Collegiate forensics: 2018-2019 communication analysis manuscript (Apple Disability Emojis)

Originally planned for publication in March 2020 but things slowed down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (please stay safe and healthy):

On July 26, 1990, United States president George H. W. Bush signed Americans with Disabilities Act into law, hailed as a civil rights legislation people with disabilities sought for generations. To people born outside of America (including I), this legislation and certain policies were seen as making United States a "safe home for the disabled." Yet 30 years later, there are issues disabled people face such as subtle discrimination in policies, technology, and education, made more clear as we look at disability and COVID-19.

Then a few weeks ago, the blindness community was shocked to learn that, despite calls for accommodations, College Board would not provide hard-copy braille tests to Advanced Placement (AP) test takers who did request such an accommodation, especially for people who signed up for science courses such as biology. College Board's argument was that technology can be a useful tool for test takers given online instruction and resource reallocations, which turned out to be a mixed success. For disabled students, as Kaleigh Brendle from New Jersey (a blind student and an aspiring disability advocate) pointed out in her speech to a blindness advocacy organization a few days ago, it was a frustrating and devastating experience. In the end, College Board agreed to provide braille tests, but as you'll see below, it becomes nothing unless advocacy is sustained. Kaleigh's speech is one of the reasons for publishing the below forensics manuscript as a way for me to reflect on what ADA did for the last three decades, and to offer food for thought as we move toward broader online presence and advocacy (and for speech students, another CA example to study and learn from).

Below is a manuscript of a communication analysis speech I presented during 2018-2019 collegiate speech season (with updates), stemming from the so-called "disability emojis" from Apple which made headlines in 2018. Although the manuscript does not address ADA directly, it addresses a subtle form of discrimination certain groups with disabilities face: technological representation divorced from experiences of disabled people, more so if the "represented group cannot use such medium. This speech made it to semifinal round (top twelve in the nation) of rhetorical criticism (communication analysis) during National Forensic Association (NFA) National Championship held in Santa Ana, California in April 2019.

Pixelated wheelchairs and white canes: analysis of Apple’s disability emojis in the lens of disability and visual rhetoric

2018 wasn’t exactly the “year of disability”, between Stephen Hawking’s death memes and efforts by Washington lawmakers to downplay the ADA’s significance. But in an attempt to rectify that unease, in March 2018, Apple announced the addition of more emojis to your iPhones, and they aren’t winking faces and cucumbers: they’re 13 emoji characters representing people like me: people with disabilities. Diverse publications like Buzzfeed to Ars Technica praised the release as “a high moment for disabled people.” But the World Health Organization reminds us - 300 million people live with varying levels of blindness. Marcel Danesi argues in his 2016 book, The Semiotics of Emojis, emojis, like Apple’s, aim to normalize communication and emotional expression. But instead, Apple normalized the inequity of access for persons with disabilities in the name of progress that prompts the research question:

How do Apple’s Disability Emojis as representational medium construct disability as a locus for discrimination?

To answer, let’s turn to research by Bonnie Tucker of the University of Michigan, titled “Technocapitalist Disability Rhetoric: Confusing Technology for Social Justice”, initially published in the journal of Enculturation in April 2017. Tucker analyzes a series of Super Bowl Ads by Microsoft meant to be empowering through a rhetorical disability studies lens, which is apt for our analysis. To understand how Apple’s attempts at inclusion excluded, we’ll first examine Tucker’s findings, apply them to Apple’s disability emojis, and draw critical implications to yet another attempt to represent disability – not as we see it, but as you see it.

In 2014, Microsoft aired a Super Bowl ad featuring former NFL player Steve Gleason and an ALS patient, and Eye Gaze, a technology to allow him and others to communicate with minimal physical movement. Tucker uses visual rhetoric in disability studies  to analyze how ads like this commodify disabled bodies while presenting a superficially empowering narrative, identifying three tenets: focus placement, emotional appeal, and concept testing.

First, Tucker argues that companies create a locus of discrimination with faulty focus placement. When our empowering messages aren’t focused on disabled personhood, but instead, on how to “save” them, we overlook their commodification and the discrimination inherent in it. Tucker notes that, “… the prominent highlight of the 2014 Super Bowl ad was not Steve Gleason, but the technology that allowed him to talk - eye gaze - thus putting their own product at the center of a message that should have been about combatting disability norms.

Second, Tucker argues that disability is twisted into emotional appeal. In order to operationalize their products, companies must demonstrate a “need” for it, often appealing to sympathy. Microsoft’s ads do this visually, using the contrast between the bodies described to paint one as lacking, different, and weak. The Superbowl ads transform in the minds of audience what is otherwise an attempt to sell a product into a public relations campaign worthy of praise.

Third, Tucker establishes disability as social concept testing. The end goal of companies is to create appealing, mainstream solutions; Amazon’s vocal interface became Alexa, for instance. So disabled people become “… beta testers for a potential product …”. The eye gaze technology shown to empower users with disabilities in 2014 debuted on Windows 10 three years later - they essentially advertised how nice their research and development team was, not a finished empowering tool.

Tucker establishes the steps that companies take to disguise commodification as empowerment. Let’s apply her findings to Apple’s disability emojis.

First, having come together for once, Apple and Microsoft share similar focus placement. Apple claims to focus on disability-related needs, but their appeals to the masses are tellingly different: in their March 2018 announcement, they proclaim that “… technology has no barriers, even for disabled people and their representations …”. Notice the focus is the medium - the iPhone, the emojis - and its scope for mainstream audiences. “Even” represents those with disabilities as a fringe afterthought. Apple focuses on a solution, not the people or norms they face, fulfilling Tucker’s first tenet.

Second, these emojis are steeped in emotional appeal. Apple’s announcement furthers that these emojis “… highlight diverse populations and give voice to people with disabilities …”. But Apple isn’t giving us a voice - they can offer a platform. Their words are not accidental, and portray themselves as restorers of agency for a population without it. Apple appeals to sympathy to sell a need, fulfilling Tucker’s second tenet.

Finally, Apple’s disability emojis are part of a concept test, and they’ve found a defect. 300 million people have no way of interacting with, let alone, viewing digital, visual representations of “themselves”. They’ve rendered us the testers, and this “feature” becomes a “bug”: discrimination instead of inclusion. They didn’t give us a finished project, and outsourced discovery of its flaws to the audience they pretend to help, fulfilling Tucker’s last tenet.

Apple’s newest emojis have a fractured relationship with their audience, to say the least. Having applied Tucker’s findings, we can return to the research question: How do Apple’s Disability Emojis as representational medium construct disability as a locus for discrimination? Apple’s emojis are a form of technological social justice, rather than representing the reality of disability. This prompts two implications: design philosophy and performative advertisement.

First, Apple’s ingrained emoji ableism forces us to rethink about product design in accessibility solutions. Apple’s announcement prominently states that groups like the American Council of the Blind were consulted in creating these emojis. But that changed nothing at the time of release. It doesn’t matter when companies ask the public for feedback - the damage is already done when they use us as testers, a silenced group burdened with finding out why we are misrepresented and oppressed through discriminatory product design in the name of progress.

Finally, Apple’s emojis aren’t assistive technology, but rather lip service. Apple promotes them AS normalized, positive disability, instead of what they are - a vocabulary, tainted with false promises, emotional appeal, and frustration for those who can’t use them. We pitch technology – and advocacy - as life changing to marginalized users; even performing normalized disability as an attempt to help disabled audiences. But we must remember the rewards of advertisements, emojis, and speeches – consumers, trophies, and fleeting change, if any. If we aren’t responsible in what and how we promise for marginalized bodies, then once the applause has ended, so has the advocacy.

In 2015, the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year was the smiley emoji, drawn to the “universal appeal to express our thoughts”. Fast forward to 2020, and that universality has become a barrier. Bonnie Tucker’s research, application to Apple’s disability emojis, and implications, prove that any representational medium can marginalize its users when company profits are involved. In 2019, Apple announced it will prioritize inclusion over marketing. But for now, for its population with disabilities? Apple’s emojis are nothing to smile about.

