WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:02.820 --> 00:00:03.820 LOUISE: Who am I? 00:00:03.820 --> 00:00:04.980 I am Louise Clark. 00:00:04.980 --> 00:00:09.240 I am a certified professional in web accessibility. 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:15.179 I've been in the tech industry for about six years now. 00:00:15.179 --> 00:00:23.000 I am currently a UX digital accessibility consultant at US Bank. 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:24.880 I work with designers. 00:00:24.880 --> 00:00:30.380 I help them think about ways to be more inclusive. 00:00:30.380 --> 00:00:36.879 Ways to communicate about accessibility needs to our developers. 00:00:36.879 --> 00:00:40.379 When we're handing off our designs. 00:00:40.379 --> 00:00:41.379 It's a lot of fun. 00:00:41.379 --> 00:00:44.340 I work with a great group of people. 00:00:44.340 --> 00:00:49.180 I also co-founded a group called Queen City Bytes. 00:00:49.180 --> 00:00:52.600 And we are a tech group that... 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:59.809 Our mission really is to provide technology training to marginalized groups in our city, 00:00:59.809 --> 00:01:01.359 in the Charlotte area. 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:07.880 So we work in partnership with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to provide these trainings. 00:01:07.880 --> 00:01:10.500 We've been online for quite a while now. 00:01:10.500 --> 00:01:13.180 As have we all. 00:01:13.180 --> 00:01:18.689 But our goal especially was to be able to get out into the branches. 00:01:18.689 --> 00:01:27.920 So we could reach more people and provide access to thinking about technology careers. 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:34.700 And I do have my email here, in case you want to get in touch with me afterwards. 00:01:34.700 --> 00:01:36.570 Have any questions. 00:01:36.570 --> 00:01:40.140 LinkedIn, Medium, Twitter, whatever. 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:41.140 You can get ahold of me. 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:42.860 You can find me. 00:01:42.860 --> 00:01:47.130 And today, we are going to... 00:01:47.130 --> 00:01:52.649 Well, I'm gonna talk a little bit about my journey to accessibility. 00:01:52.649 --> 00:01:58.520 Mainly because it has some of the themes that I'll be talking about in the presentation. 00:01:58.520 --> 00:02:03.060 About how to break into the accessibility profession. 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:10.539 Then I want to talk about three things that I think are important in this conversation. 00:02:10.539 --> 00:02:14.440 One is: Expanding your awareness. 00:02:14.440 --> 00:02:17.500 Two: Expanding your community. 00:02:17.500 --> 00:02:22.590 And then three: Exploring the career paths' skill sets themselves. 00:02:22.590 --> 00:02:30.320 And I'll always start my presentations with this very well known quote. 00:02:30.320 --> 00:02:31.320 And I say very well known. 00:02:31.320 --> 00:02:32.720 But very well known maybe to digital accessibility professionals. 00:02:32.720 --> 00:02:34.160 "The power of the web is in its universality. 00:02:34.160 --> 00:02:39.720 Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." 00:02:39.720 --> 00:02:43.860 And this quote really lights me up. 00:02:43.860 --> 00:02:48.700 It really gets me excited about my work with digital accessibility. 00:02:48.700 --> 00:02:50.010 Because I realized... 00:02:50.010 --> 00:02:57.600 And it reminds me that the idea of inclusion, the idea of accessibility, the idea that everyone 00:02:57.600 --> 00:03:03.010 should be able to access the web and all of the services and information in it has been 00:03:03.010 --> 00:03:05.060 part of the original inception. 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:06.540 The original idea. 00:03:06.540 --> 00:03:12.340 So I always love to remind myself of that. 00:03:12.340 --> 00:03:13.390 Okay. 00:03:13.390 --> 00:03:21.780 So my path to accessibility, moving beyond the crossroads, and I have an image here, 00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:27.110 and the image is of criss-crossing train tracks, and it kind of looks like spaghetti train 00:03:27.110 --> 00:03:28.140 tracks. 00:03:28.140 --> 00:03:32.540 And that's because I found accessibility -- and really my career in technology, when I was 00:03:32.540 --> 00:03:35.200 at a crossroads in my life. 00:03:35.200 --> 00:03:42.470 Up to that point, in my previous career, my previous life, I was a Latin American history 00:03:42.470 --> 00:03:43.560 professor. 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:48.040 I taught women and gender studies. 00:03:48.040 --> 00:03:50.760 Colonial Mexican studies. 00:03:50.760 --> 00:04:01.120 And lots of conversations about institutions that created inequity in society. 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:02.650 And so... 00:04:02.650 --> 00:04:09.540 From being a Latin American history professor, it really inspired me to get involved in my 00:04:09.540 --> 00:04:10.620 community. 00:04:10.620 --> 00:04:15.490 And really join a lot of different kind of social justice efforts. 00:04:15.490 --> 00:04:24.470 So I was a refugee and racial justice coordinator for the Stan Greenspan Center of Peace and 00:04:24.470 --> 00:04:25.820 Social Justice. 00:04:25.820 --> 00:04:35.070 I was the President of the Charlotte chapter of the National Organization for Women. 00:04:35.070 --> 00:04:39.060 I also helped to organize a group that... 00:04:39.060 --> 00:04:42.740 It was called the Compassion Action Network. 00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:49.510 And we were organizing to try and assist children, undocumented children, who are arriving at 00:04:49.510 --> 00:04:50.510 our border. 00:04:50.510 --> 00:04:51.700 This was in 2014. 00:04:51.700 --> 00:04:55.090 I'm telling you all of this, because... 00:04:55.090 --> 00:05:00.400 Really just to emphasize that my instinct have always been about being vigilant around 00:05:00.400 --> 00:05:03.760 issues of social justice and issues of equity. 00:05:03.760 --> 00:05:11.280 And so it was absolutely amazing, when I was able to connect those with my work in technology. 00:05:11.280 --> 00:05:14.060 And my work in technology... 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:16.040 It was a non-traditional path. 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:22.230 I attended frontend developer Bootcamp. 00:05:22.230 --> 00:05:23.430 And I loved that. 00:05:23.430 --> 00:05:30.660 I will caveat to say that in that Bootcamp, there was no mention of accessibility. 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:33.390 Or disability. 00:05:33.390 --> 00:05:39.170 And it's a huge problem for Bootcamps, continuing to today. 00:05:39.170 --> 00:05:40.450 That was six years ago. 00:05:40.450 --> 00:05:44.690 I haven't seen a whole lot of improvement. 00:05:44.690 --> 00:05:49.600 And I know that there are organizations -- we will talk about this especially in the academic 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:57.780 realm -- that we're really working to address accessibility, digital accessibility awareness. 00:05:57.780 --> 00:06:01.770 And so we'll talk a little bit about an organization called Teach Access. 00:06:01.770 --> 00:06:05.450 That's really working with universities, to provide that awareness. 00:06:05.450 --> 00:06:12.490 But when I was going through Bootcamp, and even when I had my first developer jobs, accessibility 00:06:12.490 --> 00:06:14.940 wasn't even on my radar. 00:06:14.940 --> 00:06:21.950 And it wasn't until I was given an opportunity with an internship for a software development 00:06:21.950 --> 00:06:27.960 company -- the UX lead gave me a research project on design systems. 00:06:27.960 --> 00:06:33.080 And in the design system research, I found accessibility. 00:06:33.080 --> 00:06:34.250 Right? 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:37.270 As part of that research. 00:06:37.270 --> 00:06:42.520 And I was so intrigued by the idea of it that I reached out to Deque. 00:06:42.520 --> 00:06:51.070 I found a software company that I knew was invested at the time. 00:06:51.070 --> 00:06:54.050 I knew it was invested in these software accessibility tools. 00:06:54.050 --> 00:06:56.730 I wasn't really sure what they did. 00:06:56.730 --> 00:06:59.630 But I reached out. 00:06:59.630 --> 00:07:00.630 I said... 00:07:00.630 --> 00:07:02.730 Hey, I'm a developer. 