Announcing our Tom Hopkins Disability Access Award Winner!

Seven years ago, MOD began awarding the Tom Hopkins Disability Access award to honor late disability advocate Tom Hopkins and to recognize members of our community who embody his commitment to creating a more accessible Commonwealth. The award is given each year at our Disability Summit.

This year, we're honored to present Sarah Bourne, former Director of IT Accessibility at the Commonwealth, with the Tom Hopkins Disability Access award.

Sarah started her work in digital accessibility as the first state webmaster, working closely with staff at the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH) and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) to be sure the newly emerging web could open opportunities for people with disabilities. 

Sarah served as a liaison between the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS) and MOD, bringing input from the disability community and MOD's accessibility expertise to technology projects and issues. She has long been a critical driving force behind EOTSS' progress in digital accessibility. Sarah's initiative and commitment to prioritizing accessibility was a large part of what led to MOD's digital accessibility consulting services and IT/AT working group today.

Her work included issuing ADA Guidelines for state agencies in 1998, before there were industry or government standards, and contributed to establishing technical standards for web accessibility in 2000, and information technology (IT) in general in 2008.

Sarah was the 1988 recipient of the Manuel Carballo Award for Excellence in Public Service and the 2002 Governor’s Special Achievement Award with the members of the Mass.Gov Initiative.

As more and more state online systems and services moved to the web, Sarah continued giving technical and procurement advice to ensure the needs of people with disabilities were met. She also worked on publishing accessibility policy, standards, and guidance.

Sarah was also a co-founder and organizer of the Boston Accessibility Group’s free annual conferences for 10 years. The conferences brought in internationally recognized experts in IT accessibility for a day of learning, collaboration, and networking.

Sarah retired at the end of June 2021 as the EOTSS' Director of IT Accessibility.

Join us to honor Tom, Sarah, and all who make our communities more accessible and inclusive:

Thursday, October 27

10 AM - 1 PM

Mass General Brigham at Assembly Row

399 Revolution Drive, Somerville, MA

Please note: This is a hybrid event. Please indicate your preference (virtual or in-person) on the registration form. If you select "virtual", you will be sent a link to the livestream closer to the event.

MOD digital accessibility resources

Best practices for hosting accessible web-based meetings

In-person and virtual meetings/presentations must be conducted in a way that provides equivalent access unless to do so presents a fundamental alteration. Providing reasonable accommodations and effective communication are critical components to achieving equal access. Our new resource for the Executive Branch of the Commonwealth provides guidance for its ongoing efforts to provide accessible virtual meetings and presentations.

Keyboard accessibility: A fundamental component of digital accessibility

At its most basic, website accessibility requires that all functions be usable with only a keyboard. For many people with disabilities, a computer mouse may be inaccessible. They may need to navigate the web and other computer applications with only a keyboard or other assistive technologies (AT). Our latest blog post provides some tips for making sure your web content is accessible.

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