Using empathy to achieve accessibility

#32301

Speaker(s)

  • Taylor Snook, Digital Accessibility Consultant, Perkins School for the Blind

Session Details

  • Length of Session: 1-hr
  • Format: Lecture
  • Expertise Level: All Levels
  • Type of session: General Conference

Summary

Accessibility can be frustrating for faculty, but it doesn’t have to be. Make the most out of your accessibility program or initiative by empathizing with students and faculty with disabilities. Learn how leading your process with the user perspective improves engagement and accessibility outcomes.

Abstract

From the perspective of an Accessibility Consultant, Social Worker and Software Engineer, Taylor Snook will lead you through a compassionate and successful approach to accessibility. Once responsibilities are both shared and clearly defined across an organization, departments and faculty can let go of inaccessible habits and embrace new strategies.You will learn 1) How to provide user perspective, ranging from a live demo with a native assistive technology user to hosting an empathy lab, 2) How to balance being proactive and reactive, 3) Strategies for working through particularly frustrating scenarios. Walk away with the goal to ensure that no users are completely blocked from successfully navigating a site or completing core tasks and sustain accessibility as content continuously evolves.

Keypoints

  1. Empathy can help ease frustration about accessibility.
  2. Providing user perspectives can improve your accessibility outcomes.
  3. Taking a balanced approach to accessibility will help ensure no users are completely blocked.

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Administrative/Campus Policy, Faculty Development & Support, Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access

Speaker Bio(s)

Taylor Snook

Snook possesses deep expertise in content management systems, user-centered design and various programming languages. She began her work at Perkins developing systems that would support hundreds of local partners worldwide. Snook is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies and holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Colby College and a Master of Social Work with a concentration in Global Practice from Boston College.