosters a job-friendly economic climate that helps businesses expand with the aid of technology. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency uses technology to keep our rivers, lakes, and land free from contaminants. The Department of Human Services gets Minnesotans access to the care and programs they need through, you guessed it, technology!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Those are only a few examples from a few state agencies. Add everything together - all 70 those boards and commissions - and you start to see that almost every public service that touches Minnesotans relies on technology to be delivered in a timely fashion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When Minnesota IT Services talks about the importance of securing state systems, we’re talking about keeping state IT systems up and running to support the programs Minnesotans depend on. More than simply keeping citizen’s private information safe from malicious hackers, cybersecurity involves maintaining our IT infrastructure so that Minnesotans can get the care they need, when they need it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last summer, cyber-attackers used WannaCry to exploit a vulnerability in Windows. The cyber-attack encrypted data in computers running on outdated Windows software and demanded a ransom in Bitcoin payment. This &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/12/hospitals-across-england-hit-by-large-scale-cyber-attack&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;article from The Guardian&quot;&gt;article from The Guardian&lt;/a&gt; explains how the cyber-attack disrupted daily services at hospitals and health clinics after attacking the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS). Public records, appointment schedules, internal phone lines, and emails were rendered inaccessible, and connections between computers and medical equipment were brought down. In some cases, new patients couldn’t be booked, prescriptions couldn’t be written, operations were cancelled, and ambulances were diverted.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota systems escaped this attack, but the NHS was not so lucky. Currently, many of Minnesota’s systems are outdated and the technology behind them is unsupported – which makes them a prime target for cyber-attackers. The volume and sophistication of cyber-attacks is growing, but state government works around the clock to meet the threat where it’s at. Minnesota IT Services fights to prioritize cybersecurity for State government – we need the critical systems that support Minnesotans to keep running.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>314670</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>The NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards honor Minnesota IT Service’s excellence and innovation in the implementation of Tempo Go Live! and the creation of the Minnesota Geospatial Commons
</Description><Audience/><Title>Two Minnesota IT Services Projects Honored with State IT Recognition Awards </Title><Publisher/><Subject>NASCIO</Subject><Subject>Awards</Subject><Subject>Geospatial</Subject><Subject>Modernization</Subject><Subject>Digital Government</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota IT Services Honored by NASCIO</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Code on a computer screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Code_1200x500_tcm38-313412.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Code on a computer screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Code_300x300_tcm38-313410.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-10 - Minnesota IT Services Projects Honored</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-313293&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-03T14:21:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>The NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards honor Minnesota IT Service’s excellence and innovation in the implementation of Tempo Go Live! and the creation of the Minnesota Geospatial Commons
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Two Minnesota IT Services Projects Honored with State IT Recognition Awards </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 3, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact:&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards honor Minnesota IT Service’s excellence and innovation in the implementation of Tempo Go Live! and the creation of the Minnesota Geospatial Commons.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN:&lt;/strong&gt; The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) selected two Minnesota IT Services’ (MNIT) projects, Tempo Go Live! and the Minnesota Geospatial Commons, to receive State IT Recognition Awards. Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Thomas Baden, Minnesota Geospatial Commons lead Dan Ross, and Chief Business Technology Officer Darrell Johnson accepted the awards on behalf of MNIT on October 4 at the NASCIO 2017 Annual Conference in Austin, Texas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For 29 consecutive years, NASCIO has presented State IT Recognition Awards to honor initiatives in state government that use technology to solve problems, connect citizens to government, streamline services, and optimize results.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tempo Go Live! was recognized as a winner in the “Digital Government: Government to Business” category. The project updated the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff’s main monitoring system, which in turn helped the MPCA achieve their mission to protect and improve the environment and enhance human health.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Geospatial Commons took home the award in the “Information Communications Technology Innovations” category. The Minnesota Geospatial Commons is a collaborative public website where technologists can access hundreds of geospatial resources composed of data, metadata, maps, services, and applications. &lt;a href=&quot;https://gisdata.mn.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Visit the Geospatial Commons&quot;&gt;Visit the Geospatial Commons here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesota IT Services partners with agencies to provide resources to the people of Minnesota,” said Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Thomas Baden. “Tempo Go Live!, which improved data quality and reporting efforts at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Minnesota Geospatial Commons, which allows users to search for geospatial resources in one place, are fine examples of our collaborative efforts to enhance user experience.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesota IT Services constantly strives to improve our state’s existing systems. Tempo Go Live! and the Minnesota Geospatial Commons were both significant efforts to improve government operations through agency collaboration and shared technology. Minnesota IT Services’ staff worked hard to bring these two successful projects to life, and we thank NASCIO for the recognition,” said MNIT’s Deputy Commissioner, Jenna Covey.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read the Press Release from NASCIO &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/Newsroom/ArtMID/484/ArticleID/537/NASCIO-Recognizes-Outstanding-Achievements-in-State-IT-Finalists-Announced-for-2017-NASCIO-State-IT-Recognition-Awards&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;NASCIO Finalists&quot;&gt;announcing the award finalists on its website here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>313293</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:31:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>As cyber-attacks become more advanced and more common, the state of Minnesota needs resources to safeguard state services and protect its citizens’ personal information</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>Governor Mark Dayton</Subject><Subject>cyber attacks</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man signing papers with binary code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Signing-2_1200x500_tcm38-313409.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man signing papers with binary code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Signing-2_300x300_tcm38-313407.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-10 - Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2017</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-313291&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-10-02T17:53:08Z</Date><ShortDescription>As cyber-attacks become more advanced and more common, the state of Minnesota needs resources to safeguard state services and protect its citizens’ personal information</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 2, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As cyber-attacks become more advanced and more common, the state of Minnesota needs resources to safeguard state services and protect its citizens’ personal information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt;: October is “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the state of Minnesota, as proclaimed by Governor Mark Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith. On average, malicious cyber-attackers probe Internet-accessible state systems over 3 million times each day to find vulnerabilities. These attacks aim to disrupt government services, steal citizen’s private data, or use government resources to conduct illegal operations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Proclamation draws attention to the need for visibility and public education around this critical issue. During the last legislative session, Governor Dayton recommended a $27 million investment as part of a broader package to consolidate the State’s data centers and equip the State&apos;s cybersecurity team with additional staff, tools, and services that it needs to combat cyber-attacks. None of that $27 million, however, was funded by the legislature.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Further demonstrating a commitment to cybersecurity, Governor Dayton also signed on to the Compact Improve State Cybersecurity at the National Governor’s Association Summer Meeting this past July. The three main pillars of the compact include efforts to build cybersecurity governance, prepare and defend the state from cybersecurity events, and grow the nation’s cybersecurity workforce.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“In a time when public trust in government is often called into question, we all must recognize that the basic commitment made by government to protect and defend its citizens now extends to cyberspace,” said Commissioner Thomas A. Baden, Jr. “We have a shared responsibility to act in defense of Minnesotans&apos; private data and the services they rely upon. We must work together to make needed investments in order to protect the people of Minnesota.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services secures and manages systems at over 1,300 locations across Minnesota, and every day, it faces threats originating from over 150 countries.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most recently, calls for investment and the prioritization in cybersecurity have been growing in Minnesota. When Secretary of State Steve Simon’s Office revealed that Minnesota’s election systems had been targeted by hackers, the Star Tribune Editorial Board &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.startribune.com/bolster-minnesota-s-defenses-against-election-hackers/448735073/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Star Tribune Editorial Board Article on Cybersecurity&quot;&gt;penned this response&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“September saw two major data breaches: one at Equifax, and another at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Minnesota is not immune from similar attacks. We cannot afford to lose public trust in the work we do, and we do not have millions of dollars to spend on damage control efforts,” said Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse. “Raising awareness about this issue is key. Knowing about cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities allows us to be proactive and take preventative measures.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Minnesota IT Services will continue the fight to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running, you can learn how to keep your personal information secure online. Throughout October, Minnesota IT Services will provide tips and resources to educate individuals about safeguarding private data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans are encouraged to gather information about State efforts, share resources, and learn more in our &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-274189&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;section on cybersecurity&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Cybersecurity Intro - Updated 1-23-17&quot;&gt;section on cybersecurity&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>313291</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:19:58Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We are pleased to announce a new accessibility toolkit geared towards creating accessible content for Facebook Live! The toolkit is meant to be a best-practices guide for agencies and organizations that would like to use Facebook Live to engage their social media audiences in new and fun ways.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Toolkit for Facebook Live</Title><Publisher/><Subject>CART</Subject><Subject>captions</Subject><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Facebook</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessibility Toolkit for Facebook Live</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person holding a mobile phone that is playing a captioned facebook live video. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Facebook-Live_1200x500_tcm38-310021.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person holding a mobile phone that is playing a captioned facebook live video. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Facebook-Live_300x300_tcm38-310023.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-09 - Accessibility Toolkit for Facebook Live</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-310440&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-09-07T09:16:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>We are pleased to announce a new accessibility toolkit geared towards creating accessible content for Facebook Live! The toolkit is meant to be a best-practices guide for agencies and organizations that would like to use Facebook Live to engage their social media audiences in new and fun ways.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Create your own accessible Facebook Live videos using our new toolkit!</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week, MNIT shared a Blog Post about how the MNIT Communications Team and the Office of Accessibility worked together to create a Facebook Live experience that we could share with everyone. Today, we are pleased to announce a new accessibility toolkit geared towards creating accessible content for Facebook Live! The toolkit is meant to be a best-practices guide for agencies and organizations that would like to use Facebook Live to engage their social media audiences in new and fun ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Overview&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Live events include Facebook Live Streams, YouTube live events…any live event which includes audio and video.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These steps are specific to Facebook Live. The general planning involved applies to any live video streaming event. Other containers, such as YouTube, present their own unique requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key things to know prior to attempting Facebook Live:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Captioning the event helps ensure your audience can access the information presented.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;There continue to be some issues getting captions to display overtop of your live video event, such as video source restrictions, for some types of social media. In these cases, your caption service provider should be able to use a third-party service like StreamText to provide the captions in a separate window.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Live streaming captions in the separate window will work while the event is in progress, but will not remain visible once the event is completed.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt; The captioner needs good quality audio to hear the event.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Consider your internet connections and phone capabilities at the event site as part of your planning process. Connectivity can be a real challenge when off site.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Budget/Staffing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For outdoor events, ensure your microphone will capture well despite environmental noises, competing sounds, etc. Budget for equipment if you do not currently have what you need.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Caption services:
&lt;ol style=&quot;list-style-type: lower-alpha;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt; Rehearsals – recommend two sessions if you have not done this before; at least one if you have held a successful event previously (with captions).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Schedule caption services (State of MN agencies can use this CART contract service) for the event, including setup time prior to the event starting. Specify that you would like a text (txt) file as soon as possible after the event. (Typically you’d request a text file as part of the contract, but those files may be delivered between anywhere between a day to a week after the event. In this case, it is critical to request the writer send it immediately following the event.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Your agency may already have a master contract or open PO for captioning services. Check with your purchasing agent or affirmative action officer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include info here for state employees that need to use a contract vendor?&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Assign a staff person back at the office to caption the posted video file – easier to do back at the office if you may have spotty internet on location.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At the event, split tasks among multiple people: one to manage the video, another the CART phone call (if you use a phone), and a third to respond to comments on the feed during the event (while this person could be anywhere, on location ensures an awareness of potential issues and facts).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Rehearsal&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a non-public account to run your testing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mimic the environment as much as possible.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Rehearse how you will alert the captioner that the event is starting and ending.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Have staff monitoring the caption link on one device and the Facebook live feed on a different device to ensure everything is working during the test.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Review the video for sound and video quality. Review the CART file and discuss with the captioner items that impacted the captions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Plan what the post will say and who will edit the post:
&lt;ol style=&quot;list-style-type: lower-alpha;&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;As the event is beginning (include the link to captions)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Once the event has concluded (include timeline of when the video will be captioned)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Once the video has been captioned&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure staff are trained on how to operate the equipment, and how to add the caption file. See &quot;Loading CART to Facebook&quot; below if you are planning to use the CART provider’s text file to load into Facebook (file attached, could be downloadable link, I can make a PDF once Jay and Jeremy approve steps – Jeremy followed the instructions once and can tell us if they made sense to him).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Day of Event&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Connect with the captioner – we chose to use a separate cell telephone as it had less delay than having the captioner waiting for the video.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Test all equipment prior to event start, being aware of competing sounds in the area.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure person at the office receives the email from the CART provider once the event has concluded (with the TXT file).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Load caption file to video and update the post text. Be sure to test the video to ensure captions are displaying properly.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Converting Txt File from CART Provider to SRT for Video Upload&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Prepared by: Jennie Delisi, Accessibility Analyst (MNIT) and Jeremy DePew, Marketing Communications Specialist (MNIT)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Txt File from CART Provider&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The CART provider will email a txt file. Open with Notepad. You can edit this file and keep the emailed version as a backup, or open and save a backup copy prior to editing.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the file added extra blank spaces at the end of the text, remove those. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Edit the Txt File &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to the top of the file (CTRL + Home). &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Remove any &amp;gt;&amp;gt; and the extra line between text; while also correcting misspellings and chunking information into up to 2 line groupings. As much as possible, try to keep phrases and sentences together. Follow good captioning practices such as those included in Captioning Key. Add a line break between groupings using the ENTER key. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;At the top of the file, add the following:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;1    00:00:00,000 --&amp;gt; 00:00:00,000&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adding the Timing&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Copy the 1 and time stamping from the top of your file. You will paste this into your file at the beginning of each grouping, keeping a space between each grouping.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using a digital stop watch, start the video and watch the first sentence. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pause the stop watch and the video once your first text grouping is done.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Record the time of the start and end of that grouping. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For the next grouping, paste what is in your clipboard (number and time) remembering to keep a space between this and the last text group. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Resume the movie and the stop watch, pausing once the next grouping is done.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Repeat steps 4-6 until you have all the timings added into your txt file. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Example of Groupings with Time Stamp&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;00:00:00,000 --&amp;gt; 00:00:04,440 (Jenna) Hello to everyone tuning in to MNIT’s first-ever Facebook Live text.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;00:00:04,440 --&amp;gt; 00:00:06,570 My name is Jenna Covey, the Chief Digital Officer and Assistant Commissioner at MNIT Services. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save a Copy of Your Txt File as a Txt File! &lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In case you need to go back and edit your text file later, be sure to keep a copy as a txt file. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Save a Copy as an SRT File&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SRT is the file type accepted by Facebook for loading captions. To do this: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to File – Save.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Under “File Name,” type the name of your transcript using “.en_US.srt” at the end.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Under “Save as type:” select “All Files.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Save. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Upload SRT File to Facebook &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Videos on a Person’s Page (adapted from 3Play Media instructions online) &lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In your timeline, go to your videos. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For the specific video, hover with the mouse and select the pencil, or tab to the “edit or remove” option inside the thumbnail for that video, and select edit or remove – edit this video. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the description for the post is specific to the Live event, update the post. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the Captions grouping, select Choose File, and upload your SRT file. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Save. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For Videos on a Business Page &lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to your video library. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For the specific video, select the pencil / “edit video”. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select 2nd tab “captions.” &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the description for the post is specific to the Live event, update the post.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Choose File, and upload your SRT file. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Save. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Test! &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Go to your feed, and if the captions are not automatically displaying when the video is playing, go to the gear/tools in the video player and select captions. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If the captions are displaying, watch to verify the captions are correctly timed and there are no spelling errors.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Troubleshoot if the captions are not displaying or they are not displaying correctly.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Example: if you are seeing strange timings in your captions, go back to your TXT file and verify you have a start and end time for each grouping and that they are correct.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>310440</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:40Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>This year, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) tried something brand new to make our presence at the Minnesota State Fair extra special: we worked on sharing a small part of STEM Day at the Fair with our online audience through Facebook Live. </Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible Facebook Live at the Minnesota State Fair</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Facebook</Subject><Subject>live stream</Subject><Subject>state fair</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible Facebook Live</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person holding a mobile phone that is playing a captioned facebook live video. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Facebook-Live_1200x500_tcm38-310021.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Person holding a mobile phone that is playing a captioned facebook live video. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Facebook-Live_300x300_tcm38-310023.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-08 - Accessible Facebook Live at the Minnesota State Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-309756&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-08-30T11:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>This year, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) tried something brand new to make our presence at the Minnesota State Fair extra special: we worked on sharing a small part of STEM Day at the Fair with our online audience through Facebook Live. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT reaches audience from the Minnesota State Fair with accessible Facebook Live video.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) tried something brand new to make our presence at the Minnesota State Fair extra special: we worked on sharing a small part of STEM Day at the Fair with our online audience through Facebook Live.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Facebook initially launched its live streaming service on April 6, 2016. While it has a demonstrated success in engaging online audiences in live discussions, performances, and presentations, it is not in itself a fully accessible platform. Facebook has only recently (as of June 6, 2017) launched an effort to work compatibly with third-party closed captioning services on Facebook Live videos.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wading into uncharted territory, the MNIT Communications Team partnered with the Office of Accessibility to give everyone in our online audience a Facebook Live experience. We coordinated with the Office of Governor Mark Dayton to issue a Proclamation for STEM Day at the Fair, and we planned to broadcast Facebook Live complete with real-time captioning as Assistant Commissioner Jenna Covey presented the Proclamation on the Dan Patch Park Stage at the State Fair around 11:45am on August 24, 2017.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We learned a lot along the way, and though the process was not simple, we succeeded in producing a &lt;a title=&quot;short live video of the proclamation presentation&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MN.ITServices/videos/vb.204817712873013/1564250210263083/?type=2&amp;amp;theater&amp;amp;notif_t=like&amp;amp;notif_id=1503593212712521&quot;&gt;short live video of the proclamation presentation&lt;/a&gt; with real-time captions. When connectivity issues cut our livestream short, we took &lt;a title=&quot;video to upload, and added captions afterwards&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/MN.ITServices/videos/vb.204817712873013/1564318030256301/?type=2&amp;amp;theater&amp;amp;notif_t=like&amp;amp;notif_id=1503597919799316&quot;&gt;video to upload, and added captions afterwards&lt;/a&gt;. Below is a short description of some of the work we did to prepare for our Facebook Live event. If this piques your interest, please check back in to our blog post next week! We plan to publish a toolkit to help you plan your Facebook Live event and make sure the broadcast is accessible and successful.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning Ahead:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Captioning&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure that everyone could enjoy the live experience, we needed to make captioning a priority. Although there are ways to caption Facebook Live events, they all require streaming from a desktop-generated feed. Currently, there is no solution to captioning a video generated from a phone. Because we intended to use a phone to capture video for this particular event, we needed to find workaround solutions that, while not optimal, ensured access. We worked with a captioning services company to provide captions as the event was occurring. The caption writer worked remotely – viewing the video on her personal Facebook Page and keeping in touch via email and cellphone during the entire process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The captioning company provided us with a URL that we could paste into the Facebook Live post. The link would open up a separate webpage that would show real-time captions. The user would view the webpage showing the Facebook Live broadcast and the webpage with the captions side-by-side in two separate browser windows. Though this was not ideal, this is how we resolved some of the captioning limitations of streaming video from an iPhone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To assist our caption writer for the event, we sent her some of the language we planned to use a day before the Facebook Live event. When she had a hard time hearing, she was able to follow along with some of the text and fill in any gaps that she missed while she was listening for the audio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Sound Control&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We knew that we would run into challenges streaming live video from the Minnesota State Fair, a location that is crowded, loud, and outdoors. Although those presenting the proclamation would be speaking into a microphone, we were unsure how clear the sound would come through an iPhone 6s’s audio input (we planned to use an iPhone 6s to capture the video), and we were unsure how any weather conditions (wind, etc.) would affect the audio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ideally, we hoped to connect the iPhone to an external microphone in order to input direct audio into the stream. We wanted our online audience and our caption writer to be able to hear what was happening clearly in the live video. We hoped to find a Bluetooth wireless microphone that we could use to input audio, but as we did more research, we learned that Facebook Live was incompatible with Bluetooth microphone audio input.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We did further research to find cables that would connect the iPhone to an external microphone, which we could station near the speakers for the Proclamation Presentation. We tried several different adapters and cables, but unfortunately, none of them were able to input external audio into the iPhone’s headphone jack, and we began to run out of time to keep looking for more solutions. After doing a Facebook Live test outside with the iPhone’s built in microphone, we decided to simply shoot the live video with the iPhone’s microphone. We knew the quality would not be perfect, but we were satisfied that the sound system on stage at Dan Patch Park would amplify the presenter’s voices to rise above some of the State Fair noise.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To ensure that our caption writer could hear and accurately capture the words being said on stage in a timely manner, we took an extra step. We used a cellphone to call her during the event, and we placed the cellphone near the stage speakers so she could reliably hear what was happening during the planned video stream. She could watch the video on our Facebook Page and add captions to what she heard on the phone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Testing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We did several tests in the weeks leading up to the Minnesota State Fair to ensure that the Facebook Live camera operator could smoothly set up the Facebook Live broadcast from her iPhone, the captioning services would work well with live video, and the sound we had would be good quality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Test #1: &lt;/strong&gt;Test with captioning service and Facebook Live broadcast. MNIT’s Communications and Public Affairs Liaison, Emily Shimkus, attempted to make a Facebook Live broadcast featuring Jay Wyant from the Office of Accessibility. Emily Shimkus stood about 12 feet away from Jay Wyant to take the video, and he spoke to our caption writer with his cellphone. The caption writer picked up audio from him directly, rather than from the livestream to avoid big delays in streaming. While the captioning successfully appeared in the captioning web link, a third party who was trying to view the Facebook Live broadcast remotely did not receive a notification of the live broadcast from Facebook and could not locate the live broadcast in her newsfeed or on Emily Shimkus’s personal Facebook Page (where the test was being broadcast with a limited audience).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Test #2: &lt;/strong&gt;Short private test without captioning services, to ensure that the Facebook Live video would stream independently of captioning services. Emily Shimkus shot a personal Facebook Live broadcast from her cellphone around an indoor office in MNIT Central to check on video quality. After this test, we were confident in the steps to take to set up the Facebook Live broadcast on Emily Shimkus’ iPhone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Test #3: &lt;/strong&gt;Final test with the captioning service. We chose to broadcast directly from MNIT’s official Facebook Page, making it clear that the broadcast was a test. We shot the live broadcast outside, in similar conditions to what we anticipated we might have at the State Fair. Assistant Commissioner Jenna Covey stood outside the Capitol and announced that MNIT would be doing a special live broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair the following week. Our caption writer received her audio input from a cellphone near Assistant Commissioner Covey and was able to type the captions in real-time. After this test, we discovered that the captions did not stay up on the captioning web link after the broadcast was over. We realized that in order to make sure our Facebook Live videos had captions even after the broadcasts had finished, we needed to manually input a text file into the video through Facebook afterwards. We requested the text file from our caption writer and learned how to input the captions into the Facebook Live video after the broadcast was completed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Streaming the Facebook Live Broadcast&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At the Fair, Emily Shimkus placed herself near the stage to take video with her iPhone, and Jennie Delisi from the Office of Accessibility called our caption writer and placed her cellphone near one of the stage speakers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Knowing the Minnesota State Fair Wi-Fi would be spotty, we planned to use cellphone data to stream the live video. Although Emily Shimkus had LTE data available, the amount of fairgoers in the vicinity using data made the connection unreliable. Around 15 -20 seconds after Cambray Crozier, MNIT’s Director of Communications, and Assistant Commissioner Jenna Covey took to the stage to present the Governor’s STEM Day at the Fair Proclamation, the live streamed video dropped. We posted the live video that we had captured, and because Emily Shimkus could not get a new live stream to start, she captured additional video on her cellphone to share later.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We asked Jeremy DePew, another member of MNIT’s communications team, to upload captions to the Facebook Live videos from his office at MNIT Central, which he did right after the live captions disappeared. We edited the original post to delete the captioning web URL (where the captions had disappeared) and we added language indicating that captions were coming soon. Once the captions were inputted directly into the videos already uploaded on to Facebook, we edited the posts again to remove the language about captions coming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Had our Wi-Fi signal been strong and steady, the entire Facebook Live broadcast would have streamed successfully and accessibly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Lessons Learned along the Way: What to do for a Successful, Captioned Facebook Live Video&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Planning to livestream an event to social media is a lot of work, but by trying out several different options and ideas to enhance video quality and accessibility on social media, we’ve learned about the questions we need to ask to provide even better videos in the future. Below are some of the things that took our team by surprise as we made our first attempt at a fully accessible Facebook Live broadcast:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Live Captioning does not archive the captions – they disappear right after the event/video/recording is over. You will need to ask the caption writer for a text file to upload captions after the video has gone live, and you will need to upload the captions manually to the videos if you choose to post them. We suggest that you make the text file request in advance when setting up the contract with the captioning services company.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;iPhones do not play well with other sound systems. If you want to use an external microphone for producing video, you might wish to consider streaming video from a computer, tablet, or other device that will easily input audio from an external microphone.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;While Facebook is supposed to notify your followers as you go live, it cannot be counted on to do so. The best way to ensure that people see your live video as it is happening is to give your audience a heads up the week before the live event takes place.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ensure that you are streaming in an area where you have access to trusty Wi-Fi. While there was Wi-Fi available at the Minnesota State Fair, the sheer volume of cellphone users on that system made it unreliable to use. Data was not much more reliable – there were simply too many people using their phones and using data at the State Fair for us to capture live video without it dropping.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;If you wish to broadcast Facebook Live from an organization’s Facebook Page, the organization’s Facebook Page must be verified.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Facebook Live is not a spontaneous event – to use Facebook Live in an accessible way requires significant planning. Testing the video, sound, and streaming services is key to a successful broadcast.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>309756</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Chris Buse, Chief Information Officer for the State of Minnesota, served as a guest judge for the Minnesota 4-H Rube Goldberg engineering design competition on Friday at the Minnesota State Fair.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota IT Services recognizes Minnesota 4-H Student Excellence in STEM at State Fair Rube Goldberg Competition</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>4H</Subject><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>Rube Goldberg Machine</Subject><Subject>Science</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota IT Services recognizes Minnesota 4-H Student Excellence in STEM at State Fair Rube Goldberg Competition</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Dominos_1200x500_tcm38-309155.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Dominos_300x300_tcm38-309146.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-08 - 4H Rube Goldberg Competition 2017</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-309145&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-08-25T11:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Chris Buse, Chief Information Officer for the State of Minnesota, served as a guest judge for the Minnesota 4-H Rube Goldberg engineering design competition on Friday at the Minnesota State Fair.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;August 25, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt;: Chris Buse, Chief Information Officer for the State of Minnesota, served as a guest judge for the Minnesota 4-H Rube Goldberg engineering design competition on Friday at the Minnesota State Fair. 26 students from across Minnesota competed on five teams to design complex machines to accomplish a simple task: raise and wave a flag. Ranging from 3rd to 8th grade, student competitors applied critical thinking, creativity, innovation and problem solving in this non-traditional STEM learning event and had lot of fun in the process!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Buse presented certificates of accomplishment to each student, honoring their commitment to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects through 4-H at the 2017 Minnesota State Fair. Each student engineer’s participation in the Rube Goldberg competition helps foster engagement in STEM learning in Minnesota, and encourages other young people to make the critical connection between their own STEM education and a future career. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesota IT Services is proud join 4-H students and families to celebrate their dedication to STEM activities and education,” said Chris Buse, Chief Information Officer for the State of Minnesota. “We recognize the value of having students take time outside of the classroom to spark interest and engage with STEM in exciting new ways.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota 4H Rube Goldberg Video&quot; href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKIRFHIaH-A&quot;&gt;Watch a short video about the Minnesota 4-H Rube Goldberg Challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Building a Rube Goldberg machine was hard work for our team. It took creativity to solve problems when our ideas didn&apos;t work,&quot; said Emerson, a 4-H’er from Meeker County. “I learned that engineering is interesting and fun too. It was exciting to compete at the State Fair!&quot;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Student Participants&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;table cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;1&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;tbody&gt;
&lt;tr&gt;
&lt;td&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Micah Trost&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;John Newberg&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mikayla Schuster&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Brandon Guggisberg&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Caden Guggisberg&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Keegan Kuhns&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cole Lindberg &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Emerson Lindberg&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Olivia Schuster&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ella Luskey&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Maloree Gartner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alison Waldorf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Devin Waldorf&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Robert Spoden&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Isaak Foesch&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Luke Foesch&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;td&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Owen Gartner&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collin Price&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Martha Price&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ethan Mohr&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lauren Smart&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Henry Borgschatz&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Erik Dahl&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ethan Neumann&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/td&gt;
&lt;/tr&gt;
&lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota IT Services&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. We work to set IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;About Minnesota 4-H&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4-H empowers youth with skills to lead for a lifetime. A program of the University of Minnesota Extension, 4-H is Minnesota’s largest youth development organization, growing leaders in every part of the state. Youth in 4-H collaborate with caring adults to explore hands-on projects in areas like science, health, agriculture, citizenship, and the arts. Mentors provide a positive environment where youth learn by doing. The 4-H experience is delivered by a community of more than 150 staff and 11,000 volunteers across Minnesota. Last year, 69,000 youth participated in Minnesota 4-H programs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;4-H grows leaders with life skills like confidence, independence, resilience and compassion. Youth in 4-H are 2x more likely to make healthy choices, 4x more likely to contribute to their communities and 2x more likely to be civically active. 4-H grows true leaders. Discover more at the &lt;a title=&quot;University of Minnesota Extension website&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://extension.umn.edu/ways-participate&quot;&gt;University of Minnesota Extension website&lt;/a&gt;. For the latest on 4-H, find more on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota 4H Facebook&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/Minnesota4H/&quot;&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota 4H Twitter&quot; href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mn4h&quot;&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota 4H YouTube&quot; href=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/user/Minnesota4H&quot;&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>309145</id><pubdate>2020-05-04T22:29:03Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith have proclaimed Thursday, August 24, 2017, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Dayton, Lt. Governor Smith Proclaim &quot;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair&quot;</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>STEM</Subject><Subject>Science</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Engineering</Subject><Subject>Mathematics</Subject><Subject>Proclamation</Subject><Subject>Governor Mark Dayton</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Dayton, Lt. Governor Smith Proclaim &quot;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair&quot;</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-2017_800x400_tcm38-309149.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText/></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-2017_300x300_tcm38-309147.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2017-08 - MN State Fair STEM Day 2017</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-309144&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-08-24T16:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith have proclaimed Thursday, August 24, 2017, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;August 24, 2017&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair seeks to teach students, parents, educators, and all Minnesotans about the exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN&lt;/strong&gt;– Recognizing the critical need for strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the state of Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith have proclaimed Thursday, August 24, 2017, STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“All Minnesota students need access to quality science, technology, engineering, and math education,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “STEM Day at the Fair is an important reminder that the future of Minnesota depends on a well-educated workforce prepared to innovate and create new opportunities.”&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair is a chance for students, parents, and educators to celebrate and freely participate in collaborative and engaging activities involving STEM. SciMathMN, in collaboration with its many partner organizations, is the driving force behind the STEM Day at the Fair effort. By approaching STEM in this fun and interactive way, STEM Day at the Fair aims to help students make the critical connection between the skills they learn in the classroom and future career opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Promoting STEM learning for Minnesota students is critical for our state,” said Assistant Commissioner Jenna Covey. “STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair works to inspire and connect with students and families to envision a future of career success in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The eighth annual STEM Day returns for the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair, Thursday, Aug. 24, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., in the newly renamed Dan Patch Park (formerly Carousel Park) just outside the grandstand. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day features over 30 participants who will share hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations including robots, rocketry, computer coding and animals designed for children of all ages. Each organization will involve children and adults in STEM-oriented activities and illustrate how the objects, systems and buildings we encounter every day are driven by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A performance stage will feature entertaining experiments and demonstrations, including presentations from WCCO, the Bakken Museum, the University of Minnesota Raptor Center, and others. For more information, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://scimathmn.org/&quot; title=&quot;scimathmn.org&quot;&gt;scimathmn.org&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Students and STEM learners of all ages can find out more about STEM careers in the State of Minnesota at the &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Careers&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers&lt;/a&gt; booth in the Education building. The State of Minnesota is the largest employer in Minnesota, employing over 50,000 employees in state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges and universities. STEM career opportunities range from nursing and medicine, to engineering, to monitoring the quality of Minnesota lakes and streams, to web developing and coding.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>309144</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:26:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>After nearly four years of construction, the restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol is complete. As part of the plan to rebuild infrastructure and maximize space, the Capitol also underwent key technological upgrades and became more accessible to the public.</Description><Audience/><Title>Big Tech Upgrades at the State Capitol</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Capitol</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Restoration</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Big Tech Upgrades at the State Capitol</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota capital dome with computer code behind it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNIT-Cyber-Summit-17_1200x500_tcm38-281849.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota capital dome with computer code behind it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNIT-Cyber-Summit-17_300x300_tcm38-281852.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-08 - Big Tech Upgrades at the State Capitol</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-307495&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-08-09T13:07:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>After nearly four years of construction, the restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol is complete. As part of the plan to rebuild infrastructure and maximize space, the Capitol also underwent key technological upgrades and became more accessible to the public.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;After nearly four years of construction, Minnesota will get the chance to celebrate the largest public preservation effort in state history – the restoration of the State Capitol! As part of the plan to rebuild crumbling infrastructure and maximize public space, the Capitol also underwent key technological upgrades and became more accessible to the public.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota State Capitol opened in 1905, over a century ago. Since that time, technology and its relationship with consumers has changed dramatically. Cass Gilbert, the Capitol’s architect, could never have imagined how an increasingly wired world would change the ways people interact with public space.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As such, bringing the Capitol solidly into the 21st century required some heavy lifting. “Minnesota IT Services staff was instrumental in this process,” said Wayne Waslaski, Senior Director of Real Estate and Construction Services at the Department of Administration. Partnering with the restoration project team and the Minnesota Department of Administration, Minnesota IT Services worked to install and design better IT systems throughout the building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few of the technology upgrades include: all new audio-visual systems, a distributed antenna system to increase communication during public safety and security incidents, new security cameras, new TVs in all of the public spaces for the public to watch hearings and legislative session, and improved broadcasting capabilities from Hearing Rooms and the House and Senate Chambers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services’ Bruce Zimmerman worked on coordinating the installation of all new fiber running through the building. This new fiber is the backbone of the Capitol’s tech upgrades, connecting each agency operating within the building to the network. Additionally, the Capitol has two wiring closets - rooms where network connections can be made. “Having two closets allows us to have increased capacity for our network and resiliency. If one closet has issues or stops working, the whole system will not go offline,” said Mr. Zimmerman.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In general, many of these improvements increase public access to the Capitol building itself. During the restoration process, IT infrastructure was added – infrastructure that made free Wi-Fi in public spaces reliable and available. All public spaces have Wi-Fi coverage, no matter where you’re standing. As legislators, lobbyists, constituents, and advocates gather at the Capitol to lay the groundwork for the future of our state, they can keep up with each other and work to advance legislation in real time online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another improvement to increase public access to the building comes in assistance helping those who are hard of hearing. The Capitol has new audio loop systems, which provide assistive listening technology so stakeholders are able to pick up what is being said or discussed in hearing rooms and other public spaces.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These technological upgrades, along with the changes made to the Capitol’s exterior and physical space, create a welcoming place where Minnesotans can comfortably engage in public discourse with political leadership. The Minnesota State Capitol is not simply a beautiful historic building – Minnesota IT Services is thrilled to have assisted in making it a functional one for today’s technological needs.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>307495</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>A career in information technology is a dynamic one. This industry is one of the fastest changing occupational fields, with constant demand for professionals that are eager to take on new challenges. If you’re looking for a pathway to opportunity, the IT profession is calling!</Description><Audience/><Title>Start Your Career with MNIT</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Information Technology</Subject><Subject>Careers</Subject><Subject>Jobs</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Start Your Career with MNIT</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man and woman working on a server.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Work-With-MNIT_1200x500_tcm38-304747.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man and woman working on a server.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Work-With-MNIT_300x300_tcm38-304746.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-07 - Start Your Career with MNIT</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-304749&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-07-31T11:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>A career in information technology is a dynamic one. This industry is one of the fastest changing occupational fields, with constant demand for professionals that are eager to take on new challenges. If you’re looking for a pathway to opportunity, the IT profession is calling!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A letter from Minnesota IT Services&apos; Director of Recruitment, Jim Kellison.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It is no understatement to say that the IT professional who gets excellent training and who stays current in the constantly changing world of technology will never lack for work. The world will never return to carbon paper and index cards to track, sort and store its information. A skilled and current IT professional will be as much a fact of life in the future as is a nurse or a police officer. In fact, even nurses and police officers now need a significant amount of training on the technology tools they use every day. Your IT skills are certain to provide you with a lifetime career. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A career in information technology is a dynamic one. This industry is one of the fastest changing occupational fields out there, with constant demand for professionals who are eager to take on new challenges. If you’re looking for a pathway to opportunity, the IT profession is calling!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In my role at Minnesota IT Services, I work to connect talented tech-oriented individuals with jobs that utilize their expertise. Minnesota IT Services actively looks for people who value service to their fellow Minnesotans, who know that the team can get more done than the individual, and whose IT skills are up to date and well-grounded in how information and systems interact at a high level – a problem solver, no matter the problem. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The IT work we do encompasses a variety of systems, applications, networks and databases. There are no limits to the number of skills and tools we need to serve and protect the information of 5.5 million Minnesotans. We have job openings in IT security, software engineering, cloud application hosting, GIS professionals, database professionals, helpdesk and support professionals, and scores of other specializations. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When people ask me why they should consider working at Minnesota IT Services, I usually tell them that they will never have the opportunity to work on larger systems with more impact on more people in their careers. We serve Minnesotans all over the state to make sure that teachers get their paychecks, that troopers and other law enforcement officers have constant communications with each other, that prisons are securely provided with accurate information and that those Minnesotans who need assistance are receiving it on time and with fairness. Additionally, Minnesota IT Services offers: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fantastic retirement benefits &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Strong healthcare benefits &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opportunities for continued learning and career development/promotions &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A work/life balance that is hard to find anywhere else &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Opportunities to work in a variety of technical environments &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Interested? If you’ve been reading this and nodding your head, piecing together the different ways you might be able to grow in your career with us, please reach out! Connect with Minnesota IT Services on:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Connect with us:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/company/minnesota-it-services&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Connect with us on LinkedIn&quot;&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnit_services&quot; title=&quot;Connect with us on Twitter&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Call Jim:&lt;/strong&gt;  (651) 201-3074&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Email Jim:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:james.kellison@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;mailto:james.kellison@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;james.kellison@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;And, don&apos;t forget to &lt;a href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-295362&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; title=&quot;View our current job openings&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Gen - Careers&quot;&gt;view our current job openings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author>Minnesota IT Services&apos; Director of Recruitment, Jim Kellison</Author><id>304749</id><pubdate>2024-11-26T21:13:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT Services’ Communications division worked closely with Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility to create nineteen brand new document templates. The templates were created using accessibility best practices and are expected to save time and money. 
</Description><Audience/><Title>Raising Minnesota’s “Accessibility Quotient”</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Microsoft Word</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>PowerPoint</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Creating Accessibility</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man typing on a computer keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/New-Career-2017_1200x500_tcm38-269778.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man typing on a computer keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/New-Career-2017_300x300_tcm38-269777.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-04 - Creating Accessibility</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-291784&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-04-28T20:06:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT Services’ Communications division worked closely with Minnesota&apos;s Office of Accessibility to create nineteen brand new document templates. The templates were created using accessibility best practices and are expected to save time and money. 
</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;How accessibility, design and IT are working together to make accessible document templates broadly available at the state.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility matters. This is the driving principle behind the Minnesota Statute 16E.03, subd. 9 that calls for all state agencies to comply with the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/government/policies/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Policies &amp;amp; Standards&quot;&gt;state accessibility standard&lt;/a&gt;. An outcome is the expectation that every document created in state government be usable by all Minnesotans including those who rely on assistive technology. This could be a blind state employee using screen reader software to access a departmental regulation. Or, an older adult with declining eyesight trying to read information about a government service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ensuring consistent, accessible document preparation across a large, geographically distributed organization can be a daunting task when you consider the sheer number of state employees (over 35,000), as well as the learning curve involved in mastering alternative text, reading order and document structure. Ask any of the state’s accessibility coordinators and they’ll tell you how busy they are in testing and remediating the huge flow of documents created daily by state employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make matters worse, the quality of document templates varied among agencies, and even within departments. Accessibility coordinators had long talked about the need for a consistent baseline level of documents that didn’t require employees to be accessibility experts to comply with state law.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Enter the accessible document template&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A few years ago, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Communications created a suite of accessible Microsoft Word and PowerPoint templates for its staff, which were available via download from an intranet site. This enabled employees to create accessible documents using pre-existing styles and components such as headings, tables, bullets, and lists. By using the templates’ built-in features, the content creator could reasonably expect documents to be accessible – and fulfill agency branding requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Fast forward to 2017. The governor’s office, MNIT Services, and Minnesota Management and Budget teamed together to lead a &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/portal/brand/style-guide/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;statewide rebranding effort&lt;/a&gt;. This has led to exciting opportunities to share materials across organizational lines in a way that was never possible when each state agency had unique, disconnected brands.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the time leading up to Minnesota’s brand launch, the Minnesota Office of Accessibility (housed in MNIT) and Accessibility Coordinators from agencies across state government had developed a more sophisticated knowledge of what it took to create accessible documents. Jeremy DePew, a graphic designer at MNIT, had become experienced in designing for accessibility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creation and Testing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Services’ Communications division created nineteen brand new Word templates and one robust PowerPoint template with many slide layout options – all using accessibility best practices. Because these templates are so critical – a simple mistake could easily be magnified hundreds of times over – each template underwent extensive manual testing. Accessibility Coordinators from multiple agencies across state government volunteered for the job. Accessibility Analyst Jennie Delisi created a set of testing instructions to evaluate properties such as:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Color contrast
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Layout conventions
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Table properties
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;PDF conversion
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Screen reader usability&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tests were assigned to ensure that each document had at least two testers for every property group on a particular template.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even though the templates were created using known best practices, the testers uncovered many accessibility and usability nuances present in Microsoft Office programs, such as Word and PowerPoint.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;10 lessons we learned from this process:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Place the logo in the document body, rather than the header. This enables screen reader users to identify, via alternative text, which agency the document is from. Document headers and footers are not generally read by screen reader software. Ensure the carriage return character immediately following the logo is styled as body text, and not as a heading. Select the “Show/Hide Hidden Characters” (Control + *) option to see the return character if it’s hidden.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set up your quick styles menu so that users can quickly and easily select heading styles, which not only look good, but more importantly introduce document structure. If users simply make body text bigger whenever they want prominent text (rather than using a heading style) screen reader users will not be able to scan a document’s headings as a sighted user would do visually.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use a color contrast analyzer to ensure that your document’s text styles are high contrast and easily read by uses with low vision. A good one we recommend is the Paciello Group’s Colour Contrast Analyser.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Set up your table properties so that a header row is defined for your table, and ensure that that the header row is set to repeat across pages (make sure the cursor is in the first row only). Also, after selecting the entire table, deselect the option in the Row tab to ensure “allow row to break across pages” is deselected.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Using English filler text is much easier for screen reader users to find, select and delete in a template than Lorem Ipsum (Latin) filler text that has commonly been used in typesetting since the 1500’s. The old way isn’t always the right way. Lorem Ipsum filler text can also cause problems with Word’s language auto-detection features, which can cascade into problems with how your spell checker functions.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be cautious of how you host your files. Network hosting (such as SharePoint) can cause changes to document properties, such as disabling the ability to save advanced properties.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Avoid heading styles that use underlines. These could be confused with hyperlinks.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include a document version and date (such as “v1.2, released 4-21-2017”) in the document properties. Being able to identify a template version will allow staff to know when they are using the latest and greatest iteration.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include instructions in your document templates. Never assume it’s clear to your users how to apply styles to text, structure a document, etc.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fill out your document’s advanced properties every time (Title, Subject, Author, Company, keywords, and so on). This information is used by screen reader users, and is also a document management best practice.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Distribution (i.e. “pushing out” the Templates)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the previous practice of posting the templates on SharePoint made it possible for all MNIT employees to use the templates, the individual employee needed to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;know the templates were there,
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;make the effort to download and use the documents, and
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;set up an alert for notifications in the event a template was updated.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT employees at Education (MDE) had successfully set up templates for MDE staff in such a way that when opening a blank Word document, the MDE templates were available as the default. Previously, MNIT could only consider doing that for MNIT Central – the templates would not be available to MNIT employees working at agency offices (such as Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Management and Budget, etc.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This past fall, MNIT created a process to automatically deploy new, branded – and accessible – email signatures across organizational lines at the state. Successfully completing this technical process (which was called “pushing out” email signatures) established a framework for similar projects – such as branded, accessible, document templates.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Slava Portnov of the Enterprise Endpoint Systems Management team researched how to not only make the templates available for MNIT employees in the Central location – but also at agency facilities. He wrote a guide for technical staff on how to copy the templates and install them in the MNIT partner locations.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Doc-Template-Start-Screen_tcm38-291785.png&quot; title=&quot;Microsoft Word Start Screen with MNIT Branded Accessible Document Templates&quot; alt=&quot;Microsoft Word Start Screen with MNIT Branded Accessible Document Templates&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Doc-Template-Start-Screen&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Document templates are now integrated into Office applications such as Word and PowerPoint.&lt;/em&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Value&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thanks to the combined efforts of Accessibility Coordinators, Enterprise Endpoint Systems Management, MNIT Communications, and the Office of Accessibility, now all MNIT employees have easy, intuitive access to accessible templates that reflect a unified brand.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT partner staff now have the experience and knowledge to help their partner agencies install their templates if desired.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The push for greater accessibility and unified branding is also generating a cost value. The state of Minnesota has around 35,000 state employees. Those employees generate a lot of documents. To provide a very conservative estimate of cost savings potential for this project, let’s assume that only 10,000 of those state employees create documents at a rate of 50 per year (less than 5 per month). It’s reasonable to estimate that an average of 10 minutes is spent looking for a correct document template, formatting the layout and styles, and then remediating the document for accessibility afterward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;That’s a total of 5,000,000 minutes, or over 83,000 staff hours.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If those employees were being paid an average of $20 per hour, making accessible document templates readily available in Office applications saves the state around &lt;strong&gt;$1,666,667 per year&lt;/strong&gt; in labor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cost savings aside, we’ve taken steps in making the right thing to do (creating accessible documents) the easy thing to do as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Celebrating Accessibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Thursday, May 18 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Keep an eye out for updates re activities for that day, and start celebrating early with accessible document templates!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For tips on how to create accessible documents, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>291784</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:43Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Currently, the State of Minnesota is upgrading their Outlook software to “Office 365.” MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility is always looking for ways to keep accessibility top of mind and now there is a feature built right in to the web app version of Outlook (OWA). You can choose to add a simple reminder asking people to send you accessible emails!</Description><Audience/><Title>Office 365 Accessibility Upgrade</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Subject>Microsoft</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Office 365 Accessibility Upgrade</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a cell phone screen showing a Minnesota IT Services email signature.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Email-Accessibility_1200x400_tcm38-284309.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a cell phone screen showing a Minnesota IT Services email signature.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Email-Accessibility_300x300_tcm38-284308.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-03 - Office 365 Accessibility Upgrade</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-284310&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-03-15T21:33:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>Currently, the State of Minnesota is upgrading their Outlook software to “Office 365.” MNIT&apos;s Office of Accessibility is always looking for ways to keep accessibility top of mind and now there is a feature built right in to the web app version of Outlook (OWA). You can choose to add a simple reminder asking people to send you accessible emails!


</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Between February and April 2017 State of Minnesota employees will have their Outlook software updated to “Office 365.” The Office of Accessibility is always looking for ways to keep accessibility top of mind, and now there is a feature built right in to the web app version of Outlook (OWA). You can choose to add a simple reminder asking people to send you accessible emails!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Why is this important even if you don’t currently need your emails to be accessible? Because 1 in 4 of today&apos;s 20 year olds will have a disability by the time they retire. And... we do not always know which of our colleagues has a disability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/O365-Accessibility_tcm38-284297.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Office 365 Accessibility&quot; alt=&quot;Screen shot of Office 365 Outlook web app, settings, general expanded, accessibility settings selected. Checkbox selected for &quot; ask=&quot;&quot; senders=&quot;&quot; to=&quot;&quot; send=&quot;&quot; content=&quot;&quot; style=&quot;width: 100%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;O365-Accessibility&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To add this message to your web app:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Open the Outlook web app an go to your settings via the gear icon.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select mail.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the options, above mail you will find “general”. Expand this menu. (keyboard only: you may need to use Shift-Tab to move to the options menu).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select Accessibility Settings.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select the checkbox for “Ask senders to send content that’s accessible”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select save.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In the grand scheme of potential improvements, this is minor, as few state employees use the web version of Outlook as their primary method for sending emails, but it demonstrates Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to improve the usability of their products. However, here’s a few simple steps you can do today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To make your emails accessible:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Adding a photo, image or screen shot? If so, add &quot;alt text&quot; - a text description found in the format picture area.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Writing a longer email? Use heading styles, just like in Microsoft Word. Don&apos;t just change the font size or color.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Instead of links with text like &quot;click here&quot; or &quot;link,&quot;, add a short meaningful description that describes where the link goes (e.g. Office of Accessibility webpage) by right clicking to find &quot;hyperlink&quot; or using the keyboard shortcut Control + K. Change the &quot;text to display&quot; field. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;More information about writing accessible emails is available from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/social-media.jsp#7&quot; title=&quot;Office of Accessibility webpage&quot;&gt;Office of Accessibility webpage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>284310</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Cybersecurity was Minnesota IT Services’ top priority last year, and it’s no surprise it is priority number one again this year. While MNIT has a robust security team and defense mechanisms, it must constantly be vigilant. Even the most sophisticated cyber-knowledge and tools have their limits, especially against nimble and determined thieves. </Description><Audience/><Title>Securing the State</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Secure Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Securing the State</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Backlit keys on a computer keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Securing-the-State_1200x500_tcm38-283125.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Backlit keys on a computer keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Securing-the-State_300x300_tcm38-283123.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-03 - Securing the State</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-283133&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-03-08T22:07:45Z</Date><ShortDescription>Cybersecurity was Minnesota IT Services’ top priority last year, and it’s no surprise it is priority number one again this year. While MNIT has a robust security team and defense mechanisms, it must constantly be vigilant. Even the most sophisticated cyber-knowledge and tools have their limits, especially against nimble and determined thieves. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity was Minnesota IT Services’ top priority last year, and it’s no surprise it is priority number one again this year. While MNIT has a robust security team and defense mechanisms, it must constantly be vigilant. Even the most sophisticated cyber-knowledge and tools have their limits, especially against nimble and determined thieves. It only takes one successful breach by a criminal to cause the loss of data, damage the state’s reputation and create financial harm to citizens. It is why this is not just a MNIT priority; Governor Mark Dayton has also included cybersecurity requests in &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/gov-stat/pdf/2017_01_24_FINAL_overall_investments_Fact_Sheet.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Governor Dayton&apos;s Budget&quot;&gt;his budget&lt;/a&gt; for the last two years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;Securing the State is just one of MNIT’s three top priorities this year.&quot;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thomas A. Baden Jr.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;State CIO and Minnesota IT Services Commissioner&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT’s security team is working on a number of initiatives for the management, control and protection of state systems and data. But cybersecurity is a team effort – a team beyond the information technology security team. Everyone working on behalf of the State of Minnesota needs to understand the risk we face in using technology so we can all work together to protect state systems and data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Employees can play their part in this effort in a number of ways:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lock your computer when you are away (Windows key+L or Ctrl, Alt, Delete and click “lock this computer). This assures no one will access the tools and systems you have permission to use.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Be cautious when clicking on links or opening attachments in emails. Thieves are becoming very good at finding ways to get you to click on a link that can damage systems or to hand over personal information, known as phishing. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0003-phishing&quot; title=&quot;Tips for spotting a phishing email&quot;&gt;Here are some tips for spotting a phishing email&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When in doubt about an email, forward the offending email as an attachment and send it to your Security team for analysis.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is how to send a suspicious email to your Security team from Microsoft Outlook:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Select the offending email.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;In the Home tab in the ribbon of your Outlook window, look for the Respond panel. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select “&lt;strong&gt;More&lt;/strong&gt;” in the drop down menu and choose Forward as Attachment.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Forward-Attachment_tcm38-283126.png&quot; title=&quot;How to forward an attachment.&quot; alt=&quot;How to forward an attachment.&quot; style=&quot;width: 60%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Forward-Attachment&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Type in your Security Team’s email address in the “&lt;strong&gt;TO:&lt;/strong&gt;” line.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Select send.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/who-we-are/&quot; title=&quot;Read more about all of this year’s priorities&quot;&gt;Read more about all of this year’s priorities&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>283133</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On Friday, February 24, 2017, Minnesota IT Services met with Minnesota State leaders and policymakers during the Minnesota Cybersecurity Summit. The summit set the stage for leaders from state government and private sector to discuss the current landscape of cybersecurity threats facing Minnesota and our nation as a whole.

</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Leaders Join Forces to Defend Against Cyber-Attacks</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity Summit</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MN Leaders Join Forces to Defend Against Cyber-Attacks</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota capital dome with computer code behind it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNIT-Cyber-Summit-17_1200x500_tcm38-281849.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota capital dome with computer code behind it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/MNIT-Cyber-Summit-17_300x300_tcm38-281852.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-02 - Minnesota Leaders Join Forces to Defend Against Cyber-Attacks</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-281824&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-27T17:38:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>On Friday, February 24, 2017, Minnesota IT Services met with Minnesota State leaders and policymakers during the Minnesota Cybersecurity Summit. The summit set the stage for leaders from state government and private sector to discuss the current landscape of cybersecurity.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Friday, February 24, 2017, Minnesota IT Services met with Minnesota State leaders and policymakers during the Minnesota Cybersecurity Summit. The summit set the stage for leaders from state government and private sector to discuss the current landscape of cybersecurity threats facing Minnesota and our nation as a whole.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT assembled nationally recognized cybersecurity leaders to share their insights as we work together to better secure the State of Minnesota. The summit opened with a keynote address on the “State of the Threat,” followed by a “State of the States” presentation harnessing top experts and research from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and Deloitte Consulting. The day concluded with a bipartisan legislative panel of Minnesota leaders and policymakers, discussing their role and plans to address cybersecurity issues in Minnesota state government. Below is an outline of the event:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Opening Remarks&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thomas Baden, Commissioner and State CIO
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota IT Services
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;State of the Threat: A Financial Sector Leader’s Perspective&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Jason Witty, Executive Vice President and CISO
&lt;br /&gt;
US Bank
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;State of the States: A Nation at Risk&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Doug Robinson, Executive Director
&lt;br /&gt;
National Association of State Chief Information Officers
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Srini Subramanian, Risk Advisory Services Leader
&lt;br /&gt;
Deloitte
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Securing Minnesota: A Plan to Fill the Gaps&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Christopher Buse, Assistant Commissioner and CISO
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota IT Services
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Legislative Panel: Helping Policymakers Be Part of the Risk Equation&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Moderator&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Doug Robinson, Executive Director&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Association of State Chief Information Officers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Panelists&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Michelle Benson&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Senator Melissa Wiklund&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Representative John Lesch&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Representative Jim Nash&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;

&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cyber-Threat Landscape&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesota IT Services supports more than 35,000 users and secures the private data of more than 5.5 million Minnesotans. Housing this sensitive information comes with great responsibility. Daily, Minnesota’s perimeter defenses protect against millions of attacks intended to steal data, disrupt government, and conduct illegal operations.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thomas Baden, Commissioner and State CIO
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota IT Services
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In today’s digital world, cyber-attacks on the government, private sector and individuals have become facts of life. Armed with only a computer, hackers can launch a cyber-attack from anywhere, anytime, in an attempt to steal private data and damage our way of life. To confront this problem, we need everyone’s help. The State of Minnesota’s systems alone are probed for vulnerabilities and attacks are attempted more than 3 million times each day. Fortunately, our state has not yet experienced a major attack that has exposed Minnesotan’s private data. As we defend against these attacks, we are able to glean forensic information pertaining to the attackers’ footprint, patterns and trends. This information shared between government and private sector interests, can be a valuable asset as we all work to protect Minnesotan’s private data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Defending the State of Minnesota is a team effort. We all need to be part of a broader cybersecurity ecosystem that shares information across boundaries. As more diverse and increasingly complex attacks happen daily, Minnesota has a greater need for this collaboration than ever before.”
