Brief Summary
This ILNET webinar focuses on coordinating accessible and engaging virtual events for individuals with disabilities, emphasizing promising practices. Key topics include effective strategies for ensuring accessibility, using Zoom accessibility features, and enhancing audience engagement while addressing virtual burnout.
- Importance of accessibility in virtual events
- Strategies for improving engagement and communication
Introduction and Overview
Tim Fuchs introduces the webinar titled "Coordinating Accessible and Engaging Virtual Events for Sills and Silks," which includes a panel discussion of promising practices. He shares details about the sponsoring organizations and offers a visual description of himself. Fuchs reviews accessibility features available during the webinar, such as CART captioning and ASL interpreters, and explains how attendees can adjust their viewing settings to facilitate better participation.
Housekeeping and Accessibility Tips
Fuchs walks through housekeeping instructions, reminding participants how to enable captions and adjust their viewing modes in Zoom. He encourages audience questions to be submitted via the Zoom Q&A or email, ensuring that accessibility options are available for everyone, including those attending via phone. He emphasizes the need for feedback through evaluation forms sent after the webinar.
Panelist Introduction
The moderator, Brooke Curtis, introduces herself and the fellow panelists: Mary Willard and Sierra Royster. Curtis outlines her role in facilitating the discussion while highlighting the collective experience the panelists bring from hosting various virtual events. The group expresses their intention to share effective strategies based on lessons learned rather than proven best practices.
Effective Strategies for Accessibility
The panel discusses significant strategies for ensuring that registration processes, communications, and other aspects of virtual events are fully accessible. They cover practical applications of Zoom's accessibility features and how to make events more engaging for attendees. Insights into combating virtual burnout are also provided, emphasizing techniques to enhance participation and connection in virtual settings.
