Next month I’ll be speaking at AccessU on Open Source Tools for Building Accessible Websites. I’m excited to share my love of two things: Open Source Software and Accessibility. Accessibility to me is a core subject area that all front end developers and designers need to be thinking about. Open Source Software powers the internet. On a daily basis, you are more likely to use an open tool then not and you might not even realize it. This seminar will be in two parts. The first will be looking at Open Source Software, what that term means and some of the tools you’ve most likely used that are open source. We’ll also look at how decisions (focused on accessibility) get made when building open source software and how and why you should be a part of them. The second half will look at how you can build an accessible website using open source software. The focus will be on WordPress and some of the specific challenges with it.
Many of the speakers are leaders in the Accessibility Community that I respect and learn from whenever I see them tweet, speak, or write. It’s an honor to be able to join them for this conference. Y’all should join us in Austin!
A bit more about the conference:
As Austin begins to warm toward summer, there’s no cooler place to be than with the knowledgeable, passionate speakers and instructors for Knowbility’s annual AccessU! Now in its second decade, John Slatin AccessU provides courses and workshops from the world’s best instructors in inclusive Web, document, and media design and development. Whether are a beginner or are looking to hone your existing accessibility skills, Austin is the place to be in May.
What: The 13th Annual John Slatin AccessU Training Conference
When: May 14 and 15 (conference) May 16 (optional post conference sessions)
Where: St Edward’s University, Austin, TX
Cost: $435 for the conference registration until April 25th
$325 for post-conference sessions until April 25th
Full schedule of classes is available on the Knowbility website.
The conference is produced by Knowbility and sponsored by Deque Systems, St Edward’s University, and the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. The event is a joyful celebration of the empowering potential of digital technology. Y’all come!
