
What we’re about
People who want to meet and discuss topics around accessibility in technology for people with disabilities that apply to XR/VR/AR.
Thanks to our Sponsor Equal Entry: https://www.equalentry.com/
Special thanks to our Virtual World Designer Pablo Cárdenas: https://pabloc.dev/
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A11yVR Code of Conduct
The A11yVR community expects that A11yVR Meetup activities, events, and digital forums:
• Are a safe and respectful environment for all participants.
• Are a place where people are free to fully express their identities.
• Presume the value of others.
• Everyone’s ideas, skills, and contributions have value.
• Don’t assume everyone has the same context, and encourage questions.
• Find a way for people to be productive with their skills (technical and not) and energy.
• Use language such as “yes/and”, not “no/but.”
• Encourage members and participants to listen as much as they speak.
• Prioritize access for and input from those who are traditionally excluded from the civic process.
• Work to ensure that the community is well-represented in the planning, design, and implementation of civic tech. This includes encouraging participation from women, minorities, and traditionally marginalized groups.
• Actively involve community groups and those with subject matter expertise in the decision-making process.
• Provide an environment where people are free from discrimination or harassment.
A11yVR reserves the right to ask anyone in violation of these policies not to participate in A11yVR Meetup activities, events, and digital forums.
A11yVR Anti-Harassment Policy
This anti-harassment policy is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers.
This policy is based on several other policies, including the Ohio LinuxFest anti-harassment policy, written by Esther Filderman and Beth Lynn Eicher, and the Con Anti-Harassment Project. Mary Gardiner, Valerie Aurora, Sarah Smith, and Donna Benjamin generalized the policies and added supporting material. Many members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups contributed to this work.
All A11yVR network activities, events, and digital forums and their organizers, presenters, and participants are held to an anti-harassment policy, included below.
In addition to governing our own events by this policy, A11yVR will only lend our brand and fund groups that offer an anti-harassment policy to their attendees. For information on how to offer an anti-harassment policy to your group, see this guide.
A11yVR is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of organizers, presenters, and participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any A11yVR event or network activity, including talks. Anyone in violation of these policies may be expelled from A11yVR network activities, events, and digital forums, at the discretion of the event organizer or forum administrator.
Harassment includes but is not limited to: offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; unwarranted exclusion; and patronizing language or action.
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from A11yVR network activities, events, and digital forums.
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the event organizer or forum administrator immediately. You can contact them all via a11yvr@equalentry.com and feel free to use the email template below.
Event organizer or forum administrators will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event.
If you cannot reach an event organizer or forum administrator and/or it is an emergency, please call 911 and/or remove yourself from the situation.
We value your attendance and hope that by communicating these expectations widely we can all enjoy a harassment-free environment.
Email Template for Anti-Harassment Reporting
SUBJECT: Safe Space alert at [EVENT NAME]
I am writing because of harassment at a A11yVR Communities event, (NAME, PLACE, DATE OF EVENT).
You can reach a11ynyc at a11yvr@equalentry.com Thank you.
A11yVR Code of Conduct is based on the excellent code of conduct from Code for America.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- The Challenges of Implementing Accessibility in a Digital Twin for LearningLink visible for attendees
Designing a virtual reality digital twin for learning in a chemistry laboratory requires a balance in pedagogical objectives, immersion, usability, accessibility, and immersive experiences. This is the challenge that the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers — a public institution of higher education in France — has been working on for three years.
With a progressive approach, user parameters addressing color blindness, dyslexia, and other disabilities are tested and implemented in small steps in the Virtual Reality Simulation: Mimbus Chemistry. Accessibility in VR calls for constant care in the challenging field of research. This is because of the visceral nature of the medium.
We say, "I had an immersive experience."
We don't say, "I had an educational video."
We need to be intentional and tactful in this area. Designing a digital twin is like sending a human and a scientific base to the moon.
In this presentation, you'll learn:
- Strategies for designing and managing digital twins for learning in virtual reality (VR)
- Strategies for pedagogically scripting content in VR and for addressing VR accessibility challenges
- Discover a VR digital twin of a chemistry laboratory: Mimbus Chemistry.
- Learn how and when to use VR content in a classroom.
- Improve your Frenglish (French / English) skills.
Presenter
Christian Cousquer is an ICT Specialist in Web Software Engineering who is interested and passionate about web development languages, immersive technologies (XR), accessibility (a11y), internationalization (i18n), standards, open-source, diversity at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts in Paris.Christian is in favor of a safe, open, diverse, and accessible Web. He's an IT consultant who specializes in immersive technologies and in digital accessibility in his company, Ilargia Inc. (https://ilargia.eu)
Accessibility
The presentation will be captioned [cc]. The event will have real-time captions and a YouTube live stream.Livestream
Watch on YouTubeSponsors
Thanks to Equal Entry for sponsoring. Interested in being a sponsor? Contact the organizers.Accreditation
All A11yVR meetups are pre-approved for IAAP Continuing Accessibility Education Credits (CAEC).Timeline
Please NOTE: Meetup is not skilled in representing time zones. This Meetup is set in Tokyo, Japan so it will display differently than your local time zone. When you RSVP, use the "Add to calendar" link to receive a calendar invite in your time zone.