[Edited Message Follows]
[Reason: Forgot the percentage for the discount. ]

Tired of all that DOING and craving for a space where you can just BE and learn with peers?

The second cohort of virtual learning retreat starts this spring.

I've learnt so much from this community and would like to offer a 15% discount for the members.

Mention coupon code 'f4c' when you sign up.

.

Here are what others have said about the retreat:

• I gained new gifts and perspectives: Each step along the way, brought me new gifts, sometimes small, but often enormous. I have gained so much perspective in the last few weeks all thanks to Sara and her heart-centered gifts.
• An enriching experience for mind, soul, and body: Throughout the weeks, the sessions were engaging, full of insight, and playful learning. I enjoyed the time for introspection as well as learning with and from each other. I highly recommend this journey!

?

With gratitude,

Sara(sher/her)

Guiding teams into connection, understanding, and growth
Crafting transformative spaces online, on-site and in-between

Wish you Knew Me:

?

Hi All,

The test networking session begins?soon: 12pm Eastern / 9am Pacific today.

Drop in for a few minutes to meet a few other people from this F4C list.??

This is a test to see if we actually like talking to each other and if we'd like to do it on a regular basis.? It will be fun!

Toolset: Zoom, Whereby video, Qiqo

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

On Mon, Jan 10, 2022 at 11:37 AM Lucas Cioffi <lucas@...> wrote:

Hi All,

I don't think the F4C group has held any online events yet where we can meet each other.

Should we make one happen?

You're invited to a 30-minute networking test this Wednesday at 12pm Eastern / 9am Pacific / 6pm CET.

Please register here before the event begins:

We'll combine a few tools (Zoom, Whereby video, and SpatialChat) to see which ones are best for the purpose of networking for this group.? Participants can choose who they want to meet and then they should get paired with those people.

I hope to see you there!

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

Hi All,

I don't think the F4C group has held any online events yet where we can meet each other.

Should we make one happen?

You're invited to a 30-minute networking test this Wednesday at 12pm Eastern / 9am Pacific / 6pm CET.

Please register here before the event begins:

We'll combine a few tools (Zoom, Whereby video, and SpatialChat) to see which ones are best for the purpose of networking for this group.? Participants can choose who they want to meet and then they should get paired with those people.

I hope to see you there!

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

Hi Amy,

I do think there are great candidates to be found at $35/hour.

As a baseline for this conversation, here are some of the responsibilities of a Zoom host:

• greet people
• share screensaver during breaks
• turn on recording and closed captions
• adjust security settings for what participants are permitted to do
• set up interpreters for language interpretation
• spotlight speakers
• mute/unmute
• manage waiting room
• set up breakout rooms
• reacting in case of Zoombombing

I've hired just a?handful of Zoom hosts and the rate has been $35-50/hour for small projects.? In response to your question, I did a quick search online.? Below is some info pasted from that I found on a freelancing?platform called Upwork.? She has worked 284 hours so far on an ongoing project at $25/hour.? She's taking new projects at $30/hour.? Here's a from Orlando working at $25/hour.? Here's from the Philippines with tremendous experience at $25/hour.? I think the talent pool of people who are very skilled at Zoom is increasing quickly each month, and so the cost is going down.

Stacie M.?

New York, NY

Event & Conference Planner

$30.00/hr

I have been an event and meeting planner for over five years, working in the nonprofit sector. I have discovered my superpower is remaining calm under pressure, which is why I love planning events. Event planning can be incredibly stressful, and not everyone enjoys it; I love using my skill-set to help others see their vision come to life.

