Agenda

The event begins at 6 pm; join early, starting at 5:45 pm for networking.

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15–7:00pm Presentation
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

About the presenter

Nic Steenhout has been an accessibility trainer and troubleshooter for over 25 years. He’s worked on three continents, collaborating with various organizations, from local governments to large corporations, focusing on web accessibility and digital inclusion. Known for his pragmatic, down-to-Earth approach, Nic helps his clients navigate complex accessibility challenges. When he is not off on a birdwatching adventure, you can find him speaking at events or leading workshops.

Accommodation requests

If you have any accommodation requests, don't hesitate to get in touch with us before the event to discuss.

Join us at the next PDX Design Research Group meeting on Wednesday, November 18th, 2015!

Research Into Results: Making Research Stick in Your Organization

UX and design researchers rarely work alone, and must collaborate with people in other roles to accomplish business and organizational goals. Anyone who is responsible for making research “stick” in their organization will benefit from hearing the perspectives and needs of non-researchers, including those in design, development, leadership, marketing, and others.

Panelists: Mike Lonergan, Product Manager at New Relic
Jolynn Mitchell, Materials Development Director at Nike
Jeremy Whitaker, UX Developer/Designer at SpendWell Health
Olivia Williamson, UX Architect at Autodesk

Networking 6:30 – 7:00 pm, presentation 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Filter Digital has graciously agreed to provide food and drinks, so come early to grab a bite and network!

Check out PDX Design Research Group's new Meetup page:
http://www.meetup.com/PDX-Design-Research-Group/

About This Organization...

The PDX Design Research Group is a multidisciplinary networking group focused on the role of research in the design of products, services and systems in business, government and non-profits. We welcome perspectives from all disciplines, including human-computer interaction, design, market research, and the social sciences, and others. Meetings are held every other month in downtown Portland, and will include speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and other events, with opportunities to network and discuss relevant topics with fellow research professionals.

Thank you for your interest in the PDX Design Research Group and we look forward to seeing you soon!

This is Design x Strategy: Building the Future Web WebVisions Portland May 18-20 at PNCA and Revolution Hall http://www.webvisionsevent.com/portland/

Discover how mobile and connected devices, design, user experience and content strategy are impacting the the future of the Web. Get the inside scoop from the Internet’s leading experts: Douglas Rushkoff will explore themes from his new book, “Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus”, Mike Monteiro muses on why “This is the Golden Age of Design...and we’re screwed”, Nina Freeman will share her experiences in creating indie games and more. Sign up for a Three Day Pass to experience awesome workshops with Nathan Shedroff, Aaron Draplin, Leo Frishberg, Paul Backett, and Chris Butler.

Register today at: http://wvpdx16.eventbrite.com

NOTE: We'll be in New Relic's newest meeting room, on the 27th floor

The Write The Docs NA conference returns to Portland in May, and the deadline for proposals is February 10 (midnight PST).

For the third year, we'll give people who want to propose a chance to test things out, either by speaking briefly, or by brainstorming their proposals.

FYI, O'Reilly has an excellent guide to creating conference proposals, "Propose, Prepare, Present". If you navigate to http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920027096.do, you can get the eBook version for free.

We'll start with a brief networking session from 6-6:30.

At 6:30, I'll make a few announcements. Anyone who wants to try out a "preview" of a conference talk (5-10 min), or just present their draft proposal for comments, can speak to the group (or ask questions) after that.

PDXAUX learns from Angel Chesimet and other blind end users while they demonstrate how they use every day technology, including websites, phones, apps, etc. They will discuss what works for them and what doesn't.

Demonstrations of use of screen readers, braille display, texting, gps, apps, OCR readers and applications, and everyday uses.

We will begin the evening with social time and then the presentation at 7pm so there is plenty of time for Q&A, discussion and a bit of networking/wrap-up at the end.

Wacom -- a company which develops Pen Input hardware -- needed a user help system to move beyond static PDFs. Their solution was to separate product-specific PDFs into a series of, mostly common, HTML topic pages. These HTML file were, in turn, processed into a web deliverable package via Python scripting.

The solution is complex, as the Wacom system includes interrelationships between 150+ topics across over 30 products and 14 languages.

The solution required “a more technical Tech Writer” -- as it required knowledge of HTML
Python
JavaScript
Excel Macros

Wacom implemented their solution by integrating their tech writer in their Engineering team. They also included a dedicated engineering resource to support design and development of their technical docs.

Speaker: Arthur Krebsbach, Windows Software Engineer

Let's follow the life cycle of an accessibility bug. Joe Watkins will guide us on a developer-oriented exploration of how these bugs hatch, mature, multiply, and — most importantly — how these pesky critters can be squashed. Come join in the moderated Q&A.

We will begin the evening with social time and then the presentation at 6:30 so there is plenty of time for Q&A, discussion and a bit of networking/wrap-up at the end.

Presenter: Joe Watkins is an Accessibility Consultant with Simply Accessible. Joe has a passion for the web and working with others to make it more usable for everyone.

Moderator: Bruce Elgort is an instructor in the web development program at Clark College. He emphasizes accessibility from day 1 in all of his classes. Bruce is also a low vision user who himself relies on accessibility with his day-to-day activities.

Save the date! We'll give people who are scheduled to speak at the Write The Docs 2017 conference a chance to rehearse their talks.

The Optimal Workshop Roadshow is coming to Portland! We’re bringing New Zealand hospitality to town with an evening of informative talks by user researchers, for user researchers (and anyone interested in UX). This is your ticket to 3 hours packed with fresh UX tips, sweet software offers, fun games and prizes, plus tasty food and drinks. All in the company of like-minded locals!

