Speakers

Currently Manager, Digital Accessibility at CNIB Access Labs, Bob began his career designing and building real-time software for industrial automation. These days the automation he builds is for accessibility testing at CNIB where, in addition to his day job of providing consulting services, he also produces some of the tools and reporting platforms used. Prior to working for CNIB, Bob spent the 2000's working first on his masters, and later a PhD candidate focused on modelling adaptive user interfaces that meet user needs and preferences. He has peer-reviewed papers available through the ACM Digital Library, including "The CISNA model of accessible adaptive hypermedia".

I am an Accessibility Specialist working at Canada Post for almost 4 years now. I graduated from MDes. Inclusive Design program at OCAD University in 2018 and hold a bachelors in Architecture.

I am a Digital Accessibility Specialist and a passionate advocate for eLearning Accessibility. I have been in this field for over 7 years and I am a document accessibility pro. I have a post-grad certificate in Accessible Media Production from Mohawk College and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. I am a member of the a11yTO Meetup and I believe in "Progress over Perfection".

My own experiences with Usher Syndrome -a form of deafblindness- and expertise in Educational Technology, led me to spend four years operating an accessibility consulting firm prior to joining Lotus (an assistive tech startup led by an ex-Apple Sr Manager with a passion for inclusive design) as Head of Accessibility and Operations. I’m a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC), through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), and lead the Lotus team in our efforts to stay true to our mission to build tech that is usable by everybody, by optimizing for disability first.

David Cox is a web accessibility expert and design system accelerator. He has worked as a core member of the GOV.UK Design System team in the UK and the Ontario Design System team in Canada. His mission is to make the web more accessible for disabled people (and everyone).

On weekdays, David drinks lots of tea while consulting on design systems and web accessibility. On weekends, he hangs out with his partner, plays board games, eats tasty food, and works on open source passion projects.

Learn more about David on https://dav-idc.com

Software developer, designer, technical content writer, and accessibility specialist with over 15,000 volunteer hours. Former assistive technology specialist for K-12 and post-secondary students with ADHD, anxiety, depression, dyslexia, dysgraphia, giftedness, and other learning support needs.

My current volunteering includes: Web Accessibility Study Group mentor, A11yTO events volunteer, and TorontoJS events and Code Buddy Club co-founder and co-organizer. TorontoJS Code Buddy Club is like a book club, but with free tutorials and courses instead of books.

As I'm constantly learning, I'm studying for three certifications in 2024. The first two are A11y certs: Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA), and Section 508 Trusted Tester. The third is Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate. I'm fascinated with the potential for AI to help disabled, neurodiverse, and Deaf/deaf people.

I'm also an avid knitter, pet parent to three rescue cats, and have started drawing again. Read my articles and learn more about A11y and AI at: https://GingerKiwi.dev

I'm Selam and I'm currently a software engineer at Apella. I've always been fascinated by technology and its potential to make our lives better and more equitable. As an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), I'm committed to making tech a come inclusive place for everyone.

I'm passionate about computer ethics and ensuring that technology is developed and used in ethical and responsible ways. I believe that technology can be a powerful force for good, but only if we approach it with a thoughtful and ethical mindset.

When I'm not working, you can usually find me reading, out for a run, or at a museum. I also love to connect with other tech professionals who share my passion for DEI, accessibility, and computer ethics.

Sheri Byrne-Haber is a prominent global subject matter expert in the field of disability inclusion, best known for launching digital accessibility programs at multiple Fortune 200 companies. She was an early adopter of Machine Learning and GenerativeAI accessibility applications. Currently, Ms. Byrne-Haber is developing a socially responsible and accessible crypto exchange / token. With degrees in computer science, law, and business, Sheri has a complete 360-degree view of all issues impacting people with disabilities and their technology use.

Sheri was named a 2022 LinkedIn Top Voice for Social Impact for 2022. She was named “2020 Author of the Year” by Medium’s largest publication, the UX Collective. Her blog, which just passed the million view mark:

1. Summarizes legal cases
2. Discusses issues facing people implementing accessibility programs
3. Recounts the lived experiences of people with disabilities.
4. Reviews bad accessibility decisions and suggests alternative approaches.
5. Explores extensions that organizations should be making in non-accessibility departments to make their organization more disability inclusion mature

Sheri is a frequent panelist and speaker at accessibility, UI/UX, and HR conferences and is an active member of several accessibility committees and non-profits, helping drive and communicate the evolution of accessibility standards. Her book, entitled “Giving a Damn about Accessibility,” is available for free at accessibility.uxdesign.cc

Drew is an accessibility designer that is using his lived experience, diverse education and work experience, and way too many analogies to try to make things or accessible, often from the outside.