00:07:02.730 --> 00:07:07.820 I'm also part of a group at that time -- I was co-leading a group called Girl Develop 00:07:07.820 --> 00:07:08.820 It. 00:07:08.820 --> 00:07:09.820 I said... 00:07:09.820 --> 00:07:10.820 Would you mind... 00:07:10.820 --> 00:07:15.470 Do you have anyone who could train us or lead a workshop? 00:07:15.470 --> 00:07:24.780 And the CEO, Priti Kumar, reached out herself, and flew herself and her lead trainer down 00:07:24.780 --> 00:07:25.780 to Charlotte. 00:07:25.780 --> 00:07:28.430 And they did this training. 00:07:28.430 --> 00:07:30.120 And it changed my life. 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:38.710 Not only did that change my life, and was of course impactful for our group, but she 00:07:38.710 --> 00:07:46.890 flew me out to CSUN, the Assistive Technology Conference, at the time -- was in San Diego. 00:07:46.890 --> 00:07:50.830 And it was an amazing experience of connection. 00:07:50.830 --> 00:07:57.900 And I had never been around a community, and especially in the tech space, technology community, 00:07:57.900 --> 00:08:04.160 of such a welcoming group of people who just wanted to make a difference. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:08.060 And there were people there advocating for themselves. 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:14.990 There were people who were just really motivated to bring about change, and make the web, and 00:08:14.990 --> 00:08:18.210 digital applications, more inclusive for everyone. 00:08:18.210 --> 00:08:24.240 And I came back from that, and knew that accessibility was gonna always be part of my career. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:27.620 Whether it was in my title or not. 00:08:27.620 --> 00:08:30.560 And so I'm gonna keep going with that. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.039 But we'll talk more about this. 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:39.839 Oh, one important part about the CSUN conference -- and we'll come back to this as well -- but 00:08:39.839 --> 00:08:47.630 I saw a woman named Glenda Sims, who was people out at the Deque -- they had a whole room 00:08:47.630 --> 00:08:51.420 where they were doing presentations about accessibility. 00:08:51.420 --> 00:08:56.010 And she was so warm at recognizing my... 00:08:56.010 --> 00:08:59.050 Just enthusiasm for accessibility. 00:08:59.050 --> 00:09:01.270 And I asked her if she would mentor me. 00:09:01.270 --> 00:09:03.040 And she said: Absolutely. 00:09:03.040 --> 00:09:05.430 Without hesitation. 00:09:05.430 --> 00:09:11.100 And I just want to say: To those of you who are watching this, who maybe are in the accessibility 00:09:11.100 --> 00:09:17.830 profession, you know, who are you going to spark to become part of this industry? 00:09:17.830 --> 00:09:26.150 Because she was so warm and welcoming that it helped me very easily transition to a career. 00:09:26.150 --> 00:09:29.700 Both she and Priti. 00:09:29.700 --> 00:09:35.240 Transition to a career where I could focus and wanted to focus on issues of accessibility 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:39.870 for people with disabilities. 00:09:39.870 --> 00:09:43.890 Okay. 00:09:43.890 --> 00:09:46.270 So expand your awareness. 00:09:46.270 --> 00:09:50.710 This is my first bit of advice, for anyone breaking into... 00:09:50.710 --> 00:09:55.960 Who wants to break into the digital accessibility space. 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:59.490 Expand your awareness by centering people with disabilities. 00:09:59.490 --> 00:10:05.110 And what I mean by that is: A lot of times, if you are interested in technology, you may 00:10:05.110 --> 00:10:10.300 go in as a designer or a developer, or a product manager. 00:10:10.300 --> 00:10:12.160 Content author. 00:10:12.160 --> 00:10:13.160 Right? 00:10:13.160 --> 00:10:14.370 All of these different kinds of jobs. 00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:19.700 And you don't actually discover accessibility until you get into your work. 00:10:19.700 --> 00:10:24.240 And even then, it's not necessarily about people with disabilities. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:28.270 It might be about writing good semantic code. 00:10:28.270 --> 00:10:35.050 Or if you're a designer, testing your designs -- color hex codes. 00:10:35.050 --> 00:10:37.140 Are they accessible? 00:10:37.140 --> 00:10:39.779 But what does that actually mean, right? 00:10:39.779 --> 00:10:46.170 What does it mean to be someone with low vision who can't interact with an app, because of 00:10:46.170 --> 00:10:47.620 low color contrast. 00:10:47.620 --> 00:10:55.210 Or because we have a ridiculous amount of stuff that is sticky, and when they zoom in, 00:10:55.210 --> 00:11:00.310 they don't get enough context to be able to operate the application. 00:11:00.310 --> 00:11:01.520 So... 00:11:01.520 --> 00:11:05.649 I love this quote by Samantha Evans. 00:11:05.649 --> 00:11:11.040 Getting at the why means understanding the who, so that we can put together the how to 00:11:11.040 --> 00:11:12.920 deliver the what. 00:11:12.920 --> 00:11:20.870 We have to start with the people. 00:11:20.870 --> 00:11:24.440 Okay. 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:29.730 So one way I recommend getting... 00:11:29.730 --> 00:11:38.330 You know, gaining more understanding is reading... 00:11:38.330 --> 00:11:40.710 I have a number of books here. 00:11:40.710 --> 00:11:41.980 And I'll read off the titles. 00:11:41.980 --> 00:11:45.440 But then I will tell you about a few of them. 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:54.740 Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau, Disability Visibility, by Alice Wong, More Than Organs, 00:11:54.740 --> 00:11:59.800 by Kay Ulanday Barrett. 00:11:59.800 --> 00:12:04.870 A Boy Called Bat. 00:12:04.870 --> 00:12:08.670 By Elaina Arnold. 00:12:08.670 --> 00:12:22.930 The Degenerates, Spectrums, Haben, Blind Man's Bluff, Cost of Living, and Fish in a Tree. 00:12:22.930 --> 00:12:29.690 And I can already tell, just by reading that list out, I'm not gonna have enough time to 00:12:29.690 --> 00:12:35.500 read all these out, but I have created a resource list for you, that I will distribute after 00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:42.000 this conversation, that has everything in my presentation listed and linked. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:43.150 Described and linked. 00:12:43.150 --> 00:12:47.690 So fear not. 00:12:47.690 --> 00:12:53.270 What I want to mention in this: Demystifying Disability really I feel like could be recommended 00:12:53.270 --> 00:12:57.260 reading for any kind of team. 00:12:57.260 --> 00:12:59.170 Product team. 00:12:59.170 --> 00:13:03.930 And especially if you're thinking about getting into the accessibility space. 00:13:03.930 --> 00:13:06.770 Emily Ladau does a wonderful job. 00:13:06.770 --> 00:13:09.750 It's very personable. 00:13:09.750 --> 00:13:12.100 It's not this academic speak. 00:13:12.100 --> 00:13:14.190 It's just her experience. 00:13:14.190 --> 00:13:17.310 And she's trying to communicate with all of us. 00:13:17.310 --> 00:13:18.860 How to speak about disability. 00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:22.029 So it's a lot of disability etiquette. 00:13:22.029 --> 00:13:24.089 Disability history. 00:13:24.089 --> 00:13:28.260 Talking about some important topics like ableism. 00:13:28.260 --> 00:13:31.970 And it's not an overwhelmingly big book or anything. 00:13:31.970 --> 00:13:36.740 So I highly recommend starting with that. 00:13:36.740 --> 00:13:40.620 Disability Visibility I love, because... 00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:42.519 Every chapter is an individual story. 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:45.959 You don't have to read the whole book at once. 00:13:45.959 --> 00:13:46.959 And there is... 00:13:46.959 --> 00:13:51.890 You know, for example, a chapter of a gentleman who was deaf. 00:13:51.890 --> 00:13:53.740 And then was sent to jail. 00:13:53.740 --> 00:13:56.170 And accommodations were not made for him. 00:13:56.170 --> 00:13:57.399 And so it was just... 00:13:57.399 --> 00:14:01.640 I hadn't even thought about that type of experience. 00:14:01.640 --> 00:14:02.700 Where you have... 00:14:02.700 --> 00:14:06.269 I mean, how frightened he was. 00:14:06.269 --> 00:14:13.980 And already having obviously a very horrific and tragic moment in his life. 00:14:13.980 --> 00:14:19.260 But then having that moment exacerbated with fear and terror, because nobody understood 00:14:19.260 --> 00:14:23.680 and nobody cared to understand him. 00:14:23.680 --> 00:14:25.760 Okay. 00:14:25.760 --> 00:14:32.160 The next little group of books here that I want to mention is: The Blind Man's Bluff, 00:14:32.160 --> 00:14:34.250 Cost of Living, and More than Organs. 