Disability Bandwidth

Disability Bandwidth: a show where we talk with disability leaders each week about career, life, and technology.

Welcome to Disability Bandwidth! We’re excited to share all the insightful chats we were so fortunate to have this season with disability leaders. In the premiere episode, you’ll hear from us – Nikki and Sam – and find out a bit about who we are and what we’re looking forward to with the launch of this podcast series. References Sam Proulx Nikki Nolan Nikki Art Interview Video Disabled in Tech Panel Marrakesh Treaty Fable (Sponsor) See Website

Episode 2 of Disability Bandwidth features guest Sheri Byrne-Haber,  a prominent global subject matter expert in the fields of disability and accessibility. Nikki, Sam, and Sheri discuss her career path, how to push for accessible tool procurement in your workplace, and reflections on parenting, STEM, and more. Currently the Senior Staff Architect of Accessibility for VMware, Sheri is best known for launching digital accessibility programs at multiple Fortune 200 companies, including McDonald’s, Albertsons, as well as consulting on government and education accessibility Sheri’s award-winning Medium blog summarizes legal cases and issues facing people implementing accessibility programs, with over 300,000 readers since its launch.  References Sheri Byrne-Haber Medium Blog W3C guidelines Americans with Disabilities Act. Girl Scout badge in computer science PET Commodore 2001 IEP Overlayfactsheet.com Accessibility — Separate but Equal is Never OK trusted tester program Giving a Damn About Accessibility Transcript 

Ean Price is the CEO of ICAN Resources, focused on solving challenges related to accessible travel, design, and technology. Due to his complex needs, he considers himself “pretty high maintenance” – but that means if he can physically explore the world, anyone can with the right resources. Ean joins Sam and Nikki on the podcast for wide-ranging discussions on work, exploration, and innovation. References ICAN Resource Group Disabled Sailors Association Tetra Society  Elsa Sjunneson  Technology for Living technologyforliving.org Read Transcript

Natalie has always wanted to save the world. With over twenty years of web accessibility experience, they realized early on that there was way more internet than there was accessibility. This has led Natalie from non-profit organizing to the government sector, to her current role as Senior Accessibility Lead at Spotify, all with the goal of improving access to information for everyone.  In this episode of Disability Bandwidth, Nikki, Natalie, and Sam discuss discourse around advocacy, inclusion, and equity, Natalie’s career trajectory and passion for the web, and how to keep pushing digital accessibility forward.  References Natalie Patrice Tucker on LinkedIn @NataliePatriceT Twitter WCAG  Accessibility 508 Standards Fable Engage ECMAScript r/Blind Read Transcript 

The pros and cons of Accessibility Offices within companies. Transferrable insights from gaming #a11y.  Mythbusting the perceived challenges of ensuring meaningful accessibility. Chatting with Hector Osborne Rodriguez, the front-end developing manager for Accenture, Nikki, and Sam explore his accessibility career path, and how being curious and vocal are keys to getting started in the field. References a11Y_tips on Twitter Hector on LinkedIn ALLY TIPS Blog The Official Development Assistance Accountability Act Forza Video Game Read Transcript 

Elsa Sjunneson joins Nikki and Sam on Episode 6 of Disability Bandwidth! Historian, advocate, writer, and self-described deafblind hurricane, Elsa discusses her work and perspectives on ableism, eugenics, representation, and more. References Bionic Eye Obsolete  The Helen Keller Exorcism - Radiolab Being Seen: One Deafblind Woman's Fight to End AbleismOrder a signed copy NIH: World blindness and visual impairment: despite many successes, the problem is growing Hugo Awards, Best Fan Writer 2021 Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire Elsa on LinkedIn Elsa on Twitter Read Transcript 

Currently the EMEA Lead for Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at Google, Christopher Patnoe has also worked at Apple and Sony Ericsson helping to design products that are now household names. Christopher Patnoe chats with hosts Nikki and Sam about the future of XR accessibility, and the need to emphasize disability in workplace DEI practices. References Christopher on LinkedIn European Accessibility Act State of Accessibility Report Project Relate Read Transcript 

Debra Ruh is the CEO of Ruh Global IMPACT and the Executive Chair of Billion Strong. Joining for Episode 8, Debra explores her personal relationships to disability, thoughts on workplace representation, and more. References Ruh Global Impact Billion Strong Definition of disability in the ADA Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Debra Ruh on Twitter Billion Strong on Twitter Ruh Global Impact on Twitter Read Transcript 

Stephen Anfield chats with hosts Nikki and Sam about his transition off social media and into a new career. Stephen is currently shifting into social work, using his 10+ years in tech to create innovative solutions that solve societal problems. References City Year Stephen Anfield on Twitter https://www.stephenanfield.com/ Read Transcript 

Elise Roy is a Principal Architect at Salesforce and has spent her career involved in accessibility advocacy. In Episode 10, Elise talks about her motivations to change career paths and how to incorporate design thinking into product development to include the voices and needs of disabled users. References Elise Roy, Ted Talk: When we design for disability, we all benefit Elise Roy on Twitter Elise Roy on LinkedIn Why Design Thinking Works Read Transcript 

Episode 11 features our final guest for Season One: Jennison Ascuncion. Co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) and Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn, Jennison, he talks to Nikki and Sam about how GAAD came to be, navigating the accessibility myths that continue to haunt product design, hiring people with disabilities, and more. References Global Accessibility Awareness Day Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Teach Access GAAD Foundation A11Y jobs on Twitter Jennison on Twitter Jennison Asuncion on LinkedIn Read Transcript

