Section outline

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    Workshop Series Overview

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    March 30 - April 1, 2026 (Tuesday-Thursday) from 10:00 AM CT to 11:30 AM CT 

    Join us for a comprehensive three-part workshop series designed to introduce researchers and practitioners with disabilities to the NCSA Delta high-performance computing cluster. This hands-on series prioritizes command-line proficiency, clear verbal instruction, and practical problem-solving approaches that work for all users.

    Optional Research Participation

    Participants have the opportunity to contribute to accessibility research by completing optional surveys before and after the workshop series. These surveys help us understand the effectiveness of accessible HPC training approaches and improve future workshops. Participation in the research component is entirely voluntary and does not affect your workshop experience.

    Series Philosophy:
    • Learner-centered and problem-focused approach
    • Command-line first, with GUI as a complement
    • All instruction assumes a non-visual context
    • Community building and peer support

    If you are interested, please fill out the workshop pre-survey link as follows: https://tinyurl.com/delta-workshop.

    Workshop Registration

    Please register by using this link to the Registration Form.

    If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Omar Khan (mkhan259@illinois.edu) or JooYoung Seo (jose1005@illinois.edu). 

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    Pre-Workshop Setup

    Required Software:

    • Modern terminal application (cmd or PowerShell recommended for Windows users)
    • Active ACCESS account for Delta cluster access
    • Optional: VS Code with Remote-SSH extension for an alternative editing approach

    Accessibility Accommodations:

    • All materials are in accessible text formats
    • High-contrast display options for low-vision participants
    • Flexible pacing and multiple explanation methods
    • Screen reader-optimized command output formatting

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    Workshop 1: The Lay of the Land

    Connecting and Navigating

    Master the Basics of Delta Cluster Access and Navigation

    Gain confidence connecting to and navigating the Delta supercomputing cluster through hands-on practice with essential command-line tools. This foundational workshop establishes your "you are here" point in the HPC environment and builds core navigation skills.

    What You'll Learn:

    • Connect securely to Delta using SSH and understand the remote environment
    • Navigate directories and files using accessible command-line techniques
    • Master essential commands like pwd, ls -l, and cd with screen reader optimization
    • Create and organize project directories for your research work
    • Understand HPC architecture basics: login nodes vs. compute nodes

    Who Should Attend:

    • Anyone new to high-performance computing, especially those that identify as having a disability
    • Anyone interested in accessible approaches to HPC cluster usage
    • Researchers ready to scale up their computational work beyond desktop limitations
    • Students and professionals seeking inclusive computing skills

    Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with command-line interfaces is helpful but not required. Pre-workshop setup includes ensuring screen reader compatibility and ACCESS account activation.

    Format: Interactive workshop with guided practice, plenty of pacing for command entry and output review

    Duration: 1-1.5 hours

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    Workshop 2: Doing the Work

    Editing Files and Running Jobs 

    Write Scripts, Submit Jobs, and Navigate the Slurm Scheduler 

    Learn to create computational scripts and submit your first jobs to the Delta cluster using the Slurm job scheduler. This practical workshop covers accessible text editing and introduces the "deli ticket system" approach to understanding job queues. 

    What You'll Learn: 

    • Edit files confidently using Vim's accessible, text-based interface 
    • Alternative: Connect remotely using VS Code with SSH for a familiar editing environment 
    • Understand Slurm job scheduling through clear analogies and practical examples 
    • Write and submit batch scripts for computational tasks 
    • Monitor job status and retrieve results using screen reader-optimized commands 
    • Navigate tabular output from squeue and other monitoring tools 

    Key Skills Covered: 

    • Vim basics: modes, navigation, and essential commands optimized for screen readers 
    • Slurm fundamentals: batch vs. interactive jobs, resource allocation concepts 
    • Job submission workflow: writing scripts, using sbatch, monitoring with squeue 
    • Output management: using less for paging through results 

    Duration: 1-1.5 hours 


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    Workshop 3: Scaling Up

    Software, Version Control, and Fine-Tuning 

    Access Research Software and Prepare for Advanced Computational Work 

    Explore Delta's software ecosystem and learn version control essentials for reproducible research. This workshop provides the pathway to advanced work like model fine-tuning while introducing the Open OnDemand web portal as an accessible complement to command-line work. 

    What You'll Learn: 

    • Navigate Delta's software modules system using accessible filtering techniques 
    • Understand the conceptual pathway to advanced tasks like model fine-tuning 
    • Use the Open OnDemand web portal's most accessible features 
    • Develop strategies for managing complex computational projects 

    Key Topics: 

    • Environment modules: finding and loading software with module avail and grep 
    • Advanced workflow overview: from base models to custom training scripts 
    • Accessible web portal features: file management, interactive sessions 

    Duration: 1-1.5 hours 


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    Additional Resources