WAMC Launches New, More Accessible Website for Women in Science Programming

ALBANY, NY (10/02/2009)(readMedia)-- In October, Disability Employment Awareness Month, WAMC will launch a new website for its "Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)" radio programming. The new site, www.womeninscience.org, was recently redesigned with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to be more visually appealing, easier to navigate, and fully accessible to people with disabilities.

The NSF grant used to renovate the site is also supporting WAMC's production of the latest of six NSF-funded "Women in STEM" radio series, Access to Advancement: An Audio Exploration of the National Effort to Increase the Role of Women with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The new series, awarded through NSF's Research in Disabilities Education Program, will shed light on the opportunities for, and achievements of, women with disabilities in STEM fields.

"WAMC is incredibly proud of its participation in this exciting project," says WAMC President, Dr. Alan Chartock. "We have been at the forefront of programming devoted to women in this country, and with the support of the National Science Foundation, we are thrilled to be setting a new standard for the media's coverage of disability issues as well."

To ensure that people with visual, hearing, and other disabilities can access the radio programming and resources available on the new site, WAMC worked with the award-winning web development firm Cogent Technologies located in Troy, NY. Cogent is known for helping clients clearly communicate their mission and reach new markets through accessible web design.

The site was designed to meet the Website Accessibility Standards established by the World Wide Web Consortium (an international consortium that develops web standards and guidelines). It includes text transcripts of all audio and is programmed to be easily navigated by people who use screen reading software (which provides text-to-speech translation of the information displayed on a computer screen).

Visitors to the new site can access all of WAMC's "Women in STEM" programming, including Access to Advancement, via Flash Audio or they can subscribe to series podcasts. The site also contains links to all of the educational and professional resources featured in the radio series, and many other useful websites.

"Through the site, educators, parents, young women, employers, and others have access to information about tools, educational practices, and programs designed to broaden the participation of women with disabilities in STEM fields," said Access Advancement Principle Investigator Glenn Busby. "We hope that visitors adapt the tools and practices featured on the site for use in their classrooms and workplaces, and that young girls identify with the successful women featured in the radio series."

The first story in the new series will be available on the website in October, and will air on WAMC's 51% radio program on October 15th and on The Best of Our Knowledge on October 26th. Please visit www.wamc.org for a full broadcast schedule.

Access to Advancement was made possible by support from the National Science Foundation Research in Disabilities Education program under grant number HRD-0833247. For more information about this series please call (800) 323-9262, ext. 169 or email womeninscience@wamc.org. To listen to or learn more about WAMC's Women in Science programming, please visit www.womeninscience.org, or join us on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com and searching for "Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ON THE AIR!" Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AccesstoAdvance.

WAMC Northeast Public Radio is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio network broadcasting 24-hours-a-day to portions of seven New England and Middle Atlantic states. With 22 broadcast facilities, WAMC ranks among the most-listened-to public radio stations in the United States, with over 400,000 monthly listeners and more than 35,000 members. An affiliate of National Public Radio, American Public Media, and Public Radio International, WAMC is also one of the most prolific original producers of public-radio style programming in the nation, distributing a roster of award-winning segments and full-length news and information programs heard on more than 500 radio stations nationwide, on the Internet via audio on-demand, and in 177 countries via Armed Forces Radio. For more information, please visit www.wamc.org.