? My events portfolio includes planning large-scale 1700 in-person trade shows, golf tournaments, virtual conferences, to small board meetings. I guarantee that each client is comfortable with every decision made for their event and ensuring they are prepared for the day of the event. Did the zoom link make it to the panelists? Do the attendees have the information they need? I strive to make sure that every detail is thought of and everything runs seamlessly. Types of events I plan: - Board Meetings - Conferences - Forums - Seminars - Trade Shows Software Specialities: - Asana - Salesforce - G-Suite - Google Meets - Hopin - Zoom - Eventbrite - CadmiumCD

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 5:44 PM Amy Lenzo <amy@...> wrote:

Lucas,

I’m curious where you got the figure of $35/ hour for Zoom tech hosts… that seems incredibly low to me, especially given how much tech hosts are often asked to do - it’s rarely as simple as it might sound. :-)?

Thank you for sharing some possible tech solutions to the situation Gerald posed - you are so skilled and knowledgable in this whole arena - I appreciate having you in this group as a resource.

Gerald,

I also really love the less-technical great ideas and approaches that are being offered here to make the experience more “human” and engaging for everyone, not just the differently sighted. Would you please share with us what you end up doing, and how the group responds??

I haven’t ever worked with a blind group myself, but I HAVE worked with deaf audiences (where I used sign-language interpretation, as well as a heavily visual design), and I can imagine the approach - of focusing your program design with elements that everyone present can appreciate and engage with - is similar.?

The very best of luck to you. ? ??

Warmly,

Amy

..o0o..
Amy Lenzo
weDialogue: Virtual?Environment, Real Connection

"It may be?that?some?little root?of the?sacred?tree still?lives.?Nourish?it then,?that it?may leaf?and?bloom?and fill?with?singing?birds.”
~ BLACK ELK

On Jan 4, 2022, at 6:03 AM, Lucas Cioffi <lucas@...> wrote:

Hello Gerardo,

Here is Zoom's about their accessibility.? I pasted it below this email also.? I haven't heard about the actual user experience from a user's perspective, though.

In thinking about the problem that Teletha mentioned about screen readers automatically reading all of the chat messages, I think a better option would be to have visually impaired users call into a conference call at the same time they are on Zoom.? On that conference call, where a person will read the chat messages to them at an appropriate time.? The person could also describe what they are seeing about the speaker or the speaker's slides.? I haven't tried this, but in my opinion, I?think it would be more empowering and accurate and much less painful/abrasive/cold than a screen reader.

So the people with limited sight would?have their?laptop speakers & microphone, plus their phone with an earpiece would be connected to the second conference call (which could be the dial-in info for a separate Zoom meeting).? The assistant on the earpiece would probably be speaking 10-20% of the time.

When it is time for something interactive such as a poll, I would use a direct link to a Web-based tool, and I would send all of those out in an email before the event begins.? People with limited sight can turn on their screen reader to read their email and navigate the poll/tool on their own at the appropriate time.

I've never heard of this service being offered, but I hope that some firm will develop this capability and offer it so that the rest of us facilitators can hire them for it.? Firms with professional interpreters charge $100-$250 per hour but I think that people who normally serve as Zoom tech hosts at $35/hour would be able to learn how to do this well with just a few hours of practice.

A client investing in a human assistant to people with limited sight would make a strong statement that accessibility is important to?them, and the cost wouldn't be so high at $35/hour.? Does anyone else have any opinions about that?

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

Is Zoom accessible for users with visual impairments?

Zoom ensures that its products are operable and perceivable for users with visual impairments. Our products support common screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and Android Talkback. Additionally, visual interfaces are designed with adequate color contrast, size, and usage of color to ensure clarity for users with various vision needs.

Is content shared through the screen sharing feature accessible to screen readers?

User content shared through Zoom’s screen sharing feature is rendered to meeting participants as an HD video stream. In order to make contents of the screen share accessible to attendees who use screen readers, it is recommended that the presenter share the relevant files/notes with meeting attendees. This solution will ensure that the document's full content and semantic markup is preserved and made accessible to screen reader users. Zoom provides file upload capabilities in its in-meeting chat so that meeting hosts may share files to participants while in-meeting.

Can I use the remote control feature to control another computer's screen reader?

