Digital Accessibility for the City of New York

New York City's first Digital Inclusion & Accessibility conference for City employees. Photo Credit: Molly Stromoski

New York City's first Digital Inclusion & Accessibility conference for City employees. Photo Credit: Molly Stromoski

 

Team: NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, Mayor’s Office of Tech & Innovation, and Mayor’s Office of Creative Communications
Role: Co-founder, art director, designer, writer, event organizer, and fundraiser
Year: 2017-present

Digital accessibility is a must-have, not a nice-to-have.

To create a culture of accessibility within NYC agencies, I worked with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to create the NYC Digital Blueprint — a guide for building trustworthy and accessible digital products, train City employees on digital accessibility, and co-found the City's first Digital Inclusion and Accessibility Conference.

2018 conference program in small print, Braille, and large print.

2018 conference program in small print, Braille, and large print.

This annual conference is aimed at empowering City workers to create digital experiences that are accessible and reflective of New Yorkers' experiences, cultures, communities, and needs. Our programming focuses on digital accessibility for people with disabilities, people with limited-tech and English proficiency, and respectful representation related to disability, economic standing, gender identity, and race.

 

Showing by Doing or Accessible Event Planning

To showcase best practices in accessible event planning, we chose a space that's wheelchair accessible, sent out a pre-event survey to accommodate needs, and provided CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) and ASL (American Sign Language) services.

We created accessible print and digital versions of all materials, as well as providing accessible presentation and design guidelines to all presenters. 

Using the distributed organizing model, the conference was made possible by a group of 18 volunteers from 11 City agencies.

 
Presenters and attendees are smiling as they enter the 2nd Digital Inclusion Conference in 2019. Some are using mobility devices.

Presenters and attendees are smiling as they enter the 2nd Digital Inclusion Conference in 2019. Some are using mobility devices.

Presenter Kenneth Lo speaking in front of the audience with his slides on right-to-left languages projected behind him. The CART service is projected in large text in the middle of the room.

Presenter Kenneth Lo speaking in front of the audience with his slides on right-to-left languages projected behind him. The CART service is projected in large text in the middle of the room.

The conference also has separate spaces like a quiet room for attendees to rest and a meeting space where they can network.

The conference also has separate spaces like a quiet room for attendees to rest and a meeting space where they can network.

The audience watches and listens to a performance by Heidi Latsky Dance. Some performers are dancing on an accessible stage while others with wheelchairs are on the ground floor.

The audience watches and listens to a performance by Heidi Latsky Dance. Some performers are dancing on an accessible stage while others with wheelchairs are on the ground floor.

Presenter Chancey Fleet is speaking at the podium while using a Braille keyboard. Her cane is leaned against the podium. An ASL interpreter is next to her.

Presenter Chancey Fleet is speaking at the podium while using a Braille keyboard. Her cane is leaned against the podium. An ASL interpreter is next to her.

Here’s a photo of me and Walei Sabry, the conference’s co-founder and lead, speaking in front of the audience to kick off the conference.

Here’s a photo of me and Walei Sabry, the conference’s co-founder and lead, speaking in front of the audience to kick off the conference.