AGM 2022

Held online via a Zoom call on Monday 20 March 2023.

The person responsible for presenting or chairing the item is in brackets.

Agenda

  • Welcome (Co-chairs)
  • Apologies (Secretary)
  • Attendance (Secretary)
  • Confirmation of minutes from 2021 AGM (held December 2021) (Co-chairs)
  • Annual report (Co-chairs)
  • Annual financial statement (Treasurer)
  • Election of 2023 committee (Co-chairs)
  • Planning for OZeWAI 2023 conferences and events (Conference Convener)
  • Any other business (Co-chairs)

Minutes

Attendees

Gerry Neustatl, Ricky Onsman, Amanda Mace, Bri Norton, Andrew Downie, Natalie Collins, Likhasinh Sayasane, Nathanael Coyne, Chris Leighton, Irith Williams and Manon David.

Apologies: David Swayn, Manisha Amin requested Natalie Collins be proxy, Adam Cooper resigned.

Minutes of previous AGM

Moved by Andrew Downie, seconded by Ricky Onsman

Chairs’ report

  • Committee is currently at 14 members, with sub-committees of invited members and associates working on specific projects: 1. Accessible ICT Procurement, 2. Membership and Consultancy 3. Training and Apprenticeships.
  • We developed and published a new Vision and Mission (thank you to all of the Committee and members who helped shape the messaging)
  • We partnered and shared accessibility information at a booth at Web Directions Summit, December 2022 and in-person event partnering continues in 2023, including Perth Web Accessibility Camp (PWAC), RoundTable and Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Conference for Asia-Pacific (AITCAP).
  • We continue to build on new committee management tools (Zoom, Otter.ai and Google Workspace), we also have a table OZeWAI banner and planning to print more stickers of the OZeWAI logo and WCAG POUR stickers for partner events.
  • A new website went live and we are now working on getting membership tiers, news content and the online platform set up for regular online events on accessibility topics.  Thank you to Ricky Onsman, Julie Grundy and Andrew Downie
  • Drafted a Code of Ethics to link with the new membership tiers and consultancy list of providers and partners to build a more financially working model for OZeWAI that will allow us to still attend and support accessibility work at related conferences.
  • OZeWAI has contributed and continues to participate on accessibility related initiatives such as the review of the Digital Strategy for the Human Rights Commission, CAUDIT (accessible ICT in the Higher Education sector).
  • We have started a project to develop an assessment framework based on the Agile project process to support product and services developing to the Digital Transformation Agency’s (DTA) and state government standards.

Finance report

  • Treasurer’s report for the year ending 30 June 2022. 
  • We made a loss of $11,064, which was largely due to contracting a part-time person to assist with coordination and OZeWAI sponsorship of the Inclusive Tourism Conference for Asia-Pacific and Centre for Accessibility Awards.
  • OZeWAI is managing the payment of co-facilitators for the Inclusive Research workshops, which is utilising the OZeWAI Zoom and Humanitix accounts and promoting on OZeWAI social media.
  • Income was due to the Get Online Week grant of $1,000 and membership fees. We are beginning to see an upswing in membership numbers to 44 in anticipation for the new website and membership offering.
  • At 30 June 2022, cash at bank was $18,924.39

Membership research

Membership interviews were held with a mix of previous, long-term and new members to gather insights for the research.

  • Members wanted to see more from OZeWAI working in the advocacy or support members with disability in their work and for the community in general
  • Committee members meeting details not being sent or saved in calendars, missing agendas and sometimes the minutes do not reflect the discussion 
  • Members were not aware of what the plan is for OZeWAI vs just a conference
  • Members were not aware of what OZeWAI does, except for the conference
  • Members couldn’t find anything they needed or to help with collaboration from the website

The insights led to some specific recommendations:

  1. Provide a plan and clear guidance on communications
    • Develop a Vision and Mission
    • Committee communications and an agreed Ways of Working (WoW)
  2. Use the work to date to promote the benefits of membership
    • Development of a Code of Ethics and membership tiers approach
    • Set up and run specific project focused sub-committees (eg. ICT Procurement)
  3. Decide on a conference approach for online
    • Setting up the online platform for member invited content
    • Partnering with relevant in-person conferences (to allow for networking and member growth)
  4. Develop the website to promote the conference
    • User research to develop user stories to support different types of members
    • Develop and improve website and social media content

OZeWAI Constitution changes based on research

This has led to a new focus for OZeWAI for the future and so require special resolution changes to the OZeWAI constitution at a notice of a Special General Meeting (SGM) on 17 April 2023, specifically related to OZeWAI membership.

  1. Conferences and networking
    • In-person partnership and online platform schedule of topics
  2.  Advocacy and community workshops and projects
    • Partner with organisations to support specific projects (eg. ICT Procurement)
    • Work with other advocacy groups on relevant projects (eg. CAUDIT)
    • Demonstrate OZeWAI value at in-person events (networking and workshops)
  3.  Membership benefits for Accessibility professionals
    • Setting up the online platform for member invited content
    • Consultancy list to find accessibility professionals
  4.  Better communication and committee involvement
    • Onboarding process for Committee and consistent ways of working for sub-committee working groups
    • Evidence based decision making by the committee and being informed by what we learn