IEEE VR About Past Conferences ☰

Inclusion, Diversity, and Accessibility

IEEE VR 2021 is striving towards an inclusive and accessible environment to encourage conference participation by individuals of all identities and with diverse backgrounds. This page describes some of the accessibility and support features of IEEE VR 2021, to help you make an informed decision about whether the conference will be accessible to you and to better plan your attendance. This year’s conference will be held entirely online, using some tools and platforms that are different from last year’s conference. We try to anticipate all potential needs from the VR community. However, if the conference arrangements are not sufficient to allow you to attend, or if you have any question that is not answered here, please contact us at diversity2021[at]ieeevr.org (see below for more information). We are open to any suggestions and feedback.

How do I communicate accessibility needs to IEEE VR 2021 organizers?
Who do I ask if my question is not answered here?
Which tools and platforms will be used?
I have a hearing impairment. What accommodations will be made to facilitate my participation?
I have a visual impairment. What accommodations will be made to facilitate my participation?
Will there be networking events for traditionally underrepresented groups?
Is funding available for students to attend the conference?
What programs will be available to support diversity and inclusion at the conference?

How do I communicate accessibility needs to IEEE VR 2021 organizers?

Attendees are encouraged to mention any requests for accommodations that are not covered on this page. You can contact the conference accessibility and diversity chairs at diversity2021[at]ieeevr.org. Note that some requests may require advance notice, so please submit accessibility requests as far in advance of the conference date as possible in order to give us adequate time to prepare.

Accessibility Chairs, IEEE VR 2021:

Tony Baylis ‒ LLNL, USA (SIGGRAPH)
Stevie Carnell ‒ University of Central Florida, USA
Tonja Machulla ‒ LMU Munich, Germany
Catarina Moreira ‒ QUT, Australia

Email: diversity2021[at]ieeevr.org

Who do I ask if my question about the conference is not answered here?

If there is a specific accessibility information you would like to see here, or if you wish to discuss any accessibility requirements, please contact our Accessibility and Diversity Chairs by email: diversity2021[at]ieeevr.org, and someone will respond to you shortly.

Which tools and platforms will be used?

The conference will use a combination of Discord, Zoom, Youtube, and Virbela. If you require assistance regarding the accessibility of any of these platforms, please contact us before March 20th, 2021 at diversity2021[at]ieeevr.org.

I have a hearing impairment. What accommodations will be made to facilitate my participation?

All talks will be pre-recorded and contain subtitles. Live versions of the talks in Zoom will be accompanied by automatic closed captioning. You will be able to ask your questions over Zoom text messaging and also communicate with authors and other participants over Discord text channels.

The virtual conference space in Virbela will be set up to include special sound-proofed zones where ambient noise is suppressed to allow for conversations in small groups.

If you have any further requirements, please contact us at diversity2021[at]ieeevr.org.

I have a visual impairment. What accommodations will be made to facilitate my participation?

All talks will be pre-recorded and contain subtitles that can be extracted as text files. Additionally, slides of the talks will be deposited by the authors ahead of time in dedicated Discord channels. If you would like us to determine the accessibility of any of the tools and online platforms used for setting up the conference (see also Which tools and platforms will be used?), please contact us at diversity2021[at]ieeevr.org.

Will there be networking events for traditionally underrepresented groups?

Yes, we will have several networking events in dedicated Virbela rooms, specifically for traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, participants from certain geographical regions such as Latin America, or undergraduate students. If you would like to organize such an event, please contact us with a date and time and the approximate number of expected participants so we can assign you a room and help advertise the event.

Is funding available for students/authors to attend the conference?

There is funding available to cover registration costs for graduate students and early-career researchers with diverse backgrounds (at Member level). In addition, there are scholarships to cover the higher registration costs of Paper Authors with diverse backgrounds (at Member level). There is a very limited number of such grants available. Selection will be competitive. More information on how to apply for this Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship can be found here.

Undergraduate students who are interested in attending the conference but have limited or no previous VR research experience should apply to the Bridge to VR Program.

What programs will be available to support diversity and inclusion at the conference?

In addition to the networking events described above, there is also a mentorship program for registered attendees. The goal of the IEEE VR 2021 Mentorship Program is to connect newcomers to the conference (mentees) and experienced attendees (mentors) via shared interests. More information on this program can be found here.