Author: Claudia Alick

Guide to Accessing Breakout Rooms in Zoom

Breakout Rooms are one of the features of Zoom frequently used by the facilitators. Breakout Rooms allow the participants to be in smaller meetings within the larger meeting for group activities. This resource guide includes photos and clear directions for accessing breakrooms from a variety of devices.

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GAMING4JUSTICE

Gaming for Justice, our social justice gaming stream project with Maiamama, is a weekly digital space for consciousness raising with fun entertainment and hanging out

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The COVID Zoom Boom Is Reshaping Sign Language Michael Skyer demonstrates the American Sign Language (ASL) sign for Zoom. Credit: Michael Skyer

American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter best practices for Zoom meetings

The article provides best practices for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters during Zoom meetings. The interpreter should have a pre-meeting consultation with the host to ensure that the necessary measures are in place for an accessible meeting. During the meeting, the interpreter should be available early to establish a connection with the D/deaf or hard-of-hearing participants and ensure that videos are pinned. The interpreter should also identify the ASL user who is speaking and clearly communicate when the interpreters are switching. After the meeting, the interpreter should check in with the participants and hosts for feedback.

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On Accessible Toilets

The absence of accessible toilets is a subtle yet potent tool of social control that restricts the inclusion of disabled individuals and mirrors historical tactics used to marginalize certain groups. Similar to how women were once kept from certain spaces by denying them restroom access, the lack of accessible toilets limits the participation of disabled individuals in public life, enforcing inequality. Furthermore, this issue extends to homeless individuals who lack restroom facilities, deepening their invisibility and perpetuating their hardships. Ultimately, the dearth of accessible toilets undermines societal inclusivity and hinders the potential contributions of diverse individuals, emphasizing the significance of universal accessibility for a fair and compassionate society.

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From Walkable to Wheelchair Accessible

Hey y’all, it’s Luticha Doucette here. I want to dive a little deeper into the topic of making cities more accessible and inclusive for everyone, especially those with disabilities. As the owner of Catalyst Consulting Associates, I specialize in active transportation projects for cities and municipalities.

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accessible innovation project. a person typing on a manual typewriter over a background of code on computer screens

Racism is Preventing Hardworking People from Earning Enough

Calling Up Justice is a company that is conducting an exciting project aimed at experimenting with accessibility and machine learning technology to increase empowerment for disabled creators. The project involved selecting a video or other writing source featuring disabled creators sharing their clever ideas for 1-3 minutes. Free platforms were then used to transcribe the video, which was subsequently fed into Chat GPT to produce an essay that authentically reflected the creators’ voices and ideas. With the help of Claudia Alick’s finetuning data and prompts, the resulting essays were representative of the disabled creators’ perspectives. This project exemplifies how artificial intelligence technology can be leveraged to empower marginalized communities and create a more inclusive society, with minimal effort on the part of the creators. The following article was built off a report published by Luticha Doucette.

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The Future is Hybrid

Calling Up Justice recommends planning your events to include digital and in-person options. In today’s dynamic world, we need to be proactive and plan for success in a landscape that is more precarious for in-person meetings. By embracing hybrid presenting, we can turn challenges into opportunities and create events that are accessible, safe, and successful.

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