Collegiate speech and debate (forensics): 2017-2018 season communication analysis manuscript (Stevie Wonder, 2016 Grammys, braille notecards)

A few months ago, I promised to United states speech and debate community that I will release the manuscript of a competitive communication analysis (rhetorical criticism) speech for use as reference for people wishing to learn how communication analysis works. The following manuscript is the CA I presented throughout 2017-2018 season, and since January is National Braille Month (celebrated by blindness community), it is fitting that this manuscript be released at this time. There is a more interesting CA (on disability emojis) I did in 2018-2019 season, which I will release sometime in March.

An important note: text within curly braces ({}) are stage directions or description of something I'm holding or pointing to while speaking.

Haha, you can't read braille: Stevie Wonder, 2016 Grammy’s, and selling symbolic accessibility and empowerment through braille

Background: During 2016 Grammys, Stevie Wonder, the presenter for “Song of the Year” that year, came up on stage and showed a braille card and exclaimed, “Haha! You can’t read braille!”. Then he said, “we need to make things accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities” before presenting the award.
Possible model: Thomas, L. Disability Is Not So Beautiful, Disability Studies Quarterly, 2001.
Manuscript version: April 2018 for American Forensic Association-National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) in Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO)

Introduction

{stands on stage with an envelope close by on a desk}

The 2016 Grammy’s telecast was a night entertainers, producers and viewers won’t soon forget, with enough wins, dresses, and controversies to fill an entire YouTube video. But the highlight of the event wasn’t performed by a nominee. The Huffington Post explained on February 15th, 2016 that as part of his presentation for “Song of the Year”, musical icon and role model for disabled people Stevie Wonder discussed universal accessibility: making information  accessible to everyone, including for people with disabilities. While saying this, he flashed a card with the recipient of the Song of the Year written in braille {mime reading braille, stress and pause}, a visible emblem of disability culture around the world.

This wasn’t the first time that celebrities such as Stevie Wonder did a public advocacy performance, but this time Wonder’s specific use of a disability tool – here, Braille – as a communicative strategy frames his approach interestingly. He didn’t just read Braille, he demonstrated how normal reading Braille should be. As ten million blind Americans (including I) use braille to access information, as noted by National Federation of the Blind (website last accessed on October 9, 2017), and the stigma and misunderstanding they receive every day prompts the following research question {look straight ahead}:

How did Stevie Wonder’s use of Braille notes in his 2016 Grammy’s speech advertise the normalcy of disability?

To answer this question, let’s turn to research by Lorraine Thomas from University of Windsor titled “Disability Is Not So Beautiful”, which appeared in Spring 2001 issue of Disability Studies Quarterly. Thomas’s work provides a semiotic analysis of disability tool advertisement, rendering her research apt for our analysis. In order to better understand why Wonders’ speech worked, let’s initially examine Thomas’s research, apply it to the speech, and derive implications, for what Stevie Wonder sums up best: “Haha, you can’t read Braille!”

Model

{transition walk while speaking}

Semiotics is study of signs - or as Em Griffin, a communication professor from Wheaton College and author of A First Look at Communication Theory notes, the world is an ocean of communicative signs: street signs, postings, and audiovisual markers all advertise distinct messages. Lorraine Thomas’s research examines this theory in the context of advertisements for disability assistive technology, and outlines three signaling tenets that is applicable to the speech act and beyond {really short pause after announcing each one}: narrative authority, projection of commodity, and performative normalization.

First, Thomas requires stories about disability tools to be narrated by the proper authority on the tools: disabled individuals. When outside experts describe the benefits of disability tools, they often unintentionally reinforce unempowering ideas, and their act of narration subconsciously suggests to viewers that disabled people cannot tell their own stories. Several of the ads in Thomas’s content analysis are narrated by doctors, who rhetorically focused on disabled bodies as “objects to be pitied”, overshadowing the potential of disabled body to achieve more.

Second, Thomas argues that sign usage shouldn’t present disabled bodies as advertisement commodities. When advertisement focuses too much on the restoration of productivity through assistive technologies, they approach disability in an {bold} overtly materialist way {pause}, framing “… disability [as] a loss of productivity”. The ads Thomas examined routinely presented disabilities like missing limbs as a sign of “damaged goods”, and assistive technologies were crucial to “restore them”. But by placing empowerment in the hands of their products, rather than the individuals using them, they remove disabled individuals’ agency.

Lastly, advertisements need to visually, performatively present disability as normal. Advertisements need to display disabled individuals utilizing assistive technologies in accessible ways, because doing so powers the normalization of disability and frames it as a powerful advocacy tool. The ads Thomas examined didn’t violate all of her tenets: they presented many disabled individuals using prosthetic limbs and other disability tools, allowing others to see their role models functioning in integrated ways with society.

Thus, Lorraine Thomas’s research makes clear that the disabled body is a sign that evokes diminishing or advertising narratives – but we’re just getting started. Having broken down Thomas’s model, {transition walk} let us apply it to Stevie Wonder’s speech at the 2016 Grammys.

Application

Initially, we need to consider who is talking about accessibility: it’s Stevie Wonder, a blind musician and a proper narrative authority on this subject. Despite living in the midst of diminishing narratives and misrepresentation and stigma associated with blind people – you don’t see scenes of Daredevil reading braille on Netflix, do you – through use of an extra tool  – here, the Braille card which merely enables his speech – he demonstrates his ability to tell his own narrative confidently, just with a little help, fulfilling Thomas’s first tenet: {bold} narrative authority {pause so audience can absorb this info}.

Second, Wonder avoids commodifying disability. Throughout the speech act, the most important “item for sale” – apart from universal accessibility and Song of the Year, was the tool he used, not his own disability. The braille notes was the centerpiece of Wonder’s impromptu PSA on accessibility needs and omnipresence (not damaged goods) of disability. By reframing his tool as the commodity, he fulfills Thomas’s second tenet: {again bold} projection of commodity {pause again}.

Last, Stevie Wonder visually and performatively presents blindness as normal. By reading the recipient of “song of the year” in braille in front of millions of viewers, Wonder enforced the notion that disability is something to be proud of. Not only did Wonder visually portray what millions of blind people go through every day, he gave viewers a mandate that should be followed: make things accessible to all, flipping audience expectations by showing them the name on the card, but in Braille, so that THEY couldn’t access it. His presentation was the highlight of the night, and impossible to ignore – fulfilling Thomas’s final tenet: {bold} performative normalization.

Answer and implications

Wonder’s presentation engaged a massive, star-studded audience, and prompted the research question: How did Stevie Wonder’s use of Braille notes in his 2016 Grammy’s speech advertise the normalcy of disability? The answer is that Stevie Wonder used his greatest asset – himself – to shape the content and delivery of his advertisement. His approach {transition walk} draws two implications.

First, Wonder’s speech redefines semiotics. Semiotic theories and research largely focus on signs primarily visual in nature. Wonder’s speech uses a visual sign – showing audiences the card – to engage the semiotics of his audience – but only for his SEEING audiences. He engages non-visual audiences in an entirely different way, both using audio cues – his speech – and the context of lived experience reading Braille. His speech gives semioticians a new avenue through which to explore their field – the facets that make a sign a sign are more complex than only sight.

Second, focusing too much on commodity raises {bold} dissonance about what to focus on: the rhetor (Stevie Wonder and others) or tools (braille). If we focus our cameras on braille note card, we can examine how this emblem of disability culture enhances the effects of normalization advertisement. But people and their intentions are just as important as the tool: without basics of ethos (an ad from a celebrity authority), the potency of the speech act would have been reduced. What made the speech act work was not just the use of a disability tool, but a clear intention of making the invisible {spatial gesture} visible through discussing universal accessibility. This is relevant to all speaking activities: if my goal is to discuss accessibility, and you critique my use of the tools that would make doing so more effective, then you’ve fallen into the same rhetorical track that Thomas critiques.

{Transition walk}

Conclusion

Last month, Stephen Hawking passed away, and numerous images of his “freed from his wheelchair” were circulated online. This is not how assistive technology really works, but Stevie Wonder did show how it really works two years ago. Stevie Wonder’s performance helped normalize disability for millions that night – having engaged Thomas’s tenets, applications to his speech, and implications, we now have a better understanding of why. Simply advertising disability tools isn’t enough – tools need effective strategy and rhetors to effectively and safely strengthen accessibility efforts. Luckily, Wonder was the right performer for the job.

