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Category: Accessible experts

Speaking of entrepreneurship with Ted Henter

In my continuing series on entrepreneurship, and more specifically, entrepreneurs who are blind, I found myself in awe of some of the brilliant individuals who generously, even enthusiastically, agreed to talk with me about their career.  I’ve also been brought up short by those who have refused, choosing instead to question my motives and insult my efforts.

In this second category, responses were the generally understandable, "I have no time for this," or "Who are you?" rejections, but on occasion, I’ve also been treated to the suspicious, "Why should I participate in an interview with you?  What are you getting out of it?"

 

Well, I’ll answer that.  It’s a legitimate question.  Why do I devote so much of my blog space to promoting the efforts of others?  Probably for the same reason that I’ve spent over ten years speaking to groups about disability awareness in the context of my own vision loss.  Because it gives my own pain meaning.  So it’s not for nothing.  To let people know there are others in the world who work to make the life of a person they will never know a little bit easier.  To show appreciation for an industry fueled by the passions of innovators like my guest for today’s post:  Ted Henter.

 

If you are blind, you may use his brainchild every day, yet know nothing about the person behind the synthesized voice you know as JAWS.  You will certainly find plenty of other articles written about Mr. Henter, and many industry insiders will acknowledge that there is a certain amount of controversy regarding the operational management, strategic planning and creative vision of what is now Freedom Scientific.  However, my purpose was simply to ask a few questions as to what motivated him as an entrepreneur who is blind.

 

LL:  What personal attributes or character traits do you feel have held you in good stead as an entrepreneur?
 
TH:  Perseverance.  I’ve had many setbacks in my career, being blinded in a car accident is only one of them.  But, you must keep on keeping on. 
and a bit of faith helps too.

LL:  What “expert” advice are you glad that you ignored?
 
TH:  "There is no money in the blindness business".  This was generally considered a fact when we started Henter-Joyce.  When I tried to hire Glenn Gordon, the CTO for HJ and Freedom Scientific, he asked me if I thought we could make a living developing software for blind people.  I said I did not know, but we were going to try.
 
LL:  For someone facing tough choices due to the economic downturn, and who may be considering starting a business as a “plan B,” do you have any recommendations?
  
TH:  follow your passion.  Do what you like to do, and figure out a way to make it profitable.  This works in good times too.  I was blinded in 1978, bought my first "talking" computer in 1979.  It would just spell what was on the screen.  It was made by Deane Blazie, and it sucked.  So I gave him enough free advice ("why doesn’t it do…?"), that he hired me.  I was passionate about making the access better, and the doors opened up.

Mr. Henter goes on to suggest that sometimes the expert advice is worth following:

TH:  About 1979 I went to talk to the Deane of the Computer Science Department  at University of South Florida, Tampa.  I wanted to get a Masters in Computer Science.  I already had a BSME.  He told me he did not want any blind people in his class, he had one recently, and that person took up too much of his time, needed too much assistance.  I did not know much about advocating for my rights then, so I left, and enrolled at the same university,  but attended a campus in St. Petersburg.  I learned a bit about programming, met a guy, talked a bit, and he hired me.  That was the start of my career, and I could have spent several years working on my Masters, but went the entrepreneur route instead.  And I am glad I did it.

So are we, Mr. Henter.
 

You can read more about Ted Henter, his bio and business profile if you click here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Henter

LL

 

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A directory of entrepreneurs with disabilities by the Forsythe Center

One of my favorite topics about which to write or speak is entrepreneurship.  Particularly, I am fascinated by entrepreneurs who have a disability.  As if starting a business isn’t hard enough, starting a business while experiencing some of the specific barriers imposed by having a disability encompasses such a tiny subset of humans, I had some difficulty finding subjects for several articles planned for the next few weeks.   

Fortunately, The Hadley School has made finding this intriguing group of people infinitely easier.  Introducing the Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurship’s new database of business owners who have disabilities.  If you are unfamiliar with The Hadley School, here is a bit of info taken right from their ‘about" page:

 

The mission of The Hadley School for the Blind is to promote independent living through lifelong, distance education programs for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, their families and blindness service providers.

