ASC AND OZCOTS 2023

News

We are offering low cost onsite childcare to anyone attending ASC/OZCOTS2023 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday though a licensed childcare provider (details and registration).

Diversity and Accessibility statement

We want ASC&OZCOTS23 is to be an inclusive, accessible, and safe environment for all in-person and online participants.

We have endeavoured to create a conference environment welcoming to all regardless of age, body ability, career stage, gender, gender identity, gender expression, caring responsibilities, geographic origin, language, neurodiversity, political views, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background or other factors. We recognise that any list of dimensions of diversity can only be indicative, not exhaustive, and welcome feedback from prospective participants on accommodations they require.

Respect regarding every aspect of human diversity is expected from the organisers, the presenters, the chairs, and the attendees in all spaces of the conference. A code of conduct is in place and a code of conduct response team is being assembled.

We aim to proactively promote the participation and leadership of people from all backgrounds in the organising committee, the program committee, the presenters, chairs, and the ASC&OZCOTS23 attendees.

During conference organisation we have promoted diversity by:

• Ensuring diversity in conference organising committees.

• Blind review of abstracts.

• Prioritising diversity when selecting invited and plenary speakers.

• Organising scholarships and bursaries for students, early career statisticians and others to assist them to participate.

Conference accessibility and diversity practices are a work in progress. We welcome feedback, suggestions and requests to make the conference more inviting and accessible.

Contact Gordana (g.popovic@unsw.edu.au)

During the conference

In person accessibility

• Parallel session lecture theatres have hearing loops, though the plenary theatre unfortunately does not.

• We will have assistance to help blind and low vision people to navigate food and beverage choices at meal times.

• The UOW campus is accessible. Our venues are on the ground floor. Free public transport to and around campus is accessible.

• A quiet room will be available for use by all attendees.

• There are accessible restrooms, which are unisex, in all conference locations.

• There are all gender restrooms in or adjacent to all conference locations (the conference will be held in building 11 and 20).

• Some seating will be available in morning tea / lunch areas.

• We want parents and child care givers to young children to be able to easily participate in the conference.

  • We are offering low cost onsite childcare to anyone attending ASC/OZCOTS2023 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday though a licensed childcare provider (details and registration).

  • There are parent rooms adjacent to the conference venue (the conference will be held in building 11 and 20). These all include baby change facilities and a microwave. In addition, the parent room in building 17 (between the two conference venues) has a small play area for very young children.

  • We will have a mini fridge available to store food for children.

  • If you are bringing an additional person to assist with child care during the conference, this carer will have free access to conference facilities, please contact us to arrange.

  • There is space for strollers / prams to be stored in common areas.

• We will encourage accessible practices from all presenters.

Online accessibility

The online platform was chosen based partly on accessibility. We conducted testing to assess the compatibility of available conference platforms with screen readers; however, no member of the organising committees is a screen reader user, so our assessment may not be accurate. We chose the Oxford Abstracts platform for the online conference.

• It appears to be screen reader friendly, we believe navigation between the platforms sections (schedule, chats, posters) will work with a screen reader.

• Sessions will open in a local Zoom application, giving the talks themselves all the accessibility of a normal Zoom meeting.

• We will also provide the program in alternate formats (.pdf,.csv).

• Closed captions will be available during sessions, however, we are aware that closed captions are not generally adequate for scientific content. If you require live captioning to participate, please get in touch. We will also encourage presenters to edit transcripts after their talks.

• Please get in touch if you would like to test the platform before registering.

Gordana Popovic (g.popovic@unsw.edu.au) on behalf of ASC&OZCOTS23 EDI working group.

A map of the campus of the University of Wollongong is available here.