Accessibility Accelerator: The Podcast (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!

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

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.

Husnah Kukundakwe - Paralympian, Uganda

Husnah made her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and was the youngest athlete to compete at the Games, aged just 14. At Tokyo 2020 she became Uganda’s only second ever Paralympic swimmer.

As a result of her hard work, Husnah was awarded the 2019 “Most Inspirational Athlete of the Year” by the Uganda Swimming Federation and the 2019 “Most Disciplined Athlete of the Year” by the Uganda National Paralympic Committee. Furthermore, in 2019 Husnah was the youngest competitor to take part in the World Para Swimming Allianz Championship in London.

She strives to inspire many persons with disabilities and encourage engagement in parasports. As a role model, Husnah participated in the Allianz for Life Future Sessions, featured in the Malala Fund Assembly as one of the Game Changers of 2020, and is an IPC Youth Ambassador for the 2020 and 2021 editions of the United Through Sports Virtual Youth Festival.  She was also a judge for the 2021 UN SDG Action Awards.

She is an Ambassador for the Para Sport Movement and was named the IPC'S Power House by IPC President Mr. Andrew Parsons at the recently concluded IPC'S Athletes Forum in South Korea.

Husnah had a very impressive performance at the Manchester 2023 Allianz World Para Swimming Championships. She now holds African Para Swimming Records and qualified for her first Championship finals in 100m Breaststroke.

In 11 months, Husnaj will be representing Uganda at Paralympic Games in 2024

She is an Ambassador for the Para Sport Movement and was named the IPC'S Power House by IPC President Mr. Andrew Parsons at the recently concluded IPC'S Athletes Forum in South Korea.

Go Husnah!

November is National Family Caregivers Month in the United States.

Our friend Kris Burbank is a spouse, parent of three adult children, caregiver, and certified coach committed to helping individuals create joy-filled and rewarding lives, both personally and professionally.

As the mother of three adult children, including one with severe cerebral palsy (who is beloved member of our Accessibility Accelerator Family and #AccessibleTogether Trekking Team), she particularly enjoys working with parents of individuals with disabilities, honoring their experiences and helping them determine their paths forward. After completing her coaching certification at Georgetown University, Kris co-authored the highly acclaimed book Embracing Another Normal: Resilience Stories and Strategies for Raising Children with Disabilities with Dr. Linda Hoopes. She brings her talents and experiences to coach and provide teachable moments, perspective, and encouragement to support the reader on their journey of the ups and downs of life.

Her book is a must-read for all, as at some point in our lives, we will be a caretaker for someone or be cared for.

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

Eric Lipp, Founder/Executive Director of Open Doors Organization (ODO), founded ODO after experiencing restrictions people with disabilities face in everyday life. 

Eric works as an advocate for accessible travel and tourism and is an expert in regulations around the world. He has worked with over 70 airports globally, 65 carriers globally, dozens of hotels and destinations across the world.  He frequently speaks at travel, tourism and transportation events internationally. Eric co-authored the Easy Access Chicago Guide and the accessible landing page at I Love NY. 

Eric was appointed to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory board in 2022. He is also a member of the advisory boards at United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Royal Caribbean, PIT, SEA, MSP, ATL, PDX Airports, TravelAbility as well as Uber and Lyft. He was recently re-appointed to the TSA’s ASAC (Aviation Security Advisory Committee). 

Eric initiated the groundbreaking 2002, 2005, 2015 & 2020 ODO/Harris Poll Studies on Travelers with Disabilities and works on access across all sectors of travel, tourism and transportation. 

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

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. 

Accessibility Accelerator: The Podcast is excited to welcome athlete and published author, Farryl and her mother Alexis (the best ‘pep-talker).

Farryl is deeply rooted in family, living with her parents, Pete and Alexis, and her younger brother, Evan. Together, they share a love for traveling, attending Yankee games, and skiing during the winter months with the Adaptive Sports Foundation. Their summers are often spent making cherished memories at a sleep-away camp nestled in the beautiful Catskills.

When she’s not on the move, Farryl is a passionate country musicenthusiast and an avid reader with a strong love for writing. Her writing isn’t just a hobby—it’s a calling. Farryl aspires to continue her journey as an author, with the dream of inspiring others through her stories. Her dedicationto both her athletic pursuits and creative endeavors is a testament to her drive and passion for making a meaningful impact on the world.

ABOUT accessibleGO

As featured on the Today Show, ⁠accessibleGO.com⁠ is a travel site for people with disabilities that offers bookings, reviews, and community information. With over 120,000 signups to date, accessibleGO was awarded first place by ⁠booking.com⁠ in a regional travel startup competition and has been featured in Bloomberg News, NYTimes,Boston Globe, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, AARP and Thrillist.  accessibleGO recently expanded beyond hotels to add wheelchair van rentals, mobility rentals, cars with hand controls, flights and accessible rides. 

About Miriam Eljas

As a Silicon Valley native, Miriam is serial entrepreneur who founded and exited a media company in NYC as her first foray into the startup world. Following the sale of her first company, she became a business development manager for OurCrowd, working with portfolio companies to help with growth.

She left to start her next venture when the idea for accessibleGO emerged as a tribute to her late mother who was a wheelchair user and had Multiple Sclerosis.  

Articles   BloombergWired Magazine  Thrillist Boston GlobeConde Nast Traveller

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/

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.

John and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team that created John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. They bootstrapped their business into the world’s largest sock store earning them recognition as EY’s Entrepreneurs of the Year. 

John is not only an entrepreneur, but he has also Down syndrome. Every day, John and Mark show what people with differing abilities can do – more than half their colleagues have a differing ability. They are fierce advocates for the rights of people with differing abilities having testified twice before the U.S. Congress, spoken at the United Nations and recorded two TEDx talks. They are members of the CEO Commission on Disability Employment. Their work has been featured on national broadcasts by CBS, ABC, CNBC, PBS, the BBC and Fox News. 

They have built a business based on creating customer experiences and spreading happiness. John’s Crazy Socks has 240,000 Facebook followers and over 29,000 five-star reviews. John and Mark show their gratitude through their Giving Back program which has raised nearly $625,000 for their charity partners.  Most of all, they are spreading happiness one pair of socks at a time. 

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.