Founded in 1920 by William Hadley and Dr. E.V.L. Brown, Hadley offers courses free of charge to its blind and visually impaired students and their families and affordable tuition courses to blindness professionals. Today, Hadley is the largest educator of people who are blind or visually impaired around the world, serving more than 10,000 students annually in all 50 states and 100 countries. Hadley is also the largest educator of braille. A 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, the school relies on contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations to fund its programs.

 

The Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurship (FCE) is part of Hadley’s Adult Continuing Education Program. The goal of this new initiative is to provide individuals who are blind or visually impaired with the knowledge, resources and networking opportunities to enable them to advance in their careers or to successfully launch and grow their own businesses. It was developed to address the 70 to 80 percent un- and underemployment rate among people who are blind or visually impaired.

The FCE is designed to provide requisite computer training; relevant Social Security, tax, accounting, legal, marketing, management and communications information; and content specific to the needs and concerns of individuals who are visually impaired. The FCE is meant to be practical, relevant and interactive, utilizing existing Hadley courses and newly created modules that contain the following elements:

•Online content with a variety of simulations
•Live and recorded online lectures available through Seminars@Hadley
•Interactive group discussions
•Access to an online resource center
•A searchable database of visually impaired civic and business owners
The majority of curriculum offerings and resources will be available online only.  The Center is made possible by Hadley Trustee Sandy Forsythe and her husband Rick who have made a generous, three-year matching gift toward new monies raised by the school for this new initiative. Other funders include Alliant Credit Union Foundation, Union Bank Foundation, Martin J. and Susan B. Kozak Foundation, Siragusa Foundation, Helen Brach Foundation, Donald P. and Byrd M. Kelly Foundation, Adams Street Partners and a number of individual donors.

 

Who will you find listed in the searchable database of entrepreneurs?  You can find out more about CEO’s like Mike Calvo of Serotek, ingenious solutions by Dancing Dots, and you can even learn more about solopreneurs like myself.  Each business owner has a profile page with contact info. 
 

Click here to check out the database.

 

All who are listed have agreed to serve as advisors or mentors for other entrepreneurs with disabilities.  If you admire a business leader in your particular area of interest, you can write or call them with your questions.  Are you a blind or visually impaired entrepreneur?  Download and complete the profile form, and submit your info for consideration to be listed in the directory.  

    

Click here to check out the Legendary Insights business story on the FCE database.

 

LL

 

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Take a course on social media and accessibility at the CSUN 2012 AT conference

In an effort to encourage as many as possible to attend the CSUN 2012 Conference on Disability, I have been posting short previews of some of the educational sessions from which you can expect to benefit.  My goal is to not only build anticipation, but to help you to get to know the speakers, and learn just a bit about what has motivated them to take on the challenge of improving our access to a sometimes inaccessible world.

 

This year, you will have an opportunity to hear from expert Jennison Asuncion at more than one session.  You are also likely to find him at the Thursday, March 1st tweetup event that evening in the Microsoft suite.  Asuncion was kind enough to offer his thoughts on the conference, and his planned contribution.

  

“ I will be teaching a course called Social Media and Accessibility
during Knowbility’s first  AccessU at CSUN preconference. In addition,
I am sitting on a panel called Web Accessibility Community
Collaboration that my pal Shawn Henry, with the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative
is leading.   Click here for session information.

 

“Finally, I am co-presenting ASurvey: An End-to-End
Accessible Survey Tool.   Click here to see session information.

 

“If you are sticking around Saturday, please consider joining me at
Project Possibility’s SS12: Code for a Cause Finals at 9:00AM in the
Microsoft showcase suite. I’ll be one of the judges of projects that
students from a number of universities have been working on,
developing open source applications to benefit people with
disabilities. It’s going to be great to support and recognize the next
generation of accessibility champions, so please come by.”"

