Since this release, AAPD and CDT have expanded their partnership and have worked together to bring awareness and provide policy solutions that benefit people with disabilities in their interactions with technology, particularly AI and algorithmic systems. This report (released in tandem with a shorter brief) furthers this important work by specifically providing recommendations for disabled community members, disability rights and justice advocates, government agencies, and private-sector AI practitioners regarding best practices for ensuring that people with disabilities are able to enjoy the benefits of AI and algorithmic technologies while being safeguarded from their risks.

It does this by presenting major areas of concern for people with disabilities when they interact with technologies in the context of several major systems: employment, education, government benefits, information and communications technology (ICT), healthcare, transportation, and the criminal legal system. Some of these systems (including employment, education, law enforcement, and healthcare) were briefly covered in the “Centering Disability” report, and this expands on that work; some areas are entirely new. These are, of course, not the only rights-impacting areas wherein people with disabilities are affected by technologies. However, providing recommendations for inclusion for people with disabilities in these high-stakes areas can hopefully serve as a useful resource, building on AAPD and CDT’s earlier work in this area. .

In the midst of a significant expansion of anti-DEIA measures and a significant decrease in the regulatory ambition of the federal government, it may seem a strange time for CDT and AAPD to engage in this work, and particularly to focus on federal agency recommendations. However, it remains as important now as it was in 2021 to ensure that people with disabilities are properly considered in the development of AI technologies and regulations. Further, at least some of the recommendations geared towards federal agencies may be applicable to state and local agencies as well. Further, even if agencies do not act on these recommendations in the short term, they will likely remain useful touchpoints for any future attempts to create a disability-inclusive AI ecosystem.

Disabled people are at a specific risk of discrimination when interacting with AI and algorithmic systems, for several reasons. First, many AI and algorithmic tools are trained on pattern recognition, and make determinations based upon typical patterns within any particular dataset. However, many disabled people (by virtue of their disability) exist outside of typical patterns — they may have gait differences, vocal differences, atypical eye movements, etc. These tools may inadvertently discriminate against people with these sorts of disabilities, particularly when they rely on biometric inputs.

Second, AI and algorithmic technologies create outputs based on inputs, which are again derived from datasets (sometimes referred to as “training data”). Oftentimes, these datasets are not properly inclusive of people with disabilities — they may have inaccurate data about disability, undersample or improperly tag information as being related to disability. These can all lead to AI tools that can discriminate against disabled people, and potentially contribute to negative outcomes.

And third, many people with disabilities are multiply-marginalized, meaning that they are both disabled and identify as members of another marginalized group (like a disabled person of color, or a disabled LGBTQ+ person). Many AI and algorithmic tools have been shown to pose unique risks to other marginalized groups as well, meaning that multiply-marginalized disabled people are at a particular risk of facing discriminatory outcomes as a result of their interactions with these tools. For these reasons and more, this partnership is an important step towards mitigating the potential harms of technology-facilitated disability discrimination, while bolstering innovation that allows for the development of helpful tech tools for people with disabilities to flourish.

People with disabilities can benefit from AI, algorithmic tools, and other technologies. But these tools can also serve as vectors of discrimination, and concerns over accessibility, bias, and privacy abound, particularly when biometric data is involved. Ensuring that people with disabilities are centered in the creation, deployment, and auditing of these technologies and of the policies that govern them can help ensure that the promise of these tools can eventually be realized for all.

Read the full report by AAPD’s Henry Claypool and CDT’s Ariana Aboulafia here.

The post Report: Building A Disability-Inclusive AI Ecosystem: A Cross-Disability, Cross-Systems Analysis Of Best Practices appeared first on AAPD.

