On any given day, I have to choose which disability injustice I want to write about: Is it the blind person forced to allow someone else to vote for them? Is it the airline that broke or lost yet another…
The More we Focus on What Makes People ‘Different’ The More We Feed The Cycle of Bias and Exclusion
This seems like an appropriate topic of conversation after the recent election in the US. As we reflect on the outcomes and their very real impact, it’s a timely reminder that focusing solely on differences can widen the gaps between…
Accessibility Meme: When Your Accessibility Strategy Meets a Shoestring Budget: A Train Wreck Waiting to Happen
Imagine crafting a brilliant accessibility strategy is like operating a sturdy bus. What happens when this robust bus meets a shoestring budget? Like a bus getting hit by a train, the impact is devastating. In the context of accessibility, that…
The ADA focuses on the needs of people with disabilities, not their medical diagnosis
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) embodies the social model of disability by shifting the focus from a person’s medical condition to barriers erected by society that those people experience. The ADA does not list specific disabilities but instead uses…
Why is it so surprising that people with disabilities want to travel independently? Travel remains a huge challenge for many people with disabilities due to inaccessible transportation, hotels, and services. Accommodations are just temporary fixes, not solutions. Even when something…
If you need an accommodation, it means the process or item is not accessible. Getting the accommodation doesn’t fix the inaccessible process or item. It just gives you a temporary solution and doesn’t solve the problem for others
Disability truth time If you need to ask for an accommodation, it means the process or item you are being asked to use BY DEFINITION is inaccessible. Getting the accommodation doesn’t fix the inaccessible process or item. It merely provides…
Accessibility Meme: Lessons from CrowdStrike: Why Cutting Corners on Accessibility and QA is a $5.4 Billion Mistake Waiting to Happen
The only thing that surprises me about the CrowdStrike incident is that something like it didn’t happen sooner. I have ten years of general QA experience and another twenty in disability inclusion and accessibility. I have heard of numerous CrowdStrike-like…
Is “Blind Barbie” really inclusive?
“Blind Barbie” is all the rage recently. Barbie has become increasingly inclusive over the past decade, including Barbies with different skin tones, hearing aids, vitiligo, alopecia, a wheelchair-using Barbie, a Skipper with a prosthetic leg, the facial characteristics associated with…
Accessibility Meme: If the accessibility team isn’t in the room, who steps up?
If the accessibility team isn’t in the room, who steps up? This is my call to action for all product owners, sales teams, engineering, design, and UX organizations. Every decision you make can either open doors or create barriers for…
Accessibility Meme: When you are asked to create an accessible product, tell them to create an accessible experience
When you are asked to create an accessible product, tell them to create an accessible experience. An accessible product alone might meet the minimum standards for the product, but an accessible experience ensures inclusivity at every touchpoint. Accessible products are…
