Since 2001, the Tapia conference has brought together students, faculty, and professionals to celebrate the technical contributions and career interests of the most diverse people in computing fields. In order to be as inclusive as possible, the conference needs to be accessible. The Accessibility Committee provides advice throughout planning to lead to an accessible conference. During registration, you will be able to request accommodations. More information about accessibility in the virtual platform will be shared as it becomes available. If you have additional questions or concerns about accessibility, contact us.

Conference sessions are noted in Central time.

Yes, registered attendees will have access to recordings after the conference. These recordings will be captioned with automatic captions, or live captions if requested, and transcripts of those captions will be available.

We aim to make this conference a welcoming, inclusive event. As an attendee, you play a very important role in this. We are a neurodiverse community, and we don’t all communicate and express ourselves the same way. Some people prefer direct, literal communication and others talk in idioms and metaphors. Some people need extra time to process and respond. Communication is a two-way process, so let’s be flexible and accommodate different communication styles. Sometimes a person may need to leave in the middle of a session, flap their hands, pace up and down, or go to a quiet space, and that’s ok. So if someone’s behavior seems strange to you, don’t make assumptions—talk to them directly.

At an in person event, we’d point out that some of us are more sensitive to smells, sounds, and/or lights than others. We’d ask folks to avoid flash photography, avoid strong perfume or aftershave, suggest being aware of attendees using canes or wheelchairs and give them room to get around. Online, you can let a presenter know if their audio isn’t clear. Raise your hand and ask the presenter to describe what’s happening in their silent video, for the benefit of those who can’t see it. These are the actions that add up to a truly inclusive event where we all feel welcome. Let’s make this conference an amazing experience for everyone!

When you register for the conference, there will be a question asking about any accessibility needs. In your response, please indicate any accessibility needs including sign language interpreting, captioning, electronic copies of presentations, or other. If necessary, organizers will follow up with you to clarify your needs. If you have any questions about accommodations, please contact us. After the deadline for early registration, a best effort will be made to accommodate all accessibility requests, but we cannot guarantee that interpreters or captioners will be available.

Automatic captioning will be utilized in all sessions. The conference will provide sign language interpreters or live captioners if requested by any attendees during registration. Organizers will follow up with you to discuss your needs in more detail.

As stated in the Tapia Conference Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy, CMD-IT and ACM are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for participants at our events and in our programs. If you believe that you have been harassed at the Tapia Conference, or notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other related concerns, you are encouraged to report the incident in confidence to the conference organizers, and you can visit the virtual help desk.

Please note any accessibility requests in your conference registration. If you forget to include information in your registration please contact us.