2021 National Coding Symposium – Agenda
May 11-14, 2021
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 – 4:00 PM (PDT)
12:00 – 3:00 PM and 4:00 – 7:00 PM (EDT)
You may attend as many or as few sessions as you would like!
The flexible agenda was developed to make it as easy as possible to plan your week around the sessions. If you miss a panel session on one day, you still have the opportunity to watch a similar session with different panelists on another day. Pick and choose according to your schedule.
4-Day Overview
(Subject to updates, so please check back occasionally.)
Each block is repeated twice a day, with different Keynotes (8), Presentations (8), Panels (12), and Q&As (6 – Friday only).
| Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keynote 1: Ted Henter, JAWS | Keynote 3: Kisiah Timmons, Verizon Media | Keynote 5: Jyotsna Kaki, Google | Keynote 7: Leonie Watson, TetraLogical |
| Presentation 1: Coding is accessible for everyone! Glen Gordon JAWS/Vispero | Presentation 3: Printf (“Are there prerequisites to learning how to code?\r\n”); That’s not a typo, folks! | Presentation 5: Learning by Making: Going from Idea to App Saqib Shaikh, Microsoft/Seeing AI | Presentation 7: Coding for K-12 students Sara Larkin and Jennifer Bliss, Iowa Ed. Services |
| Panel 1: What are Coders and what do they do? | Panel 5: What does it take to get a job in coding? | Panel 9: How do University programs support accessible coding? | Q&A: Meet the Coders and Professionals in the field of coding |
| Panel 2: If I learn how to code, do I have to be a Programmer? | Panel 6: How do I turn a cool tech idea into a business? | Panel 10: How do we teach coding to students with visual impairments? | Q&A: Meet the Professionals who get you hired and Entrepreneurs who are today’s change-makers |
| — | — | — | Q&A: Meet the Instructors teaching code in K-12 and higher education |
| — | — | — | Coding Camp Info and Scholarship Awards |
| Keynote 2: Peter Tucic, HumanWare | Keynote 4: Laura Allen, Google | Keynote 6: Michael Forzano, Amazon | Keynote 8: Jennison Asuncion, LinkedIn |
| Presentation 2: What do the job availability and future of technology employment look like? Dean Hudson, Apple, Inc. | Presentation 4: Dealing with the inaccessible Sina Bahram | Presentation 6: Learning to Code; It’s not just for Programmers Greg Stilson, APH | Presentation 8: Learning to code, with or without school Chancey Fleet, New York Public Library |
| Panel 3: What does it take to get a job in coding? | Panel 7: How do University programs support accessible coding? | Panel 11: What are Coders and what do they do? | Q&A: Meet the Coders and Professionals in the field of coding |
| Panel 4: How do I turn a cool tech idea into a business? | Panel 8: How do we teach coding to students with visual impairments? | Panel 12: If I learn how to code, do I have to be a Programmer? | Q&A: Meet the Professionals who get you hired and Entrepreneurs who are today’s change-makers |
| — | — | — | Q&A: Meet the Instructors teaching code in K-12 and higher education |
| — | — | — | Coding Camp Info and Scholarship Awards |
Daily Schedule
(Subject to updates, so please check back occasionally.)
