Building Accessible Digital Experiences
Accessibility isn’t just a compliance requirement—it’s a design philosophy that makes better products for everyone.
I approach accessibility as a product opportunity. When we design for varied needs, we often solve problems for all users. Closed captions help in noisy bars, not just the deaf community. High contrast helps when looking at a phone in bright sunlight.
How I Work
I don’t just advocate for accessibility; I build the systems that make it happen. At Vimeo I owned the end-to-end accessibility program for a platform serving 200M+ users — WCAG 2.2 AA audits across key product surfaces, remediation prioritization with engineering and design, and the testing infrastructure that let the program scale.
1. Strategic Integration
It has to be part of the roadmap, not a cleanup task. I designed a pre-development accessibility gate — formal sign-off required before work entered development — shifting the program from reactive remediation to proactive prevention. I aligned the program with Legal and Policy on regulatory requirements including CVAA, advising executive leadership on compliance posture and risk.
2. Technical Implementation
I can speak the language of WCAG and technical implementation. I partner with engineering to ensure:
- Semantic HTML: Using the right tool for the job.
- Keyboard Navigation: Ensuring every interaction works without a mouse.
- Assistive Technology Testing: Structured testing with real users of assistive technology through a Fable Technologies partnership, plus VoiceOver and NVDA.
3. Culture Building
Tools don’t fix accessibility, people do. I managed and mentored QA specialists focused on accessibility, ran training, and fostered an environment where engineers and designers feel empowered to ask questions about inclusive design.
Why It Matters
Business Impact Accessible products reach more people. They also reduce legal risk and often improve SEO and performance.
Better UX Designing for constraints forces clarity. Simplification for cognitive accessibility often results in cleaner, more intuitive interfaces for everyone.
“Accessibility is not a feature—it’s a foundation.”