Zoom's remote control feature allows users to control the screen sharer's screen reader. The host computer must first enable "share computer audio" to stream the screen reader speech output to the guest computer. Once the guest has gained remote control, the common screen reader keystrokes will be registered on the host computer.

Does Zoom application support high-contrast or dark mode settings?

The Zoom Application on Windows, iOS, and Android support the high contrast settings defined in the system preferences. The Zoom Application for macOS supports Dark Mode.

Does Zoom application support larger font settings?

The Zoom Application on macOS and Windows only support the inheritance of the display scaling options defined in the operating system settings. The Zoom desktop applications also provides font size customizations for subtitles. The Zoom Application for iOS and Android support font sizes defined in the system settings.

--


.o0o.
Amy Lenzo |?weDialogue
Virtual Space, Real?Engagement
amy@...?|

Lucas,

I’m curious where you got the figure of $35/ hour for Zoom tech hosts… that seems incredibly low to me, especially given how much tech hosts are often asked to do - it’s rarely as simple as it might sound. :-)?

Thank you for sharing some possible tech solutions to the situation Gerald posed - you are so skilled and knowledgable in this whole arena - I appreciate having you in this group as a resource.

Gerald,

I also really love the less-technical great ideas and approaches that are being offered here to make the experience more “human” and engaging for everyone, not just the differently sighted. Would you please share with us what you end up doing, and how the group responds??

I haven’t ever worked with a blind group myself, but I HAVE worked with deaf audiences (where I used sign-language interpretation, as well as a heavily visual design), and I can imagine the approach - of focusing your program design with elements that everyone present can appreciate and engage with - is similar.?

The very best of luck to you. ? ??

Warmly,

Amy

..o0o..
Amy Lenzo
weDialogue: Virtual?Environment, Real Connection

"It may be?that?some?little root?of the?sacred?tree still?lives.?Nourish?it then,?that it?may leaf?and?bloom?and fill?with?singing?birds.”
~ BLACK ELK

On Jan 4, 2022, at 6:03 AM, Lucas Cioffi <lucas@...> wrote:

Hello Gerardo,

Here is Zoom's about their accessibility.? I pasted it below this email also.? I haven't heard about the actual user experience from a user's perspective, though.

In thinking about the problem that Teletha mentioned about screen readers automatically reading all of the chat messages, I think a better option would be to have visually impaired users call into a conference call at the same time they are on Zoom.? On that conference call, where a person will read the chat messages to them at an appropriate time.? The person could also describe what they are seeing about the speaker or the speaker's slides.? I haven't tried this, but in my opinion, I?think it would be more empowering and accurate and much less painful/abrasive/cold than a screen reader.

So the people with limited sight would?have their?laptop speakers & microphone, plus their phone with an earpiece would be connected to the second conference call (which could be the dial-in info for a separate Zoom meeting).? The assistant on the earpiece would probably be speaking 10-20% of the time.

When it is time for something interactive such as a poll, I would use a direct link to a Web-based tool, and I would send all of those out in an email before the event begins.? People with limited sight can turn on their screen reader to read their email and navigate the poll/tool on their own at the appropriate time.

I've never heard of this service being offered, but I hope that some firm will develop this capability and offer it so that the rest of us facilitators can hire them for it.? Firms with professional interpreters charge $100-$250 per hour but I think that people who normally serve as Zoom tech hosts at $35/hour would be able to learn how to do this well with just a few hours of practice.

A client investing in a human assistant to people with limited sight would make a strong statement that accessibility is important to?them, and the cost wouldn't be so high at $35/hour.? Does anyone else have any opinions about that?

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

Is Zoom accessible for users with visual impairments?

Zoom ensures that its products are operable and perceivable for users with visual impairments. Our products support common screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and Android Talkback. Additionally, visual interfaces are designed with adequate color contrast, size, and usage of color to ensure clarity for users with various vision needs.

Is content shared through the screen sharing feature accessible to screen readers?