The End

NVDA and Python 3 I: The Big Picture

It's been a while since posting anything here, but recent happenings with NVDA screen reader (specifically, Python 3 transition) is giving me a reason to post something about it on this blog.

One of the most profound discoveries in science is the notion of inertia - something will not change unless intervened. Discovered by Isaac Newton hundreds of years ago, this principle is not ohnly used widely in physics and other natural sciences, it is also applicable in other places, including teaching a screen reader, a necesary and crucial computer software for blind people,  to speak a different language.

I open this monologue on NVDA and Python 3 in three acts with the notion of inertia because that's what NonVisual Desktop Access would have been if it wasn't for urgency to move from Python 2 to Python 3. The NVDA of 2006 is way different than NVDA in 2019 and 2020; not only it has become the most commonly used screen reader according to a recent survey, it has "immigrated" to another country - Python 3 transition. Although many people credit me for leading this change, I'm just one player in this unfolding saga.

The purpose of this three-part monologue on NVDA and Python 3 (big picture, transition, future and lessons learned) is to describe how this project came about and to serve as a summary of how it worked out. For me, the biggest reason for posting this series is to serve as a space to talk about it, along with offering a glimpse into my own thought process regarding the transition project. It also serves as a way for me to muse about what I did right, what I should have done, and what I have learned from it.

The first installment (this post) will talk about the "big picture" - how python came about, issues, why the transition happened, and ending with explaining my involvement and advocacy for this change. The second story will talk about the actual transition work, beginning in 2016 and ending with release of NVDA 2019.3 beta, along with attempts to implement the new Python 3 mindset in the NVDA add-ons community. The third post will dive into some important lessons I have learned while investigating and leading Python 3 transition, and musings on NVDA's future after Python 3 transition.

An archeological dig into Python

One of the key things people always mention when introducing NVDA is Python programming language. Since its inception in 1990's, Python has become one of the top languages chosen by beginning programmers and seasoned experts. Due to its popularity, Python found itself employed everywhere - everything from web interfaces to security testing tools use Python, made more popular thanks to English-like syntax and a wide variety of third-party modules to choose from when enhancing a Python project.

Unfortunately, Python has two huge drawbacks: speed, and in the old days, two different ways to work with text. Python is an interpreted language, meaning it must be run by an interpreter because Python's "machine code" isn't one's and zero's (the alternative is compilation, which does transform a program from English-looking text to digits). Because of overhead with interpretation, Python, like other interpreted languages such as Perl and Basic, are slower than compiled languages such as C++.

Another issue, although it is becoming less of an issue thanks to Python 3 transition, is two different ways to represent text. Python 2 defaults to bytes, or old ways of representing text. As this assumes predominantly English texts, it had trouble understanding texts from different parts of the world. To allow Python to deal with non-English texts, a different text (string) type named Unicode was introduced (Unicode itself was defined by Unicode Consortium, with the mission of letting computers represent texts written in different languages across the world).

But you might ask, "Python seems fast enough", and "I can write 'hello world' in my native language and Python can print it". A common trick to resolving speed issue is writing parts of a project in a language that can be compiled into machine code. Python allows this through extensions written in C (note that not all Python interpreters (which there are several) can do this), along with using a module named "ctypes" to allow communication between Python code and modules (libraries) written in other languages (notably C and C++). The second issue was resolved by asking everyone to use Unicode as part of Python 3.0 (2008).

Is NVDA a Python screen reader?

Short answer: no. If that doesn't shock you, you can skip to the next section on Python 3 transition. But if you weren't shocked - an admission coming from a seasoned NVDA code contributor, you might as well read why I say NVDA is not a Python screen reader... or as some folks would say, "it is a complicated story".

NVDA is not a "pure" Python screen reader (note the word "pure"). If NVDA was written purely in Python, there would be speed issues, and people would have gone onto other things. But people say that NVDA is very responsive (under many circumstances).

The reason why NVDA is responsive is because it is actually written in a combination of Python and C++ (actually, Python, C, C++, and a little-known C++ variant called C++ with Component Extensions, or C++/CX). Python is used in vast majority of NVDA's source code and is responsible for its user interface, event loop, app module handling, configuration, among many other things. C and C++ are used for time-critical tasks such as browse mode/virtual buffer implementations and communication involved with it (in-process code), and C++/CX is used when it comes to working with WinRT components in Windows 10 that can be accessed with C++/CX (most notably, Windows OneCore speech synthesizer support). But for the purposes of this writing, I will focus on Python.

Why Python 3 for NVDA?

Back in 2006, NVDA was written in Python 2.4; in 2019, NVDA is written in Python 3.7. So why the change?

First, Python 2 is leaving (or left) this world. As of January 1, 2020, Python 2 is no more - no changes, no new features, no security fixes, and you name it. Although Python 2 code will still work, under some circumstances (such as networking applications, mission-critical devices, and other security-conscious scenarios), Python 2 will become more vulnerable to bugs and unpatched security issues. The way forward from now on is Python 3.

Second, NVDA needs to innovate to meet future demands. Although Python 2 version of NVDA will work fine for most scenarios, there are things only Python 3 can bring such as updated unicode support (better internationalization so NVDA can read text in more languages), speed improvements, security fixes, and better ways of doing things. And given how fast technology changes (or for that matter, ever-changing landscape of features and bugs), NvDA must innovate so it can enhance lives of more people in the future.

But why the delay until 2019?

In this case, a more appropriate question to ask is, "how long did the transition take?" In short, it took four years: from 2016 to 2019 (actually, 2020 as the python 3 version of NVDA is scheduled to be released to the public in early 2020). But why the delay until 2019?

The biggest cause was dependencies. NVDA needs help from other modules to work properly. Three modules in particular are needed by NVDA: wxPython (Python version of wxWidgets), SCons, and Py2exe. wxPython is used to "drive" NVDA - events, user interface, and other visible aspects of NVDA. SCons is used to guide Python through process of transforming NVDA from a combination of different things into a runnable screen reader. Py2exe is used to turn Python source code into machine code (or rather, create an executable that will run an embedded version of Python, which in turn is responsible for starting NVDA itself).

Of these three, wxPython and Py2exe are number one dependencies, and Python 3 versions for these weren't ready until 2018 and 2019, respectively. Without wxPython (and some other dependencies such as Comtypes), there is no way to bring NVDA to life - all you get is a collection of Python source code files. From wxPython side, Python 3 transition was part of Project Phoenix, an effort to modernize wxPython code and infrastructure, culminating in the release of wxPython 4 in 2018.

Although Py2exe had a version ready for Python 3, it didn't support versions above 3.4. Since the latest version of Python (at the time of transition) was 3.7, a 3.7-optimized Py2exe was needed. Thanks to hard work from a developer outside of NVDA community, Py2exe optimized for Python 3.7 was ready during Python 3 transition work (next post).

The overall Python 3 transition timeline was as follows:

* 2016: preliminary research began.
* 2017: beta version of wxPython 4/Phoenix was released, allowing source code level testing.
* 2018: NVDA includes wxPython 4.0.3, a necessary stepping stone for Python 3 transition.
* June 2019: Python 3 transition began.
* July 25, 2019: first Python 3 version of NVDA alpha snapshots released.
* December 9, 2019: NVDA 2019.3 beta 1, the first public beta of Python 3 version of NVDA was released.
* 2020: NVDA 2019.3 stable version is scheduled to be released.
* And the work goes on.

Yes, Python 3 transition work actually began in 2016 (or rather, sometime in 2015 through Project Heliopolis when I began researching dependencies). Because what happened back then factors into what we have now, I'll describe 2016 work in the next post when talking about the actual transition process. Before I close the first part, I need to talk about my involvement and advocacy for Python 3 transition in the NVDA Community.

My involvement and advocacy for Python 3 transition

I was involved in NVDA since June 2012 - first as a Korean translator, and now as a code contributor and add-on author/reviewer. The story of Korean language and translations and how that motivated me to become a full-time NVDA community member might be showcased in a future post (Korean language and my immigration experience ties into another series of blog posts I'm planning).