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Christopher Buse, Assistant Commissioner and CISO
&lt;br /&gt;
Minnesota IT Services
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Cost of a Secure Minnesota&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Cybersecurity Summit was created with the intent to help inform government leaders of our current cyber-posture and what the State is doing to more effectively manage cyber-risk. MNIT is currently seeking funding to secure our data centers, provide secure IT services and modernize our infrastructure. All of these asks will help to combat increasingly complex cyber-attacks. The proposed funding will aid in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The consolidation of the state’s data center footprint and the building of more robust and sustainable security into standard technology services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Providing more consistent and secure IT services to agencies, particularly small and mid-sized agencies who struggle to defend their systems and data from hackers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Hiring more staff with specialized cybersecurity skills to perform monitoring, remediation, and forensics work.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Fund the deployment of sophisticated software to combat increasingly complex cyber-attacks and procure services for continuous security monitoring, penetration tests, and independent security audits.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Key Takeaways&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Collaboration is essential in protecting Minnesotans from cyber-threats.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;We must secure Minnesota’s IT systems.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A major cyber-attack could jeopardize public safety and significantly disrupt Minnesotans’ daily lives.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota IT Services’ plan to solidify the State’s cyber-defenses must be funded and implemented aggressively.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proper funding for cybersecurity in Minnesota will help:
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Result in faster incident response times&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;24*7*365 monitoring of state networks&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Reduce attack surface for hackers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create a simpler technology footprint to manage&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Robust security testing of new business systems&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The cost of doing nothing is too great.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are some of the photos from the summit. &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/i/moments/834801969239822336&quot; title=&quot;Stories from the Cybersecurity Summit on Twitter&quot;&gt;You can follow the stories from the Cybersecurity Summit on Twitter&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNIT-CyberSummit-Commissioner-Baden_tcm38-281827.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Commissioner-Baden&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner Thomas Baden addressing the audience&quot; style=&quot; margin: 20px; width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Commissioner-Baden&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNIT-CyberSummit-Jason-Witty_tcm38-281828.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Jason-Witty&quot; alt=&quot;Jason Witty speaking about cybersecurity in the finacial sector&quot; style=&quot; margin: 20px; width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Jason-Witty&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNIT-CyberSummit-Chris-Buse-1_tcm38-281825.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Chris-Buse-1&quot; alt=&quot;Christopher Buse speaking about cybersecurity in state government&quot; style=&quot; margin: 20px; width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Chris-Buse-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNIT-CyberSummit-Chris-Buse-2_tcm38-281826.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Chris-Buse-2&quot; alt=&quot;Christopher Buse speaking about cybersecurity in state government&quot; style=&quot; margin: 20px; width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Chris-Buse-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/MNIT-CyberSummit-Panel_tcm38-281829.jpg&quot; title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Panel&quot; alt=&quot;Minnesota legislative panel discussing cybersecurity&quot; style=&quot; margin: 20px; width: 100%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;MNIT-CyberSummit-Panel&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>281824</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Since 1998, the Minnesota Department of Human Services in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging, has surveyed state fairgoers at the Minnesota State Fair. Prior to this year, the  survey was paper-based, learn how they benefited from making the switch to digital.</Description><Audience/><Title>Getting Digital at the Great Minnesota Get Together</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Getting Digital at the Minnesota State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A table with a cup of coffee and digital tablet that reads &quot;Digital Survey&quot; on the screen. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Digital-Survey_1200x500_tcm38-281403.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A table with a cup of coffee and digital tablet that reads &quot;Digital Survey&quot; on the screen. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Digital-Survey_300x300_tcm38-281404.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-02 - Getting Digital at the Minnesota State Fair</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-281405&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-22T22:13:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Since 1998, the Minnesota Department of Human Services in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging, has surveyed state fairgoers at the Minnesota State Fair. Prior to this year, the  survey was paper-based, learn how they benefited from making the switch to digital.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since 1998, the Minnesota Department of Human Services in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging, has surveyed state fairgoers at the Minnesota State Fair. Prior to this year, the Own Your Future survey was paper-based, resulting in hours of staff time spent compiling, scanning, cleaning the data, and creating the reports. This old manual and paper-based process changed in 2016, when for the first time, state staff were armed with electronic tablets (iPads). In our modern digital age, most Minnesotans are familiar with smart devices such as iPads, and were comfortable completing the survey on one of four iPads. In addition to reducing paper waste, seniors quickly realized the benefits of the devices with easy to use touch screens and large font sizes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Most importantly, the survey data was automatically uploaded to the state’s server, since the iPads were connected to a secure Wi-Fi connection. Connecting to state systems in real-time allowed staff immediate access to the data, thus saving many hours of staff time compiling and analyzing the data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additionally, using iPads allowed for the expansion of the number of questions asked, while still keeping the time commitment to complete the survey under five minutes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This year, 2,553 Minnesotans completed the Own Your Future survey at the state fair, which is the second largest number ever surveyed! This information is extremely important, as the data helps advise state staff, policymakers, and others as it relates to investments in services for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>281405</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T21:02:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Today&apos;s smart devices provide us with some additional level of comfort and convenience but recent headlines point to some serious security risks, raising questions about the safety and security of the futuristic internet-connected home.</Description><Audience/><Title>IoT Home Inspector Challenge</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Internet of Things</Subject><Subject>Security Risks</Subject><Subject>Internet Connected Devices</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>IoT Home Inspector Challenge</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man adjusting the settings in his home through his cell phone.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/IoT-Home-Security_1200x500_tcm38-277753.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man adjusting the settings in his home through his cell phone.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/IoT-Home-Security_300x300_tcm38-277755.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-02 - IoT Home Inspector Challenge</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-277731&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-02-08T22:03:07Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today&apos;s smart devices provide us with some additional level of comfort and convenience but recent headlines point to some serious security risks, raising questions about the safety and security of the futuristic internet-connected home.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In a recent &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/zuck/videos/10103351034741311/&quot; title=&quot;Video from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg&quot;&gt;video&lt;/a&gt; to users, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed-off his new roommate, Jarvis; an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant that has the ability to respond to any number of commands, including controlling home appliances, playing music, and most notably helping educate and entertain his daughter.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For many Minnesotans, a personalized AI assistant named Jarvis (or any AI assistant for that matter) that interacts seamlessly with our home is more than likely not in the foreseeable future. However, it is likely that a high percentage do have some type of home based internet-connected devices that remotely turn on lights and appliances, automatically adjust the temperature, and monitor a home from the inside/out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While Internet of Things (IoT) devices provide some additional level of comfort and convenience, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/what-you-need-know-secure-your-iot-devices&quot; title=&quot;Recent Headlines on IoT Devices&quot;&gt;recent headlines&lt;/a&gt; point to some serious &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/01/ftc-report-internet-things-urges-companies-adopt-best-practices&quot; title=&quot;Security Risks of IoT Devices&quot;&gt;security risks&lt;/a&gt;, raising questions about the safety and security of a futuristic internet-connected home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Just how safe and secure are these devices? And how can you know whether your internet-connected devices are updated to protect your privacy and security?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) thinks that someone out there has the answers to these questions – which is why they are hosting the prize competition, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ftc.gov/iot-home-inspector-challenge&quot; title=&quot;IoT Home Inspector Challenge&quot;&gt;Internet of Things (IoT) Home Inspector Challenge&lt;/a&gt;. The goal of the competition is to identify technical solutions that will help safe-guard home-based IoT devices against current and future security vulnerabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The winning solution would not only help protect us from security vulnerabilities, but would also receive $25,000 in prize money. For rules, registration information, deadlines, and frequent FAQs visit the FTC’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ftc.gov/iot-home-inspector-challenge&quot; title=&quot;IoT Home Inspector Challenge&quot;&gt;IoT Home Inspector Challenge&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>277731</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Mark Dayton announced his commitment to securing, enhancing, and modernizing Minnesota’s technology so state government runs at the speed of business, ensuring that the state has a 21st Century Digital Infrastructure, and Strong Cybersecurity Defenses.</Description><Audience/><Title>State Government at the Speed of Business</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Modernization</Subject><Subject>Infastructure</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Minnesota State Governement</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State Government at the Speed of Business</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A server room with an open laptop showing statistics.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Infastructure_1200x500_tcm38-275144.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A server room with an open laptop showing statistics.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Infastructure_300x300_tcm38-275146.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-01 - State Government at the Speed of Business</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-275147&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-27T22:12:24Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Mark Dayton announced his commitment to securing, enhancing, and modernizing Minnesota’s technology so state government runs at the speed of business, ensuring that the state has a 21st Century Digital Infrastructure, and Strong Cybersecurity Defenses.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Tuesday January 24, 2017, Governor Mark Dayton announced his commitment to securing, enhancing, and modernizing Minnesota’s technology so state government runs at the speed of business. In the announcement, the Governor proposed an investment of $125 million for enhancements to ensure that the state has a 21st Century Digital Infrastructure, and Strong Cybersecurity Defenses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With a $51 million investment for 21st Century Digital Infrastructure, Minnesota IT Services would be able to upgrade some of the state’s older systems, many of which are security liabilities. This investment would help guarantee a fast and secure way for Minnesotans to interact with the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Secure the State” is Minnesota IT Services top priority. This budget request is part of a $74 million investment for Strong Cybersecurity Defenses to reform our information technology infrastructure ensures we have up-to-date, safe, and secure systems for Minnesotans to interact with state government. On average, state systems are probed for vulnerabilities more than three million times per day. Fortunately, Minnesota has not yet experienced a major attack that has exposed Minnesotans private data; however, Minnesota has experienced incidents that have exposed state systems and data to significant risk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about Governor Mark Dayton’s proposal for &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/gov-stat/pdf/2017_01_24_FINAL_Reform_Fact_Sheet.pdf&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Reforms&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity Reforms&lt;/a&gt;, and Minnesota IT Services dedication to &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/cybersecurity/&quot; title=&quot;Securing the state&quot;&gt;Securing the state&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div id=&quot;hc_extension_bkgnd&quot; style=&quot;position: fixed; left: 0px; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; z-index: -1999999999; display: block; background: none 0% 0% / auto repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgb(255, 255, 255);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;hc_extension_svg_filters&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>275147</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:22:04Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Governor Mark Dayton gave a special thank you to Minnesota IT Services&apos; staff for their significant and continued dedication to our state, and to all Minnesotans. Governor Dayton also gave special recognition to Commissioner Baden, who is celebrating his 35th anniversary this year.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Dayton Honors MNIT Staff</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Dayton Honors MNIT Staff</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Governor Mark Dayton shaking hands with Commissioner Thomas A. Baden Jr. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Dayton-Baden_1200x500_tcm38-274794.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota IT Services&apos; 35 years of service pin.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Mnit-Week-Pin_300x300_tcm38-274793.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-01 - Governor Dayton Honors MNIT Staff</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-274796&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-25T21:56:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Mark Dayton gave a special thank you to Minnesota IT Services&apos; staff for their significant and continued dedication to our state, and to all Minnesotans. Governor Dayton also gave special recognition to Commissioner Baden, who is celebrating his 35th anniversary this year.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of MNIT Week, Minnesota IT Services honored employees at the Length of Service celebration, an event celebrating employee significant commitment to state service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the celebration, and to the surprise of those in attendance, Governor Mark Dayton stopped by to give a special thank you to staff for their significant and continued dedication to our state, and to all Minnesotans. Governor Dayton also gave special recognition to Commissioner Baden, who is celebrating his 35th anniversary this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the Length of Service celebration, Minnesota IT Services honored more than 300 employees who have served the state between 10 and 40 years. In total, this year’s honorees have served more than 5,700 years!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>274796</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Announced in a press release, Lt. Governor Tina Smith and Commissioner Brenda Cassellius of the Minnesota Department of Education awarded grants to 12 school districts to provide students with high-speed internet access needed for academic success. </Description><Audience/><Title>High-Speed Internet for Rural Schools</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>High-Speed Internet for Rural Schools</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Map of Minnesota showing some of the Education Broadband Grant Recipients.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/education%20broadband%20grant%20graphic%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-273561.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a school on top of a map of Minnesota.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/education%20broadband%20grant%20graphic%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-273562.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-01 - High-Speed Internet for Rural Schools</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-273563&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-18T22:03:20Z</Date><ShortDescription>Announced in a press release, Lt. Governor Tina Smith and Commissioner Brenda Cassellius of the Minnesota Department of Education awarded grants to 12 school districts to provide students with high-speed internet access needed for academic success. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Students, staff, and parents at rural Minnesota school districts will now have improved access to high-speed broadband internet thanks to a round of new state grants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Announced in a press release, Lt. Governor Tina Smith and Commissioner Brenda Cassellius of the Minnesota Department of Education awarded grants to 12 school districts to provide students with high-speed internet access needed for academic success.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Too many Minnesota students are on the wrong side of the digital divide. These grants will help level the playing field for students in Greater Minnesota by providing them the same educational opportunities as their friends and family in the cities,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. &lt;strong&gt;“Governor Dayton and I will continue advocating for high speed, affordable, reliable internet access until all Minnesota students and families are connected.”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new grant funding will allow districts to equip buses with wireless hotspots, enabling students to complete homework while commuting. The funding also will be used to purchase wireless hotspots, data cards, and other mobile broadband devices that students will be able to check out for use at home. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Technology is a part of Minnesota classrooms. If we want all students to be successful, we need to make sure we are providing them the tools they need,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Commissioner Cassellius. &lt;strong&gt;“Where a student lives and their family income should not determine whether they are able to complete their schoolwork or not.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2016, the Dayton-Smith Administration worked with the Minnesota Legislature to invest $500,000 in grants for school-based high-speed internet. These grants are designed to expand broadband access to students across Minnesota, with priority given to applicants demonstrating a combination of students from low-income families and with long bus routes. Low-income homes with children are four times more likely to be without broadband than their middle or upper-income counterparts, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/20/the-numbers-behind-the-broadband-homework-gap/&quot;&gt;according to the Pew Research Center&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>273563</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:28:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>How does a graphic designer ensure that documents are both attractive and accessible, while minimizing accessibility mitigation time? Typically InDesign is used for complex, graphic-intensive documents which can lead to equally complex accessibility issues.</Description><Audience/><Title>Accessible InDesign Documents</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Design</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Accessible InDesign Documents</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person working with design on a computer with bright color swatches next to them.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/InDesign-Accessibility_1200x500_tcm38-272683.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person working with design on a computer with bright color swatches next to them.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/InDesign-Accessibility_300x300_tcm38-272681.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-01 - Accessible InDesign Documents</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-272686&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-11T18:57:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>How does a graphic designer ensure that documents are both attractive and accessible, while minimizing accessibility mitigation time? Typically InDesign is used for complex, graphic-intensive documents which can lead to equally complex accessibility issues.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Adobe InDesign is an industry-standard application that is used broadly across Minnesota state government. Communications staff and graphic designers commonly use the program to create visual materials to communicate with the public. These materials range from internal documents, to publicly consumable graphics, legislative reports and more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to creating an effective and usable document or report. Designers must not only consider the visual appeal of their piece, but also ensure that the document is accessible to all Minnesotans, some of whom rely on assistive technology — such as screen readers — to access information. The State of Minnesota’s accessibility standards requires that all documents meet &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.section508.gov/&quot;&gt;Section 508&lt;/a&gt; of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/&quot; title=&quot;WCAG 2.0&quot;&gt;WCAG 2.0&lt;/a&gt;. These standards outline requirements for document structure, bookmarks, alternative (alt) text, and other accessibility features are present in every document. These features are critical for non-sighted users to navigate a document using screen reading software such as JAWS or NVDA, but also add functionality for sighted users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As content creators and designers typically use InDesign for complex, graphic-intensive documents (e.g., infographics) which can lead to equally complex accessibility issues once the document is exported from InDesign to PDF. Some of the issues encountered include tagging errors or a myriad of other problems that can be difficult and time-intensive to fix in applications such &lt;a href=&quot;https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/acrobat/acrobat-pro.html&quot; title=&quot;Adobe Acrobat Pro&quot;&gt;Adobe Acrobat Pro&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=&quot;http://commonlook.com/&quot; title=&quot;CommonLook&quot;&gt;CommonLook&lt;/a&gt;. Further compounding and complicating the creation of accessible documents, training materials that are adequate for private-sector use often do not meet the state’s stringent accessibility requirements.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So how does a graphic designer working for the state ensure that documents are both attractive and accessible, while minimizing accessibility mitigation time?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The answer: Optimize the InDesign document for accessibility in order to reduce the time spent adjusting tags, reading order, and alt text in Acrobat Pro.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below are a few basic tips for optimizing documents for accessibility in Adobe InDesign.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For information about the accessibility of earlier versions, in addition to a variety of other helpful resources, visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/products/indesign.html&quot; title=&quot;Adobe’s InDesign Accessibility site&quot;&gt;Adobe’s InDesign Accessibility site&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tips for Optimizing Accessibility in Adobe InDesign CC&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use Paragraph Styles to assign heading/tag structures like H1, H2, P, etc. Assign heading levels to a particular paragraph style under “Export Tagging” in the paragraph style options.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Add alt text to images and other objects that need it by selecting the object and selecting Object &amp;gt; Object Export Options from the menu bar. Select “Custom” from the “Alt Text Source” dropdown menu and enter the desired alt text.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Best Practice: Ensure the Alt Text accurately describes the image or graphic so that the user understands the information it is trying to convey or its importance in the document.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Acrobat Pro’s tag tree will name tags after the InDesign Paragraph Styles, not the heading structure assigned to those styles. To check whether the correct heading level is applied, view the Class Roles in Acrobat Pro.
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Best Practice: Every InDesign document should have at least 3 layers: text, images, and background artifacts. In the layer reserved specifically for text, arrange each text element from bottom to top (the reverse of typical reading order). This approach is helpful in reducing tagging errors upon export from InDesign.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Use the Articles panel in InDesign to assign document reading order. Select multiple objects by holding the shift key and selecting objects in the order in which you want them to appear in the Articles panel (and subsequent reading order). These objects can then be added as a group to the articles panel. &lt;strong&gt;Important step&lt;/strong&gt;: In the Articles panel options, make sure to check the “Use for Reading Order in Tagged PDF” option.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Create bookmarks in Acrobat Pro instead of using InDesign.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;For more helpful tips on optimizing your documents, websites, and emails for accessibility, visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota Office of Accessibility’s website&quot;&gt;Minnesota Office of Accessibility’s website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Please note: These above tips apply specifically to InDesign Creative Cloud (CC), which includes significant improvements in the area of accessibility over previous versions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div id=&quot;hc_extension_bkgnd&quot; style=&quot;position: fixed; left: 0px; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; z-index: -1999999999; display: block; background: none 0% 0% / auto repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgb(255, 255, 255);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;hc_extension_svg_filters&quot; hidden=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>272686</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:44Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Last week StateTech Magazine recognized Minnesota IT Services’ Blog on as one of “30 Must-Read State and Local Blogs”. Launched less than a year ago, the Minnesota IT Services Blog has quickly become an information resource for many Minnesotans and IT professionals.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT Listed in Top 30 Must-Read Blogs</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Information Technology</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Tech Blog</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>MNIT Listed in Top 30 Blogs</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A table with a cup of coffee and digital tablet the Minnesota IT Services&apos; Blog. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Top-30-Blog_1200x500_tcm38-270112.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A table with a cup of coffee and digital tablet the Minnesota IT Services&apos; Blog. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Top-30-Blog_300x300_tcm38-270113.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2017-01 - MNIT Listed in Top 30 Must-Read Blogs</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-270116&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2017-01-04T23:07:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>Last week StateTech Magazine recognized Minnesota IT Services’ Blog on as one of “30 Must-Read State and Local Blogs”. Launched less than a year ago, the Minnesota IT Services Blog has quickly become an information resource for many Minnesotans and IT professionals.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week StateTech Magazine recognized Minnesota IT Services’ Blog on as one of “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.statetechmagazine.com/article/2016/12/30-must-read-state-and-local-it-blogs-2016&quot; title=&quot;30 Must-Read State and Local Blogs&quot;&gt;30 Must-Read State and Local Blogs&lt;/a&gt;”.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Launched less than a year ago, the Minnesota IT Services Blog has quickly become an information resource for many Minnesotans and IT professionals. The blog, which focuses on providing valuable and timely information on a wide-variety of IT categories, utilizes the expertise of both Minnesota IT Services and State of Minnesota staff in an effort to provide valuable tips, information, and resources for Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here is what StateTech wrote about our blog:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hey, neighbor, do you know the potential hazards of using Pokémon Go? The Minnesota IT department does, and they’ve got a &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-249259&quot; title=&quot;Pokemon Go Blog Post&quot;&gt;blog post&lt;/a&gt; that details what the risks are. While the Minnesota IT team does offer some typical news and events specific to their department, they spend a lot of time on user safety and awareness, offering tips and tricks to navigate applications and tools.
&lt;p&gt;Follow: &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/mnit_services&quot; title=&quot;Follow MNIT on Twitter&quot;&gt;@mnit_services&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Suggested posts&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-265743&quot; title=&quot;Twitter Photo Captioning Blog Post&quot;&gt;Twitter Photo Captioning&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-269780&quot; title=&quot;New Career Blog Post&quot;&gt;Kick off 2018 with a New Career&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-258633&quot; title=&quot;5 Ways to Stay Cyber Safe Online Post&quot;&gt;5 Ways to Stay Cyber Safe Online&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-256402&quot; title=&quot;Accessible Email Signature Blog Post&quot;&gt;Creating Accessible Email Signatures&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>270116</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services supports all of Minnesota’s executive branch information technology needs. With over 2,200 employees serving Minnesota IT Services, there are ample opportunities to learn new skills and advance your career within the State of Minnesota. Learn more about working with MNIT.</Description><Audience/><Title>Kick off 2017 with a New Career</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Careers</Subject><Subject>Jobs</Subject><Subject>Information Technology</Subject><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Minnesota IT Services</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Kick off 2017 with a New Career</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man typing on a computer keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/New-Career-2017_1200x500_tcm38-269778.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Man typing on a computer keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/New-Career-2017_300x300_tcm38-269777.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-12 - Kick off 2017 with a New Career</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-269780&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-12-30T21:54:30Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services supports all of Minnesota’s executive branch information technology needs. With over 2,200 employees serving Minnesota IT Services, there are ample opportunities to learn new skills and advance your career within the State of Minnesota. Learn more about working with MNIT.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Does the coming of the New Year have you considering your career options for 2017? If so, know that you are not alone. Indeed.com reports that job searches increase on average by 43% in January each year. Whether you’re looking for more challenges, to expand your IT skills, or to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions, it’s always a good time to consider the State of Minnesota as a potential employer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services exists to support all of Minnesota’s executive branch information technology needs. Aside from a truly massive set of enterprise-class technology challenges, we have one of the most stable and diverse environments anywhere. With over 2,200 employees serving Minnesota IT Services, there are ample opportunities to learn new skills and advance your career within the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota Careers Fast Facts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The state’s network securely connects 1,100 locations in 300 cities.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota IT Services staff are responsible for the support of nearly 3,000 applications; conducting 2,000 backup jobs daily and storage of over 700 Terabytes nightly; and, the processing of over 3,000,000 emails each week.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Working for the State of Minnesota for 10 years can erase your remaining student loan debt. Learn more at &lt;a href=&quot;https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service&quot; title=&quot;Learn more about erasing student loan debt&quot;&gt;studentaid.edu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The state has excellent employee benefits, including reasonable work-life balance, paid parental leave, first-rate health benefits and a real sense of purpose.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As you begin evaluating your career options in 2017, consider applying for a position with Minnesota IT Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more at &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/careers/&quot; title=&quot;Learn about working with MNIT&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mnit/careers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>269780</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>In March, Twitter announced that users would be able to add an “image description” (also known as alt text) to photos uploaded to tweets. This feature allows people who require image descriptions, such as users of assistive technology (AT) to participate more fully in the Twitter experience.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Twitter&apos;s New Photo Captioning Feature</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Twitter</Subject><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Photo Captioning</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Twitter Photo Captioning</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person captioning a photo on Twitter.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Twitter-API_1200x500_tcm38-265738.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A person captioning a photo on Twitter.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Twitter-API_300x300_tcm38-265737.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-12 - Twitter Photo Captioning</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-265743&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-12-13T21:57:34Z</Date><ShortDescription>In March, Twitter announced that users would be able to add an “image description” (also known as alt text) to photos uploaded to tweets. This feature allows people who require image descriptions, such as users of assistive technology (AT) to participate more fully in the Twitter experience.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Making Twitter More Accessible</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In March, &lt;a href=&quot;https://blog.twitter.com/2016/accessible-images-for-everyone&quot; title=&quot;Twitter announces image captioning feature&quot;&gt;Twitter announced&lt;/a&gt; that users would be able to add an “image description” (also known as alt text) to photos uploaded to tweets. This feature allows people who require image descriptions, such as users of &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/admin/star/resources/understanding-at/&quot; title=&quot;assistive technology&quot;&gt;assistive technology (AT)&lt;/a&gt; to participate more fully in the Twitter experience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Specifically, this user-enabled feature allows the tweeter to add a description to the image; enabling AT users (e.g., screen reader, text-to-speech) to appreciate the tweets’ images. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-networks/twitter-adds-alt-text-image-descriptions-extend-tweet-accessibility&quot; title=&quot;Twitter’s CEO on the image captioning feature&quot;&gt;According to Twitter’s CEO&lt;/a&gt;, this was the fourth most requested feature from the developer community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Twitter-Captioning-2_tcm38-265745.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Twitter&apos;s New Image Captioning Feature&quot; alt=&quot;Twitter&apos;s New Image Captioning Feature&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle; width: 50%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Twitter-Captioning-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While this feature provides more access to the content shared, a user must first &lt;a href=&quot;https://support.twitter.com/articles/20174660&quot; title=&quot;Enable Twitter&apos;s image captioning feature&quot;&gt;enable&lt;/a&gt; it in settings.  It is also important to note that this feature is currently available only via Twitter’s phone apps and the Twitter web page.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the Office of Accessibility site for more information about &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/social-media.jsp&quot; title=&quot;social media accessibility&quot;&gt;social media accessibility&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>265743</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Importance of Broadband in Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Broadband</Subject><Subject>Internet Access</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Broadband in Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shape of Minnesota made up of connected dots representing broadband connections.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Broadband_1200x500_tcm38-263202.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shape of Minnesota made up of connected dots representing broadband connections.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Broadband_300x300_tcm38-263204.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-11 - Broadband in Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-262079&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-11-16T21:08:10Z</Date><ShortDescription>Access to high-speed internet is arguably one of Minnesota’s most pressing economic infrastructure challenges in decades. High speed broadband connects our very youngest learners in the classroom with innovative online applications, empowering small businesses through e-commerce and sharing information with those in need. 

</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Access to high-speed internet is arguably one of Minnesota’s most pressing economic infrastructure challenges in decades. The internet is an invaluable tool for all Minnesotans – from connecting our very youngest learners in the classroom with innovative online applications, to empowering small businesses through e-commerce, to sharing news and information, to helping those in need. As the number of mobile users of both digital applications and data networks increase, so do the opportunities for exploitation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last spring, Governor Mark Dayton announced the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/grant-program/&quot; title=&quot;Boarder-to-Boarder Broadband Development Grant Program&quot;&gt;Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program&lt;/a&gt;. Administered by Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development, this program seeks to expand high-speed broadband to areas of Minnesota that are unserved or underserved by providing upwards of $35 million in grants to broadband infrastructure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Minnesota Department of Commerce, make up the Governor’s broadband subcabinet. The subcabinet is responsible for collaborating on state government-wide broadband policies. A task force was created to develop policies promoting the expansion of broadband access in Minnesota. The task force is focused on developing an action plan for identifying and correcting disparities in access and adoption of broadband in all Minnesota communities - urban, rural, and suburban - helping to ensure that homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses have access to the technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s a statewide goal that, no later than 2022, all Minnesota businesses and homes have access to high-speed broadband that provides minimum download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second and minimum upload speeds of at least three megabits per second; and no later than 2026, all Minnesota businesses and homes have access to at least one provider of broadband with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 20 megabits per second. The Office of Broadband Development, in partnership with Connected Nation, has developed an &lt;a href=&quot;http://map.connectmn.org/&quot; title=&quot;Interactive Broadband Map&quot;&gt;Interactive Map&lt;/a&gt; displaying available broadband services across the state of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last week, Blandin on Broadband &lt;a href=&quot;https://blandinonbroadband.org/2016/10/24/sngs-broadband-economic-impact-estimate-for-minnesota/&quot; title=&quot;Blandin&apos;s report on broadband &quot;&gt;released a report&lt;/a&gt; from SNG, Broadband Economic Impact Estimate for Minnesota. In the report, SNG estimated 3,949 businesses adopting broadband infrastructure would create over 4,000 new jobs, $60,000 in new revenue for each business. With the new revenue and jobs, SNG estimated that Minnesota would receive $11 million in additional tax revenue in addition to an annual GDP increase of $293 million.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While access to broadband has real and positive impacts on businesses in Minnesota, high-speed internet also has significant effects to the state’s many educational institutions – providing them with the needed bandwidth to use the latest technologies to help prepare Minnesota’s students to succeed in our technological economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While our state is a leader in developing broadband infrastructure and ensuring that all citizens have access to high-speed internet, thousands of Minnesotans remain off-line. Broadband is vital to our state’s economic future.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div id=&quot;hc_extension_bkgnd&quot; style=&quot;position: fixed; left: 0px; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; z-index: -1999999999; display: block; background: none 0% 0% / auto repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgb(255, 255, 255);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;span id=&quot;hc_extension_svg_filters&quot; hidden=&quot;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>262079</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>With the ever-growing threats to state systems, the need for a highly-skilled cyber-defense team has never been more of a necessity. This is why Minnesota IT Services has partnered with several federal agencies to train and employ this next generation of cyber soldiers through the Scholarship for Service (SFS) program.
