Lunch & Keynote by Chancey Fleet: De-visualizing Technology: the Joys and Frictions of Blindness in the Digital Commons

Chancey will draw on her experience as a tech educator and self-taught Blind technologist to explore the rewards and complications of Blind life in a digital world. What happens to our ability to build skills and set goals when the general public is mostly unaware of the tools and techniques we need to succeed? Why does our everyday access to data representations and images lag so far behind what’s achievable, and how can we use description, sonification and tangible media to end image poverty in our community?

When developers of accessibility tools design for their own interests above the user’s, how can we support each other in mitigating risk and holding developers accountable? The systems, personal interactions and resources that help Blind people thrive in tech — or hold us back — are interlocking, complex and always changing. Together we can help our digital ecosystem evolve to be richer and more hospitable for all people.