Prior to NVDA community involvement, I was known as the "BrailleNote expert/professor" - acting as sort of a tech support person at my local high school when it came to dealing with BrailleNote issues (back when I was a high school student; my work caught the attention of a writer for a blindness technology magazine and was interviewed when I was 17 about my experiences; that was twelve years ago). Even then and now my philosophy for teaching and supporting something is, "use something for its full potential". And since I was (and to some degree, still) a kinetic learner, I would learn internals of a product by first reading about it and experimenting (they involved performing commands that are not usually documented in the user guide). Perhaps that was one of the reasons that drew me to major in computer science at UC Riverside (interesting experiences; no bachelor's degree from UCR but learn some important lessons about computing and life).

Perhaps my "teaching experience" on HumanWare's notetaker product line and curiosity about technology carried with me through my years in the NVDA Community until now. Even Python 3, for which I was aware of when I began writing NVDA add-ons in 2013, was an experiment at first. The more I learned about advantages and drawbacks of Python 3 versus Python 2, along with an announcement from Python Software Foundation (PSF) that Python 2 is leaving this world in 2020, gave me more reasons to learn Python 3 on my own and think about moving NVDA to Python 3.

Sometime in 2015, I began looking into what's involved in moving a project from Python 2 to 3, specifically when it came to NVDA. As a 25-year-old blind student who also had to deal with studying a different major at a different college then, I had to balance between adjusting to my new major (communication studies) and NVDA work. Thankfully, I did adjust well into my new major, but wasn't going great when it came to Python 3 research. And then Windows 10 hit the scene in July 2015, and as a Windows Insider (I joined Windows InsiderProgram in October 2014), I and millions of other Insiders were first to receive Version 1507 (build 10240) in July, and helping the blind community adjust to Windows 10 kept me busy for the next few months.

In the midst of chaos then, I still thought about Python 3. During the course of my research, I read about wxPython's Project Phoenix and bits here and there about other projects. Back in 2015, I didn't understand the literature in front of me; it wasn't until 2016 when I seriously began experimenting with Python 3 and alpha releases of Phoenix that I began to have "aha" moments. I'll detail what happened then in the next post, but suffice to say that more experiments and reviewing other projects convinced me that Python 3 was the way forward.

Then came 2017 and first beta release of wxPython Phoenix/version 4. By then I was grasping python 3, and began experimenting with Phoenix. I continued experimenting until 2018 when I submitted wxPython 4 compatibility code to NV Access as a pull request.

By then I have become proficient in Python 3 and added my voice to a growing sentiment that NVDA should be powered by Python 3 in the future. Although I did meet resistance from people who believed that Python 2 version of NVDA should be maintained for a long time, I felt that with impending end of Python 2 support, it was time for everyone to change their mindset about moving to Python 3. Eventually the community agreed, and Python 3 transition work is now history.

For me, Python 3 was and still is the future, and moving to Python 3 would allow NVDA to unlock its full potential. Although NVDA 2019.3 does not fully utilize power of Python 3, it is on its way to doing so, akin to changing inertia of something - slowly at first, but picking up speed. The actual transition process and the thought process that went into it is coming up soon.

Until then, Happy New Year.

//JL

LAUSD and UTLA negotiations and protests: musings from an alumnus of an LAUSD high school

Hi,
This post is inspired by a protest going on throughout Los Angeles: negotiations over pay, staff hiring, and other matters between leaders of Los Angeles Unified School District and United Teachers Los Angeles.
Introduction
I'm fascinated by the act of teaching others, and in general, the role of a teacher in a person's life. It was a history teacher in my junior year in high school that motivated me to try my best after a dismal period the year prior. Another teacher, a technology resource specialist for blind students, gave me an opportunity to teach computers to younger students in my senior year. I met many professors in college who encouraged me to try my best in my classes despite difficulties. At Cal State LA, I met a graduate teaching assistant that changed my outlook on competitive impromptu speaking in the course of a year.
A few days ago, Los Angeles Times and other media organizations presented a story about the current negotiations taking place between leaders of Los Angeles Unified School District and United Teachers Los Angeles. Seeking better pay, job security for support staff and over other matters, UTLA members decided to strike when the negotiations fell. Citing budget problems, LAUSD officials said demands from teachers could not be met, or if met, it'll be limited in terms of duration.
On January 14, 2019, I woke up to sound of people chanting outside (I live near an elementary school). "Whose school? Our school," people chanted. As the week went on, the number of people joining the protests grew, and I went outside from time to time to watch the events unfold. On January 18th, I joined and addressed the crowd, asking people to show unity during negotiations for the sake of students.
After addressing the crowd, I felt uneasy about what i've done. On one hand, I felt relieved to finally voice my opinions. on the other hand, I felt I could have articulated my stances better and felt a pang of guilt over the possibility that I may have offended some in the crowd. Even as I write this, I am still conflicted as to how best I can articulate what you are about the read: what I think might be the cause, who else should think about what's happening, and a call for unity for sake of students.
Possible root causes
I think the roots of recent protests could be reputation and respect, not just pay and job security for support staff (nurses, librarians, and others). For some groups, reputation matters, and reputation of LAUSD schools have been mixed in recent years. Respect matters because of the bond between people and groups, as it helps build trust and relationships.
For some, reputation matters, and in this case, schools and the community that it represents. If people hear that a certain school has better reputation than others, people would try to send their children to that school, even if it is far from where they live. As a result, people and groups would devote resources to that school more than others, creating an imbalance. I graduated from one such high school: being ranked highly in academics, my old high school became a magnet for families seeking better education for young people, resulting in mixed reputation later: superb academic rankings while suffering from overcrowding and lack of funds for crucial programs.
Respect matters, because it creates bonds and trust. Respect can cross all sorts of boundaries: between people in different positions, colleagues, and for some, from an older person to a younger person. If it wasn't for my mother's insistance that I show respect to elders 9including teachers), I would have continued to insist that I am right when in fact I might be wrong.
When we combine these two, I think we're living in an era where reputation has been inflated, and divisions cause lack of respect. Statistics can give us a taste of what the public thinks about a school at a really high level, but will it show the full story? Can we respect an institution when it demonstrates division? Unfortunately, as it stands, recent protests demonstrate the manifestation of these causes.
Who else should think about current events
To me, it isn't just LAUSD leadership and teachers that should think about progress of recent events. I also think parents, students, and anyone who students will look up to as role models should think about what happened, what's happening, and possible outcomes and solutions.
For students, I think recent protests should serve as a reason to think about importance of showing respect to not only parents and teachers, but also to other support staff who can profoundly influence their lives. Students do not learn about life from just up to six teachers they interact at a given day. Students also learn about life from nurses, librarians, volunteer teachers, and anyone they interact with. For this reason, I think it is important that students should show support for staff who are worrying about job security, especially those who can guide their path in life.
For parents, I think recent protests should serve as a reason to teach their children about importance of learning about life both inside and outside the classroom. People are not only influenced while interacting with their peers and teachers; they also learn about life outside the classroom.
Most importantly, I think people who interact with students daily outside of school should think about their role on well-being of students. Situations outside of school, especially interactions between students and other people, can have profound impact on lives of students, especially for a person a student can think of as a role model.
Calling for unity for sake of students
As it stands, the current climate is a dangerous one for students at LAUSD: lack of funding in certain areas of education, and lack of staff students can get support in school from apart from teachers and administrators. Although I do sympathize with teachers, I'm afraid teachers may find themselves teaching students the effects and influence of division.
When I addressed the crowd on the 18th, my main point was showing unity for sake of students. Although I spoke to a group of teachers, I believe it is applicable to LAUSD leaders, students, parents, and others who can influence lives of students.
Unity helps build trust. If there is one thing my mother stressed besides respect, it was the power of trust in relationships. Thus I believe one of the first steps to any meaningful relationship between people and groups is trust, made stronger if people and groups show unity. However, current climate and recent events suggest otherwise, and for students, it may become an influential lesson on teaching students to not build meaningful relationships, let alone show unity, even a small attempt at unity when solving problems. I believe one lesson students would like to learn is the power of unity and trust that comes as a result.
More importantly, unity motivates problem resolution. Some professors in college stressed to me and my classmates the importance of working together to build meaningful results. Hence, I believe unity, or an attempt at unity, allows people to unite and try their best to solve problems. Rather than showing an attempt at unity, current climate and recent events may serve as a lesson on how not to solve problems, let alone confront them, an influential lesson for students as they learn about working in groups. I think one thing students would like to learn is effective ways of resolving problems, and one answer is teaching them about unity.
So who are the winners and losers, or to phrase it differently, the most affected and visible population? It isn't LAUSD leaders nor teachers, but students. The events of the last few weeks will become important lessons in the hearts of students throughout LAUSD: a lesson on how much teachers, school district leaders, and others care about them, and also a lesson on reality they live in and will shape in the future. My hope is that students will learn the former more than the latter: to serve as a reminder to all parties (including students themselves) how much unity we need, and at the same time, thinking about reputation, respect, and influence of others in their lives.
Conclusion
I believe one of the greatest gifts a child can have is someone who can teach him or her about life. For this reason, I have utmost respect for teachers and other support staff inside and outside of school. As an alumnus of a LAUSD high school and a college student, I'm thankful to my teachers for having an influence in my life.
But as much as we thank teachers, we need to think about what a child will learn when witnessing divisions, inflated reputations, and lack of respect, and more importantly, lack of unity. Recent LAUSD and UTLA negotiations, along with protests throughout Los Angeles is a good example of conflicting lessons students will learn as they attend school run by LAUSD, an important milestone in their lives.
As of time of this blog post, negotiations between LAUSD leaders and UTLA is ongoing. I'm glad that at least an attempt at unity has been made, an important start to a hopeful resolution. But this is only a start. Therefore, if you do care about students, I urge all sides to show unity for sake of students, including students themselves.

