In an effort to encourage as many as possible to attend the CSUN 2012 Conference on Disability, I have been posting short previews of some of the educational sessions from which you can expect to benefit. My goal is to not only build anticipation, but to help you to get to know the speakers, and learn just a bit about what has motivated them to take on the challenge of improving our access to a sometimes inaccessible world.
This year, you will have an opportunity to hear from expert Jennison Asuncion at more than one session. You are also likely to find him at the Thursday, March 1st tweetup event that evening in the Microsoft suite. Asuncion was kind enough to offer his thoughts on the conference, and his planned contribution.
“ I will be teaching a course called Social Media and Accessibility
during Knowbility’s first AccessU at CSUN preconference. In addition,
I am sitting on a panel called Web Accessibility Community
Collaboration that my pal Shawn Henry, with the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative
is leading. Click here for session information.
“Finally, I am co-presenting ASurvey: An End-to-End
Accessible Survey Tool. Click here to see session information.
“If you are sticking around Saturday, please consider joining me at
Project Possibility’s SS12: Code for a Cause Finals at 9:00AM in the
Microsoft showcase suite. I’ll be one of the judges of projects that
students from a number of universities have been working on,
developing open source applications to benefit people with
disabilities. It’s going to be great to support and recognize the next
generation of accessibility champions, so please come by.”"
Jennison co-directs thee Adaptech Research Network (link
www.adaptech.org), where he has been researching the use and
accessibility of technology in Canadian postsecondary education since
1997. By day, he has been supporting corporate IT accessibility efforts for just over ten years now. And on the side, using
social media, he does his part to raise accessibility awareness in the
broad IT community, and connects folks with common accessibility
interests whenever possible. For the last three years, working alongside other peers in accessibility, Jennison has been actively organizing a series of accessibility barcamps/unconferences (link www.accessibilitycamp.org), where the goal is to educate on accessibility using a less formal approach than a traditional conference.
For those of you who have never attended any of the major events of this type held throughout the year, Asuncion points out that it is also a tremendous social opportunity. He says:
"This will be my seventh International Technology and Persons with
Disabilities Conference, sixth year presenting. I describe the event
to folks as the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) for accessibility and
assistive technology. In addition to the presentations, there’s
something about the buzz and energy in the lobby, at the Tweetup, and
in the halls that reaffirms why I chose to work in our field. I am
always keen to meet-up with those who are new to the conference, so if
you see me around, don’t be shy, please say hello.”
You can follow Jennison Asuncion on Twitter here: @jennison
Click here to go to the CSUN 2012 home page.
Don’t forget to use the #CSUN12 hashtag when tweeting about the event.
LL