[Trainer-Talk] CSUN questions

[Wayne Merritt]

There is always a session a the beginning for those that want an
orientation to the hotel, dog relief areas, and so forth. I have been
once, two years ago, but that walk-about session gave me a good
overview of the hotel and conference center and where everything was
located. Also, there should be a conference web page which lists all
of the sessions, their locations and times, and has summaries for each
session. When I went in 2015, I accessed this page on my iPhone so
that I could activate links for the session titles, and then on those
session pages there was always a link to add the session to my
calendar. I did opt in for the conference CD or DVD when initially
registering, but truthfully I hardly ever looked at that media.
Between the appointments that I added to my calendar which I was
interested in, and the conference web page, I stayed more or less up
to date on what sessions were and where they were. Also, it helped me
to have several sessions marked down to attend, even if they were at
the same times. This way, if one filled up I could go to something
else. If there is a session that you absolutely don't want to miss,
then get there early before the start time so you can get a seat.
There were a few times when I arrived at the session and was informed
that the seating was full. There are plenty of guides from the
conference or hotel, and the whole conference is so huge that there's
no shame in getting an arm or a guide to walk with you. There's
nothing wrong with doing it on your own, but there's also nothing
wrong with holding on to an arm, especially if you discover that you
are on the complete opposite side of the conference from where you
wanted to be, and there's a short time before the next session is to
begin. Don't forget about the exhibit hall. There's plenty of jems to
be held there. The booths are not broken into disabilities, but are
just laid out one after another. The times that I went in there, I
just wandered around and walked up to a booth to see what they were
offering. I often discovered booths for products that I never would
have known about that way.

Finally if you are on social media, like Twitter, you can also network
with people using the official CSUN hashtag for the year, which this
year is it likely #CSUN17. If you keep up with the hashtag
conversations, you will often find people talking about sessions,
tweeting out highlights for a particular session, or even scheduling
meet-ups with other participants. Even if you cannot attend, this is
still a good way to keep up. Just be prepared for high traffic during
the conference, especially between Wednesday and Friday.

Have fun,
Wayne

On 2/8/17, Deborah Armstrong via Trainer-Talk <trainer-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I haven't been to CSUN's access technology conference since it moved to San
> Diego. And in the past I used to work for various vendors. Today, I work for
> a college serving a diversity of print-impaired students and I'm really
> excited about going this year.
>
> I'd like to hear tips from other BVI folks, or their friends about getting
> the most out of the conference. I have confident O&M skills and love
> exploring.
>
> I used to feel like I missed out on something interesting every time I went.
> Especially with it being in an unfamiliar convention center, I want to be
> sure I learn the most about technology that's truly recommendable. I also
> want to be sure I attend the sessions that are more informational and less a
> recitation of the vendor's sales literature.
>
> To me, one disappointing aspect of the conference was always about all the
> "pie in the sky" technology that enterprising researchers showcased, but
> which wasn't available for the average disabled consumer. I want to steer
> clear of all that "spam" and focus on what's new that I can recommend with a
> good conscience!
>
> I also have questions about the physical layout of the place - best secret
> dog relief area - is the Braille map useful and what's the quickest way to
> get a meal? And I have questions about the social aspects: whose suites are
> worth visiting and who I should try to track down to have a quiet meal with,
> etc.
>
> It's fine to contact me off-list.
>
> --Debee
>
> armstrong deborah (AT) deanza (DOT) edu
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