National Braille Challenge: musings and advice from an alumnus

The following essay was part inspired by a 2018 Northern California Braille Challenge panel discussion, as well as my forensics speech topic on universal accessibility and braille. Opinions are my own - from a former Braille Challenge contestant in 2004 and 2007.

Introduction
Many cultures around the world (both physical and virtual) have means of describing, preserving, and passing on knowledge and artifacts to future generations. For cultures with writing systems, it is letters, books, and many other writings. For virtual cultures, it includes videos, blogs, memes and many other artifacts.
For blind people and in the broader culture of blindness, braille is one of the methods for writing, preserving, and passing on our knowledge to others and future generations. Developed by a Frenchman in 1800's, this system of dots and their meanings are now used by many blind people around the world, and this literacy tool powers many situations including education, entertainment, casual reading, programming, speech competitions, and even a competition designed to foster literacy among children and young people. The high moment for this tool came when, in 2016, Stevie Wonder used braille to advocate for universal accessibility at the Grammys.
In this post, I'll focus on a competition that aims to pass on knowledge of and utility of braille to students: National Braille Challenge. Having competed in this tournament more than a decade ago, and now being part of several communities where braille has become an integral part of my journey, I believe it is important to talk about what this activity is, its impact on me and other alumni, as well as some advice for current and future competitors, including a word to the 2018 finalists.

So what is braille Challenge?
Braille Challenge began about twenty years ago when Braille Institute of America (headquartered in Los Angeles, California) hosted a braille competition for local blind students. Many braille organizations noticed this event, and over the next few years, this California event was expanded to cover United States and Canada, with students from participating regional events working hard to qualify for a national competition held in Los Angeles in June.
The purpose of Braille Challenge is to educate people about braille, as well as showcase its usage and impact. Although the event is designed for students (from elementary school to high school), parents, teachers, and others are welcomed to attend and learn more about braille and technologies surrounding it such as specialized hardware and software at this event.
Based on age, competitors are divided into five categories (apprentice for grades 1 and 2; freshman for grades 3 and 4; sophomore for grades 5 and 6; junior varsity for grades 7 through 9; varsity for grades 10 through 12). Each competitor is tested on at least three scenarios where braille comes in handy:
* Spelling: tests ability to spell words in braille.
* Reading comprehension: tests ability to understand and answer questions on a passage written in braille.
* Proofreading: ability to spot mistakes in braille writing.
* Speed and accuracy (for older students): simulates text transcribing environment where students are asked to braille an audio passage within a set time period.
* Charts and graphs: designed to highlight braille as a tactile medium for information retrieval and analysis through tactile diagrams and graphs.
Each year, hundreds of blind students participate in preliminary events held in various places across North America. Of these, top ten students from each age category (used to be top twelve until recently) are invited to participate in National Braille Challenge held in June. The top scorers from each age category are then awarded various prizes. In the past, prizes included scholarships and various notetaking hardware, and in case of top varsity student, his or her name will be recorded in Braille Challenge Hall of Fame.

Personal history about Braille Challenge
My first contact with Braille Challenge was in 2003. I was a seventh grade student, and a foreigner in both English and English braille code. Having moved to United States two years prior, and having limited exposure to braille code used in my new country, I didn't know what to expect when my teacher suggested I try out Braille Challenge. Soon, I was sitting on my desk at school, busily brailling an audio passage, trying to comprehend braille passages and so on. Although I didn't make it to nationals that year, I believe this local event sparked my interest in trying out braille challenge in the future.
The following year was one of the most difficult times in my life. I witnessed a divorce firsthand as a 14-year-old boy, having to watch my mother and stepfather argue about raising me and legal status for my mom and I. With virtually nothing in our pockets, mother and I moved to Los Angeles in February 2004.
But one thing I'm glad I did just prior to moving to Los Angeles: sitting in another Braille Challenge preliminary. I forgot all about it until May 2004 when i received a braille letter that started with the words, "congratulations!". That June, I participated in what turned out to be the first of two Braille Challenge national finals.
Three years later, I was a high school junior, planning what I wanted to do after graduating high school. At my school, I gained reputation as a resident technical support person for users of BrailleNote (I was the first person in my school to receive a BrailleNote mPower). I also made my virtual debut a few months prior when I joined BrailleNote Users group (back then, it was ran by HumanWare), and as a 2007 Accessworld article (from American Foundation for the Blind) put it, "because of his answers, people thought he was a Humanware employee" because I would give technical responses (no, there are folks out there now who are smarter and more knowledgeable than I).
And yet again, Braille Challenge came into my life. It was early 2007, and I was once again sitting on my desk, busily transcribing an audio passage into braille, analyzing charts and graphs, and answering questions about a braille passage. Few weeks later, my name appeared amongst a group of twelve varsity students to advance to the national competition in June.
More than ten years later, I saw a video from this year's Northern California Braille Challenge preliminary where past contestants discussed their experience with this activity and answered questions from audiences. One of the panelists, a teacher named Caitlin who was varsity champion at 2008 Braille Challenge, subsequently shared a Facebook post from Braille Challenge announcing this year's national finalists. At that time, I just returned from two prestigious national forensics (speech and debate) competitions where I competed in two events that required me to use braille: impromptu speaking and communication analysis. Because my communication analysis topic was about analyzing Stevie Wonder's universal accessibility remark at the 2016 Grammys, and since I used my BrailleNote Apex as a notecard during impromptu speech preparations, I was drawn to Braille Challenge once again, this time as an alumni and a recognized member of the global blindness community.
So what happened to Joseph Lee after the 2007 Braille Challenge? I attended University of California, Riverside as a computer science major, then had a change of plan many years later, and now am a student at California State University, Los Angeles studying how humans send and receive messages and a member of its forensics squad. But I am better known as one of the contributors to a screen reader named NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA), creator of some of the most impactful NVDA add-ons and tutorials (no, not my description), and am one of the fifteen million Windows Insiders who shape Windows 10 and the ecosystem that surrounds it. I haven't forgotten about Braille Challenge, and in extension, braille: through Liblouis project, I laid the foundation to let blind students read braile math via Unified English Braille, and soon, people using certain models of BrailleNote (no, not BrailleNote Touch) will be able to fully utilize the device as a braille display under NVDA.

