Skip to content
iQ 360
An integrated communications agency
360
  • Home
  • Our Work
  • Capabilities
  • About
  • Join Us
  • Blog
  • Contact
We build + protect reputations

iQ Interview Series: Omar Bonilla on Accessible Design (Part 1)

12.07.22 | by iQ Staff
  • Share via
Creative, Insights
  • Share via

iQ 360’s Interview Series asks leaders in our network to share their experiences, expertise and insights on the future of communications.

Senior accessibility product designer Omar Bonilla is passionate about making tech work for people with disabilities. He shared his thoughts on accessible design and what corporate communicators should prioritize to reach all stakeholders effectively in this two-part interview series.

 

How did you get into this field?

I began as an intern in web accessibility at Western Governors University, which is a primarily distance-based school. I had finished a technical undergrad program and had been looking for that first opportunity to put it into practice. I had never heard of web accessibility before, but it was a perfect fit for me because I have family members with disabilities and being able to apply my skills towards improving the digital experience for people with disabilities has come to be challenging and rewarding for me.

 

How would you define accessibility?

Accessibility, to me, is the practice of placing people with disabilities on the same level playing field as non-disabled people through equitable hiring practices, inclusive research and design strategies, and by shifting accessibility up the chain as far as possible.

 

Why is accessibility important?

People with disabilities are the single largest minority group in the United States, yet often do not get the same visibility as other minority groups. In addition, the way we have designed our physical and digital environments has not placed sufficient emphasis on the disabled experience, and as such people with disabilities find themselves without meaningful access to resources that allow them to live full and independent lives – not because of their disability but because we simply did not design a space that accounted for that disability.

 

How do you address pushback from people who are hesitant about adopting accessibility?

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” This Teddy Roosevelt quote sums up a lot of what it means to be an accessibility professional. Advocating for accessibility requires a balance between having a deeply collaborative mindset in which you take into account the needs and pressures of multiple stakeholders at various seniority levels within a company, and also having the ability to be firm when required in order to call out instances in which design practices are inherently discriminatory, or when pointing out that inaccessible designs leave companies open to risk of lawsuits from people with disabilities and advocacy groups. Which approach to take depends heavily on the situation at hand.

Depending on your organization, you may be a part of a dedicated accessibility team that can carry out larger initiatives such as rethinking brand colors or having staff on hand to directly consult on designs or to test products for accessibility. In this kind of environment, you might enjoy more direct decision-making power. Other times you may quite literally be the only person dedicated to accessibility, and you’ll have to wear many more hats and you’ll have to find more indirect ways to influence decisions. In both scenarios you need the ability to find deficiencies, identify the solutions for them, and get the necessary buy-in to execute on those changes. Each organization is unique, and an approach that works at one may not work at another.

 

Stay tuned to our blog for part two, where Omar will provide short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations for business to become more accessible.

  • Share via

Top Picks for You


December 14, 2022

iQ interview Series: Omar Bonilla on Accessible Design (Part 2) →

February 16, 2022

Four Signs Your Website Needs an Update →

Post navigation

 Welcome iQ 360’s New Senior Digital Designer, Anna Fong
iQ interview Series: Omar Bonilla on Accessible Design (Part 2) 

Categories

C-Suite
Tactics & Tips
Visual Communication
iQ Insights

Must Reads

October 27, 2018

Consistency Matters: Why You Need a Brand Style Guide →

December 5, 2018

Is Your Website Outdated? 4 Signs Your Website Design Needs a Refresh →

October 29, 2018

How to Design an Infographic Worth Sharing →

Stay in the know with our quarterly newsletter
Loading...
iQ 360

We believe in the power of communication to change the world

808.536.2729
Privacy Policy | ©2023 iQ 360 Inc. All rights reserved.
We are a certified minority- and woman-owned business.
iQ 360

We believe in the power of communication to change the world

808.536.2729
Privacy Policy
©2023 iQ 360 Inc. All rights reserved.

We are a certified minority- and woman-owned business.

Privacy Policy

Last updated on June 5, 2018.

 

This privacy policy explains our collection, use, disclosure, retention, and protection of personal information collected through our website, www.iq360inc.com (the “Website”).

 

  1. Information We Collect

We collect personally identifiable information about you, including your name, email address, and phone number, when you send an inquiry to us on the contact form on the Website.

 

  1. How We Use Your Information

We will use your information only to respond to you regarding the reason you contacted us. We will contact you by the means by that you have consented to us contacting you, as you indicate when you submit an inquiry to us via the Website.  We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization.  We do not send any promotional emails; however, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about changes to this privacy policy.

 

  1. Cookies

 

  1. Storage of Information

Personally identifiable information that you submit to us via the Website is processed and stored, if at all, in the United States.  We will not keep your personal data for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.  We determine the retention period based on the purpose for which the information was obtained, our legal obligations, and our technical and business requirements. 

 

  1. Your Access to and Control Over Information

You have the right to opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You may do the following at any time by contacting us via info@iq360.inc.com or 808-536-2729:

  • See what data we have about you, if any.
  • Change/correct any data we have about you.
  • Have us delete any data we have about you.
  • Express any concern you have about our use of your data or if you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy.

  

  1. Security

We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the Website, your information is protected both online and offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

 

  1. Updates to This Statement

This privacy policy may be subject to updates.  Any material future changes or additions to the processing of personal information as described in this privacy policy affecting you will be communicated to you through an appropriate channel.  For example, we may email you to let you know about updates to the privacy policy.

 

 

Subscribe

Emails collected through this form will be used for marketing and business updates. We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to information that you voluntarily give us. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone. You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website. Please see our privacy policy for full details.