Want to find out what your users are really thinking? Laure Parsons uncovers how behavioural economics, psychology and cognitive bias studies can help you understand what users really want.

Want a deeper understanding of UX through a unique case study? Our very own Kat Hardisty shares her insights from designing user experience for a physical space.

Check out the Eventbrite page for full talk details and schedule.

Spots are limited so get your ticket now. Got a friend to bring or a colleague to convince? Take advantage of our group discount for 3 or more tickets!

We’re having a work sprint with accessibility in mind. Come share your knowledge!

We are compiling a guide to help ourselves and others bring websites and web and mobile apps to an accessible state. We will have fun and interactive exercises, plus some individual tasks for people to work on.

How will the session work?

Bring a laptop, log in to the gitbook, and add a chapter!

Pick a topic you know and share tips,

Tell a story about your experiences - good and bad - with bringing accessibility to the products you work on, or pick an aspect of implementing accessibility that has puzzled you (like, accessible alert colors), do a little research online and share your results!

What this is:

Shared perspectives, stories and tips from all parts of an organization - UX, development, product and others

What this is not:

A replacement for WCAG AA guidelines

Plain Language is important for content creators, but it applies to UXers and developers, as well. At first glance, Plain Language is about making content more accessible to people with traumatic brain injury, cognitive impairments, dyslexia, etc. But Plain Language is about more than reaching people with medical disabilities. 

Plain Language is about getting your message through to people who aren’t good readers, people who need glasses but don’t have them for a variety of reasons, rushed readers who are skimming content on their mobile phones, etc. Committing to Plain Language means you are writing so that everybody has a fighting chance! 

Tonight we are joined remotely by national speaker, Whitney Quesenbery, and in person with Portland expert, Katney Bair, as they share their expertise. Join us and learn techniques for how to clarify your writing! 

Lineup/Agenda: 

• 6:00 gather/networking

• 6:30 presentation begins

• Katney will start us off by looking at what is Plain Language, exploring the business side and the numbers.

• Whitney will share her experience including usability testing with Plain Language. 

• 8:00 presentations wrap-up, time for Q&A and conversation

• 8-8:30 closing/networking

Katney Bair

Katney is the principal consultant at Pretty Plain, a communications company specializing in public information. Pretty Plain's communication services combine copywriting, graphic design and project management. Clients include government agencies, medical centers, health insurance companies, small businesses, public schools, universities and non-profit organizations. Katney’s deep experience in all areas of marketing and communications, along with her Plain Writing expertise, help her craft clear messaging that effectively reaches different groups across different platforms. 

Whitney Quesenbery

Whitney has written three books - A Web for Everyone, Storytelling for User Experience, and Global UX - to help practitioners keep users in mind throughout the creative process.  Whitney’s work in Plain Language started with the guide to the first LaserJet 4 and has continued through projects at organizations like the National Cancer Institute and The Open University in the UK. Now, most of her work aims to help voters understand how to participate in democracy from options for voting to making decisions about ballot choices. Maybe the right to understand is a civil right!

CrowdCompass is our event host, review their accessibility information and let us know if you have questions! 

Millions of individuals interface daily with colleges and universities throughout the Northwest region, as students, employees, and members of the public. Thousands of these individuals have disabilities that impact the tools and methods they use for accessing websites and information technologies.

How are colleges and universities in Portland and throughout the Northwest region handling this challenge? What strategies are they employing internally and through procurement to ensure their websites and information technologies are accessible? What can the rest of us learn from higher education's examples?

At the October meetup, we will explore these questions including strategies for getting buy-in. Terrill Thompson from University of Washington, Kaela Parks from Portland Community College, Emiluz Lopez from CollegeNET and Gabriel Merrell from University of Oregon will share their strategies, stories and experiences in an informal conversation about IT accessibility in higher ed.

CrowdCompass is our event host. They are graciously providing refreshments for this event! Review their accessibility information and let us know if you have questions.

Lineup/Agenda:

• 6:00 gather/networking

• 6:30 panelists share their experience

• 8:00 time for Q&A and conversation

• 8-8:30 closing/networking

Our panelists:

Terrill Thompson - University of Washington

Kaela Parks - Portland Community College

Emiluz Lopez - CollegeNET

Gabriel Merrell - Oregon State University

See our Meetup page for bios on all of our presenters.

Join us at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub on Hawthorne where we will gather to share our accessibility successes and challenges of the year and to brainstorm what kinds of topics the group is interested to see presented in 2018. 

Are you interested in helping keep our group going? We have grown a lot over the past couple years and could use your help in 2018 to help us coordinate behind the scenes. Please introduce yourself if you are interested in helping out!

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll practice using design thinking methods to empathize with a wider group of users, and develop solutions that work better for everyone. Universal design is an approach where a primary requirement of any design is that all its users can access it, regardless of any physical or cognitive impairment they may have. It's also known as 'inclusive' or 'accessible' design. We’ll start with a short overview of how universal design can combined with design thinking to quickly deliver valuable insights during the design process. This will be an easy, fun, and very interactive introduction to combining universal design and design thinking methods!

Light refreshments will be provided.

Portland Community Design Thinkers and Portland Accessibility and User Experience are excited to partner to bring you this meetup. This event will be limited to 40 participants - if your plans change, please update your RSVP.

We look forward to having you join us in our first meetup of the new year!

More and more UX designers are looking to inclusive design solutions as the foundation for their accessibility strategy. A ubiquitous screen UI component is the form. Yet, far too often, using forms is a frustrating experience, for users at any point on the ability spectrum.

