Your Guide to Accessibility at Dreamforce ’19: 7 Ways to Blaze your Trail!
By: Sunday Parker
Tags: Salesforce, User Experience, Universal Design, Accessibility, Dreamforce

Whether you’re just getting started on blazing your trail with accessibility or a skilled champion — we’ve got an exciting line-up of ways to get engaged, learn, and connect with accessibility-themed activations and sessions you won’t want to miss.

Get ready to learn about all things accessibility at Dreamforce ’19!

Equality through accessibility

At Salesforce, we believe that businesses can be a powerful platform for positive social change, which includes amplifying voices from our disability community, providing pathways to learn about designing and developing with accessibility in mind, as well as striving to make Dreamforce inclusive to all our guests.

As part of our commitment to Equality for All, we’re on a journey to not just host the most exciting tech event of the year, but also the most accessible! With 2,700+ sessions, there are endless opportunities to get hands-on with the latest innovations and to learn from Trailblazers across many industries. We want to empower all our guests to participate in everything that Dreamforce has to offer — without barriers. Accessibility means providing full and equal access to everyone, which is why, year-after-year, our Events team has been refining our programming to bring you the most accessible Dreamforce ever. For the latest resources, accommodations, and details, visit our Dreamforce Accessibility page to help get the most out of Dreamforce.

7 ways to advance or start blazing your accessibility trail

Hey Trailblazer, do you want to be a champion of accessibility for your organization? Here are eight ways to help you on your journey to #EqualityForAll.

1. Get started with an Accessibility Journey Card

For the first stop at Dreamforce, pick up our Accessibility Journey card. Upon completing the steps, you will win a new limited-edition Astro in a wheelchair plushie. The journey card will include many of the steps we have below. You can pick up your own journey card in Camp Design located in the Trailhead area, Moscone West, or in the Sales, Service, and Small Business Essentials Lodge located in the Marriott Marquis.

Insider Tip: Get a step ahead by completing the “Get Started with Web Accessibility” Trail today!

2. Explore how to design for inclusivity at Camp Design

Drop by the “Design for Everyone” booth within Camp Design, and join in for three activities:

Learn how accessibility and inclusive design can make products better for everybody. Get hands-on with a fun demonstration of the principles of accessibility in action. Afterward, write a commitment for our “pledge tree” on how you’ll make your company more accessible and inclusive.

After completing the activities, you’ll also be entered into a raffle to win a reusable lunchbox, with a cutting board and utensils. Camp Design is located in the Trailhead area in Moscone West.

3. Attend the Service Cloud keynote

Attend in-person or remotely for a special Trailblazer story featuring a champion of accessibility within their organization! James Ashworth, vice president of customer support and services, will share how Southwest Airlines used Salesforce to give their agents who are visually impaired the tools they need to spend more time focusing on their customers. Hear their story and more in the Service Cloud Keynote.

Want to tune-in remotely? All our keynotes can be streamed remotely from anywhere you are in the world on Salesforce Live!

4. Add accessibility sessions to your agenda

This year, we have several sessions dedicated to the themes of accessibility and equality for developers, admins, and business leaders. Here’s a round-up of sessions to add in Agenda Builder:

Insider Tip: Look for the latest details as well as dates, times, and theater locations in the Salesforce Events app.

5. Visit the Sales, Service, Small Business Essentials Lodge

Visit the Sales, Service, Small Business Essentials Lodge in the Marriott Marquis to:

Learn how to build your business based on inclusion with Bitty & Beau’s Coffee. Discover the built-in accessibility in Salesforce Make a commitment to accessibility and build a Lego mural.

The Lodge is also the last stop on your Accessibility Journey at Dreamforce. Once your Journey is complete, you can collect your Astro plushie prize from the Sales, Service, and Small Business Essentials Lodge.

6. Join Abilityforce at the Equality Festival!

For the first time, we’re hosting an exciting Equality Festival experience during Dreamforce — brought to you by Deloitte Digital — that you won’t want to miss! Hosted on the top floors of the Salesforce Tower, we’re creating a space for each of our employee resource groups (ERG) — including Abilityforce, our group for Employees with Disabilities + Allies — to connect and celebrate. Each ERG will have a 1-hour activation throughout the evening that will rotate as we celebrate #EqualityForAll. Abilityforce will be hosting from the 60th floor from 6–7 PM.

Space is limited, so visit our page and register to be added to the waitlist.

7. Meet fellow members from the Trailblazer Community and Allies

Wrap up your Dreamforce experience by connecting with fellow champions of accessibility, people with disabilities, and disability community allies in the Trailblazer Community Cove (Moscone West) at the Accessibility & Disability Trailblazers and Allies Meet & Greets! Check the session schedule here and here for date & time details.*!

*Dates and times are subject to change, please look for the latest details in the Dreamforce app.

Even if you’re not attending Dreamforce this year, you can start your accessibility journey today. To learn more about accessibility, take the “Get Started with Web Accessibility” Trail and join the Disability Topics Trailblazer community to stay in touch!