Volume 13, Issue 21 — November 3, 2020

rAVe ED [Education] — Volume 13, Issue 21

November 3, 2020 | Volume: 13 | Issue: 21

Well, everybody, we’re here. We’re kicking. We’re going the distance. We’re trying to survive during this hell year, so I would like to congratulate each and every one of you. For us in America, today is going to be a wild one, so if you’re interested in some light(er) reading to get you through the day, I’ve got you, fam.

First of all, I know most of you are aware that Gary Kayye teaches journalism at UNC. But, it’s not every day that his class gets covered in the student newspaper, so take a look at our Tech Round-Up! You’ll see how his class is working virtually to keep students connected with a very special campaign. Cool, right?

Next up, Scott Tiner writes about how COVID will likely have a lasting impact on accessibility in the higher education space. What does this have to do with AV? More than you might think! COVID has taken a lot away from us this year, so it was really nice (for me, at least) to see the potential of something positive and inclusive created during 2020.

Alright, now for the news: Check out some updates from the likes of DPA Microphones, Martin Audio, Jupiter Systems and more! Also, we have some industry news for you — hi, yes, NEC and Sharp have completed the joint venture, and it is official. We also have all the latest on Futuresource’s Audio Collaborative 2020 — it is starting tomorrow and I hope to see you there!

— Steph Beckett

COLUMNS

+ COVID Will Have a Positive Lasting Experience on Accessibility [Scott Tiner]

For years, many of us in higher ed have used the various laws associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act to determine what was required for accessibility in classroom and campus spaces. We thought about things like closed captioning for movies, support for hearing aids and the ability to view a screen properly. However, this was often based on what we thought or were told we needed to do. These solutions tend to be expensive, so we provided them as accommodations for people who requested them — but with the quick turn to remote that we experienced in higher ed, many of these issues suddenly become real for people of all different abilities.

+ How EdTech Is Changing — Perspectives from Panasonic [Leah McCann]

Panasonic, who you most certainly know for cameras, and probably for projectors and displays too, has been making moves in the higher education space this year. To learn more, I spoke with Panasonic’s Hamid James, product manager for remote production, and Hank Reed, senior territory account manager.