Accessibility Accelerator: The Podcast

Christine is a disability and age-inclusive researcher, designer, and innovator.  She founded and leads Open Inclusion, based in the UK and operating globally. Open provides market-leading disability and age-inclusive research to inform better design and innovation that can deliver greater social and business value. They produce high-quality, practical, diverse, and authentically human insights. Open has worked with governments, Fortune 500 organizations, FTSE 100 organizations, academia, NGOs, accelerators and entrepreneurial start-ups. Open helps their clients across a range of channels (digital, build environment, physical products, customer services and branding and communications) leverage inclusive design, emerging technologies and disability and age-informed approaches to identify, design and deliver more valuable and sustainable human-aligned solutions.

Christine is a Certified Member of the Market Research Society (MRS), a Certified Professional in Accessibility (CPACC) with the IAAP and currently chairs MRS Unlimited, the disability-inclusive research sector MRS group. She is an Ambassador for Co-Innovate at Brunel University and a past leader and ongoing active member of the Inclusive Design for XR group at XRAccess and member of the initial strategy team. She is also a proud member of the Global Accessibility and Inclusion Leaders group (GAILs) where she had the privilege to first meet Jamie!

Bernard Chiira is a startup and innovation ecosystem development expert and professional, working at the intersection of disability inclusion, assistive technology and social entrepreneurship. He is a thought leader and masterclass facilitator across diverse topics within his profession such as disability and business, assistive technology innovation, inclusive impact investing, inclusive innovation ecosystems, among others. 

Over the last 9 years, Bernard has led some of the most successful incubators and accelerators in Africa. From 2014 to 2019, he led Strathmore University’s business incubator-@iBizAfrica to award- winning status while impacting 300+ Startups. He co-founded and was the first chairman for the Association of Startup and SME Enablers of Kenya (ASSEK) and served on the board of Afrilabs-Africa’s largest network of Innovation Hubs. After pushing boundaries in the mainstream tech and startup ecosystem, helping hundreds of startups navigate from idea to market, Bernard found a calling in disability innovation. In 2019 together with the Global Disability Innovation Hub, he co-founded Innovate Now.- Africa’s first assistive technology accelerator. 

Bernard serves on boards and committees of various organizations and government agencies, such as Next Step Foundation, Pangea Trust, Kenya Innovation Agency (Startup Committee) and the Kenya Disability Inter-agency and Inclusive Data Charter Committee. He has led pre-investment and investment committees for various Startup funds including: Idea Foundation (Norway), Standard Chartered Women in Tech Accelerator and GSMA Assistive Tech Fund. He was named amongst the top 100 most influential young Kenyans in 2019 and a 50 Most Fabulous Innovative Leaders awardee by the World Innovation Congress in 2020. In 2019, he also won the best youth employment strategy with iBizAfrica-Strathmore University, at the Diversity and Inclusion Awards in Kenya. In 2023 he received the Compassionate Leaders Award from Compassionate Leaders Circle, and was featured in Forbes.com as a pioneer in disability tech innovation in Africa. Bernard has a background in business and information technology from Strathmore University, and new venture development and venture capital from Stanford Centre Professional Development, Stanford University. Bernard enjoys playing chess and volunteering to causes he cares about. 

Breandan Ward is an educator, consultant and leadership coach who was born and raised on a dairy farm in County Monaghan, Ireland.

Having worked in leadership roles in investment banking over 15 years in London and New York during progressive sight loss caused by an inherited eye disease, Breandan now works with companies, non-profits, and accessible tech start-ups globally as an advisor and coach on the topics of disability, diversity and inclusive leadership. He is an Adjunct Professor at New York University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Breandan is an avid runner, and loves music, travel and languages.

Rebecca Alexander is an author, psychotherapist, disability rights advocate, group fitness and yoga/meditation instructor, and extreme athlete who is almost completely blind and deaf. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she currently lives in New York City. 

Born with a rare genetic disorder called Usher syndrome (3A), Rebecca has been simultaneously losing both her vision and hearing since she was an adolescent. She was told that by age 30, she’d likely be completely blind. Then, at 19, one year after a fall from a second-story window left her athletic body completely shattered, she learned she would lose her hearing as well. 

Now, in her 40s, with only a sliver of sight and total deafness without the use of her cochlear implants, Rebecca has a thriving psychotherapy practice with two masters’ degrees from Columbia University, she is the host of the PBS American Masters’ short documentary Protactile: A Language of Touch and the narrator of the PBS American Masters’ biopic documentary Becoming Helen Keller, has presented for TEDx, has been featured on many TV shows and in numerous publications, has been honored with prestigious awards for her advocacy work, and has been the keynote speaker for esteemed organizations including Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Citigroup, UBS, Harvard Medical School, Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, NYU Langone Hospital, and others. 

Rebecca’s critically acclaimed memoir, Not Fade Away: A Memoir of Senses Lost and Found received several awards including an Indie Book Award and was recognized by the MS Society’s Books for a Better Life. Not Fade Away is in development to be made into a motion picture. Currently, Rebecca serves as a board director for the Usher Syndrome Society and as an advisory board member for the Disability Rights’ Advocates and No Limits For Deaf Children. 

