conference questions

Hello,

A friend of mine at the Great Plains ADA/IT Center is working on their 
ADA Symposium 2003.  This will cover accessibility issues in general, 
not just web, although there will be an IT track.  The audience for this 
symposium has been ADA coordinators at the state and local government 
level, architects and engineers, advocacy organizations, as well as some 
involvement of employers and human resource folks, institutes of higher 
education including community colleges, etc.  With the addition of their 
new IT initiative, the audience could include webmasters, software 
developers, places of public accommodation that use the internet for 
e-business,  etc.

I told him I'd ask this group some questions.  

1.  What similar or related conferences/workshops have you been to?  
2.  Are there any conferences that you feel are very important to 
attend?  (Although this conference is in Kansas City, I'd like to know 
about any in any location.)
3.  What topics are critical to cover, particularly regarding web 
accessibility?  What information is NOT being addressed that should be?
4.  What do you  think of the idea of various levels of sessions?  For 
example, the first one could be something like Web Technologies 101, 
which would not address accessibility directly, but instead explain 
browser differences, HTML, CSS, Flash, etc. and how they fit together. 
 This could also include discussion of adaptive technologies, although 
that might fit better in the next level up.  Then the next session might 
be something on general higher-level web accessibility issues, such as 
raising corporate awareness, or compliance questions, etc.  And another 
might be a nuts and bolts session, probably hands-on, for web developers.  
5.  Any other ideas for sessions?
6.  What do you like when you go to conferences?  What do you dislike?

You can reply directly to me, or to the list if it seems of general 
interest.
(Listowner:  Is this OK or off-topic?  I might have subsequent questions 
or announcements.)

Thanks,
Mary


 

-- 
Mary Howe
Thunder Works, Inc.
mary@thunderworksinc.com