Contact: jdavidson@aapd.com

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, October 30th, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14109 -Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. This EO focuses on eight key themes: Safety and Security, Protecting Americans’ Privacy, Advancing Equity and Civil Rights, Standing Up for Consumers, Patients and Students, Protecting Workers, Promoting Innovation and Competition, Advancing American Leadership Abroad, and Ensuring Responsible and Effective Government Use of AI. The EO was followed by a memo from the Office of Management and Budget which details policy guidance for the use of AI within the federal government. 

Of the EO and OMB Memo, American Association of People with Disabilities President and CEO Maria Town said, 

“AAPD appreciates President Biden’s Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence, which comes at a crucial time as artificial intelligence and related technology continues to evolve in ways that can be detrimental to people with disabilities. We admire the bold leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration in implementing necessary safeguards – for disabled people and all Americans – as the nation continues to grapple with the transformational power of artificial intelligence.”

Town continued, “It is particularly encouraging to see the administration calling on all parts of government to take specific actions to protect civil rights against the harms of technology, many of which are already occurring to disabled and multiply-marginalized individuals. The executive order discusses how artificial intelligence impacts experiences with  housing, employment, and government benefits – all areas where people with disabilities can and do face significant barriers as a result of these technologies. 

We are energized by the specific mention of people with disabilities within the Executive Order, especially the provision that states that people with disabilities should be able to “benefit from AI’s promise while being protected from its risks.” As our nation continues to grapple with legacy issues of accessibility, and as it takes on new concerns related to technology and disability, including those related to biometric data and privacy, agency action is particularly critical.”

AAPD looks forward to working with the Administration to ensure that effective implementation of this executive order leads to meaningful and necessary change for people with disabilities. 

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September 11, 2020

What does it mean to be free? Freedom means to be out of any form of bondage. So, what does it mean to be in bondage? The life of Fannie Lou Hamer expresses a clear example of what it means to be in bondage. Everyone in bondage wants to be free, but only a few relentlessly fight till the end for their freedom. It is easy to give up when the battle gets tough.  But there are some heroes – like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jnr – that fight relentlessly for their own freedom as well as the freedom of their people, even when this means that they have to suffer persecution. Fannie Lou Hamer falls in this pack too. Much of the freedom we enjoy today came with a price, a price that Fannie Lou Hamer paid, by resisting oppression and injustice, and refusing to be silenced even in the face of death, to ensure that her people were free and empowered. But we must not let her efforts go in vain; we still have much work to do. We still are not totally free yet. We still suffer racism and injustices and oppression. Black people, especially those with disabilities, are still severely marginalized. However, 2020 is the year! This is the golden opportunity to make a turnaround and make our voices heard. Fannie Lou Hamer advocated with her own life to ensure that black people could vote. Now is the time to uphold her legacy by turning up for this election and exercising our civil rights!

No true change happens if we choose not to take an action. For ages, black people have been on the receiving end of all sorts of discrimination. We have fought for freedom and justice and equality, a struggle that cost many of our ancestors their lives. At a time when we could not vote, people like Fannie Lou Hamer rose to challenge the status quo. This did not immediately go down well; they had to suffer severe repercussions. Fannie was fired from her job and chased from the plantation that had been home to her for nearly two decades — just for registering to vote. She lived her life with dreams to raise a family of her own, but the oppressors forced a disability on her – an unconsented sterilization – with the unethical, diabolical aim of controlling the black population. Today, black people with disabilities experience arguably the worst form of discrimination. Ableism is very rampant, probably on the rise. However, this is about to change, only if we allow it – by voting.

Before and during the time of Fannie Lou Hamer, voter suppression, specifically targeted at black people, was real. Unfortunately, despite all the efforts and sacrifices of our heroes from the past, voter suppression is still among us. Black people are still systematically denied the ability to vote, as proven by a study. Black people with disabilities are probably the most affected here. With profound inaccessibility and systemic ableism still plaguing our nation, it is no surprise that voters with disabilities are blocked from the ballot box. But real change will not occur if we do not make persistent, conscious efforts to see it happen. This may involve some sacrifices, but this is the only way we can pave the way for a better life for the next generation of black people, just as Fannie Lou Hammer did for us.