</Description><Audience/><Title>The next generation of cybersecurity professionals</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Employment</Subject><Subject>Minnesota</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Next Cybersecurity Professionals</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a lock with a circuit board in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Next-Gen-Cyber_1200x500_tcm38-260719.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a lock with a circuit board in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Next-Gen-Cyber_300x300_tcm38-260717.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-10 - The Next Cybersecurity Professionals</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-260714&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-10-19T17:50:57Z</Date><ShortDescription>With the ever-growing threats to state systems, the need for a highly-skilled cyber-defense team has never been more of a necessity. This is why Minnesota IT Services has partnered with several federal agencies to train and employ the next generation of cyber defenders through the Scholarship for Service (SFS) program.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Partnering with Federal Agencies to Train the Next Generation of Cyber Defenders</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State systems and Minnesotans’ data are increasingly under attack. Every day, state systems are targeted by new cyber-attacks that are intended to steal Minnesotans’ private data, disrupt government operations, or use government resources to conduct illicit operations. Not only have the number of attacks increased significantly, but those attacks are growing more sophisticated. With the ever-growing threats to state systems, the need for a highly skilled cyber-defense team has never been more of a necessity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is why Minnesota IT Services has partnered with several federal agencies to train and employ this next generation of cyber defenders through the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sfs.opm.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Scholarship for Service (SFS) program&quot;&gt;Scholarship for Service (SFS) program&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This unique program, funded by the National Science Foundation, seeks to aid in the protection of America&apos;s critical information infrastructure by training college students in information security and information assurance related fields, and then placing them with federal and state agencies. The program provides scholarships to students that cover the cost of tuition and ancillary fees at institutions with accredited cybersecurity programs, for up to three years.  In exchange for these scholarships, students must agree to work for an equal number of years in government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services benefits greatly from this highly successful program, having hired 5 student interns and one full-time employee.  These students came from St. Cloud State University, the only accredited school in the program in our state, as well as Dakota State University, University of South Alabama, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“These students and graduates are getting into an exciting and rewarding field,” said Aaron Call, the State of Minnesota’s Information Security Director. Call added, “Not only do they enjoy the work, the state [Minnesota] is a more secure place with these students and graduates on the job.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sfs.opm.gov/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Scholarship for Service (SFS) program&quot;&gt;Scholarship for Service (SFS) program&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://careers.mn.gov/psp/hcm92apc/MNCAREERS/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&amp;amp;FOCUS=Applicant&amp;amp;SiteId=1001&amp;amp;JobOpeningId=8338&amp;amp;PostingSeq=1&amp;amp;languageCd=ENG&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Apply for a Spring 2017 student intern position&quot;&gt;Apply for a Spring semester 2017 student intern position&lt;/a&gt;. Applicants must be students but don’t have to be part of the Scholarship for Service Program.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>260714</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce that Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse has received the 2016 “Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year” award from the Cyber Security Summit. </Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse Named Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year by Cyber Security Summit 2016</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>security</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Chris Buse Named Visionary Leader</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota capital dome with computer code behind it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Visionary-Award_1200x500_tcm38-259887.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota capital dome with computer code behind it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Visionary-Award_300x300_tcm38-259888.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-10 - Chris Buse Named Visionary Leader</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-259861&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-10-12T20:42:51Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce that Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse has received the 2016 “Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year” award from the Cyber Security Summit. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse Named Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year by Cyber Security Summit 2016&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Minnesota IT Services Security Team recognized for their work defending the state’s systems against cyber-criminals.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) is proud to announce that Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse has received the 2016 “Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year” award from the &lt;a href=&quot;http://cybersecuritysummit.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Cyber Security Summit website&quot;&gt;Cyber Security Summit&lt;/a&gt;. The consortium honored Buse for his leadership in securing state systems; supporting the summit’s mission to bring together industry, government and academic interests to improve the state of cybersecurity; and promoting cybersecurity careers in the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Defending the State of Minnesota truly is a team effort,” said Buse. “I am honored to accept this award from the Cyber Security Summit on behalf of all of the dedicated team members on the Minnesota IT Cybersecurity Team who work tirelessly to defend our state.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am tremendously proud of Chris Buse’s leadership, and the work that Minnesota IT has done to protect Minnesota,” said Commissioner Thomas Baden. “Attacks against state systems and Minnesotans’ data are becoming more sophisticated. In this new threat landscape, strong leadership will be more important than ever as we work to invest in new strategies to protect all Minnesotans.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Buse, an advocate for cybersecurity workforce development, has been instrumental in encouraging the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to join the profession by hosting a breakfast at the Cyber Security Summit for students interested in information security. Buse has also actively participated in the Scholarship for Service program, advocating for state agencies to participate in the unique workforce pipeline program.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can learn more, and share the importance of cybersecurity in the State of Minnesota with your coworkers, friends, and family by visiting the &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/cybersecurity/&quot; title=&quot;MNIT cybersecurity page&quot;&gt;MNIT cybersecurity page&lt;/a&gt;.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Chris-Buse-Award_tcm38-259889.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Chris-Buse-Award&quot; alt=&quot;Chris-Buse-Award&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Chris-Buse-Award&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>259861</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Recognizing the importance of protecting Minnesotans’ private data and state systems online, Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed October to be “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota. Every day, attacks are launched against our state systems, private citizens, and those who do business with the state.</Description><Audience/><Title>Governor Dayton Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Governor&apos;s Proclamation</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Governor Mark Dayton Proclaims “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota </Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A man signing a document with binary code in the background.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Signing_300x300_tcm38-304635.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2016-10 - Governor Dayton Proclaims Cybersecurity Awareness Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-259129&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-10-04T18:17:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>“Strong cybersecurity is critical to protect our citizens, our businesses, and our state from attacks online. As these threats increase in volume and sophistication, we must invest in critical upgrades, technology, and talent to keep Minnesotans safe and secure online.”  - Governor Mark Dayton</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;em xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October 4, 2016 &lt;/em&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As threats increase in volume and sophistication, additional attention and resources are needed to protect the data of Minnesotans and state systems   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, MN – Recognizing the importance of protecting Minnesotans’ private data and state systems online, Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed October to be “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in Minnesota. Every day, attacks are launched against our state systems, private citizens, and those who do business with the state.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Strong cybersecurity is critical to protect our citizens, our businesses, and our state from attacks online,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Governor Dayton. &lt;strong&gt;“As these threats increase in volume and sophistication, we must invest in critical upgrades, technology, and talent to keep Minnesotans safe and secure online.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Last session, Governor Dayton proposed a historic investment to improve Minnesota IT Services’ cybersecurity program across state government. This $20 million investment would have allowed the state to protect against many of our most pressing threats through investments in critical upgrades, technology, and talent to keep Minnesotans safe and secure online. Unfortunately, the Legislature did not agree to any of the Governor’s proposed funding for Minnesota IT Services to enhance the state’s cybersecurity program last session.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Minnesota IT Services staff are essential to the success of securing the state,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota IT Service Commissioner, Thomas Baden. &lt;strong&gt;“Our dedication to collaboration with both state and federal agencies in an effort to understand current threats to Minnesota is unparalleled – I take great pride in knowing that other states looks to us as a model around cyber defense. Greater investment in cybersecurity is needed to meet the growing threat we face in our state.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Attacks on state systems are intended to steal citizens’ private data, disrupt government operations, or use government resources to conduct illicit or illegal operations. The number of these attacks has increased significantly, and they are now more sophisticated and more targeted than ever.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Each day we go to work knowing that someone is going to attack us,”&lt;/strong&gt; said Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer, Christopher Buse. &lt;strong&gt;“Our goal is to keep Minnesotans’ data safe and secure from nefarious actors that hide behind their screens. Ensuring that our data is safe is the center of our work, and we are thankful for our many partners in this effort, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Multi-State Information Sharing &amp;amp; Analysis Center, and other industry-leading private sector organizations.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increased Cost of Detection and Escalation&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The cost of detection and escalation of cyber-attacks is growing. According to the Ponemon Institute’s 2016 study on the cost of a data breach:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The average cost incurred for each lost or stolen record containing sensitive and confidential information is $158. This is up 29 percent since 2013.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The average consolidated total cost of a data breach is $4 million.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;48 percent of breaches are malicious attacks.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Costs due to lost business are higher and churn rates have increased by 2.9 percent.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The likelihood of a breach happening in any organization is 26 percent over a period of 24 months.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To help educate Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity, Minnesota IT Services will be sharing important cyber tips for businesses, families, students, educators, government, and all Minnesotans throughout the month.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans are encouraged to learn more, and share the importance of cybersecurity with coworkers, friends, and family by visiting &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/cybersecurity/&quot; title=&quot;MNIT&apos;s Cybersecurity Page&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mnit/cybersecurity&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>259129</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:29:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Chris Buse, Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Minnesota, has been named this year’s Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year by the Cyber Security Summit. Buse will accept the award on behalf of the entire security team at Minnesota IT Services, the State of Minnesota’s central IT organization.</Description><Audience/><Title>Chris Buse Named Visionary Leader</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Leadership</Title><Id>324944</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Chris Buse Named Visionary Leader</Title><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Portrait of Christopher Buse.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Chris-Buse_300x300_tcm38-259019.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2016-10 - Chris Buse Named Visionary Leader</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-259046&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-10-04T14:19:47Z</Date><ShortDescription>Chris Buse, Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Minnesota, has been named this year’s Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year by the Cyber Security Summit. Buse will accept the award on behalf of the entire security team at Minnesota IT Services, the State of Minnesota’s central IT organization.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: right;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;October 3, 2016&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;

&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;h1 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer Chris Buse Named Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year by Cyber Security Summit 2016 &lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;St. Paul, MN –&lt;/strong&gt; Chris Buse, Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Minnesota, has been named this year’s Public Sector Visionary Leader of the Year by the Cyber Security Summit.  Buse will accept the award on behalf of the entire security team at Minnesota IT Services, the State of Minnesota’s central IT organization. He will be presented with the award on October 12, at the 2016 Cyber Security Summit. To learn more about the Summit, go to &lt;a href=&quot;http://cybersecuritysummit.org/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot; title=&quot;Cybersecurity Summit&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;cybersecuritysummit.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am tremendously proud of Chris Buse’s leadership, and the work that Minnesota IT has done to protect the state of Minnesota,” said Commissioner Thomas Baden. “State systems and Minnesotans’ data are increasingly under attack, and those attacks are growing more sophisticated and often target state government entities. In this new threat landscape, strong leadership will be more important than ever as we work to invest in new strategies to protect all Minnesotans.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I am honored to be recognized in this way and to receive this award from the Cyber Security Summit,” says Chris Buse. “Defending the State of Minnesota truly is a team effort. I accept this award on behalf of all of the dedicated team members on the Minnesota IT Cybersecurity Team who work tirelessly to defend our state.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Representing one of the diverse paths that can lead to a career in cyber security, Mr. Buse started as a CPA before branching into information technology audit, which led to him to a technical audit group responsible for IT auditing in government. After many years working in that capacity, he was named Minnesota’s first CISO in 2007.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a technology agency that partners with more than 70 different agencies and organizations, Minnesota IT faces the challenge of centralizing processes for organizations that have historically been separate. Prior to appointing a Chief Information Security Officer, state agencies had adopted a wide variety of different technologies, making the IT infrastructure less efficient and more difficult to secure. Buse said his role has been to help lead a group that provides a holistic approach to the problem. He credits a strong team for the success Minnesota IT has achieved in that area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Mr. Buse is a founding member of the Cyber Security Summit, and became involved because he saw the need to connect leaders with the big picture strategic issues impacting information security. Today, with a threat landscape that continues to change and a more diverse array of attacks happening increasingly quickly, Minnesota has a greater need for collaboration than ever before.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“You can&apos;t be a successful security leader if you live in a vacuum,” he says. “You need to be part of a broader cyber security ecosystem that shares information across boundaries.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As someone who has seen the growing need for security professionals firsthand, Mr. Buse is a strong advocate for workforce development and getting young people involved in cyber security. For the past two years, he has spearheaded a breakfast at the Cyber Security Summit for students interested in information security.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The other award given by the Summit, the 2016 Private Sector Visionary Leader of the Year, went to Brian Isle, senior fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Technological Leadership Institute and co-founder and former CEO of Adventium Labs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can learn more, and share the importance of cybersecurity in the State of Minnesota with your coworkers, friends, and family by visiting &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/cybersecurity/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot; title=&quot;MNIT&apos;s Cybersecurity Page&quot;&gt;mn.gov/mnit/cybersecurity&lt;/a&gt;.    &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>259046</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:31:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>How often do you use online services? Do you check your bank balance, pay bills, catch up on your favorite TV show, surf Facebook or Twitter, or order that last-minute birthday gift? If you do, then it’s likely you need a username and password for every website and account you’re using.
</Description><Audience/><Title>Password Safes</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Passwords</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Password Safes</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a computer screen with someone entering their password.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Password-Safes_1200x500_tcm38-259009.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a computer screen with someone entering their password.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Password-Safes_300x300_tcm38-259008.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-10 - Password Safes</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-258617&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-10-03T21:14:05Z</Date><ShortDescription>How often do you use online services? Do you check your bank balance, pay bills, catch up on your favorite TV show, surf Facebook or Twitter, or order that last-minute birthday gift? If you do, then it’s likely you need a username and password for every website and account you’re using.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How often do you use online services? Do you check your bank balance, pay bills, catch up on your favorite TV show, surf Facebook or Twitter, or order that last-minute birthday gift? If you do, then it’s likely you need a username and password for every website and account you’re using.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For most people, the total number of passwords you use may be surprising. If you multiply the number of sites you log into by the number of computers, tablets and mobile devices that you use to get to those sites, then multiply that by the number of digital devices that your household uses. That’s a lot of passwords to remember.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Therein lies the difficulty. How do you create a unique password for every website you log into, and then how do you remember what the password was? A password like &quot;123456&quot; or &quot;monkey&quot; is easy to remember, but it&apos;s also easy for hackers to crack.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;That’s why Information Technology experts recommend using&lt;/strong&gt; a simple tool called a “password manager”, “password safe” or a “password vault.” With the help of a password manager, you can have a unique and strong password for every secure website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How does a password manager work?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Password managers can integrate with your browser to capture your username and password for websites you log into.  The best ones will capture your information and offer to update it if you change your credentials.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once your credentials are all in a single repository, you can set additional protection with strong passwords, or two-factor authentication that will text a code to your smartphone and allow access only from your registered devices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How do I know which password manager is right for me?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are many different password managers available. Look for features that fit your personal needs. Do you need just the basics or something more advanced? Do you need to sync your credentials across multiple devices?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When it comes to budget, password managers come in a wide range of prices, with some free versions. The nice thing about free versions is that you can try them out, and then buy an upgraded version if you decide you need more.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Below is a list of websites that rate and compare password managers. A little online searching can help you find other options, as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2475964,00.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Best Free Password Managers of 2016&lt;/a&gt; as rated by PC Mag&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407168,00.asp&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Best Password Managers of 2016 rated by PC Mag&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cnet.com/news/best-password-managers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Take control of password chaos with these six password managers—CNET.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wired.com/2016/01/you-need-a-password-manager/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;You Need a Password Manager. Here Are Some Good Free Ones --- Wired.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay safe and secure&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With these tools at your fingertips, you are assured that you’re doing everything you can to keep your data and accounts safe. Remember, you are the number one way to protect your online security. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>258617</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>With increased reliance on the internet comes an increased threat of cyber hacks. We regularly hear news reports of massive data breaches hitting some of the most well-known companies, but government is also a target. </Description><Audience/><Title>Cybersecurity Awareness for Minnesotans</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity</Subject><Subject>Online Safety</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Cybersecurity Awareness for Minnesotans</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A server with the words &quot;Security Breach&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cybersecurity-Minnesotans_1200x500_tcm38-259011.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A server with the words &quot;Security Breach&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Cybersecurity-Minnesotans_300x300_tcm38-259013.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-10 - Cybersecurity Awareness for Minnesotans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-258628&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-10-03T21:13:50Z</Date><ShortDescription>With increased reliance on the internet comes an increased threat of cyber hacks. We regularly hear news reports of massive data breaches hitting some of the most well-known companies, but government is also a target. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The internet is an invaluable tool for all Minnesotans – from connecting our very youngest in the classroom with innovative online applications, to empowering small businesses through e-commerce, to sharing medical information across hospitals to help cure those in need. The digital world is woven into every almost every aspect of Minnesota, a trend that is likely to increase as new technological innovations are introduced.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With increased reliance on the internet comes an increased threat of cyber hacks. We regularly hear news reports of massive data breaches hitting some of the most well-known companies in the US. Cybersecurity is a concern for the business community as attacks have both increased in number and severity in recent years, burdening organizations with both financial and reputation loses.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, cybersecurity is not just an issue for the private sector.  State systems and Minnesotans’ data are increasingly under attack. Every day, new attacks are launched against state systems that are intended to steal citizens’ private data, disrupt government operations, or use government resources to conduct illicit or illegal operations.  The number of attacks has increased significantly, and those attacks are now more sophisticated and often specifically target state government entities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Governor Mark Dayton and Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Thomas Baden are working in partnership with leaders across the State of Minnesota to strengthen the state’s cyber defenses through a number of initiatives:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Proactively managing risk through cyber-first thinking.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Improving situational awareness by hosting mock exercises.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Conducting agency risk-assessments.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Continue monitoring threats and identifying weaknesses.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Partnering with both local and national entities in information sharing and cyber-defense strategy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Creating a statewide culture of cybersecurity awareness.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Even the youngest Minnesotans need to know how to stay safe online. Minnesota IT Services partners with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) on the annual &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-232674&quot;&gt;Kids Safe Online Contest&lt;/a&gt;, a national effort by the Center for Internet Security. The popular contest teaches youth how to use the internet safely and securely, while engaging them through a poster content that helps demonstrate the importance of staying safe online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Increased cyber risk and an increased reliance on technology means greater investment is needed to provide capacity and storage for the large number of devices used and the massive amounts of data collected. The time has come to invest in technology to assure that your data, and the systems that hold your data, are kept safe. The cost of doing nothing is too great.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>258628</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:09Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>We’ve all done it: accidentally deleted a voicemail or email which included important information which would help us to complete a task at home or a work assignment. That feeling of not having access to something so important, and not being able to obtain the information, is real for many Minnesotans who use assistive technology to do everyday business.</Description><Audience/><Title>Creating Accessible Email Signatures</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>Email Signature</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Creating Accessible Email Signatures</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer screen showing the testing of accessible email signatures.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessible-Email-Signature_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-256484.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer screen showing the testing of accessible email signatures.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Accessible-Email-Signature_300%20x%20300_tcm38-256482.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-09 - Creating Accessible Email Signatures</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-256402&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-09-21T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>We’ve all done it: accidentally deleted a voicemail or email which included important information to help us complete a task at home or a work assignment. That feeling of not having access to something so important, and not being able to obtain the information, is real for many Minnesotans who use assistive technology to do everyday business.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We’ve all done it: accidentally deleted a voicemail or email which included important information to help us complete a task at home or a work assignment. That feeling of not having access to something so important, and not being able to obtain the information, is real for many Minnesotans who use assistive technology to do everyday business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The average Minnesotan does not think about their email signature, such as the type and size of the font, the color choices, and where the logo is placed, or understand the implications to not making this vital information accessible to all. However, the information included in an email signature is equally as important as the information included in the email itself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As state employees, it is vital that all information shared with the public, either digital or print, is accessible to all Minnesotans. It is equally as important that such information be accessible to state employees, in accordance with Executive Order 14-14, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/gov-stat/images/EO-14-14-tagged.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Increased State Employment of Individuals with Disabilities&quot;&gt;Providing for Increased State Employment of Individuals with Disabilities&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Dave Andrews, Chief Technology Officer with the Minnesota State Services for the Blind, told us that “inaccessible signatures often include graphics that contain text,” adding that since he is “not able to read text in graphics, the information in the signature is lost to me.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When asked about creating an accessible signature, Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer for the State of Minnesota, added, “Why would we create something that not everyone can use?” Thus, in a collaborative effort to help ensure that all State of Minnesota employee email signatures are accessible, Jennie Delisi from the Office of Accessibility, and Jeremy DePew with the MNIT Communications Team, worked in partnership to develop a new accessible email signature for state employees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Jennie and Jeremy found that there was no clear guidance on how to create accessible signatures. They had to do a lot of research and perform extensive tests in order to develop a reliably accessible template. They paid careful attention to every aspect of a signature, from the type of fonts and graphics, the use of case type in the text, and how to ensure the image has a description that a screen reader is able to relay to the user.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When sending an email, we want to convey both our individuality and professionalism, including the organization in which we belong. During their research, Jennie and Jeremy found that many people use a script style font (handwritten signature) to emulate a handwritten signature to provide a personal touch. But such fonts may make it difficult for some individuals, such as those with dyslexia, to decipher who sent the email. The new template created for state employees includes a font with letters that are more easily identifiable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Another common personalization is to change the signature’s font or background color. However, many people choose colors with low-contrast (such as using light shades of gray against a white background), which may make it difficult for some with low-vision to read. The new state signature was put through a series of tests to ensure that it would be accessible to people using assistive technology tools such as screen readers, text to speech tools, and software used by people with low vision.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Accessible-Email-Signature-Testing-1_tcm38-256480.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Jeremy and Jennie testing email signatures&quot; alt=&quot;Jeremy and Jennie testing email signatures&quot; style=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;width-50-pct&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessible-Email-Signature-Testing-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Accessible-Email-Signature-Testing-2_tcm38-256481.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Color testing email signatures&quot; alt=&quot;Color testing email signatures&quot; style=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;width-50-pct&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessible-Email-Signature-Testing-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Here’s an example of an &lt;strong&gt;accessible signature&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Accessible-Email-Signature-Large_tcm38-256947.png&quot; title=&quot;Example of an accessible email signature&quot; alt=&quot;Example of an accessible email signature&quot; style=&quot;width: 85%; height: auto;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessible Email Signature (Large)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; 
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Want more tips on how to craft an accessible email? Check out MNIT’s &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/programs/accessibility/social-media.jsp#6&quot; title=&quot;MNIT’s accessibility resources &quot;&gt;accessibility resources&lt;/a&gt; online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div id=&quot;hc_extension_bkgnd&quot; style=&quot;position: fixed; left: 0px; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; z-index: -1999999999; display: block; background: none 0% 0% / auto repeat scroll padding-box border-box rgb(255, 255, 255);&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;span hidden=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;hc_extension_svg_filters&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>256402</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that seeps up through soil and into the air. The Minnesota Department of Health’s Indoor Air unit indicates “when inhaled, it gives off radioactive particles that can damage the cells that line the lungs”, and “long term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer”.</Description><Audience/><Title>Building Maps for a Safe Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Radon</Subject><Subject>Interactive Map</Subject><Subject>Health</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Building Maps for a Safe Minnesota</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>3-Dimensional Periodic Table.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Radon_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-253409.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>3-Dimensional Periodic Table.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Radon_300%20x%20300_tcm38-253407.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-09 - Building Maps for a Safe Minnesota</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-253239&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-09-07T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that seeps up through soil and into the air. The Minnesota Department of Health’s Indoor Air unit indicates “when inhaled, it gives off radioactive particles that can damage the cells that line the lungs”, and “long term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer”.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that seeps up through soil and into the air. The Minnesota Department of Health’s Indoor Air unit indicates “when inhaled, it gives off radioactive particles that can damage the cells that line the lungs”, and “long term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer”.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In an effort to educate Minnesotans on the un-mitigated implications of radon exposure, MDH with the support of a federal grant, partnered with MNIT staff to develop a new &lt;a href=&quot;https://apps.health.state.mn.us/mndata/webmap/radon.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Interactive Radon Map&quot;&gt;Interactive Radon Map&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The map includes five years of data (2010-2014), and contains more than 86,000 Minnesota properties tested. While visualizing the data spatially can be useful, “the hidden benefit to the map is the ability to download the data for further analysis,” says Kitty Hurley, a MNIT@MDH employee, who helped create the map. Providing access to the raw data has benefits for citizens and public health professionals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The ability to download the data makes the raw information more accessible to all Minnesotans. While the ability to download the data is important, being able to interact with the maps interface is equally as important, which is why the tool was built designed with accessibility at the forefront. The map itself has been optimized to work with screen readers, so that those with visual limitations are able to access the data that has been made available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Both MDH and MNIT recognize that the development of this tool is a huge step in educating Minnesotan’s about radon in their areas; however, it does not replace the importance of testing your home for radon. All Minnesotan’s are encouraged to test for radon levels.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To learn more about radon and how to test a home in Minnesota, please visit the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/radon/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;MDH website&quot;&gt;MDH website&lt;/a&gt; dedicated to radon test kits.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>253239</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:17:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Streaming 45 species of Minnesota’s diverse fish population is a great way to educate and entertain Minnesotans, and it is even better if the live footage is readily available to the public.  Connecting the DNR&apos;s Fish Cam to a live feed online opened a whole new can of tech worms, from wiring the camera to the bandwidth of the network.</Description><Audience/><Title>DNR Fish Cam</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>Fish</Subject><Subject>Fish Cam</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Fish Through the Lens of the DNR</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A variety of species of fish that live in Minnesota, swimming in a pond at the state fair.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Fish-Cam_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-253410.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A variety of species of fish that live in Minnesota, swimming in a pond at the state fair.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Fish-Cam_300%20x%20300_tcm38-253412.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-08 - DNR Fish Cam 2016</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-254173&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-08-30T20:39:21Z</Date><ShortDescription>Streaming 45 species of Minnesota’s diverse fish population is a great way to educate and entertain Minnesotans, and it is even better if the live footage is readily available to the public. Connecting the DNR&apos;s Fish Cam to a live feed online opened a whole new can of tech worms, from wiring the camera to the bandwidth of the network.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2010, avid angler and MNIT staff member supporting the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Betsey Cotone thought, “If we can live stream an eagles nest, we should be able to do the same thing with fish.” This thought became reality in 2010, when the MNIT team at DNR installed the first live feed in the fish pond at the Minnesota State Fair.  While livestreaming fish underwater sounds straightforward, the reality is there are far more technical details that need to be considered. The MNIT crew needed to develop some creative solutions for the camera, location, network, and whether it can go “fin to fin” with a huge 30-year-old sturgeon. All of these factors impact what you see on your screen when watching the live feed on your computer or mobile device.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Camera, Location, Action&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With virtually no budget and a potentially big idea, MNIT’s Jed Becher began searching for a reliable and low-cost solution. After a bit of searching, it was identified that an ice fishing camera from Marcum Technologies would met all of the requirements Jed was looking for.  In keeping up with the ever-improving quality of HD video, the crew switched to a high definition (HD) camera in 2014. This original HD camera posed its own problem as it was not waterproof.  The solution? The camera was “dipped” in a rubberized coating material often used in the creation of tool handles. The camera was also USB based so a USB extender also needed to be used.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Fish-Cam-Set-Up_tcm38-254184.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Theodore Bhagyam setting up the Fish Cam&quot; alt=&quot;Theodore Bhagyam setting up the Fish Cam&quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Fish-Cam-Set-Up&quot; /&gt; &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stocking-Fish-Pond_tcm38-254186.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Sturgeon getting ready to enter the pond &quot; alt=&quot;Sturgeon getting ready to enter the pond &quot; style=&quot;width: 40%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stocking-Fish-Pond&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Streaming Content&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Streaming 40 species of Minnesota’s diverse fish population is a great way to educate and entertain Minnesotans, and it is even better if the live footage is readily available to the public.  Connecting the new fish camera to a live feed online opened a whole new can of tech worms, from wiring the camera to the bandwidth of the network.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Running 200 feet of custom cable to the camera through an old winding water supply pipe was no easy task for the team. Thankfully they are resourceful, and used a boat keychain to float a fish line down the 200-foot cable down the winding pipe from the DNR building to the pond. A rope was then pulled up the tube and finally the video cable.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Fish Cam has come a long way since its inception in 2010. The advancement in technology and equipment has resulted in a higher quality feed, which benefits both those watching both at the state fair and online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/statefair/webcam/fish.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Watch live video of the DNR Fish Camera&quot;&gt;Watch live video&lt;/a&gt; of the 45 species of fish streaming now on the DNR website. Now clearer than ever!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Fish-Cam-Team_tcm38-254185.jpg&quot; title=&quot;The team behind the fish cam&quot; alt=&quot;The team behind the fish cam&quot; style=&quot;width: 80%; height: auto&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Fish-Cam-Team&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>254173</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:56Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair was a huge success! This year, thanks to SciMathMN who organized the day’s events, thousands of fair attendees were participated in the many hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations from a diverse array of exhibitors and organizations. The live performances on stage were a particular hit for many.</Description><Audience/><Title>STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Subject>Science</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Math</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) illustration. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-Day_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-253403.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) illustration. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-Day_300%20x%20300_tcm38-253401.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-08 - STEM Day at the State Fair - Recap</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-254261&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-08-30T19:40:14Z</Date><ShortDescription>STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair was a huge success! This year, thanks to SciMathMN who organized the day’s events, thousands of fair attendees were participated in the many hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations from a diverse array of exhibitors and organizations. The live performances on stage were a particular hit for many.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>A recap of the day&apos;s events.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair was a huge success! This year, thanks to SciMathMN who organized the day’s events, thousands of fair attendees were participated in the many hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations from a diverse array of exhibitors and organizations. The live performances on stage were a particular hit for many.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;  &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/STEM-Day-Robot-1_tcm38-254506.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Small robot from STEM Day&quot; alt=&quot;Small robot from STEM Day&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle; width: 48%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;STEM-Day-Robot-1&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;  &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/STEM-Day-Robot-2_tcm38-254508.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Large robot from STEM Day&quot; alt=&quot;Large robot from STEM Day&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle; width: 48%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;STEM-Day-Robot-2&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Commissioner Baden participated in several STEM Day activities throughout the day, including, presenting Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith’s STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair Proclamation, and awarding 4H student’s certificates signed by Governor Dayton for their STEM projects.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/STEM-Day-Proclamation_tcm38-254505.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Commissioner Baden Presenting the STEM Day proclamation&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner Baden Presenting the STEM Day proclamation&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle; width: 48%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;STEM-Day-Proclamation&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;  &lt;img src=&quot;/mnit/assets/STEM-Day-Award-Winners_tcm38-254502.jpg&quot; title=&quot;Commissioner Baden presenting STEM Day awards to 4H Students&quot; alt=&quot;Commissioner Baden presenting STEM Day awards to 4H Students&quot; style=&quot;vertical-align: middle; width: 48%; height: auto&quot; xlink:title=&quot;STEM-Day-Award-Winners&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Throughout the day, Commissioner Baden also visited several state agency booths including the Minnesota State Council on Disabilities and the new Minnesota Careers booth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair was crammed with excitement. We want to thank SciMathMN and all of those who helped to make this day possible for the thousands of attendees.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>254261</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Ever wonder what type of geology is under your house? Or the age of the soils and bedrock are underneath your feet? The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources “What’s Under Your House” app answers these questions and more!</Description><Audience/><Title>What IS under your house?</Title><Publisher/><Subject>geology</Subject><Subject>interactive map</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>What is Under Your House?</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Split view of rock.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Under-Your-House_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-253404.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Split view of rock.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Under-Your-House_300%20x%20300_tcm38-253406.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-08 - What is Under Your House?</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-253238&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-08-29T11:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Ever wonder what type of geology is under your house? Or the age of the soils and bedrock are underneath your feet? The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources “What’s Under Your House” app answers these questions and more!</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The DNR has an App for that</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ever wonder what type of geology is under your house? Or the age of the soils and bedrock are underneath your feet? The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/wuyh/ipad.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;What’s Under Your House App&quot;&gt;What’s Under Your House&lt;/a&gt;” app answers these questions and more!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Specifically designed for the Minnesota State Fair, this interactive web application provides users with the specific geologic data of any single location in the State of Minnesota. The geological data displayed for each site includes soil information, glacial geology, depth to bedrock, and bedrock geology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Using the map is easy and intuitive, even for the youngest of geologists. Simply search for an address or point to a location on the map. Then, view the geological data associated with that location.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Start exploring today!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>253238</id><pubdate>2018-11-30T20:59:52Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Did you know the state of Minnesota offers free apps and online resources that makes living in Minnesota easier, safer and more enjoyable? Connect MN is a collection apps and mobile sites that encourage all those living in and visiting the great State of Minnesota to explore, discover and connect with everything the state has to offer.</Description><Audience/><Title>Connecting Minnesotans</Title><Publisher/><Subject>state of Minnesota apps </Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Connecting with Your State</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shape of Minnesota with a sign that reads &quot;connect.&quot; The background is made up of a series of connected dots.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Connect-MN_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-253398.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Shape of Minnesota with a sign that reads &quot;connect.&quot; The background is made up of a series of connected dots.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Connect-MN_300%20x%20300_tcm38-253400.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-08 - Connecting with Your State</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-253244&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-08-24T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>Did you know the state of Minnesota offers free apps and online resources that makes living in Minnesota easier, safer and more enjoyable? Connect MN is a collection apps and mobile sites that encourage all those living in and visiting the great State of Minnesota to explore, discover and connect with everything the state has to offer.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Did you know the state of Minnesota offers free apps and online resources that makes living in Minnesota easier, safer and more enjoyable? &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/portal/connect/&quot;&gt;Connect MN&lt;/a&gt; is a collection apps and mobile sites that encourage all those living in and visiting the great State of Minnesota to explore, discover and connect with everything the state has to offer. From exploring state parks to experiencing the state fair and everything in between, Connect MN helps you stay connected to what matters to you. Here is a taste of what you will discover.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A Virtual Walk Through Minnesota’s Parks&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There is no better way to experience all that Minnesota has to offer than a visit to any of our 67 State Parks. With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start, which is why the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) developed an interactive web app encouraging users to embark on virtual tours of state parks, recreation areas and trails throughout Minnesota. This tool works great for those who would like to plan their trip ahead of time, Photographers looking to capture that perfect shot and people that may have difficulty accessing these areas. The beauty of Minnesota’s state parks is something that should be experienced by all. So start here, with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/virtual_tours.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;DNR’s Virtual Tour Web App&quot;&gt;DNR’s Virtual Tour Web App&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Hitch a Ride to the State Fair&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The “Great Minnesota Get Together” is so close you can almost smell the fried foods in the air. Aside from being known for crazy concoctions on a stick, the Minnesota State Fair is also known for having the largest average attendance of any State Fair in the United States. With over 1.5 million people flocking to the fair annually, traffic and parking can be difficult. Instead of sitting is rush-hour traffic, take a stress-free, non-stop, air-conditioned ride to the fairgrounds. Metro Transit will be operating State Fair Express Buses from 21 Twin Cities locations. Catch your ride with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mnstatefair.org/general_info/get_here/express_bus.html&quot; title=&quot;2016 State Faire Express Bus&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2016 State Faire Express Bus&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check the Traffic&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Don’t let traffic get the best of you. The Minnesota Department of Transportation&apos;s (MnDOT) 511 app provides statewide, real-time traffic information for interstates, U.S. routes, and state highways. With 511 you can plan your commute to around traffic jams, road construction and weather. You can even personalize the app with your most popular routes. So, save yourself the headache and download the &lt;a href=&quot;http://511mn.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;511 app&quot;&gt;511 app&lt;/a&gt;. Please stay safe and avoid using cellular devices while operating a vehicle.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Find many more apps and resources at &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/portal/connect/&quot;&gt;Connect MN&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>253244</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:55Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>On Thursday, August 25, 2016, Minnesota State Fair attendees are invited to participate in STEM Day (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) at the fair! This annual event encourages students, parents, educators, and the general public to actively participate in the many hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations from a diverse array of exhibitors and organizations.</Description><Audience/><Title>STEM Day at the 2016 Minnesota State Fair</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Science</Subject><Subject>Technology</Subject><Subject>Minnesota State Fair</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>STEM Day at the State Fair</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) illustration. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-Day_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-253403.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) illustration. </AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/STEM-Day_300%20x%20300_tcm38-253401.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-08 - STEM Day at the State Fair 2016</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-253247&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-08-22T20:00:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>On Thursday, August 25, 2016, Minnesota State Fair attendees are invited to participate in STEM Day (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) at the fair! This annual event encourages students, parents, educators, and the public to participate in the many hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations from a diverse array of exhibitors.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Encouraging students, parents, educators, and the public to participate STEM at the fair.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On Thursday, August 25, 2016, Minnesota State Fair attendees are invited to participate in STEM Day (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) at the fair! This annual event encourages students, parents, educators, and the general public to actively participate in the many hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations from a diverse array of exhibitors and organizations. Live performances on stage will feature entertaining experiments and demonstrations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These activities are designed to excite students, and teach them how to participate in STEM-oriented activities at their schools. The demonstrations illustrate how everyday objects, systems and buildings are driven by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;At approximately 11:45 a.m., Commissioner Thomas Baden will issue a proclamation to Jim Davnie, State Representative and Executive Director of SciMathMN, on behalf of Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith, declaring August 25, 2016 STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about STEM Day at the Minnesota State Fair, visit their &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.facebook.com/STEM-Day-at-the-Minnesota-State-Fair-213598361997441/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;STEM Day Facebook Page&quot;&gt;Facebook page&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>253247</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:59Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Technology guides how we think, work and are entertained. Today we are more connected with everyone and everything around us. We talk to our devices, they talk to us and the devices talk to each other. This connected world we live in is all part of “Internet of Things” or “IoT”, and it may very well lead to a smarter way of living in smarter cities.
