59: Accessibility with Bela Gaytan

In this episode, I chat with my teammate at Pantheon, Bela Gaytan, about accessibility - not only how to create more accessible experiences for our learners but also some common misconceptions about accessibility - such as what is a disability? And can we make something 100% accessible?

Known for her authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability, Bela Gaytan (she/her) unapologetically disrupts spaces to create change.  She leverages her lived experiences and intersectional identities as a neurodivergent, queer, physically disabled Latina to educate folks on disability, accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and equity.

She is a Technical Instructional Designer at Pantheon (https://pantheon.io) on the Customer Education team with Heidi Kirby (yay), as well as the co-lead of Pantheon’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group and an active member of the DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) task force.  She also works as the Community and Social Media Manager for The eLearning Designer’s Academy (https://elearningacademy.io) with her mentor, Tim Slade.  In her free time, she is a WordPress Web Developer, a fierce DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) advocate, speaker, and coach.

You can connect with Bela on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/belagaytan), Twitter (https://twitter.com/belagaytan), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/belagaytan), Medium (https://belagaytan.medium.com), or on her website (https://belagaytan.com) where you can sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on cool crap! :)

Bela's suggestion for learning more about accessibility:
Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM): (https://webaim.org/)

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

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