When I was growing up, my father always said, “if you want to know who runs the show, ask an executive assistant.” He is rarely wrong. An executive assistant (EA) is an administrative professional who supports an organization’s executives. They…
VMware’s Internal Accessibility Policy
It’s not enough to make products and marketing websites accessible. Organizations need to ensure that employee-facing tools accessible as well. How many pieces of software do you use at your job? Seems like a simple enough question. When the VMware…
Domino’s accessibility lawsuit update
Several significant rulings were made on 6/25/21 on competing Motions for Summary Judgment 20 months after the Supreme Court kicked the Robles case back down to the district court. Case history Robles, the plaintiff, couldn’t order a pizza from Domino’s…
What MacKenzie Scott is missing in her donations
The glaring hole in her donation plan and why it sends a terrible message to others Love Amazon or hate them, no one disputes that MacKenzie Scott is very well off, owning 4 % of Amazon stock. Ms. Scott has taken the…
Making chatbots accessible
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,…