00:14:34.250 --> 00:14:40.390 And I'm actually gonna take us out of presentation mode really quickly. 00:14:40.390 --> 00:14:42.120 And tell you that... 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:50.450 To expand your awareness, you really want to look for all types of events, where disability 00:14:50.450 --> 00:14:52.870 and people with disabilities are front and center. 00:14:52.870 --> 00:15:03.040 And so recently, I got to attend this great panel at Greensboro Bound Literary Festival, 00:15:03.040 --> 00:15:04.040 and they had this panel. 00:15:04.040 --> 00:15:06.459 The truth about disability, what we don't talk about. 00:15:06.459 --> 00:15:12.360 And each of these authors presented their work, their writing, and their life experiences. 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:14.980 And it was very informative. 00:15:14.980 --> 00:15:16.140 And moving. 00:15:16.140 --> 00:15:17.140 And funny. 00:15:17.140 --> 00:15:20.920 I mean, there was just so much to learn from that experience. 00:15:20.920 --> 00:15:25.149 And so I put all of their books in as recommendations. 00:15:25.149 --> 00:15:33.310 And then finally I want to talk about the fact that, if you are a parent, you can also 00:15:33.310 --> 00:15:39.860 expose your children and normalize disability with your children, through literature. 00:15:39.860 --> 00:15:42.279 That's what I do with my youngest son. 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:47.860 We've read A Boy Called Bat, which has a character -- a boy with autism. 00:15:47.860 --> 00:15:56.760 We also read Fish In A Tree, a really great book about a character who had dyslexia. 00:15:56.760 --> 00:16:02.089 My son was really moved by how she carried this fear with her, that all the time people 00:16:02.089 --> 00:16:06.020 would discover her secret, that she couldn't read. 00:16:06.020 --> 00:16:10.880 So it was a really great opportunity to normalize disability. 00:16:10.880 --> 00:16:15.870 I had a fantastic article listed in my resources. 00:16:15.870 --> 00:16:20.010 About how to talk to kids about disability. 00:16:20.010 --> 00:16:22.070 Other things they mentioned. 00:16:22.070 --> 00:16:24.820 Being mindful of language. 00:16:24.820 --> 00:16:32.390 And how you talk about whether people are disabled people or are they people with disabilities. 00:16:32.390 --> 00:16:35.670 There's a whole conversation around identity there. 00:16:35.670 --> 00:16:40.860 And kind of the long and the short is: Ask people what they prefer. 00:16:40.860 --> 00:16:43.670 Don't be afraid to ask. 00:16:43.670 --> 00:16:46.510 How people like to be referenced. 00:16:46.510 --> 00:16:50.740 And finally, the other things in all of these books... 00:16:50.740 --> 00:16:55.630 You know, what I like about them is that it really helps us... 00:16:55.630 --> 00:16:59.779 I said normalize, but kind of keep disability neutral. 00:16:59.779 --> 00:17:02.080 That this isn't a pity party. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.120 When we're reading these. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:08.809 This is an understanding, a learning, and a recognition that there are barriers for 00:17:08.809 --> 00:17:15.269 a lot of us, and these are their barriers being presented in these stories. 00:17:15.269 --> 00:17:18.399 Educate yourself about ableism. 00:17:18.399 --> 00:17:19.890 I have this quote. 00:17:19.890 --> 00:17:26.589 Ableism is attitudes, actions, and circumstances that devalue people because they are disabled 00:17:26.589 --> 00:17:29.279 or perceived as having a disability. 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:32.879 Ableism doesn't just happen in relation to disability. 00:17:32.879 --> 00:17:38.109 It happens in relation to the intersections of other marginalized identities that people 00:17:38.109 --> 00:17:39.109 also hold. 00:17:39.109 --> 00:17:44.610 For example, a person of color with a disability experiences significantly different types 00:17:44.610 --> 00:17:48.400 of ableism than I experience as a privileged white woman. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:52.710 And we're gonna come back to that concept of intersectionality. 00:17:52.710 --> 00:17:53.710 But just... 00:17:53.710 --> 00:17:56.090 You know, other examples of ableism. 00:17:56.090 --> 00:17:59.519 I'm looking at some of my examples. 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:05.789 Lack of compliance with disability rights laws like the ADA, or building inaccessible 00:18:05.789 --> 00:18:07.039 websites. 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:13.370 Or refusing to provide reasonable accommodations to people who need them to do their job. 00:18:13.370 --> 00:18:19.269 Or do their learning, if they're in school. 00:18:19.269 --> 00:18:20.269 So... 00:18:20.269 --> 00:18:29.200 Please educate yourself about the topic of ableism. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.710 I have several film recommendations. 00:18:31.710 --> 00:18:34.440 Sound of Metal. 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:40.059 I really appreciated the film Sound of Metal, because of the way that I was able to follow 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:43.850 this man's journey into his loss of hearing. 00:18:43.850 --> 00:18:45.529 And so I really gained... 00:18:45.529 --> 00:18:50.730 I feel like a bit of understanding or at least empathy or... 00:18:50.730 --> 00:18:58.720 You know, just the idea of this journey of the loss of a sense of... 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:00.820 Like, hearing... 00:19:00.820 --> 00:19:02.870 It really upended this gentleman's life. 00:19:02.870 --> 00:19:11.779 There were a lot of issues with him not being able to afford the care as he dealt with his 00:19:11.779 --> 00:19:15.499 failing hearing. 00:19:15.499 --> 00:19:20.230 Relationships that got upended. 00:19:20.230 --> 00:19:26.399 So I was talking with Meryl right before this. 00:19:26.399 --> 00:19:32.059 It's not that any of these movies are an accurate portrayal of disability. 00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:38.150 Just like other movies are not accurate portrayals of our everyday lives. 00:19:38.150 --> 00:19:40.899 But they certainly give you insight. 00:19:40.899 --> 00:19:44.679 Gosh, I really enjoyed Drought. 00:19:44.679 --> 00:19:46.769 It's a wonderful movie about this family. 00:19:46.769 --> 00:19:50.460 One of the actors happens to be autistic. 00:19:50.460 --> 00:19:55.820 But that's not the front and center piece of the whole film. 00:19:55.820 --> 00:20:02.659 You recognize by the end of the film every single one of these characters has their barriers, 00:20:02.659 --> 00:20:06.650 their traumas, and their joys. 00:20:06.650 --> 00:20:10.200 And I loved that film a lot. 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:12.559 And then the last thing I'll mention... 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:13.970 I know I've got five here. 00:20:13.970 --> 00:20:16.210 CODA, Peanut Butter Falcon. 00:20:16.210 --> 00:20:24.629 Give Me Liberty was one that has a leading actress who is disabled. 00:20:24.629 --> 00:20:30.110 In the story, she has multiple sclerosis. 00:20:30.110 --> 00:20:33.200 And she is also African American. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:42.369 And I struggled or had trouble finding movies about disability with people who are African 00:20:42.369 --> 00:20:43.369 American. 00:20:43.369 --> 00:20:50.929 People who are Latinx or just any type of intersectional representation of disability. 00:20:50.929 --> 00:20:53.750 And so it led me to this last bit, which is... 00:20:53.750 --> 00:20:59.340 And I'm gonna come back to this idea of inspiration porn. 00:20:59.340 --> 00:21:05.549 Educate yourself about intersectionality and Disability Justice. 00:21:05.549 --> 00:21:08.769 I have a short -- it's only two minutes. 00:21:08.769 --> 00:21:13.059 And I have it pulled up here. 00:21:13.059 --> 00:21:14.359 That I did want to show. 00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:18.909 Because I feel like it is important for us to see. 00:21:18.909 --> 00:21:24.580 >> Keri Gray is a black disabled woman. 