 

Jennison co-directs thee Adaptech Research Network (link
www.adaptech.org), where he has been researching the use and
accessibility of technology in Canadian postsecondary education since
1997.  By day, he has been supporting corporate IT accessibility efforts for just over ten years now.  And on the side, using
social media, he does his part to raise accessibility awareness in the
broad IT community, and connects folks with common accessibility
interests whenever possible.  For the last three years, working alongside other peers in accessibility, Jennison has been actively organizing a series of accessibility barcamps/unconferences (link www.accessibilitycamp.org), where the goal is to educate on accessibility using a less formal approach than a traditional conference.

 

For those of you who have never attended any of the major events of this type held throughout the year, Asuncion points out that it is also a tremendous social opportunity.  He says:

 

"This will be my seventh International Technology and Persons with
Disabilities Conference, sixth year presenting. I describe the event
to folks as the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) for accessibility and
assistive technology. In addition to the presentations, there’s
something about the buzz and energy in the lobby, at the Tweetup, and
in the halls that reaffirms why I chose to work in our field. I am
always keen to meet-up with those who are new to the conference, so if
you see me around, don’t be shy, please say hello.”

 

You can follow Jennison Asuncion on Twitter here: @jennison

 

Click here to go to the CSUN 2012 home page.

 

Don’t forget to use the #CSUN12 hashtag when tweeting about the event. 

 

LL

 

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A word with CSUN 2012 presenter and author Kel Smith

The week of the CSUN 27th Annual International Conference on Disability and Assistive Technology promises to be another action-packed week of education and inspiration.  Once you have absorbed all you can of the information shared by the 25 speakers, and walked the length and breadth of the enormous exhibit hall, you’ll want to save some energy for the many social events, some planned, some spontaneous, that will be held throughout the week.  You will have an opportunity to meet people you’ve tweeted with but may have never actually met in the "meatspace," and you can shake hands with those responsible for bringing to life the innumerable technologies upon which many of us rely.

 

One of the presenters at this year’s event is Kel Smith.  Kel Smith is a longtime speaker, author and practitioner on digital accessibility. His articles and papers have appeared in multiple publications, and he has presented worldwide on the topic of emerging technologies in inclusive design. He formed Anikto LLC in 2008 to explore and develop barrier-free digital experiences in various sectors, including healthcare, service design, engineering, government, product marketing and K-12 education.

 

Mr. smith, who will be speaking on Wednesday, February 29th at eight o’clock a.m. the week of the CSUN conference, was kind enough to offer a few thoughts on his connection to an industry that, for him, means more than technological advancement at the expense of the individuals it serves.

       
 
"Innovation is not specific to any device or platform. It is driven by an understanding of behavior, the business climate in which that behavior resides, and the social responsibility to manifest a common good. I consider it a privilege to align myself with people and organizations who contribute to this moral cause.”

 

Kel Smith is the author of a book in progress called "Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward Without Leaving People Behind," currently scheduled for a 2012 release.

 

Click here for more info on ‘Digital Outcasts."

You can follow Kel Smith on Twitter here:  @kelsmith

 

LL

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Elle Waters to present “Accessibility Is The New Black” at CSUN 2012

At the CSUN 2012 conference on disability, you’ll discover a full slate of presenters lined up who will educate and inspire.  Each year I have attended, I left feeling both deeply grateful for the achievements of those who have worked so hard to facilitate the lives of people with disabilities, yet determined to work harder myself, in an effort to educate as many as I can as to what is possible.    

This year, one of the speakers you can look forward to hearing from is Elle Waters.  Elle is a self-described "geek, web accessibility activist, media zealot, event spinner, academic researcher, metaverse enthusiast, and social justice rabble-rouser."

My kind of girl.  Her "official" title is Enterprise Web Accessibility Coordinator for Humana.  Ms. Waters, who will be presenting alongside Wendy Chisholm of Microsoft, was kind enough to    share her thoughts about CSUN 2012, and her presentation.
 
Waters said, "Last year was my first year attending CSUN. I arrived with my own small story to tell, and I wasn’t sure how valuable it would be to others. I was quickly inspired by the dedication and inclusive nature of everyone around me. At CSUN, I saw that we all have narratives that contribute to a bigger story. I left equipped with practical information and a new appreciation of a diverse and participatory digital culture.
This year, I hope to continue the discourse about the role that large corporations can have in changing the perception of web accessibility from compliance to inclusion. To that end, I have a talk entitled "Accessibility is the New Black" that presents a case study about a large social media digital marketing campaign where accessibility was a key role in its overall success."