User content shared through Zoom’s screen sharing feature is rendered to meeting participants as an HD video stream. In order to make contents of the screen share accessible to attendees who use screen readers, it is recommended that the presenter share the relevant files/notes with meeting attendees. This solution will ensure that the document's full content and semantic markup is preserved and made accessible to screen reader users. Zoom provides file upload capabilities in its in-meeting chat so that meeting hosts may share files to participants while in-meeting.

Can I use the remote control feature to control another computer's screen reader?

Zoom's remote control feature allows users to control the screen sharer's screen reader. The host computer must first enable "share computer audio" to stream the screen reader speech output to the guest computer. Once the guest has gained remote control, the common screen reader keystrokes will be registered on the host computer.

Does Zoom application support high-contrast or dark mode settings?

The Zoom Application on Windows, iOS, and Android support the high contrast settings defined in the system preferences. The Zoom Application for macOS supports Dark Mode.

Does Zoom application support larger font settings?

The Zoom Application on macOS and Windows only support the inheritance of the display scaling options defined in the operating system settings. The Zoom desktop applications also provides font size customizations for subtitles. The Zoom Application for iOS and Android support font sizes defined in the system settings.

--


.o0o.
Amy Lenzo |?weDialogue
Virtual Space, Real?Engagement
amy@...?|

Thank you for all your responses and contributions.?

Words are important indeed.

Food for thoughts.

As I read your emails my inquiry in some way becomes more clear.

I see two different ways of approaching this situation.

The first one is trying to help blind people to "see" as any other sighted participants.

Screen readers help in this way, such as human assistants.

The second approach is to design a meeting not based on visual supports -
this is really what I am inquiring about at this moment.

Something like dining in the dark - I don't know if you are familiar with it.

Sighted people are invited to dine in the dark guided by non-sighted people.

Think of a meeting where all attendees have their camera off and nothing to read.

I know that for facilitators working in remote areas with a poor internet connection this is often the only option at hand,

and I wonder if their experience can be in some way translated to situations like the one I am describing.

All the best

ge

Office: Via A. Volta 6 - 20121 Milano – Italy
Phone: +39 3293281343 -Fax: +39 02 87151318 - Skype: gerardodeluz
xge@... - ?-

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Il giorno mar 4 gen 2022 alle ore 15:03 Lucas Cioffi <lucas@...> ha scritto:

Hello Gerardo,

Here is Zoom's about their accessibility.? I pasted it below this email also.? I haven't heard about the actual user experience from a user's perspective, though.

In thinking about the problem that Teletha mentioned about screen readers automatically reading all of the chat messages, I think a better option would be to have visually impaired users call into a conference call at the same time they are on Zoom.? On that conference call, where a person will read the chat messages to them at an appropriate time.? The person could also describe what they are seeing about the speaker or the speaker's slides.? I haven't tried this, but in my opinion, I?think it would be more empowering and accurate and much less painful/abrasive/cold than a screen reader.

So the people with limited sight would?have their?laptop speakers & microphone, plus their phone with an earpiece would be connected to the second conference call (which could be the dial-in info for a separate Zoom meeting).? The assistant on the earpiece would probably be speaking 10-20% of the time.

When it is time for something interactive such as a poll, I would use a direct link to a Web-based tool, and I would send all of those out in an email before the event begins.? People with limited sight can turn on their screen reader to read their email and navigate the poll/tool on their own at the appropriate time.

I've never heard of this service being offered, but I hope that some firm will develop this capability and offer it so that the rest of us facilitators can hire them for it.? Firms with professional interpreters charge $100-$250 per hour but I think that people who normally serve as Zoom tech hosts at $35/hour would be able to learn how to do this well with just a few hours of practice.

A client investing in a human assistant to people with limited sight would make a strong statement that accessibility is important to?them, and the cost wouldn't be so high at $35/hour.? Does anyone else have any opinions about that?

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

Is Zoom accessible for users with visual impairments?