Although Fannie Lou Hamer could not biologically birth her own children due to the forced sterilization she was made to undergo, everyone who supports justice and equality for people of color automatically becomes her child. And, this year, five of her children – students from various universities across the United States – are working with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), through the Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program, to encourage voter registration among black people as well as blacks with disabilities. A recent study has shown that voter turnout surged among people with disabilities in 2018. We want to make sure that this continues, especially with the 2020 elections right around the corner. Having no choice of candidate should not be an excuse not to vote. We cannot continue to sit on the fence and expect real change to fall from heaven. More black voters are needed. More black voters with disabilities are needed. More black people are needed in our political offices. We cannot enjoy true freedom until we make these happen. There is no better time than now!

By: Tolu Adedoja, organizer in AAPD’s Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program.

Through AAPD’s REV UP Campaign, we are proud to announce our new initiative, the Fannie Lou Hamer Leadership Program. This program is designed for young (ages 18 – 30) Black disabled advocates who are committed to boosting voter registration and civic engagement across Black communities leading up to the 2020 elections. Participants will receive a $1,500 stipend and have the opportunity to create a national nonpartisan campaign that promotes voter registration and participation.

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August 25, 2020

COVID-19 has pushed the world into a new digital era in which we are using the internet more than ever for connecting with family and friends, tracking the news, organizing for social justice, working from home, and fighting off boredom. Zoom is the new bar, classroom, and more. You name it, and we have found a way to move it online during the pandemic. A GALLUP poll indicated that nearly 7 out of every 10 employed adults in the U.S. were working at home at least part of the time this May, and many businesses expect that some remote working will continue even after the pandemic.

In this new digital life, it is more important than ever to consider how accessible or inaccessible the digital world is to the 61 million Americans with disabilities. In the U.S., 15% of adults have hearing loss or a hearing disability, while about 10% of adults have blindness or low vision. Another 3% have intellectual or developmental disabilities. Many of us know that accessibility is important, but perhaps don’t know where to start or think of it as “too much work.”

I’m here to say #1: digital accessibility is not only important, it is absolutely critical. Digital accessibility is about the shared human right to engage in the world we live in. #2: It’s not that difficult. Making digital information accessible takes work and requires planning ahead, but following digital accessibility is just another skill to learn. If we all can learn to navigate Zoom, we can learn how to provide captions for our events, and more.

Where to Start

Digital accessibility encompasses making virtual events, social media posts, websites, digitally shared documents, and more inclusive to people with a range of disabilities. Thankfully in 2020, we live in an era with endless resources for how to achieve digital accessibility. Below are some great resources from the disability community:

• American Council for the Blind: 5 Accessibility Actions You Can Take When You’re Moving Your Conference or Classes Online
• Office of Civil Rights: Webinar on Online Education and Website Accessibility
• National Deaf Foundation: Remember Accessibility in the Rush to Online Instruction: 10 Tips for Educators
• Multiple Resources Recommended by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network
• Multiple Resources Recommended by the American Council for the Blind

In this blog, we have put together some tips and definitions to get you started on making your digital communications accessible!

1. Social Media

Alternative Text

Alternative text (also called image descriptions) are word descriptions of what is in an image. Alternative text (alt text) and image descriptions allow people with blindness and low vision to experience images in addition to text when they are using a screen reader—an assistive technology that reads text on a computer or phone screen aloud.

While image descriptions should be used any time an image is included in digital communications, social media makes it easy to include image descriptions. Platforms like Twitter allow you to add alt text when making a post, and on Instagram and Facebook which allow for more characters, you can also add image descriptions at the end of the main text of the post. Some tips for making effective alt text include:

• Keep image descriptions to the length of a tweet (280 characters).
• Focus on what is important in the image and why it was included.
• Quote important text in the image word for word.

