Engineering the Future of Accessibility w/ Heather Dowdy of Netflix

In this episode, Chris is joined by Netflix’s Heather Dowdy for a conversation about her work in shifting the narratives that impact how people with disabilities and people of color with disabilities are received in our culture.

Heather is a child of deaf adults (CODA) who grew up on the south side of Chicago at the intersection of race, disability, socioeconomic status, and technology. She became an engineer and eventually the first director of product accessibility at Netflix. In that role, she sets strategy and helps her team use technology to innovate so they can delight members who have disabilities.

Chris and Heather explore:

• Heather's journey from Chicago to college and then Motorola, Microsoft, and now Netflix
• Her vision of the future, one where we all recognize that no two people and no two disabilities are alike but every person's needs are met
• What happens when a company's stated purpose and the demand for profit collide
• How Heather stays connected to her audience at Netflix to ensure she and her team are creating the most delightful experiences possible
• How we can use AI to unlock greater personalization to meet people's access needs and supplement their abilities

And much more!