An Inclusivity Unlocked! webinar
about online accessibility
Thursday 9 March 2023
12.30 – 1.30 pm
What are the challenges that disabled (including neurodivergent) people can face when interacting with online content such as websites, registration forms and event access? How do those challenges impact on fair access to our profession and the work it does? Are we missing out on talented staff, and/or on potential clients?
This joint event from our IP Ability community and CIPA explored those questions. Our guest speaker was Chris Naylor from Bnode, whose website says that “We see a world where digital strategy and ethical practices are intertwined, utilising the power of business as a force for good for the planet. It’s Digital Done Right.” Chris knows a great deal about accessible online content and has helped numerous organisations with “accessibility audits” to make their technology more inclusive. He shared his thoughts with disabled IP professionals and provided us with some practical tips for making websites and digital systems more user-friendly for everyone. He also provided a demonstration of a “screen reader” in action, to illustrate some of the challenges it brings.
Our panellists
The full panel included:
- Abhishek Dhol, an undergraduate Bachelors of Law (LLB) student at Queen Mary University of London and Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the Queen Mary Commercial Awareness Society. Abhishek has a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). The retinas of his eyes are damaged, leaving him completely sightless. He has little to no light perception, and therefore uses nonvisual techniques to carry out the everyday activities of his life – using a screen-reader to read his study materials and deal with online communications.
- Chris Naylor, Managing Director, Bnode Ltd. Chris has worked in the digital industry for over 20 years and specialises in accessibility and environmental considerations within modern digital practices. After many years of doing practical web building, PPC (pay-per-click), SEO (search engine optimisation), branding and project management, he ended up in a directorship role in a digital agency. In 2021 he decided that it was time to move on and create a digital strategy agency that aligned with his morals and “offers digital marketing consulting services, focusing on how business can have strong ethical values while also growing profits.”
- Debra Smith, registered UK and European patent attorney and director and founder of Mayfin IP Limited. Debra’s technical background is in mechanical engineering and she has worked as a patent attorney for over 25 years, both in-house and in private practice, currently running her own business and acting as a part-time consultant to IK-IP Ltd. She is a member of the IP Ability committee, for whom she has written many thought-provoking articles about her experiences with MS (see, for example, “World MS Day: My Story”). As a wheelchair user, Debra often needs to rely on online meeting platforms, but she encounters frequent hurdles due to her need to use voice recognition software rather than a keyboard. Many of these problems are inherent in the technology that many of us take for granted, wrongly assuming that it will make life easier for all.
- Miriam (Mim) Wollacott, a Senior Scientist in Pharmaceutical Development at Vectura Group Ltd. Mim has hearing difficulties that affect her interactions with online platforms and tools.
The webinar was chaired by Debra Smith.
Who was it for?
This event was open to all UK-based IP professionals, whether or not CIPA members. It didn’t matter what type of organisation you worked in, what role you played in it or what your career level; everyone was welcome! The discussions would have had particular value to those involved in IT systems and online comms, recruitment, or general corporate strategy and culture.
Follow-up resources
You can access a recording of the webinar here, and our report of the key discussion points here. Chris Naylor has also kindly shared his slide set, which you can download here.
Click on the image below to download the “top tips” distilled from this event.
A list of all Inclusivity Unlocked! events and resources is available here, and a compilation of the “top tips” here. If you’d like to have your say on themes or formats for future events in the series, please let us know by emailing [email protected].
Cost
This event was free. So are all our resources. We think it’s important to keep IP Inclusive on the right side of the paywall.
That said, we do need money to keep the show on the road, so if you enjoyed the event, please consider contributing to our 2022-23 fundraising campaign. For more information – including about corporate donations – visit our fundraising page.
More about Inclusivity Unlocked!
Inclusivity Unlocked! is a banner under which we are hosting a programme of events and resources on workplace inclusivity post-Covid. Our aim is to provide practical guidance around how workplaces and working arrangements can be made more inclusive for everyone as we build back after the pandemic. You can find out more about the project here. There’s also an up-to-date list of scheduled and past events, with links to associated follow-up resources, here.