00:21:24.580 --> 00:21:25.580 And there's power behind that. 00:21:25.580 --> 00:21:34.779 In the United States, one in four in the black community have some type of disability. 00:21:34.779 --> 00:21:37.100 Whether that's visible or invisible. 00:21:37.100 --> 00:21:43.190 Historically speaking, organizations and institutions have shown us that they want to identify with 00:21:43.190 --> 00:21:46.049 one thing and build power around that. 00:21:46.049 --> 00:21:47.820 Build influence and access. 00:21:47.820 --> 00:21:48.820 And I get it. 00:21:48.820 --> 00:21:49.820 Right? 00:21:49.820 --> 00:21:55.419 So this idea that you have disability rights, you have women's rights, you have LGBTQ rights, 00:21:55.419 --> 00:22:00.379 and those kind of different pockets are really building a strong narrative. 00:22:00.379 --> 00:22:05.769 But the thing that I find to be harmful is when we're not building in coalition. 00:22:05.769 --> 00:22:12.889 Because the reality is: Is that you have people like myself, who are black, disabled, and 00:22:12.889 --> 00:22:14.539 women, and so many other things. 00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:20.269 And when you live at the intersections of all three of those, then you can't split your 00:22:20.269 --> 00:22:24.019 political and social dynamics between these different groups. 00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:28.919 It doesn't produce real results of freedom, and it doesn't produce real results of access 00:22:28.919 --> 00:22:29.919 to employment. 00:22:29.919 --> 00:22:32.909 And other opportunities that you're looking for. 00:22:32.909 --> 00:22:34.350 I'll give one example on this. 00:22:34.350 --> 00:22:36.350 So the Black Lives Matter movement. 00:22:36.350 --> 00:22:40.859 When it was created, it was created in conjunction mostly with a lot of young folks. 00:22:40.859 --> 00:22:47.100 What was unique about this particular movement was the intersectional philosophy that it 00:22:47.100 --> 00:22:48.669 was built upon. 00:22:48.669 --> 00:22:54.120 The folks getting up and saying: We are not just fighting for one narrative. 00:22:54.120 --> 00:22:58.350 But we are specifically fighting for folks who are on the margins. 00:22:58.350 --> 00:23:05.179 We are fighting for black folks who are also LGBTQ, who are women, who are fem, who are 00:23:05.179 --> 00:23:07.200 trans, who are disabled. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.720 They named it. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:15.130 They saw their people across the country and said: I'm fighting for all of you. 00:23:15.130 --> 00:23:16.909 Not just some of you. 00:23:16.909 --> 00:23:20.679 Not just the ones that have traditionally gained power and access. 00:23:20.679 --> 00:23:22.169 And that gives me a lot of hope. 00:23:22.169 --> 00:23:27.200 Because no one wants to be left behind. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:36.210 LOUISE: And I have a quote here by Patty Berne, which is about kind of taking this idea od 00:23:36.210 --> 00:23:44.729 intersectionality and encouraging you to explore and research on your own about Disability 00:23:44.729 --> 00:23:45.830 Justice. 00:23:45.830 --> 00:23:47.960 And there is a quote I have here. 00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:54.010 The histories of White Supremacy and ableism are inextricably entwined, created in the 00:23:54.010 --> 00:23:57.989 context of colonial conquest and capitalist domination. 00:23:57.989 --> 00:24:04.399 We cannot look at the history of US slavery, the stealing of Indigenous lands, and US imperialism 00:24:04.399 --> 00:24:10.759 without seeing the way that White Supremacy uses ableism to create a lesser/"other" group 00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:15.679 of people that is deemed less worthy, abled, smart, capable. 00:24:15.679 --> 00:24:22.540 We can only truly understand ableism by tracing its connections to heteropatriarchy, White 00:24:22.540 --> 00:24:27.120 Supremacy, colonialism, and capitalism. 00:24:27.120 --> 00:24:32.039 And I will show you that... 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:34.740 So again, I have this resource list. 00:24:34.740 --> 00:24:35.740 But... 00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:37.489 Let's see here. 00:24:37.489 --> 00:24:41.379 I'm scrolling down to... 00:24:41.379 --> 00:24:45.659 This topic of intersectionality and Disability Justice. 00:24:45.659 --> 00:24:52.190 And I have several resources here for you to kind of ground yourself in the idea of 00:24:52.190 --> 00:24:53.190 intersectionality. 00:24:53.190 --> 00:24:58.739 I've got resources by Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, who really coined this term and this understanding 00:24:58.739 --> 00:25:01.869 about intersectionality. 00:25:01.869 --> 00:25:03.450 Intersectional feminism. 00:25:03.450 --> 00:25:06.690 But then I have Patty Berne and Sins Invalid. 00:25:06.690 --> 00:25:14.559 Their work that they have articulated, Skin, Tooth, and Bone, the basis of movement are 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:15.700 our people. 00:25:15.700 --> 00:25:19.559 So you can read much more about Disability Justice. 00:25:19.559 --> 00:25:20.590 What is it. 00:25:20.590 --> 00:25:23.799 The principles of Disability Justice. 00:25:23.799 --> 00:25:25.149 So... 00:25:25.149 --> 00:25:26.509 Okay. 00:25:26.509 --> 00:25:30.690 Just a few more things, and then I'll pause and just take any questions. 00:25:30.690 --> 00:25:32.080 At that point. 00:25:32.080 --> 00:25:33.080 One other thing. 00:25:33.080 --> 00:25:38.990 I feel like it's really important to educate yourself on, if you're getting into this field. 00:25:38.990 --> 00:25:44.389 Is educating yourself about inspiration porn. 00:25:44.389 --> 00:25:47.570 So I have this image here. 00:25:47.570 --> 00:25:51.739 It's actually -- you can watch the video of Stella Young. 00:25:51.739 --> 00:25:57.330 Who coined this term about inspiration porn. 00:25:57.330 --> 00:25:58.419 But I'm not... 00:25:58.419 --> 00:25:59.419 She says... 00:25:59.419 --> 00:26:00.669 I'm not here to inspire you. 00:26:00.669 --> 00:26:04.879 I'm here to tell you that we've been lied to about disability. 00:26:04.879 --> 00:26:05.879 Yeah. 00:26:05.879 --> 00:26:11.419 We've been sold the lie that disability is a capital B Bad thing. 00:26:11.419 --> 00:26:18.279 Capital B, capital T. It's a Bad Thing, and to live with a disability makes you exceptional. 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:19.980 It's not a bad thing. 00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:22.720 And it doesn't make you exceptional. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:30.139 And she tells a story about how her community was going to give her an award as a child, 00:26:30.139 --> 00:26:31.570 and her parents refused. 00:26:31.570 --> 00:26:32.570 Because they said... 00:26:32.570 --> 00:26:34.470 Well, that's all very nice. 00:26:34.470 --> 00:26:37.600 But she hasn't done anything. 00:26:37.600 --> 00:26:39.649 Exceptional. 00:26:39.649 --> 00:26:43.779 She is just living. 00:26:43.779 --> 00:26:44.889 One thing I want... 00:26:44.889 --> 00:26:49.820 Well, let me actually give you a couple examples about inspiration porn. 00:26:49.820 --> 00:26:54.739 Because I want to make sure you understand exactly what it is. 00:26:54.739 --> 00:26:56.889 It really lives in our social media spaces. 00:26:56.889 --> 00:26:59.759 Or a lot of times it does. 00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:02.909 So I've got some different types of inspiration porn. 00:27:02.909 --> 00:27:07.039 So you could have that meme or... 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:13.679 Video of a person with a disability who's receiving praise for participating in a normal 00:27:13.679 --> 00:27:14.960 activity. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:18.509 Such as joining their football team. 00:27:18.509 --> 00:27:25.590 Or maybe they're going to homecoming with a person who doesn't have a disability. 00:27:25.590 --> 00:27:27.749 That's kind of one version of it. 00:27:27.749 --> 00:27:31.000 Or another one is... 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:35.849 You know, people overcoming their disability. 00:27:35.849 --> 00:27:36.849 In some way. 00:27:36.849 --> 00:27:39.489 So if a baby -- you've seen the videos. 00:27:39.489 --> 00:27:41.820 The baby is deaf. 00:27:41.820 --> 00:27:47.359 But then they get hearing aids and can hear for the first time. 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:53.019 Or you've got a child who gets a prosthetic, and then they're running races. 