‘Accessibility for 50% and the 1/10’
Catharine McNally is the accessibility lead at Phase2. McNally lost her hearing to meningitis at 8 months old and has been a technology pioneer since receiving one of the first cochlear implants as part of FDA clinical trials in 1986. Instead of being defeated by a world of barriers and separation, McNally developed opportunities for inclusion in all aspects of her life. This transferred naturally to the digital experience, where her career has been in creating mainstream accessible experiences starting with her startup that led her to being featured in Washingtonian Magazine’s Tech Titans: People to Watch, invitation to the first-ever, Twitter Town Hall with Jack Dorsey and then-President Obama, and recipient of the American Association of People with Disabilities Leadership Award. Ten years ago McNally transitioned to a digital agency where she leads the accessibility efforts for design, UX, development product management, and QA. McNally’s goal and priority is to get accessibility to scale among all of our partners in the digital space, so that the teachings, principles and best practices continue to extend beyond her leadership. McNally’s experience and guidance has led to numerous conference invitations including a keynote address in Australia, along with publications in Fast Company and UX Collective.
