Risk Free Assessment
By John Samuel
As I’m writing this, I’m celebrating my 9th anniversary with my wife Nicole! It’s been an amazing journey over the years and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to be by my side! I think one of the best things about our relationship is the fact that we were friends before we went on our first date. When we met, I was starting to talk openly about my visual impairment, and we had conversations about how my sight was going to continue to degenerate. These were only things I had talked about with my “Old Friends,” the ones who had been on my journey from the beginning – the ones who had risked their lives by getting in the car while I was driving or who had to back me up when I accidently bumped into a guy who thought I was looking for a fight. I’ve been blessed to have a lot of these “Old Friends,” but along the journey I started to make “New Friends.” These were people who I met in Business School, who saw me lose my sight even faster and come to grips with it in my personal life. They were also the friends who watched my relationship with Nicole blossom from friendship to marriage!
However, 9-years ago, those “Old Friends” and “New Friends” came together to celebrate the love between Nicole and I, but on the dance floor, it turned into a scene from West Side Story!
The outcome of the epic “dance off” was that the “Old Friends” told my “New Friends” that it takes 7-years to become an “Old Friend”. Well, those Business School friends have now been classified as “Old Friends” for several years, and many of you who I’ve met since coming back to North Carolina 7-years ago, and after joining LCI, are also considered “Old Friends” now!
I think we all know that Accessibility is a journey, and mine started when I joined LCI when I was tasked with starting a new business that would create upward mobility for people who are blind. That’s why the first barrier to accomplishing this objective was to remove the digital accessibility barriers that hinder so many people from pursuing careers – this is also something I knew firsthand. Although accessibility barriers were something I experienced as someone using screen magnification and then as a screen reader user, that didn’t mean I knew how to address them. This took time and practice to develop a methodology to be able to properly assess, remediate, and advise our customers on how they could be more accessible – and it’s an ongoing process!
One thing that I didn’t expect along my accessibility journey was that I was building a community who were learning about the need for accessibility and disability inclusion along with me, and who were giving me a platform to share my voice! I know that I wouldn’t be here today, nor Ablr, if it weren’t for you all – and no matter if I call you a member of our community, or an ally, know that you are a Friend!
As you are on your own accessibility journey, remember that it’s not something that happens overnight and you are going to experience ups and downs (just like marriage!), but know that the Ablr team and I are right by your side, and we couldn’t be happier that you chose us!
If you are interested in hearing more about the early days of LCI Tech (if you know what I’m talking about here, you’ve been with us for a while!) and Ablr, check out our podcast, Access Granted, hosted by my partner and friend, Mike Iannelli! And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn to stay on top of all the cool things going on with the team!