Inclusion Archives - Page 7 of 9 - Sheri Byrne-Haber's Blog

Black and white neon sign that says “No stupid people beyond this point”

Disability Microaggressions — AKA “Ableist things people say”

Yes, all of these have actually happened to me personally What is a microaggression? A microaggression is an indirect, subtle, possibly unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. Usually these take the form of statements, actions, incidents, or exclusions. Being excluded from…

multiple ice cream cones with multiple flavors, colors and berries all around them

Accessibility and Usability

Tightly related but very independent UI/UX/CX concepts. Definitely NOT interchangeable. I saw a post on LinkedIn this week that said “you can’t have usability without accessibility.” However, it is my belief that the converse — “you can’t have accessibility without…

Cat looking in the mirror and seeing a tiger

Having a VPAT is not the same thing as being accessible

Companies that view VPATs as a “checkbox” exercise frequently confuse the two. In reality, VPATs can be chock-full of exceptions that block people who use assistive technology from getting in the front door. I try to write thoughtful, sometimes geeky…

A woman at the desk, working on the computer and looking tired.

A Happy Accessibility Article

Accessibility isn’t punishment, it is about helping others so they can do all the things people without disabilities take for granted A lot of accessibility articles (mine included) are negative and/or depressing. On any given day, at least half of…

Man with prosthetic leg exercising in Gym

Are you guilty of “inspiration porn”?

Inspiration porn is everywhere. It is a form of unconscious bias that hurts people with disabilities Inspiration porn is portraying people with disabilities as: inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disability, or One-dimensional saints who only…

Dark convoluted maze with cartoon person standing outside of the entrance

Want an employee who is a natural problem solver? Hire someone with a Disability

Employers should be seeking out employees with disabilities, not avoiding them. Why are problem solving skills desirable in business? The ability to troubleshoot or solve problems is really a collection of a number of other skills including: Decision Making: To solve…

A real dumpster fire (from which the term “dumpster fire” was coined)

How to identify a Toxic Accessibility Culture, and what you can do about it

A broken organizational culture makes everything disability-related harder, from implementing accessibility projects to getting critical support to move the disability / accessibility needle forward Urban dictionary defines “Dumpster Fire” as: 1. A complete disaster. 2. Something very difficult that nobody wants…

Red “U” shaped magnet with a white wheelchair symbol on it attracting metallic cartoon figurines

Starting a Disability Employee Resource Group (ERG)

Last week, I wrote about how important disability-focused employee resource groups are to creating an environment where employees with disabilities feel comfortable disclosing them and in turn helping others. This week I’m going to describe some steps to take to…

Cartoon human cutouts grouped under signs with the wheelchair symbol under them

The Importance of Disability Employee Resource Groups

Do you bring your “authentic self” to work? Most people with disabilities don’t, especially those with invisible disabilities. Disability ERGs can help with that. First-class relationships are possible only in an atmosphere of total trust. ― Wu Wei, I Ching Life: Becoming…

Red wooden block labeled “ethics” in the center of a Jenga game, other blocks labeled morality, relationship, behavior, choice, responsibility, trust, reliability, principle

Ethical design and accessibility

Design is not about expressing yourself. Design is not about following your dream. Design is not about becoming a creative. Design is about keeping people from doing terrible things to other people — Mike Monteiro Ethical design means thinking about your product in the context of its users…

Category: Inclusion (page 7)