Zoom ensures that its products are operable and perceivable for users with visual impairments. Our products support common screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and Android Talkback. Additionally, visual interfaces are designed with adequate color contrast, size, and usage of color to ensure clarity for users with various vision needs.

Is content shared through the screen sharing feature accessible to screen readers?

User content shared through Zoom’s screen sharing feature is rendered to meeting participants as an HD video stream. In order to make contents of the screen share accessible to attendees who use screen readers, it is recommended that the presenter share the relevant files/notes with meeting attendees. This solution will ensure that the document's full content and semantic markup is preserved and made accessible to screen reader users. Zoom provides file upload capabilities in its in-meeting chat so that meeting hosts may share files to participants while in-meeting.

Can I use the remote control feature to control another computer's screen reader?

Zoom's remote control feature allows users to control the screen sharer's screen reader. The host computer must first enable "share computer audio" to stream the screen reader speech output to the guest computer. Once the guest has gained remote control, the common screen reader keystrokes will be registered on the host computer.

Does Zoom application support high-contrast or dark mode settings?

The Zoom Application on Windows, iOS, and Android support the high contrast settings defined in the system preferences. The Zoom Application for macOS supports Dark Mode.

Does Zoom application support larger font settings?

The Zoom Application on macOS and Windows only support the inheritance of the display scaling options defined in the operating system settings. The Zoom desktop applications also provides font size customizations for subtitles. The Zoom Application for iOS and Android support font sizes defined in the system settings.

Hello Gerardo,

Here is Zoom's about their accessibility.? I pasted it below this email also.? I haven't heard about the actual user experience from a user's perspective, though.

In thinking about the problem that Teletha mentioned about screen readers automatically reading all of the chat messages, I think a better option would be to have visually impaired users call into a conference call at the same time they are on Zoom.? On that conference call, where a person will read the chat messages to them at an appropriate time.? The person could also describe what they are seeing about the speaker or the speaker's slides.? I haven't tried this, but in my opinion, I?think it would be more empowering and accurate and much less painful/abrasive/cold than a screen reader.

So the people with limited sight would?have their?laptop speakers & microphone, plus their phone with an earpiece would be connected to the second conference call (which could be the dial-in info for a separate Zoom meeting).? The assistant on the earpiece would probably be speaking 10-20% of the time.

When it is time for something interactive such as a poll, I would use a direct link to a Web-based tool, and I would send all of those out in an email before the event begins.? People with limited sight can turn on their screen reader to read their email and navigate the poll/tool on their own at the appropriate time.

I've never heard of this service being offered, but I hope that some firm will develop this capability and offer it so that the rest of us facilitators can hire them for it.? Firms with professional interpreters charge $100-$250 per hour but I think that people who normally serve as Zoom tech hosts at $35/hour would be able to learn how to do this well with just a few hours of practice.

A client investing in a human assistant to people with limited sight would make a strong statement that accessibility is important to?them, and the cost wouldn't be so high at $35/hour.? Does anyone else have any opinions about that?

Lucas Cioffi

QiqoChat | Lead Software Engineer

lucas@...

+1.917.528.1831

?

Live Online Events | Engaging Communities | Real Collaboration

Drop in for?

Is Zoom accessible for users with visual impairments?

Zoom ensures that its products are operable and perceivable for users with visual impairments. Our products support common screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and Android Talkback. Additionally, visual interfaces are designed with adequate color contrast, size, and usage of color to ensure clarity for users with various vision needs.

Is content shared through the screen sharing feature accessible to screen readers?

User content shared through Zoom’s screen sharing feature is rendered to meeting participants as an HD video stream. In order to make contents of the screen share accessible to attendees who use screen readers, it is recommended that the presenter share the relevant files/notes with meeting attendees. This solution will ensure that the document's full content and semantic markup is preserved and made accessible to screen reader users. Zoom provides file upload capabilities in its in-meeting chat so that meeting hosts may share files to participants while in-meeting.

Can I use the remote control feature to control another computer's screen reader?

