People like Stephen Hawkings, Stevie Wonder and Marlee Matlin demonstrate that a full experience of the world does not depend on any one sensory capacity. Our web experiences should not be so dependent either. However, many of today’s brightest minds still consider “accessibility” an issue specific only to people with disabilities. Now is the time to get out of this mode of thinking. In this session, we will discuss why universal design is changing the way people view accessibility. We invite you to hear from our panel of people with disabilities about how they experience music, dance and media through rich internet experiences and events made accessible through the use of assistive technologies. How does someone who is deaf experience a jazz concert? How can someone who is blind experience a movie, play or YouTube video? Join us for this session, and you will be able to experience these first hand! In addition, you will learn new techniques that will allow you and your organization to reach a broader audience by making your own experiences universally enjoyable regardless of devices, sensory capacity, age-related impairments or situational limitations. Accessibility is not a solo-act! This session calls for rethinking the very concept of accessibility. Universal design is a song we can all sing together- will you join us?

Presenters