00:27:53.019 --> 00:27:56.909 That's a different kind of inspiration porn. 00:27:56.909 --> 00:28:04.250 Because those types of scenarios are about the person who's viewing that feeling... 00:28:04.250 --> 00:28:08.090 Better about themselves for not being disabled. 00:28:08.090 --> 00:28:09.120 Right? 00:28:09.120 --> 00:28:10.769 It's not like... 00:28:10.769 --> 00:28:13.700 You know, I have... 00:28:13.700 --> 00:28:15.340 If I go back here... 00:28:15.340 --> 00:28:18.519 To some of the documentary recommendations... 00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:20.749 And I'll certainly talk about that. 00:28:20.749 --> 00:28:23.479 I was reading an article about Rising Phoenix. 00:28:23.479 --> 00:28:29.929 And Rising Phoenix is a documentary about the Paralympics and the Olympians there. 00:28:29.929 --> 00:28:31.320 And there was a whole conversation. 00:28:31.320 --> 00:28:33.099 Is this inspiration porn? 00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:35.669 It was like... 00:28:35.669 --> 00:28:36.669 Absolutely not. 00:28:36.669 --> 00:28:40.509 This is a story celebrating athletes. 00:28:40.509 --> 00:28:45.119 Celebrating people engaged in these various sports. 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:48.179 You know, and overcoming these feats. 00:28:48.179 --> 00:28:50.799 It was not about... 00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:53.490 Or I guess it could be... 00:28:53.490 --> 00:28:56.039 The perspective of the person viewing it, of course. 00:28:56.039 --> 00:29:03.099 If you're sitting there feeling better about yourself for not having some sort of physical 00:29:03.099 --> 00:29:04.629 disability. 00:29:04.629 --> 00:29:06.159 But... 00:29:06.159 --> 00:29:08.029 The article was really emphasizing that... 00:29:08.029 --> 00:29:09.029 No. 00:29:09.029 --> 00:29:11.649 That is not inspiration porn. 00:29:11.649 --> 00:29:12.649 However... 00:29:12.649 --> 00:29:17.869 This is a topic where intersectionality really comes into play. 00:29:17.869 --> 00:29:22.220 And I put into the resource list as well... 00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:26.759 So I've got a section on inspiration porn. 00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:31.890 I found some conversation about one article. 00:29:31.890 --> 00:29:33.580 Black disability gone viral. 00:29:33.580 --> 00:29:37.349 A critical race approach to inspiration porn. 00:29:37.349 --> 00:29:42.210 And conversations about white privilege and inspiration porn. 00:29:42.210 --> 00:29:45.639 But I really recommend the journal article. 00:29:45.639 --> 00:29:47.109 It is a little bit lengthy. 00:29:47.109 --> 00:30:02.440 But it's a very great critical analysis of how a lot of inspiration porn doesn't... 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:07.600 That there is not that intersectionality. 00:30:07.600 --> 00:30:09.950 I'm not going to go through any of the documentary recommendations. 00:30:09.950 --> 00:30:12.409 Again, it'll be in my resources page. 00:30:12.409 --> 00:30:14.340 And you can read about them. 00:30:14.340 --> 00:30:17.779 I have many here that are quite wonderful. 00:30:17.779 --> 00:30:22.599 And probably one of the ones you might know the most about is Crip Camp. 00:30:22.599 --> 00:30:23.599 It was very... 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:26.359 I think 2020 was when it was released. 00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:34.139 And it's the story of the young adults who went to Camp Jened in New York and really 00:30:34.139 --> 00:30:41.820 found community amongst themselves, and then took that sense of community and used it to 00:30:41.820 --> 00:30:44.409 become activists. 00:30:44.409 --> 00:30:48.099 And really push and advocate for disability rights. 00:30:48.099 --> 00:30:49.869 And it's an amazing documentary. 00:30:49.869 --> 00:30:53.659 But what I would like to make sure you know about is... 00:30:53.659 --> 00:30:56.469 I encourage you to go to their website. 00:30:56.469 --> 00:31:00.599 But they had an amazing series of panel events. 00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:02.710 And this is the list of panel events. 00:31:02.710 --> 00:31:04.869 That you can access. 00:31:04.869 --> 00:31:07.600 You have to write to them. 00:31:07.600 --> 00:31:09.349 Info@cripcamp.com. 00:31:09.349 --> 00:31:10.969 But they're so generous. 00:31:10.969 --> 00:31:13.239 They'll send you the links. 00:31:13.239 --> 00:31:16.749 I've been able to share them at different events. 00:31:16.749 --> 00:31:23.679 But just some really powerful and intersectional panels on disability. 00:31:23.679 --> 00:31:24.679 So... 00:31:24.679 --> 00:31:28.679 I really encourage you to check those out as well. 00:31:28.679 --> 00:31:30.529 And finally... 00:31:30.529 --> 00:31:31.529 If you have done... 00:31:31.529 --> 00:31:37.320 You know, you've gone through a lot of this work, I will call it, in educating yourself, 00:31:37.320 --> 00:31:44.349 then you can get to this concept about web accessibility perspectives. 00:31:44.349 --> 00:31:49.089 How are people with disabilities, then, using the web? 00:31:49.089 --> 00:31:51.429 How are they interacting with your app? 00:31:51.429 --> 00:31:54.309 And I have an image here of... 00:31:54.309 --> 00:31:55.320 Oops. 00:31:55.320 --> 00:32:02.470 I have an image here of the Web Accessibility Perspectives videos. 00:32:02.470 --> 00:32:04.989 And I don't think I pulled it up. 00:32:04.989 --> 00:32:07.919 But let's see if I can just get to it. 00:32:07.919 --> 00:32:09.899 I'm not gonna play any of these. 00:32:09.899 --> 00:32:12.090 But I highly encourage you to visit them. 00:32:12.090 --> 00:32:13.210 They are only... 00:32:13.210 --> 00:32:17.519 You know, maybe 30 seconds or a minute. 00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:23.710 But it will go through all of these different colors with good contrast, customizable text, 00:32:23.710 --> 00:32:26.049 video captions. 00:32:26.049 --> 00:32:27.220 Understandable content. 00:32:27.220 --> 00:32:32.360 And it really exposes to you how people with these different disabilities are actually 00:32:32.360 --> 00:32:34.080 interacting with your app. 00:32:34.080 --> 00:32:40.130 And really how helping them helps an even broader audience of people. 00:32:40.130 --> 00:32:47.720 Which, if your business is building useful apps and services, digital services, then 00:32:47.720 --> 00:32:48.720 that's important. 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:49.720 Okay. 00:32:49.720 --> 00:32:51.989 And this was actually my last bit in this section. 00:32:51.989 --> 00:32:55.440 Educate yourself on the different types of assistive technology. 00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:58.289 And there certainly is a lot of articles and training. 00:32:58.289 --> 00:33:02.210 And I have linked several. 00:33:02.210 --> 00:33:05.570 But I found this great explanation. 00:33:05.570 --> 00:33:11.970 It is a 30-minute video on assistive technologies and digital accessibility. 00:33:11.970 --> 00:33:13.850 Put together by Stanford University. 00:33:13.850 --> 00:33:15.219 Auston Stamm. 00:33:15.219 --> 00:33:18.159 He's a digital accessibility instructional specialist. 00:33:18.159 --> 00:33:25.440 It's a great 30-minute introduction to all of the different types of assistive technology. 00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:32.129 So again, assistive technology is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product 00:33:32.129 --> 00:33:37.830 system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of 00:33:37.830 --> 00:33:41.230 persons with disabilities. 00:33:41.230 --> 00:33:47.409 And so you can really learn about the different tools that people are using to interact with 00:33:47.409 --> 00:33:51.119 the products and services that you are building. 00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:52.119 Okay. 00:33:52.119 --> 00:33:56.119 I know I'm doing a time check for myself... 00:33:56.119 --> 00:33:58.269 And I knew this was gonna happen. 00:33:58.269 --> 00:33:59.269 Because... 00:33:59.269 --> 00:34:03.440 I have a whole lot to say on this topic. 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:11.820 But I felt like the time spent on that first section was the most important part to me. 00:34:11.820 --> 00:34:19.310 I might kind of quickly move through my second part, which is: Expand your community. 00:34:19.310 --> 00:34:20.370 And then... 00:34:20.370 --> 00:34:22.169 I want to leave time for questions. 