</Description><Audience/><Title>The Internet of Things: Smart Cities</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Smart Cities</Subject><Subject>Internet of Things</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Internet of Things: Smart Cities</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A city street at night lined with binary code.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/IoT-Smart-Cities_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-251978.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A city street at night lined with binary code.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/IoT-Smart-Cities_300%20x%20300_tcm38-251976.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-08 - The Internet of Things: Smart Cities</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-251979&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-08-10T20:06:27Z</Date><ShortDescription>Technology guides how we think, work and are entertained. Today we are more connected with everyone and everything around us. We talk to our devices, they talk to us and the devices talk to each other. This connected world we live in is all part of “Internet of Things” or “IoT”, and it may very well lead to a smarter way of living in smarter cities.

</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Will IoT lead a smarter way of living in smarter cities?</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As technology evolves, so do our lives. Technology guides how we think, work and are entertained. Today we are in the midst of a rapid technological expansion as we become more and more connected with everyone and everything around us. We talk to our devices, they talk to us and the devices talk to each other. This connected world we live in is all part of “Internet of Things” or “IoT”, and it may very well lead to a smarter way of living.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may have heard of “Smart Cities” and maybe even imagined a futuristic landscape with flying cars and buildings that talk to each other, similar to the Hollywood interpretations we categorize as science fiction. Smart Cities however, are anything but fiction. We may not be rolling flying cars off the production line anytime soon but we are making strides in connective technology. Both the government and the private sector are working to improve the way we live and create a sustainable future. This year President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report on “&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/images/Blog/PCAST%20Cities%20Report%20_%20FINAL.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Technology and Cities of the Future Report&quot;&gt;Technology and Cities of the Future&lt;/a&gt;” with the notion that cities throughout the US need to reshape the way they operate through the expansion of smart technologies. The Obama administration has also developed a &quot;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/09/14/fact-sheet-administration-announces-new-smart-cities-initiative-help&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;The Obama Administration&apos;s Smart Cities Initiative&quot;&gt;Smart Cities Initiative&lt;/a&gt;” to aid local communities with challenges such as fostering economic growth, climate change and reducing traffic congestion.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Smart Transportation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Reducing traffic congestion is one way in which we can all benefit from the Smart City concept.  Smart traffic systems can relay real-time data to guide traffic along less congested routes, reducing the amount of traffic jams. By monitoring vehicle and pedestrian activity, the system could optimize driving and walking routes in advance. Smart sensors could alert drivers of open parking spaces. Street lights could turn on only if someone is approaching. Not only could these concepts save on the frustration of our daily commute and make travel safer, they would also conserve a lot of energy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Smart Energy&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Some of the most important advancements in the smart city concept is that of smart grids. We are currently running on an energy grid that was built in the 1890s and improved upon to get to where we are today. The current grid consists of more than 9,200 electric generating units, more than 1 million megawatts of generating capacity and is connected to more than 300,000 miles of transmission lines. Although this may sound impressive, we have stretched this outdated system about as far as we can.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is where the Smart Grid comes into play. A “Smart Grid” is an electricity supply network that uses digital technology to detect and react to local changes in usage, resulting in a more reliable and efficient use of our energy. Using technology that more readily connects us with energy data can result in the lowering of our carbon footprint, lower energy rates and quicker restoration during power outages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In our digital world, we have become more reliant on electricity than ever before. Our banking, communications, traffic, and security are all tied to the energy grid. Most recently Delta Airlines’ global system shut down due to a power outage, effectively halting travel for their airline around the world. When a power outage occurs, Smart Grid technologies will have the capability to detect and isolate the outages before becoming large-scale blackouts. These new technologies can help ensure that electricity is distributed strategically, keeping health centers, police departments and traffic lights operable until full power is restored.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Read more about IoT in our article on &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-249947&quot; title=&quot;Internet of Things in Health&quot;&gt;Internet of Things: Health&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>251979</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:37:02Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>With more than 90,000 miles of shoreline requiring buffers or alternative water quality mitigation, the Minnesota DNR designed the Buffer Protection Map as an educational resource tool for landowners. The map combines existing tabular data with geospatial data to create a visual representation of Minnesota’s waters that require buffers.</Description><Audience/><Title>DNR Develops Buffer App</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Clean Water</Subject><Subject>Geospatial</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>DNR Develops Buffer App</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Aerial view of a river lined with vegetation.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Buffer-Map_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-250631.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Aerial view of a river lined with vegetation.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Buffer-Map_300x300_tcm38-250632.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-07 - DNR Develops Buffer Map</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-250644&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-07-27T20:05:59Z</Date><ShortDescription>With more than 90,000 miles of shoreline requiring buffers or alternative water quality mitigation, the Minnesota DNR designed the Buffer Protection Map as an educational resource tool for landowners. The map combines existing tabular data with geospatial data to create a visual representation of Minnesota’s waters that require buffers.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On July 12, 2016, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in partnership with MNIT Services @ DNR, released an interactive map to help Minnesotans understand the buffer requirements for Minnesota’s waterways in a visual way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What are Buffers?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Buffer Law was signed by Governor Dayton in June of 2015. This law was amended by the Minnesota Legislature, and signed into law by Governor Dayton in April of 2016.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In short, Minnesota&apos;s buffer law helps to protect Minnesota’s water. A buffer is a border of perennial vegetation alongside public waters (such as lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, rivers, streams and ditches, etc.) that filters out phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment from surrounding land before they reach surface waters. The law also provides flexibility and financial support for landowners to install and maintain buffers to help protect Minnesota’s water supply for generations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visualizing Minnesota’s Waterways&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With more than 90,000 miles of shoreline that require buffers or alternative water quality mitigation, the Minnesota DNR designed the Buffer Protection Map as an educational resource tool for landowners. The map combines existing tabular data with geospatial data to create a visual representation of Minnesota’s waters that require buffers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Armed with the technical know-how to create an interactive map, the MNIT Services @ DNR team, at the request of the Minnesota DNR, developed a useful tool to help Minnesotans understand where buffers are required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first task analyzed and gathered required data for the interactive map, merging available data on public waters and shoreland classifications with information from 95 different drainage authorities. The second task involved partnering closely with DNR’s data governance program and MNIT Services @ DNR application developers to develop a set of web-based collaboration tools so local stakeholders could share feedback with DNR staff during the open comment period.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotans whose property includes waterways can now find the vital information they need to implement buffer zones through the map’s many features. The Minnesota DNR Buffer Map:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identifies public ditches requiring a 16.5-foot buffer (local ordinances may require wider buffers)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Identifies public waters where a 50-foot average buffer is required (local ordinances may require wider buffers)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The map also identifies &quot;needing field review&quot; sites. These sites require on-site verification by the DNR to determine if a buffer is necessary or not.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Additional information about Minnesota’s buffer mapping project and the interactive Buffer Map are available on the Minnesota DNR &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/buffers/index.html&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota DNR Buffer Webpage&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Buffer Webpage&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The geographic information data behind the interactive map is available at the &lt;a href=&quot;http://gisdata.mn.gov/dataset/env-buffer-protection-mn&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota DNR Buffer Protection Map&quot;&gt;Buffer Protection Map&lt;/a&gt; resource, located on the Minnesota Geospatial Commons.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>250644</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>With summer in full stride, many of us are working toward a healthier version of ourselves. Whether running, climbing or kayaking, you might be one of many people utilizing technology to help you along the way. Wearable technology has become an increasingly popular way of motivating us on our journey toward a healthier lifestyle.
</Description><Audience/><Title>The Internet of Things: Health</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Internet of Things</Subject><Subject>Health and Wellness</Subject><Subject>Fitness Trackers</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title>The Internet of Things: Health</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouette of five people running overlaid with an abstract tech illustration.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Internet-of-Things-Health_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-249950.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Silhouette of two people running overlaid with an abstract tech illustration.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Internet-of-Things-Health_300%20x%20300_tcm38-249948.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-07 - The Internet of Things: Health</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-249947&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-07-20T17:46:44Z</Date><ShortDescription>With summer in full stride, many of us are working toward a healthier version of ourselves. Whether running, climbing or kayaking, you might be one of many people utilizing technology to help you along the way. Wearable technology has become an increasingly popular way of motivating us on our journey toward a healthier lifestyle.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Will IoT help us live healthier lifestyles?</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You may have noticed a movement sweeping across the globe dubbed the “Internet of Things” or “IoT”, a clever title given to the development of everyday objects with network connectivity that can share data between people and services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;How does this trend affect our health? With summer in full stride, many of us are working toward a healthier version of ourselves. Whether you are running, climbing or kayaking, you might be one of many people utilizing technology to help you along the way. Wearables, apps and even everyday appliances have become increasingly popular ways of motivating us on our journey toward a healthier lifestyle. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Of all the ways you can track your health and wellness efforts, wearable technology has quickly become one of the most popular and convenient trends. Rightfully so, as the technology is designed to make life easier, more efficient and fun. Considered to be part of the quantified-self movement, wearables focus on meshing each aspect of your life with technology. They gather data from you and your environment as they track a variety of statistics like: how many calories you burned, your heart rate and your sleep patterns, just to name a few.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the technology expands, wearables are becoming more diverse. You are no longer limited to a sport watch or the standard apps on your phone. Innovations in the wearable tech field now give you the option for something more compact. Even clothes are doubling as fitness trackers. The Lumo Run shorts have sensors embedded in the lining that collect your running data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Because wearables are so versatile, it is easy to forget the technology happening behind the scenes. Although that is the point, we thought you should know what features to look for and what they really do. Here are some features to track:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3-axis accelerometer&lt;/strong&gt; - Tracks your movement in every direction.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gyroscope&lt;/strong&gt; –Measures your orientation and rotation.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Altimeter&lt;/strong&gt; -  Measures your altitude.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bioimpedance&lt;/strong&gt; – Measures your heart rate more accurately than other methods.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Actigraphy&lt;/strong&gt; - Translates your wrist movements into sleep patterns. (Note: This is not nearly as accurate as the data you would receive in a professional sleep study.)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you are looking for a fitness tracker, keep in mind that the more sensors it has, the more accurate the data will be.  Combined, these sensors track internal and external data as an activity like distance. The data collected is then run through proprietary algorithms which are used to determine how many calories you burned during your morning jog or your quality of sleep last night. Finally, this information is usually represented to you via a user friendly app full of the colorful charts that we all love.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Wearable Technology Aiding in Healthcare&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aside from tracking our fitness goals, wearable technology is playing an important role in the healthcare arena. These devices are showing promise as we gain the capability of notifying caregivers of medical alerts faster and providing responders with information based on the user’s location. Wearables that monitor the users’ physical state might enable timely response in medical conditions such as a product like &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.iotjournal.com/articles/view?14687&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;IoT Journal Story about CoughAware&quot;&gt;CoughAware&lt;/a&gt;, that helps caregivers to respond quickly to impeding asthma or COPD respiratory attacks. The development of glucose monitoring devices for diabetics equipped to administer insulin that could help alleviate the symptoms one might experience if left untreated. There is even a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ccis.northeastern.edu/corporations-industry/matthew-goodwin-bridging-disciplines-for-autism-care/&quot; title=&quot;Autism Study at Northeastern University&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;study at Northeastern University&lt;/a&gt; that monitors the movements and physiological states of individuals with autism to better understand the needs of those who have difficulty communicating. All of these applications are possible using wearable technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Disclaimer: This is not an endorsement of any products. This technology should not be used in place of medical professionals and or medical attention. &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>249947</id><pubdate>2018-11-30T21:09:38Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>If you’ve been on the internet — or, um, outside — lately, you may have noticed that a game called Pokémon Go is taking the world by storm. With over 7 million downloads within the United States in just the first week, Pokémon Go is arguably the most successful game release in recent history. While the game is fun many have encountered both virtual and real-life dangers with the app.</Description><Audience/><Title>Security Concerns with Pokémon Go</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Pokémon Go</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled>Cybersecurity</SubjectControlled></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Security Concerns with Pokémon Go</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a person playing Pokemon Go on their cell phone in front of the Minnesota Capitol.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Pokemon_1200%20x%20500_tcm38-249248.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up of a person playing Pokemon Go on their cell phone in front of the Minnesota Capitol.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Pokemon_300%20x%20300_tcm38-249246.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-07 - Security Concerns with Pokémon Go</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-249259&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-07-13T20:53:19Z</Date><ShortDescription>You may have noticed that a game called Pokémon Go is taking the world by storm. With over 7 million downloads within the United States in just the first week, Pokémon Go is arguably the most successful game release in recent history. While the game is fun many have encountered both virtual and real-life dangers with the app.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;What is Pokémon Go?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you’ve been on the internet lately, you may have noticed that a game called &lt;strong&gt;Pokémon Go&lt;/strong&gt; is suddenly taking the world by storm. It may have you wondering, especially if you were born before 1984, just what on earth is going on. You’ve likely noticed people intensely roaming the halls with their phones in hand, kids actually outside even though they are still glued to a screen or someone confusing a “Pokémon Gym” for the latest fitness craze! The truth is, we can now feed our screen addictions while getting outdoors and meeting new people all thanks to Pikachu!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Although the game is derived from a 1990’s Japanese videogame, the tech is innovative. Unlike previous Pokémon games, it’s not for Nintendo’s handheld consoles; it’s a free download for &lt;a href=&quot;http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticlabs.pokemongo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Pokémon Go for Android&quot;&gt;Android&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticlabs.pokemongo&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Pokémon Go for iOS&quot;&gt;iOS&lt;/a&gt; devices. Pokémon Go utilizes augmented reality technology while tracking your geo-location with information from Google Maps. The result is an addictive virtual reality full of little monsters and popular real-life landmarks displayed as Pokémon specific buildings. To play, users actually navigate the real-world on a quest to capture “wild Pokémon , while stopping at landmarks listed as “Pokémon gyms” and “PokeStops” to train their character and fill-up on “Poke Balls” to capture more Wild Pokémon, meaning players have to traverse the real world to catch ’em all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With over 7 million downloads within the United States in just the first week, Pokémon Go is arguably the most successful game release in recent history. While the initial intent of the game is fun, since its release, many have encountered both virtual and real-life dangers with the app.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Full Access to your Google account&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In order to play the game, a user must first sign-up to play the game. There are two ways in which a user can sign-up; the first option is to sign in using your Google account credentials, the second is to register as a user on pokemon.com. However, given the popularity of the game, the Pokémon website was not accepting new accounts for the first few days. Thus, users were only left with one option, Google.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Tuesday, CSOOnline &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.csoonline.com/article/3092462/security/experts-say-pokmon-go-exposes-players-to-security-and-privacy-risks.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Report from CSOOnline&quot;&gt;reported&lt;/a&gt; that users who signed in with their Google account may have inadvertently given Niantic (Pokémon Go creators) “Full Account Access” to their Google accounts. This means that not only can the app read your data, inbox, calendar events, and search history, it can also modify it. For example, emails can be sent on your behalf, documents in Drive can be deleted/added, and photos can be shared or removed in addition to a host of other permissions things that have yet to be uncovered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you did sign up with your Google account, don’t worry, you can revoke the access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Here is how revoke&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Pokémon &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Go access to your Google account:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Log in to your Google account and open up the &quot;Apps connected to your account&quot; page.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Scroll down to &quot;Pokémon Go,&quot; then hit &quot;Remove Access.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Confirm by hitting &quot;OK.&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Malware and Ransomware&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While full access to your Google account may be frightening enough, hackers have started targeting Android users with a fake Pokémon Go app. Fortune first &lt;a href=&quot;http://fortune.com/2016/07/10/pokemon-go-malware/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Report from Fortune&quot;&gt;reported&lt;/a&gt; the malware on Sunday, siting  that the security firm Proofpoint had initially discovered the malicious app on some third-party application sites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Personal Security&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Aside from virtual threats such as privacy of your Google account and malware attacks, there are also real-life threats to Pokémon Go players. Encountering “Wild Pokémon  can happen at any time. For example the Tennessee Highway Safety Office &lt;a href=&quot;http://twitter.com/TNHSO/status/751581851270180865&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Warning from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office&quot;&gt;issued a reminder&lt;/a&gt; to its citizens about not playing the game while driving. There have also been reports of players being robbed, people stopping in crosswalks to catch one, and numerous injuries suffered from not paying attention while walking.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Capitol Complex&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With the Minnesota State Capitol being a hot spot for PokeStops, Gyms, and Wild Pokémon  the iconic capitol complex is quickly becoming a favorite of avid players. While the state encourages citizens to get out and visit the capitol, the Minnesota State Patrol has been busy working to keep both players and employees safe while playing the game.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While we encourage the idea of getting outside and visiting local land marks, we must encourage all players to use caution while playing the game. This includes not playing while driving and being aware of your surroundings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Go catch’em all!! &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>249259</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:53Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title> 4th of July Tech Tips</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Technology</Title><Id>343556</Id><Key/></Category><Title> 4th of July Tech Tips</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Family looking at fireworks</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/4th%20of%20July%20Tech%20Tips%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-247781.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Family looking at fireworks</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/4th%20of%20July%20Tech%20Tips%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-247779.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-06 - 4th of July Tech Tips</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-247778&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-06-30T15:14:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>For many the 4th of July is filled with family gatherings, barbecues, festivals, parades, and fireworks. Whether you are trying to capture that perfect photo, find your way around a state park or just need a break from technology, we have you covered. Here are a few tech tips for you to share with family and friends for a safe and memorable Fourth of July weekend:
</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;On the Fourth of July, we celebrate the courageous members of the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. As we honor our ancestors&apos; fight for freedom, many of us will experience this holiday through family gatherings, barbecues, musical events, festivals, parades, and fireworks. We’ve compiled a few tech tips for you to share with family and friends for a safe and memorable Fourth of July weekend:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Better Fireworks Photos&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This weekend when you’re watching a fireworks show with family and friends, chances are someone will pull out their phone to snap a few photos. Don&apos;t let them suffer by taking bad photos. Share these tips with them first: Turn off your flash, avoid shakiness, don’t zoom in, tinker with your camera’s exposure settings, and try burst mode.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Check out this TIME Magazine article, &lt;a title=&quot;6 Secret Tricks For Photographing Fireworks With Your Phone&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://time.com/3941905/fireworks-photos-smartphone/&quot;&gt;6 Secret Tricks For Photographing Fireworks With Your Phone&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Offline Maps&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) can attest that the Fourth of July weekend is a busy time at Minnesota parks. Many Minnesotans take this holiday travel around to remote parts of our great state with family, relaxing in the woods, sightseeing, hiking, and seeing some of Minnesota&apos;s most popular attractions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While these experiences make for great family vacations, getting lost in the middle of Minnesota does not. Before you set out on your next great family trip, read about &lt;a title=&quot; How to Use Google Maps Without An Internet Connection&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://motto.time.com/4203431/google-maps-use-offline-how/&quot;&gt;How to Use Google Maps Without An Internet Connection&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Digital Detox&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If you&apos;re looking forward to spending the Fourth of July weekend relaxing with family and friends, and not checking your smartphone every minute - maybe a &quot;digital detox&quot; is in order.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One simple way to gain independence from your smartphone is to shut it off, and lock it in your closet. If this is too extreme, you could put your phone on silent - or better yet, just turn it off.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;There are some benefits to a &quot;digital detox&quot;, as Fast Co. reported in &lt;a title=&quot;What Really Happens To Your Brain And Body During A Digital Detox&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.fastcompany.com/3049138/most-creative-people/what-really-happens-to-your-brain-and-body-during-a-digital-detox&quot;&gt;What Really Happens To Your Brain And Body During A Digital Detox&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We wish you all a happy and safe Fourth of July.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>247778</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>During the last year, the MNIT Web Development team has been working in partnership with state agencies to update state websites. This partnership set forth with a focus to create an improved user experience while delivering informative content that is accessible to all Minnesotans.</Description><Audience/><Title>State Websites Get Overhaul</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>User Experience</Subject><Subject>Web Development</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>State Websites Get Overhaul</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota Tridion-based websites on a variety of screen sizes.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tridion-upgrade-devices-1200x500_tcm38-243985.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Minnesota Tridion-based websites on a variety of screen sizes.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/tridion-upgrade-devices-300x300_tcm38-243984.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-06 - State Websites Get Overhaul</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-243991&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-06-02T15:13:15Z</Date><ShortDescription>During the last year, the MNIT Web Development team has been working in partnership with state agencies to update state websites. This partnership set forth with a focus to create an improved user experience while delivering informative content that is accessible to all Minnesotans.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Creating an improved user experience for Minnesotans.</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the last year, the MNIT Web Development team has been working in partnership with state agencies to update state websites. This partnership set forth with a focus to create an improved user experience while delivering informative content that is accessible to all Minnesotans. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessibility&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT Web Development team created an infrastructure with templates to meet the &lt;a title=&quot;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag&quot;&gt;Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0&lt;/a&gt; requirements as recommended by the &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;World Wide Web Consortium&quot; href=&quot;https://www.w3.org/&quot;&gt;World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)&lt;/a&gt;,an international community developing open standards to ensure the long-term growth of the Web. In an effort to continuously improve the accessibility of state websites, the Web Development team continuously works in partnership with state accessibility coordinators and key test groups comprised of disabled members of the community to ensure that Minnesota’s digital government is accessible to all.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;User Experience&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a result of this state-wide collaborative effort, all state agency websites start out with a solid, responsive design — making website layout, navigation, and content responsive to any device (phones, tablets, desktops, and other devices of various sizes). A few of the more recently upgraded sites, particularly &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Enterprise Learning and Development&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mmb/eld/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;Enterprise Learning and Development (ELD)&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a title=&quot;License Minnesota&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/elicense/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;License Minnesota&lt;/a&gt;, have had significant overhauls in their user-experience by including dynamic website content such as news items, blogs, and other dynamic content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State agencies can realize substantial time and money savings through the development and infrastructure efforts that have already been made. This allows agencies to on-board new agencies to the platform much more quickly, starting out with a fully-responsive layout, flexible and targeted content types and templates, and an infrastructure that allows for fast improvements, fixes, and enhancements. Agencies can now focus on creating informative content that Minnesotans need, and worry less about the technological questions of how to go about delivering it. Nearly 70 state websites have moved to the new platform, with a handful going live in the next few weeks. Examples include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota State Portal&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/portal/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;Minnesota State Portal&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Governor&apos;s Office&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/governor/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery#/list/appId//filterType//filterValue//page/1/sort/Date/order/descending&quot;&gt;Governor&apos;s Office&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Department of Employment and Economic Development&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deed/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;Department of Employment and Economic Development&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Department of Commerce&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/commerce/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery#/list/appId//filterType//filterValue//page//sort//order/&quot;&gt;Department of Commerce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Department of Human Services&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/dhs/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;Department of Human Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;MNIT&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/?utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;MNIT&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>243991</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:51Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Building Tools for Minnesota Job Seekers</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A worker with a hard hat under their arm standing in front of  illustrations of gears.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Career%20Profile%20Tool%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-242472.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>A worker with a hard hat under their arm standing in front of  illustrations of gears.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Career%20Profile%20Tool%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-242471.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-05 - Building Tools for Minnesota Job Seekers</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-242282&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-05-26T15:18:22Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has created a new Career Profile Tool providing career explorers, job seekers, and employers with a convenient, all-in-one information source for  wages, demand, education requirements, opportunities, and much more. It is useful whether looking for a first job or seeking a new career.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The year 2015 was a good one for Minnesota job seekers;  Minnesota’s low unemployment rate was at 3.5 percent (ranked seventh nationally), and high labor participation rate (those employed or actively looking for work) at just under 70 percent was reported by The &lt;a title=&quot;Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)&quot; href=&quot;http://mn.gov/deed/#/list/appId//filterType//filterValue//page/1/sort/Date/order/descending&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)&lt;/a&gt;. While these numbers show a good environment for workers, DEED continues to provide Minnesotans with the tools they need to succeed in 2016.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a title=&quot;DEED’s Career Profile Tool&quot; href=&quot;https://mn.gov/deed/data/data-tools/career-education-explorer/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;DEED’s Career Profile Tool&lt;/a&gt; provides career explorers, job seekers, and employers with a convenient, all-in-one information source for an occupation&apos;s wages, demand, education requirements, opportunities, and much more. It is useful whether looking for a first job or seeking a new career.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT staff partnered closely with DEED business staff to build a solution that fulfilled DEED’s business requirements, and that met objectives to support Minnesotans with career opportunities. Providing project management, development programming, and database support, MNIT staff took the lead in developing this unique tool in partnership with the business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Career Profile will be the go-to resource for young people who are trying to decide on a career path or for experienced workers who are thinking about switching careers,” said Oriane Casale, assistant director of the Labor Market Information Office at DEED. “With this tool, they can research occupations by region to discover current demand, projected future openings, typical wages paid and much more.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As a result of the successful implementation of the tool, further development is currently being planned to align the Career Profile Tool with the requirements under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. These enhancements, scheduled for release in the fall, will display cost and performance outcomes and feature an on-line form for training providers to submit updated program/course information.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>242282</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:42Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><Title>Minnesota Announces Cybersecurity Poster Contest Winners</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three Kids Safe Online entries: &quot;Beware of your cyber-footprint&quot;, &quot;Stop Bullying&quot;, &quot;Bulldoze Bullying.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Kids%20Safe%20Online%20National%20Poster%20Winners%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-233049.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Kids Safe Online entry - A drawing of a girl crying with a t-shirt that reads &quot;Stop Bullying.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Kids%20Safe%20Online%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-233101.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>PR - 2016-05 - Minnesota Announces Cybersecurity Poster Contest Winners</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-232967&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-05-18T18:38:25Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT, the State of Minnesota’s information technology agency and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), are proud to announce the winners of this year’s Minnesota Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. 


