CSUN -- ATHEN [greetings from ... Boston]

Yeah, yeah .. I talked big and didn't deliver. My intent was to post to the blog each day of CSUN. The reality of the situation on the ground was a lack of time. Up early every day and a whirlwind of attending programs, meeting people, visiting vendors, wolfing down food, and socializing. By the time I got back to my hotel room each night I was too wiped to write - it was hard enough checking my eMail (and I had to touch base with the home office each day). A week later I am rested and caught up on both work and family matters and will start posting reflections, notes, observations, etc. This is probably the better scenario - I reread some of the email I sent during the week and it is atrocious! Better to have my wits about me when writing then half-asleep and under deadline.

First Up - ATHEN News:

The minutes from the CSUN meeting should be up on the homepage soon, but here are some hi-lites:

• Ron Stewart was re-elected as President and made the official announcement that he is leaving Oregon State University to become the VP of North American Operations for Dolphin - or something like that. Ron will also keep his hand-in with AHEAD.
• We have a Treasurer! Eileen Berger of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education has been elected to oversee the ledger. President Ron has tasked her with exploring options to accept on-line credit card payments for membership dues.
• The membership present made it official that we would not only support the Accessing Higher Ground conference but that it would become the official annual conference of ATHEN. It was agreed by the leadership of AHG that there will be an ATHEN Track at the conference this year with designs to increase our involvement annually.
• A reminder that presentation proposals for AHG are currently being accepted and are due by April 21, 2006. [invitation in .doc] [proposal form in .doc]
• The first issue of the E-Journal with an emphasis on E-Text and Alt-Media Production is now available on-line.

Next Up - CSUN Reports Elsewhere

For those of you who could not make the conference, check out the following sites for a variety of video and audio presentations. But first you must read the very funny BlindConfidential post titled Fear and Loathing at CSUN 2006: Gonzo Fiction. (BC Blogger was kind enough to add the ATHEN blog to his list of favorites)

• TV Worldwide has a variety of videos from CSUN going back to the year 2000. Not every presentation or product demonstration is available, but quite a few hi-lites and all definitely worth viewing. I'll be pinpointing some of these in future posts.
• The SpeEdChange blog has a variety of product reviews from CSUN.
• Axistive was there in full-force and I had a change to meet some of their staff. Nice folks one and all.
• Jim Fruchterman's March 27 post to the Beneblog is short and sweet and includes audio of one of his talks as recorded by Norm Coombs on a small hand-held digital device. Overall not a bad bit of recording.

UDATE - A bit more CSUN reportage courtesy of E.A. from across the pond.

• Blind Access Journal has numerous audio-casts and links additional blogs, including:
• Blind Cool Tech
• Desert Skies Podcast
• Archive of the Association of Blind Citizens Webcasts
• ACB Radio Blog