Designing for an inclusive future means making sure that future is accessible, where everyone can hear and be heard. Deafness and hearing loss are invisible disabilities that are often under-recognized. However, by 2050, it is estimated that 1 in 10 people globally will have disabling hearing loss and in those older than 65, 1 in 4 people are affected. How can our technology be designed to include and empower everyone?
During the pandemic, we experienced a rapid moment of empathy and openness around accessibility. Being seen and heard in virtual settings was difficult, especially for those who already struggled with invisible disabilities. However, we learned from the ingenuity of communities and individuals to hack technology and remote workplaces to facilitate accessibility. As we look towards the future, how might we learn from and partner with these communities to shape and drive the future of inclusion?
Come hear from those with lived expertise and community advocates on how we can collectively design accessible technologies, experiences, workplaces, physical and digital spaces. This panel will explore innovation beyond the basics of AX design to the advocacy, participatory research, storytelling, partnership, and empathy required to design with humility and accessibility every day.
This panel will include:
This event is open to anyone, including design and technology leaders and practitioners passionate about an inclusive world. This panel will appeal to designers, product managers, software engineers, social innovators, advocates, and design educators/students.