Perfect Mismatch

Access to television is in many ways still evolving, and as one of the leading TV, phone and internet providers in the United States, Spectrum is thinking beyond closed captions and large-button remotes to innovate across different channels. Their large accessibility team, headed by designers and incorporating people with disabilities to ensure that all products are optimized for all customers, is one of a kind in the industry. And with the recent release of apps such as Spectrum Access and Spectrum News, they've taken huge steps forward in inclusion for people with many different abilities and proficiencies. We sat down with Senior Outreach Manager for Accessibility, Petr Kucheryavy, to learn more about how got into accessibility and what Spectrum is doing different.

Shell Little actually studied accessibility in college – making her a rare example of someone who didn't "stumble" into accessibility but hit the job market knowing exactly what she wanted to do. Still, she didn't know that she, herself, was part of the demographic that benefitted from inclusive design. Now an inclusive design lead on Wells Fargo's Accessible User Experience team and accomplished speaker in her own right, Shell shares her journey, talks about what a "Cognitive disability" can really mean, and even explains the surprising connection between accessibility and cosmetology.

Martez Mott is a senior researcher at the Ability Group at Microsoft Research, where he works everyday to challenge assumptions and rethink paradigms for how people interact with technology. In one of our favorite interviews yet (on Global Accessibility Awareness Day no less), we chatted with Martez about AR, VR, touchscreens and everything in between.

The author of the beautiful accessibility book Mismatch, Kat Holmes, comes on to share her own personal journey and how inclusive design can take some of its greatest learnings through examining acts of exclusion.

Accessibility expert Adrian Roselli comes on the show to share his story, and talk about the questionable implications of the now-popular "accessibility overlay."

Colleges and universities are proving grounds for digital and physical accessibility. With disabled students living on their own in many cases for the first time, these institutions need to be fully compliant, ADA literate, and not just accessible, but highly accommodating –– and if they're not, students are left out. With the cost of education on the rise and remote learning now a norm,, many are taking a hard look at college and asking if it's even the right path for them. Therefore, we need our institutions of higher education to be more accessible and inclusive than ever. In this episode, Will and Cordelia sit down with accessibility leaders from the University of California, Harvard and the University of Cincinnati to hear about where they're at in their accessibility journey and what they're doing to make sure everyone can get a good college education.

Here at 13 Letters, we talk a lot about inclusive design and accessibility – but these terms mean nothing if we don't keep in mind the stories of the listeners who are most affected by bad design and most assisted by good design. That's why we're starting a new feature called "Meet the Letterheads," where we introduce you to a 13 Letters listener whose life is highly impacted by accessibility and everything surrounding it. Paul Parravano is the co-director of Government and Community Relations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has been blind since birth. Listen in as he shares stories about everything from growing up in mainstream schools to meeting Andrea Bocelli. And tune in next week for a full new season of 13 Letters!

This week on 13 Letters – we take you to the land down under. Sarah Pulis and Andrew Arch are big names in a vibrant and thriving accessibility scene in Australia. Hailing from Sydney and Melbourne, respectively, the two live and breath accessibility at Intopia, a digital accessibility consultancy that Sarah co-founded. You may have seen Andrew and Sarah giving presentations at CSUN, at A11yBytes meetups frequented by Aussie accessibility enthusiasts, or on the web; they're known informally as the "dynamic duo" of all things WCAG. Ultimately, despite all the hats they wear, Sarah and Andrew consider themselves accessibility practitioners. This episode is a great opportunity to get down and dirty with a11y, also known as digital accessibility, and talk about how our favorite companies  (ahem.. Zencastr) can seize the opportunity to make their web presences accessible to everyone.

Accessibility is for everyone – not just people with disabilities. That's why Jennison Asuncion and Joe Devon put their heads together almost ten years ago to conceive of an accessibility awareness day that has quickly turned into a global phenomenon. Cordelia and Will sat down with the co-founders of #GAAD this week, on the occasion of the 9th annual day, to talk about how the event got started, their proudest moments as co-founders, what they love (and what they don't love) about #GAAD, and so much more. For full coverage of Be My Eyes' GAAD 2020 initiatives, visit http://bemyeyes.com/gaad.

Going with your gut is easier said than done — but for Sumaira "Sam" Latif, Company Accessibility Leader at P&G, trusting her instincts has made some of the most impactful changes to the world of accessibility. For far too long, blind and low-vision people had to rely on the shape of a product to judge what was in the package. Sam challenged all of this with the simple yet empowering idea to put tactile identification on Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner bottles – an initiative which is now expanding beyond the brand and beyond P&G. We had the amazing privilege to hear Sam's take on getting P&G hooked on accessibility, on supporting both live events and TV commercials with accessible audio description, on hustling to get senior leadership buy-in to fast-track accessibility at work, and much more.