00:34:22.169 --> 00:34:23.169 And I do... 00:34:23.169 --> 00:34:26.320 You know... I am giving you this PowerPoint. 00:34:26.320 --> 00:34:31.870 And I do want you to know that I have this section here on expanding your community. 00:34:31.870 --> 00:34:35.750 I do want to read this quote really quickly. 00:34:35.750 --> 00:34:37.159 It's by Bryan Stevenson. 00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:41.169 He's the director of the Equal Justice Initiative. 00:34:41.169 --> 00:34:47.020 He represents wrongly accused people on Death Row. 00:34:47.020 --> 00:34:53.929 And he says: We cannot create justice without getting close to places where injustices prevail. 00:34:53.929 --> 00:34:55.919 We have to get proximate. 00:34:55.919 --> 00:35:01.660 And if you are willing to get closer to people who are suffering, you will find the power 00:35:01.660 --> 00:35:04.270 to change the world. 00:35:04.270 --> 00:35:06.630 And I think that idea of getting proximate... 00:35:06.630 --> 00:35:12.089 It was like a huge lightbulb went off in my head, when I heard him say that. 00:35:12.089 --> 00:35:14.060 You know, not just about his... 00:35:14.060 --> 00:35:15.980 In his context, in his scenario. 00:35:15.980 --> 00:35:16.980 But just any... 00:35:16.980 --> 00:35:24.080 You know, if you're going to advocate and really try and light a fire under some serious 00:35:24.080 --> 00:35:29.930 advocacy work to right injustices, you've got to expand your community. 00:35:29.930 --> 00:35:34.350 You've got to hear the conversations that are happening. 00:35:34.350 --> 00:35:35.350 In the community. 00:35:35.350 --> 00:35:38.920 You have to talk with members of the community. 00:35:38.920 --> 00:35:41.090 Oh, yes. 00:35:41.090 --> 00:35:43.230 And I love this quote. 00:35:43.230 --> 00:35:48.160 I should have it tattooed on my arm somewhere. 00:35:48.160 --> 00:35:54.340 We must use our skills as technologists to protect the equal rights of users. 00:35:54.340 --> 00:35:56.540 So we want to expand our community. 00:35:56.540 --> 00:35:58.540 We want to get to know people. 00:35:58.540 --> 00:36:00.450 We want to know the conversations. 00:36:00.450 --> 00:36:03.020 We want to know the barriers they're experiencing. 00:36:03.020 --> 00:36:04.790 So that we can fix them. 00:36:04.790 --> 00:36:07.950 So how do we do this? 00:36:07.950 --> 00:36:11.440 And I'm gonna come back to these different roles. 00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:14.420 Maybe, Thomas, we could do a part two. 00:36:14.420 --> 00:36:18.980 So I could kind of get into some of the role-based skills stuff. 00:36:18.980 --> 00:36:19.980 THOMAS: Absolutely. 00:36:19.980 --> 00:36:20.980 So many people here. 00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:23.210 Obviously there's a huge interest. 00:36:23.210 --> 00:36:24.210 So thanks. 00:36:24.210 --> 00:36:25.220 LOUISE: That would be awesome. 00:36:25.220 --> 00:36:27.690 That would be awesome. 00:36:27.690 --> 00:36:29.120 I was just going to say... 00:36:29.120 --> 00:36:34.220 So expanding your community, getting proximate, listening and learning. 00:36:34.220 --> 00:36:37.970 I started building out this list of organizations and resources. 00:36:37.970 --> 00:36:39.350 And then I found one. 00:36:39.350 --> 00:36:42.390 So why reinvent the wheel, right? 00:36:42.390 --> 00:36:45.740 Let me go here. 00:36:45.740 --> 00:36:49.060 This is a fantastic group of organizations where... 00:36:49.060 --> 00:36:53.060 You know, maybe they're having chapter meetings in your local communities. 00:36:53.060 --> 00:36:59.500 Or if you check out any of these groups, you can join advocacy efforts. 00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:01.310 So definitely check that out. 00:37:01.310 --> 00:37:03.520 And then I have... 00:37:03.520 --> 00:37:04.800 You know, listen and learn. 00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:07.750 So attend conferences. 00:37:07.750 --> 00:37:10.150 And there are free conferences. 00:37:10.150 --> 00:37:11.150 Like Axe-Con. 00:37:11.150 --> 00:37:15.760 Or Inclusive Design 24. 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:20.060 And again, fear not, but I have all of these resources. 00:37:20.060 --> 00:37:21.420 Podcasts. 00:37:21.420 --> 00:37:22.790 Meetups. 00:37:22.790 --> 00:37:24.150 Newsletters. 00:37:24.150 --> 00:37:25.520 Blogs. 00:37:25.520 --> 00:37:27.810 I have all of these in my resource list. 00:37:27.810 --> 00:37:29.630 But what I really... 00:37:29.630 --> 00:37:36.570 My advice is to just fill your world with this information. 00:37:36.570 --> 00:37:42.460 You know, when I go for a walk in the morning, I listen to a podcast. 00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:43.570 Or I start... 00:37:43.570 --> 00:37:44.950 I look at one of my news letters, and I say... 00:37:44.950 --> 00:37:45.950 Okay. 00:37:45.950 --> 00:37:48.960 I'm gonna read one of these today. 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:50.650 Even though it's overwhelming. 00:37:50.650 --> 00:37:52.790 You get tons of stuff. 00:37:52.790 --> 00:37:54.720 I get stuff sent to me all the time. 00:37:54.720 --> 00:37:57.810 I sign up for webinars, just to get the recordings. 00:37:57.810 --> 00:38:00.260 And I do watch them later. 00:38:00.260 --> 00:38:01.770 Sometimes. 00:38:01.770 --> 00:38:05.590 I know we all have that list of 100 webinars we need to watch. 00:38:05.590 --> 00:38:07.900 But sign up for them. 00:38:07.900 --> 00:38:08.900 And have them... 00:38:08.900 --> 00:38:09.980 You know, save them. 00:38:09.980 --> 00:38:16.340 And go to them when you have time. 00:38:16.340 --> 00:38:18.050 And seek mentorship. 00:38:18.050 --> 00:38:24.490 So if you are even just slightly interested in pursuing a career in technology and having 00:38:24.490 --> 00:38:31.600 that intersection with accessibility, which I would hope everyone is, but... 00:38:31.600 --> 00:38:39.110 If you are very, very new to this, Accessibility NextGen is a mentoring program that I participated 00:38:39.110 --> 00:38:41.840 in, these past six months. 00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:48.320 I have an amazing mentee, Ken Simuoshi, who was just... 00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:49.320 It was really... 00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:54.300 I learned so much about... 00:38:54.300 --> 00:39:00.080 I learned so much about this field by trying to help him kind of break into the field. 00:39:00.080 --> 00:39:01.080 And that really... 00:39:01.080 --> 00:39:08.100 Working with him helped me contextualize all of the stuff that I'm sharing with you now. 00:39:08.100 --> 00:39:15.410 So whether you're new to the field or you're really very advanced in the field of accessibility, 00:39:15.410 --> 00:39:16.410 again... 00:39:16.410 --> 00:39:17.770 Who are you gonna spark? 00:39:17.770 --> 00:39:22.340 And when you do that kind of mentoring relationship, it really of course is symbiotic and helps 00:39:22.340 --> 00:39:25.280 you both. 00:39:25.280 --> 00:39:28.650 Accessibility Community is another mentoring program. 00:39:28.650 --> 00:39:30.730 That I have listed. 00:39:30.730 --> 00:39:35.810 That's with some of these heavy hitters like Deque and Level Access. 00:39:35.810 --> 00:39:38.980 And I forget the other companies that are involved. 00:39:38.980 --> 00:39:42.740 But lots of great mentors. 00:39:42.740 --> 00:39:47.980 And then if you are in the field of technology, your designer or developer, you could go to 00:39:47.980 --> 00:39:55.010 Knowbility and participate in their Accessibility Internet Rally, where you will work with mentors, 00:39:55.010 --> 00:40:01.470 get all kinds of training, and build a website for a non-profit organization. 00:40:01.470 --> 00:40:04.210 So really, I encourage you... 00:40:04.210 --> 00:40:07.160 And maybe I'll leave with you that. 00:40:07.160 --> 00:40:08.160 Is... 00:40:08.160 --> 00:40:10.880 Always feel free to reach out and ask. 00:40:10.880 --> 00:40:12.050 And talk to people. 00:40:12.050 --> 00:40:13.460 And even if it's like... 00:40:13.460 --> 00:40:14.460 Oh my gosh. 00:40:14.460 --> 00:40:17.230 They're the biggest rock star, whatever. 00:40:17.230 --> 00:40:18.390 I can't talk to them. 00:40:18.390 --> 00:40:19.390 No! 00:40:19.390 --> 00:40:20.390 Send them a message. 00:40:20.390 --> 00:40:22.470 Send them a message on LinkedIn or Twitter. 00:40:22.470 --> 00:40:25.050 I mean, what's the worst that can happen? 00:40:25.050 --> 00:40:26.360 They're not gonna respond? 