Tuesday
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m. EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m. | Keynote | Ted Henter, JAWS/Henter-Joyce |
| PDT 9:20-9:50 a.m. EDT 12:20-12:50 p.m. | Presentation: Coding is accessible for everyone! | Glen Gordon, JAWS/Vispero |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 10:00-10:50 a.m. EDT 1:00-1:50 p.m. | Panel: What are Coders and what do they do? | Moderator: Steve Clower, Desmos Juan Hernandez, Best Friends Animal Society Stephanie Ludi, University of North Texas Ken Perry, APH |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 11:00-11:50 a.m. EDT 2:00-2:50 p.m. | Panel: If I learn how to code, do I have to be a Programmer? | Moderator: Pete Denman, Intel Joe Hodge, APH Peter Tucic, HumanWare Ka Li, Fable Tech Labs |
| 1 hour – 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 1:00-1:20 p.m. EDT 4:00-4:20 p.m. | Keynote | Peter Tucic, HumanWare |
| PDT 1:20-1:50 p.m. EDT 4:20-4:50 p.m. | Presentation: What do the job availability and future of technology employment look like? | Dean Hudson, Apple, Inc. |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 2:00-2:50 p.m. EDT 5:00-5:50 p.m. | Panel: What does it take to get a job in coding? | Moderator: Anna Thielke, CVS Health Matthew Ballinger, Oregon Commission for the Blind Carl Wise, Vispero Mike Hess, Blind Institute of Technology |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 3:00-3:50 p.m. EDT 6:00-6:50 p.m. | Panel: How do I turn a cool tech idea into a business? | Moderator: Mike May, Good Maps/Sendaro Dave Pinto, YesAccessible! and The Academy of Music for the Blind (AMB) John Gardner, ViewPlus Joe Jorgenson, Accessibyte |
Wednesday
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m. EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m. | Keynote | Kisiah Timmons, Verizon Media |
| PDT 9:20-9:50 a.m. EDT 12:20-12:50 p.m. | Presentation: Printf (“Are there prerequisites to learning how to code?\r\n”); That’s not a typo, folks! | Ken Perry, APH |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 10:00-10:50 a.m. EDT 1:00-1:50 p.m. | Panel: What does it take to get a job in coding? | Moderator: Russell Shaffer, Walmart Enjie Hall, University of Toledo Heather Kennedy-MacKenzie, APH Cory Joseph, CVS Health |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 11:00-11:50 a.m. EDT 2:00-2:50 p.m. | Panel: How do I turn a cool tech idea into a business? | Moderator: Alex Russamanno, New Haptics Bill McCann, Dancing Dots Hans Jorgen Wiberg, Be My Eyes Tom Pey, WayMap |
| 1 hour – 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 1:00-1:20 p.m. EDT 4:00-4:20 p.m. | Keynote | Laura Allen, Google |
| PDT 1:20-1:50 p.m. EDT 4:20-4:50 p.m. | Presentation: Dealing with the inaccessible | Sina Bahram, Prime Access Consulting |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 2:00-2:50 p.m. EDT 5:00-5:50 p.m. | Panel: How do University programs support accessible coding? | Moderator: JooYoung Seo, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Andy Stefik, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Richard Ladner, University of Washington Sean Mealin, SAS Institute |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 3:00-3:50 p.m. EDT 6:00-6:50 p.m. | Panel: How do we teach coding to students with visual impairments? | Moderator: Robin Lowell, i2e Vanessa Herndon, CSB Amanda Rodda, Washington State School for the Blind Sara Larkin, Iowa Ed. Services |
Thursday
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m. EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m. | Keynote | Jyotsna Kaki, Google |
| PDT 9:20-9:50 a.m. EDT 12:20-12:50 p.m. | Presentation: Learning by Making: Going from Idea to App | Saqib Shaikh, Microsoft/Seeing AI |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 10:00-10:50 a.m. EDT 1:00-1:50 p.m. | Panel: How do University programs support accessible coding? | Moderator: Sile O’Modhrain, University of Michigan Lauren Milne, Macalester College Jeffery Bigham, Carnegie Mellon University Donal Fitzpatrick, Dublin City University |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 11:00-11:50 a.m. EDT 2:00-2:50 p.m. | Panel: How do we teach coding to students with visual impairments? | Moderator: Diane Brauner, Perkins Jennifer Bliss, Iowa Ed. Services Gina Fugate, Maryland School for the Blind Tim Lockwood, NCECBVI |