Join us for an in-depth look at form design to help you better understand the issues with forms in general, and the extra hurdles they represent when examined from an accessibility viewpoint.

Our guest speaker, Gerry Gaffney, leads Information & Design, a usability consultancy in Melbourne Australia. He runs the User Experience podcast (uxpod.com), and is co-author with Caroline Jarrett of "Forms That Work."

Doors open at 5:30 for networking and snacks.
We'll begin Gerry's presentation at 6PM.

Join us to hear noted accessibility expert, Adrian Roselli, who will share his techniques for making web and mobile interfaces accessible.

This talk is a must-hear for developers and designers who care about enabling access to the interfaces they build to the widest spectrum of user abilities.

Adrian Roselli is a popular, erudite and entertaining speaker. If you've never heard him present, don't miss this chance!

We'll have snacks and networking at 5:30, talk at 6PM, with Q&A to follow.

Adrian Roselli has been developing accessible, effective user interfaces for the Web since 1993, as well as interfaces for multimedia and software applications. With a focus on standards and accessibility, Adrian ensures software and web-based applications can be utilized by users with varying levels of ability on a wide array of platforms.

Mr. Roselli served as an invited expert in the W3C HTML Working Group, the standards body responsible for developing HTML. He is now a full member of Accessible Platform Architectures Working Group, Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group, HTML Accessibility Task Force, and Web Platform Working Group (formerly the HTML Working Group).

Time to chat about your favorite accessibility topics, meet new people and discuss what you'd like to learn about and do at next year's meetups!

A Housekeeping Update from Eliza:

PDXA11yUX started a fundraising effort last year and so far we have been able to raise $462.55 from members plus $500 in sponsorship funds from AccessibilityOz­. This was enough for us to open our own bank account and get serious about forming a partnership with CHIFOO. Now that is set, all contributions will be tax-deductible. Woohoo!

Next we will launch a sponsorship campaign will support sign language interpreters or CART at more of our events in the future. We are always open to ideas and suggestions for cash sponsors as well as volunteers who may like to work with Eliza on fundraising.

Please be in touch!

When you write microcopy or technical documentation, clarity and concision are top of mind. Adding inclusivity as another requirement will help you write better copy for all your readers.

Join us on September 11th for a co-meetup with Write the Docs PDX! We’ll share inclusivity guidelines and tips, and try them out in a group activity, using examples of your own works-in-progress! Together, we’ll find solutions to make your writing more inclusive.

Please bring work-in-progress from one of your current projects for the group activity.

Light refreshment provided. RSVP requested!

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an environment-focused, sustainable lens to review interactions with students within campus and remove barriers.

In this session we'll discuss:

• What is the need currently experienced by post-secondary education in matters of inclusion?
• The changing landscape of access and inclusion in Higher Education.
• how to encourage our own practice to recognize these areas of ‘tension’ in current approaches to access.
• Explore o the definition and intentions of Universal Design for Learning.
• Reflect on how UDL might meet the ‘needs’ being experienced in Higher Education for a rapid change in access practices.

Our Speaker: Samantha John is the Accessible Media Coordinator in the Office of Academic Innovation at Portland State University. She created a faculty professional development program that includes peer review of syllabi and course activities that incorporate UDL and accessibility publishing conventions. She also developed the UDL Media Lab at PSU where students with disabilities work to identify barriers in curriculum.

Samantha's passion for inclusion and diversity drive her study and presentation of UDL and universal access related issues in higher education.

We're finishing out 2018 having collectively presented roughly 85 human-centered events. Let's celebrate with a Human-centered Community Gathering!

We’ll be joining Portland’s human-centered groups who are passionate about HCD principles and how they can change the way we work and live. You can RSVP with one of the groups listed below or the Count Me In button, here. This is an informal event so signing up is more about getting you a reminder in your email when you need it.

You’ll have an opportunity to:

• Share insights with folks across the many fields that intersect in HCD in Portland
• Shape this community by giving feedback on a few ideas we have been working on for 2019 on how to bring the human-centered communities closer together.

Some of the groups that will be there include:

• Design Thinking For Social Impact
• OpenIDEO - Portland Chapter
• PDX Design Research Group
• Portland Accessibility and User Experience Meetup
• Portland Community Design Thinkers
• Service Design PDX

We support introverts, extroverts, and everyone in-between at this event. Don’t be shy, or do — either way, join the fun and help shape our community!

This event is sponsored by PDXHCD. Want to know more about the human centered disciplines in Portland? Take a look at the event calendar at pdxhcd.org.

Come together for an evening of accessibility sharing and learning! We'd like to hear from you, whether you consider yourself a novice or an expert. Bring your questions, projects, and ideas to discuss as a group. We'll break into small groups if needed to cover different topics.

Apparently, you can download inner peace. There are countless applications that can put meditation in the palm of your hand, and allow a guru to live in your pocket. How is the technology that is supposed to balance us throwing the rest of our life into imbalance?

Enter mindfulness. A tenet of Eastern philosophies for centuries, now it’s a comprehensive inclusion in the therapeutic arsenals of therapist’s, psychologist’s, and psychiatrist’s toolkits.

Using mindfulness allows for awareness of the present moment through attention and non-judgement. But now, mindfulness can be used as an accommodation. This talk will show how people with disabilities fuse with technology and vice versa. This can be done as a great boon for a person’s mental health and wellness. Mindfulness is essentially vigilance before acting. It prevents against impulsive actions, and is a discipline of thought. It’s like taking that extra step before you buy junk food at grocery store while you’re hungry and asking, do I need this? But being mindful in technology design means a focus on the design that works for the person in the moment. Our presentation will focus on how accessible design can accommodate mental health disabilities. Instead of impulsively choosing accommodating or try to fit a square peg in a round hole, it’s changing a way of thought. This presentation will be focused around user empowerment, but also be a call to action for developers. Through case studies that we will present with actual data and use feedback, we’ll argue that being aware is crucial for technology, especially accessibility.