Readability

When writing, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your social media text is clear and readable:

• Put hashtags and links at the end when possible so that someone using a screen reader can read the social media post without being interrupted.

2. Videos and Virtual Gatherings

Captioning

Closed Captions (CC) are lines of text, often at the bottom of a video or TV screen, that not only provide a text transcription of any words said but also describe other sounds, such as background music. Closed captions help make the audio part of videos accessible to people who are hard of hearing or deaf. While platforms such as Youtube may have automatic captioning, you make sure your video captions are accurate by using a captioning service to provide captions for your videos. Live captioning for events (virtual or in person) is called CART, which stands for Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART), and there are endless companies that provide captioning and CART services. Here are a few:

• Streamtext
• Alternative Communication Services
• PostCap Project.
• If you have the time, you can also caption a video yourself for free.

When coordinating captioning for videos and live virtual events, you can help captioners and speed up their work by sending them the names of all participants, the agenda, scripts for remarks from speakers, and the headshots of speakers. Captioners usually provide a text-only link to share with participants that can make the captions easier to read by allowing the reader to:

• View whole paragraphs of the transcript
• Control how fast they are reading the captions
• Remove the distraction of the video or visuals

In Zoom, meeting hosts can assign a captioner so that CART is available directly in the platform. Note that when using breakout rooms, you will have to coordinate multiple captioners to cover the multiple breakout rooms. The number one thing to remember is to START EARLY with all of your captioning and CART needs, and make sure you have all of your captioners hired and any videos pre-captioned at least 72 hours before the event. It takes time for captioning to be completed and reviewed for accuracy.

American Sign Language (ASL)

American Sign Language (ASL) is a language using hand and face movements that is used by about half a million people in North America, largely people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Learn more about ASL through the National Association of the Deaf. With such a large community of ASL speakers, there are countless ASL interpreters that you can hire to make your webinars and events inclusive. Here are just a few:

• ASL Interpreting Services
• Accessible Communications for the Deaf
• Vineya
• Globo
• Purple

Just as we recommended when working with captioners, providing information on speakers, scripts and statements, and any other event materials in advance helps ASL interpreters prepare for events! 

For smaller meetings and gatherings, whether or not you need ASL will depend on your audience. But when hosting events open to the public, including ASL is key to ensuring everyone can engage in your event. Remember, ASL is its own language! Providing only captions to an ASL-speaker is like providing only English captions to a Spanish-speaker. When incorporating music (beyond background music), there are lots of ASL interpreter groups skilled in interpreting music, including DEAFinitely Dope and Amber G. Productions.

Incorporating ASL interpreters into Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms is easy! In Zoom, encouraging participants to use the “Gallery View” and select “View Video Participants Only,” will help viewers to prioritize the ASL interpreters. When presenting a slide-deck, Zoom attendees can select “Side-by-Side” view to ensure that ASL interpreters are still visible and can even pin the videos of the interpreters to their screen. Platforms such as Streamyard also allow you to choose a layout in which an ASL interpreter’s video screen is minimized but visible next to the main video screen.

Audio Descriptions

Audio descriptions in videos or presentations serve the same purpose as alt text for images. During a recorded video, audio descriptions of what is happening on screen enables people with blindness and low vision to engage more fully in media that is both visual and audial. Live visual descriptions in a zoom call might include describing one’s own appearance and video background and any visual graphics included in slide decks. Check out this example of audio descriptions during the ADA 30 Lead On Celebration this year. Disney has also committed to providing audio descriptions for many of their productions on the Disney Plus streaming platform.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Especially when it comes to planning live events, making sure that captioning and ASL interpretation are properly implemented can be difficult and any manner of things can go wrong (as with any aspect of event planning). Practicing and rehearsing your event in advance will help you prepare for what might go wrong with your accessibility technology. Also, the more events you host with accessible technology, the smoother your events will go!

