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Website Accessibility Workshop Offered at Metro South Chamber of Commerce on March 12th

Does your website meet ADA requirements for people with disabilities? Have you heard about web accessibility, but are unsure if your business is at risk?

Adaptable, a digital accessibility service based in Middleboro, MA, will present a one-hour workshop entitled “Website Accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act: What’s My Responsibility?” to small businesses, non-profits and other organizations on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 9 to 10 a.m. at Metro South Chamber of Commerce, 60 School Street, Brockton MA 02301.

Adaptable helps businesses and organizations of all types and sizes ensure accessibility for their websites, apps, and other digital resources.

The workshop will be led by Adaptable’s accessibility experts Chris Herlihy and Mike McKenna who will cover topics including: How the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to websites and other digital media; how to assess your own website; and what to do next. Attendees will leave with an understanding of digital accessibility and the tools needed to audit their own website. 

Adaptable will also be on-hand after the seminar to provide attendees with a free, 60-second on-site accessibility review.

To learn more and register for the event, visit Metro South Chamber’s website event page – https://www.metrosouthchamber.com/calendar-registration/

Helping Businesses Meet Accessibility Standards

Many people with disabilities rely on adaptive tools to use technology. For example, a visually impaired user can utilize a screen reader to help browse a website. If a website is not programmed to meet today’s accessibility standards, adaptive tools will not work correctly, and the user will be left at a disadvantage.

Adaptable is stepping up to implement best practices for ADA online compliance and helping companies get ahead of the curve and avoid costly liability. Services provided include: 

– Analysis of current digital accessibility status

– Formulation of a remediation plan

– Execution of the required changes

– Ongoing monitoring going forward to ensure that the business remains in compliance.

About Adaptable

Adaptable is a service of Shotgunflat, Inc. Since 2002, Shotgunflat has been designing and building compelling websites and apps for small businesses and non-profits, as well as marketing, branding, PR and advertising agencies across the U.S. The firm’s comprehensive suite of services includes Adaptable digital accessibility, web design and development for enterprise, and website maintenance and support. 

An innovative leader in accessibility compliant websites and apps for retail, dining, non-profit, education, high-tech and other industries, Adaptable is based at Shotgunflat headquarters in Middleboro, MA. For more information about Adaptable, contact 781-801-5803 or visit https://www.adaptablelab.com.

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SCORE with ‘Direct PR’

photo of Steve Dubin
Steve Dubin

PR is one of the most cost-effective marketing tools available to small to mid-market businesses. But what are the strategies and tactics to maximize PR? PR Works has coined the phrase “Direct Public Relations”. It’s a relatively new a new approach to PR that emphasizes direct response. And it’s what Steve Dubin will be talking about at two public relations workshops sponsored by SCORE: March 19 in Walpole, MA and April 21 in Waltham, MA.

As part of his presentation, Steve will take on a wide variety of PR topics, including:

  • What is newsworthy?
  • How do you measure results and ROI?
  • How do you get the press to cover your news?
  • How do you create “outside the box” PR opportunities?
  • How do you talk with the press?
  • How do you repurpose news coverage?

The March 19 public relations workshop will be held at the Co-Working Station at Walpole, 55 West Street, 2nd Floor, Walpole, MA 02081, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. You can register for this free workshop by clicking here.

Steve will run a second “Direct PR” session on Thursday, April 21 at the Waltham Public Library, 735 Main St, Waltham, MA 02451, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. To pre-register for that session, contact SCORE-Boston, workshops@scoreboston.org, 617-565-5591.

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Behavioral Concepts Names New Assistant Director of Professional Development & Research

Behavioral Concepts (BCI), a company of behavioral clinicians specializing in the care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Massachusetts, has promoted Barbra Lynch, M.S., BCBA, LABA to Assistant Director of Professional Development & Research. She is a resident of Worcester, MA.

Barbra Lynch

In her new role at BCI, Lynch designs, develops, and oversees pre-service training and BCI’s regional trainers. She also holds the position of requirements coordinator for Registered Behavioral Technician candidates. She is based in the company’s Worcester office.

