Thursday, January 8, 2026
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Digital Accessibility: Design for Belonging
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By: Mary Raschko, Inclusive Excellence Council Member
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Digital accessibility is vital for inclusive education. When we design content to be accessible to those of us with visual, auditory, motor and cognitive disabilities, we reduce barriers to learning for everyone.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend a Community Learning Days event on the topic of digital accessibility on Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to noon in Olin Hall.
This Community Learning Days has a timely focus: in 2026, new Title II rules come into effect requiring higher standards for accessible web content from all public entities, from local governments to public universities. It’s imperative that Whitman works to the same high standard for inclusive excellence, ensuring that our liberal arts education is accessible to all students and that our means of sharing information across the Whitman community work for everyone.
The event will feature a plenary session introducing attendees to digital accessibility and its importance and offering some higher-level principles for approaching it. Then, participants can attend multiple microlesson sessions where you’ll learn a specific skill, get started applying it to your digital materials, and make plans for integrating it more broadly in your area of work.
Microlesson options:
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- Accessible links and lists
- Creating effective alt text for images
- Using built-in heading structures
- Understanding Canvas accessibility features (faculty-focused)
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Bring a laptop, bring a friend, and learn how small changes can have a big impact on learning and belonging at Whitman.
Please register in advance.
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We Want To Hear About You!
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In the spirit of collectively celebrating successes in our Whitman community, we invite you to brag a little about the personal and collective accomplishments in your professional and personal lives. Were you recently published? Did you win an award or secure a competitive research grant? Did your office, department or student organization accomplish a long-term goal or finish a time-intensive project? We would love to share your good news!
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The Office of the President and Residence Life and Housing will co-host a Staff Coffee Break on Thursday, Jan. 15, from 9–10 a.m. at Harvey Hall. Enjoy a break to socialize with your colleagues and learn more about our newest campus housing options.
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Outdoor Program Hosts Film Festival
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The Outdoor Program will host the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. in Cordiner Hall. Paid tickets will be available starting on Monday, Jan. 12, at the Outdoor Program Rental Shop. Admission will be free at the door for Whitman students, faculty and staff. (Watch the festival trailer.)
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In December, at an awards ceremony hosted by the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce, Whitman College presented the Pete and Hedda Reid Award to Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies Mariana Ruiz-González (center) for her leadership in community engagement. Ruiz-González is the faculty advisor for Latinos Unidos; led collaborations with Festival de la Cultura Viva, downtown murals and the Azulejos student magazine; volunteers with Carnegie Picture Lab; and has supported several community organizations that serve the Spanish-speaking population in Walla Walla. (Photo by Charles DeSalvo.)
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.
All submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other Whitman content to share, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon on the business day prior to publication. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.
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Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
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