About Sharon Rosenblatt
Sharon Rosenblatt is an accessibility professional working to improve the overall experience by a user with disabilities. She has been a part of the Accessibility Partners team for the over eight years, and specializes in document remediation and web compliance testing. Her efforts have enabled developers and manufacturers to see the tremendous potential that accessibility has not just for users with disabilities, but of all abilities.

She is a strong advocate for abolishing the stigma of mental health and researching accomodations in the workplace to support a mental health diagnosis. With her enthusiasm highlighted in several publications like The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fast Company, Information Week, CNN, Mint.com, and more, Sharon enjoys participating in the constant dialogue between accessibility and innovation.

CHIFOO presents: Researching Smart + Spatial Computing with Hannah Scurfield!

Understanding how humans will react and engage with new and emerging platforms can be challenging, particularly with smart and spatial computing. These types of experiences often depart from existing mental models of human-machine interaction and are often tricky to prototype. Traditional behavioral research methods often become less effective, meaning researchers need to experiment with new ways to gather learning.

Using examples from research into mixed and augmented reality experiences, we will explore these hurdles and discuss techniques for gathering insights when existing research methods prove inadequate.

Join this session to hear about experimenting with user experience design research techniques and how people interact with augmented and mixed reality experiences.

About the Speaker

Hannah drives technology innovation by researching people, behaviors and culture. She works with design, development, product and business teams to help build products and experiences that people love. She has nearly 18 years’ experience in both research and design roles in the technology industry and an exciting 14 years spent working in the innovation labs of global technology leaders.

Her career has been focused on emerging platforms, from early mobile computing and the Internet of things to augmented and virtual reality experiences. A background in film, human-computer interaction and ergonomics prepared Hannah for experimenting with smart and spatial computing and her current passion: reimagining the traditional screen-based design research studio.

Hannah likes blank sheets of paper and big questions with no answers.

https://chifoo.org/may-1-2019/

Meeting Details
5:30 - 6:30: CHIFOOd and Registration: Please join us before the meeting to enjoy dinner and networking. Food and beverages will be available for $5.

6:30 - 8:00: CHIFOO program starts at 6:30pm.
This meeting is free for CHIFOO Members & $5.00 for non-CHIFOO Members. Become a member today at chifoo.org. Raffle Tickets are $1.00 for two (available at door during Registration).

Please note: CHIFOO wants to make sure that each meeting is a great experience for everyone. If you need an accommodation to help you better enjoy CHIFOO meetings and events please let our CHIFOO Programs Chair know how we can help a few days prior to CHIFOO event.

Let's PechaKucha!

It's been a while since we got together. We'll have snacks/drinks/networking from 6 - 6:30 and then run presentations until 8.

*You don't have to present to attend, but consider sharing something important to you or something you think would be interesting to the group!

Please bring your slides / short presentation to share with your fellow designers. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PechaKucha

See you next month!

In May, IDEO.org and +Acumen will once again be offering their highly regarded free 9-week online course, Design Kit: Course for Human-Centered Design. As we do regularly, Portland Community Design Thinkers will be hosting a special meetup on May 6, where we'll explain what the course is about and what you can expect from it. And for those interested in participating, we'll help you form teams of local colleagues with whom you can work, which we've found vastly improves both completion rates and the experience as a whole.

Created by IDEO.org for those who are relatively new to design thinking, +Acumen's free Design Kit: Course for Human-Centered Design is probably one of the best and most immersive resources anywhere for getting up to speed on the nuts and bolts of HCD. This meetup is specifically for those interested in learning more about the course and helping to form working teams. Please note PCDT is not managing this course -- you'll be on your own for that. But we're keen to give anyone interested a leg up in getting off to the best possible start with a group of other eager local participants, and you're welcome to use our own Slack channel for course communication and organizing, as many groups have previously done.

Read more about the course at the below link.

In brief, it's a nine-week online FREE curriculum that will introduce participants to the concepts of human-centered design and how this approach can be used to create innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions.

During those nine weeks, you'll work online (and off) with a group of 2-6 people, learning the HCD process by applying it to one of three pre-crafted real world design challenges. (You'll also have a choice to craft your own challenge.) Each week you will explore the fundamental concepts through readings, case studies, and short videos. Then you'll meet in-person with your design team to get your hands dirty practicing the relevant human-centered design methods.

Let's get as many teams together as we can for the next course! Read more at this link: http://www.plusacumen.org/courses/introduction-human-centered-design

Even for digital products and services, there is still always some kind of physical interaction. Whether it's by keyboard, touchscreen, voice, or something else, people choose a way to interact that works for them in their unique situation.

The Community Vision Assistive Technology (AT) Lab is a collaborative education and resource center that is open to the public. The Lab demonstrates a wide variety of AT, from Braille readers and browser extensions to voice-controlled lights and adaptive video game controllers. Community Vision will be hosting us for the night to learn about these tools and explore them firsthand.

Agenda:
5:30pm: Arrive and network
5:45pm: Introduction and guided tour
6:00pm: Open exploration of the lab, with AT Lab staff available for questions
6:30pm: Post-event socializing at a nearby location (TBA)

About Community Vision:
Community Vision's mission is to make Oregon a place where people with disabilities can live, work, and thrive in the communities of their choice. Community Vision takes a person-centered approach in providing quality supports tailored to the unique needs and wishes of each individual and family. Learn more at https://cvision.org.

