doteveryone

At Doteveryone, we want to make Responsible Technology the new normal. Responsible Technology promotes a fair, inclusive and democratic society. Part of what’s needed to achieve this is a change and improvement in the culture and practices of the tech industry.

And tech events are one area of tech culture ripe for change.

So below are details of two initiatives we’re running at Doteveryone to help change that. The first to help make our own event fairer. The second to support others to do the same. And both to provoke other organisations and event conveners to think about the things that might be stopping people from participating in their event.

1. Responsible Tech 2019: Accessibility Fund and Pay-it-Forward Scheme

On Thursday 31st January 2019, Doteveryone will be hosting its first one-day event focusing entirely on how we make Responsible Tech the new normal.

Together with up to 250 world-leading experts, practitioners, policymakers, funders and tech leaders, we’ll be showcasing examples of investing, leading and creating companies and technologies with responsible principles. They include STEMettes, UK Black Tech, WeTransfer, Yoti and Bulb.

A key focus of the day will be on demonstrating some of the practical ways to embed Responsible Tech principles into practice.

And one very clear and practical way to do this is to make sure that the event itself is accessible and inclusive. This is why we have allocated part of our event budget, with thanks to generous support from our sponsors, Bulb, to assist those who might otherwise face barriers in attending and ensuring that diverse and underrepresented voices are also a part of the conversation.

The deadline for applications to receive support to attend Responsible Tech 2019 with our Accessibility Fund is 5 pm on Friday 14 December 2018.

Visit the event page for more details about the event and how to apply for support to attend with our Accessibility Fund.

If your company is able to pay for your ticket on your behalf, firstly you’ve still got a chance to buy your ticket at the early-bird rate! Secondly, why not use that saving to ‘pay it forward’ and support another attendee in need of financial assistance? More details here.

2. Fairer Tech Events Grant: Round 4

We want to help make other tech events fairer too.

The main principle underlining our Accessibility Fund — to ensure it as inclusive as possible — is also the founding principle behind our Fairer Tech Event Grants scheme.

Over a year ago now, we launched the scheme to support people who are thinking ethically and fairly about how they design their events. So far we’ve awarded grants to nine brilliant initiatives, including OggCamp 18, Non-Binary In Tech, Afrotech Fest and a Muslim Makers meetup.

Each time we do a call out we award three applicants £500 each.

Today we are launching our fourth call out!

Here is a reminder of some of the types of activities we’re looking to support:

• Creche facilities to ensure parents can attend or speak at your event
• Speaker training for people who might not have ever spoken in front of crowds before
• Bursaries to ensure speakers and interns are paid fairly for their time
• Subsidised travel for people who live outside an event’s host city
• Resources that improve accessibility, including sign language interpreters, venues, transport, audio description, etc.
• Funding for ethical technology sessions that teach more about empowering and protecting people online

So if you’re organising a tech event and need support to make your event fairer by taking into account the needs of people who may not otherwise be able to attend without support, you can apply using the form here.

The deadline for applying is 9 am Monday 17th December 2018.

Any questions, please get in touch with [email protected].

The Accessibility Fund for Responsible Tech 2019 is something we’ve not tried before at Doteveryone so we’d very much welcome your feedback on what’s working and what’s not so we can learn for next time.

If you have any thoughts, comments or advice on the process then please get in touch via [email protected].

Two ways we’re making tech events fairer was originally published in Doteveryone on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.