Digital Accessibility Compliance Progress Report

Colorado Mountain College’s Progress Report for Digital Accessibility Compliance As of December 19, 2024 Colorado Mountain College (the “college” or “CMC”) is committed to creating and maintaining a fully accessible digital environment for anyone who accesses its digital content. Core values of the college are equity and inclusion. CMC is making good-faith efforts to meet the technical standards established by the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) as provided by: World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA or higher Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Chapters 3,4,6 and following C.R.S. 24-85-101 to 24-85-104, ARTICLE 85 This digital accessibility progress report summarizes the college’s concrete efforts and progress towards compliance with OIT rules and requirements of HB21-1110 and HB24-1454. Summary of CMC’s Efforts Colorado Mountain College has made good-faith efforts towards full digital accessibility compliance to the new rules and requirements of HB21-1110 (“Digital Accessibility Law”), including hiring additional personnel and reallocation of existing resources and staff time. In 2023, the college created a Digital Accessibility Committee consisting of college team members from a variety of departments, including academic affairs, student affairs, IT development and training, procurement, legal, and marketing and media relations. This committee meets regularly to ensure the college’s understanding and application of the digital accessibility law’s requirements to the college’s ICT environment, and to address specific issues, prioritizations, and challenges affecting compliance with the law. Throughout 2024, the college engaged evaluate its webpages and remedied accessibility issues. These efforts included utilizing vendors to audit the college’s webpages and procuring and utilizing third-party software designed to evaluate the college’s webpages for digital accessibility purposes. Identifying and addressing obstacles for individuals with or without disabilities in accessing the college’s ICT is a key component of the college’s commitment to fostering an on-line… Read more: Digital Accessibility Compliance Progress Report

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Leigh Widmer, CMC Alumna and Mother

Leigh Widmer with her two children at the CMC Spring Valley graduation ceremony.

Leigh Widmer felt as if the rug were pulled out from under her when she suddenly lost her job of 14 years. She worried about how she was going to support herself and her two children as a single mother. As she weighed her choices, Leigh recalled “I remembered how close I was to finishing my associate degree with Colorado Mountain College, so I made a call to Cory Rikard, my college counselor. After reviewing my transcripts, he thought a new program that CMC was just launching would be a perfect fit for me. Turns out, he was right!” With the support of family, the faculty and staff at CMC, and donors like you, Leigh went all in and juggled a full-time course load while caring for her family. “There wasn’t a single instructor who wasn’t completely invested in my success. I really thrived with that kind of encouragement. It gave me an extra sense of responsibility because it’s hard to drop the ball when someone is watching you hold it.” Leigh believes that scholarships covered roughly 85% of her total cost of attendance. “As the sole supporter of my family, debt was something I couldn’t take on. Without this financial support, obtaining my degree would have been impossible.” This May, Leigh was part of the first cohort of graduates to earn their Bachelor of Arts in Human Services degree. Local employers are in desperate need of qualified individuals to support the social and emotional health of our mountain communities, now more than ever. The Bachelor of Arts in Human Services emphasizes the unique aspects of human services in rural communities, and prepares students to gain positions in businesses, schools, hospitals, recovery centers, government agencies, community organizations, and readies students for graduate school programs in most areas of human services.… Read more: Leigh Widmer, CMC Alumna and Mother

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Test

Test this   Legislators aimed to help Western Slope liquor stores reporting struggles, but their efforts failed. Now what?

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Register for Rediscovering Common Ground

Register now for our Common Reader Author Talk with Dr. Richard Haass Haass will discuss his reasons for writing the book, delve into the topics he presents, and engage in conversations with audience members, in addition to signing book copies.

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