Accessibility isn’t just a technical requirement; it’s an evolving, human-centered practice. Emily Ogle, a seasoned project manager and accessibility strategist, joined the Beyond Barriers podcast to share her insights on the state of accessibility, her personal journey as someone hard of hearing, and the exciting—and challenging—future of inclusive design.
Introduction to Accessibility
Emily’s introduction to accessibility stems from her lived experience as a hard-of-hearing individual. Having relied on closed captions all her life, she naturally became attuned to the nuances of effective accessibility tools.
“My disability enabled me to get my start in accessibility,” she shared. Her professional journey began over a decade ago, where she leveraged her personal understanding to advocate for closed captioning and accessibility practices within her organization. Over time, her passion deepened as she engaged with users across a spectrum of disabilities. “Helping people with disabilities gain independence and privacy is the most meaningful part of my work,” Emily emphasized.
Her dual perspective, combining personal experience with professional expertise, has allowed her to bridge gaps in understanding. While accessibility standards provide a foundation, Emily is quick to point out that “if you’ve met one person with a disability, you’ve met one person with that disability.”
Technology and Accessibility
The advent of smartphones marked a turning point for accessibility. These devices reshaped how we consume content and enabled features like magnification and voiceover to become mainstream. “The smartphone forced the internet to rethink design,” Emily noted. This shift toward responsive and customizable user experiences significantly benefited individuals with disabilities, from those with low vision to users requiring larger text.
However, Emily highlighted a critical evolution: accessibility today is less about building rigid systems and more about supporting user preferences. “Built-in accessibility features allow users to adapt devices to their needs, making inclusivity a default rather than an afterthought,” she explained.
Balancing Compliance and Usability
A recurring theme in Emily’s work is the tension between compliance with standards like WCAG and the real-world usability of accessible solutions. While guidelines are essential, they can be reductive when applied rigidly. “Compliance is the starting point, not the finish line,” Emily remarked, advocating for design solutions that prioritize practical user experiences.
She also discussed the challenges of maintaining backward compatibility while innovating. “Best practices ensure consistency, but developers can fall into traps by creating custom components that later become unsustainable,” Emily cautioned. Drawing on examples like Apple’s evolving frameworks, she underscored the importance of adhering to established guidelines to avoid unnecessary complexity.
Accessibility Challenges in Enterprise
Organizations often grapple with accessibility as an afterthought, leading to inefficiencies and frustrations. Emily championed the need for executive sponsorship and enterprise-level strategies. “Grassroots efforts are unsustainable; accessibility must be embedded into the organization’s DNA,” she asserted.
Her recommendation? Start by hiring an accessibility strategist to create a roadmap for embedding inclusion into every stage of the product lifecycle. From there, build multidisciplinary teams, train employees, and foster a culture where accessibility is everyone’s responsibility. “Successful evangelism leads to a cascade of interest and mentorship,” Emily said, describing how inclusive design can become a shared value across an organization.
Potential of AI in Accessibility
When discussing future trends, Emily didn’t shy away from the elephant in the room: artificial intelligence. While AI offers immense potential—automating tasks like alt-text generation or usability testing—it also introduces risks of bias and oversimplification.
“AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on,” Emily warned, pointing to examples like TikTok’s exclusion of individuals with dwarfism due to flawed algorithms. She stressed the need for accessibility professionals to guide AI development, ensuring that it reflects the diversity of human experience rather than perpetuating stereotypes.
Despite concerns about AI replacing human expertise, Emily sees it as a complementary tool. “The smartphone didn’t replace desktops; it added another layer of interaction,” she noted. Similarly, AI can augment human efforts in accessibility, provided it is approached ethically and thoughtfully.
Emily’s reassurance to the accessibility community? “We’ve always adapted to new challenges. AI is just the next consideration in our journey.”
Closing Thoughts
Emily left listeners with a powerful reminder: accessibility is not about catering to a niche group but about creating inclusive systems that benefit everyone. “Technology developed for people with disabilities often has a much broader impact,” she concluded, citing the universal adoption of texting as a prime example.
Her optimism and pragmatism encapsulate the ongoing evolution of accessibility. With advocates like Emily leading the charge, the future promises to be more inclusive, innovative, and impactful.