3. Documents and Articles

Alternative Text

Much of the earlier conversation about image descriptions applies to images and logos included in documents. In documents, blog posts, and any other writing, make sure that your images are described. In Google, you can right click on an image and choose “Alt Text” to create an image description. Similarly in Microsoft Word, simply right click on an image and select “Edit Alt Text” to add a description.

Document Logic

Document logic means how you organize your document with titles, headings, and regular paragraphs. Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow you to change and create “Styles,” for all titles, headings, or normal text in a document. Using this feature to identify headings versus paragraphs of text helps screen readers understand how to correctly read different parts of a document. 

Plain Language

Earlier, we mentioned plain language when discussing Social Media. Plain language is about writing clear and concisely. Using plain language makes communications easy to understand for the general population, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and people who speak English as a second language. To learn more, check out this guide to writing in plain language from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). For examples of plain language writing, you can also check out this COVID-19 Guide in plain language created by the Green Mountain Self-Advocates on the COVID-19 or this Guide to Contacting your Representatives in Congress by AUCD.

Text Size

Many of us remember our parents or grandparents complaining about text that is too small to read or face this difficulty ourselves. More people have difficulty reading small text than you may think. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, 1 in 10 adults have trouble seeing even with glasses or contact lenses. Using a larger font helps so many people to more easily read your materials. Instead of 10 point font, consider 14 point font or larger (16 point or larger on websites). 

High Contrast

Using images with a high contrast of very light and very dark colors can be easier for folks with low vision to view. The same tip applies to choosing font and background colors. Stick to text and background combinations that have high contrast, for example black text on a white background or white text on a black background.

Descriptive Links

A screen reader will read out all text, so replacing long links in a document or social media post with a short description of the link can be extremely helpful for all readers. Whether or not you are using a screen reader, reading “learn more about describing links” is much more helpful than reading “learn more” or reading the full link, which I will spare you from. Check out Oregon State University’s summary of using links accessibly and this example a screen reader audio from Dallas College.

Accessibility Reviews

Some document editing softwares can automatically check how accessible the document is and let you know what can be improved. For example, in Microsoft Word, you can use the Word Doc Accessibility Checker under the  “Review” tab.  For example, the Accessibility Checker will tell you if you forgot alt text for an image or have unnecessary spaces in your document. Adobe Acrobat Pro, a PDF reader, also has an Adobe PDF Accessibility Checker.

4. Websites

Making websites accessible involves a combination of all of the accessibility tips and tools mentioned above. Typically, making websites accessible involves some knowledge of web design, but thankfully there are many companies and guides dedicated to making websites accessible. Here are some companies that can help you through the process of making your online presence accessible and inclusive:

• Siteimprove
• Make Sense: Better Web
• eSSENTIAL Accessibility

The basics of accessible website technology (check out Dreamhost for more items) are:

• Including alternative text for images and graphics
• Incorporating captions in videos
• Ensuring that users can navigate the website using the keyboard
• Using large enough fonts and high contrasting colors
• Avoiding tables of information except when communicating data points

5. Remote Working

COVID-19 has forced many workplaces to work remotely, increasing the need for organizations to proactively ensure that their systems and communications methods are accessible to people with a range of disabilities. For both in-person and remote working, the first step to making an inclusive workplace is asking employees what accommodations would help them be more successful, on a regular basis, and following through with requests. People often know what they need best, so asking is always a good place to start.

When it comes to making working from home accessible, ensuring digital accessibility through the methods mentioned earlier in this article is important, but not enough. Providing work schedule flexibility and offering to reimburse office furniture or any other accommodations needed are two ways to empower employees while working remotely. How many organizations have adapted to remote working has demonstrated how valuable and feasible work from home is as an accommodation. Making work from home accessible can help make more space for all employees to take care of their mental health. For more information on remote working an accessibility, check out these articles:

• Transitioning Your Office Online Must Work for All Employees
• 5 Ways to Support Remote Workers with Disabilities
• Accessible and Effective Remote Working

Start Somewhere

Making your digital presence accessible may take time, but the important thing is to start today, start with your next social media post, start with asking your employees about their accessibility needs. COVID-19 has brought so many challenges and tragedies to our world, but it has also given us an unlikely opportunity to transform the world we live in into a more inclusive and supportive world for everyone!

