A11yTalks - Exclusion by Design: How Disability Gets Erased from Concept to Product (And How to Fix It)

Exclusion by Design: How Disability Gets Erased from Concept to Product (And How to Fix It)
With Michele Williams, PHD

Disability exclusion is built into tech systems from the start, not a flaw appearing at the end. It shows up in "futuristic" city designs that ignore wheelchair users and hiring practices that shut out disabled talent, since accessibility is often a final checkbox rather than a guiding principle. This persists because disabled people rarely hold power to challenge it. The talk calls for a "disability mindset" centering disabled perspectives in products, teams, and research, offering strategies to elevate disabled voices in key decisions, drawing on "Accessible UX Research."