Braille Challenge: its function and impact
Braille Challenge is more than a competition that tests braille skills; it also fosters networking, and for many, a chance to witness the power of braille literacy among children. Several statistics show declining usage of braille among blind people, although I believe that is slowly reversing somewhat. But without proactive outreach and training, future generations may not know that they have a tool they can use to communicate with others: braille literacy, and Braille Challenge is one such proactive outreach opportunity.
Braille Challenge is also a venue to research impact of braille in lives of contestants, and in extension, those who interact with them. Several Braile Challenge alumni have gone onto careers that showcase braille literacy in various situations, including special education, accessibility advocacy, law, policy and others. Some are current college students who are using braille in their coursework, while others are graduate students who are using braille in research, teaching and other duties. At the same time, current students are being trained to serve as braille ambassadors wherever they go, and some students compete multiple times in their lifetime not only for fun, but also to learn the importance of braille.
But the most important aspect of Braille Challenge can be found not with the dots blind people use to communicate with each other; it is people themselves. Braille Challenge, especially at regionals and national competition, is a venue where blind children and young people can come together and share their stories and experiences. The launch of Braille Challenge Alumni Network in recent years is a testament to the power of networking among former contestants.
As for the impact of Braille Challenge in my life, it reenforced my belief in power of braille literacy, as well as meeting some of the rising stars in blindness community through this event. Braille literacy and its power is something I believe today's blind children need to know about, because it layd the foundation for social participation later through use of a tactile, expressive communication medium. I also met some of the briliant minds in the blindness community today through this event, including several special education teachers, an accessibility advocate, and others.

A word for 2018 National Braille Challenge finalists, their families and other participatns
First, congratulations to all national finalists.
For finalists and their families making their first National Braille Challenge debut: I remember my first National Braile Challenge debut in 2004 and felt feelings some of you are experiencing right now: anticipation, anxiety, shy, eagerness, and countless other feelings. Do not be afraid: you've done the hard work, and the fact that you are one of fifty contestants recognized nationwide for your braille skills is a testament to your hard work and dedication. Learn a lot, and enjoy the national event, because for some of you, it is a chance to get to know others like you across North America and beyond.
For returning finalists and their families: by now you should know what to expect later this month when you meet new friends and old pals at the national competition. One crucial thing to remember: no matter how many times you came to Los Angeles or results this year (including how many Braille Challenge Finalist stars you have), take pride in the fact that your names are recorded in the history of Braille Challenge, and in extension, the blindness community. One more thing: please set an example and become role models for new finalists and future contestants: talk to new people, get a conversation going, and build lasting friendships.
For varsity finalists who are high school juniors and seniors: although some of you may not realize now, your participation in this activity may have profound impact years later. Some alumni (including I) have learned more than braille literacy when we were contestants, and some of us chose a career that involves braille in various situations. And as some of the oldest contestants, please be role models for younger finalists.
A special note for varsity finalists who will become college freshmen in the fall: college opens up many opportunities, including chances at showcasing your braille literacy and skills. I have used (and continues to use) braille for my college coursework, and so does (and did) many alumni. No matter which field of study you'll go into, please don't forget lessons you've learned through Braille Challenge. And I encourage you to give back to the community, including joining the Braille Challenge Alumni Network and others.

Conclusion
As I look at two artifacts from my trophies collection - National Braille Challenge finalist stars from 2004 and 2007, I'm reminded of the impact this activity had in my life and countless others. Braille Challenge taught me and others that braille is not only a cultural artifact for blind people, it is also a tool that unites us and keeps our culture going. It is also a solemn reminder as to what we need to do in the future to keep the braille literacy going: outreach and networking.
Different cultures have different ways of describing, preserving, and passing on their cultures to the next generation. For blind people, braille is one such medium. Braille Challenge, although it started out as a local competition, is now a nationally recognized event that helps, and should help, keep the passion for braille literacy going.

A letter to fellow Braille Challenge alumni
Dear alumni friends,
Do you remember the moment when we got a letter saying that we are invited to participate in the Braille Challenge finals? For many of us, it is just a distant memory from years ago, and for others, it should bring back memories of walking through halls of Braille institute in Los Angeles between competition rounds. Still others might remember standing in front of the crowd as we received recognition, while we might be thinking about finalist stars we have in our possession.
But most importantly, what did we do and what have we learned from competing at Braille Challenge many years ago? Certainly we can now tell stories about charts we were asked to analyze, or perhaps memories of rooms filled with noise from braille writers as we transcribed a lot of textt. But, for some, I'm sure we learned the power of braille literacy firsthand, and hope that we kept this alive in subsequent years.
As I look at your profiles on Facebook and other places, and listening to stories from some alumni, I'm proud of the fact that we kept our passion for braille alive. Most importantly, I'm glad to see that we are using braille in some form or another in our lives as college students, teachers, advocates, programmers, and in various places and positions.
Let us not forget that our work is not done. As the 2018 National Braile Challenge final is right around the corner, I think it would be a good opportunity for us to think about what we got out of that activity and what we the alumni can do to encourage braille literacy. Although technology may help with accessibility and opportunities, what helps us in the long term is a tactile tool that helps people be independent and participate in society: braille literacy and skills.
One more thing: I encourage you to give back to the community. we are in a position where we can give back to the Braille Challenge community, and in extension, the blindness community. We can mentor blind students in use of braille, we can encourage blind adults to learn braille, and we can serve as advocates for accessibility and braille literacy. I think the best gift a Braille Challenge alumni can give is encourage blind children to try out Braille Challenge not only for a chance to network with others and have fun, but to teach them the actual purpose of this activity: braille as an important communication medium.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Joseph Lee (Braille Challenge national finalist, 2004 and 2007)
//JL

Open letter to the United States forensics community: seven minutes isn't enough to cover product accessibility, importance of narrative authority and listening to minority opinions

Dear forensics community in the United States,

This is Joseph Lee, a blind student studying communication studies at California State University, Los Angeles and a member of that school's forensics team. First, thank you for giving me many opportunities to present my stories and hear others' speeches at many tournaments, including 2018 AFA-NIET and 2018 NFA Nationals.

I would like to bring awareness of a topic discussed at an extemporaneous speaking round at 2018 NFA Nationals. Specifically, I would like to bring up several concerns regarding the question about product accessibility not only from the viewpoint of a student, but also from the position of someone who can speak about this topic: an internationally certified screen reader expert and one of the advocates for accessibility as part of Windows Insider Program from Microsoft.

At the 2018 NFA Nationals, during the semi-final round of extemporaneous speaking (a limited preparation event where students research about a topic for 30 minutes and present a seven minute speech), one of the questions asked was, "how can tech companies make their products accessible?". I later found out that two competitors spoke at length about this topic, with one competitor I talked to mentioning product design as one of the possible routes to make products accessible. During the course of our discussion, I asked the student to consider human factors as another possible route for answering this question, and I requested that we should start a dialogue with this student's team and the director of forensics regarding product accessibility. After reflecting on this topic, I decided to write this open letter in hopes that we can have a community-wide dialogue about not only this topic, but also one or two ethical concerns regarding extemp event.

The reasons for bringing accessibility question to your attention are twofold: seven minutes isn't enough to discuss a complex system that is accessibility, and this raises a serious question about who is a proper narrative authority to speak about this matter. Although I do understand that extemp speakers may not have thought about certain aspects of accessibility or might not have personal experience or know of someone who've gone through this, I believe that we should start a community-wide dialogue regarding these two issues in order to provide more truthful picture and to seriously think about the power of advocacy by those who do have actual experience and are considered more accurate narrative authorities.

First, I would like to address the notion that accessibility is a concept that can be examine in the span of seven minutes (or for that matter, researched in half an hour). I would like to first point out what accessibility actually is and what it involves, then address some misconceptions that could arise from this.

Accessibility is commonly defined as ways of making things accessible to a greater number of people. In the context of technology, it usually means providing alternative ways to let people from diverse backgrounds (disability, language, etc.) use technology more effectively. A more accurate way of defining accessibility, given the present circumstances, is  a collection of systematic approaches, methodologies, attitudes, and practices employed to allow more people to reap benefits of technological advances.