Notes:
1.  This article is far from comprehensive in covering digital accessibility technology and tools, please let us know what resources and tips you would like to share and anything that we are missing here. Email with additional recommendations to add to this blog at communications@aapd.com.

 2. A huge thank you to the AAPD staff for providing input and feedback for blog! For best practice on digital accessibility, watch how organizations by and for folks with disabilities center accessibility in their digital communications. Disability orgs don’t get accessibility perfect all the time, but following their example is a great start!

 3. Language accessibility is another massive barrier. In the U.S., 1 in 5 people speak a language other than English at home. As you consider ensuring that your digital work is accessible, it is also important to consider how you can create translations of your work and incorporate language interpretation when possible.

4. If you’re having difficulty convincing your organization to invest in digital accessibility for inclusion and civil rights alone, it can be helpful to point out how adding alt-text and improving web accessibility can improve your Search Engine Optimization and presence online! Check out these links for more information on digital accessibility:

• Digital Accessibility: What It Is and Why You Need It 
• Digital Accessibility 101

The post Digital Accessibility in the Age of COVID-19 appeared first on AAPD.

March 13, 2020

Many people with disabilities are at increased risk of serious or fatal complications from COVID-19 (coronavirus). In an active community outbreak, the safest option may be to self-isolate at home, perhaps for weeks or longer. In order to prepare for this possibility, the CDC is currently recommending that people at high risk stock up on necessities, including maintenance prescription medication.

Unfortunately, many people with disabilities can’t take this advice because of insurance restrictions. Insurers typically refuse to cover refills on 30-day prescriptions until only three to seven days of medication remain. For certain controlled substance prescriptions, patients may be legally unable to fill a new prescription until the date that the previous prescription is scheduled to run out.

These coverage restrictions could leave many disabled people in danger. Visiting the pharmacy can be risky for some people with chronic illnesses in even a normal flu season. Some people with disabilities may also face logistical challenges in getting to the pharmacy if in-home support services become disrupted due to a local COVID-19 outbreak. While many people can use mail order pharmacies to avoid this risk, localized outbreaks and social distancing measures may disrupt supply chains. We cannot stake our lives on the assumption that the availability of medications will remain stable in the coming weeks and months. We need to be able to stock up now, as the CDC recommends.

Disrupting treatment always endangers patients, but even more so in a pandemic. COVID-19 is expected to heavily tax the resources of the health care system. The need for inpatient treatment will likely exceed capacity in many communities. Even outpatient clinics are likely to have a high number of patients seeking treatment for COVID-19 symptoms, making avoidable visits risky for those more vulnerable to complications. Additionally, patients whose chronic conditions are destabilized are in danger of becoming more severely ill if they are infected with COVID-19.

Fortunately, a few insurance companies have taken measures to protect patients. In both Massachusetts and North Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield has waived early refill limits on 30-day maintenance prescriptions. Recognizing that most of us cannot simply wait for our insurers to behave responsibly, the Washington state insurance commissioner issued an emergency order requiring insurers operating in the state to cover early refills. On March 10^th, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued guidance to Medicare Part D plans reminding them of their ability to relax restrictions on early refills and lift barriers to obtaining prescriptions from out-of-network pharmacies.

While these emergency policies still fail to provide sufficient protection for many people with disabilities taking prescribed controlled substances, they offer significantly more protection than the status quo.