Zoom's remote control feature allows users to control the screen sharer's screen reader. The host computer must first enable "share computer audio" to stream the screen reader speech output to the guest computer. Once the guest has gained remote control, the common screen reader keystrokes will be registered on the host computer.

Does Zoom application support high-contrast or dark mode settings?

The Zoom Application on Windows, iOS, and Android support the high contrast settings defined in the system preferences. The Zoom Application for macOS supports Dark Mode.

Does Zoom application support larger font settings?

The Zoom Application on macOS and Windows only support the inheritance of the display scaling options defined in the operating system settings. The Zoom desktop applications also provides font size customizations for subtitles. The Zoom Application for iOS and Android support font sizes defined in the system settings.

A few thoughts based on my experience and research. My company name "PersonaGrata" is a loose translation from Latin that means "Person Welcome" - a state we all desire, but may have difficulty achieving.

• Is there any option to poll the?blind participants, in my experience, people who may appear to have the same disability,?interact with the world very differently and may even have different actual disabilities (i.e. someone with partial sight who may only need larger type v. someone who has no sight at all v. someone who can only read high contrast online).
• Consider the many ways in which blind people interact with visual mediums. In my experience there are text to voice web tools, they are not very efficient and miss quite a lot.?
• Another starting place is to consider the platform you are using and whether they are compliant - can you use an LMS that is compliant as a platform? Whatever platform you are accustomed to working with may also have special resources available.?
• My best guess at options would be to have a live transcription type service for any text being used.
• At a minimum, use alt-text for all visuals, I often build in time for me to narrate any visuals ... The visual here is an?"X"... it represent?"Y"... and then go on to the content for the slide
• Most of the softwares now have built-in accessibility checkers, but if you don't have expertise in resolving the issues the accessibility checkers find, this may or may not be helpful.
• Here is more about experiences for the widest margins of inclusion.

A thought regarding what I know about critical disability theory and the disability communities I have been exposed to, the term special needs can be a loaded term. The principle is that people are not disabled, the communities in which we live and work present unnecessary dis-abling barriers. That is to say, the folks with disabilities only have needs that are exceptional or "special" because "we all" do not live and work in environments designed to be inclusive of all people.?

Hope this is helpful. I am excited to learn more from others on this topic.

Deborah Miller, Ph.D. (candidate), M.Ed., PCC, CCDP

pronouns (she/her/hers)

CEO and Founder,
PersonaGrata Consulting

647.388.8387

?

On Mon, Jan 3, 2022 at 8:14 AM gerardo de luzenberger <xdeluz@...> wrote:

Dear all.

First of all let me wish you all a happy new year.

I have been requested to facilitate online a strategic planning process for a community in which there are several blind people.

Starting to reflect on how to organise the process, I have realised that all of my work online relies on visuals and sight.

Any experience of working with participants with special needs?

Any advice to offer on inclusive tools and software?

all the best

ge

Office: Via A. Volta 6 - 20121 Milano – Italy
Phone: +39 3293281343 -Fax: +39 02 87151318 - Skype: gerardodeluz
xge@... - ?-

Please consider the environment before deciding to print this e-mail
This e-mail (and any attachment(s)) is strictly confidential and for use only by intended recipient(s). If you are not an intended recipient(s), please notify it via e-mail at promptly

Dear all.

First of all let me wish you all a happy new year.

I have been requested to facilitate online a strategic planning process for a community in which there are several blind people.

Starting to reflect on how to organise the process, I have realised that all of my work online relies on visuals and sight.

Any experience of working with participants with special needs?

Any advice to offer on inclusive tools and software?

all the best

ge

Office: Via A. Volta 6 - 20121 Milano – Italy
Phone: +39 3293281343 -Fax: +39 02 87151318 - Skype: gerardodeluz
xge@... - ?-

Please consider the environment before deciding to print this e-mail
This e-mail (and any attachment(s)) is strictly confidential and for use only by intended recipient(s). If you are not an intended recipient(s), please notify it via e-mail at promptly