Lynch is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst (LABA) in the state of Massachusetts. Previous to her promotion, Lynch was a Behavior Analyst at BCI. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminology from Capital University in Ohio, as well as a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University in Boston.

Lynch’s experience prior to BCI includes serving as Director of Training and Quality Assurance at a private after-school agency based in Worcester. Previous to that, Lynch served as Regional Director for an ABA service provider in Milford, MA for five years, and as a teacher and case manager at New England Center for Children in Southborough, MA for four years.

She is a member of the Berkshire Association of Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT) and of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).

About BCI

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Worcester, BCI has grown to become the go-to provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families throughout Massachusetts. We identify and facilitate effective personalized instruction that allows children to discover more, learn more, and be more – increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life at home, in school, and in the community. BCI is a Massachusetts Department of Public Health approved provider of specialty ABA services for early intervention. BCI also provides center, home-based, and afterschool services through private and public health insurance. Further information on BCI is available at https://bciaba.com.

BCI is part of the LEARN Behavioral family of companies, a national organization dedicated to helping all children succeed in school and life. Learn more at https://www.learnbehavioral.com/.

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Between Rounds Bakery Sandwich Café Adds Harney & Sons Fine Teas to Retail Line

Between Rounds Bakery Sandwich Café, a growing fast casual dining establishment in Connecticut, has expanded their retail line to include Harney & Sons Fine Teas.

Now, in addition to specialty ground and whole bean coffee by the pound, Between Rounds offers a variety of Harney & Sons Fine Teas, in elegantly packaged tins, available for purchase at their Cafés in South Windsor, Vernon and Manchester, CT. 

Between Rounds has selected teas from Harney & Sons best-selling and most popular tea sachet collections of black, green and herbal teas. The line of teas carried at Between Rounds ranges from classics such as English Breakfast Tea to specialty teas such as Celebration Tea, to teas such as the Tower of London Blend from the Historic Royal Palaces Collection.

“Tea continues to be one of our most popular items,” said Between Rounds co-founder Jerry Puiia. “Just as we offer specialty coffee beans available for purchase by the pound, we now offer Harney & Sons Fine Tea sachets so customers can brew their favorite tea at home. Each tea is packaged in a beautifully decorative tin and makes a wonderful gift as well.”

Depending on the tea blend, the tins hold between 20 to 30 tea sachets (retail $7.99). Larger tins are also available (retail $9.99).

Visit Between Rounds’ website, betweenroundsbagels.com, for store hours, menus and more information.

About Between Rounds Bakery Sandwich Café

Founded in 1990, Between Rounds Bakery Sandwich Café is a unique bakery café and bagel shop renowned for their fresh, baked-onsite bagels and baked goods as well sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, specialty coffees and a unique line of giftware. Between Rounds offers patrons an upscale, fast-casual dining experience with free Wi-Fi.

Between Rounds is licensed to manufacture prepared foods, and wholesales their breakfast and lunch sandwiches to gas station convenience stores in Hartford County and beyond. The company is also a wholesale bagel supplier to many independent grocers throughout the region. Between Rounds signature bagels are delivered to grocers fully baked so no additional labor is required of the bakery department. 

Between Rounds locations include South Windsor, Vernon, Manchester and Tolland, CT. Franchise opportunities are available. Corporate headquarters are located at 19A John Fitch Blvd, Route 5 in South Windsor, CT. For more information about their unique franchise offerings, contact (860) 291-0323 or visit www.betweenroundsbagels.com.

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Rockland Federal Credit Union Renews Corporate Partnership with Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield

The Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield, a youth development organization providing programs and services to children and families throughout the greater South Shore community, is pleased to announce Rockland Federal Credit Union has renewed their corporate partnership with the Club for 2020.