| 1 hour – 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 1:00-1:20 p.m. EDT 4:00-4:20 p.m. | Keynote | Michael Forzano, Amazon |
| PDT 1:20-1:50 p.m. EDT 4:20-4:50 p.m. | Presentation: Learning to Code; It’s not just for Programmers | Greg Stilson, APH |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 2:00-2:50 p.m. EDT 5:00-5:50 p.m. | Panel: What are Coders and what do they do? | Moderator: Ed Scott, Good Maps Michael Forzano, Amazon Lucas Radaelli, Google Austin Seraphin, Accessibility Consultant |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 3:00-3:50 p.m. EDT 6:00-6:50 p.m. | Panel: If I Learn how to Code, do I have to be a Programmer? | Moderator: Peter Torpey, Xerox/Eyes on Success Greg Stilson, APH Darryl Adams, Intel Brian Buhrow, ViaNet Communications/NFB |
Friday
| Time | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m. EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m. | Keynote | Leonie Watson, TetraLogical |
| PDT 9:20-9:50 a.m. EDT 12:20-12:50 p.m. | Presentation: Coding for K-12 students | Sara Larkin and Jennifer Bliss, Iowa Ed. Services |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 10:00-10:30 a.m. EDT 1:00-1:30 p.m. | Q&A: Meet the Coders and Professionals in the field of coding | Steve Clower, Desmos Greg Stilson, APH Darryl Adams, Intel Lucas Radaelli, Google Peter Torpey, Xerox/Eyes on Success Pete Denman, Intel |
| 5 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 10:35-11:05 a.m. EDT 1:35-2:05 p.m. | Q&A: Meet the Professionals who get you hired and Entrepreneurs who are today’s change-makers | Enjie Hall, University of Toledo Heather Kennedy-MacKenzie, APH Bill McCann, Dancing Dots Corey Joseph, CVS Health Mike Hess, Blind Institute of Technology John Gardner, ViewPlus |
| 10 minutes | Break | — |
| PDT 11:15-11:45 p.m. EDT 2:15-2:45 p.m. | Q&A: Meet the Instructors teaching code in K-12 and higher education | Sile O’Modhrain, University of Michigan Donal Fitzpatrick, Dublin City University Diane Brauner, Perkins Jennifer Bliss, Iowa Ed. Services Gina Fugate, Maryland School for the Blind Sean Mealin, SAS Institute/NC State |
| PDT 11:45-12:00 p.m. EDT 2:45-3:00 p.m. | Coding Camp and Scholarship Awards | Adrian Amandi, CSB Michael Wood, Vispero David Bradburn, HumanWare Anne Durham, APH |
| 1 hour | Break | |
| PDT 1:00-1:20 p.m. EDT 4:00-4:20 p.m. | Keynote | Jennison Asuncion, LinkedIn |
| PDT 1:20-1:50 p.m. EDT 4:20-4:50 p.m. | Presentation: Learning to code, with or without school | Chancey Fleet, New York Public Library |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 2:00-2:30 p.m. EDT 5:00-5:30 p.m. | Q&A: Meet the Coders and Professionals in the field of coding | Kisiah Timmons, Verizon Media Ken Perry, APH Ka Li, Fable Tech Labs Austin Seraphin, Accessibility Consultant Joe Hodge, APH Glen Gordon, JAWS/Vispero Brian Buhrow, ViaNet Communications/NFB |
| 5 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 2:35-3:05 a.m. EDT 5:35-6:05 p.m. | Q&A: Meet the Professionals who get you hired and Entrepreneurs who are today’s change-makers | Enjie Hall, University of Toledo Heather Kennedy-MacKenzie, APH Joe Jorgenson, Accessibyte Corey Joseph, CVS Health |
| 10 minutes | Break | |
| PDT 3:15-3:45 p.m. EDT 6:15-6:45 p.m. | Q&A: Meet the Instructors teaching code in K-12 and higher education | Gina Fugate, Maryland School for the Blind Vanessa Herndon, CSB Amanda Rodda, Washington State School for the Blind Sara Larkin, Iowa Ed. Services Andy Stefik, University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| PDT 3:45-4:00 p.m. EDT 6:45-7:00 p.m. | Coding Camp and Scholarship Awards | Adrian Amandi, CSB Joseph McDaniel, Vispero Peter Tucic, HumanWare Anne Durham, APH |