In January, Portland Community Design Thinkers gathered to examine how mobile devices and apps are designed to hijack our attention in ways that are not aligned with users’ best interests but, rather, mainly with the interests of advertisers. In that session, we explored how “engagement,” the chief currency of Silicon Valley, has become inextricably linked with the hidden design practices that prioritize user time on platform above all other considerations.

Managing our own ability to ignore these digital distractions is difficult enough; but it becomes vastly more difficult when we must do so for our children as well, who are growing up in a world in which these device mediate nearly every aspect of their social, psychological (and, increasingly, their educational) lives. How do parents and families take back control of their homes -- and their children's futures -- from the Silicon Valley tech giants whose primary concern is maximizing "time on platform" and delivering users' eyeballs to advertisers? There is so much at stake. Cyber bullying, inappropriate texts, social anxiety, depression, ubiquitous porn, and screen addictions are just a few of the issues that might affect our children.

There are certainly benefits to using mobile devices. But how can parents and young children assure they remain the masters of these devices rather than servants to them? How do parents assure they are leading by example to create tech-healthy families?

On May 21, we'll reconvene to consider just these questions. We'll be joined by two Portland subject matter experts, both of whom provide counseling, workshops and proven strategies for parents to help children manage screen time and find balance in the digital age.

Richard Halpern is a Portland-based Parent Educator and Counselor, and the founder of Coach4Parents, providing workshops and parenting strategy sessions to help manage screen time, and to reduce screen dependence, for kids of all ages.

Andrea Davis and her husband, Tyler, are the parents of five kids. Together, they've created BetterScreenTime, a resource for any parent who believes screen time can be a positive experience and who wants to prepare their children for that privilege in the best way possible. It’s for the parent who knows screen time will never be perfect, but believes it can be better.

Join us on May 21 for an interactive discussion. As always, we'll have food and drink on hand from our sponsor, LUMA Institute, some door prize giveaways, and some networking and socializing time prior to and after the presentation.

It's summer, so we're taking a break from presentations to have a casual accessibility social. Come out to chat about your favorite accessibility topics, meet new people, and discuss what you'd like to learn at future events.

Ever wonder about how to use and test all of the different accessibility tools and devices? Natalia Voegele will tell us all about her personal story, and how & why she got started with accessibility testing. She’ll give us a sample of different tools, from Android and iOS devices to Braille displays and Chromebooks. Learn about some of the common problems encountered while testing and what to do about them. We’ll also have some time for questions and hands-on work.

About the speaker, in her own words: I am Natalia Voegele. An ambitious, strong, 36-year-old woman who happens to be blind. I have always loved technology. In addition to working, passions of mine include mental health, the environment, reading, traveling, singing, cooking, baking and spending time with those I love. I am in the process of writing a book about my life and creating an album. Connect at https://accessibleandroid.com.

Note: If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

Francis Storr (https://twitter.com/fstorr) will be sharing some of his accessibility knowledge with us. Full details coming soon!

Doors open at 5:30pm for socializing & snacks; presentation begins at 6:00pm.

Venue accessibility and accommodation requests:

Please review the accessibility information of the venue and let us know if you have questions! http://bit.ly/pdxa11yux-venue-cvent If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

We're finishing out 2019 having collectively presented roughly 85 human-centered events. Let's celebrate with a Human-centered Community Gathering!

Join Portland’s human-centered groups who are passionate about HCD principles and how they can change the way we work and live.

You’ll have an opportunity to: Meet and share insights with folks across the many fields that intersect in HCD in Portland

Shape this community by giving feedback on a few ideas we have been working on for 2020 on how to bring the human-centered communities closer together.

Some of the groups that will be there include:

• OpenIDEO - Portland Chapter
• PDX Design Research Group
• Portland Accessibility and User Experience Meetup
• Portland Community Design Thinkers
• Service Design PDX
• UX Book Club

Other Good Stuff

We'll be setting up until 5:30 or so. Doors open around 5:45.

The entrance on 7th Ave is ADA-compliant. If you have any accommodation requests, please email [email protected] in advance of the event to discuss.

We support introverts, extroverts, and everyone in-between at this event. Don’t be shy, or do - either way, join the fun and help shape our community!

This event is sponsored by Studio VO, Concrete, and WeWork Labs Portland. Thanks, y'all!

Want to know more about the human-centered disciplines in Portland? You're in the right place.

There’s a lot that goes into writing good microcopy for accessibility: Identifying what needs it, writing for something spoken aloud versus read silently, and finding a champion to help you develop it.

Join Portland Accessibility and User Experience Meetup (PDX A11Y UX, https://www.meetup.com/Portland-Accessibility-and-User-Experience-Meetup/) for a co-meetup with Portland UX Writers (https://www.meetup.com/Portland-UX-Writers-Meetup/). Kate Knappett and Josh Hetrick will share guidelines and tips and try them out in a group activity. Together, we’ll find solutions to make your writing more accessible and help you become an accessibility champion on your team.

Agenda:

• 6:00-6:15 Networking, topic post-its, job opportunities, food, and drinks
• 6:15-6:30 Presentation
• 6:30-7:00 Panel Q&A and group activity
• 7:00-7:30 Wrap-up

Food and drinks provided by Cvent, our host for the event. Attendance is capped and IDs required.