</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;News Release: Information and Updates from MNIT Services&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Contact: &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:MN.IT_Comm@state.mn.us&quot; title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;MNIT Communications&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;May 18, 2016&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Services, the State of Minnesota’s information technology agency and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), are proud to announce the winners of this year’s Minnesota Kids Safe Online Poster Contest.&lt;/p&gt;
MNIT and MDE conduct the annual contest as part of a larger national effort by the Center for Internet Security. The popular contest encourages Minnesota’s youth to use the internet safely, securely, and engages them in in creating messages and images to communicate to their peers the importance of staying safe online.
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Approximately 300 students participated in the contest, which was open to public, private and home-schooled students in grades K-12. This year’s artwork focused on themes such as staying safe on social networking sites, preventing cyber-bullying, protecting against viruses, and practicing good cyber-ethics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations to the following Minnesota state winners:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State Finalists Grades K-5&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Jason, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 3 – “Don’t Text and Drive”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ashley, Rogers Elementary School, Rogers, Grade 4 – “There’s No Delete Button”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Sophia, Rogers Elementary School, Rogers, Grade 4 – “How To Prevent Cyberbullying”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cali, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 4 – “Howl it Out”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mikayla, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 5 - “Shine Your Light”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Ella, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 5 – “Cyberbullies Come in Packs”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Leona*, Scenic Heights Elementary, Minnetonka, Grade 5 – “Stop Bullying”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Galen*, Scenic Heights Elementary, Minnetonka, Grade 5 – “Beware&quot;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Joanna, Rogers Elementary School, Rogers, Grade 5 – “Do Not Answer”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;State Finalists Grades 6-8&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alyssa, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 6 – “Stand Up”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Lily*, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 6 – “Bulldoze Bullying”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Alexa, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 7 – “Don’t Push Buttons”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Karla, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 7 – “Stand Up!”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Megan, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 8 – “Words Hurt”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Madeline, Transfiguration Catholic School, Oakdale, Grade 8 – “It isn’t Big to Make Others Feel Small”&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;*Indicates National Finalist Grades K-5&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“I’m excited about this year’s winners and the fantastic job these artists did in creatively explaining cyber security,” said Tom Baden, Commissioner of MNIT Services. “This is an excellent way for Minnesota students to learn more about this important topic and steps they can take to keep themselves safe online.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Minnesota’s youth are surrounded by technology. Whether it’s in the classroom, at home, or interacting online – we are becoming an ever more connected society. Educating our youth about ways in which they can stay safe online and support a safe online environment for all is an invaluable lesson,” said Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner, Brenda Cassellius.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These winners will represent Minnesota in the National Cybersecurity Awareness National Calendar Contest. Finalists in that contest will be featured in the Center for Internet Security Cybersecurity calendar, which is sent to schools across the nation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit our &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/blog/index.jsp?id=38-232674&amp;amp;utm_medium=email&amp;amp;utm_source=govdelivery&quot;&gt;website&lt;/a&gt; to see the winning posters and to learn more about getting involved in the contest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 56%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Kids-Safe-Online-Awards-Presentation&quot; title=&quot;Kids-Safe-Online-Awards-Presentation&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Kids-Safe-Online-Awards-Presentation_tcm38-232959.jpg&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Kids-Safe-Online-Awards-Presentation&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>232967</id><pubdate>2018-12-19T15:31:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MN.IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), are proud to announce the winners of this year’s Minnesota Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. The popular contest encourages Minnesota’s youth to use the internet safely, securely, and engages them in in creating messages and images to communicate to their peers the importance of staying safe online.</Description><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Announces Cybersecurity Poster Contest Winners</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Cybersecurity </Subject><Subject>Poster Contest</Subject><Subject>Online Safety</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Cybersecurity Poster Contest Winners</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Three Kids Safe Online entries: &quot;Beware of your cyber-footprint&quot;, &quot;Stop Bullying&quot;, &quot;Bulldoze Bullying.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Kids%20Safe%20Online%20National%20Poster%20Winners%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-233049.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Kids Safe Online entry - A drawing of a girl crying with a t-shirt that reads &quot;Stop Bullying.&quot;</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Kids%20Safe%20Online%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-233101.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-05 - Kids Safe Online Poster Winners 2016</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-232674&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-05-18T14:03:09Z</Date><ShortDescription>MN.IT Services and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), are proud to announce the winners of this year’s Minnesota Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. The popular contest encourages Minnesota’s youth to use the internet safely, securely, and engages them in creating messages to communicate to their peers the importance of staying safe online.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN.IT Services, the State of Minnesota’s information technology agency and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), are proud to announce the winners of this year’s Minnesota Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN.IT and MDE conduct the annual contest as part of a larger national effort by the Center for Internet Security. The popular contest encourages Minnesota’s youth to use the internet safely, securely, and engages them in in creating messages and images to communicate to their peers the importance of staying safe online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Approximately 300 students participated in the contest, which was open to public, private and home-schooled students in grades K-12. This year’s artwork focused on themes such as staying safe on social networking sites, preventing cyber-bullying, protecting against viruses, and practicing good cyber-ethics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;color: rgb(96, 96, 96);&quot;&gt;“I’m excited about this year’s winners and the fantastic job these artists did in creatively explaining cyber security,” said Tom Baden, Commissioner of MN.IT Services. “This is an excellent way for Minnesota students to learn more about this important topic and steps they can take to keep themselves safe online.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;color: rgb(96, 96, 96);&quot;&gt;“Minnesota’s youth are surrounded by technology. Whether it’s in the classroom, at home, or interacting online – we are becoming an ever more connected society. Educating our youth about ways in which they can stay safe online and support a safe online environment for all is an invaluable lesson,”  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(96, 96, 96);&quot;&gt;        Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner, Brenda Cassellius.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These winners will represent Minnesota in the National Cybersecurity Awareness National Calendar Contest. Finalists in that contest will be featured in the Center for Internet Security Cybersecurity calendar, which is sent to schools across the nation. Want to get involved? Here are some resources you can use to &lt;a title=&quot;Resources to Stay Safe Online&quot; href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61530&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Resources Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;stay safe online&lt;/a&gt;.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;State Finalists Grades K-5&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Don&apos;t text and drive&quot; title=&quot;Don&apos;t text and drive&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Don%27t%20text%20and%20drive_tcm38-232653.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Don&apos;t text and drive&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Don’t Text and Drive”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;There’s No Delete Button&quot; title=&quot;There’s No Delete Button&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Theres%20No%20Delete%20Button_tcm38-232660.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Theres No Delete Button&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;“There’s No Delete Button” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;How to Prevent Cyberbullying&quot; title=&quot;How to Prevent Cyberbullying&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/How%20to%20Prevent%20Cyberbullying_tcm38-232654.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;How to Prevent Cyberbullying&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“How To Prevent Cyberbullying”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Howl it out to an adult&quot; title=&quot;Howl it out to an adult&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Howl%20it%20out%20to%20an%20adult_tcm38-232655.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Howl it out to an adult&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Howl it Out”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Shine Your Light&quot; title=&quot;Shine Your Light&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Shine%20Your%20Light_tcm38-232657.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Shine Your Light&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Shine Your Light”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Cyberbullies Come in Packs&quot; title=&quot;Cyberbullies Come in Packs&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cyberbullies%20Come%20in%20Packs_tcm38-232650.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Cyberbullies Come in Packs&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;“Cyberbullies Come in Packs”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Stop Bullying&quot; title=&quot;Stop Bullying&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stop%20Bullying_tcm38-232658.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stop Bullying&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;“Stop Bullying”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Beware&quot; title=&quot;Beware&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Beware%20_tcm38-232647.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Beware&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;“Beware&quot; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Do Not Answer&quot; title=&quot;Do Not Answer&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Do%20Not%20Answer_tcm38-232651.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Do Not Answer&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;“Do Not Answer”&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;text-decoration: underline;&quot;&gt;State Finalists Grades 6-8&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;h2 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Bulldoze Bullying&quot; title=&quot;Bulldoze Bullying&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Bulldoze%20Bullying_tcm38-232648.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Bulldoze Bullying&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Bulldoze Bullying”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Don&apos;t let bullies push your buttons&quot; title=&quot;Don&apos;t let bullies push your buttons&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Don%27t%20let%20bullies%20push%20your%20buttons_tcm38-232652.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Don&apos;t let bullies push your buttons&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Don’t Push Buttons”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Stop Cyberbullying Stand Up Speak Out&quot; title=&quot;Stop Cyberbullying Stand Up Speak Out&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Stop%20Cyberbullying%20Stand%20Up%20Speak%20Out_tcm38-232659.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Stop Cyberbullying Stand Up Speak Out&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Stand Up”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Cyber girl&quot; title=&quot;Cyber girl&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Cyber%20girl_tcm38-232649.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Cyber girl&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Cyber Girl”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Words Hurt Stop Bullying&quot; title=&quot;Words Hurt Stop Bullying&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Words%20Hurt%20Stop%20Bullying_tcm38-232661.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Words Hurt Stop Bullying&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Words Hurt”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;width: 32%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;It isn&apos;t Big To Make Others Feel Small&quot; title=&quot;It isn&apos;t Big To Make Others Feel Small&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Not%20Big%20To%20Make%20Others%20Feel%20Small_tcm38-232656.jpg&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Not Big To Make Others Feel Small&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h4 style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“It isn&apos;t Big to Make Others Feel Small”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
 
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>232674</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:45Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title/><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Kids Safe Online Contest 2014</Title><title>Blog - 2014-07 - Kids Safe Online Contest 2014</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-232490&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-05-17T17:39:54Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT Services sponsors the annual Minnesota Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. The contest allows kids to creatively share their knowledge about Internet safety. Winning entries of Minnesota&apos;s contest are sent forward to a national competition sponsored by the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). National winners will have their posters featured in MS-ISACs cyber security calendar, which is sent to schools and organizations across the country. Here are your winners for 2015!</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Services sponsors the annual Minnesota Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. The contest allows kids to creatively share their knowledge about Internet safety. Winning entries of Minnesota&apos;s contest are sent forward to a national competition sponsored by the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). National winners will have their posters featured in MS-ISACs cyber security calendar, which is sent to schools and organizations across the country. All public, private and home-schooled K-12 students are invited to participate.  Check back for information about the 2016 Kids Safe Online Poster Contest in August 2015. 2015 Kids Safe Poster Contest Winners&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img style=&quot;width: 35%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Bad Egg&quot; title=&quot;Bad Egg&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Bad%20Egg_tcm38-61723.jpg&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Bad Egg&quot; /&gt; &lt;img style=&quot;width: 35%; height: auto&quot; alt=&quot;Dont text and drive&quot; title=&quot;Dont text and drive&quot; src=&quot;/mnit/assets/Dont%20text%20and%20drive_tcm38-61821.jpg&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Dont text and drive&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>232490</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:21Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>If your computer mouse suddenly stopped functioning, would you be able to continue working? What if you had a deadline and couldn’t wait for a replacement? For some Minnesotans, using a mouse is not an option. This may drastically limit their ability to use a website, web application, or even navigate operating systems. We encourage you to take the No Mouse Challenge as we raise awareness about the importance of accessibility and it&apos;s impact across the state of Minnesota.</Description><Audience/><Title>No mouse challenge</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Accessibility</Subject><Subject>GAAD</Subject><Subject>No Mouse Challenge</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Take the No Mouse Challenge!</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>No Mouse Challenge. Illustration of a computer mouse covered by a circle with a line through it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/No-Mouse-Challenge-Blog_tcm38-232068.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a computer mouse covered by a circle with a line through it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/No-Mouse-Challenge--thumbnail_tcm38-232066.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-05 - No Mouse Challenge</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-232094&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-05-16T18:31:16Z</Date><ShortDescription>If your computer mouse suddenly stopped functioning, would you be able to continue working? For some, using a mouse is not an option. This may drastically limit their ability to use a website, web application, or navigate operating systems. We encourage you to take the No Mouse Challenge as we raise awareness of accessibility across the state of Minnesota.
</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Try Doing Your Job Without Using a Mouse</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;If your computer mouse suddenly stopped functioning, would you be able to continue working? What if you had a deadline and couldn’t wait for a replacement?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For some Minnesotans, using a mouse is not an option. This may drastically limit their ability to use a website, web application, or even navigate operating systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Have you ever counted the number of times you “click” your mouse button in a minute?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You’ve probably  been stuck on a site or app that wouldn’t accept your commands. This frustration is often a daily experience for keyboard-only users. Perhaps a popup window won’t close without a mouse click. Or a form field is skipped by the tab sequence. These situations are tough to navigate without a mouse, which can jeopardize the user’s ability to perform their tasks effectively.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (#GAAD), we encourage you to spend at least 15 minutes doing your job without touching your mouse by taking the No Mouse Challenge. We understand that this will be challenging, so we’re providing some hints in the form of handy keyboard shortcuts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Once you’ve completed the “No Mouse Challenge,”  share your story and pick up some quick cards at one of the GAAD events near you on May 19th.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Take what you’ve learned to the next level! Help make a difference by remembering these simple guidelines:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Make sure all your documents are formatted for accessibility.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;When writing requirements, include accessibility for all deliverables, from interface to training materials.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Include keyboard shortcuts in your instructions.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Require vendors to incorporate accessibility in their deliverables.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Talk about accessibility with your co-workers.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Learn more about the Office of Accessibility, and the many resources available to you by visiting our website.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>232094</id><pubdate>2020-04-30T13:36:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>New Application Helps Protect Our Water Supply</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Title>New Application Helps Protect Our Water Supply</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up photo of clean and clear water.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Clean%20Water%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-233153.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Close up photo of clean and clear water.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Clean%20Water%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-233151.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2016-05 - New Application Helps Protect Our Water Supply</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-226780&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-05-02T21:55:11Z</Date><ShortDescription>Clean water is essential to life in the land of 10,000 lakes. The Minnesota Department of Health in partnership with MNIT have developed a new application to help protect our water supply.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Health in partnership with MNIT have developed the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/swp/index.htm&quot;&gt;Source Water Protection (SWP)&lt;/a&gt; application. This new application, called SWP Tracker, is vital to Minnesota’s efforts to accurately report water safety compliance to the Environmental Protection Agency and Minnesota Clean Water Fund. In addition, the new application is able to track the development, implementation and evaluation of a wellhead protection plan. This is an important step, as it is a way to prevent drinking water from becoming polluted, by managing potential sources of contamination in the area. The SWP Tracker also allows staff to collaborate with water suppliers by tracking the actions and progress of a wellhead plan.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Up to 75 MDH staff, five Minnesota Rural Water Association staff, and Public Water Supply Plan Managers representing the 960 Community public water supplies in MN use the new application.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>226780</id><pubdate>2019-02-20T21:34:27Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>Career Profile, a joint effort of MN.IT and DEED, is the go-to tool for citizens to research occupations by region to discover current demand, projected future openings, typical wages, and more. </Description><Audience/><Title>MN.IT Builds New Career Profile Data Tool for DEED</Title><Publisher/><Subject>Career Profile</Subject><Subject>occupation</Subject><Subject>jobs</Subject><Subject>future openings</Subject><Subject>projections</Subject><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>MNIT Builds New Career Profile Data Tool for DEED</Title><title>Blog - 2016-03 - MNIT Builds New Career Profile Data Tool for DEED</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-181783&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2016-03-07T14:47:56Z</Date><ShortDescription>Career Profile, a joint effort of MNIT and DEED, is the go-to tool for citizens to research occupations by region to discover current demand, projected future openings, typical wages, and more. </ShortDescription><Subtitle>Providing research tools for citizens across Minnesota </Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) in partnership with MNIT, have developed the Career Profile Data Tool. The one of a kind tool combines data from DEED’s Labor Market Information Office, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other federal and state agencies and offers a wide range of occupational information in addition to the ability to find wages and job opportunities.
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
 
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
“Career Profile will be the go-to resource for young people who are trying to decide on a career path or for experienced workers who are thinking about switching careers,” said Oriane Casale, assistant director of the Labor Market Information Office at DEED. “With this tool, they can research occupations by region to discover current demand, projected future openings, typical wages paid and much more.”
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
&lt;br xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; /&gt;
MNIT is dedicated to serving the citizens of Minnesota, we do this by providing the highest quality application development to state agencies, cities, and counties.</BodyText><Author/><id>181783</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:41Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Baden Named MN State CIO</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Careers</Title><Id>226755</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Employment App Receives Award</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>NASCIO Award</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NASCIO-1200x500_tcm38-227056.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>NASCIO Award</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/NASCIO-Thumbnail-600x600_tcm38-227057.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2015-10 - Employment App Receives Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81674&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-10-14T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>NASCIO’s Information Communications Technology Innovations Award was presented to MNIT for the revamped Workforce One application, which helps track employment and training services for more than 100,000 eligible Minnesotans. Workforce One is a web-based application used by nearly 2,000 state, city, county and non-profit employment and training providers. </ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Services, the state’s information technology agency, was recognized by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) for Innovation Technology. NASCIO’s &lt;em&gt;Information Communications Technology Innovations Award&lt;/em&gt; was presented to MNIT for the revamped Workforce One application, which helps track employment and training services for more than 100,000 eligible Minnesotans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Workforce One, a partnership between Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Department of Human Services (DHS), is a web-based application used by nearly 2,000 state, city, county and non-profit employment and training providers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The previous Workforce One system was cumbersome and lacked usability, so job counselors often spent valuable time entering required data, limiting their time spent helping clients find jobs and training. And with job counselors located across the state, the new system needed to provide instant, secure access to job search information and client files anytime, from anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State used an agile project management approach known as “Scrum” to incrementally develop the new Workforce One system while incorporating continuous feedback from employment and training service providers. The new system, completed on time and $1 million under-budget, provides greatly-improved access to job searches, training and reports, freeing up job counselors to devote their time to helping unemployed Minnesota citizens find better jobs more quickly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&quot;The overhaul of Workforce One has made it easier for state employees to assist more than 100,000 Minnesotans, who are searching for jobs and accessing training programs,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “This project is another demonstration of our continued effort to make state government work better for people. MNIT Services richly deserves this recognition. I congratulate the many state workers who worked hard to make it possible.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Assisting Minnesotans in their search for meaningful careers is a cornerstone of our mission at DEED, and we are grateful for our partnership with MNIT Services on this important work,” said DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben. “The upgrades to this tool will save time and money for the state, but will most importantly make the process of finding a job even more efficient for thousands of Minnesotans.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Because of a strong partnership Between MNIT Services and the Department of Employment and Economic Development, this system was delivered on-time and under-budget” said State Chief Information Officer and MNIT Services Commissioner Tom Baden. “Winning a NASCIO award is a tremendous honor, and I am extremely proud of the team who worked to deliver a greatly-improved system that will help Minnesotans in search of jobs and training.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot; xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT was also named a finalist in the &lt;em&gt;Digital Government to Citizen&lt;/em&gt; category for the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mpars/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MPARS Permitting and Reporting System&lt;/a&gt;, and also in the &lt;em&gt;Emerging &amp;amp; Innovative Technologies&lt;/em&gt; category for Crowdsourcing Minnesota’s &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.twincities.com/2014/05/26/minnesota-unsession-dumps-1175-obsolete-silly-laws/&quot;&gt;Unsession&lt;/a&gt;. See all of the winner and finalist listings on the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;NASCIO website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81674</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T21:13:35Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Governor Proclaims Cyber Month</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Proclamations</Title><Id>232618</Id><Key/></Category><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>Governor proclaims &quot;Cyber Security Awareness Month&quot;</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Keyboard and padlock</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/keyboard-and-padlock_tcm38-226945.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Computer keyboard and padlock</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/keyboard-lock-square_tcm38-226907.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2015-09 - Governor proclaims Cyber Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-82091&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-09-30T19:33:00Z</Date><ShortDescription>To bring attention to cybersecurity, Governor Dayton has proclaimed October as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month.” During this month, MNIT Services will educate state employees and citizens about how MNIT is working to keep the state safe, and ways you can help protect information and computer systems.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our lives are becoming increasingly dependent on technology and cyberspace, from checking email and social networks to searching for information and delivering government services.  Criminals, terrorists and nation-states are finding new ways to leverage this technology to steal our information or disrupt our daily lives, so it is important we know how to stay safe online.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To bring attention to cybersecurity, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/images/GovProclamationCyberMonth2015.pdf&quot;&gt;Governor Dayton has proclaimed October as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month.”&lt;/a&gt; During this month MNIT Services will educate state employees and citizens about how MNIT is working to keep the state safe, and ways you can help protect information and computer systems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For example, it&apos;s important to keep your computer and mobile devices updated and protected to avoid having your personal information stolen. There are &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Security&quot;&gt;several resources on the MNIT website&lt;/a&gt; to help you protect yourself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Stay Cyber Safe!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>82091</id><pubdate>2018-11-30T21:03:33Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MNIT Co-Authors National Report</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Co-Authors National Report</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Digital tablet with statistics coming out of the screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Report%20Data%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-242615.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Digital tablet with statistics coming out of the screen.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Report%20Data%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-242616.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2015-09 - MNIT Co-Authors National Report</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81675&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-09-01T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Office of Accessibility, a program of MNIT Services, recently lent its expertise to a nationwide report published by the National Association of Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) about accessibility requirements in IT procurement. Jay Wyant, the State’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer, co-wrote the report, Accessibility in IT Procurement, with representatives from Massachusetts and Texas.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility, a program of MNIT Services, recently lent its expertise to a nationwide report published by the National Association of Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) about accessibility requirements in IT procurement. Jay Wyant, the State’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer, co-wrote the report, &lt;em&gt;Accessibility in IT Procurement&lt;/em&gt;, with representatives from Massachusetts and Texas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The two-part report outlines a new framework for measuring vendor support for accessibility, termed Policy Driven Adoption for Accessibility (PDAA). Part one introduces a new, policy-driven approach to information and communications technology (ICT) accessibility for state CIOs, procurement organizations, and vendors. Currently, government buyers can ask product manufacturers to submit voluntary product accessibility templates (VPATs); however, VPATs only work for existing products – not for services such as websites, application development, or integration/customization. PDAA seeks to drive accessibility accountability upstream to the policy level to include all the elements impacting product development, including policies, training, awareness outreach, and hiring. Part two of the report provides more detail on the framework, as well as adoption information for states.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;“Changing the way state buyers and vendors do business is a tremendous challenge. This report is the start of a long road toward effecting that change, said Jay. “I’m excited to be a part of it, and hope we can engage more people within MN government as well as other states and vendors to make it happen.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You also can download the full report of &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.nascio.org/resource-center/resources/accessibility-in-it-procurement-part-1/&quot;&gt;Accessibility in IT Procurement&lt;/a&gt;, from the NASCIO website.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the Office of Accessibility and accessible content, &lt;a href=&quot;/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/index.jsp&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - Accessibility Landing&quot;&gt;visit the MNIT website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81675</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T21:11:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Celebrating 25 years of ADA</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>Celebrating 25 years of ADA</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Tiny wheelchair on top of a keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Digital-Accessibility%201200%20x%20500_tcm38-242395.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Tiny wheelchair on top of a keyboard.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/Digital-Accessibility%20300%20x%20300_tcm38-242394.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2015-07 - Celebrating 25 years of ADA</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62059&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-07-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As part of the celebration, The Office of Accessibility, a program of MN.IT Services, has created an infographic that looks at key milestones that impact Minnesotans and accessible information technology.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the law which prohibits discrimination based on disability. To mark this important day, The Minnesota State Council on Disability is hosting a Family Fun day at the Minnesota History Center, Sunday, July 26, from noon 4 p.m. There will be interactive exhibits and live entertainment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As part of the celebration, The Office of Accessibility, a program of MNIT Services, &lt;a title=&quot;Employment and Disability in Minnesota Infographic (final tagged graphics added).pdf&quot; href=&quot;/mnit/assets/Employment%20and%20Disability%20in%20Minnesota%20Infographic%20%28final%20tagged%20graphics%20added%29.pdf_tcm38-61699.pdf&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Accessibility - Employment and Disability in Minnesota Infographic (final tagged graphics added).pdf&quot;&gt;has created an infographic&lt;/a&gt; that looks at key milestones that impact Minnesotans and accessible information technology. Some of the highlights include when Minnesota passed its accessibility legislation requiring all websites and technologies be accessible (2009); and when YouTube first began supporting captions (2006).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can see the infographic &lt;a title=&quot;000 ## Page Intro ## Page Introduction&quot; href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61624&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;Intro - ADA 25th Anniversary&quot;&gt;posted on the MN.IT website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.disability.state.mn.us/ada/&quot;&gt;Learn more about the Minnesota State Council on Disability and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62059</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Accessibility Awareness Day</Title><Image><Metadata1><AlternativeText>No Mouse Challenge. Illustration of a computer mouse covered by a circle with a line through it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/No-Mouse-Challenge-Blog_tcm38-232068.jpg</Url></Image><Thumbnail><Metadata1><AlternativeText>Illustration of a computer mouse covered by a circle with a line through it.</AlternativeText></Metadata1><Url>/mnit/assets/No-Mouse-Challenge--thumbnail_tcm38-232066.jpg</Url></Thumbnail><title>Blog - 2015-05 - Accessibility Awareness Day</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81681&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-05-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Every citizen has the right to an accessible government. With this, the State of Minnesota joins a worldwide effort in celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), a day to get people thinking and talking about digital (web, software, mobile) accessibility and users with different disabilities.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Every citizen has the right to an accessible government. With this, the State of Minnesota joins a worldwide effort in celebrating &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/&quot;&gt;Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)&lt;/a&gt;, a day to get people thinking and talking about digital (web, software, mobile) accessibility and users with different disabilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today the Office of Accessibility, a program of MN.IT Services, is sponsoring an effort to help government employees become aware and take ownership of their role in creating accessible content. Experts will be available throughout various state agencies to show how to produce information that anyone can understand and use. This is important because about 10 percent of Minnesotans have a disability, which can make it difficult for them to access content on the internet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;One way the Office is promoting awareness is through the &lt;a href=&quot;http://bit.ly/no_mouse_challenge&quot;&gt;No Mouse Challenge&lt;/a&gt;, which encourages workers to perform their jobs for 15 minutes on the computer without using a mouse. Using keyboard-only commands is a good, quick accessibility test. If a document, application or system cannot support mouseless operation, it may not support assistive technology or accessibility tools.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accessible content is not just useful for those with disabilities. For example, a captioned video may allow an employee to watch without disturbing co-workers, printing graphs in black and white helps those who are colorblind and saves money, and accessible web content loads faster on mobile devices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the Office of Accessibility and accessible content, visit the MN.IT Services website at &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mnit/accessibility/&quot;&gt;http://mn.gov/mnit/accessibility/&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81681</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Accessible Government</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Accessible Government</Title><title>Blog - 2015-03 - Accessible Government</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81682&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-03-26T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Can everyone navigate your website? Nearly 20 percent of the population has a disability, which can make it difficult for them to access the internet. Using accessibility guidelines when developing your website helps make it possible for anyone – regardless of ability – to use it.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>The State of Minnesota is making government more accessible</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Can everyone navigate your website? Nearly 20 percent of the population has a disability, which can make it difficult for them to access the internet. Using accessibility guidelines when developing your website helps make it possible for anyone regardless of ability to use it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Accessibility, a program of MN.IT Services, recently sponsored web accessibility training by nationally-recognized WebAIM expert Jared Smith. Smith presented to State of Minnesota website managers, project managers and content creators on strategies, tools and resources to create and maintain accessible websites and content.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Creating accessible websites is not only the right thing to do; it is the law. In 2009, the State of Minnesota passed a law requiring web accessibility standards for all state government websites to follow. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) is considering a similar rule regulating all state and local government websites under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This ruling, in effect, will give the DoJ more authority to enforce accessibility and impose penalties for noncompliance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota believes in accessible government for all, said Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, MN.IT Services. Jared&apos;s expertise will help us improve the States ability to make information available to anyone who needs it.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81682</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:46Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota Geospatial Commons</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota Geospatial Commons</Title><title>Blog - 2015-03 - Minnesota Geospatial Commons</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81689&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-03-18T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The Minnesota Geospatial Commons is a collaborative public website where publishers can share, and users can access geospatial data, maps, services and applications. These resources allow us to see, analyze and interpret data to better understand relationships, patterns and trends. The site is administered by the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), a program of MNIT Services.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://gisdata.mn.gov&quot;&gt;Minnesota Geospatial Commons&lt;/a&gt; is a collaborative public website where publishers can share, and users can access geospatial data, maps, services and applications. These resources allow us to see, analyze and interpret data to better understand relationships, patterns and trends. The site is administered by the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), a program of MNIT Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This robust data distribution site can be used by both traditional and non-traditional geospatial data users who need data for a project, services for an application, or other resources primarily used with geographic information systems (GIS) software. Sectors that can benefit from the Geospatial Commons include: natural resources, transportation, utilities, government, health, economic development, retail, journalism, and web and applications development technologies. The site consolidated state agency geospatial sites, including the DNR Data Deli, MetroGIS DataFinder and MnGeo GeoGateway. This single site solution now means more efficient collaboration across agencies, which allows State government to more effectively serve citizens. Before the Geospatial Commons, people seeking geospatial information were left to guess which individual sites to visit in order to find and obtain the information they need.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We are excited to see this site open for business, said Dan Ross, chief geospatial information officer, MnGeo. Having a single point of access for Minnesota’s public geospatial information is an idea we have talked about for many years, and now it is here. This is a great site for those who have geospatial information to share, and for those who need this data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can find the Minnesota Geospatial Commons at &lt;a href=&quot;http://gisdata.mn.gov&quot;&gt;http://gisdata.mn.gov&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81689</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:34Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT DOT helps keep roads safe</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Helps Keep Roads Safe</Title><title>Blog - 2015-01 - MNIT Helps Keep Roads Safe</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61594&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2015-01-14T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>When winter weather strikes our state, Minnesotans count on MnDOT to keep roads free of snow and ice. But how does MnDOT know where to concentrate its resources?</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When winter weather strikes our state, Minnesotans count on MnDOT to keep roads free of snow and ice. But how does MnDOT know where to concentrate its resources? That is where the Business Intelligence (BI) division on the MNIT @ DOT team comes in. The BI team brings together the people, processes and data, presenting important snow and ice data in usable formats (e.g., charts and graphs) that make the data more accessible, consistent and timely for the benefit of MnDOT knowledge workers and the citizens of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MnDOT collects snow and ice data through its accounting, timesheet and work order management systems. The MNIT @ DOT BI Team leverages technology to collect and integrate large amounts of snow and ice data into easily read charts that provide improved insight for decision makers. These charts and graphs are dynamic, so they can be easily dissected and drilled for details.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MnDOT uses MNIT @ DOT delivered BI and analytics to evaluate its usage of labor, equipment and materials during a snow event, considering both the geographical extent and duration of a storm. Using MNIT @ DOT delivered BI and analytics data, the agency can assess performance measures such as how many hours it took to clear a road like Interstate 94.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Technology touches every layer of state government, and BI and analytics are increasingly demanded and necessary to meet the growing business needs of our partners at MnDOT. With more data available to decision makers every day, our partners at MnDOT know they can count on MNIT to support the shared mission of serving the citizens of Minnesota by seeking efficient and effective ways to deliver services.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>61594</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:31Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT provides farmers with data</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Provides Farmers with Data</Title><title>Blog - 2014-11 - MNIT provides farmers with data</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62077&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-11-17T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Cross-agency collaboration driven by business needs has led to support for farmers in making informed decisions about when to fertilize in the fall.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth but too much nitrogen can cause impairment of groundwater and other water bodies. When farmers apply nitrogen fertilizers to help their crops, they can minimize the loss of the fertilizer to groundwater in the fall if the fertilizer applications are made after soils cool to 50 degrees. Waiting until soils reach this temperature has a dual benefit of improving fertilizer use efficiency and protecting water quality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) supports farmers and their agribusiness advisors in making informed decisions on when to fertilize in the fall by providing soil temperatures in an online &lt;a href=&quot;https://app.gisdata.mn.gov/mda-soiltemp/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Soil Temperature map&quot;&gt;Soil Temperature map&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The map provides the soil temperature at a depth of 6 using data from several soil probes around Minnesota. When clicked, the point on the map shows the most recent temperature at the soil probe and a seven-day temperature trend chart. The map gets high usage during the fall when farmers are trying to identify the best window of time in which to apply fertilizer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The story behind this map is one of cross-agency collaboration driven by business needs. Russ Derickson, an Agricultural Advisor in the Pesticide and Fertilizer Management Division of MDA, knew that it would be valuable to provide soil temperatures to farmers. He also knew that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) operated stream level gauging stations throughout the state in a Cooperative Stream Gauge Network initiated by DNR, MPCA, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Weather Service. Russ investigated and learned that the stream gauging stations had the capacity to collect soil temperature information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The data collected from soil probes are transmitted to the DNR in real time and are then shared on the&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/csg/index.html&quot; title=&quot;DNR/MPCA Cooperative Stream Gaging webpage&quot;&gt;DNR/MPCA Cooperative Stream Gaging webpage&lt;/a&gt; through an interactive map, providing a useful way for information to be browsed by users. The developers of this site at DNR and MPCA were forward-thinking in their approach and they serve the data in such a way that the data can be easily queried and accessed by other websites. This allowed MNIT @ MDA to create quickly a single purpose interactive map based on the soil temperature data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The physical soil temperature probes, data collection and transmission, and web services all were built upon existing systems and so were done with a low additional cost to MDA. However, this low cost input resulted in a high impact benefit - supporting farmers and their partners with improved decision making. MDA estimates the potential benefit in savings to Minnesota farmers in the form of reduced fertilizer loss could be between $750,000 to $1.1 million (based on 2009 data).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;So, through collaboration and at minimum cost, the capacity of an existing state system was expanded to provide Minnesota farmers current on demand information on which to base crop management decisions. Farmers benefit with better fertilizer management and all Minnesotans benefit with improved water quality protection.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Involvement in project:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MDA Pesticide and Fertilizer Management Division&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;DNR Division of Ecological and Water Services&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT @MPCA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT @DNR&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;MNIT @MDA&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62077</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT Geospatial Team Receives Honors</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Geospatial Team Receives Honors</Title><title>Blog - 2014-10 - MNIT Geospatial Team Receives Honors</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61728&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-10-21T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The MNIT geospatial team with members from from DNR, MnGeo, and state, federal, education and private partners, were awarded the Governor’s Geospatial Commendation Award for the Minnesota Elevation Mapping Project. The Commendation Award recognizes a commitment to “coordinated, affordable, reliable and effective” use of GIS to improve services within Minnesota.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The MNIT geospatial team with members from from DNR, MnGeo, and state, federal, education and private partners, were awarded the Governors Geospatial Commendation Award for the Minnesota Elevation Mapping Project. The Commendation Award recognizes a commitment to coordinated, affordable, reliable and effective use of GIS to improve services within Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Elevation Mapping Project, led by Tim Loesch, MNIT@DNR, developed and delivered a high-accuracy digital elevation dataset of the State of Minnesota using data collected with LiDAR technology. LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses pulsed laser lights to measure variable distances to the Earth. This creates an accurate picture of the of the states topography.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Ron Wencl, USGS; Collin Lee, MnDOT; Tim Loesch, MNIT DNR,
&lt;br /&gt;
Dan Ross, MnGeo; Nancy Rader, MnGeo; Les Everett, U of M.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Accurate topographic information enhances the ability of decision makers and resource managers to better understand Minnesotas landscape and provides the foundation for developing innovative, effective, and defensible resource management strategies. Minnesota is now one of very few states to have complete LiDAR coverage that is viewable and downloadable for anyone to use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;LiDAR photo of the Minnesota State Capitol&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was the projects lead agency, and the Minnesota Legacy Amendments Clean Water Fund provided base funding to ensure that the project could be completed. Major collaborating organizations were MnGeo, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Geological Survey. Additional contributors were the Digital Elevation Committee, LiDAR Research and Education Subcommittee, and county partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congrats to the geospatial team and its partners!&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>61728</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:28Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Message from CISO Chris Buse</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>Message from CISO Chris Buse</Title><title>Blog - 2014-10 - Message from CISO Chris Buse</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62196&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-10-15T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>As State employees, we share a common goal: To make Minnesota an even better place for our citizens to live. Cyber security is a responsibility we all share, but you are our first line of defense against cyber criminals.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As State employees, we share a common goal: To make Minnesota an even better place for our citizens to live. When Minnesota is productive, we all thrive. Yet, over the last few years and especially in 2014 we&apos;ve seen otherwise strong organizations suffer cybercrime incidents that left them weak and vulnerable. Like these organizations, our state protects valuable information and resources that put us at risk for cybercrime. Never before has the need for strong cybersecurity been so imperative.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;However, despite the threats posed by cyber criminals, there is much we can do to feel empowered and safe and most of it starts when we turn on our computers each day. There are many small, simple steps we as individuals can take to ensure the safety of our state systems. October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month, and I invite you to learn more about all the ways you can help keep Minnesota strong.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For a Cybersecurity Awareness event near you, visit the &lt;a title=&quot;000 ## Page Intro ## Page Introduction&quot; href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61836&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Security Services Intro&quot;&gt;MNIT Services website&lt;/a&gt;. Also on the website, you&apos;ll find some cybersecurity resources we believe will be good references for you throughout the year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity is a responsibility we all share, but you are our first line of defense against cyber criminals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Cybersecurity fast facts:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Governor Dayton has proclaimed October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in the State of Minnesota.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A recent study found that at least a third of cyber breaches happen because of employee mistakes in how they handle or link to sensitive data. Many of those errors have ended up as the latest news headlines. In most of these cases, fairly simple steps may have prevented these issues altogether.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;National Cybersecurity Awareness month is sponsored by the U.S Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://msisac.cisecurity.org/&quot; title=&quot;Multi-State informational Sharing and Analysis Cente&quot;&gt;Multi-State informational Sharing and Analysis Center&lt;/a&gt;, the National Association of Chief Information Officers and the National Cybersecurity Alliance.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62196</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>October is Cyber Security Month</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Cybersecurity</Title><Id>226754</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>October is Cybersecurity Month</Title><title>Blog - 2014-10 - October is Cyber Security Month</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61531&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-10-10T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Sponsored by the U.S Department of Homeland Security, October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Learn more about what you can do to protect yourself.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Sponsored by the U.S Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the Multi-State Informational Sharing and Analysis Center, Cyber Security Awareness Month serves as an important reminder of the responsibility we all share to protect the information entrusted to us by the citizens of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As technology evolves, so do the tools of potential hackers, identity thieves and cyber bullies. A cybercrime incident in the form of computer intrusions, malware or viruses can lead to loss of important information, personal financial loss and even loss of intellectual property. &lt;a title=&quot;000 ## Page Intro ## Page Introduction&quot; href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61530&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Resources Intro&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;Learn more about what you can do to protect yourself.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>61531</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:29Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT   DEED   Workforce One</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>MNIT @ DEED- Workforce One</Title><title>Blog - 2014-08 - MNIT @ DEED- Workforce One</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62342&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-08-18T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Originally launched in 2004, Workforce One (WF1) is a web-based case management application used by state staff who provide job search and training services to more than 100,000 Minnesotans. MNIT @ DEED, collaborated with our partners at DEED and DHS to make the software more efficient and to improve usability.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Originally launched in 2004, Workforce One (WF1) is a web-based case management application used to track employment and training services provided to more than 100,000 Minnesotans. MNIT @ DEED worked on a project with our partners at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) the Department of Human Services (DHS) to improve the system, which is used by staff who provide job search and training services to eligible Minnesotans. MNIT @ DEED has updated the programming language behind Workforce One to make the software more efficient and improve usability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Working with stakeholders and users to improve the application, MNIT @ DEED ensured long-term support from the vendor, Microsoft, by re-writing the web application with updated technology. Developers focused on usability improvements, including streamlining data entry to improve efficiency, restructuring security to maintain data integrity and improving accessibility features for screen readers and dictation software.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Workforce One Team engaged stakeholders throughout the redesign process using Scrum methodology, a form of agile project management. Scrum methodology consistently engages users and stakeholders throughout the life of the project, responding to their requests and to changing laws and policies by making modifications to the application before it goes live. This ensures continuous improvement in the quality of the ultimate deliverable. Stakeholder satisfaction has been measured throughout the project. Both users and stakeholders report increased satisfaction with project because they feel the development team is responsive to their needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The rewrite of Workforce One is the first time MNIT at DEED has used agile methodology to manage a project to build an application. The Workforce One team credits the methodology for helping them complete the project on time and under budget. With improved stakeholder and customer satisfaction, MNIT @ DEED plans to use agile methodology to manage future IT projects.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62342</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:26Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>BAH leverages SaaS to protect livestock</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>BAH leverages SaaS to protect livestock</Title><title>Blog - 2014-08 - BAH leverages SaaS to protect livestock</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62006&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-08-14T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Though it&apos;s a small organization, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) plays an important role in keeping Minnesota&apos;s food supply safe. BAH protects the food supply in Minnesota by monitoring the health of Minnesota livestock. The Minnesota BAH partnered with the US Department of Agriculture and similar state organizations to launch an SaaS contract with CoreOne, a disease surveillance application developed by a company in Northern Ireland.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Though it&apos;s a small organization, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) plays an important role in keeping Minnesota&apos;s food supply safe. BAH protects the food supply in Minnesota by monitoring the health of Minnesota livestock. The Minnesota BAH partnered with the US Department of Agriculture and similar state organizations to launch an SaaS contract with CoreOne, a disease surveillance application developed by a company in Northern Ireland.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For the past 15 years, BAH has used a generic Oracle client/server database, but maintenance and support costs rose dramatically as the database became too large for the generic system to manage. BAH sought to replace the existing generic database with an SaaS livestock disease surveillance system that would reduce support costs, allow remote access and mobile functionality, enhance business continuity, and automate data uploads from remote livestock sites.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
CoreOne uses Linux Red Hat application server, Apache front end load processor, MySQL database with a Ruby on Rails framework. CoreOne uses open source technology as much as possible to keep costs down and take advantage of new, innovative technologies.The CoreOne application along with the MySQL data base tables are housed on State servers to protect data security and privacy.
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a little innovation and collaboration, even small agencies and boards like BAH can get access to a multi-million dollar application at a fraction of the cost. Livestock disease surveillance is a very specialized type of application that cannot be easily found. By collaborating with similar organizations and leveraging SaaS providers, Minnesota Board of Animal Health is protecting Minnesotans while saving taxpayers money.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62006</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:24Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>IT Reforms Save  27.4M</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>IT Reforms Save  27.4M</Title><title>Blog - 2014-07 - IT Reforms Save 27.4M</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81687&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-07-23T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Mark Dayton and MNIT Services Commissioner Carolyn Parnell have announced that state IT reforms have saved Minnesota taxpayers $27.4 million to date. Another $7 million is anticipated by the end of this year.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;ST. PAUL, MN Governor Mark Dayton and MNIT Services Commissioner Carolyn Parnell announced today that the overhaul of Minnesotas information technology administration and services has saved state taxpayers over $27.4 million to date. MNIT Services expects to save at least another $7 million under these new reforms by the end of this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The IT overhaul, which Governor Dayton signed into law with bipartisan support in 2011, has reduced administrative waste, consolidated state contracts, reformed administrative processes, and implemented new accountability measures to produce significant savings. The Governor today praised the states IT workforce for these cost saving reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s innovative work has produced significant savings for Minnesota taxpayers, said Governor Dayton. Their reforms are also delivering faster and more efficient services to our citizens. I thank Commissioner Parnell for her strong leadership and MNIT Services&apos; hard-working employees for their accomplishments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2011, Governor Dayton signed bipartisan legislation to consolidate the states information technology systems, employees, and administration. As part of that consolidation effort, MNIT established a statewide project management office to ensure greater accountability for the states major technology investments and contracts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to increasing transparency, the reforms at MNIT also are saving taxpayer dollars. The agency is now negotiating contracts on behalf of all state agencies saving Minnesota more than $15 million on software and licensing contracts since 2012. These contract consolidation efforts are expected to save at least an additional $7 million by the end of 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Delivering efficient and cost effective services was an important value proposition of IT consolidation, said Carolyn Parnell, Commissioner of MNIT Services and the States Chief Information Officer. Our early success comes primarily from the opportunity to leverage group purchasing and negotiate enterprise contracts to avoid the cost of smaller, individual purchasing agency-by-agency. There are still more areas where we can realize savings and we intend to maximize those opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The consolidation of IT resources also is improving collaboration between state agencies on complex IT projects. When state agencies collaborate more effectively, major state information technology projects are being completed more quickly and at a lower price. During the last several years, MNIT has been completing other projects that enhance data security, save money, increase efficiency, and ultimately provide better services to Minnesotans. Some of those projects have included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Data Center Consolidation The State recently de-commissioned one of its largest data centers as part of a strategy to reduce the States overall data center footprint through consolidation and server virtualization. So far, MNIT has reduced by over 60 percent the number of physical servers managed by the State.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Going Mobile MNIT is helping state agencies go mobile through projects such as the &lt;a href=&quot;https://rc.education.mn.gov/#mySchool/p--3&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MN Report Card&lt;/a&gt;, a mobile device-friendly platform for disseminating school performance data to students, parents and teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Online, Streamlined Permitting &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mpars/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;MPARS&lt;/a&gt;, the Department of Natural Resources new online permitting and reporting system, provides an online application, approval, and tracking capability for several types of water-related environmental permits. Developed to streamline the application process, the system allows for application tracking and the collection of monitoring information and permit fees online. On average, permits are issued or denied a month faster than under the manually-intensive, former way of doing business.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81687</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T21:23:25Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>State IT Reforms Save Taxpayers  27 4 Million</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>State IT Reforms Save Taxpayers 27.4 Million</Title><title>Blog - 2014-07 - State IT Reforms Save Taxpayers Millions</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62032&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-07-23T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Governor Mark Dayton and MN.IT Services Commissioner Carolyn Parnell have announced that state IT reforms, the consolidation of information technology services across administration, have saved Minnesota taxpayers $27.4 million to date. Another $7 million is anticipated by the end of this year.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;div xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
&lt;br /&gt;
July 23, 2014
&lt;br /&gt;
Contact: Matt Swenson
&lt;br /&gt;
651-201-3445 office
&lt;br /&gt;
763-464-0042 cell
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:matt.swenson@state.mn.us&quot;&gt;matt.swenson@state.mn.us&lt;/a&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ST. PAUL, MN Governor Mark Dayton and MNIT Services Commissioner Carolyn Parnell announced today that the overhaul of Minnesota’s information technology administration and services has saved state taxpayers over $27.4 million to date. MNIT Services expects to save at least another $7 million under these new reforms by the end of this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The IT overhaul, which Governor Dayton signed into law with bipartisan support in 2011, has reduced administrative waste, consolidated state contracts, reformed administrative processes, and implemented new accountability measures to produce significant savings. The Governor today praised the states IT workforce for these cost saving reforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MNIT&apos;s innovative work has produced significant savings for Minnesota taxpayers, said Governor Dayton. Their reforms are also delivering faster and more efficient services to our citizens. I thank Commissioner Parnell for her strong leadership and MNIT Services&apos; hard-working employees for their accomplishments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2011, Governor Dayton signed bipartisan legislation to consolidate the states information technology systems, employees, and administration. As part of that consolidation effort, MNIT established a statewide project management office to ensure greater accountability for the states major technology investments and contracts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to increasing transparency, the reforms at MNIT also are saving taxpayer dollars. The agency is now negotiating contracts on behalf of all state agencies saving Minnesota more than $15 million on software and licensing contracts since 2012. These contract consolidation efforts are expected to save at least an additional $7 million by the end of 2014.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Delivering efficient and cost effective services was an important value proposition of IT consolidation, said Carolyn Parnell, Commissioner of MNIT Services and the States Chief Information Officer. Our early success comes primarily from the opportunity to leverage group purchasing and negotiate enterprise contracts to avoid the cost of smaller, individual purchasing agency-by-agency. There are still more areas where we can realize savings and we intend to maximize those opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The consolidation of IT resources also is improving collaboration between state agencies on complex IT projects. When state agencies collaborate more effectively, major state information technology projects are being completed more quickly and at a lower price. During the last several years, MNIT has been completing other projects that enhance data security, save money, increase efficiency, and ultimately provide better services to Minnesotans. Some of those projects have included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Data Center Consolidation The state recently de-commissioned one of its largest data centers as part of a strategy to reduce the states overall data center footprint through consolidation and server virtualization. So far, MNIT has reduced by over 60 percent the number of physical servers managed by the State.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Going Mobile MNIT is helping state agencies go mobile through projects such as the &lt;a href=&quot;http://rc.education.state.mn.us/&quot; title=&quot;MN Report Card&quot;&gt;MN Report Card&lt;/a&gt;, a mobile device-friendly platform for disseminating school performance data to students, parents and teachers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Online, Streamlined Permitting &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mpars/index.html&quot; title=&quot;MPARS &quot;&gt;MPARS&lt;/a&gt;, the Department of Natural Resources new online permitting and reporting system, provides an online application, approval, and tracking capability for several types of water-related environmental permits. Developed to streamline the application process, the system allows for application tracking and the collection of monitoring information and permit fees online. On average, permits are issued or denied a month faster than under the manually-intensive, former way of doing business.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62032</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:22Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MDE Mobile Report Card app improves mobile operability</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>Mobile Report Card</Title><title>Blog - 2014-02 - Mobile Report Card</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61772&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-02-27T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Today, more Minnesotans than ever are using smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices to access the web. That is why the MNIT @ Minnesota Department of Education team has revamped the Minnesota Report Card, a web app that provides important school data to parents and educators.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MDE Mobile Report Card app improves mobile operability</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, more Minnesotans than ever are using smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices to access the web. That is why the MNIT @ Minnesota Department of Education team has revamped the Minnesota Report Card, a web app that provides important school data to parents and educators. The improved app offers better mobile device functionality and reliability and a better user experience for all users.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The project builds on the Department of Educations commitment to empowering citizens, school staff and legislators with accurate and usable data, while making this data more widely available and delivering it more efficiently. The improved web app uses HTML5 technology and a new touch-friendly user interface to ensure compatibility across many different types of devices and web browsers, including mobile phones, tablets and all major desktop platforms.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In addition to user interface improvements, the team is working to improve maintainability, performance and adhere to best data practice standards. The improvements will ensure the MNIT @ MDE team can update the app with the most recent data available, while enhancing the data model to support an unlimited number of reports for each school on which MDE collects performance data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can try out the new MDE Report Card App at the Minnesota Department of Education website. It&apos;s another way the people and technology at MNIT Services are connecting Minnesotans to state government.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>61772</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:20Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT Services powers DNR s EagleCam</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>MNIT powers DNR&apos;s EagleCam</Title><title>Blog - 2014-02 - MNIT powers DNR&apos;s EagleCam</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61583&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2014-02-25T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff are experts at leveraging cutting-edge technology in creative and innovative ways to help our agency partners meet their business objectives.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Putting a webcam in the middle of a forest is no simple task, but MNIT staff are experts at leveraging cutting-edge technology in creative and innovative ways to help our agency partners meet their business objectives. For the second year running, Minnesotans can get a rare glimpse into the nest of a Bald Eagle without disturbing the majestic creatures by checking out the Department of Natural Resources Eagle Cam.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The exact location of the eagles nest is being kept confidential to protect the birds, who may abandon a nest if it is disturbed too much. Bald Eagles are a protected species, and its illegal to disturb a Bald Eagle nest without a permit. The DNRs Eagle Cam allows Minnesotans to watch the wild birds go about the natural process of raising young, without jeopardizing the safety of themselves or the animals.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;To provide the live web stream, MNIT @ DNR staff mounted a high definition video camera on a tree limb about 10 feet above the eagles nest. The cameras network cable is then connected to a small antenna, which then creates a second link to the main antenna about andfrac14; mile away. The second antenna is connected to the Internet via a 4G virtual private network connection.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;DNR staff capture the video stream at the agency&apos;s St. Paul headquarters, and then send the stream to MNITs main offices for hosting. This year, the DNR is offering a mobile stream of the Eagle Cam in addition to desktop viewing. In 2013, nearly 165,000 people from all 50 states and 125 different countries viewed the Eagle Cam. Its just another way MNIT is helping connect Minnesotans with state government.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>61583</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT   DNR reels in Governor s Award for new mobile app</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Recieves in Governor&apos;s Award</Title><title>Blog - 2013-12 - MNIT Recieves in Governor&apos;s Award</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81693&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-12-20T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The new mobile LakeFinder web app extends the reach of the DNR’s already popular LakeFinder website.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Staff Partnering with DNR Reels in Governor’s Award for New Mobile App</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The DNR was recently recognized with a Governor&apos;s Continuous Improvement Award for the new mobile LakeFinder web app. The web app, which was developed in partnership with MNIT DNR staff, helps Minnesota anglers reel in the perfect catch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The new mobile LakeFinder web app extends the reach of the DNRs already popular LakeFinder website. The web app provides Minnesota anglers with useful information like lake depth, what kind of fish the lake contains and special fishing regulations that may be in effect. The upgraded web app also includes information on special regulations related to invasive species, helping Minnesota boaters ensure they don&apos;t transport invasive species between lakes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The web app benefits Minnesota anglers because mobile device users account for 20 percent of DNR web traffic. Data shows that mobile use peaks on weekends while people are hunting and fishing which means providing citizens with data in mobile-friendly formats is more important than ever.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Congratulations to the MNIT DNR staffers Steve Lime, Brent Pellinen and Kate Lamers on receiving the Governors Continuous Improvement Award.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81693</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:18Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Governor Dayton highlights cost savings and improvements at MN IT Services</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Governor Dayton highlights cost savings and improvements at MNIT Services</Title><title>Blog - 2013-12 - Governor Dayton highlights cost savings and improvements at MN IT Services</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81686&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-12-04T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>A bipartisan effort to overhaul the state&apos;s information technology (IT) systems is paying off, according to new information released today by Governor Mark Dayton and MN.IT Services, the state’s IT agency.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A bipartisan effort to overhaul the state&apos;s information technology (IT) systems is paying off, according to new information released today by Governor Mark Dayton and MNIT Services, the states IT agency. Since 2011, IT consolidation efforts within the Dayton Administration have saved Minnesotans an estimated $17.4 million by reducing waste, consolidating contracts, reforming administrative processes, and implementing new accountability measures. Governor Dayton praised the states information technology workforce for those savings, and other IT innovations and reforms at a celebration recognizing the work of MNIT employees across the administration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s innovative work during the past two years has produced significant savings for Minnesota taxpayers, said Governor Dayton. Their reforms are also delivering faster and more efficient services to our citizens. I thank Commissioner Parnell for her strong leadership and MNIT&apos;s hard-working employees for their accomplishments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2011, Governor Dayton signed bipartisan legislation to consolidate the states information technology systems, employees, and administration. As part of that ongoing consolidation, MNIT Services established a statewide project management office to ensure greater accountability for the states major technology investments and contracts. In addition to increasing transparency, the reforms at MNIT also are saving taxpayer dollars. The agency is now negotiating contracts on behalf of all state agencies saving Minnesota more than $11 million on software and licensing contracts in 2012. These consolidation efforts are expected to save an additional $6.4 million by the end of 2013.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;These improvements represent only the tip of the iceberg, said Carolyn Parnell, Commissioner of MNIT Services and the states Chief Information Officer. As IT consolidation efforts continue in the months and years ahead, we will certainly reinvest savings to further improve the IT capability and services provided by the State of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The consolidation of information technology resources also is improving collaboration between state agencies on complex projects. When state agencies collaborate more effectively, major state information technology projects are being completed more quickly and at a lower price. During the past year, MNIT has been completing other projects that enhance data security, save money, increase efficiency, and ultimately provide better services to Minnesotans. Some of those projects include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Improving Data Security The State of Minnesota used to operate 36 data centers statewide to house the states data and maintain essential IT operations. A major component of IT consolidation efforts has been to replace those 36 separate locations with two enterprise data centers that serve all of state government. That single 2-3 year effort will improve information security, reduce physical space maintained and operated by the state, and cut energy consumption and costs statewide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Streamlining Prescriptions and Reducing Medication Errors MNIT worked with the Department of Human Services to streamline and improve an old and outdated system for filling prescriptions at state hospitals and medical facilities. Since making those improvements, transcription errors have decreased, and awareness of drug interactions and allergies has improved. Overall, patient safety has increased by 40 percent. The system improvements are also saving nurses valuable time. Nurses used to spend more than 3 hours per day filling prescriptions. With new improvements implemented by MNIT and the Department of Human Services, nurses are spending only 15 minutes per day filling prescriptions a savings of nearly 14 labor hours every workweek.