Chatbots are everywhere online customer service is necessary. However, few are accessible to people with disabilities. Anything a company can shift from an employee to a computer saves them money. That is why many retail companies are now using chatbots…
Presentation hints to help participants who don’t have perfect vision
Following a few minor best practices drastically improves the experience not only for people with vision loss but also those who are neurodiverse. I’ve worn eyeglasses since I was 12. A 9-inch growth spurt in twelve months left me with…
Why I wrote “Giving a Damn About Accessibility” and why you should read it
I wrote the accessibility book I needed 17 years ago when I made my career shift to focus on disability and accessibility. In 2004, I was struggling with a miserable career. I finished law school in 1997. I spent a…
What does an “accessibility flywheel” look like?
Flywheels distill complicated sets of business processes down to the most critical inflection points, enhancing stakeholder focus. A business flywheel is an alternative to the more traditional “funnel” that graphically portrayed processes must follow to get and keep customers. The…
Physical Campus Accessibility – More than just an occupancy certificate
Originally published in the Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Diversability Every day in the US, a conversation like the following one occurs: Employee with disability: I can’t do X because of Y. Some examples of this might include, “I can’t use…
Six actions that will destroy disability/diversity ally credibility
Believe me when I say that for all underrepresented communities, including disability, actions speak WAY louder than words. Most organizations want to claim they are inclusive. You don’t find many that proudly shout publicly that they intentionally exclude underrepresented minorities,…
ITI announces free training on authoring and reading ACRs/VPATs
This training will quickly teach you how to produce and consume essential documentation on product accessibility. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premier global advocate for technology, representing the world’s most innovative companies. ITI promotes public policies and industry standards…
One good thing the pandemic has changed forever
It’s *finally* gotten harder to hide discriminatory comments. Pre-COVID, they were called “Hot Mic” incidents. Situations where people didn’t realize their microphone was live, and they said something they clearly shouldn’t, and probably wouldn’t have if they knew the microphone…
Do you have a disability if you don’t have an official diagnosis?
The short answer is “absolutely.” The long answer, of course, is more complicated than that. First of all, disabilities are almost always thought of in either the medical or legal contexts. The CDC’s definition of a disability, which is medical, is…
Sustainability starts with disability inclusion and accessibility.
For starters, for every 1 % increase in people with disabilities working, $25 billion would be added to the US economy. Many people start the year with New Year’s resolutions: Reduce, reuse, recycle Purchase more sustainable solutions Buy local But each of…