Speakers

Megan Hofmann

Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering

Northeastern University

Sarah Morrison-Smith

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Hamilton College

Cynthia Bennett

Cynthia Bennett is a distinguished human-computer interaction researcher, specializing in the impact of sociotechnical systems, including innovative AI-powered experiences, on individuals with disabilities. Her research findings serve as a foundation for inclusive and ethically-designed processes and experiences. Since September 2022, Cynthia has held the position of Senior Research Scientist within Google Research’s Responsible AI and Human Centered Technology organization. Prior to this role, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute and as a researcher at Apple, Inc. Cynthia obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering Department and has interned at Microsoft Research. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, earning a BA in Psychology with minors in African American Studies and Women’s Studies. Cynthia’s exceptional research contributions have garnered recognition, including funding from a Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Her co-authored papers presented at ACM’s ASSETS, CHI, and DIS conferences have received numerous awards, further showcasing her expertise and impact in the field.

Google, Senior Research Scientist

Harshadha Balasubramanian

Harshadha Balasubramanian is a doctoral candidate in the Centre for Digital Anthropology at UCL (UK). Harsha’s PhD project, funded by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership, explores the experiences of content creators designing non-visual access to virtual reality (VR) in London and Bristol. A defining feature of her research has been to foreground lived experience of disability and marginalised arts practices, such as Audio Description, to critically reimagine design practice, co-producing and sharing these ideas through VR projects, workshops, a visiting lectureship at the Royal College of Art, an internship at Microsoft Research, and a fellowship at the Critical Design Lab.

UCL, Doctoral Candidate in the Centre for Digital Anthropology

Erin Buehler, PhD

Erin Buehler (she/her) is a UX research manager in Google’s Product Inclusion, Equity, and Accessibility org. She leads a team of researchers exploring assistive technology and adaptive capabilities in support of accessibility. Before her time at Google, she worked on the accessibility and usability of the Facebook mobile app at Meta. Erin earned her PhD at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where she studied Do-It-Yourself assistive technology practices (e.g., 3D-printed prosthetics), technology hobbyist communities (e.g., makers), and the accessibility of education technology interfaces for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her areas of expertise are cognitive accessibility and telling jokes. Erin lives with her wife, dog, and ball python in the California Bay Area.

Google, UX Research Manager

Lilian de Greef

Lilian de Greef is a researcher at Apple, leveraging the power of machine learning to enhance accessibility in technology.  Her recent work has focused on non-visual accessibility; in particular, enhancing the capabilities of screen readers (a feature that many blind people use to non-visually access their phones, computers, and more). She worked on improving non-visual access to charts, like line charts and bar charts. Through this work, she informed the design of chart-related features in Apple products (including Audio Graphs and Swift Charts), and published talks and design guidelines for how developers can make their charts accessible. She also published a case study on developing an accessible workflow for collaborating on this data visualization-based project with blind and sighted colleagues. Another project was Screen Recognition, a feature now in Apple’s native screen reader. It helps provide access to otherwise inaccessible apps by running a screenshot through a computer vision model, which then infers necessary meta-data for screen readers. Lilian earned her PhD from the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington and her Bachelor’s degree from Harvey Mudd College. 

Apple, Researcher

Avery Mack

Avery Mack is a 4th year PhD student studying computer science at the University of Washington. Their research focuses on improving accessibility to technology, especially for people with fluctuating abilities, and improving representation of disabled people in technologies like generative AI and avatars.

University of Washington, Doctoral Candidate in Computer Science

Perrin Anto

Perrin Anto (He/Him) is a Senior UX Designer at Google Accessibility, leading a small yet mighty team for accessibility across Android, Pixel, and Google Research (AI/ML). He’s worked on some of the world’s most used assistive tech including Live Transcribe, Sound Notifications, Live Caption, Hearing Aid integrations, Sound Amplifier, and Project Relate while also driving broader UX strategy for TalkBack, Reading Mode, Display/Contrast Settings, Select to Speak, Voice Access, Accessibility Shortcuts, and more. Before jumping into assistive tech UX, he worked on accessibility implementation for Google Workspace and Google Cloud’s design system. 

Perrin studied Computer Science at Columbia University and participated in the Summer Venture in Management Program at Harvard Business School – special shoutout to Professors Sarah Morrison-Smith and Harry West for sharing the fields of accessibility and human-centered design. He comes from a low-income, first-generation, and disability-impacted household – his core mission has always been empowering people through emerging technologies. 

Google Accessibility, Senior UX Designer

Emma McDonnell

Emma McDonnell is a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate in Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington, working under the guidance of Dr. Leah Findlater. With a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Northwestern University, Emma’s research centers around accessible technology. Currently, their focus lies in exploring how technology can promote the adoption of more accessible communication norms within various groups. Emma is deeply passionate about enhancing accessibility through innovative technological solutions.

University of Washington, Human Centered Design and Engineering