Venue accessibility and accommodation requests:

Please review the accessibility information of the venue and let us know if you have questions! http://bit.ly/pdxa11yux-venue-cvent If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

Springtime brings many annual events, including accessibility conferences! Even these days, events are still happening. Join us to hear about three recent events: CSUN Conference, HXD Conference, and AccessU. We'll have hosted presenters talking about their experiences, and will open the floor for others who attended to share their learnings as well.

Event begins at 6:00pm; join early starting at 5:45pm for networking.

Online/call-in meeting info will be announced on Meetup.

Agenda:

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15-7:00pm Presentations
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

Accommodation requests: If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

Curious about how to make rich data visualizations accessible? Doug Schepers will share some of his work on how to create equivalent data viz experiences.

Images, charts, and diagrams are an important part of the web, but often hide critical information from people with disabilities of vision, cognition, and others. But there are many ways to provide inclusive affordances that use other senses, especially hearing and touch, to convey complex information. This talk will explore some of the challenges and different methods to overcome them using advanced techniques like text equivalents, sonification, haptics and tactiles, and more.

Event begins at 6:00pm; join early starting at 5:45pm for networking.

Online/call-in meeting info will be announced on Meetup.

Agenda:

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15-7:00pm Presentations
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

Accommodation requests:

If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

About the presenter:

Doug Schepers is the founder and director of Fizz Studio, an accessible data visualization startup in Chapel Hill, NC, USA. He develop his ideas and early prototypes for accessible charts while working with the accessibility community at W3C. As a developer who defined Web technologies and standards at W3C for a decade, he launched or worked on fundamental projects such as SVG (and the Accessible SVG Task Force), WebApps, Web Audio API, Touch Events and Pointer Events, Web Annotations, and many other technologies, as well as starting the W3C developer relations program. He believes in positive social change through building communities and interoperable open technology.

Curious about what's happening in the digital accessibility legal space? Wonder why accessibility is even a legal issue to begin with? Lainey Feingold will bring us up-to-date about accessibility as a civil right and how advocates are using the law in the United States to advance disability inclusion by eliminating digital barriers. Come learn about pending accessibility lawsuits, what courts say about digital accessibility, and what strategies are available to advocates besides the confrontation and expense of a lawsuit. We'll also talk about the importance of avoiding fear when thinking about the law and what to expect from the Biden/Harris administration in the digital accessibility legal space. Plenty of time for questions and conversation.

Event begins at 6:00pm; join early starting at 5:45pm for networking.

Agenda:

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15–7:00pm Presentation
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

About the presenter:

Lainey Feingold is a disability rights lawyer, an international speaker, and the author of Structured Negotiation, A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits. Structured Negotiation has a twenty-five year track record in resolving complex accessible technology claims without the expense and conflict of traditional litigation. Lainey has worked in the digital accessibility space since 1995 and helped negotiate the first web accessibility agreement in the United States in 2000. She also serves as the accessibility subject matter resource for Disability:IN, the leading business disability global inclusion non-profit organization. Lainey has spoken to #a11y and #UX meetups across the United States and in Toronto and is excited to join us in Portland! More about Lainey’s work on her website or follow her on Twitter.

When loading a web page, a sighted page visitor can take in almost all information at a glance and home in on what they want to explore — a whole-to-part approach. A blind screen reader user, on the other hand, must reverse the process and gather bits of information through page exploration to create the full picture — a part-to-whole approach. If sighted design stakeholders are not mindful of the differences in these strategies, they may disregard helpful bits of information that allow the most efficient exploration and understanding for blind visitors. Using parallels from pedestrian navigation such as the importance of “landmarks” and “boundaries,” our presenter Dr. Michele A. Williams will help create common ground between sighted and blind communities to ensure blind screen reader users are best accommodated in Web and other digital design.

Event begins at 6:00pm; join early starting at 5:45pm for networking.

Agenda:

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15–7:00pm Presentation
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

About the presenter:

Dr. Michele A. Williams has 15 years of academic and industrial experience in UX, accessibility, and technology. She is passionate about ensuring people with disabilities are not excluded from technology. Her well-rounded experience includes training, design consultation, field research with people with disabilities, and code remediation for building WCAG-compliant technology.

Dr. Williams holds a B.S. in Computer Science, Masters of Software Engineering with a concentration in Human-Computer Interaction, and PhD in Human-Centered Computing with a focus on accessibility. Along with industry project contributions, her research and designs have resulted in several cited publications, international presentations, and a patent application (see LinkedIn for more details).

Coupling her passion with her expertise, she now offers consulting services including accessibility training for UX professionals and key stakeholders, and project advising including research facilitation and design consultation. Contact her for a consultation experience tailored to your needs. More about Dr. Williams' work on her website or follow her on Twitter.

Join the Portland Accessibility and User Experience Meetup to celebrate the 10th Global Accessibility Awareness Day in partnership with the A11yBay community and many other partner Meetups!

May 20 marks the 10th Global Accessibility Awareness Day and we will be sharing our excitement by partnering with sister Meetup groups around the world. Our goal is to make this the largest Meetup on accessibility and inclusive design!

TALKS & GUEST SPEAKERS:

We'll open with word from A11yBay and a special guest appearance of GAAD Co-Founders Joe Devon and Jennison Asuncion. They will have an exciting announcement to make. We then will turn to our speakers. We have three confirmed now, with more to come.

Terri Rodriguez-Hong recently published "What it's like having a hidden disability in Silicon Valley" in Fast Company. She'll join us to reflect on the article and to have a discussion about her journey.

Deque System's Carie Fisher will present The Future of Accessibility is a "Choose Your Own Adventure" Book. The question Carie will address is: do designers and developers really think they can build an accessible experience for all - even though there are endless combinations of browsers, ATs, settings, and user preferences?