00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:28.160 I mean, that's okay. 00:40:28.160 --> 00:40:34.770 But I have to say, in this community, a lot of times if you reach out and you ask a question, 00:40:34.770 --> 00:40:41.760 and you show that light, that passion for accessibility, there are so many in the accessibility 00:40:41.760 --> 00:40:50.120 community that will respond and help you, and help you map that next bit into your career. 00:40:50.120 --> 00:40:53.630 So it's happened to me throughout my whole career. 00:40:53.630 --> 00:40:56.960 And now I've been able to give back. 00:40:56.960 --> 00:41:02.200 To people who have asked me for mentorship. 00:41:02.200 --> 00:41:03.240 And... 00:41:03.240 --> 00:41:04.650 You know, it's amazing. 00:41:04.650 --> 00:41:06.570 And I do want to leave time for questions. 00:41:06.570 --> 00:41:08.150 So I promise... 00:41:08.150 --> 00:41:09.460 If Thomas... 00:41:09.460 --> 00:41:14.570 If it's okay at some point in the future, I would love to go through really kind of 00:41:14.570 --> 00:41:20.670 the nitty-gritty of the skills and roles and all of that. 00:41:20.670 --> 00:41:23.920 And job hunting and that kind of thing. 00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:24.920 THOMAS: That sounds great. 00:41:24.920 --> 00:41:26.420 I think we will... 00:41:26.420 --> 00:41:29.670 We're so happy to have so many people here in your presentation today. 00:41:29.670 --> 00:41:30.670 The part one. 00:41:30.670 --> 00:41:31.670 So great. 00:41:31.670 --> 00:41:32.670 So yeah. 00:41:32.670 --> 00:41:34.090 We would love to work with you to plan a part two. 00:41:34.090 --> 00:41:36.900 Because this was so excellent. 00:41:36.900 --> 00:41:41.780 And I want to echo what you were saying there on the reaching out to people. 00:41:41.780 --> 00:41:44.910 You know, I completely agree. 00:41:44.910 --> 00:41:50.100 Reaching out to so many people in our community of accessibility professionals. 00:41:50.100 --> 00:41:52.290 We all want to meet everyone. 00:41:52.290 --> 00:41:55.520 And also, like you said, I like the line: It's free. 00:41:55.520 --> 00:41:58.020 There's no reason not to try. 00:41:58.020 --> 00:42:01.760 And if you're interested in this area, come for it. 00:42:01.760 --> 00:42:04.350 So we really want to take a few questions now. 00:42:04.350 --> 00:42:07.470 And thank you so much for the excellent presentation. 00:42:07.470 --> 00:42:09.980 I have a few questions lined up for you now. 00:42:09.980 --> 00:42:10.980 So if we could... 00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:13.820 I'll start with our first question, Louise. 00:42:13.820 --> 00:42:19.160 In terms of training, skills, and steps, what do you suggest is a priority? 00:42:19.160 --> 00:42:21.730 What should be the first step? 00:42:21.730 --> 00:42:25.920 LOUISE: I guess... 00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:29.700 I guess it depends on where your interests lie. 00:42:29.700 --> 00:42:36.350 So if you're talking about training, if you're really brand-new to accessibility, I like 00:42:36.350 --> 00:42:41.640 the EdX introduction to accessibility course. 00:42:41.640 --> 00:42:46.600 I think it's 16 to 20 hours. 00:42:46.600 --> 00:42:51.010 And I think that number is stuck in my head, because I just read about it. 00:42:51.010 --> 00:42:52.700 But I do have it linked. 00:42:52.700 --> 00:42:59.550 And it's a wonderful overview of disability, accessibility, and then some of the guidelines 00:42:59.550 --> 00:43:08.170 governing a lot of what designers and developers and content people, product people, are needing 00:43:08.170 --> 00:43:14.540 to understand and follow, in terms of compliance and in terms of building accessible products. 00:43:14.540 --> 00:43:16.180 So I would start with that. 00:43:16.180 --> 00:43:19.010 If you're a little more... 00:43:19.010 --> 00:43:22.281 Say you're already a developer or a designer or something... 00:43:22.281 --> 00:43:24.890 Or you're already in technology... 00:43:24.890 --> 00:43:27.740 I have a slide in here about certifications. 00:43:27.740 --> 00:43:29.570 And I'll just go to it. 00:43:29.570 --> 00:43:31.010 And we can talk more about it. 00:43:31.010 --> 00:43:38.660 But this was really how I was able to focus myself on kind of leveling up on all of my 00:43:38.660 --> 00:43:39.660 skills. 00:43:39.660 --> 00:43:43.040 Because these certifications also helped me, you know, understand... 00:43:43.040 --> 00:43:44.040 Oh. 00:43:44.040 --> 00:43:49.970 This is about disability and people with disabilities, as much as it's about the technical and the 00:43:49.970 --> 00:43:54.120 compliance and the laws and the regulations. 00:43:54.120 --> 00:44:00.020 So if you're just getting started, I would say maybe like the CPACC exam. 00:44:00.020 --> 00:44:02.260 That kind of gives you a foundational basis. 00:44:02.260 --> 00:44:05.700 And they have a wonderful resource booklet themselves. 00:44:05.700 --> 00:44:07.460 Of how... 00:44:07.460 --> 00:44:08.460 What to study for. 00:44:08.460 --> 00:44:12.290 To take the exam. 00:44:12.290 --> 00:44:14.280 I think that both of those... 00:44:14.280 --> 00:44:18.190 If you're looking for training, and you're really early in your career, I would start 00:44:18.190 --> 00:44:19.440 with those. 00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:20.720 THOMAS: Awesome. 00:44:20.720 --> 00:44:23.110 Thank you so much. 00:44:23.110 --> 00:44:24.600 Great. 00:44:24.600 --> 00:44:25.820 Next question. 00:44:25.820 --> 00:44:32.440 How can someone find entry level employment in web accessibility without a college degree? 00:44:32.440 --> 00:44:35.840 And who is hiring, or how to find job opportunities. 00:44:35.840 --> 00:44:37.770 LOUISE: Okay. 00:44:37.770 --> 00:44:38.770 So... 00:44:38.770 --> 00:44:42.790 That's a great question. 00:44:42.790 --> 00:44:47.280 I think if you're not gonna have a college degree, which I don't think is a requirement, 00:44:47.280 --> 00:44:48.280 but... 00:44:48.280 --> 00:44:50.090 I say that with a caveat. 00:44:50.090 --> 00:44:57.150 In that a lot of the employment algorithms can be exclusive. 00:44:57.150 --> 00:44:59.420 And they'll be searching for those degrees. 00:44:59.420 --> 00:45:02.500 So you're right that it can be a problem. 00:45:02.500 --> 00:45:06.750 But it shouldn't exclude you from finding a job. 00:45:06.750 --> 00:45:11.890 One of the ways around this, I think, are certifications. 00:45:11.890 --> 00:45:14.300 I know test taking is not for everyone. 00:45:14.300 --> 00:45:18.950 And it's certainly not the only indicator of whether or not you can be successful in 00:45:18.950 --> 00:45:20.240 digital accessibility. 00:45:20.240 --> 00:45:25.710 But if it is something you can do, get that CPACC. 00:45:25.710 --> 00:45:27.520 Get the foundational understanding. 00:45:27.520 --> 00:45:32.810 The other thing I have here is trusted tester. 00:45:32.810 --> 00:45:40.790 Trusted tester is a great certification that teaches you how to test digital web. 00:45:40.790 --> 00:45:44.140 Kind of in the Windows environment, I think. 00:45:44.140 --> 00:45:49.470 And it teaches you the skills to become a tester of digital products. 00:45:49.470 --> 00:45:53.690 So you can get that trusted tester certification. 00:45:53.690 --> 00:45:55.700 They've got a free training program. 00:45:55.700 --> 00:45:57.480 You can take the test. 00:45:57.480 --> 00:46:00.780 If you get that certification, that's something you can put on your resume. 00:46:00.780 --> 00:46:04.690 You don't have to go work for the government with that. 00:46:04.690 --> 00:46:09.690 It's just saying: Hey, I understand how to test and I understand about compliance. 00:46:09.690 --> 00:46:14.870 Particularly at the WCAG 2.0 level. 00:46:14.870 --> 00:46:18.880 And I think the last little bit I would recommend is networking. 00:46:18.880 --> 00:46:20.560 Right? 00:46:20.560 --> 00:46:24.680 And I know it's so much harder over the past few years with COVID. 00:46:24.680 --> 00:46:30.560 But really doing as much as you can to attend meetups. 00:46:30.560 --> 00:46:33.500 Reach out to people and set up coffee chats. 00:46:33.500 --> 00:46:37.060 If they're open. 00:46:37.060 --> 00:46:40.920 Start trying to talk to people about what you're excited about doing. 00:46:40.920 --> 00:46:42.710 And where you want to go. 00:46:42.710 --> 00:46:46.630 I know when I hear people talking about it, I want to help them find things. 