Hi all,
First, it was great to see many people at
NVDACon 2020. I personally consider this a successful event
despite the pandemic and its effects. Although we had issues
in the beginning, it ran smoothly, especially as the
post-keynote QnA was very extensive.
A few thank you’s:
- Robert
Hangi: chairing the organizing committee and upgrading the
pre-keynote experience.
- Laura
Cornwell and friends: effective promotion, and for streaming
parts of the conference.
- Austin Pinto
and other recording engineers.
- Derek
Riemer: infrastructure and providing support.
- NV Access
crew: another amazing keynote.
- Presenters:
for diversifying the topics.
And most importantly, audience members who
shared their passion for NVDA and giving organizers countless
encouragements. Hope the event served as a healing moment for
you.
Second, based on actual experience and
post-event feedback, I would like to suggest that organizers
look into a different platform for NVDACon 2021 and beyond. Of
course we have to think about accessibility and outreach, but
mostly to help future conference moderators perform their
tasks more efficiently. Zoom is a possibility, and Doug Lee
apparently organized an Excel spreadsheet with potential
platforms. I would also like to suggest that when a platform
is chosen, organizers meet regularly using that platform to
familiarize themselves as to how to use it effectively.
Lastly, NVDACon Twitter feed is still
alive. The next post from there will be done when recordings
become available.
I announced this after the closing forum,
but this is to affirm that I will not be participating in
NVDACon planning for next year. However, if people want me to,
I can give coaching for presenters upon request – mostly to go
over online presentation etiquette, how to respond to
comments, and refining small things in content. Apart from
that, I will be your biggest fan from the distance.
May the NVDACon continue to bridge the
community for years to come.
Cheers,
Joseph
Joseph S. Lee
Student (communication studies), California
State University, Los Angeles
Code contributor and add-ons reviewer, NVDA
screen reader project
Certified NVDA Expert, 2019
Founding chair, NVDA Users and Developers
Conference (NVDACon – 2014 to 2016