Our other confirmed speaker is Marc B.D. Greenberg. Robots are entering the public space and our lives more and more. In one form or another—from Roomba to Aibo and home, sidewalk, and in-store robots—they are getting designed and released into our lives and spaces. What accessibility considerations should be made and how can we get in front of that?

AGENDA:

(subject to tweaking as May 20 grows near!)

• 4:30 – 4:45 pm PT – Welcome from A11yBay and GAAD Co-Founders
• 4:45 – 5:15 pm PT – Terri Rodriguez-Hong "Reflections and Discussion on What it's like having a hidden disability in Silicon Valley"
• 5:15 – 5:55 pm PT – Carie Fisher's talk: "The Future of Accessibility is a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Book"
• 5:55 – 6:15 pm PT – Marc B.D. Greenberg's talk: "Robots and Accessibility"
• 6:15 – 6:30 pm PT – Talk to be announced
• 6:30 – 6:45 pm PT – Optional zoom break-out room socializing

ZOOM DETAILS:

• This is an online event and will happen through Zoom:

The Zoom URL will be published on this event page a few days before the meetup and shared via email (sent through meetup messages) with people who RSVP via the meetup site.

Check to make sure your email settings are enabled to receive "event updates from organizers" in your account settings or you may not receive the message.

• How socializing in zoom break out rooms will work:

We’ll use the zoom breakout rooms feature to give folks an opportunity to network and chat with others in small group conversations with randomized participants.

If you do not feel comfortable making conversation with other people during this meetup, we'll pause briefly after the main talk content so you can log off. Those who want to chat can just stay on the zoom!

• Zoom tips for controlling closed captions and screen reader alerts:

More details on our Meetup event page.

How can employees at any level help companies embrace inclusive design? How can existing employees drive an organization towards more inclusive hiring?

At a young age, Janna realized that not everyone can access the world in the same way. Both through her own experience on and off crutches and her experience with a mixed hearing/deaf theater troupe, she gained a passion for making life accessible for all. This talk will focus on how to grow, and nurture, the practice of inclusion in your organization.

Agenda:

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15–7:00pm Presentation
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

About the presenter:

Currently a Manager of User Experience Research at Hinge Health, Janna C. Kimel has practiced design research for over 15 years. Her current role ensures that the organization's experiences are seamless and help participants build healthy habits for a pain free life. In her past 2 roles, she has also led employee ERGs focused on accessibility. Janna has focused on health technology and wearables over the course of her career. She has run her own small consultancy and has worked at Intel, Microsoft to Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield and Dexcom.

She has published and presented on accessibility, behavior change, user research and wearable technology. She is a ramblin' wreck with a master's degree in industrial design from Georgia Tech.

Hello fellow PDXers! We have been dormant for a while, and want to gather for some networking and socializing this summer.

Join us on July 26th for a gathering at Laurelhurst Park, Picnic Area D near the intersection of SE Ankeny St & SE Cesar Chavez Blvd.

We'll provide some light snacks & beverages, but BYO is also encouraged.

A few rules from Portland Parks and Rec:

• No smoking
• Beer/wine only, no other alcohol
• Clean up after ourselves

Accessibility Notes

Parking

• Street parking
• Paved pathway to play area
• 250 feet to play area

Play Area

• Engineered mulch surface
• Ramp into play area

Play Equipment

• Transfer station
• Sensory play elements
• Adapted high-back swing
• Ramp onto play structure

Other Amenities

• Accessible restroom
• Accessible picnic table

Join us for a casual summer-end accessibility social. Chat about your favorite accessibility topics, meet new people, and discuss what you'd like to learn at future events.

Food and drinks are available to purchase from a variety of food carts. This event is no-host (each participant pays for their own food/drinks), but there's no obligation to buy something to attend.

Seating area and restrooms are wheelchair accessible, via side/rear entrance. Location is accessible by public transit from multiple nearby bus lines, there is bike parking out front, and street parking is available nearby.

See hinterlandpdx.com or call (503) 231-4333 for more details about Hinterland.

As an accessibility professional, do you ever feel like you’re swimming against the tide as you try to make your company’s offerings more accessible? If so, you’re probably aware that the organization could be “better” with respect to accessibility, but you may have trouble identifying just what it would take to make real progress. Accessibility maturity models can help by providing objective assessment criteria and concrete steps for leveling up. In this talk, we’ll cover what is a maturity model, how they’ve been applied to accessibility, and strategies for getting started with your first assessment.

Event begins at 6:00pm; join early starting at 5:45pm for networking.

Agenda

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15–7:00pm Presentation
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

About the presenter

Andrew Hedges is a co-founder of Assistiv Labs, providers of a platform that simplifies manual testing of websites with assistive technologies. He is a longtime web developer having started building websites professionally in 1998. Soon thereafter he discovered this thing called accessibility and has been advocating for it ever since. Most recently, he led the design system team at Zapier where he was a major contributor to the company’s accessibility guild, including helping initiate Zapier’s first self-assessment of their digital accessibility maturity.

Accommodation requests

If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

Special thanks

Thank you to Assistiv Labs for providing tonight's Zoom hosting!

Even for digital products and services, there is still always some kind of physical interaction. Whether it's by keyboard, touchscreen, voice, or something else, people choose a way to interact that works for them in their unique situation.

The Community Vision Assistive Technology (AT) Lab is a collaborative education and resource center that is open to the public. The Lab demonstrates a wide variety of AT, from communication devices and browser extensions to voice-controlled lights and adaptive video game controllers. Community Vision will be hosting us for the night to learn about these tools and explore them firsthand.

