IAC: Information Architecture conference

IAC: Information Architecture conference

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Making IAC21 more accessible: More on diverse, equitable, and inclusive event planning

We want to keep you in the loop of our efforts to make the 2021 information architecture conference more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. This article is a follow on to our action plan posted last month. We ask that you continue to hold us accountable and make suggestions for how we can continuously improve our efforts by emailing us at diversity@theiaconference.com.

IAC21 Virtual Experience Principles

Ask about your needs

As we work on making IAC21 more accessible, we need your input. Tell us what you need by taking the Conference Expectation survey. Your answers will help us learn more about you and your experience with IAC, along with gathering information on your preferences around conference activities (such as poster night, karaoke, game night) and features/functionality of digital tools (single platform for conference, chat, bookmarking). 

  • Sample of the Conference Expectation survey
  • Sample of the Conference Expectation survey

To keep the conversation going well after the survey closes, we established an email address (diversity@theiaconference.com) as a way to continuously collect feedback on your needs, comments, suggestions, questions, and the like on diversity, equity, and inclusion at IAC. We promise to consider all suggestions, and respond to you within a week. We want your voice to be heard. 

Create an accessible suite of tools

The IAC planning committee is hard at work accessing communication platforms, activities, and other services that will provide an accessible conference for all attendees, speakers, and volunteers. 

Platform Evaluation Scoring Guide

To start off, we created a rubric (a scoring guide) to help us evaluate platforms, including criteria such as whether the platform offers or supports synchronized captions for livestream content, transcription, keyboard shortcuts, screen readers, dial-in by phone or have a non-video conference option, alt text for images, and sign language interpretation. We are considering how individuals need to move around different platforms to find information on what’s happening when, where, and how. 

Once a platform or platforms are selected, we will ask volunteers with accessibility needs to help us conduct “dry-runs” and create tip sheets to be posted on the conference website to make sure that the chosen platform(s) accommodate all attendees’ needs.

Provide checklists of best practices for attendees, speakers, and volunteers

As almost every meeting is virtual nowadays, many organizations have developed and shared their own tips and tricks for making the experience engaging and run smoothly. We want to take it a step further and offer best practices for making the conference more accessible for IAC21 attendees, speakers, and volunteers.

We are compiling a list of best practices, which we will share on our website for all attendees and volunteers. IAC21 speakers will be provided a similar list as part of our Speaker Studio. These best practices will include recommendations to use plain language in all communications; a requirement to make all presentation slides, posters, and videos accessible; us conducting an access check prior to live sessions, including checks to make sure that adequate lighting and high-quality audio is available. 

Continuously improve with your help

Is there anything that we’re not thinking about or considering here? Tell us what you think about our plans and your prior experience with IAC, or provide suggestions for future improvements. 

Planning to attend IAC21? Learn more about our theme.

Written by MaShana Davis with contributions by Agnes Kiss, Chiara Ogan, and Cassini Nazir

Toward a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive IAC21: our action plan

Following up on an article from June 25, 2020, we want to let you know how we’re taking action for the 2021 information architecture conference to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We ask that you hold us accountable and make suggestions for how we can continuously improve our efforts. 

Our action plan

Diversify our scholarship criteria

Since 2018, the IAC’s Scholarship Program has offered around 30 full scholarships—covering the cost of registration, airfare, and hotel—mainly to people of color. Vanessa Foss, Kunverj and IAC Advisory Board member, says that this initiative was born out of the need for more representation and to build awareness of the participation of people of color in the information architecture field. This year, we will continue our efforts with these same goals in mind, but we will expand our criteria to further highlight diversity, equity,  and inclusivity within the field. Our scholarships will be available to:   

  • Students identifying as black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC) 
  • Students identifying as LGBTQIA+
  • Students with a disability
  • Anyone whose employment has been affected by COVID-19 or other circumstances

Create meaningful mentorship opportunities

Mentorship comes in different forms and at different times. The IAC is a space where mentorships are formed and continued. We have offered many opportunities for mentorship including portfolio reviews, 1-on-1 career advice sessions, and group mentoring. Besides these options, we want to ensure that we create meaningful opportunities to connect, learn from one another, and to continue to foster and build on these relationships well after the IAC. To do this, we will:

  • Establish a pledge for mentors and mentees to stay invested during and after the conference.
  • Create conference circles or birds of a feather sessions to encourage peer-to-peer learning. 
  • Create a roadmap for the mentor-mentee relationship to aid relationship development beyond the conference.
  • Update our selection criteria for mentors to ensure a diverse selection of mentors.

Provide speaker support for new or novice IAC speakers

Speaking in front of a new crowd at an unfamiliar venue can be difficult, even if the topic is familiar. Recognizing this, now almost 10 years ago, Adam Polansky recognized this and started an effort to support new or novice speakers to the conference. This year, we will continue to support speakers at every stage of the process—from putting a submission together to rehearsing a talk. As we develop our speaker support program, we will all be able to share our plans for guiding speakers and presenters in adapting their content to the virtual environment.

Reimagine the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Roundtable

“Diversity is going to the party. Inclusion is being on the party-planning committee.” [Verna Meyers]

We will continue our efforts, started in 2018 and continued in 2019, to offer a safe space to discuss issues, ideas, and solutions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion as they relate to the IAC and the field. Going virtual allows us to experiment and to offer a series of virtual roundtables. We will encourage first-time conference attendees and newcomers to the field to take part in the discussion to bring a fresh perspective. Following the sessions, we will compile the feedback from each DEI roundtable, translate these outcomes to action, and share this information with the community via the IAC blog.

Update our code of conduct and provide safe ways to report misconduct

The possibility for bad actors exists at every conference. With that, your mental, emotional, and physical safety is one of our priorities and will help to make a great experience, even for a virtual conference. The IAC Code of Conduct is reviewed annually to address any gaps or changes that are needed. We offer an anonymous reporting form in the case of misconduct. 

Broaden our community

Representation matters always! IAC continues to recognize the need to diversify its community to ensure it has a variety of perspectives, experiences, skill sets, and knowledge. In the past, IAC has proactively reached out to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to increase student participation. However, we recognize outreach alone is not enough, and this year, we hope to expand IAC’s connection to all institutions of learning. To do this, we will:

  • Deepen our existing relationships with HBCUs.
  • Establish new relationships with community colleges, high schools, bootcamps, and other non-traditional information architecture, user experience, and design programs. 
  • Identify and share information on non-traditional programs with the community.

Continuously improve with your help

We will provide ways for you to offer feedback on our efforts. The DEI Roundtable is one avenue, but in the meantime tell us what you think about our plans and your prior experience with IAC, or provide suggestions for future improvements. 

Planning to attend IAC21? Learn more about our theme. 

If you’d like to help, please sign up to volunteer for the IAC21.

Written by MaShana Davis with contributions by Cassini Nazir, Grace Lau, Teresa Nguyen, and Agnes Kiss.

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