Session Presenters Only

The American Public Health Association welcomes your participation at its 137th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia, PA. This year we will address the theme Water and Public Health: the 21st Century Challenge. The Association regards your presentation at the Annual Meeting as serving these major purposes:

• Communicating new information and fresh points of view directly to a professional audience.
• Providing authoritative material for use by the working press in informing and educating large segments of the general public on recent advances in health and medicine.

It is hoped that the following suggestions and information regarding audio visual equipment, session recording, poster presentations, roundtable presentations, speakers' responsibilities and guidelines for effective presentations will assist you in preparing for your participation at this year's Annual Meeting. 

General Information for Presenters

1. Registration & Housing is now Open. Advance registration deadline is October 2. On-site registration fees take effect after October 2. 
2. Abstract Status- All submitters were emailed the status of their abstract on June 1, 2009. Speaker confirmation letters will be emailed to all accepted session presenters reconfirming the details of their presentation date, time and location in late July 2009. To check the status of your abstract online, you will need your abstract ID number and password.
3. Update/Change/Add/Withdraw Author Information- Log on to the Speakers' Corner to update or change your contact information. You will need your abstract ID and password. If you have misplaced these important numbers, retrieve your abstract ID and password (your ID and password will be e-mailed to you directly).
4. Presenters' Frequently Asked Questions
5. 2009 Online Program - Search the program, view abstracts including learning objectives, CE accreditation and financial disclosure.
6. Personal Scheduler - Plan your meeting itinerary with a click of the mouse. Room locations will be visible to all registered presenters after October 7 -- you will need your registration ID number to access room locations from the Personal Scheduler.
7. Oral Session Guidelines
8. Poster Session Guidelines
9. Roundtable Guidelines
10. E-ssentialLearning - Recorded voice and Powerpoint presentations
11. E-ssential Steps - How the E-ssentialLearning session recording works
12. Tips on Creating a PowerPoint Presentation
13. Audio Visual Equipment/Speaker Ready Room
14. Copyright Issues
15. Publication Rights
16. Accessibility Policy
17. Interpreters
18. Onsite Services
19. Room Assignments

Copyright Issues

If you are using materials in your presentation (pictures, charts, graphs, etc.) that are not original work, remember to cite the original source. If you are drawing heavily on another source, it is incumbent on you to seek permission from the original source to use the material.

Publication Rights

An author may publish his/her paper wherever he/she wishes. However, no paper may be published until after its presentation at the Annual Meeting. If an author wants his or her paper published after the meeting it is the author's responsibility to submit his/her paper to a journal for publication. Professional journals have their own format requirements and specifications for manuscripts. You should consult the journal of your choice before submitting your paper. In general, all professional journals will reject manuscripts that are written in the informal manner of a speech. For your information, a copy of the guidelines for the American Journal of Public Health are available at www.ajph.org/misc/ifora.shtml.

Access Policy

It is APHA policy to make all meetings accessible to the widest range of people possible. Please pay special attention to members of the audience with disabilities. Be aware that registrants with disabilities are to be given specially assigned seating. Ensure that only one person speaks at a time by asking members of the group to wait until they are acknowledged before commenting or asking questions. During question-and-answer periods please make sure that questions are repeated from the podium so that those with hearing difficulties can follow the discussion. Disability Section Scientific Sessions, the General Sessions, and the Special Sessions will be interpreted for the hearing impaired. The front row center right will be reserved and made accessible for those attendees with disabilities. For information about accessibility services provided for registrants, visit the Access page.

Interpreters

If, as a speaker (or an attendee), you require a sign language interpreter, you must submit an ASL Request Form (PDF) no later than October 7, 2009. If you have any questions please contact access@apha.org. If you are speaking in a session where a sign language interpreter is used, please follow these guidelines:

• Do not walk in front of interpreters while they are signing.
• Slow your speaking rate if you tend to be a rapid speaker and slow your pace when reading any printed material.
• Let interpreters know if you are willing to be stopped during your presentation if they need clarification.
• When you address a person using an interpreter, speak directly to the person, not the interpreter.
• Spell unusual terms, names and foreign words.
• When using visuals allow extra time for the audience to look at the items after you discuss them. People using interpreters cannot examine items when they are watching the interpreter.
• When possible, please offer the interpreters advance copies of your speech, notes, handouts or overheads so they can become familiar with terms you will be using. This makes for more accurate facilitation of the information.