2021 National Coding Symposium – Agenda

May 9-13, 2022

8:30 AM – 12:00 PM (PDT)

11:30 – 3:00 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.

5-Day Overview

(Subject to updates, so please check back occasionally.)

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
Welcome Announcements Welcome Announcements Welcome Announcements Welcome Announcements Welcome Announcements
Keynote 1: Ted Henter, JAWSKeynote 2: Léonie Watson, TetralogicalKeynote 3: TBDKeynote 4: Michael Curran, NVDAKeynote 5: Kisiah Timmons, Yahoo, Inc.
Panel 1: Panel 2: Panel 3: Panel 4: Panel 5:
Presentation and Q&A 1A: Presentation and Q&A 2A: Presentation and Q&A 3A: Presentation and Q&A 4A:
Presentation and Q&A 1B: Presentation and Q&A 2B: Presentation and Q&A 3B: Presentation and Q&A 4B:
Student Presentation 1: Student Presentation 2: Student Presentation 3: Student Presentation 4:
Closing AnnouncementsClosing Announcements Closing Announcements Closing Announcements Closing Announcements: Coding Camp Info and Scholarship Awards

Daily Schedule

(Subject to updates, so please check back occasionally.)

Tuesday

TimeSessionSpeaker
PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m.
EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m.
KeynoteTed 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 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
PDT 1:00-1:20 p.m.
EDT 4:00-4:20 p.m.
KeynotePeter 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 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
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

TimeSessionSpeaker
PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m.
EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m.
KeynoteKisiah 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 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
PDT 1:00-1:20 p.m.
EDT 4:00-4:20 p.m.
KeynoteLaura Allen, Google
PDT 1:20-1:50 p.m.
EDT 4:20-4:50 p.m.
Presentation: Dealing with the inaccessibleSina Bahram, Prime Access Consulting
10 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
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

TimeSessionSpeaker
PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m.
EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m.
KeynoteJyotsna Kaki, Google
PDT 9:20-9:50 a.m.
EDT 12:20-12:50 p.m.
Presentation: Learning by Making: Going from Idea to AppSaqib Shaikh, Microsoft/Seeing AI
10 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
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 ProgrammersGreg Stilson, APH
10 minutesBreak
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 minutesBreak
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

TimeSessionSpeaker
PDT 9:00-9:20 a.m.
EDT 12:00-12:20 p.m.
KeynoteLeonie Watson, TetraLogical
PDT 9:20-9:50 a.m.
EDT 12:20-12:50 p.m.
Presentation: Coding for K-12 studentsSara Larkin and Jennifer Bliss, Iowa Ed. Services
10 minutesBreak
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 codingSteve Clower, Desmos
Greg Stilson, APH
Darryl Adams, Intel
Lucas Radaelli, Google
Peter Torpey, Xerox/Eyes on Success
Pete Denman, Intel
5 minutesBreak
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-makersEnjie 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 minutesBreak
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 educationSile 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 AwardsAdrian Amandi, CSB
Michael Wood, Vispero
David Bradburn, HumanWare
Anne Durham, APH
1 hourBreak
PDT 1:00-1:20 p.m.
EDT 4:00-4:20 p.m.
KeynoteJennison Asuncion, LinkedIn
PDT 1:20-1:50 p.m.
EDT 4:20-4:50 p.m.
Presentation: Learning to code, with or without schoolChancey Fleet, New York Public Library
10 minutesBreak
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 codingKisiah 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 minutesBreak
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-makersEnjie Hall, University of Toledo
Heather Kennedy-MacKenzie, APH
Joe Jorgenson, Accessibyte
Corey Joseph, CVS Health
10 minutesBreak
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 educationGina 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 AwardsAdrian Amandi, CSB
Joseph McDaniel, Vispero
Peter Tucic, HumanWare
Anne Durham, APH