One key concept to note from the above definition is "a collection of systematic approaches." Accessibility is composed of a set of interrelated components that are engineered to work together to achieve beneficial outcomes for many people. These components include attitudes and assumptions, product design and research, accessibility standards, laws, norms, users, developers, user experience, environment, human factors, and others. More specifically:

* Attitudes and assumptions: in order for accessibility to even be discussed, one must have a set of attitudes and assumptions that value the needs of those who cannot access technology due to many reasons (for example, visual impairment). Some of the helpful attitudes include willingness to listen to feedback, willingness to ask tough questions about user experience, willingness to collaborate and so on.
* Product research and design: with the attitudes and assumptions in place, one can then look at ways of making things accessible through products. But that's not the end of the story.
* Human factors: these include what users want to see from a product, looking at expectations, outcomes and so on. These factors determine what kind of assistive technology will be developed, including screen readers, refreshable braille displays, AI-powered products and so on.
* Accessibility standards: one cannot talk about accessibility without mentioning standards, procedures, and foundations somewhere. These include Section 508, WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), accessibility recommendations from W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), human interface guidelines from companies such as Apple and Microsoft, as well as technologies and concepts such as WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative - Accessible Rich Internet Applications), Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and others.
* Collaboration between users and developers: collaboration plays a big part in designing accessible solutions, with users providing feedback to developers who in turn let users test solutions early.

These components and others work together when producing accessibility solutions. Some of the example accessibility solutions include:

* NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA): an open-source screen reader that was developed by a community of volunteers coordinated by NV Access.
* Seeing AI: an app from Microsoft that describes text and images via artificial intelligence.
* Eye Control: A Windows 10 feature that allows people to interact with computers via eye gazes.
* VoiceOver: a touch-based screen reader for iOS devices that opened the door for touchscreen access for screen reader users.

All of these solutions have one thing in common: they showcase what happens when accessibility system components work together to achieve beneficial goals for users and society, including listen to feedback from actual users, taking user expectations into account and so on.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of extemporaneous speaking events, the concept of accessibility as a system (thus making systems theory applicable to this construct) cannot be explored in a span of seven minutes. It might be possible that competitors may have personal experience with this topic or know someone who is an active user of accessibility solutions, thus providing clearer picture on how tech companies can make their products more accessible. But limiting people's exposure to the concept of accessibility through an extemp prompt is, to me, unacceptable. Although discussing this topic in an extemp round could lay the foundation for a dialogue afterwards, forcing students to research a topic that is too vague (as shown through the above explanation) not only jeopardizes the truth, but opens the door for misrepresentation and furthering a well-known misconception about accessibility: a one-time solution when in fact accessibility is an ongoing process.

Second, not only forcing students to research a vague topic in the span of half an hour is unacceptable, it becomes a concern when it is presented by a student with no knowledge (or limited knowledge) about this topic. This is evident when competitors bring up facts and ideas that could lead to misrepresentation, especially when they are not really a narrative authority on this subject. After talking to one competitor who answered this question with one of the points being product design, it became clear to me that it would have been better if an actual accessibility advocate provided an insightful criticism as to why tech companies are not providing more useful accessibility products.

Part of the problem has to do with lack of awareness about accessibility in the forensics community, and in extension, the public. Long ago (as late as late 2000's), product accessibility was seen as an afterthought by developers, with the public paying little attention to accessibility in general. This is slowly changing: with products such as VoiceOver and Seeing AI, awareness of accessibility has increased.

However, that appears not to be the case with forensics community, or if there is awareness, it is rare. Although it was great to see impromptu accomodations being met (such as verbal time signals) at national tournaments (for which I want to thank you from bottom of my heart) and with my communication analysis paper having to do with an actual accessibility product, it remains the case that we have to see people struggle to answer a question about a concept they themselves might not be aware of. Perhaps talking about how tech companies can make their products more accessible may have been an easy question to answer, without hearing it from an actual user of assistive technology, the extemp presentation loses its potency.

The concept of extemp presentation potency and narrative authority also brings up a related issue: strategy. Because some students are taught to answer questions that seems easy (if pressed for time), they might choose a topic that is actually the hardest one for them unless they themselves can serve as effective narrative authority. For instance, a question about an issue that competitors are not aware of may actually serve to limit their analyses, which would cause students to either repeat themselves, copy someone's words without checking validity, or pick another topic while preparing for the one they chose initially. Just because accessibility of tech products might seem easy (because it appears to deal with technology), when we examine the context of the question at hand, it is actually talking about attitudes and practices, not algorithms and product launches. Hence narrative authority is important: not only it allows people to choose a topic that they ACTUALLY KNOW, but also opens the door for INSIGHTFUL ANALYSIS.

Some of you might question my ethos in this letter and why I keep mentioning narrative authority and accessibility as a system. To many, I'm seen as a blind competitor with a white cane and a special device on my shoulders. But my outside forensics credentials include:

* A leading international authority on NVDA screen reader through NVDA Expert certification, code contributions, translations work, and conference organization.
* One of the leading authorities on BrailleNote, a braille computer used by blind people around the world and the device I use as a notecard during impromptu rounds.
* A Windows Insider with expertise in accessibility and screen reader development collaboration.
* Being featured on numerous articles and podcasts, including Microsoft's Windows Insider podcast series.

Are there solutions? Of course  - some are short-term, while others are long-term, some of which will require change in attitudes and more awareness. The first solution is to make sure students can be given a chance to present their stories and insightful analyses in extemp events through questions that actually reflect topics people can relate to. If a question that is too vague such as product accessibility is presented, and if it turns out all three question options deal with vague subject areas, then students have no choice but to choose the question that seems to be easiest to unpack, only to discover later that they don't know what's going on. Thus I would like to suggest that we go through more scrutiny when choosing extemp questions, especially at national tournaments such as AFA-NIET and NFA Nationals.

Second, we need to get a dialogue going regarding awareness of accessibility in forensics community. Accomodation letters for students that need accomodation is not the complete answer to the question on lack of (or rarity of) accessibility awareness. I'm hoping that the 2018 NFA Nationals extemp question on making tech products more accessible would spark a dialogue regarding this matter, because it is time for us to start addressing inherencies that would not give folks such as disabled students a chance to utilize their narrative authority and power, and in extension, give them a chance to listen to stories from other competitors.

Most importantly, we need to make sure that we get away from an attitude where extemp can (and sometimes should) exclude minority opinions. Talking about important issues in seven minutes is a good way to raise awareness about an issue (albeit briefly). However, this forces students to prioritize expectations versus narratives that should be heard, especially from proper narrative authorities. The question of product accessibility may allow awareness to take place, although perhaps through certain lenses. As it stands, we have lost a chance to become better informed advocates for people with disabilities such as myself. I'm hoping that this can change in the future.

Forensics is a great (and an interesting) venue where we can have a multi-way street conversations about issues that impact us, the community, and society at large. But I believe it is important for us to evaluate our attitudes, especially when dealing with an event that could have been used to offer deeper analysis, and I do not want to see extemporaneous speaking event lose its place through vague questions that only serve to present misguided or incomplete analyses. The question, "how can tech companies make their products accessible" from 2018 NFA Nationals semi-final round is an example of a question that could have become more informative if people did know what they are presenting to the world.

As we return to the question given today, "how can tech companies make their products more accessible", my thesis would have been that it ultimately comes down to attitudes and human factors, because: accessibility is a system; attitudes have power; and importance of keeping users, their expectations, and feedback in mind. I do understand that this may come across as a minority opinion to some, it is still a potent case because it comes from someone who actually knows what he is talking about, thereby can offer insightful analysis. I'm hoping that this extemp question and this open letter could serve as a foundation stone for a long overdue dialogue on awareness of accessibility in forensics.

To competitors who did answer this question at 2018 NFA Nationals, if I misrepresented your viewpoints, I'm really sorry.

To teammates of these competitors, please spread awareness of accessibility through this activity at your school.

To directors of forensics, please recruit more students with disabilities and give them a chance to share their stories with the wider community through coaching, careful research, and networking opportunities.

To extemp judges, please be considerate when contestants present minority opinions that you may not necessarily agree with, and please give people (especially minorities) a chance to advocate for themselves and others like them through half an hour of research and seven minutes of presentations.