Finally, Ms. Waters points out that the scope of her talk is not limited to just social media and marketing, , but encompasses "all enterprise digital initiatives."
  

You can follow Elle on Twitter here:  @nethermind

 

Click here to go to the CSUN 2012 conference home page.

 

LL

 

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A new standard proposed for accessible media at CSUN 2012

If you have ever watched a movie or television show that uses audio description, sometimes also called video description, then you might have realized how valuable this type of service can be for someone who has a visual disability, hearing loss, or even a person who is a non-native language speaker.  You may have also noticed, though, that there seems to be no quality, methodology or technology standard to which service providers can turn for guidance in the deployment of described media.

     

Director of Digital Accessible Media, Robert Pearson is one of the presenters at this month’s CSUN 2012 Conference on Disability.  Here he explains how his organization proposes an industry standard for accessible media.  What is Accessible Media Inc. all about?  Pearson says, "Accessible Media Inc., (AMI) makes the media of everyday life — newspapers, magazines, TV, movies and the Internet – accessible to the more than 5 million Canadians who are blind, low-vision, print restricted, deaf, hard of hearing, mobility impaired, learning disabled or learning English as a second language. We are a not-for-profit, operating two broadcast services; AMIaudio and AMItv."

 

AMI will be presenting at the 27th International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (CSUN) on the topic of international media accessibility guidelines around the development of descriptive video (DV) standards.  If you have never heard of descriptive video before, Pearson offers the following:

 

"DV is a process that adds a descriptive voice on the audio for the benefit of people who are blind or low-vision, allowing them to hear descriptions of key visual elements appearing on screen. Recognized as both a science and an art form, the availability, distribution and production of descriptive video is not significant in comparison to main stream or even closed captioned content. Internationally, the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia have all led the creation of descriptive video content. However, industry and international standards do not yet exist and therefore the content that is being produced uses different guidelines. This results in a lack of uniformity of content."

 

What are the goals of the presentation?  "Through this presentation we would like to initiate the discussion to bring about the uniformity of international standards. Canada is leading the way in terms of the implementation of accessible broadcasting, as indicated through the licensing and support of AMItv. AMItv is the world’s first channel to broadcast all programming with 100% Open Described Video and Closed Captioning.

AMI is participating in the Government of Canada’s, Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) DV working group to ensure the technical viability of and to increase the awareness of this service through the implementation of an online DV TV Guide. Following the completion of those efforts, AMI will be guiding the Canadian broadcast industry with the support of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) in the development of industry wide DV standards."

 

 

You can follow Accessible Media Inc. on Twitter:  @a11ymedia

Click here to go to the CSUN conference home page.

LL

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The 27th Annual Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference

Each year, thousands flock to one of the nation’s largest conference events that showcases assistive technology, education and innovation specifically for people who have disabilities.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will post a series about the conference, and will include the thoughts of some of the experts who will be making presentations.  If you are still on the fence about attending, perhaps learning a little more about some of the names you may know, or follow on Twitter, can help you to decide. .

 

The CSUN 2012 AT conference begins February 27th, and runs through march 3rd, 2012.  It will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California.  Use hash tag #CSUN12 when tweeting about the event.

 

Click here to go to the CSUN 2012 conference home page.

 

 

First up in this series is presenter John Foliot.  He graciously agreed to provide a quote at my request, and I think his comments perfectly set the tone for the event.

 

John Foliot is a web accessibility veteran working at Stanford University.  John says:

 

“CSUN holds a special place for me, as not only is it the preeminent
conference in North America around technologies dedicated to PwD, but it is
also a ‘gathering of ‘The Tribe’.”

