Duration: 3-hour workshop
About the workshop:
Facilitations often unintentionally present an accessibility barrier to participants who are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing. During this session, we will explore tips and tools to make workshops accessible and equitable.
The session will help raise awareness of what we need to consider when designing workshops and meetings so they are inclusive and accessible. We will cover how to design materials, use technology, and create interactive experiences that are accessible to all.
MAFN is committed to providing access to all of our events. Please contact us at info@mafn.org or call 202-380-1998 if you need accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs. Our May 12 workshop will be live captioned.
Learning Objectives
In this session, participants will:
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Gain a better understanding of the needs and experiences of participants who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, or are hard of hearing.
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Learn what information to include in event invitations and workshop materials
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Identify strategies to design facilitations with the needs of all participants in mind
NOTE: This workshop will be recorded for distribution to all who register (breakout rooms will not be recorded).
This is a 3-hour online workshop. It will take place from 12:00pm to 3pm EDT
Speakers:
Joyce Dworsky – In the early 1980s, founder Joyce Dworsky (Srour) was a health care professional learning sign language and teaching CPR in her spare time. That unique combination led to a training session for Gallaudet University’s students, and two days after her successful CPR class, she got a call from Deaf Pride, the primary organization in DC that worked with the Deaf community and sign language interpreters. A student at Gallaudet, who had been in the recent CPR class, requested that Joyce interpret an up-coming meeting. This opportunity segued into other assignments and Joyce realized there was an opportunity to get more involved in the deaf and interpreting worlds so she began a quest for more formal training.
Joyce was accepted into the Gallaudet Interpreter Consortium and later became certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). In 1987, responding to a growing need, she turned her love for interpreting into Vital Signs. Joyce also trained as a C-Print captionist and later, a TypeWell transcriber and voice writer. Speech-To-Text, including CART and TypeWell, were added to interpreting services to accommodate the variety of requests from universities, government agencies, and the private sector.
Beyond her roles as owner and Certified Interpreter and Transcriber, Joyce also volunteers at a local food bank. Although she is a home-body at heart, she often travels to visit family abroad, with her husband Nino, and explore other parts of the US. Joyce loves working in a profession that epitomizes the word teamwork, and is proud that Vital Signs makes a difference.
Kate Vendemio - Kate Vendemio is a workplace learning consultant, small business owner, speaker, trainer, and instructional designer. For over 15 years she has provided strategic learning and development guidance, and designed and delivered training programs for clients including the American Council of the Blind, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Science Foundation, Wiley Publishing, and the NCAA.
Kate is Founder and CEO of Mt. Vernon Consulting, a woman-owned consulting firm that designs and delivers custom training programs for small to mid-size organizations and associations that want to invest, engage, and retain their employees. Kate is Kirkpatrick Four Levels Evaluation Bronze Certified and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She has a master’s certificate in Project Management from George Washington University School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University.
Kate began advocating for equal rights of persons who are blind or visually impaired when her mother became legally blind in 1998. Since then, Kate has worked with various blind advocacy groups and volunteered with the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind to raise awareness and money to support research for the low vision and blind community. When she's not behind her standing desk, Kate can be found with her family camping in the mountains, enjoying the beach, or road-tripping around the country in a quest to visit all 50 states.
ONLINE WORKSHOP REMINDERS
- No refunds or credits for registration cancellations.
- Registration closes at midnight the day before the workshop.
- Registered participants will receive instructions for joining the live session and any additional details 1 day in advance and the morning of the event. Please be sure to look for the link in your email.
- Workshops begin promptly at 12:00PM Eastern. Please log on at least 15 minutes in advance to ensure your internet connections, audio and other settings are functioning properly.
- MAFN Members have access to all online workshop recordings via the MAFN website.
- For registration or membership questions contact info@mafn.org.