AXSChat Podcast

John has a PhD in Cognitive Science from the University of Edinburgh.  Since 2003 he has been working in the field of digital accessibility in France.  His particular interests are in the effects of transformations (such as accessibility) on organizations and the notions of viability and communication as stipulated by the early cyberneticists (Ashby, Beer, et al).  He has been with Atos in Paris since 2021 promoting accessibility both within the company as well as for clients, working towards compliance with the French RGAA law.   He is also a keen follower of guitar circles and samba schools.

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Charlotte Dales is the founder and CEO of Inclusively.  After working for five years at Deutsche Bank, Charlotte co-founded CAKE Technologies, a mobile payment app that was acquired by American Express in 2017.  
In 2020, she launched Inclusively, the professional network and employment platform for candidates with disabilities to connect with inclusive employers. She was inspired by her cousin, Cameron Northup, who became the first licensed aesthetician in Florida with Down syndrome. Inclusively has established partnerships with several Fortune 500 companies and placed candidates across the US. Charlotte graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder and lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son.

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Shay Senior is the founder of Palta. Born in Israel, raised in Papua New Guinea and Guatemala.
Shay’s background is in the unmanned vehicle's industry in which he worked in a variety of fields worldwide, since UAV pilot was his job in the military service. After his personal injury – being in a rehabilitation center he realized the gap between people with disabilities and the rest of society and found fashion as one the first causes for that.
Together with his co-founder, they created Palta, first as a research group in the community. Thousands of people worldwide have joined the movement and form part of the Palta community for inclusive experience design. Palta is the leading global inclusive product certifier. With the vision of creating an innovative shopping and dressing experience, they develop hand in hand with global fashion brands and organizations a variety of solutions merging tech & fashion based on the daily needs of individuals with disabilities. The enterprise is community-based, leading and supporting activities of awareness and innovation bridging between people with and without disabilities through education and design.

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Stephanie Cadieux is a change leader, an advocate for diversity, accessibility, disability inclusion and an entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in planning and leadership roles.

Her four-year appointment as the Government of Canada’s Chief Accessibility Officer began on May 2, 2022.

Before her appointment, Ms. Cadieux was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2009 to 2022.  She was the Minister of Children and Family Development from 2012 to 2017, and between 2010 and 2012, held various positions, including Minister of Social Development; Minister of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government; and Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.

Prior to her engagement in provincial politics, Ms. Cadieux was the director of marketing and public relations for the BC Paraplegic Association from 2004 until 2009. She was also the provincial peer coordinator for this organization from 2001 until 2004.

Ms. Cadieux is a member of the disability community, using a wheelchair since the age of 18.  Her lived experience allows her to have a deep understanding of accessibility issues faced by people with disabilities.

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Axel Leblois spent over 20 years at the helm of information technology companies in the United States including as CEO of Computerworld Communications, CEO of IDC – International Data Corporation, Vice-Chairman of IDG – International Data Group, President of Bull HN Worldwide Information Systems – formerly Honeywell Information Systems, CEO of ExecuTrain and President of W2i, the Wireless Internet Institute. Axel Leblois served as a Senior Special Fellow of UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and is a founding trustee of its North American affiliate CIFAL Atlanta. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of USICD, U.S. International Council on Disabilities, and GAATES, Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Board of Mada, Qatar Assistive Technology Center, and on the Scientific Advisory Board of Cloud4all. He is an adjunct professor at OCAD University/Inclusive Design Institute. He served as chairman of the board of the Atlanta International School and is chairman of the board of CASIE, the Center for the Advancement and Study of International Education. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars on ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities organized for policy makers, civil society and the private sector to foster collaboration among multiple stakeholders. In his capacity, Mr. Leblois oversees all the publishing, capacity building and advocacy activities of G3ict. Mr. Leblois holds an MBA from INSEAD and is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris.

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Molly Joyce has been deemed one of the “most versatile, prolific and intriguing composers working under the vast new-music dome” by The Washington Post. Her work is concerned with disability as a creative source. She has an impaired left hand from a previous car accident, and the primary vehicle in her pursuit is her electric vintage toy organ, an instrument she bought on eBay which engages her disability on a compositional and performative level. Molly’s creative projects have been presented and commissioned by Carnegie Hall, TEDxMidAtlantic, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Bang on a Can Marathon, Danspace Project, Americans for the Arts, National Sawdust, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, National Gallery of Art, Classical:NEXT, and in Pitchfork, Red Bull Radio, and WNYC’s New Sounds. She is a graduate of Juilliard, Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Yale, and alumnus of the YoungArts Foundation. She holds an Advanced Certificate in Disability Studies from City University of New York, and is a doctoral student at the University of Virginia in Composition and Computer Technologies. She has served on the composition faculties of New York University, Wagner College, and Berklee Online.

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Kate Nash OBE is creator & CEO of PurpleSpace (www.purplespace.org). Established in 2015 it is the world’s only leadership development membership hub for disability employee resource groups [ERG] / networks.

PurpleSpace delivers leadership know-how to disability employee resource group leaders who want to accelerate the pace of cultural change for employees with disabilities. The global community now stands at 2,000+ leaders across 200 organisations who together employ 1 million employees with disabilities. The community was born by demand following the publication of her first book ‘Secrets & Big News’ in 2014: https://www.purplespace.org/home?myhub&selected=530.

PurpleSpace leads the #PurpleLightUp – a worldwide global movement to celebrate the economic contribution of disabled employees and drive inclusive work practices – as part of the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd December each year. In 2021, the movement reached 253 million connections with content viewed over 186 thousand times.

