This year, Charlotte Clements ’26, Associate Professor of Computer Science Sarah Harmon, Facilities Management Capital Projects Manager Sharon Ames, and Office of Safety and Security Department Coordinator Kelly Irving were honored at a Champions of Access banquet in Ladd House.
Clements was awarded for her work in improving access to accessible library materials. She created a clickable “Request OCR” feature for library materials, allowing users to access electronic, machine-readable formats of library texts.
She also updated the library website to ensure that it was compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WACAG) AAA standards and created an option to provide anonymous feedback to the library.
“Working collaboratively with library staff and others, Charlotte has demonstrated exceptional initiative, professionalism, and care for the Bowdoin community. In a relatively short period of time, she made progress on accessibility goals that had previously seemed out of reach and found solutions that were both effective and sustainable,” Matt Orlando, senior vice president for finance and administration, said at the ceremony.
Harmon was recognized for creating an accessible and inclusive classroom environment. She ensures that she teaches with accessible materials, gives individual attention to every student, and employs diverse teaching methods.
“[Harmon] goes above and beyond to remove barriers and foster belonging,” Orlando said. “Sarah’s work supports students’ success, and it inspires them to see themselves as valued members of the academic community.”
This year, Ames strove to ensure that buildings on campus were accessible by installing ADA-compliant doors in the Pub, accessible furniture for classrooms, and going “beyond basic compliance” for the Sills Hall renovation with designs that exceeded ADA standards.
“Her ability to pair thoughtful collaboration with decisive action has made a lasting difference in the Bowdoin community,” Orlando said.
Irving was recognized for her thorough work in making sure all the information on the Office of Safety and Security’s website was converted into an accessible format. She also collaborated with Juli Haugen, Bowdoin's digital content and accessibility consultant, on presentations at the Women in Technology symposium and to the Accessibility Task Force on how to adopt more accessible practices.
“Kelly’s work reflects both initiative and deep commitment to accessibility,” Orlando said. “[Her] effort required careful attention to detail and a strong understanding of digital accessibility, ensuring that critical information is usable by all members of the community.”
