inclusion
Invention and inclusion: a two-way approach
Patenting is my passion and inclusion is my responsibility as an inventor. We should always think about how we can include all of the population in the technology we create. Invention and inclusion work very well together, as they can work in both directions. Together, we can invent to improve lives and make this world […]
Reflections from a Brief Detour
About a month ago, I was “temporarily disabled” – I could not move without severe abdominal pain. I was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to undergo emergency surgery to remove the offending organ because it had enlarged to roughly threefold the average size. During the recovery, I was bedridden and under the constant care of […]
Erich Manser Inducted into The Carroll Society
Today IBM Accessibility evangelist Erich Manser was inducted into The Carroll Center for the Blind’s Carroll Society. Each year the Carroll Center for the Blind and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind recognize blind and visually impaired professionals who have made significant contributions to the companies for which they work. Established in 1936, The Carroll Center […]
Free Accessibility Tools and Technology Pay It Forward
May 17 marks the seventh anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD was introduced to spark a conversation around digital accessibility to get people thinking and learning about accessibility. While the conversation is important, we must remember this is not a theoretical exercise. These are real challenges affecting people daily, but tackling these challenges […]
IBM Employees with Disabilities Volunteer Time to Create Accessible Technology
Who better to confirm the accessibility of solutions before they are released to market than people with disabilities? Being visually impaired, I rely considerably on magnification and altered colors to see what’s on my device screens. One day, not long ago, I sat in a room full of developers in a meeting and it was illuminating to […]
The Power of an Inclusive Workforce
Mobility and independence are powerful devices, especially for someone with a disability. Every year as we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I am reminded why I work for IBM – its long history of inclusion, commitment to workforce diversity, and innovations in accessibility. I joined IBM in 2013 for the IBM Accessibility Research team […]
What Does Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion Mean to IBM?
by Dr. Ruoyi Zhou, Director, IBM Accessibility Research, and Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, IBM Chief Diversity Officer Celebrating and reflecting on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we call upon everyone to build awareness and create real change for people with disabilities. Through workforce policies and new technology innovations, we must ensure that people of all abilities […]
What I Learned about Accessibility During My Summer with IBM
Guest post from Cynthia Chen, a senior at Lexington High School in Lexington, MA I don’t think I quite realized the importance of accessibility until I started my summer study at IBM. It is amazing what technology can do for people with disabilities. It’s also quite easy to forget that real people use these same solutions […]
IBM Japan’s “Access Blue” Program Trains Students with Disabilities for New Collar Jobs
In my country of Japan, there is a legal requirement (Act for Employment Promotion of Persons with Disabilities that states that at least 2 percent of employees across all business organizations (with workforces greater than 50) must be persons with disabilities. This requirement will increase to 2.2 percent in 2018 and 2.3 percent in 2020. […]