 

John explains, “That theme came up time and time again last year, and it came to
represent that, for those who toil away outside of the spotlight, but
dedicated non-the-less to achieving real progress and success in
accessibility (and in particular online accessibility), that no matter how
hard it seems, how discouraging or frustrating it can get some times, how
lonely it often feels, that there are others – The Tribe – that share the
passion, the dream, the goal of success. Together we are stronger, we have
each others’ backs, that we are not alone. Being part of that, realizing the
truth of that – that is what makes CSUN so special to me each year.  I look forward to CSUN each year not only to catch up with old
friends, but also (and more importantly) to meet and make new friends. Our
Tribe grows bigger each year, we get stronger, and we are making inroads. We
may not be there yet, but after spending a few days at CSUN we (well, at
least *I*) leave energized and raring to go, reinvigorated to take on the
challenges that lie before us, and committed to getting it done.
If you should happen to see me at CSUN, be sure to say hi, and
welcome to The Tribe.”

 

You can follow John on Twitter here: @johnfoliot.

 

LL

 

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Accessible Twitter changes name to Easy Chirp

Web App "Accessible Twitter" Changes Name to "Easy Chirp"
The web-accessible application empowers users with disabilities and low-end technology to access

Twitter, the popular social micro-blogging web service.

Cupertino, CA (June 1, 2011) – Accessible Twitter, the esteemed web application that empowers

users with disabilities and low-end technology to access Twitter, will now go by the name Easy

Chirp (www.easychirp.com).

The name change is due to several reasons, the foremost is that the Twitter rules of use for

third-party applications does not allow the word "Twitter" in the name of the application. Also,

the word "easy" is simpler to understand than "accessible", especially to those not in the

accessibility or disability communities. And, the new name is considerably shorter, especially

important with the 140-character limit in Twitter statuses, better known as tweets.

Mr. Dennis E. Lembree, owner of the web development company WebOverhauls.com, is the creator of

Easy Chirp, and is dedicated to expanding the accessibility of the web.

"Accessibility is finally becoming much more mainstream, as it needs to be. I think the name

change reflects this, and helps expose the web app to a wider base of users."
-Dennis Lembree of WebOverhauls

The website logo and design remain consistent after the name change. The old domain name

AccessibleTwitter.com will continue to be functional.

In addition to reading and posting tweets in Easy Chirp, features include direct messaging,

URL-shortening, running and saving searches, viewing popular links, and providing full support

for lists.

Mr. Jennison Asuncion works in the IT Accessibility space in Canada, and is himself a screen

reader user. He chooses Easy Chirp for his Twitter application. "I’m an active Twitter user who

prefers an accessible web-based client. Easy Chirp fits the bill perfectly!"

Easy Chirp/Accessible Twitter has been mentioned in numerous articles and books, and received

the American Foundation for the Blind 2011 Access Award.

For more about Easy Chirp, visit: www.easychirp.com.

#####

About Web Overhauls
Web Overhauls is a web development company specializing in web standards, usability, and

accessibility. Web Overhauls develops websites for small to medium-sized businesses with a focus

on improving existing websites for a better user experience. The company is a member of GAWDS

and Refresh Detroit. Mr. Dennis E. Lembree, the President of Web Overhauls, is an established

expert in the field; he is an author and speaker, the creator of Easy Chirp, and the author of

Web Axe, a podcast and blog about web accessibility.

For more information, visit or email: weboverhauls [AT] gmail dot com.

About Easy Chirp
Disabled users typically have significant problems accessing many websites and web services,

including Twitter. Easy Chirp greatly helps the issue through many development techniques

including: ensuring that all links are keyboard accessible; providing consistent navigation and

page structure; providing proper headings. Easy Chirp works with or without JavaScript and is

compatible with all major Internet browsers, including the outdated Internet Explorer 6. Easy

Chirp is used by those with and without disabilities.

For more information, visit www.easychirp.com or email: info [AT] easychirp dot com.

 

###

 

Thanks, Dennis, for a great product, no matter the name.  Readers, go to Easy Chirp and tweet about it to your followers!

 

LL

 

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Word Press Help Center to reopen March 14

If you are a self-confessed and unapologetic non-technical person who just likes it when things work,  but who does not always feel compelled to know Why, then you may have hired an expert to assist you in putting up your web site or blog.  I have.  Even though I’m sure it is not by any means beyond me to accomplish some of the day-to-day maintenance of my web sites and blog, I don’t want to.  It doesn’t interest me, the frustration factor due to potential inaccessibility isn’t worth the effort.  We cannot all be good at everything, and I’m especially good at knowing what I’m not good at.  Knowing one’s limitations is very freeing.

