User Testing & Accessibility

Community: Civic Tech, IncluCity & The Test Tribe

Time: 7-7:45pm Expected #: 20+

Title:

Rethinking “Build Now, Test Later” Embedding Inclusive Design with User Testing and Accessibility

Event Description:

User Testing and Accessibility are a core aspect of the design of modern services and yet are increasingly done at the end of projects or as an afterthought. This creates challenges and barriers for people with diverse backgrounds and needs, especially when attempting to access and use products and services. As technology becomes more essential, so does the need to improve user designs by embedding inclusive design into products and services while considering equity and diversity.

Join our panel discussion where we will discuss experiences working in user testing and accessibility, providing insights into how you can contribute to the efforts to make services more accessible. Hosted by Ross Plattel from CivicTechYYC with panelists Uriel Karerwa from IncluCity Calgary, Paula Madeira from the City of Calgary, and Lavanya Mohan and Kate Bazunova from The Test Tribe.

Panelists Details:

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Link to Bios and Headshots⁠

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Ross Plattel is the lead organiser with CivicTechYYC a local Calgary volunteer group that is focused on engaging with Calgarians and driving volunteer lead projects and initiatives, creating movements, volunteer organisations, and not-for-profits. CivicTechYYC hosts events showcasing organisations, initiatives, governments, and partners to promote technology for good efforts.

Ross has a background in urban systems, the technology industry, the educational delivery industry, and the startup ecosystem. As urban technologist Ross works to create awareness of the benefits of new technology and with a focus on human centered experience and implementation. Ross has worked on advocating for accessibility of software and urban systems in both professionally and as a volunteer capacities, to help improve accessibility across the Education, Legal, and Urban Sectors though procurement process, audits, and software development.

Uriel Karerwa is the Program Manager at Inclucity Calgary. Uriel has a Neuroscience background, Research Operations (ReOps) and project management skill sets, and considers himself a nerd for Inclusive UX Research strategies.

IncluCity aims to amplify diverse and underrepresented voices in the design of better technology by including diverse testers in UX research. Most recently IncluCity and the City of Calgary have completed a pilot project aimed at increasing digital equity by including more diverse voices in user testing.

Paula Deschamps is a UX Architect at the City of Calgary and brings to the table good experience in UX research and strategy. She has a bachelor's degree in International Relations and has worked for major companies before, which gave her a good understanding of business, and is committed to user-centric design. She volunteers for Calgary UX and IncluCity, and is an enthusiast for accessibility and inclusion. As a newcomer, Paula values listening to diverse voices, believing that understanding user needs is pivotal in crafting superior products and services.

Lavanya Mohan is a software professional with experience in software testing and development. In her current role as a Director of QA at Neo Financial, she is responsible for leading test strategies across the organisation. Her focus is on leadership and building high performance teams that help ship quality products which delight customers. She has given talks and conducted workshops at conferences and occasionally blogs at

https://lavanyamohan.hashnode.dev/⁠

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Kate Bazunova, currently a Business System Analyst at Winsport (Canada Olympic Park), has made a significant shift from quality assurance to a more expansive technology role. With over six years in software testing, her expertise covers various sectors such as e-commerce and telecom. In addition to her professional achievements, she has a background in entrepreneurship, adding a unique business perspective to her technical expertise.

Registration Link:

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https://www.meetup.com/civictechyyc-tech-for-good/events/298246529/⁠

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https://www.meetup.com/the-test-tribe-calgary-meetup/events/298329553/⁠

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