Note: The event is capped at 25 attendees; please RSVP on Meetup. Be sure you can attend in person; if your plans change, please remove yourself from attendance.

Agenda

• 5:30pm: Arrive and network
• 5:45pm: Introduction and guided tour
• 6:00pm: Open exploration of the lab, with AT Lab staff available for questions
• 6:30pm: Post-event socializing at a nearby location (TBD)

About Community Vision

Community Vision's mission is to make Oregon a place where people with disabilities can live, work, and thrive in the communities of their choice. Community Vision takes a person-centered approach in providing quality supports tailored to the unique needs and wishes of each individual and family. Learn more at cvision.org.

Accommodation requests

If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

Join us for a casual year-end accessibility social. Chat about your favorite accessibility topics, meet new people, and discuss what you'd like to learn at events in the new year.

Food and drinks are available to purchase. This event is no-host (each participant pays for their own food/drinks), but there's no obligation to buy something to attend.

Location is wheelchair accessible, near public transit, and there is street parking for bikes and cars available nearby.

See victoriapdx.com or email [email protected] for more details about Victoria Bar.

Lecture Details Sometimes when we share research findings, we hear back, “We already knew that.” In this talk, I’ll examine why that happens, and what we can do about it. Sometimes, it’s a cognitive bias, called hindsight bias and also known as the “knew it all along” phenomenon. But there are other causes and we can adjust our approach to research to try and limit this all-too-common challenge.

About Steve Portigal Steve Portigal is an experienced user researcher who helps organizations to build mature user research practices. He is the author of Interviewing Users: How To Uncover Compelling Insights (now in a second edition) and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries: User Research War Stories. He’s also the host of the Dollars to Donuts podcast.

Website: portigal.com/

Hello fellow a11y PDXers!

Join us for a social gathering on Thursday, June 20th, at Laurelhurst Park, Picnic Area D, near SE Ankeny St and SE Cesar Chavez Blvd.

This is an opportunity to network, reconnect with old friends, or make new ones! Previous experience or accessibility knowledge is not required, but curiosity is welcomed. We'll provide some light snacks & beverages, but BYO is also encouraged.

A few rules from Portland Parks and Rec:

• No smoking
• Beer/wine only, no other alcohol
• Clean up after ourselves

Accessibility Notes

Parking

• Street parking
• Paved pathway to play area
• 250 feet to play area

Play Area

• Engineered mulch surface
• Ramp into play area

Play Equipment

• Transfer station
• Sensory play elements
• Adapted high-back swing
• Ramp onto play structure

Other Amenities

• Accessible restroom
• Accessible picnic table

Many neurodivergent professionals work in the fields of accessibility and user experience. Yan Vishnepolsky joins us today to discuss his career as a neurodiverse user researcher. He will talk about aspects like living abroad as a UX professional, launching a podcast, and the benefits and challenges of being neurodiverse in design tech.

Event begins at 6:00pm; join early starting at 5:45pm for networking.

Agenda

• 5:45–6:00pm Networking
• 6:00–6:15pm Introductions & announcements
• 6:15–7:00pm Presentation
• 7:00–7:30pm Q&A and discussion
• 7:30–7:45pm Wrap up

About the presenter

Yan's family knew from an early age that he was neurodiverse. As such, he attended BOCES Gifted Special Education, a program in upstate New York for neurodivergent children, throughout most of his school years. A couple of years after college, he launched a UX agency in India and lived there for nine years. While in India, Yan learned Hindi and Indian culture, teaching him firsthand the impact of different perspectives. Also in India, he met his wife, an Iranian expat studying as a pharmacist. After marriage, Yan moved back to the US, where he pursued a career specific to user research. In the last few years, Yan has been particularly interested in the impact of AI on the future of user research work (and vice versa). Last year, he started speaking publicly about the impact of neurodiversity on his career.

Accommodation requests

If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us in advance of the event to discuss.

Join us for a casual end-of-summer/beginning-of-fall accessibility social. Chat about your favorite accessibility topics, meet new people, and discuss what you'd like to learn at future events.

Food and drinks are available to purchase from a variety of food carts. This event is no-host (each participant pays for their own food/drinks), but there's no obligation to buy something to attend.

Seating area and restrooms are wheelchair accessible, via side/rear entrance. Location is accessible by public transit from multiple nearby bus lines, there is bike parking out front, and street parking is available nearby.

See hinterlandpdx.com or call (503) 231-4333 for more details about Hinterland.

Cancelled Sorry, due to unforeseen events this event is cancelled. We hope you can join us for our events in November and December!

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Adam McBride-Smith will present on state-level initiatives around the country to meet the DOJ’s new ADA Title II rule, including ongoing efforts in Oregon.

About the presenter

Adam McBride-Smith is a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA), a Accessible Document Special-ist (ADS), and a JAWS Certified tester. He has worked as a digital accessibility and UX consultant for several organizations, including Community Vision, Clackamas: Health Housing and Human Services, and the City of Portland.

He is currently the Digital Accessibility Strategist at Oregon Health Authority and a member of the state’s Electronic Portal Advisory Board and the Multistate Digital Accessibility Collaborative. He also teaches a class on Digital Accessibility at Portland State University.

Happiness can feel elusive when we have to deal with matters such as team politics and corporate dysfunction. In this talk, Lizz will share some of her insights about the art of building great solutions, focusing on how fostering positive “heartsets” (like mindsets, but emotional states) can help sustain our souls and improve our teams’ outcomes.

About Lizz Bacon Having been in the field of digital product design and development for 25 years, Lizz Bacon knows that the work can be very challenging. Devise Consulting