Karen Macedo of Rockland Federal Credit Union and Paula Klim White of Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield

Rockland Federal Credit Union has been a longtime supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield. They were a large supporter of the Club’s new building campaign when the Club moved from a 4,000 square foot storefront to their Proprietor’s Drive location. The current state-of-the-art 17,000 square foot clubhouse officially opened its doors in June, 2012 and includes a gymnasium, arts center, elementary games room, learning center, computer lab, kitchen, teen center, pool and playground.

Rockland Federal Credit Union also gave a large gift in support of the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield’s recent Outdoor Clubhouse Expansion Project. The Outdoor Classroom is a designated fenced-in area containing flower and vegetable gardens, a patio and seating area that supports Club programming such as natural sciences, nutrition and art classes.

“Rockland Federal Credit Union has been a proud community partner of the Marshfield Boys & Girls Club for 14 years,” said Karen Macedo of Rockland Federal Credit Union. “We believe in supporting the programs and services offered by the Boys & Girls Club, which help make a difference in the lives of those within our community.”

“We are very thankful to  Rockland Federal Credit Union for their generosity and ongoing support which ultimately helps us to deliver programs that are the cornerstone of youth development and fulfill our mission in the community,” said Jim Bunnell, CEO Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield.

The Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield has hundreds of member families and serves more than 5,000 youth annually from all across the South Shore in afterschool, school vacation and summer camp programs.

About the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield

The Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield’s mission is to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders. The Club provides programming opportunities in the Boys & Girls Club of America’s (BGCA) five core areas including leadership, education, health, arts, and fitness.  

Currently, the Club serves hundreds of families with children ranging in age from 6 to 18 years old, providing afterschool, vacation week and summer programs, as well as youth athletics, teen, social recreational and leadership opportunities. For more information, visit their website www.marshfieldbgc.com or call 781-834-2582.

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Advocating for Accessibility. Dedham Resident Appointed as EVP at Adaptable in Middleboro

Chris Herlihy has been appointed Executive Vice President at Adaptable, a digital accessibility service recently launched by Middleboro, MA-based Shotgunflat, Inc. 

Adaptable helps businesses and organizations of all types and sizes ensure accessibility for their websites, apps, and other digital resources. In his new role as EVP, Herlihy will oversee Adaptable’s sales and marketing operations, focusing on the many different industries they serve including retail, dining, non-profit, education, municipalities, high-tech and others.

Chris Herlihy
Chris Herlihy, EVP

Herlihy is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Shotgunflat. Prior to his promotion to EVP for Adaptable, Herlihy was Shotgunflat’s Vice President of Sales for more than 15 years.

Herlihy has over 30 years of experience in communications, with many of those years based in the print industry. From the early days in print media to today’s digital world, Herlihy has overseen business development and client relationships for hundreds of projects, including the Disney Theatrical Group, Feld Entertainment and the National Fire Protection Association.

Herlihy is a member of the Neponset River Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and the Cape Cod Technology Council. He previously served as a Board Member of Neponset River Regional Chamber of Commerce for seven years.

A native and resident of Dedham, Herlihy is a member of the Endicott Community Greenhouse on the Endicott Estate. In his spare time, he enjoys Bass fishing and other outdoor activities. 

About Adaptable

Adaptable is a service of Shotgunflat, Inc. Since 2002, Shotgunflat has been designing and building compelling websites and apps for small businesses and non-profits, as well as marketing, branding, PR and advertising agencies across the U.S. The firm’s comprehensive suite of services includes Adaptable digital accessibility, web design and development for enterprise, and website maintenance and support. 

An innovative leader in accessibility compliant websites and apps for retail, dining, non-profit, education, high-tech and other industries, Adaptable works with businesses and others to analyze their current digital accessibility status, formulate a remediation plan, execute the required changes, and monitor the product going forward to ensure that companies remain compliant over time. 

Adaptable is based at Shotgunflat headquarters in Middleboro, MA. For more information about Adaptable, contact 781-801-5803 or visit https://www.adaptablelab.com.

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Why we like podcasts

photo of a podcast microphone

If it’s seems like everyone and his/her brother either has a podcast or is appearing on one, there is a good reason. It’s smart marketing.