To leaders of AFA, NFA, PKD, Phi Rho Pi and other organizations, please do something about issues (especially ethical issues) raised by students and coaches regarding extemp speaking event so we can make it better and inclusive for many competitors.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Joseph Lee
Student and forensics competitor, California State University, Los Angeles

NVDACon 2017: reflections from the founding chair

Hi,
A bit different from other posts in that I'd like to talk about and reflect upon a project that is now gaining recognition around the world: an online gathering that has sparked creativity and fruitful dialogue within a community: NVDACon.
It's been a year since I stepped down from leading this event, and more than three years since the debut of the modern NVDA Users and Developers Conference. What started out as a suggestion to hold an online chat between users turned into an international gathering of users, developers, enthusiasts, sponsors, advocates and many others coming together to talk about a screen reader that changed their lives. What started out as a suggestion to hold NVDA translations workshop in January 2014 turned into a weekend filled with fun and informative sessions, announcements, and a chance for people to talk to the gentlemen who brought NVDA to life in 2006. As much as I am happy with current results, there are things I believe we can do better in terms of promotion, diversifying topics, forging relationships and communication.
## NVDACon: history and ingredients
Painting the picture that'll eventually become NVDACon didn't start in 2014; rather, it began in 2007 when I organized a series of online chats between BrailleNote users and HumanWare staff. This meeting was in turn inspired by a meeting between users and HumanWare staff in 2004 that resulted in the introduction of BrailleNote PK, KeySoft 6.1, and BrailleNote mPower in 2005. From 2007 to early 2010's, I and other BrailleNote users gathered at least ten times to talk about the past, present, and future of BrailleNote family of products with no restriction on topics. This eventually laid the groundwork for open forums at NVDACon and served as the basis for one side of the NVDACon story: users.
Prior to NVDACon, NV Access held developer summits, focusing on what's new and changed, as well as discussing future directions. As I read about these events, the idea of having a meeting between developers sounded good, thus it was decided to include "developers" in the name of NVDACon. This also served as one of the inspirations for annual keynotes.
Then in June 2012, I joined the NVDA screen reader project as a Korean translator. During the course of translating NVDA into Korean, I and other Korean users held a series of meetings online, discussing translation status, gathering feedback on user guide, discussing ways to overcome ambiguities in terms used in translations and so forth. In some respects, these meetings became a model for interactive lab presentations at past NVDACon gatherings, as well as a model for regional NVDA conferences. To reflect the latter point, these meetings officially became NVDACon Korea in 2016.
In 2014, a member of the NVDA users mailing list suggested organizing an online chat between NVDA users. As I read that email, a picture formed in my mind: a conference like that of PyCon (a gathering of members of the Python programming language ecosystem)) except it was online. At that time, I was also thinking about organizing a workshop for current and new translators in hopes of forging relationships between translators and to discuss future of this project. In the end, I decided to combine these aspects along with ingredients described above - users, developers, open discussion, bridge between users and developers and so on, thus NVDA Users and Developers Conference (NVDACon) was born, with the first NvDACon held on March 1, 2014.
At first, NVDACon was a one-day event, featuring a keynote from Michael "Mick" Curran, an open forum, and other sessions. I experimented with two weekend events in 2015 and 2016, then it became a weekend gathering in 2017. During the course of NVDACon history, I was the founding chair from 2014 to 2016, with Derek Riemer (University of Colorado at Boulder) named chair for the 2017 event.
The 2016 gathering was notable in two ways. As NVDA turned ten that year, I wanted the conference to be a celebratory event, thus it had one of the largest collection of sessions. Also, it marked the debut of pre-keynote activities, including a countdown timer (with music) and inclusion of a promotion audio prior to the keynote itself (both were repeated in 2017), all inspired by keynotes in events such as Apple's World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).
In the case of pre-keynote activities, I was aiming for two things: I wanted participants to feel as though they've stepped right into the midst of an Apple event, and to highlight the importance of NV Access keynote at these conferences. In some ways, I believe both aims were achieved, but I believe improvements could make it even better.
## Conference purposes
Although there are many purposes for organizing this conference series, two stands out the most: bridging and showcasing. I felt an online conference served as a great venue for a community to come together and exchange ideas, as well as to showcase how much NVDA has achieved and what can be done in the future to make it even better.
The first purpose is bridging. The conference should serve as a venue for NVDA community members from all walks of life to come together and exchange ideas, thoughts and experiencess. Although various bridging scenarios were targetted, the most important one was that of a relationship between users and developers, a relationship that went beyond paper and phone calls: a personal relationship through keynotes, presentations, general chats and so on (after all, NVDA developers are people).
The second purpose is showcasing. A conference about a product would not be complete without a way to showcase strengths and weaknesses of the product in question. For this reason, I have envisioned sessions where community members can present ideas and demonstrate NVDA and its uses in various scenarios, including audio production, dictation, education, web browsing and many others.
There is a third major purpose that has emerged since 2016: community building and unity. As the conferences were organized by community members, it should have elements of community building, involvement, and unity. This was showcased in 2017 when most of the sessions were organized by community members, as well as highlighting achievements of the global NVDA community. Community building and unity was solidified through the theme for this year's gathering: community engagement.
## What NVDACon has  achieved, should achievd, and should improve upon
NVDACon has come a long way, and have achieved numerous things. But there are things that the conference should achieve and can do better in future gatherings.
In terms of achievements, NVDACon has instilled unity among NVDA community. By bringing together community members from all walks of life with the purpose of talking about a screen reader, it allowed people to feel a sense of unity under the banner of NVDA and work towards a more collaborative solutions such as organizing regional meetings, partnerships in projects and so on. It has also fostered improved relationships among community members, especially between NV Access and users. Lastly, the conference brought together some of the leading thinkers in the community who offered valuable suggestions for the future direction of NVDA, such as add-ons management, web standards support and so on. The conference also changed lives - even if there is one person whose life was changed through the gathering, I call it a successful conference.
As much as NVDACon achieved many things, there are things that could see improvements. First, better communication between organizers, presenters, participants and outsiders, as well as improved conference promotion  could help make the gathering even better, such as improved website, mannerisms of some participants, preparedness and so on. Second, it would be helpful to diversify topics to include things not many people talk about, such as using NVDA in enterprises, dealing with artificial intelligence and screen reading, app testing and so forth. Lastly, relationships matter in conferences like this, thus it would be helpful to foster improved relationships between translators, more users, developers and so on.
## My wishlist for NVDACon 2018
Now that NVDACon 2017 is over, I'd like to present a wishlist of things that could be done and would like to see in next year's gathering:
* Collaboration with PyCon and the wider python community: NVDACon should not be an event just for NVDA community members. As NVDA is written in python, I believe working with PyCon folks and the wider python community, including a session presented by a member of the python community or having python developers attend the NV Access keynote could foster relationships between these two communities.
* Diverse topic and presenter representations: although NVDACon 2017 had a wide variety of topics, I beelive we can make it even better if we had more diverse topics and presenters represented in future gatherings.
* Broadcasting and translations: NVDACon 2017 was unique in that parts of it were streamed live. Also, this is the second conference where live translation of the keynote took place (the first was 2014), which allowed non-English speakers to participate in the keynote.
## A word of advice for organizers of NvDACon 2018 and future conferences
If there's one thing I'd like to pass onto organizers of NVDACon 2018 and beyond, it would be being visionaries. NVDACon would not be possible without Derek Riemer (NVDACon 2017 chair), I and others working hard to transform this from a vision into reality, as without vision, there's no goal, and without a goal, there's no end product. My advice to organizers of future NVDACon gathering is this: become visionaries, think big and creatively, and plan ahead, listening to feedback from the community as you plan the next gathering. This advice is also applicable to the global NvDA community: become visionaries when it comes to promoting, sponsoring, and using NVDA.
## Conclusion
What started out as a spark in the form of a suggestion more than three years ago has become a world-renown online gathering of users, developers, sponsors and advocates of an award-winning screen reader. As the founder of NVDA Users and Developers Conference (NVDACon), I'm proud of what this conference has achieved: unity, fostering relationships, and changing lives. All those events many years ago, such as BrailleNote users chat, leading NVDA Korean translations and others laid the groundwork for NVDACon, and NVDACon has inspired creative projects throughout the NVDA ecosystem. With some improvements in place such as improved communication and promotion, fostering improved relationships and diversifying topics and presenters, I envision next year's gathering to be more epic than what we've seen so far (the word "epic" does not describe fully the life-changing gathering that is NVDACon) and become even more successful than NVDACon 2017.
Let me end this by reiterating several things emphasized during recent NVDA conferences: NVDA is more than a screen reader; NVDA is a global movement with a difference: community engagement. NonVisual Desktop Access is a screen reader of the people, a tool developed for the people, and a movement led by the people.
Thank you.