Breaking The Glass is excited to announce our first community meetup of 2019!

On January 23rd, Visa’s north Austin campus will host a Breaking The Glass panel event titled “Women of Accessibility”, featuring an all-woman led and moderated panel of senior leaders in internet Accessibility.

AGENDA:
6:00 – 6:40 – Networking and refreshments
6:40 – 7:00 – Opening remarks
7:00 – 7:30 – Panel discussion: “Women of Accessibility”
7:30 – 8:00 – Audience Q&A, closing announcements, and user testing facility tour

PANELISTS:
Kathy Keller – Accessibility Coordinator, Texans Department of Family and Protective Services
Susan Hewitt – Senior Accessibility Specialist, Deque Systems
Mary Jo Mueller – Accessibility Standards Program Manager, IBM
Jan McSorley – VP of Accessibility for Psychometrics & Testing Services, Pearson
Moderated by Sharron Rush, Founder/Executive Director, Knowbility.org

What is Accessibility?

In the tech industry, “Accessibility” refers to adjustments to applications or websites so they function properly with assistive technology (like screen readers), as well as other decisions made by designers and developers to ensure every user is able to easily interact with a product or program, regardless of their common or uncommon physical limitations (example: readable fonts for the visually impaired).

According to a 2018 report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 4 adults in the US had a disability in 2016. Additionally, the Census Bureau projects that in 2030, people 65 and older will outnumber children for the first time in in US history. These trend reports have influenced product managers and professionals across the tech industry to invest in accessibility now, before falling behind the competition in their market.

Why is this important to you?

As a glass breaker – a woman in tech, an advocate, or an ally – you already know the importance of building a more diverse and inclusive tech industry.

So, this panel discussion will focus on the intersection of Accessibility with the insights/interests of women in tech. We’ll explore the unique contributions female tech leaders have made to advance Accessibility standards in web, mobile, and all innovations of technology.

Our host, Visa, has a long-standing commitment to incorporating Accessibility standards, and you’ll have the opportunity to tour their state-of-the-art user experience lab where they conduct studies and research for Accessibility purposes regularly!

So invite a friend, come early, eat, drink, mingle and learn all about Women of Accessibility!

For additional questions or info, please contact Mary Chauvin – Breaking the Glass Program Manager