Each year, thousands flock to one of the nation’s largest conference events that showcases assistive technology, education and innovation specifically for people who have disabilities. Over the next couple of weeks, I will post a series about the conference, and will include the thoughts of some of the experts who will be making presentations. If you are still on the fence about attending, perhaps learning a little more about some of the names you may know, or follow on Twitter, can help you to decide. .
The CSUN 2012 AT conference begins February 27th, and runs through march 3rd, 2012. It will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. Use hash tag #CSUN12 when tweeting about the event.
Click here to go to the CSUN 2012 conference home page.
First up in this series is presenter John Foliot. He graciously agreed to provide a quote at my request, and I think his comments perfectly set the tone for the event.
John Foliot is a web accessibility veteran working at Stanford University. John says:
“CSUN holds a special place for me, as not only is it the preeminent
conference in North America around technologies dedicated to PwD, but it is
also a ‘gathering of ‘The Tribe’.”
John explains, “That theme came up time and time again last year, and it came to
represent that, for those who toil away outside of the spotlight, but
dedicated non-the-less to achieving real progress and success in
accessibility (and in particular online accessibility), that no matter how
hard it seems, how discouraging or frustrating it can get some times, how
lonely it often feels, that there are others – The Tribe – that share the
passion, the dream, the goal of success. Together we are stronger, we have
each others’ backs, that we are not alone. Being part of that, realizing the
truth of that – that is what makes CSUN so special to me each year. I look forward to CSUN each year not only to catch up with old
friends, but also (and more importantly) to meet and make new friends. Our
Tribe grows bigger each year, we get stronger, and we are making inroads. We
may not be there yet, but after spending a few days at CSUN we (well, at
least *I*) leave energized and raring to go, reinvigorated to take on the
challenges that lie before us, and committed to getting it done.
If you should happen to see me at CSUN, be sure to say hi, and
welcome to The Tribe.”
You can follow John on Twitter here: @johnfoliot.
LL