Work Archives - Sheri Byrne-Haber's Blog

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Making PowerPoint decks more accessible

An essential component to maximizing remote participation by people with disabilities Part two of a two-part article. Part one focuses on how to optimize the video conference experience for the event. One of the lasting impacts of the pandemic is that business…

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Using plain language is essential for content accessibility

Using plain language is essential for content accessibility When writing for your audience, it’s essential to keep things simple at the lowest common denominator for your audience. If your audience is all Ph.D. candidates, language can be complex and require…

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COVID-19 vaccine workplace accommodation requests

Requests for workplace vaccine exemptions due to medical conditions is a huge reasonable accommodations issue Disclaimer: This is not legal advice and is my own opinion. It in no way should be considered the opinion of my employer. What are…

Black large sign stating “EXIT” on a white wall in a parking garage

The importance of exit interviews during the “Great Resignation”

Organizations should be doing them already. But if they aren’t doing them or aren’t doing anything with the data, how will they recover from this most recent pandemic side-effect? I just updated my CV last month. Disclaimer: because I got…

Two women (one clearly a person of color) conversing in a coffee shop

Seven Steps to Processing a “Teachable Moment”

Not so much when the “teachable moment” pertains to diversity or identity, be it gender, age, disability, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ status, or any other aspect. Let me tell you that under those circumstances, “teachable moments” are unequivocally awful experiences, even under the best of circumstances.

Why I seldom turn on my video for zoom calls

Body Dysmorphia Disorder (BDD) and increasing anxiety rates are significant issues for people now spending 8 hours a day or more on Zoom. I am Sheri Byrne-Haber, a wheelchair-using, no-nonsense, CS degree-holding geek who also has degrees in law and…

How to prevent your conference calls from getting hacked

A few simple, proactive steps will help reduce the chance of this terrible event from occurring on your watch. I recently attended a large public event hacked by someone making racist, sexist, homophobic remarks. It was the kind of event…

Transitioning from being a manager to an individual contributor

There are plenty of articles on how to move from an individual contributor role to being a manager. Not so many the other way around. Nine months ago, I was presented with a choice. My job responsibilities had grown beyond…

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Received an accommodations request? Think twice before turning it down.

This is Part 2 of a two-part article. Read Part 1, The Manager’s Practical Guide to Handling an Employee Newly Diagnosed With a Disability here. What are accommodations? An “accommodations request” is as simple as an individual communicating the following type…

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All the reasons you might not have gotten that job

Many of which have nothing to do with you. I have spent some time over the last few months mentoring people finding themselves out of work courtesy of COVID. Some of them have applied to jobs at VMware; others are…

Category: Work