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-------- Original Message --------
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>Alert and Invitation - NPII/GPII meetings for Europe</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:19:42 -0500</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Gregg Vanderheiden <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:gv@trace.wisc.edu"><gv@trace.wisc.edu></a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Reply-To:
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<td>Gregg Vanderheiden <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:gv@trace.wisc.edu"><gv@trace.wisc.edu></a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td>Stewart Dickson <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sdickson@uiuc.edu"><sdickson@uiuc.edu></a></td>
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<br>
<p> This email is to make you aware of a series of planning meetings
and networking opportunities that are occurring at the end of this
month - and the beginning of the next - and to invite you to
participate as you are able.</p>
<p> An international consortium of people and programs has begun to
form with the intention of creating enhancements to the global
broadband (wired and wireless) infrastructure to facilitate
access by people who would otherwise face barriers due to
disability, literacy or aging.</p>
<p> The goal of the group is to bring together cloud, web and
platform technologies to create <strong><em>National and Global
Public Inclusive Infrastructures</em></strong> that could make
access simpler and more affordable, while addressing the needs of
groups not adequately served today. It would build up and expand
what we have today and enable new types of accessibility and
extended-usability technologies and services.</p>
<p> More information about the basic concepts and components of <strong><em>National</em></strong>
and <strong><em>Global Public Inclusive Infrastructures</em></strong>
can be found at <em><strong><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://npii.org/">http://NPII.org</a></strong></em>.</p>
<p> The NPII/GPII concept is not a wholly new concept. Rather, it is
a combination and extension of many different existing efforts.
Yet it brings them together in a way that has the potential to
fundamentally change what is possible and practical. </p>
<p> <strong>European Organizational Meetings</strong></p>
<p> You have been sent this invitation because of your interest
and/or prior work on accessibility of ICT. The meetings at the end
of this month are intended to bring together people who are
interested in the concept -- and in developing it within Europe.
If you are interested in participating in this effort, we hope you
will be able to join one of the meetings listed below.</p>
<p> If you are unable to attend any of the meetings but are still
interested - let us know by sending an email to <strong><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:join@NPII.org">join@NPII.org</a></strong>.
We will be holding a teleconference call/meeting in late
Oct/November for those who cannot make any of these meetings. Also
feel free to pass this invitation on to others who may be
interested.</p>
<p> The following four meetings have been scheduled:</p>
<ul>
<li> <strong>In Brussels at ICT 2010, 28 Sept. (Tuesday), 12:30 -
2:00 PM</strong> - An ad hoc networking meeting on NPII/GPII,
to be held between the two networking sessions on Aging and
Built-In Accessibility (see <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/ict/2010/index_en.htm">conference
website</a> for additional details). Because space is limited
to 25 persons, this meeting must be by invitation only, with
first priority to related EC projects in the field. To indicate
your interest in being part of this meeting, send an email to <strong><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:join@NPII.org">join@NPII.org</a></strong>.<br>
</li>
<li> <strong>In Beaulieu (EC Offices), 29-30 Sept. (Wed. -
Thursday)</strong> - An extended meeting titled <strong><em>“A
Networking, Exploration, and Planning Session On Development
of a European and Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure</em></strong>”
will provide a longer working period to explore a collaborative
European effort in this area.
<ul>
<li> This meeting will begin on 29 Sept. at 2:00 PM, ending at
7:00 PM. It will continue on 30 Sept. at 9:00 AM, ending at
6:00 PM. </li>
<li> The European Commission has provided a venue for the
meeting at their Beaulieu offices in Brussels.</li>
<li> This will be an open meeting. Anyone who is interested
in working toward a European and or Global Public Inclusive
Infrastructure is invited. </li>
<li> For security reasons, registration is required. The <strong>deadline
to sign up is 21 Sept</strong>.</li>
<li> To register, send an email to <strong><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:join@NPII.org">join@NPII.org</a> </strong>with:
(1) your name, (2) company or organizational affiliation,
and (3) email address. Indicate your desire to attend the
29-30 Sept. meeting. [Note: we understand that due to travel
arrangements - not everyone will be able to attend both
days.]</li>
<li> We are exploring the possibility of participation in the
meeting by phone. If you cannot attend in person, but wish
to participate by phone, please send an email to <strong><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:join@NPII.org">join@NPII.org</a></strong>
with your request to be included by phone, if it becomes
available.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<p> <strong>In Madrid at Technosite, 5 Oct. (Tues.) </strong>-
A workshop at Technosite will consist of a presentation
followed by discussion. [See attached brochure. For additional
details send an email to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:jamartinez@technosite.es">José Ángel Martínez
Usero</a>.]</p>
</li>
<li>
<p> <strong>In Seville at AEGIS Conference, 7-8 Oct.
(Thurs.-Friday)</strong> - The AEGIS Conference will feature
a keynote presentation of the NPII concept and roadmap. There
will be opportunities for informal networking, with the
possibility of a "birds of the feather" meeting sometime
during the conference. (See <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.aegis-conference.eu/">1st International
AEGIS Conference</a> for details.)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p> There will also be a teleconference late in October or November
for those who are interested in working toward an NPII or the
GPII, in Europe - (or elsewhere in the world) - but are unable to
participate in one of the meetings listed above. Please indicate
your interest in participating in such a teleconference by sending
an email to <strong><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:join@NPII.org">join@NPII.org</a>.</strong></p>
<p> <br>
With warm regards,<br>
<br>
<em>Gregg Vanderheiden<br>
for the NPII Consortium</em></p>
<p> </p>
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