AccessComputing regularly supports team members in attending conferences like the Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. However, over the last few months, several AccessComputing team members received support to attend two conferences that we don’t always have an opportunity to support: GitHub Universe and the 2024 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference.
Last November, several AccessComputing team members were able to attend GitHub Universe in San Francisco. This was made possible by the support of Ed Summers, Head of Accessibility at GitHub, and Jesse Dugas, Senior Accessibly Program Manager at GitHub, who facilitated a grant from GitHub to cover some of the costs. Team members attending included Amelia Dogan, Pranav Adiga, Jason Allen, Avi Knotts, Amina Kobenova, Kate, Glazko and Anushka Narvekar.
We asked team members to share some thoughts on their GitHub experience. Undergraduate team members noted a difference between attending GitHub and some of the other conferences they’ve attended. One undergrad noted a difference as GitHub is an industry-focused (rather than an academic) conference, sharing "I'm glad I had the opportunity to attend and definitely think this would be a great thing for other students (even though there were basically no students). I was able to network, and it was very educational and technical (some things I didn't quite understand, but it was nice to be introduced to it)."
Another undergrad was thrilled at being offered an opportunity to connect with women in the tech industry. "…I was invited to GitHub’s Women in Tech dinner, and it was amazing! Great conversations were held, and GitHub executives were in attendance," she said.
One of the PhD-level team members noted that it was their first industry conference, and they found it to be a valuable experience. "I really enjoyed the accessibility meetup. It was my first industry conference and I got a lot of important networking. It was nice exposure to understanding where the industry is now."
More recently, several other team members joined two of the AccessComputing Co-PIs, Stacy Branham of UC-Irvine and Raja Kushalnagar of Gallaudet University, as well as faculty partner Jen Mankoff of the UW, in traveling to Anaheim CA to attend the 39th CSUN Conference.
Team members attending were Kate Glazko, Aziz Zeidieh, Sarah Olson, Michelle Olson, Dinh Pham, Alison Nana, and Christine Mendoza. Four staff from Accessible Technology Services (ATS, the parent organization of the DO-IT Center/AccessComputing) also attended CSUN: Mary Mulvihill, Terrill Thompson, Gaby de Jongh, and Hadi Rangin. While at the conference, the group gathered for a breakfast meet and greet on Thursday, March 24, which Terrill reported as “a great breakfast! Amazing networking opportunity for everyone and nice to learn about students’ research interests.”
We collected a few thoughts from AccessComputing team members on their CSUN experience as well. One of the undergraduate team members commented that "the sessions I attended covered a wide range of topics, from web accessibility standards to cutting-edge assistive technologies. I was particularly inspired by the keynote address on creating a more inclusive digital world. The connections I made and the knowledge I gained will be invaluable as I continue my studies and future career."
One of the masters-level team members thought that CSUN was, “overall, probably the most eye-opening conference I have been to!” She noted that, in academic courses, the topic of accessibility is “brushed on,” while at CSUN she learned about real-life challenges, such as a presenter who “talked about how his visual impairment made it almost impossible to renew his Costco membership, because the link to renew was embedded in an image that was practically invisible to the screen reader.”
A PhD-level team member noted that CSUN 2024 was the first conference he’d attended since 2018 and that the experience was valuable enough that he plans to make CSUN an annual tradition. He added that the “folks at CSUN were beyond helpful, available at every corner of the conference grounds to assist in any way they can. The sessions met and exceeded my expectations, and I just wish I had brought my notetaker with me to take notes.” He added that he has a goal for next year, however: "I, unfortunately, did not get to explore the exhibit hall much given I’m just not very comfortable at this time with traversing such an environment as a blind person; however, I plan next year to set aside at least one or two days to visit the exhibit hall."
As AccessComputing Team member comments make clear, there are many benefits to having an opportunity to attend conferences as a student. Conferences provide an opportunity to network with other students, people in industry, and academic researchers. Attending a conference also exposes students to new trends, ideas, and information beyond what they learn in classes. As important, it’s also an opportunity to have fun and connect with others on accessibility.