Time for one of the big reveals of this summer!
I am going to Montreal!
Actually, I am en route to Montreal right now! If you read any of my posts about the last Ed-ICT symposium that I attended in Seattle, you already have an idea about what this is all about!
Background
As a recap for everyone who may not have read my coverage of Seattle’s event, the Ed-ICT International Network is hosting this symposium. The Network is focused on how information and communication technologies (ICT) can create or remove barriers and decrease disadvantages for individuals with disabilities in post-secondary education and employment, in relation to social, emotional, and educational outcomes. This symposium, hosted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is the second of five total symposiums. The previous symposium was hosted in Seattle, Washington in March 2017. The next three will be hosted in each of the following countries: Israel, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The Montreal symposium is focused on stakeholder perspectives. That includes individuals, such as senior managers, technology specialists, service providers, professors, publishers, and students with disabilities. These individuals will be representing each of the five countries to provide international views on the topic.
The Canadian Symposium
I did not expect to be able to attend this symposium due to funding reasons. However, Laura King, one of the wonderful hosts of this symposium, found room in the budget for me to attend! I appreciate her hard work and the Ed-ICT International Network for helping me to secure the majority of the funding that I needed! My hope is to be able to bring back more information to my university’s Disabilities Services Office and to my student organization, the Allies for Students with Disabilities.
I am super excited to be attending this symposium! Plus, I get to spend almost four entire days in Montreal! Definitely look out for more posts about the symposium and my exploration of Montreal! The timing will probably be a little sporadic, with my time commitments. I’ll be doing a lot of writing during the symposium itself. I will be writing more of the reflection bits will back at my hotel.
It’s shaping up to be a busy week! My first flight left at 6:00am and took me to New York City, where I am currently waiting for my 11:00am flight to Montreal! On Friday, I leave Montreal for my connection in Philadelphia at 5:45am, and then from there to Raleigh at 8:45am. Once I land, Ayush is going to pick me up from the airport so we can drive back to Charlotte. There, we are planning to spend time with my little sister! It’s going to be a whirlwind, but I can’t wait to get started!