Podcasts: An effective tool in a PR campaign

How? Let’s take if from simply being a guest.

First, it’s not terribly time-consumptive. Most podcasts are fairly short, maybe about 20 minutes–a typical commuting time. Many are informal and the banter is along the lines of two friends getting together for coffee. Depending on the host, some podcasts will even let you submit your own questions to help the conversation flow even more.

Best of all, many podcasts have fairly little editing. So, you are answering in your own words with very little chance of your comments being taken out of context. This creates a tremendous opportunity to share your knowledge on a particular subject matter and not be misquoted.

You’re probably thinking “what does it matter if the podcast doesn’t have much of a following?” The fact of the matter is the people who listen to the podcast are a bonus. Appearing on a podcast is more about what it can do for your marketing efforts.

Much like coverage in the print media, podcasts produce links that can then be shared on your social media channels and on your website’s newsroom. Being a guest on a podcast also carries that third-party credibility that someone thought enough of you and what you do to put you on a show.

Hosting a podcast offers the same benefits tenfold. Think of it as being the difference between attending a networking event and hosting one. As a host, you are a focal point and people will naturally look to you as a connector and source of information. Hosting your own podcast can work the same way.

There is a bit more work to hosting a podcast than appearing on one. You have to put in some time in getting guests and preparing for the interviews. But probably not as much as you might think.

Want to add podcasts to your PR campaign?

If all this sounds like a bit much—finding podcast appearances or starting and sustaining a podcast—PR Works can help. We offer a couple of packages that can get you started on either or both efforts. Contact Steve Dubin at 781-582-1061 or sdubin@prworkzone.com for more information.

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Tullish & Clancy Real Estate Rebrands

Tullish & Clancy Real Estate, a Weymouth, MA-based residential real estate company has chosen to go independent after a long time national franchise.

Joe Clancy along with his partner Jack Tullish founded the firm in 1972. Since then the company has served Weymouth and the South Shore by helping families make the most important decision of their lives regarding real estate needs.

The company has attracted award winning, experienced real estate agents who are committed to quality, personal and professional service.

For more information regarding buying, selling or a career in real estate, contact Tullish and Clancy Real Estate, 457 Main Street, Route 18, Weymouth, MA 02190.

For a stress free home evaluation, visit http://www.TullishAndClancy.com or call (781) 331-3232.

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“Buried in Treasures” Support Group in Brockton Begins February 4th

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the non-profit agency proudly serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout Plymouth County and the Greater Brockton Area Hoarding Task Force (GBAH) is offering a “Buried in Treasures” facilitated support group for individuals with hoarding issues.

For anyone struggling with clutter, compulsive acquiring, saving and hoarding, “Buried in Treasures” confidential support group begins Tuesday, February 4, 2020 and meets once a week for 15 weeks. 

“Buried in Treasures” is an educational, judgment-free, self-help group that meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at South Bay Community Services, 103 Commercial Street, Brockton. 

“Buried in Treasures” is available to people of all ages throughout greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. All attendees will receive a complimentary workbook. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

For more information or to register for the Brockton support group, contact Terri Kourtz, OCES at (508) 584-1561 ext. 255 or Kelly Mules, at 508-580-4691 ext. 1812 for questions.  This program is free of charge.

What is Hoarding?

Hoarding is when individuals continue to accumulate items, such as clothing, newspapers and food, and then have persistent difficulty discarding possessions. Individuals with hoarding behaviors often face health issues related to falls, as well as run the risk of losing their homes.

This “Buried in Treasures” session is facilitated South Bay Community Services in partnership with OCES, and sponsored by GBAH, Mass Housing and OCES. 

About OCES

Founded in 1974, OCES proudly serves greater Plymouth County and surrounding communities. OCES is a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Brockton with a second office in Plymouth. OCES is designated as one of 25 Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES’ mission is to support the independence and dignity of older adults and individuals with disabilities by providing essential information and services that promote healthy and safe living. The agency offers a number of programs to serve older adults, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. For more information call 508-584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org. 

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