00:46:46.630 --> 00:46:51.110 And a lot of times, it's through your personal networks that you get... 00:46:51.110 --> 00:46:54.500 Like, a job that you want in the field that you want. 00:46:54.500 --> 00:46:55.500 So... 00:46:55.500 --> 00:46:56.900 Try and work on that. 00:46:56.900 --> 00:47:02.020 And that is, again, I know it's difficult when everything is virtual. 00:47:02.020 --> 00:47:06.540 And I know it's difficult for a lot of people, if you are an introvert. 00:47:06.540 --> 00:47:08.650 And social settings aren't your thing. 00:47:08.650 --> 00:47:13.880 But maybe in that case, try to set up the individualized kind of conversations. 00:47:13.880 --> 00:47:16.600 THOMAS: Great. 00:47:16.600 --> 00:47:19.100 And we're now gonna take two more questions. 00:47:19.100 --> 00:47:22.360 So we're going to the next question. 00:47:22.360 --> 00:47:24.240 It is... 00:47:24.240 --> 00:47:28.290 Basically what are the main roles or types of jobs that people can apply for. 00:47:28.290 --> 00:47:31.580 Like, in this world of accessibility, in the software world? 00:47:31.580 --> 00:47:37.710 And I think the question is coming also from someone that also is currently in the software 00:47:37.710 --> 00:47:38.710 world. 00:47:38.710 --> 00:47:43.260 But wants to work more specifically in the accessibility profession. 00:47:43.260 --> 00:47:45.240 LOUISE: Yes. 00:47:45.240 --> 00:47:46.240 Okay. 00:47:46.240 --> 00:47:47.240 So... 00:47:47.240 --> 00:47:48.240 This is... 00:47:48.240 --> 00:47:50.830 We'll definitely do the part two. 00:47:50.830 --> 00:47:51.950 But these were just some of... 00:47:51.950 --> 00:47:54.020 And I'm trying to move the Zoom. 00:47:54.020 --> 00:47:55.020 But... 00:47:55.020 --> 00:47:56.020 That's okay. 00:47:56.020 --> 00:47:59.580 These are some of the different types of specializations. 00:47:59.580 --> 00:48:01.080 And it seems to be growing. 00:48:01.080 --> 00:48:02.080 Right? 00:48:02.080 --> 00:48:03.100 The titles. 00:48:03.100 --> 00:48:10.040 You can be an accessibility focused interaction designer or visual designer. 00:48:10.040 --> 00:48:13.440 Or developer. 00:48:13.440 --> 00:48:14.440 Content writer. 00:48:14.440 --> 00:48:15.840 UX research. 00:48:15.840 --> 00:48:20.090 I mean, in my opinion, that's where we're shifting left. 00:48:20.090 --> 00:48:21.090 You know. 00:48:21.090 --> 00:48:24.480 To product and shifting left to research. 00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:32.470 Because that's really where we can catch accessibility barriers very, very early in kind of... 00:48:32.470 --> 00:48:35.460 When we're thinking about creating and building products. 00:48:35.460 --> 00:48:38.020 You know, digital products. 00:48:38.020 --> 00:48:40.690 So UX researcher. 00:48:40.690 --> 00:48:42.000 Product managers. 00:48:42.000 --> 00:48:43.180 QA. 00:48:43.180 --> 00:48:46.050 Like I was saying. 00:48:46.050 --> 00:48:47.050 Testers. 00:48:47.050 --> 00:48:48.050 Accessibility specialists. 00:48:48.050 --> 00:48:53.410 So you might go and work with a whole team of people. 00:48:53.410 --> 00:48:56.240 Maybe you're helping designers and developers. 00:48:56.240 --> 00:49:01.760 Giving them some guidance on how they can be designing inclusively and with compliance 00:49:01.760 --> 00:49:04.370 in mind. 00:49:04.370 --> 00:49:05.870 Maybe you're not a coder at all. 00:49:05.870 --> 00:49:09.050 Maybe you want to get into law. 00:49:09.050 --> 00:49:11.550 So you could be legal counsel. 00:49:11.550 --> 00:49:16.650 If that's the case, I highly recommend a book called Structured Negotiation. 00:49:16.650 --> 00:49:19.100 By Lainey Feingold. 00:49:19.100 --> 00:49:20.690 That is a fantastic book. 00:49:20.690 --> 00:49:27.930 But if law and advocacy and getting in the courtroom is your thing, definitely read that. 00:49:27.930 --> 00:49:33.200 And she has an amazing website, which I should put on my resource list as well. 00:49:33.200 --> 00:49:34.690 Multimedia content. 00:49:34.690 --> 00:49:40.840 I'm trying to get my 16-year-old son, who does video editing all the time, into this. 00:49:40.840 --> 00:49:46.300 But these are people who are dealing with video and audio. 00:49:46.300 --> 00:49:49.890 And podcasting and captions and audio description. 00:49:49.890 --> 00:49:52.720 I mean, that's an art, right? 00:49:52.720 --> 00:50:01.260 So there really is a lot of different types of work in the digital accessibility space. 00:50:01.260 --> 00:50:03.730 That could certainly speak to your passion. 00:50:03.730 --> 00:50:09.330 Oh, and what was the other thing about role-based skills? 00:50:09.330 --> 00:50:10.730 THOMAS: This is good. 00:50:10.730 --> 00:50:12.390 No, I think this is great. 00:50:12.390 --> 00:50:15.220 And again, I want to say... 00:50:15.220 --> 00:50:17.850 We're going to be sharing a lot of resources. 00:50:17.850 --> 00:50:20.400 And we have gotten a lot of questions for you, Louise. 00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:23.530 So we are taking stock of all the questions. 00:50:23.530 --> 00:50:26.580 And we'll make sure that you receive them. 00:50:26.580 --> 00:50:30.290 And also hopefully doing a part two or some other way to set up... 00:50:30.290 --> 00:50:33.880 We'll make sure that they get addressed. 00:50:33.880 --> 00:50:37.030 So I'm gonna end with the last question for you. 00:50:37.030 --> 00:50:46.800 It's just around: You know, around livestreaming, podcasting, YouTube, email lists. 00:50:46.800 --> 00:50:54.010 People that are talking about their role in -- specifically, for example, a role of autism 00:50:54.010 --> 00:50:57.420 influencers, but what do you feel about how... 00:50:57.420 --> 00:51:06.100 People using these social media tools can help influence the accessibility profession? 00:51:06.100 --> 00:51:12.240 LOUISE: Well, I think as long as you just come at it from the perspective of having 00:51:12.240 --> 00:51:18.050 a community that you're kind of responding to. 00:51:18.050 --> 00:51:19.730 I can get caught up in... 00:51:19.730 --> 00:51:23.040 I actually have some struggle with social media. 00:51:23.040 --> 00:51:26.010 Because I'll get caught up in people's arguments and dramas. 00:51:26.010 --> 00:51:27.010 And... 00:51:27.010 --> 00:51:28.160 No, it's done this way. 00:51:28.160 --> 00:51:29.400 It's done that way. 00:51:29.400 --> 00:51:30.400 No. 00:51:30.400 --> 00:51:31.580 You know, this is my experience. 00:51:31.580 --> 00:51:32.830 And this is my experience. 00:51:32.830 --> 00:51:34.010 And everybody can be... 00:51:34.010 --> 00:51:40.240 It can be a little more aggressive than I like in particular. 00:51:40.240 --> 00:51:46.580 But I do feel like it's important to have a whole diverse group of people from... 00:51:46.580 --> 00:51:53.500 You know, the argumentative to people who are just trying to spread that kind of love 00:51:53.500 --> 00:51:55.100 and joy and peace and everything. 00:51:55.100 --> 00:51:57.670 And everything in between... 00:51:57.670 --> 00:51:58.670 Because like I said... 00:51:58.670 --> 00:52:04.140 You want to hear the conversations that are happening, even the good and the bad. 00:52:04.140 --> 00:52:08.650 And if it's too much of the bad, or it's too aggressive, then kind of filter that out a 00:52:08.650 --> 00:52:09.770 little bit. 00:52:09.770 --> 00:52:14.070 But you know, there's a lot of people who deserve to be angry. 00:52:14.070 --> 00:52:16.730 And deserve to be heard. 00:52:16.730 --> 00:52:21.950 It doesn't mean that you have to fill your feed with all of that anger. 00:52:21.950 --> 00:52:25.170 But just be aware of it. 00:52:25.170 --> 00:52:26.310 Or nastiness. 00:52:26.310 --> 00:52:29.180 If people are too aggressive with each other. 00:52:29.180 --> 00:52:32.570 You don't have to tap into that. 00:52:32.570 --> 00:52:39.730 You can find other people who are speaking in a way that aligns more with your ability 00:52:39.730 --> 00:52:41.860 to process the conversation. 00:52:41.860 --> 00:52:44.690 So I would say just be careful. 00:52:44.690 --> 00:52:45.829 And... 00:52:45.829 --> 00:52:47.971 Take that social media break when you need it. 00:52:47.971 --> 00:52:49.420 And we all know when we need it. 00:52:49.420 --> 00:52:57.530 It's that ugly feeling of imposter syndrome that settles over your soul and says: I'm 00:52:57.530 --> 00:53:01.030 not good enough, because all these other people are awesome! 00:53:01.030 --> 00:53:02.340 No. 00:53:02.340 --> 00:53:04.460 That's when you turn off the social media. 00:53:04.460 --> 00:53:05.750 Go read some articles. 00:53:05.750 --> 00:53:06.750 Or... 00:53:06.750 --> 00:53:09.430 Go work in the garden at that point. 00:53:09.430 --> 00:53:10.640 And come back. 00:53:10.640 --> 00:53:11.619 So...