Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 9, 2012 at Droplabs

Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a community-driven effort whose goal is to focus one day to raise the profile of digital (web, software, mobile app/device, touch screen kiosk, etc.) accessibility and people with different disabilities.

The idea started with a single blog post. On May 9th, people in communities around the world are encouraged to hold a talk/meetup, organize hands-on demos, or plan another activity that brings attention to some aspect of digital accessibility. Follow @GblA11yDay on Twitter and use the #gaad hashtag in your own tweets.

Droplabs is happy to participate in this global event. We will have both Dallas Legan and Larry Hart on-hand to present:

• Dallas Legan is a well-respected member of the Southern California Open Source ecosystem. He has presented on a variety of topics at UUASC, LAMP-SIG, the San Fernando Valley Linux Users Group, the San Gabriel Valley Linux Users Group and SCALE.
• Larry Hart is a longtime member of the San Fernando Valley Linux Users Group. He also happens to be a blind web user and will be imparting both his knowledge and frustrations of using a non-accessible web. We hope this will lead to discussions on how we, as web developers, can create a more usable and accessible web.

Presentation: Multimedia at the Command Line, by Dallas Legan

We frequently think of multimedia on Linux as being a collection of X applications, but there is much that can be done from almost any console. These tools can be used for many reasons, varying from usability/accessibility issues, problems that fall through the cracks or are corner cases of GUI front ends and tools, squeezing performance out of low end, light weight or embedded equipment, or just getting more feel for what's going on.

This presentation will survey multimedia tools usable at a raw Linux console, giving examples and tips along the way. If time permits, we'll go over some use cases I've encountered. We'll also review some very important resources that web developers should keep in mind when building the current and future web.

We look forward to your attendance and engagement as we strive to make a better web.

Join us on Twitter, Google+ and IRC!

During the meetup, several of us will be in the regional #drupal-la channel on IRC and the LA Drupal hangout on Google+ and all are welcome to join us. The event organizers will also be monitoring Twitter for feedback and questions that mention @DowntownDrupal, @ladrupal or use the #ladrupal hashtag. We will also be recording the session for those who cannot physically attend because, after all, how can we discuss accessibility without providing folks with many ways to engage in this event.

Location and directions

   Droplabs
   651 Clover St.
   Los Angeles, CA 90031

Droplabs is in the Mission Junction neighborhood of Los Angeles at Big Art Labs, just 1 mile down Main St. from Philippes (the first-ever venue for LA Drupal meetups!) and Union Station. We're one block west of The Brewery, the largest live-and-work artists' colony in the world.

Free parking in our large parking lot is first-come, first-served. After parking in the lot, follow the yellow signs that point to Droplabs. (If our lot is full, you can park for free on Clover St.)

Droplabs is a brief walk from the Main St. / Lamar St. stop on the the Metro Local 76 bus line. To carpool or catch the Droplabs shuttle from Union Station, post below in the comments.

About Droplabs

Droplabs is a collaborative Drupal event and coworking space in Downtown Los Angeles. Created in 2011 by LA Drupal members for the LA Drupal community, we are focused on serving the greater LA Drupal community, enriching the Drupal skills and lives of its members, and bringing joy to our Drupal practice. Our founders represent several local area businesses that have deep roots in the Drupal and open source communities.

We've been open to the public since May, 2011, and the use of our equipment and facilities, including conference room, tables and chairs, is free until our official launch. See http://groups.drupal.org/node/145934 for more details about our open beta period and http://droplabs.net/prices for our list of free amenities and member perks, including our high-speed WiFi, an espresso machine, printer and scanner services, and more.

Droplabs is the host of the monthly Downtown LA Drupal meetups, LA Drupal's weekly Pro Drupal 7 Development book study group and special events including the Varnish 3 Release Party, a Leave GoDaddy Day workshop and LA Drupal's job fairs. To learn more about Droplabs, follow @Droplabs on Twitter, sign up at Meetup.com/Droplabs or like DroplabsLA on Facebook!

About Downtown Los Angeles Drupal

Downtown Los Angeles is one of the most active areas for Drupal in Los Angeles and LA County. We've been meeting regularly on the 3rd Tuesday of every month since early 2010 and now schedule up to 4 regular meetups a month and occasional trainings and social gatherings. Downtown LA Drupal members also produce special events, code sprints, and the annual Drupal Design Camp LA conference

Attending Drupal events in and around Downtown Los Angeles is one of the best ways to meet and talk with other Drupaleros and we encourage you to attend as many meetings and special events as you'd like. Whether it's to find solutions to problems you've been having, sharing something you've learned or just meeting interesting like-minded people, the Downtown LA Drupal events are an essential resource for Drupal professionals and hobbyists alike.

If you aren't already a member of Downtown Los Angeles Drupal, it's easy to join our community. Our community calendar is on our "Events" tab on our home page at http://groups.drupal.org/node/219129