welcome, hacker
The Attendee Guidebook
A hackathon co-hosted by Code Your Dreams, Deaf Kids Code, and AIxDisability.
Everything you need before you walk in the door — accessibility basics, etiquette, a few signs, and ideas to spark your team.
Looking for sponsors to help make this event possible, inclusive, and accessible! Reach out to brianne@codeyourdreams.org if you're interested in partnering with us.
why we made this
Show up curious. Design with people, not for them.
This hackathon brings together disability community members and allies. Disability communities include people with physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, developmental, mental health, and chronic health disabilities — including Deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, low-vision, autistic, and ADHD people, wheelchair users, and many others. The best projects come from teams who listen first. Use this guidebook to warm up.
Chapters
Chapter 1
Event Info
Date, venue, travel, schedule, tracks, prizes, judging, and partners.
Read
Chapter 2
Accessibility 101
What accessibility means, who it's for, and why it makes everything better.
Read
Chapter 3
Talking with & about
Person-first vs. identity-first, words to use, and respectful behavior.
Read
Chapter 4
ASL Basics
A handful of essential signs — including "I don't sign, can we type?"
Read
Chapter 5
Hardware A11y
Switches, eye-tracking, hearing aids, adaptive controllers, and more.
Read
Chapter 6
Software A11y
WCAG basics, alt text, captions, screen readers, and tools to test.
Read
Chapter 7
Idea Sparks
Project starting points across disability communities.
Read
Chapter 8
Resources
Partner orgs, glossary, and further reading.
Read
Hosts, sponsors, and venue
co-hosted by
Code Your Dreams, Deaf Kids Code, AIxDisability, and McDonald's are running this hackathon together.
hosted at
McDonald's Global HQ
Chicago, IL
McDonald's is opening their headquarters as our venue for the weekend.
Sponsors
sponsors
Thanks to our sponsors for helping make this event accessible, inclusive, and possible. Interested in partnering? Email brianne@codeyourdreams.org.
one rule
If you take only one thing from this guide: ask, then listen.
People are the experts on their own lives. Your job at the hackathon is to be a good listener first, and a great builder second.