
Teaching
I teach curricula on accessibility design in industry and academia, informed by my work at the NYU Ability Project and IAAP certification. I’ve taught at places such as New York University, Hunter College, and the Maryland School for the Blind.

Curricula
Multisensory Design Course
10.20.2022 – 12.8.2022
Expanded to 14 weeks, coming Fall 2023
NYU ITP

In this class, we took a multisensory approach to design that makes interfaces more accessible to disabled and nondisabled users. Students learned how to design for the senses (think tactile controls combined with atmospheric sounds and olfactory or taste experiences), while they gained an understanding of the assumptions we make about our users’ sensory preferences.
→ Go to Multisensory Design Class Website
Tactile Still Life Drawing Workshop
5.17.2022 – 6.11.2022
Andrew Heiskell Braille
& Talking Book Library
Twitter NYC

In this hands-on nonvisual drawing workshop, we arranged still life scenes using 3D touch objects. We explored tactile drawing techniques, such as continuous line and negative space, using Sensational Blackboards, ball point pens, and computer paper.

Nonvisual Soldering Workshop
2.28.2020 – 3.1.2020
NYU ITP

Seeking to learn how we can design curricula to increase access to learning soldering non-visually, we designed and evaluated a nonvisual soldering curriculum with a three-day workshop led by the founder of the Blind Arduino Project, Dr. Joshua Miele.
Nonvisual Arduino Workshop
12.19.2019
Andrew Heiskell Braille
& Talking Book Library

We taught a nonvisual Arduino workshop which revealed the complexities of designing textual descriptions and tactile graphics for Blind Arduino workflows. The findings led to design recommendations for future accessible electronics learning materials.
Museum Accessibility Design Course
1.30.2020 – 5.7.2020
New York University
Co-taught a course with Dr. Amy Hurst and Dr. Anita Perr, led reading discussion sessions, assisted with homework assignments and grading, and mentored final project for team that addressed accessibility of artifacts behind glass.
Intro to Tactile Design Workshop
08.22.2019 – 1.29.2020
A11y NYC
frog
NYC Media Lab Summit 2019
NYU DesignLab
Hunter College

Promoted inclusive design and accessibility awareness by framing tactile design as a useful collaborative tool and use case, provided hands-on experience by inviting attendees to design and produce their own tactile designs using microcapsule paper and a fuser.


DIY Tactile Design Workshop
04.29.2020 – 08.16.2020
NYU Ability Project
NYU IDM
NYU ITP
Andrew Heiskell Braille
& Talking Book Library
Maryland School for the Blind

No longer having access to NYU’s microcapsule fuser, we covered alternative tactile graphic design techniques using found materials to create Do It Yourself tactiles at home. We pressed pencils into paper on top of cutting boards to create reverse tactile graphics and scissors, glue, found objects, and hot glue to create raised collages.
Talks
axe-con
March 15, 2023
Maker/Space: a DIY, Accessible Workflow for Tactile Graphics Used in Zero-Gravity Flight
At axe-con 2023, we invite attendees to reimagine and reclaim tactile graphics as a fully accessible community practice open to people of all backgrounds and budgets. New York Public Library’s Dimensions lab hosted crew from Astro Access to develop a system of tactile symbols that communicate critical information during zero-gravity flight. We’ll introduce you to the Dimensions open lab model, accessible workflows for rapid iteration of graphics, collaborative flows that bridge gaps in access to CAD software, and how to cultivate and support Blind designers.
Council for Museum Anthropology Virtual Symposium
March 25 – 26, 2022
Designing, Producing, and Preserving Accessible Touch Objects for Museums
At CMA 2022, we shared our research developing new approaches to safely providing accessible content to visitors, as traditional solutions were being phased out during Covid-19. We defined the properties of a high-quality touch object and outlined the best practices for their safe handling, ensuring access for visitors who learn best through their sense of touch.
PastForward 2021
November 2 – 5, 2021
BYOAD (Bring Your Own Accessible Device)
Shared our work developing accessible and multi-sensory visitor experiences at museums and historic sites across the U.S. at PastForward 2021. We discussed how personal mobile devices and auditory, tactile, and smell experiences can remove barriers to information access.
Museum Computer Network (MCN) 2020
November 10 – 19, 2020
Touch and Multi-sensory Experiences: Developing Safe and Inclusive Practices During Covid-19
For MCN 2020, we described our efforts to better understand the challenges and opportunities for sustaining and expanding tactile objects in museums through conducting interviews with 15 museum access specialists from museums ranging in size and location. We discussed the responses from six accessibility experts who identified as blind or low vision to the museums current practices.
Carnegie Mellon HCI Institute
October 5, 2020
HCII Access Seminar Soldering Panel
I spoke on a panel of Blind Arduino Project soldering practitioners about community collaboration for making and research. We shared how building rapport within Blind making and academic research was critical to offering non-visual skill-building opportunities to community partners.