So many wonderful guests joined Sam and Nikki for the first season of Disability Bandwidth! To wrap things up, the duo reflect on the themes that thread through each conversation had: inclusive design, accessibility, and leadership. Thank you to all of the Season One guests of Disability Bandwidth for sharing your stories, thoughts, and expertise. References Global Accessibility Awareness Day Nikki on Instagram Sam on LinkedIn Disability Bandwidth on Twitter Disability Bandwidth on Instagram Read Transcript 

Join hosts Sam Proulx and Nikki Nolan as they kick off Season 2 of Disability Bandwidth! In this first episode, they discuss what's in store for the season and share their enthusiasm for the upcoming topics and guests. As a fun bonus, they also experiment with AI and discover that it thinks the podcast is about disabled pirates! Don't miss this entertaining episode to start off the new season. Read Transcript 

Do you care and want to change things?  Join us for an insightful conversation with Angie Rajani, CPACC, an inclusive design strategist with expertise in digital accessibility. In this episode, we delve into the nuances of working in government versus corporate settings, as well as the inspiration behind Angie's work. We also tackle important questions, such as whether accessibility should be included in DEI initiatives and how to approach intersectionality. And if you're curious about the connection between cake and understanding people's identities, you won't want to miss this episode! Plus, we'll explore co-designing and how it can lead to more innovative ideas. Tune in to this week's podcast for all this and more. References: Inclusive Design for a Digital World - Designing with Accessibility in Mind By Regine Gilbert Accessibility For Everyone Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life By Laura Kalbag Inclusive Design Patterns - Coding Accessibility Into Web Design By Heydon Pickering Mismatch How Inclusion Shapes Design By Kat Holmes Disability Visibility - First-Person Stories From The Twenty-First Century Edited By Alice Wong Demystifying Disability - What To Know, What To Say, And How To Be An Ally By Emily Ladau A11YTO - Conference and Camp Inclusive Design 24 Playlist (Free) Fable’s Articles and Resources on Accessibility Find Your Why : A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team By Simon Sinek and David Mead and Peter Docker OCAD’s Inclusive Design program Twitter @InclusionRatedE Angie Linkedin Read Transcript 

This week's episode of Disability Bandwidth features a conversation between Nikki Nolan, Sam Proulx, and Billy Price, the Co-Founder of Billy Footwear. Billy Footwear is a shoe brand that uses universal design principles to create footwear that is accessible to people with and without disabilities. Billy himself faced mobility challenges when he became paralyzed from the chest down, which made daily tasks like putting on clothes more difficult. In this episode, the hosts explore Billy's personal story and the innovative features of his shoes that aim to solve problems for everyone, regardless of their abilities. References: Billy Footwear  Electric Toothbrush  Runway of Dreams Billy Footwear foot swap (Facebook group) Twitter Facebook Instagram  Transcript 

In the fourth episode of season two of Disability Bandwidth, we had an insightful conversation with Grace Ogden-Parker, an enthusiastic advocate for both the Autistic and Disability communities who proudly identifies as a member of both groups. During our discussion, we explored her ongoing efforts to destigmatize autism and disability and her strategies for combating ableism in its various forms. Additionally, we delved into the incredible content creators who have inspired her and helped her develop a greater understanding of herself. You won't want to miss this engaging conversation that covers a wide range of topics. References: Grace Ogden-Parker Linkedin Grace Ogden-Parker Redbubble Grace Ogden-Parker Youtube Autistic Women's Alliance Identity-First Language Autism Is an Identity, Not a Disease: Inside the Neurodiversity Movement Vaccines do not cause autism. (CDC) Jeremy Andrew Davis Tiktok Social Model of Disability  Dr. Damian Milton's podcast - Apple Podcast Neurodivergent Rebel - Website Ella Tab - @PurpleElla -Youtube Agony Autie - Youtube Amythest Schaber- @neurowonderful- Youtube Benjamin Lee Whorf Online Autism Test (Please note this is not a formal diagnosis) Communication First - Organization Transcript 

On this week's episode of Disability Bandwidth, we have a lively and engaging conversation with Ka Li, an Accessibility Analyst at National Network for Equitable Library Service. Ka's interests span across multiple domains, ranging from conducting accessibility tests to contributing to the accessible publishing industry and even practicing Kava Maga and creating tactile graphics. We delve into his passions and what motivates him to get up each day. Make sure not to miss this week's podcast for a fun and captivating discussion. References: Establishing a New Braille File Standard with the eBRF What is a BRF file? What is Unicode? NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service) ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange Learning Ally Formerly Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic Tactile Graphics Lego for the Blind Read Transcript

In the sixth episode of Disability Bandwidth's second season, we spoke with Olivia Muenz, a disabled writer from New York, about her personal journey toward receiving a diagnosis and how her disability has influenced her writing. Olivia shared with us her experiences of how her disability has shaped her perspectives and motivated her to pursue writing as a means of expressing herself. We delved into Olivia's use of an academic lens to explore disability in a unique and artistic way. Our conversation with Olivia was inspiring and enlightening, and we hope that our listeners find her perspectives on disability to be as engaging and thought-provoking as we did. References: Olivia Muenz Website Where Was I Again, by Olivia Muenz, published by Essay Press - Chapbook I Feel Fine, by Olivia Muenz, published by Switchback Books Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) COVID-19 and chronic fatigue syndrome: An endocrine perspective Paying disabled workers less is legal – except in these 3 states. Read Transcript 

In the seventh episode of season two of Disability Bandwidth, we invite you to join us as we engage in a conversation with Julie Harris, a disability advocate, and a reasonable accommodations educator. We explore the fundamental human right of having your needs met and how it is significantly important for everyone. Moreover, we learn about Julie's journey of relearning everything and becoming an expert in accommodations. Julie helps individuals and companies understand how to acquire and provide effective accommodations to people with disabilities. References: Connect with Julie