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Supporting Minnesota Businesses. This year, MNIT worked with the Department of Employment and Economic Development to create a Made In Minnesota database. The new website encourages Minnesota businesses to buy products and supplies from each other, rather than from out-of-state or foreign companies. The tool contains details about nearly 600 Minnesota manufacturers statewide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Dayton Administration is continuing its efforts to streamline the states IT systems, and deliver better, faster, more efficient services to Minnesotans. During the 2013 Legislative Session, Governor Dayton worked with the Legislature to make new information technology reforms and investments that will reduce waste and increase savings for Minnesota taxpayers. Some of those measures include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Human Services The new state budget invests in an initiative to replace a 20-year-old IT system at the Department of Human Services to increase efficiencies at the county level and identify and prevent fraud, waste and abuse.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Natural Resources The new state budget invests in an initiative to modernize data collection and performance reporting at the Department of Natural Resources to measure results, reduce costs, and improve public access to information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Public Safety The new state budget invests in an initiative to replace outdated IT systems at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, providing more timely and accurate data to help law enforcement reduce the incidence of crime in Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Department of Education The new state budget continues the development of a statewide education data system to help educators and policymakers design and implement a better education system for Minnesota students.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81686</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:16Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><Type><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>327936</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT s CIAO interviewed</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Accessibility</Title><Id>232083</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>MNIT&apos;s CIAO Interviewed</Title><title>Blog - 2013-11 - MNIT s CIAO interviewed</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61683&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-11-27T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>“The long-term goal is a fully accessible state government, in which all our information and applications - whether for the public or for employees - are fully accessible.” ~ Jay Wyant, Minnesota’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The long-term goal is a fully accessible state government, in which all our information and applications - whether for the public or for employees - are fully accessible. ~ Jay Wyant, Minnesota’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota’s Chief Information Accessibility Officer Jay Wyant was recently featured in the Great Lakes ADA Centers Accessible Technology Bulletin discussing improved accessibility for those in need of information from our state. While Minnesota isn’t the only state with an accessibility initiative, it is the only state to have a Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In 2009, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law requiring the State CIO to develop and implement a standard to make information from state websites, applications and systems more accessible. Jay leads this process by creating awareness and training to guide agencies on accessibility best practices, policies and procedures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;According to Wyant, while creating more accessible information is the right thing to do, other important benefits also come as a result.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;It’s also a more cost-effective approach: If you apply the necessary thought and care to ensure that everyone can use your technology. You will have better, more effective technology that has a much longer shelf life before it needs to be updated or replaced.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.adagreatlakes.org/Publications/ATBulletin/&quot; title=&quot;ADA Great Lakes Accessible Technology Bulletin&quot;&gt;ADA Great Lakes Accessible Technology Bulletin&lt;/a&gt; to read Jays full interview, and be sure to check out &lt;a title=&quot;000 ## Page Intro ## Page Introduction&quot; href=&quot;&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-61626&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;&quot; xlink:title=&quot;000 Accessibility Intro (old)&quot; xmlns:xlink=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink&quot;&gt;MNIT&apos;s accessibility resources&lt;/a&gt; for more information about making your work accessible.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>61683</id><pubdate>2019-12-06T19:20:48Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>NASCIO 2013   long</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>NASCIO 2013</Title><title>Blog - 2013-10 - NASCIO 2013</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81696&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-10-15T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>State of Minnesota receives national IT honors for industry-leading client relations process</ShortDescription><Subtitle>Managing IT delivery through comprehensive Service Level Agreements is unprecedented approach</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota has been named a recipient of the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) 2013 Recognition Award for Enterprise IT Management Initiatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The honor, awarded yesterday at the NASCIO Conference in Philadelphia, recognized Minnesota for the service level agreements (SLA) process it developed for management of state government IT. Minnesotas SLA process is a comprehensive, sustainable, business-focused approach that helps customers understand exactly what to expect and how to work with their state IT partners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The NASCIO award recognizes Minnesota as a leader, not only in the government sector, but in private industry as well.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81696</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>National Accolades for Minnesota IT Consolidation</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>National Accolades for Minnesota IT Consolidation</Title><title>Blog - 2013-10 - National Accolades for Minnesota IT Consolidation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62327&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-10-15T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Minnesota garners national accolades for IT Consolidation</ShortDescription><Subtitle>State garners national accolades</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;As the State of Minnesota marks the second anniversary of executive branch IT consolidation this month, two significant achievements are early indicators of the success and value of the monumental two-year effort: the just-announced prestigious national award to the State of Minnesota for Enterprise IT Management from the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) and the successful launch of the MNsure website, Minnesota&apos;s custom-built health information exchange.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Neither of these historic accomplishments would have been possible before we consolidated IT, said Carolyn Parnell, Minnesota&apos;s State CIO and Commissioner of MNIT Services, the state agency that delivers information technology to the states executive branch of government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since day one we&apos;ve known consolidation would benefit our customers, our staff members and most importantly the citizens of Minnesota long-term. To see the success so early is clear evidence of the value proposition that will only grow over time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Signed into law by the Minnesota Legislature in July 2011, consolidation brought under one roof the IT functions of 95 state agencies, boards and commissions that had previously been separate. This change, the largest Minnesota state government reorganization in decades, has positioned MNIT to make more substantial changes over the next few years. Officials expect the long-range plan to result in IT that operates with flexibility, innovation and efficiency and is more responsive and accountable to agency customers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota&apos;s Service Level Agreements win national award&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Within its first year of consolidation, MNIT instituted service level agreements (SLAs) as the centerpiece of IT service management in the newly consolidated environment and the approach, process and results have landed the State a 2013 Enterprise IT Management award from the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO). Commissioner Parnell accepted the award on Monday, October 14, at the NASCIO annual conference in Philadelphia.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;SLAs are the instrument by which MNIT Services and agency customers agree on the IT service definitions, costs and metrics for all IT services provided to each individual agency. Within 10 months of consolidating, MNIT Services delivered 68 comprehensive SLAs to its clients. Each SLA is based on a common template, but reflects the unique as-is IT landscape of each customers business environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The NASCIO award recognizes Minnesota as a leader in service level management, not just in the government sector, but in private industry as well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the legislature handed us the challenge of developing SLAs for our customers, we immediately turned to the IT industry to find best practices and templates we could model our process on, said Parnell. But after surveying the landscape, we couldn&apos;t find any SLAs that defined IT services in a way business could easily understand. And the models we looked at weren&apos;t comprehensive they were more similar to Operational Level Agreements than SLAs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The first MNIT SLAs required a lot of behind- the-scenes efforts to prepare the final product, including the identification and centralization of IT staff embedded within agency business, the development of a Service Reference Model with common service and function definitions, and the analysis of IT budgets for all agencies in the executive branch. Moving forward, the SLAs are reviewed quarterly with agency customers, and serve as the foundation for the dialog between IT and business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Receiving recognition from my peers makes me very proud, said Commissioner Parnell, because it shows that we have achieved something truly unique and important in the ever-changing, complex world of IT management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;With SLAs in place, MNIT has now begun a multi-year effort to redesign and improve the services that are outlined in the agreements, including the creation of the MNIT Cloud for the delivery of infrastructure services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Building MNsure better and faster&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Like all states responding to the federal Affordable Care Act, Minnesota faced extremely aggressive deadlines and complicated requirements for its custom insurance exchange, known as MNsure. Responsible for standing up the infrastructure and managing both the security and ongoing operations of the system, the newly consolidated MNIT organization had some advantages.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I cant imagine how much harder it would have been to fast-track a system this complex in our old federated environment, said Parnell. The business side of the exchange spans the responsibilities of a variety of agencies. Our IT approach needed to be similarly organized and our security needed to be top notch. Having recently consolidated, we were able to quickly pull together the talent, the infrastructure and the assets we needed to get the job done.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Project management, technical and security teams consisting of staff from a variety of agency-based offices were formed to work full time on MNsure. The new Tier III data center made possible through consolidation was ready to provide a high security environment for the system, and the State leveraged MNsure resources to build a shared infrastructure that will allow the insurance exchange to better integrate with other State health and human services systems, upon which it depends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our approach, said Parnell, &quot;was innovative and took advantage of a combined brain trust we wouldn&apos;t have had before. It was a great team effort.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesota launched its custom-built site, MNsure, earlier this month and, although there have been a few glitches during the launch, it is one of the few states that has not had a system crash in the early days of enrollment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A bright future&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the last two years have seen huge strides and accomplishments for the States IT, the bigger goals remain just over the horizon. Over the next few years, MNIT plans to rebuild infrastructure services to be as efficient as possible so the States resources can focus on unique program applications that serve the States citizens and contribute to Governor Mark Dayton&apos;s goals of improving government efficiency.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62327</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:14Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MNGeo at the Walker</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description>News</Description><Title>News</Title><Id>640</Id><Key>News</Key></metadata_type><Title>MNGeo at the Walker</Title><title>Blog - 2013-09 - MNGeo at the Walker</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-62069&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-09-24T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MnGeo contributes to an exhibit at the Walker.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) at MNIT Services received a query from the Walker Art Center for aerial imagery of the Twin Cities, it was an unusual request: the client needed the data at a resolution suitable for a 20-foot by 30-foot poster, with file sizes that weren&apos;t overwhelming.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The poster was for artist-in-residence Fritz Haeg to incorporate in his new exhibition,&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.walkerart.org/calendar/2013/fritz-haeg-home-city&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Walker Art Center&quot;&gt;At Home in the City&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT employees Pete Olson and Norm Anderson took on the challenge to provide the imagery in a suitable format, while Walker Art Center staff worked with Thomas Reprographics to print the imagery and prepare the exhibit. The MnGeo team from MNIT Services was credited in the exhibit for preparing the 2012 images sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey and Digital Aerial Solutions, LLC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The wall looks amazing, completely mesmerizing. It is such an excellent addition to the exhibit, said Residency Coordinator Anna Bierbrauer. Walker Art Center staff members are very pleased with the installation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This is just another testament to the importance of geography in our lives and the work we do, said Dan Ross, Director and Chief Geospatial Information Officer at MNIT Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;You can check out the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.walkerart.org/calendar/2013/fritz-haeg-home-city&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Walker Art Center&quot;&gt;At Home in the City&lt;/a&gt; exhibit that runs through November 24 at the Walker Arts Center.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>62069</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT DNR Receives Special Achievement Award for Exceptional Application of Geospatial Technology</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Geospatial</Title><Id>232486</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Recieves Geospatial Technology Award</Title><title>Blog - 2013-07 - MNIT   DNR Receives Special Achievement Award for Exceptional Application of Geospatial Technology</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81692&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-07-12T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT Staff Partnering with DNR’s GIS program was presented with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at the Esri International User Conference (Esri UC) in San Diego on July 10.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>MNIT Staff Partnering with DNR Receive Special Achievement Award</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Staff Partnering with DNRs GIS program was presented with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at the Esri International User Conference (Esri UC) in San Diego on July 10. This award acknowledges vision, leadership, hard work and innovative use of Esri&apos;s geographic information system (GIS) technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This award recognizes an amazing body of work by many individuals to elevate the MNIT @ DNR GIS program to world-class status, said Robert Maki, Chief Information Officer for MNIT @ DNR. It is great to see the program recognized through this prestigious award. We seldom stop and take stock of our accomplishments. This is a great opportunity to do so.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Department of Natural Resources uses Esri ArcGIS technology as an essential tool in fulfilling its three-part mission of providing outdoor recreational opportunities, conserving natural resources and contributing to the economic vitality of the State of Minnesota. MNIT @ DNR staff oversee all ArcGIS deployments within the department, providing comprehensive geospatial data management services, software development, user technical support and classroom training.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;During the GIS programs 20-year history, the DNR GIS user community has expanded from 20 specialists, to over 800 natural resource scientists and managers, plus millions of citizens making use of mapping functionality on the DNR website. Program staff members have always placed a high value on external collaboration, and championed no-fee distribution of public data and software resources within Minnesota and beyond.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Organizations from around the world honored at the Esri UC range across various industries, including agriculture, cartography, climate change, defense and intelligence, economic development, education, government, health and human services, telecommunications, and utilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The SAG Awards identify the organizations and people that are using the power of geography to improve our world and drive change, says Esri president Jack Dangermond. At Esri, we are always deeply inspired by the passion and innovation of our users. They deserve recognition for both solving their communities greatest challenges and for their invaluable contributions to the continued evolution of geographic science.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;For more information about the 2013 Special Achievement in GIS Award winners, including project information and photos, please visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.esri.com/sag/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Esri ArcGIS technology &quot;&gt;esri.com/sag&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81692</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:11Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description>MNIT staff members partnering with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Central office provided technical expertise in the creation of the MN Department of Veterans Affairs’ (MDVA) newly redesigned website.</Description><Audience/><Title>MNIT staff help launch new website for Minnesota s veterans</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Helps Launch New Website for Minnesota’s Veterans</Title><title>Blog - 2013-07 - MNIT launch website for veterans</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81695&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2013-07-10T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>MNIT staff members partnering with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Central office provided technical expertise in the creation of the MN Department of Veterans Affairs’ (MDVA) newly redesigned website.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT staff members from @ Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and the Central office provided technical expertise in the creation of the MN Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) newly redesigned website. The site is part of the MDVAs continuing efforts to provide the best service and care for the states 370,000 veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MN.IT staff worked closely with the MDVA Communications Department, to translate the desires of Minnesota Veterans collected through focus groups, to an extremely user-friendly and easy-to-navigate site. The technical effort included providing a stable development environment, migration of data, design and implementation support. MN.IT also completed extensive testing ahead of the sites launch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since the launch in June, the new site has received a significant increase in hits from as far away as Australia and accolades from Veterans, counties and Veteran groups.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Created specifically with Veterans and families in mind, the website is designed to be user friendly with improved navigation that will serve as a vehicle to help Minnesotans get timely information and news. It is also expected to help Minnesotans better differentiate MDVA from its close partner, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The site will promote and be accessible through the URL of &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.MinnesotaVeteran.org&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;www.MinnesotaVeteran.org&lt;/a&gt;, but will also be accessible through the official state website address &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/mdva&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://mn.gov/mdva&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81695</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:12Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>State CIO honored for innovation and leadership through IT consolidation</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>State CIO Honored for Innovation and Leadership Through IT Consolidation</Title><title>Blog - 2012-11 - State CIO honored for innovation and leadership through IT consolidation</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81698&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-11-07T16:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>Carolyn Parnell, Minnesota&apos;s State CIO and Commissioner of MNIT – the state agency that delivers information technology to state government – has been named one of several recipients of the 2012 Tekne Award for leadership in Public Service.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Carolyn Parnell, Minnesota&apos;s State CIO and Commissioner of MNIT, the state agency that delivers information technology to state government has been named one of several recipients of the 2012 Tekne Award for leadership in Public Service. The award was presented to seven of Minnesota&apos;s public officials by the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mhta.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; title=&quot;Minnesota High Tech Association&quot;&gt;Minnesota High Tech Association&lt;/a&gt; (MHTA) in recognition of the honorees&apos; efforts to consolidate IT services from more than 70 state agencies into a single organization, &lt;a href=&quot;http://mn.gov/oet/&quot; title=&quot;MNIT Services&quot;&gt;MNIT&lt;/a&gt; (formerly the Office of Enterprise Technology).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;I&apos;m honored to be named a recipient of this award, said Parnell. This recognition validates that we&apos;re heading in the right direction to provide innovative IT solutions that help build a better government for a better Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Since the consolidation legislation passed in July 2011, MNIT brought together roughly 2,100 IT employees from separate agencies into the new organization, and completed comprehensive service level agreements with each state agency, outlining the costs and level of service for all IT services, projects and applications, a level of IT management that is rare in both the private and public sectors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Given annually, the Tekne Awards honor companies, innovations and individuals with technological breakthroughs that positively impact the lives and futures of people living in Minnesota and all over the world.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81698</id><pubdate>2020-01-10T21:21:30Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>State of Minnesota s Email Solution Wins National Recognition</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>State of Minnesota&apos;s Email Solution Wins National Recognition</Title><title>Blog - 2012-10 - State of Minnesota&apos;s Email Solution Wins National Recognition</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81702&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-23T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The State of Minnesota has been named a recipient of National Association of State CIO’s (NASCIO) 2012 Recognition Award for Enterprise IT Management Initiatives.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota has been named a recipient of National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) 2012 Recognition Award for Enterprise IT Management Initiatives.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The honor, awarded yesterday at the NASCIO 2012 Conference in San Diego, recognized Minnesota for the executive branch&apos;s seamless migration to a single Enterprise Unified Communication and Collaboration (EUCC) cloud-based platform. The project unified all communication technology across state government to increase productivity, providing state workers new communications tools and the ability to collaborate easily and effectively across agency lines. The move to the cloud delivered enhanced constituent services without adding infrastructure or capital investments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This was a significant project that eliminated redundant systems, improved security and, in the simplest of business terms, made it possible for the Governor to finally send one email to all State of Minnesota employees, said Carolyn Parnell, Minnesota&apos;s State CIO and Commissioner of MNIT, the state agency that delivers information technology to state government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The consolidated cloud-based system has the capacity to serve Minnesota government beyond the executive branch. We knew we were a success when St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman made joining the states email system a key goal in his 2012 state of the city address, Commissioner Parnell explained.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Today, Minnesota has what is largely considered the most advanced communication and collaboration ecosystem in the public sector. The project brought all 70 state agencies into a single communications platform, including email, voice, video conferencing, instant messaging, desktop sharing, web collaboration, storage, and mobile phone options, in addition to other services. All this was accomplished while also keeping the system flexible enough to meet ongoing business needs, yet ensuring security levels befitting the work of law enforcement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Moving in a new direction takes courage, commitment and a willingness to challenge assumptions, said Parnell. Winning this award tells our Minnesota IT team that we are going in the right direction. It validates our path toward additional innovative projects as we optimize our recent statewide consolidation and lead Minnesota government toward solutions that benefit Minnesota citizens. We appreciate being recognized by our peers in other states, and we look forward to sharing our experiences on the road to new IT challenges.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Work on the custom-designed project was done in partnership with Microsoft. The EUCC system is cloud-based and modeled on tools from Office 365.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81702</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:10Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>Minnesota recognized as national leader in delivery of electronic services</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Minnesota recognized as national leader in delivery of electronic services</Title><title>Blog - 2012-10 - Minnesota recognized as national leader in delivery of electronic services</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81691&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-10-03T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The results are in: Minnesota has been recognized as a national leader for its use of technology to better serve citizens, increase efficiencies and collaborate with other areas of government.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesota has been recognized as a national leader for its use of technology to better serve citizens, increase operational efficiencies, and promote increased collaboration between state and local government agencies, according to the results of the Digital States Survey, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.govtech.com/policy-management/2012-Digital-States-Survey.html&quot; title=&quot;a comprehensive biannual review of the technology practices of state governments by the Center for Digital Government.&quot;&gt;a comprehensive biannual review of the technology practices of state governments by the Center for Digital Government&lt;/a&gt;.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Minnesotas grade for electronic service delivery moved up to a grade of A-, from a B+ in 2010, putting the State behind only Michigan and Utah, and on a short list of states that lead the country in using technology to improve service delivery, increase capacity, change cost structures and reach policy goals.
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;When we talk about making government work better for the people of Minnesota, we mean it, said Governor Mark Dayton. This is another success in our continuing effort to build a better government for a better Minnesota. I congratulate our Chief Information Officer, Carolyn Parnell, and her team for this outstanding achievement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Digital States Survey results come just one year after Minnesota initiated a comprehensive IT consolidation effort across the executive branch centralizing all executive branch technology functions within a single statewide, IT agency, MNIT Services. Under the states new model, MNIT Services acts as the central IT service provider to all state agencies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;We have found that we are stacking up well against similar efforts underway throughout the private sector, said Parnell. But this evaluation by the Center for Digital Government is particularly gratifying, as it recognizes Minnesota as leaders in the government space.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Within a year of consolidation, MNIT Services transferred roughly 1,500 IT employees from 70 separate agencies into the new organization, and completed comprehensive service level agreements with each state agency, outlining the costs and level of service for all IT services, projects and applications a level of IT management that is rare in both the private and public sectors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;While the survey recognized the early success of Minnesota&apos;s strategic transformation of IT over the last year, its focus was on how states use technology to better engage, inform and interact with citizens and make government more transparent. Minnesota&apos;s survey submission highlighted several examples of this type of innovative use of technology:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mobile/index.html&quot; title=&quot;Mobile applications from the Department of Natural Resources&quot;&gt;Mobile applications from the Department of Natural Resources&lt;/a&gt;, such as the LakeFinder and Fall Colors apps&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Pollution Control Agency&apos;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pca.state.mn.us/data/whats-my-neighborhood&quot; title=&quot;Whats in My Neighborhood online tool&quot;&gt;Whats in My Neighborhood online tool&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;E-service filing options from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/Pages/default.aspx&quot; title=&quot; the Department of Revenue &quot;&gt;the Department of Revenue&lt;/a&gt; for business and individual tax payers&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h5 xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Details about the 2012 Digital States Survey by The Center for Digital Government&lt;/h5&gt;
&lt;ul xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Minnesota received the grade A- in the 2012 Digital States Survey. This is up from B+ in 2010. Under the Digital States criteria, a grade of A reflects a state that is Trending sharply up. Demonstrated results across all categories. Modernization used to realize operational efficiencies and strategic priorities under nimble leaders. Evidence of meaningful collaboration. Performance measures and metrics widely adopted. Cuts tend to be made strategically.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The Digital States Survey, which began 15 years ago, has helped benchmark state government use of digital technologies to improve service delivery, increase capacity, change cost structures and reach policy goals. The 2012 survey set a high bar for state performance as many governments continue to deal with budget cuts, a lagging economic recovery and increased demand for services.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;A full list of state grades can be found at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/&quot;&gt;www.centerdigitalgov.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81691</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>EUCC partner wins national award for business government collaboration</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>National Award Winner</Title><title>Blog - 2012-08 - EUCC partner wins national award for business government collaboration</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81685&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-08-08T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The city of Saint Paul will become the first Minnesota municipality to enter into a shared service agreement with the State of Minnesota’s Enterprise email service.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>EUCC partner wins national award for business-government collaboration</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul, MN August 8, 2012 - Microsoft, the State of Minnesota&apos;s business partner on the Enterprise Unified Communications and Collaboration (EUCC) move to the cloud, has received the national Top Tech Integrators Exceptional Service Award for their collaborative work on the project. Microsoft was nominated by MNIT, Minnesota&apos;s enterprise IT organization, and selected by e.Republics Center for Digital Government as one of the 11 best organizations in the country that tailor technology solutions for government.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Exceptional Service Award recognizes an integrators role as a key change agent or catalyst for process or operational change within an agency or jurisdiction. Earlier this year, MNIT Services and Microsoft joined forces to move 40,000 email boxes into the Cloud, increasing benefits like collaboration, system security and mailbox capacity, while also realizing decreased costs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Our partnership with Microsoft resulted in ground-breaking work for state government, said Ed Valencia, CTO for the State of Minnesota. This project pushed the boundaries of innovation by focusing not just on innovative technology, but also through such a strongly collaborative business relationship. Were very proud of the groundbreaking work our team completed with Microsoft as our partner.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The EUCC transition was completed in a short time with very little disruption to users. The system is expandable and available to other jurisdictions as well like boards, commissions, cities and counties. The City of St. Paul has recently migrated to the system, for example.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Winners were selected from nominations, submitted by public sector IT entities, of companies who partnered on projects addressing such areas as health and human services; finance and administration; transportation; and economic and business development.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of e.Republic, a national publishing, event and research company focused on smart media for public sector innovation.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81685</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:07Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>MN IT Services   Information Technology for Minnesota Government</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>MNIT Services – Information Technology for Minnesota Government</Title><title>Blog - 2012-04 - MNIT Services Information Technology for Minnesota Government</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81694&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2012-04-20T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>A new name acknowledges the change that is happening everywhere, and begins to build the brand and mindset among staff and customers that all of the State’s IT services are MNIT Services. The new name provides additional clarity on roles and relationships among MNIT offices and staff, and helps to describe the organization in a clear and consistent way.</ShortDescription><Subtitle/><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Enterprise Technology has announced a new brand for the organization: MNIT Services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;MNIT Services applies to all executive branch information technology and everything that is done at both the MNIT central and agency-based offices, and to the services that continue to be provided to other Minnesota government entities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The information technology staff at 70 State of Minnesota agencies, boards and commissions were consolidated into a single IT organization through interagency agreements signed in October 2011.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The change occurs that the time that the new organization has developed and published operational strategies for the consolidated organization that will now function as a single entity that makes enterprise-wide decisions and manages resources collectively.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;A new name acknowledges the change that is happening everywhere, and begins to build the brand and mindset among staff and customers that all of the States IT services are MNIT Services. The new name provides additional clarity on roles and relationships among MNIT offices and staff, and helps to describe the organization in a clear and consistent way.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through a strategic planning process, the new organization has developed a new mission statement: We provide government with high quality, secure and cost -effective information technology that meets the needs of government, fosters innovation, and improves outcomes for the people of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
MNIT Services has also released a new state Master Plan that describes the technology goals and priorities for executive branch over the next five years.</BodyText><Author/><id>81694</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:05Z</pubdate></list><list><metadata><Type><Description/><Title>Blog</Title><Id>33555</Id><Key/></Type><DublinCore><Description/><Audience/><Title>City of Saint Paul to Share Email Services with State of Minnesota</Title><Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Digital Government</Title><Id>232500</Id><Key/></Category><metadata_type><Description/><Title>Press Release</Title><Id>60500</Id><Key/></metadata_type><Title>Shared Email Services</Title><title>Blog - 2011-08 - Shared Email Services</title><url>&lt;custom:Link urlOnly=&quot;true&quot; type=&quot;Component&quot; destination=&quot;tcm:38-81683&quot; templateURI=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot; origin=&quot;tcm:0-0-0&quot;  /&gt;</url><Date>2011-08-31T15:14:43Z</Date><ShortDescription>The city of Saint Paul will become the first Minnesota municipality to enter into a shared service agreement with the State of Minnesota’s Enterprise email service.</ShortDescription><Subtitle>City of Saint Paul to Share Email Services with State of Minnesota</Subtitle><publication>38</publication><BodyText>&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;St. Paul, MN August 29, 2011 - The city of Saint Paul will become the first Minnesota municipality to enter into a shared service agreement with the State of Minnesotas Enterprise email service.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The partnership signifies a new priority by the governor and state leadership to improve government service by leveraging inter-governmental collaboration and shared resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;In his budget address at the Amsterdam Bar and Hall on August 15, Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman noted that the email partnership is among the key investments the city is planning for 2012, and expects the move to help maintain the quality of life Saint Paul residents have come to know.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;Through a shared-services partnership with the State of Minnesota, in 2012 we will have 24/7 maintenance and support coverage, providing Saint Paul with a communications system we can rely on when we need it, Coleman said, in reference to the December snowfall event he dubbed Snowmageddon, which caused the citys email system to fail.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The State of Minnesotas Enterprise email service is one of the many services delivered by the Office of Enterprise Technology (OET) that can be leveraged by other local units of government in Minnesota. The current service offering is a highly secure and reliable solution that leverages some of the latest and best technology available in the market. As a result, the city of Saint Paul can expect improved security, increased collaboration, and more efficient use of time and resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;This move furthers the Administrations efforts to reform government, making it work better for Minnesotans and saving taxpayers money.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;State Chief Information Officer Carolyn Parnell outlined the importance of this move: Government entities, both state and local, need to look beyond the traditional boundaries for opportunities to leverage economies of scale and efficiencies for their operations and, by extension, for Minnesotans. It is essential that we find ways to work together on behalf of our common constituents the citizens of Minnesota.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The Office of Enterprise Technology has successfully migrated 35 executive branch entities and 40,000 email inboxes to the centralized email service to date, an effort that has improved and standardized communications within the State and lays the groundwork for a more global IT consolidation of the executive branch now getting underway.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot;&gt;The city of Saint Paul will migrate its 3,300 employee inboxes to the States email service sometime after its fiscal year begins on January 1.&lt;/p&gt;</BodyText><Author/><id>81683</id><pubdate>2018-08-22T09:36:04Z</pubdate></list></results>