At Siteimprove, we try our best to practice what we preach: inclusivity. Whether it be on the web or in face-to-face situations, learning how to be more inclusive should never stop. Being curious about someone who is different is not a bad thing. Several employees wanted to understand how to foster a more inclusive workplace, so in 2019 we asked four blind colleagues in our Minneapolis office to teach us about a day in the life of someone who is blind or has low vision. Watch highlights from their panel discussion in the following videos.

Alyssa, how do I know if a blind person needs help?

Alyssa answers this question in the video below.

Alyssa Gourley, Accessibility Tester – Alyssa had been a user of assistive technology for several years and was part of Siteimprove’s accessibility testing team. She had participated in many different accessibility testing campaigns and was a member of the National Federation of the Blind. Outside of her professional career, Alyssa enjoyed playing computer games (they had to be accessible of course) and diving into a good sci-fi or mystery book.

Corbb, how can we be more inclusive in our organization?

Corbb answers this question in the video below.

Corbb O’Connor, Accessibility Testing Operations Manager - Corbb had been a user of assistive technology for 13 years and had led more than 500 presentations on accessibility across the U.S. and Canada. He was also an active advocate for people living with disabilities. Corbb led Siteimprove’s team of accessibility testers and ensured they had the tools, training, and resources they needed to provide comprehensive audits to customers.

Martha, how do you get ready for work?

Martha answers this question in the video below.

Martha Harris, Accessibility Tester – Martha has an undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology from the Bloomsburg University, but her learning didn’t stop there as she continued her education by getting an adult literacy certificate and took online courses to learn more about web and application accessibility. Before joining Siteimprove as part of the accessibility testing team, she was teaching braille and assistive technology to blind children and adults. Martha stayed busy outside of work by trying new foods, learning new software or hardware, spending quality time with her fiancé, and playing with her dog and cat.

Keith, what kinds of questions do you hear regularly?

Keith answers this question in the video below.

Keith, what activities do you do that we might be surprised by?

Keith answers this question in the video below.

Keith Bundy, Accessibility Community Consultant - With more than 20 years of experience in accessibility, and as a user and trainer of various assistive technologies himself, Keith was an integral partner for Siteimprove customers in creating successful and sustainable accessibility processes. Side note, he also called baseball games for an amateur baseball team!

From listening to some of our colleagues, we were able to better understand that accessibility isn’t solely about access. It’s about looking at the world from a different perspective.

For more firsthand perspective, read a blind manager’s account of how poor accessibility gets in the way of the job and what native user testing taught us at CSUN.