This document lives on Alexandra White's website.
I will only attend and speak at events with:
- A publicly published and enforced code of conduct
- Consideration of speaker compensation
- Accessible venues and accessibility standards
It’s essential to me that the well-being of myself, all attendees, speakers, volunteers, and staff have been considered with public guidelines as to how that well-being will be maintained. Having a public written document sets everyone’s expectations and helps to hold everyone accountable to the same standards.
That said, having a document is not the only key to having a CoC—you must also be willing to enforce it when the terms are in violation by any person present.
This applies to both in-person and virtual conferences. For virtual events, it is very important that event staff moderate conference forums (such as Slack channels), any locations where chat is enabled, and other group spaces.
- Open Source Guides code of conduct and tips for enforcement
- Tech Inclusion virtual code of conduct
- “Holding conferences accountable: Questions everyone should be asking” by Steve Fisher
- Write The Docs code of conduct
I expect that what’s offered to one speaker is offered to everyone. This can include travel reimbursement and/or speaker fees. It takes me (and all speakers) a significant amount of time to respond to CFPs, create talks, practice for the event, and travel to wherever the talk is being held. Please do not insist that “exposure” alone is payment for my time.
All of that said, there will be events I speak at that do not have speaker compensation. I may volunteer my time for non-profit organizations or events which try to keep costs low for attendees and offer significant value otherwise.
However, if you are a for-profit event with high ticket fees, I expect that some form of speaker compensation has been included in your budget.
- “You’re paying to speak” by Remy Sharp
- “Don’t pay to speak at commercial events” by Vitaly Friedman in Smashing Magazine
- “It’s Time To End The Pay Gap For Speakers At Tech Conferences” by Christina Wallace in Forbes
Your conference, virtual and in-person, must be accessible. This means the venue is accessible and that the conference is planned with disabled people’s needs in mind. It also means the conference has taken into account other needs such as language, religious observances, dietary needs, medical conditions, etc.
If you are US-based, the building should meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations. Hotels and convention centers should be able to provide an ADA compliance statement indicating how they meet the accessibility requirements of the law. Other countries have similar standards, and the venues should meet them accordingly. Some specific concerns of note:
- Accessible (and gender-neutral) bathrooms
- Wheelchair accessibility to the main entrance and throughout the conference
- Quiet spaces, away from loud stimuli, for attendees to rest
- Mother’s room or other private space for breastfeeding/pumping
- Accessible AV. If attendees can ask questions, consider volunteers with roving mics rather than standing mics
Captioning and sign language translation are expensive, but should be provided upon request. Google Slides now has live auto captions in U.S. English.
The venue staff and conference staff should have had disability awareness training.
There are many more needs than will be stated here, and I implore you to read the additional resources cited.
Online conferences should be on accessible platforms, adhering to W3 standards. If possible, provide slides in advance to attendees. Ensure there are pauses between talks and other breaks in the day to give folks a chance to take a breath, use the restroom, etc.
- SIGACCESS Accessible Conference Guide is extraordinarily thorough
- IEEE’s guide to an accessible conference
- W3’s guide on making your presentations accessible
- University of Washington’s guide to hosting accessible online meetings
- Resources to Help Ensure Accessibility of Your Virtual Events for People with Disabilities from the National Endowment for the Arts
I hope that any differences of opinions or situations in which we may not align, we can have a discussion to resolve our problems. I am willing to collaborate to make the best experience possible, not only for myself, but for all involved with your event. However, if that is not possible, it is essential that I have some protections in place.
I reserve the right to withdraw without consequence if for any reason your conference, other speakers, sponsors, attendees, third-party vendors, etc, become problematic or my safety is at risk. I reserve the right to determine what this means.
If I withdraw, I will want my name removed from your website and other associations with your conference. You are responsible for any costs associated with this change, not limited to travel changes.
I am not alone in my aspirations for the best possible speaking experience. Here are some other folks in tech who have such policies, and whose policies have influenced my own.