To further safeguard access to treatment, there are some additional changes beyond allowing for early refills to standard insurance policy practices that would be beneficial. These include relaxing restrictions on prescription fills at out-of-network pharmacies and offering coverage of non-formulary drugs if supply chain issues leave patients with no available formulary options. Widespread adoption of such policies would go a long way toward protecting the lives of people with disabilities in the COVID-19 crisis.

Now is the time to reach out to your state’s insurance Commissioner to urge them to follow Washington State’s lead in requiring early refills and to take other measures designed to ensure at-risk populations are able to follow the CDC’s guidance. We’ve prepared a template for advocacy organizations to use to urge their state’s insurance commissioner to take these common-sense measures to protect those most at-risk.

While many states have already required insurers to cover COVID-19 testing and treatment without cost-sharing, insufficient action has been taken to ensure that people with disabilities have access to early refills sufficient to comply with CDC guidance.

You can download our template at this link and adapt it to your organization’s needs. These measures will work best if they are undertaken before an active community outbreak in your area. Since our community includes many of those who are most at risk from COVID-19, we urge disability advocacy groups to make this an area of focus in the coming days and weeks.

If your organization is engaged in advocacy on protecting people with disabilities from COVID-19 or if you have been successful at securing action from your state government, we urge you to share details of that through this form. AAPD will be maintaining a page keeping track of advocacy efforts and policy measures to protect the disability community for the duration of the crisis.

Ari Ne’eman is a Visiting Scholar at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis and a PhD student in Health Policy at Harvard University. He is a member of the AAPD Board of Directors.

Kit Albrecht is a Research Associate at the Association for Autistic Community.

The post How The Disability Community Can Respond to COVID-19 appeared first on AAPD.

Daman Wandke
CEO/Founder
AbiliTrek / Access Travel LLC

My name is Daman Wandke, and I am an accessible technology consultant, national disability advocate, and the founder and Chief Executive Officer of AbiliTrek, an accessibility consulting company. You might ask, what led me to starting AbiliTrek?

I studied Management Information Systems at Western Washington University. During my time as an undergrad student, I was extremely active on campus, especially regarding disability advocacy. Within my first week on campus, I started the first disability-oriented club and continued to make accessibility changes as well as spread disability awareness. However, my advocacy work did not stop on campus.

I received an internship through the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). During my internship, I learned a lot about web accessibility such as learning how to make PDFs Section 508 compliant. Section 508 is an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act that requires electronic documents and communication technology to be accessible to people with disabilities. 

My summer internship turned into a long-term virtual internship where I continued to work remotely for the USDA from school for the next three years. I also continued to gain career support from my AAPD mentor, Matthew McCollough who is the Director of the DC Office of Disability Rights. During this time, I refined my skills in making PDFs accessible. I also had the opportunity to learn about project management and team leadership. This internship introduced me to my career.

I took the foundation that I learned at the USDA and broadened my web accessibility skills in my next two jobs. I worked at the Federal Housing Finance Agency coordinating 508 compliance agency-wide and then as an Accessibility Analyst at SSB BART Group (now Level Access), consulting large organizations on how to make their websites and other Information Technology (IT), accessible.

I then began on a path of entrepreneurship is where my path led. Over time, I built up a diverse amount of experience that became my foundation and leverage for my company. I used all of my experience to create AbiliTrek. AbiliTrek assists businesses via a plethora of disability advocacy and awareness services, including our Search and Review Platform, speaking engagements as well as providing IT accessibility consulting.

Our Platform allows people to innovatively search and review locations based on their personal accessibility needs, reflecting that accessibility is not “one-size-fits-all”. We desire for our platform to indicate where your items are–and are not–accessible to everyone as well as bring awareness to the growing accessibility needs.

Regarding consulting, AbiliTrek provides technical and functional web testing as well as web development to ensure access to all via assistive technology compatibility. If websites and apps are not compatible with assistive technology then those assistive Technologies are rendered useless.

Overall, AbiliTrek strives to create an inclusive environment so everyone has access to equal opportunities.

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