The realization that a lack of awareness about accessibility is what was standing in the way of designers creating better digital experiences for all is what motivated Reginé Gilbert to make a difference doing what she does best.
Today, Reginé is an accessibility educator, user experience (UX) designer, author, and public speaker. Everything she does is based on her belief that creating a more accessible world starts and ends with the user.
Her ongoing exposure to digital accessibility, inclusive design, and immersive experience is what helped her publish Inclusive Design for a Digital World: Designing with Accessibility in Mind in 2019. She is also currently working on Human Spatial Computing, which Oxford University Press will publish in 2023.
When she’s not writing, Reginé teaches UX design as a visiting professor at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering and speaks at workshops and events throughout the year.
About Her Career
Reginé has over 10 years of experience working in technology and UX design. She has spent time working with brands such as Ralph Lauren, Disney, JP Morgan, and Columbia University.
Inclusive design became a part of her offering following an A11y NYC Meetup, where she met two blind friends. One of these ladies wanted to know whether designers ever considered disabled users during the design process. After thinking about past projects she had worked on, Reginé quickly realized how few brands consider accessibility at all.
Ever since that day, she has vowed to always include accessibility and inclusivity in every project she undertakes and to educate others on why they should do the same.
Reginé is currently exploring how immersive technology such as augmented and virtual reality can incorporate accessibility requirements too.
A Memorable Experience, A Lasting Impression
When you’re not living with a disability, you may not even consider how difficult everyday tasks can be. Imagine going to a store and not being able to get in or shopping from home because you can’t go anywhere, only to find you cannot access a website.
It’s these small acts, tasks, and functions that Reginé is impacting through her talks, university lectures, and personal design work. She not only wants to make things more accessible now but start thinking about how we can all prepare for a more inclusive future too – encouraging businesses to work with and hire people with disabilities is just one of the ways she is doing this.
People like Reginé are making digital inclusion a more prominent topic across the globe and gradually, we are seeing more and more organizations, brands, and government agencies making the necessary changes.
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