Buffalo State University’s School of Education offers students an abundance of tools for success, which means faculty members not only stay apprised of needs in the education world but also consistently provide teachers-in-training with the experience necessary to meet them.
Recently, Angela Thering, a lecturer in the Higher Education Administration and Adult Education Department, sought an opportunity to provide one such skill by applying for a grant from Teach Access, a nonprofit organization that bridges the gap between academia and industry in the field of digital accessibility. Thering was also an advocate for Buffalo State to become Teach Access’s second academic hub—and its first in the eastern United States.
Since its founding in 2016, Teach Access has reached more than 500,000 students on its mission to “develop a future of employees who design technological products and services with accessibility in mind.”
Teach Access connects its cohort members with leading accessibility and disability experts and provides funded initiatives and special programming. The Buffalo State partnership is especially significant because this is the first time a Teach Access hub will be housed in a school of education.
Rolando Méndez, director of education at Teach Access, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Buffalo State to equip faculty with fundamental accessibility skills, ensuring they can effectively teach these vital competencies to the next generation of educators.”