She is External Advisor to GSK’s Global Disability Council, Strategic Disability Advisor to Post Office Ltd and a member of the UK Government’s Minister’s Disability Confidence Business Leaders’ Group.

In 2007 she was awarded an OBE for services to disabled people.

Her second book ‘Positively Purple’ is published on 3rd October 2022 by Kogan Page.

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David Brun
Founder Gateway Navigation CCC Ltd. Specialist designing indoor and outdoor audio based navigation networks. Drawing on my past experience as a small business owner, twenty-years with TD Canada Trust in the Branch Network and Pacific Regional Office and my authentic experience as a blind person both as an advocate and not-for-profit board member, provided me with the perspective, passion and resources to work with a dynamic team of like-minded colleagues and partners to enhance mobility, employment and social independence for blind and disabled persons. Join us in creating real change for all Canadians.

Jeremy R. Cooperstock is a professor in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, a member of the Centre for Intelligent Machines, and a founding member of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology at McGill University. He directs the Shared Reality Lab, which focuses on computer mediation to facilitate high-fidelity human communication and the synthesis of perceptually engaging, multimodal, immersive environments. He led the development of the Intelligent Classroom, the world’s first Internet streaming demonstrations of Dolby Digital 5.1, multiple simultaneous streams of uncompressed high-definition video, a high-fidelity orchestra rehearsal simulator, a simulation environment that renders graphic, audio, and vibrotactile effects in response to footsteps, and a mobile game treatment for amblyopia. Cooperstock’s work on the Ultra-Videoconferencing system was recognized by an award for Most Innovative Use of New Technology from ACM/IEEE Supercomputing and a Distinction Award from the Audio Engineering Society. The research he supervised on the Autour project earned the Hochhausen Research Award from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and an Impact Award from the Canadian Internet Registry Association, and his Real-Time Emergency Response project won the Gold Prize (brainstorm round) of the Mozilla Ignite Challenge.

Cyan Kuo is a research professional with an eclectic background in education, information technology, and the arts. In the past, they have worked on projects such as a benchmarking paradigm for walking interfaces in virtual reality and using virtual reality for rehabilitating those with vestibular system sensory disorders. At McGill University’s Shared Reality Lab, they manage user testing, participant and community outreach on the IMAGE project, as well as making sure day-to-day lab activities run smoothly. They have an interest in multisensory aspects of video games and interactive media, and are a strong believer in technology for social good and engineering for inclusivity. Cyan has an Honours B.A. in Dramatic Arts and Humanities, an Honours B.Sc in Cognitive Science and Computer Science and an MSc in Computer Engineering.

Jeffrey R. Blum has worked in mobile software for over 25 years, starting as a Program Manager on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile team, followed by his role as Director of Product Design at Mindsurf Networks, a startup building PDA software for use in schools. After developing several mobile products for professional photographers, Jeff joined McGill University’s Shared Reality Lab, where he leads research projects ranging from medical and accessibility tools, to using mobile devices to improve information delivery and connect people through non-visual mechanisms such as haptics. Jeff holds a B.S.E. in Computer Science from Princeton University, and is completing a PhD in McGill University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering department.

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Furrah Syed, FRSA is an Artist and Educator based in London. A strong advocate for making art accessible to all, Furrah’s abstracts are focused on texture, movement and colour energy which can not only be seen but can also be experienced using the sense of touch. Her inclusive approach to sharing art led her to design and develop her Art Appreciation Workshop for the Blind and Partially Sighted in 2009 which she has delivered to organisations in Hong Kong,

Malaysia, Singapore UK, USA, India and Australia. Furrah has also delivered adapted versions ofher workshop at schools for children with additional needs as well as mainstream schools.

 The way Furrah’s art is experienced is also unusual: the paintings can be viewed in any orientation, they change with the light, and they are all intentionally untitled to avoid influencing the viewer’s perspective. This is a liberating experience as viewers are free to interpret what they see or feel knowing that there is no right or wrong response. This approach values the viewers interpretation and encourages a dialogue, which are key tenets of Furrah’s ethos for making art accessible to all.

 Furrah continues to explore the use of tactile engagement in areas outside of her art,empowering people by showing them the technique of distinguishing colour energy without the need for sight. Furrah’s workshops, available to sighted participants as well as those who are blind or visually impaired, provide a space for dialogue regarding accessibility and improvement of existing products and services to benefit those with additional needs.

 Furrah also actively promotes the technique of using art to practice mindfulness which increases a sense of well-being both emotionally and physically and assists those who are dealing with mental health issues.

At every event that Furrah hosts her aim is to create an inclusive environment for all to feel empowered and valued. She feels that “We all have different and unique perspectives and can learn a great deal from each other.”

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 Heather is the Founder of Equivalent Design, the leading global accessible graphics firm for advancing disability inclusion and equality. Her more than 20 years of leadership experience driving accessible design was ignited by challenges she experienced having motor and vision disabilities.

Ms. Neff leads a team of talented and diverse individuals, including people with disabilities, who are working to build a more inclusive digital world. She is also an educator focusing on accessible graphic design and adaptive, responsive and accessible SVG files. Heather is a thought leader and advocates for disability inclusion, gender equality, and LGBTQ representation in technology. She is a member of the IAAP and is available for international speaking engagements.


At Equivalent Design we have a vision for a more diverse, inclusive and an equitable future. We believe that we can make a positive social impact by the use of intelligent, responsive graphic files and thoughtful accessible graphic design practices. We have a growing team and are always looking to hire talented accessible design professionals. 

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