San Diego Accessibility & Inclusive Design September Meetup


Details
Come talk accessibility with us at Novo Brazil Brewing Mission Valley! We'll have some amazing lightning talks and time for networking and hanging out.
We'll start the lightning talks around 7:00pm. Food and drinks available for purchase!
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Speakers & Topics
Higher Ed Accessibility from Within: Balancing Simultaneous Need for Broad and Deep Knowledge
Dr. J.B. Robinson, a licensed psychologist and Dean of Students at National University, has dedicated his career to advancing accessibility and student success in higher education. While at NU, he has expanded services for students with disabilities, mental health concerns, and unmet basic needs. As Principal Investigator on over $7 million in federal grants, he has driven initiatives in mental health support, peer-to-peer programs, and equity-based services for Hispanic and first-generation students.
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Designing in a Neurodiverse World
Ben Holland-Arlen is a product designer with 12+ years of experience spanning agencies, startups, consumer, and enterprise tech. At ServiceNow, he creates experiences that make work life easier for millions of employees worldwide. He thrives on solving complex problems—but not on hearing the phrase “This is how we do it because this is how it’s always been done.” Outside of work, he’s passionate about music, neurodiversity advocacy (as someone with ADHD and dyslexia), and experimenting in the kitchen. He lives in San Diego with his wife, son, and two dogs.
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Accessibility Best Practices for Engineers
Emily Barbenza helps people design, code, and test digital experiences that work for everyone. She’s a founding member of ServiceNow’s first accessibility-focused team and leads its training and research efforts. In her free time, she enjoys creative projects and deep-diving into internet rabbit holes.
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Making AI Work for Accessibility, Cultural Relevance, and Better User Experiences
Lauren Miller is an accessibility specialist, faculty trainer, and community college instructor passionate about inclusive learning. She teaches courses in assistive technology, educational technology, and online learning, and supports accessibility efforts across California’s community colleges. Her work is guided by her motto, Accessibility from the heart.
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Please let us know if you have any needs we can accommodate.
Whether you're an accessibility guru or are just curious about what exactly web accessibility and inclusive design are, this event is for you. This group is for designers, developers, project managers, execs... really anyone involved in building and supporting IT products. Let's get together, network, collaborate and learn from one another!

San Diego Accessibility & Inclusive Design September Meetup