 

One of the resources I’ve mentioned here in the past has been Word Press Help Center.  They helped me to install my blog, as well as to install some of the plug-ins and tools I use.  You can get an accessible theme for Word Press, but the back end, or Word Press dashboard is still fairly problematic when it comes to accessibility.  That has proved to be a disappointment, but that’s a post for another time.

 

What was a greater disappointment, though, was when I attempted to reach my pro at Word Press Help Center not long ago, only to find that they were shutting down.  They were no longer accepting new jobs, and the entire operation would be offline by February 28th.  So, I began to look around for another WP pro to help me with some upcoming projects.  Once you find someone great, it’s really depressing to lose them.  I was very sorry to see WP Help Center go.

 

Happily, just today I read that the business has undergone a change of management and will be back online in just a few  weeks.  As a satisfied repeat customer, I can tell you that this was very good news.  Nathan Garza, previously a Word Press expert on staff and all-around good guy, is taking over the business and will reopen on March 14th.  The WP Help Center is a busy outfit, and I suspect that with Nathan’s help it will continue to be busy.  However, with reasonable pricing and excellent customer service, I think you’ll be glad you called them if you have a Word Press issue, great or small. 

 

Here are some links:

Story from Alex King blog.

 

AlexKing.org

 

Word Press Help Center

 

I always say that sometimes accessibility is achieved through the efforts of people who are willing to assist and accommodate via personal service.  It’s easy to understand why THAT works.

 

LL               

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Everything you ever wanted to know about disability, but were afraid to ask

When it first occurred to me that it was time to condense my sporadic article writing into the more current blog format, my original intention was to write to the non-disabled community.  My idea was to mirror my educational mission statement, which is to address the society with which the disabled community interacts, not the people who are themselves disabled.  As a speaker, I thought I could do more good by seeking out the HR professionals, the employees of retail, hospitality, and health care establishments, in an effort to reach those who serve the widest array of individuals from all walks of life.  I decided to augment that notion with some passionate writing on the subject.

 

Yet, my target audience has eluded me.  What can I do to bring them to the table?  How can I offer education to a seemingly indifferent general public?

 

So, I have asked.  In an informal canvassing of my non-disabled universe, I have learned that what keeps people away from  seeking information on the topic of disability can be boiled down to fear.  Fear of exposing themselves as ignorant, fear of being vulnerable to ridicule, fear of being offensive.  Most surprisingly, a fear of bringing about that which they are most curious.  Simply put, some people are superstitious, believing that if they ask questions about disability, they are "putting it out there into the universe," as one respondent said.

 

I really want to throw open the curtains and allow the bright light of truth to shine in here.

       

To that end, I have assembled a mastermind group of brilliant people who will participate in  a question-and-answer feature on the Accessible Insights Blog.  Each are experts in their own field, some are IT pros, web development experts, legal eagles, or access and universal  design gurus.  They will field readers’ questions about disability and related issues, as each are members of the disability community.  This Q and A aspect of the blog is not meant for responding to tech support questions by people new to assistive gadgets, rather, it is meant for the edification of those who are  not disabled by those who are.  Think  of this as an "everything you ever wanted to know about disability, but were afraid to ask" type of thing.  It is my version of the Linked In or Yahoo answers feature, except that it is a much narrower niche.

 

We’re ready, so start sending in your questions.  Need information about living with vision loss?  We know all about it.   Know of a caregiver who could use a heads-up?  Send them the link to this  post.  Concerned about an aging loved one, and you want to talk to a real pro?  Ask away.  Got a friend who could use a little attitude adjustment?  We’ll set ’em straight.  Simply click the link for the accessible contact form at the top of the page.  My group of insightful experts will be ready with myth-busting responses and advice about hiring and interviewing, conflict resolution, workplace inclusion, barrier-free living, assistive tech tips and much more.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

LL 

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