Catarina Rivera, Christina Mallon, and Kelsey Ruger to highlight the critical role of digital accessibility for people with disabilities.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, February 23, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Knowbility, an award-winning nonprofit in digital accessibility and disability rights, is excited to announce keynote speakers for John Slatin AccessU, the annual hands-on training conference. Catarina Rivera, founder of Blindish Latina and a disability inclusion consultant; Kelsey Ruger, Vice President of Product at Hello Alice; and Christina Mallon, Director of Inclusive Design at Microsoft will keynote the three-day hybrid conference. In-person sessions will take place on the campus of St. Edwards University in Austin from May 10-12, 2022. Day-long pre-conference workshops are scheduled for May 9, 2022.

AccessU is named in honor of the late Dr. John Slatin, professor of English at UT Austin and a world-renowned authority in accessibility. Since 2004, Knowbility has gathered tech professionals, businesspeople, educators, government employees, and civic leaders to learn from the world’s leading experts in web accessibility. When websites and applications are accessible, everyone — including people with disabilities — can use them.

“Keynotes can set the intention and mood for an event,” Jessica “Jay” McKay, Director of Community Programs, said. “They can bring a new perspective and help inspire someone in their educational journey. We are beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to share these voices and stories with our community.”

Catarina Rivera is a disability inclusion consultant with 14 years of experience in the public sector, nonprofits, and education. She brings her experience of being hard of hearing and having low vision to clear assumptions of what people with disabilities can accomplish. Her work adds the much-needed perspective of disability to the ongoing conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“I'm honored to be part of the AccessU conference as keynote speaker.” Rivera said. “As a disabled Latine woman, representation matters. I look forward to sharing my passionate disability inclusion message with the Knowbility community!”

Christina Mallon is Director of Inclusive Design at Microsoft and a partner and board member of Open Style Lab. She has spoken about the role of inclusive design at diverse settings from the SXSW Conference and Festivals to the United Nations. In 2019, her team at Open Style Lab won Smithsonian’s Emerging Designer award.

Kelsey Ruger is Vice president of Hello Alice, a company that connects growing businesses with networks, funding, and services. He is a leader in human performance and organizational behavior who has used his expertise to solve problems via award-winning products and solutions. He has taught user experience and design thinking at the University of Houston. In 2012,he was awarded Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” award. We’re excited to hear Kelsey’s talk on ways to raise accessibility awareness in the small business and startup sectors.

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About Knowbility: Founded in 1999, Knowbility, Inc. is an international leader in digital accessibility. Knowbility advocates for digital inclusion for people with disabilities including those who are blind/low vision, deaf, mobility impaired, or have other disabilities. Knowbility’s team of experts is internationally recognized for its supporting role in creating the worldwide standard for web accessibility. Co-Founder and Executive Director Sharron Rush serves as Co-Chair of the World Wide Web Consortium’s WAI Accessibility Education and Outreach Working Group. Since the first AIR competition in 1998, Knowbility has provided accessible web training to hundreds of corporations, government agencies, and community-based organizations throughout the United States. Knowbility’s accessibility testing and consulting team has guided the creation of more than 1,000 accessible websites, making information accessible to the 55 million Americans with disabilities and more than 1 billion world wide.

About St. Edwards University
St. Edward’s University was founded in 1885 and is a nationally ranked, Holy Cross university located in Austin, Texas. They educate the hearts and minds of undergraduate and graduate students, so they are prepared to make a difference.

Mariella Paulino
Knowbility
+1 512-527-3138
email us here

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