An Accessible Hackathon
Coming to a computer near you
Info
This is a template accessible hackathon event website. Hackathons are often open to all skill levels, background, experiences, genders, and more. That said, we could talk more about having proactive design rather than reactive design, particularly as an a11y.
Schedule
A schedule with brief descriptions of each event will help reduce confusion about what to expect.
Meal Time Descriptions
If possible, provide a menu so those with dietary restrictions and/or allergies can determine if they need to prepare food ahead of time, or if they'll be accommodated (aim for accommodating them though!)
FAQs
A time-constrained project-development event. Have an idea? Bring it to fruition. Want to learn something new? Attend a workshop, join a team, or hack solo! Want free stuff? Just show up!
It can help you decide you might want to do for a job (i.e. program or not), try out different technologies, or even develop a project for your resume.
You can volunteer, mentor, speak, sponsor, and/or judge.
We always say we're open to everyone, but to actually be a welcoming space requires purposeful (and well executed) intention. To best tackle this, consider designing with folks instead of for them.
Not quite. Consider having a well designed website with good contrast and readable fonts, closed captioning at ceremonies and workshops (or shareable transcripts), and ensuring there's ways for people to enter and navigate the building and makeshift walkways (such as the expo hall/judging which is among the most crowded, or getting over power and network cables).
Mentors
Mentors are sometimes hackers, sometimes community members, but always full of knowledge and willing to help hackers debug their projects. Mentors can be more than just technical help, project managers and folks who focus on other business aspects are great for ideation and scope advice. Even more, they can simulate a possible client interaction making hackers have to learn how to communicate their ideas to different experience levels.
Speakers
Speakers are workshop hosts and can give hackers (and other attendees) an hour long tutorial on a possible starter project, expose people to new technologies and their nuances, and talk more about their field or company and what to expect. Workshops can be breaks for hackers, offer chances to find an expert in a topic, and/or provide new connections!
Sponsors
Sponsors give differing amounts of money which allows them certain "features" at a hackathon. Such as the biggest logo for the biggest contribution, and maybe some keynote time!
Sponsors who give a little less might get to give a workshop and host a prize category that they'll judge themselves.
Sponsors who give a lower amount are still wonderful to have, they'll at least be on the t-shirt if they sponsored in time, and may send mentors or recruiters for only the first day.
Organizers
