2021 Talks
This page has information on the 9 talks at this year's camp which will give you a feel of what to expect during the day. The schedule is now live.
Track A
Developing iOS Apps with an Accessibility Mindset
Year 2007 and Steve Jobs came out on stage to announce a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communicator. But these were not three devices… the iPhone was presented. And there was lots of skepticism in many ways around the iPhone. One of which was: how can this device be accessible at all? A device that consists of a flat sheet of glass and no keyboard… But in June 2009, Apple introduced VoiceOver for iOS. And that was just the beginning… This unlikely accessible device kept improving with the years and adding new features to help users with different abilities. Year 2021 and iOS has so much more to offer. Join us on a trip to explore some of these tools and features available in iOS that can help us develop truly accessible apps.
Hosted by: Daniel Devesa Derksen
Panel Discussion on Kiosk Software Accessibility
Developing an application or website that is accessible has clearly defined best practices. How do these best practices apply when the application or website is deployed on a self-service kiosk? What makes for an accessible kiosk app experience? Panelists to include kiosk application developers, kiosk deployers.
Hosted by: Laura Miller
Find Laura on Clubhouse @Lboniello
Accessible Productivity For Web Development using Ember.js
This talk will review the accessible features in the Ember.js framework, which powers global banking platforms, insurance companies, and even linkedin.com! A lot of work has gone into making Ember more accessible by default, which makes this productivity powerhouse even more useful for web/app development.
Hosted by: Melanie Sumner
Entering Uncharted Territory: Accessible Data Visualization
2020 was a turning point for data visualization: between COVID-19 and the US Presidential elections, the homepage of every major US news outlet had some chart or graph featured front and center almost every day all year long. But so many gaps exist when making visualizations accessible. Come learn methods and techniques for approaching this challenging and important space.
Hosted by: Frank Elavsky
Advancing the state of of automatic detection of accessibility issues with computer vision and machine learning
Static, syntax analysis has done a great job so far, but its reaching the limit of its capabilities. In order to automatically detect more issues, especially in dynamic, JS oriented web applications, one needs to rely on computer vision and machine learning. Evinced will illustrate its research in this field and showcase some advanced algorithms.
Hosted by: Navin R. Thadani and Anjali Shastri
Creating an A11y learning community in the Financial Industry
Learn how we created a training program to build a learning community, and develop internal resources for A11y testing. Hear our success stories, and our journey on how this training has helped us to grow our ability to offer accessible applications across the enterprise.
Hosted by: Jeremiah Beasley
Track B
The Dimensions Project: Increasing Access to the Maker Culture
The Dimensions project addresses the participation gap in maker culture by establishing an accessible participatory culture with low barriers to engagement and creation in a public library. The project was developed to explore prototyping of 2.5D and 3D tactile graphics as part of workshop curriculum for blind students. In this talk, we describe the project and educational programs that have been made possible by it, including and a 9-week remote web development workshop for screen-reader users.
Hosted by: Chancey Fleet and Claire Kearney-Volpe
Get the FAQs About Captioning Videos
Adding captions to videos is only half the equation for great captions. The other half is quality. Get your frequently asked questions about captions answered from someone who born hearing-free and has depended on them since [mumbles]. Meryl will also share the top biggest caption annoyances.
Hosted by: Meryl Evans
Releasing the Latest Version of Android's TalkBack Screen Reader: Insights From a Product Manager's Perspective
Often times, accessibility conversations involve Engineers and Designers. In this talk, I will discuss my role as a Product Manager and the process I undertook in owning the release of the latest version of TalkBack, Android's screen reading software. Of course, I'll also take the opportunity to discuss this latest release and the exciting enhancements that have been made.
Hosted by: Brian Kemler
GAAD at 10: A look back at the legal landscape and a look forward at what's next
In the beginning, when Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) started in 2012, the blind community had been working on web access in lawsuits and Structured Negotiation for more than a decade. 2012, the year of GAAD's birth, was also the year of a big victory for web accessibility in the courts when a federal judge ruled that deaf movie patrons could sue Netflix for lack of captioning even though Netflix was a web-only business. Come celebrate GAAD at A11y Camp Bay Area with a conversation about the legal landscape, a11y ethics, and the intersection of law and digital accessibility yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Hosted by: Lainey Feingold
Making Products Accessible and Usable for People with Speech Disabilities
I am a person with a speech disability, specifically a stutter. Over the years, I have learned and researched products that are both accessible and inaccessible for people with speech disorders, and how technology can assist to make them better. I'd like to share my personal story, and then dive deep into how we can make products and services accessible to people with speech difficulties.
Hosted by: Meenakshi (Meena) Das
Benefits of virtual assistive technology testing labs
Remote work has forced many to rethink traditional device labs, which were often located in a shared office. How can you continue to get the benefits of testing your product with screen readers, magnifiers, display modes, voice control, and more remotely? Learn why there’s never been a better time than now to begin accessibility testing in the cloud.
Hosted by: Weston Thayer & George Zamfir
Track C
Teach Access: How to Reach 1 Million Students to Eliminate the
Technology Skills Gap in AccessibilityTeach Access envisions a future where technology is born accessible and inclusive for all. We are focused on addressing the workforce skills gap. Through a unique collaboration between industry, education and disability advocacy groups, we are preparing the next generation of designers, developers, and creators to ensure technology is born accessible. Join us for this panel to learn how Teach Access’ theory of change connects our mission to our vision. It outlines how our approach will bring us closer to our vision of a world in which all people, regardless of disability, are able to fully engage in the digital world.
Hosted by: Kate Sonka, Cyndi Wiley, Chris Yoon, Laura Allen, and William Reuschel
Craftsmanship through A11y
Oftentimes I hear engineers discuss accessibility reviews as a dreaded task - something that could potentially hinder execution or design for a project. We need to reframe that mindset of accessibility as an "optional" benefit to a hard requirement for craftsmanship. Will present examples of how a11y improves code for all.
Hosted by: Michelle Ling
Universal Design and Accessibility-Framework through Elder lenses
I’d briefly like to talk about my personal experience and interest with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessibility. I would like to hold a conversational presentation (not formal). UDL, UX, Accessibility , Cast. Org: prospective from senior framework (could be looking at anyone over 70 –not everyone under 65 (or maybe even over 65), would like to be called senior. Perspective on the above, UX included-inclusive design. I'll talk about what is done in other countries: USA, Russia (my inspiration is baba-deda.ru) site for seniors, also looking at the AAPR and pick two more countries, at accessibility, UDL and UX discussions-and in the framework for senior citizens). What’s done? What can we learn and apply in our every day work with this framework? I'll also share my mini workshop module on UDL and some resources on UDL, UX, and Accessibility.
Hosted by: Irene (Irina) Knokh
Document Accessibility: How to shift from Compliance to User Experience
This session focuses on the difference between a compliant documents and documents focused on the user experience. Learn what things you should consider when creating an accessible document to minimize barriers, be inclusive and move past simple compliance.
Hosted by: Dax Castro
What is your role in accessibility?
Talking through how design, strategy, and product are part of the process. A large majority of talks and documentation are focused on developers. It is harder for people, especially new to accessibility to know their role and I'd like to help remove that barrier.
Hosted by: Leslie Hampton
Debunking the Myth of React and Accessibility
React developed a stigma within the accessibility community it is not accessible. The fact is React does have a lot of accessibility features and a large accessibility Community. In this interactive talk, let's cover some tips and tricks to help you achieve the most accessible react application possible!
Hosted by: Mark Steadman