Beyond Barriers - An Accessibility Podcast

In this episode of Beyond Barriers , Brian is joined by Michaël Vanderheyden , a seasoned accessibility specialist and internal champion, to explore what it takes to scale accessibility across global teams. Michaël shares his two-decade journey from building WCAG 1 compliant web apps in 2004 to leading accessibility initiatives inside one of Germany’s largest tech organizations. Together, they div...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers , Brian sits down with front-end developer Michał Madejsk to explore how developers can shift their perspective on accessibility. Michał shares how a simple exercise of “closing his eyes” while navigating the web changed his approach, and why designing with accessibility in mind from the start is far easier than retrofitting later. They discuss lessons from gover...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers , Brian is joined by Alyssa Holland , a seasoned front-end developer and accessibility advocate, to dive into the realities of building accessible digital products. Alyssa shares her journey from discovering accessibility at a higher-ed company to becoming a subject-matter expert and course creator. Together, they discuss the challenges of introducing accessibili...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers , Brian is joined by Mike Bowen, a front-end developer and accessibility consultant, to explore the evolving world of digital accessibility. Together, they uncover how leaders and advocates are breaking down barriers and building more inclusive online experiences. Through personal stories and practical strategies, the conversation highlights the power of empathy...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Ricky Onsman, Principal Technical Writer, TPGi, speaks about his experience with accessibility over the years. Ricky shares his insights on implementing accessibility standards, what disabilities actually are, accessibility overlays, the disruptions he expects to happen and how accessibility has changed over time.  Watch Beyond Barriers on YouTube: https://www.y...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Andy Beatman, Product Marketing Director, Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft, speaks about the importance of accessibility in technology, particularly through the lens of AI. Andy shares his journey into the accessibility space, highlighting personal experiences that fueled his passion. The conversation explores how AI can enhance accessibility, the need for empath...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Michael Bolton, a digital quality assurance and accessibility advocate, about his journey and the challenges faced in creating effective accessibility strategies. He discusses the importance of pushing boundaries in quality assurance, building a receptive team culture, and navigating the complexities of higher education institutions. Michael emphasizes the need...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Ian O’Bara, a senior accessibility engineer, discusses the importance of empathy in understanding user needs, the challenges faced in mastering accessibility standards, and the evolving landscape of digital accessibility.  Ian emphasizes the need for education and collaboration between design and accessibility teams to create universally accessible experiences....

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Sumair Qaisar talks us through building robust accessibility tests, specifically explaining how currently websites with poor design can still pass the basic accessibility check but not be usable. He explains how accessibility overlays work, how they project an illusion of accessibility without any real fixes. He goes on to explain the need to build native access...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Deidre Guy takes us through the world of invisible disabilities and how to make a positive difference. She talks about how people lack knowledge and understanding of disability, and how many organizations are still implementing a band-aid solution to comply with the law. We also discuss her experience in supporting disability and veteran owned businesses, as wel...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Jonathon Taylor shares his experience as an accessibility trainer. We touch upon the Shift Left Approach, the ambiguity that exists in WCAG conformance, solving for accessibility at the authorship level and at the user level, the possibility of universal solutions for all accessibility needs, and AI producing accessible code from the get-go. Jonathon also takes...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Nitika talks about accessibility incorporation in content. Be it interacting with end-users, writing Alt-Text, balancing the brand guidelines, or working with the design and development teams to ensure accessible experiences. She talks in specific about how she often uses resultant numbers like improved retention rate and bounce rate to convince people on the im...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Alex talks about how she creates user-centric designs every day. She touches upon designing for all user groups, finding the right user groups for testing, prioritizing accessibility when in competing priorities, and the eventual benefits of an accessible product. The conversation also explores the evolving role of accessibility in the public and private sectors...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Emily talks about how smartphones have accelerated the adoption of accessibility to support user preferences, program management at the enterprise level, how accessibility should be backward integrated and maintainable, how AI needs to be trained on disabilities, the lack of data for AI, and whether AI will take over the jobs of accessibility experts. Throughout...

In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Shannon talks about having an accessibility strategy that follows the product lifecycle, the need for a cross-functional team that understands accessibility, the need for executive support to prioritize accessibility, and how not all accessibility can be achieved in the first release. She also expresses that she'll never compromise on testing her product without...

Stephanie is the Executive Director of National Disability Center for Student Success. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Stephanie dives into the challenges of creating truly inclusive environments. She discusses gaps in accessibility training, cultural barriers, the need for deeper understanding of disability and ableism. Stephanie highlights issues like inaccessible assessments, limited suppor...

Manny is the Senior UX Designer at IBM iX. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Manny talks about integrating accessibility into the design process, the evolution of accessibility in web development, the challenges of implementing accessibility in projects, He also emphasizes the importance of framing accessibility issues in a way that resonates with business stakeholders. Along with discussing the...

Amber is a Digital Resources Specialist with Instructional Resources Service at UW-Stout. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Amber talks about the shift to digital-only textbooks, the challenges of implementing and scaling accessibility programs, and the need for a more proactive approach to accommodations. She talks about the importance of day one accessibility, and how she has applied accessibi...

Giorgio is the Vice President and Head of Engineering at Opaque Systems. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Giorgio talks about the need for investment in accessibility and the lack of representation of people with disabilities in organizations. He also talks about a few success stories from his career, while sharing his thoughts on the biggest disruptions in accessibility.

Daniela is a senior digital experience strategist at AKQA. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Daniela talks about the importance of empathy and inclusivity, the challenges of scaling accessibility programs, and the need for accessibility understanding and education. She also highlights the impact of social disruption, the role of AI in making accessibility more accessible, and the importance of m...

Hector is a software development engineer. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Hector talks about the distinction between assistive technology and accessibility, the importance of creating accessible content, the need for organizations to develop coherent accessibility strategies, the challenges of mainstreaming accessibility, and potential disruptions from AI - the ability to ask questions about...

Sara is a software development engineer. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Sara talks about her journey into accessibility by learning the Brazilian sign language. Sarah emphasizes the importance of inclusive design, while talking about the challenges she faces in manual testing and the desire for more automation in accessibility testing. Sarah encourages empathy and thinking about the experienc...

Alexa is a senior visual and UX/UI designer. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Alexa talks about her journey into accessibility, her accessibility challenges and successes over the years, the importance of accessibility and the need for universal standards, the challenges of sharing knowledge and driving change within organizations and with customers, the impact of accessibility on the user expe...

Marco is an accessibility consultant and inspirational speaker. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Marco talks about the importance of empathy in creating an inclusive environment, the need for attitudinal change, how universal design benefits everyone, how organizations should leverage the perspectives of people with lived experience, and AI in accessibility.

Kavitha Seetharaman is a UX writer and content accessibility specialist at Virtusa. In this episode of Beyond Barriers, Kavitha talks about the role of UX writing in creating an accessible user experience, the principles of good UX writing, the challenges of scaling accessibility across organizations, the importance of information architecture in creating an accessible flow, and the limitations of...