"I came for the language, but I stayed for the community." ... I wish I could say. 
PyCon DE & PyData 2025
I wish I could have attended PyCon DE & PyData 2025, but was unable to due to unfortunate factors. Let me explain.
My name is Jessica, and I'm a maintainer of python libraries used by millions. I've used python for over 10 years, and have recently started joining the community where ever I'm able to.
I'm also fully blind.
Back In January/February I applied for financial aid to attend, and at the end of February my application was gracefully accepted.
Come the very start of March, when my acceptance had been confirmed, I wrote to the main PyCon DE & PyData help desk, explaining my situation, that I'm fully blind, and asking if any accommodations were possible and could be made.
A few days later I got a reply, that my request had been forwarded to the correct team, and that THEY would get back to me.
Waiting, is not fun, especially when you also have to book flights and accommodations for being there, especially if you don't know if it's all going to be for nothing.
A "Sorry, we are unable to provide accommodations" is totally okay, but that was not the answer I got.
I heard nothing.
Having heard nothing at end of March, I reached out again, to the help desk, asking for a followup at the start of April.
A whole week later, a little over a week away from the conference at this point, I get a response from the main desk again, letting me know that they've followed up directly with the on-site team, and someone will be in contact with me shortly to coordinate the best possible support for me.
Yet again - silence.
No email, no call, no dm... Nothing.
So I ended up not being able to attend. Not being able to join the community that I have come to love and cherish so much. And it's especially hard, because it's the closest PyCon to where I leave.
And let me be clear. I would totally have accepted a no, a sorry we can't do that. But hearing nothing at all, even after multiple followups, is not acceptable, regardless of if they were able to provide accommodations or not.
Personal opinion?
I feel like the community, in some way, has failed. For all the talk about accessibility, inclusion and diversity, it only feels like that mattered in this case if you were able to make things accessible yourself, if you were able to include yourself.
"I came for the language, but couldn't join the community" 
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