Swimming from Alcatraz to shore in the San Francisco Bay, summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, participating in the 600-mile AIDS Lifecycle ride, competing in the Civilian Military Combine (CMC) races are a few of Rebecca’s extraordinary feats.  Rebecca is best known for her drive.  Consistently upbeat, Rebecca gives encouragement and inspiration to others who are facing their own challenges. 
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Official announcement from PBS: "Join author, psychotherapist, and disability rights advocate Rebecca Alexander as she introduces us to the founders and educators of Protactile, a language based solely on touch. Historically, people who are DeafBlind have been limited to using interpreters to communicate. With Protactile, one-on-one and group conversations are not only possible, but they also allow for deeper and more meaningful connection.”

All videos including accessible versions and the transcript can be found in the links below:

PBS: ⁠https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/protactile-language-of-touch⁠

Full documentary: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ney1gZ1iN_k⁠

Full documentary with audio description and ASL interpreting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zCzsmg7kdY⁠

Full documentary with extended audio descriptions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHGWIohpD5w&t=41s 

www.rebeccaalexander.org

Robin Tim Weis is the Director of International Affairs at the Zero Project. He is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing the Zero Project’s strategy, policy, and programs relating to its international activities. He also engages the Zero Project’s international partners in order to build public sector coalitions to achieve a world with zero barriers for all.

With a background in science diplomacy and cybersecurity, Robin Tim Weis looks to empower the aspirations of persons with disabilities and remove the barriers they face. Thus, he manages programs such as the Zero Project Ambassadors’ Circle, which elevates the importance of the disability inclusion in the diplomatic collectives.

Robin Tim Weis holds a M.Sc. in Cybersecurity Law from the University of Maryland, a M.A. in American Studies from the University of Heidelberg, and a B.A. in International Affairs from the Free University of Brussels.

www.zeroproject.org

Jonathan Marriott

Director Accessibility Advisory Services,

Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™Rick Hansen Foundation

Jonathan is the Director of Accessible Advisory Services. Jonathan was previously the Content Lead for the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification™ (RHFAC) program, overseeing the development of the RHFAC program technical content and resources. 

Jonathan has a wealth of international experience in accessibility of the built environment, accessible transportation, and creating accessible policies and guidelines for the workplace. Jonathan is passionate about ensuring people remain part of their community for as long as possible by adopting a holistic approach towards meaningful access.

Jonathan is a Neurodiversity & Mental Health Community Leader for North America at Open Inclusion, and he’s also a founding member of the Global Accessibility and Inclusion Leadership Summit, which is held in Israel annually. 

In 2022, Jonathan served as the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit for the Toronto Transit Commission.

Jonathan holds a Master's Degree in Business Management, is an RHFAC Professional and a Professional Member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals.

https://www.rickhansen.com/

Christopher Patnoe is the Head of Accessibility and Disability Inclusion for EMEA at Google. He leads Google's efforts around the accessibility of product, people, policy and partnerships across EMEA - with a particular focus on Emerging Markets. He has more than 25 years experience in Tech working at companies like Apple, Sony Ericsson and Disney where he's built hardware, software, and services. His current passion is Accessibility at the intersection of immersive technologies (AR/VR) and consumer hardware. He is the chair for the Immersive Captions Community Group with the W3C, is the Accessibility Working Group Chair for the XR Association, and sits on the Board of Trustees for the American Foundation for the Blind and the GAAD Foundation. Christopher has a degree in Music from UC Berkeley.

Jonathan Kaufman is an innovative thought leader, business educator and strategist who recognizes the impact of personal development on organizational growth. As a storyteller, Professor Kaufman shares his own journey dealing with the obstacles of every day life and provides audiences a true understanding that we are all in the act of becoming when it comes to finding greater success.

His unique background has allowed him the ability to work in a variety of capacities from being a former Policy Advisor to the White House on Diversity and Disability to a technical consultant for Hollywood productions in films such as “Adam” and HBO’s “Temple Grandin” to his role as Lead Disability Strategist for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Senior Strategist at The National Business and Disability Council and adviser to Diversity Best Practices providing invaluable intellectual capital for Fortune 500 and 1000 companies.  Kaufman’s versatility has also allowed him to work with numerous government agencies including the US Department of Veteran Affairs, US Department of Labor and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Beyond his consulting, coaching and psychotherapy work, Jonathan Kaufman is a Forbes contributor with a regular column "Mindset Matters" where he writes about the intersection of disability, business, innovation, and culture.

Jonathan’s Website:  https://jkaufmanconsulting.com/about-us

Forbes Column Link:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathankaufman

The Honorable Ambassador Luis Gallegos is a respected mentor, remarkable humanitarian and cherished friend of the Accessibility Accelerator Family.

Ambassador Gallegos's career spans decades of service representing his native Ecuador globally. 

Most recently he served as Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Relations after prior experience as his country’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in both Geneva and New York, and as Ecuador’s ambassador to El Salvador, Australia, and the United States. 

Ambassador Gallegos was president of the committee that drafted the U.N.’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the first human rights treaty of the 21st century.