Is this your first virtual meeting? Are you tech-challenged? Don't worry - we're here to help!
ABE/APHMG 2021 is using PheedLoop as the platform to provide for the virtual event. All attendees are strongly urged to get themselves familiar with this environment prior to the beginning of the conference. We also encourage the attendees to set up their profiles as soon as possible and make sure they are exactly as they like them. The more familiar you are with the environment prior to the meeting, how it works and what it offers, the better your experience will be at the conference.
Recommended System and Internet Requirements
Optimal Setup
A general rule of thumb is that any modern browser and high-speed internet connection is all that's really needed to participate. The best setup we've found is using Google Chrome on a laptop or desktop, with an internet connection offering at least 25 Mbps download speed. We've found Google Chrome is most compatible with third-party plugins and integrations.
Click here to test your internet speed
Supported Browsers
Any major, modern browser is supported. This includes Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and even Microsoft Edge.
Note that Internet Explorer is NOT a supported browser due to it being incompatible with modern web performance and security standards.
Device Types
The virtual event system is best experienced on a laptop or desktop device, though it is responsive and compatible with tablets and smartphones. Tablets and smartphones are best suited for view-only experiences, as the system relies on several technologies that are best compatible with full browsers (e.g. video chats within the system).
Built-In Multi-Language Support
The virtual event portal supports over 10 languages and allows you to instantly view nearly all built-in phrases, buttons, labels, notifications, and more in your language of choice. Once logged in, simply use the language selector at the top-right corner of your virtual event portal and select any language you prefer.
I AM AN ATTENDEE...
- 1 week before the meeting you will receive an invitation email with a personalized link. Be sure to login and take the platform for a quick spin before we get started.
- Complete your profile in the virtual platform, including a picture of yourself. Since we are virtual, this helps others make more personal connections with you and put a face with a name.
- Craft your personal conference schedule in the platform by reviewing and saving sessions to build the experience you want.
- Determine when you will truly be at the conference. If you have others around you most of the day and/or are attending from a work environment, you will want to make sure you can be attentive, out of office, secluded or otherwise focused. If you were away or offsite at an event, you would have that clear separation. For a virtual conference, consider creating that separation for the sessions that are most critical to you.
- Actively participate in sessions by responding to presenter questions, engaging in session chats, responding to polls, and any other interactive activities the presenter introduces.
- Adhere to all guidelines, etiquette rules or other session expectations set by the conference provider, facilitator or moderator.
- Complete session evaluations and the overall conference evaluation to benefit all attendees the next year as well as support presenters and event planners as they work on future conferences.
- Network, even when it feels awkward! Whether networking is baked into the platform, setup as a separate platform or facilitated as a session, lean in.
Accessibility Options
The virtual platform implements the ARIA attributes, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively.
Disability profiles supported by the Pheedloop platform
- Epilepsy Safe Profile: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
- Vision Impaired Profile: this profile adjusts the website so that it is accessible to the majority of visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
- Cognitive Disability Profile: this profile provides various assistive features to help users with cognitive disabilities such as Autism, Dyslexia, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements more easily.
- ADHD Friendly Profile: this profile significantly reduces distractions and noise, to help people with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders browse, read, and focus on the essential elements more easily.
- Blind Users Profile (Screen-readers): this profile adjusts the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is installed on the blind user’s computer, and this site is compatible with it.
- Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
- Font adjustments – users can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
- Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
- Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
- Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
- Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
- Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
- Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.