Can AI help make accessibility more inclusive without replacing the people at its heart?

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe is joined by Lucy Collins, Managing Director of Web Usability and founder of CollectivA11y, to explore how artificial intelligence can help organisations embed accessibility and inclusive thinking much earlier in the design and development process.

Drawing on more than two decades of user research experience, Lucy shares the story behind CollectivA11y and why it was created to address one of the biggest barriers facing organisations today: making meaningful accessibility and usability research achievable at scale. She explains why the platform is built on ethically sourced lived experience, why AI should AMPLIFY rather than replace disabled people, and how it can encourage better conversations before products ever reach real users.

We discuss the importance of shifting accessibility "left", the relationship between usability and accessibility, the risks of relying on compliance and audits alone, and why curiosity, empathy and better language are essential if we want organisations to move beyond fear and create genuinely inclusive digital experiences.

The conversation also explores the opportunities and challenges presented by generative AI, synthetic users, inclusive research, and how emerging technologies could help create more personalised and accessible experiences for everyone when used responsibly.

Whether you're an accessibility specialist, UX researcher, designer, developer, product manager, founder or digital leader, this episode offers practical insights into balancing innovation with lived experience and keeping people at the centre of accessibility.

Connect with Lucy Collins

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucycollinsuk/

Web Usability: https://www.webusability.co.uk/

CollectivA11y: https://collectivally.com/

Connect with Joe James

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeajames/

Website: www.PCRDigital.co.uk

The Digital Accessibility Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thedigitalaccessibilitypodcast

Follow The Digital Accessibility Podcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67GtTL7QI7i9ZdbTqPK49g?si=cbe79a7b518b4440

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-digital-accessibility-podcast/id1689400288

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PCRDigital

What does it really mean to experience the digital world without sight?

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe James is joined by Paul Bepey, Accessibility Lead at PwC UK, to explore digital accessibility through the perspective of someone who has been blind since birth.

Paul describes himself as a visual thinker, challenging many of the assumptions people make about blindness and demonstrating that accessibility is about far more than simply meeting technical standards. Drawing on decades of lived experience alongside his professional expertise, he shares how inclusive design can transform the way organisations build products, services and digital experiences.

We discuss the importance of designing WITH people rather than FOR people, why empathy and curiosity are essential skills for accessibility professionals, and how organisations can move beyond compliance to create experiences that genuinely work for everyone.

The conversation also explores the exciting opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, wearable technology and the future of assistive technology, alongside Paul's thoughts on resilience, humour, innovation and why diverse perspectives are critical to creating better products.

Whether you're an accessibility specialist, UX designer, developer, product manager, digital leader or someone beginning their accessibility journey, this episode offers practical insights and a fresh perspective on what true inclusion really looks like.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbepey/

PwC UK: https://www.pwc.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeajames/

Website: www.PcrDigital.co.uk

The Digital Accessibility Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thedigitalaccessibilitypodcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67GtTL7QI7i9ZdbTqPK49g?si=cbe79a7b518b4440

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-digital-accessibility-podcast/id1689400288

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PCRDigital

The Digital Accessibility Podcast – Ted Drake

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe is joined by Ted Drake, Global Head of Accessibility and Inclusive Design at Intuit, where he leads accessibility strategy across products used by millions of people worldwide.

Ted shares his journey into accessibility, from building websites in the early 2000s with no formal coding background to becoming one of the most respected accessibility leaders in the industry. He reflects on how curiosity, creativity, and a passion for inclusive experiences helped shape his career and approach to leadership.

Throughout the conversation, we explore what it really takes to embed accessibility at scale inside a global technology organisation, and how accessibility leaders can influence culture, product development, and long-term business strategy.

We also discuss the rapidly evolving role of AI in accessibility, including both the opportunities it creates and the risks the industry and its users needs to be aware of moving forward.

We discuss:

• A non-traditional path into accessibility: How Ted transitioned from a fine art background into digital accessibility and inclusive design.
• Accessibility at scale: What it takes to embed accessibility across product, engineering, design, and organisational culture.
• Inclusive design leadership: Why accessibility should be viewed as a business and human-centered strategy, not simply compliance.
• Driving organisational change: How to influence teams, build momentum, and sustain accessibility practices inside large companies.
• AI and accessibility: The opportunities artificial intelligence presents for improving accessibility, alongside the potential risks and ethical considerations.
• The future of accessibility: Ted’s perspective on where the industry is heading and the importance of continuing to evolve accessibility practices alongside technology.

Ted also shares valuable insight into the importance of persistence, collaboration, and maintaining a strong focus on the real people accessibility is designed to support.

Follow Ted Drake:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/draket/

Website: https://www.last-child.com/

Follow Joe James:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeajames/

Twitter (X): @A11yJoe

PCR Website: www.pcrdigital.com

Resource links:

Your undivided Attention Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/4KI3PtZaWJbAWK89vgttoU?si=36e3beefc3ba49a9

Little, Yellow, Different, Ernie Hsiung:

https://www.littleyellowdifferent.com/

The Digital Accessibility Podcast – Becks Brindley

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe is joined by Becks Brindley, Digital Accessibility Lead at NatWest, who leads accessibility strategy across one of the UK’s largest banking organisations.

This episode introduces a slightly different format, with Becks also turning the tables to ask Joe questions! Creating a more open, two-way conversation that explores both in-house accessibility leadership and the external hiring landscape.

Becks shares how accessibility has been part of her journey from the very beginning, from learning to code with accessibility in mind to now leading strategy at scale. She reflects on the importance of challenging the status quo, influencing stakeholders, and keeping accessibility grounded in its core purpose... utilising technology to enable people.

We discuss:

• A career shaped by accessibility: How early exposure to accessible coding influenced Becks’ mindset and career path.
• Challenging the status quo: Building confidence to push back on inaccessible practices.
• Accessibility as a mindset: Why it should be embedded into everyday thinking, not treated as a task.
• Leading at scale: The realities of driving accessibility across a large organisation.
• Engaging stakeholders: Practical ways to start conversations and influence change.
• A two-way perspective: Insights into hiring, team building, and what good looks like across the industry.

Becks also highlights that real progress in accessibility comes from persistence and continuous improvement and not perfection.

Follow Becks Brindley:

• LinkedIn: Becks Brindley LinkedIn

Follow Joe James:

• LinkedIn: Joe James LinkedIn
• Twitter (X): A11yJoe on X
• YouTube: PCR Digital YouTube

Visit PCR Digital:

• PCR Digital Website

The Digital Accessibility Podcast – Jane Abbott (Episode 26)

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe welcomes back Jane Abbott, Managing Director of PCR Digital and Founder of Welldone Consulting, a new consultancy dedicated to Mobile App Accessibility.

Jane returns to the podcast to discuss why mobile accessibility now demands its own specialist focus, and how years spent recruiting accessibility talent, advising organisations, and working closely with designers and engineers led her to launch Welldone Consulting. With deep insight into both the commercial realities of product teams and the practical challenges of accessibility delivery, Jane offers a grounded, strategic view of where mobile accessibility is today — and where it needs to go next.

We discuss:

• From recruitment to consultancy: How Jane’s long-standing work in web and digital accessibility highlighted a growing gap in mobile expertise, and why a consultancy model is the right next step.
• Why mobile accessibility is different: The key differences between web and native mobile accessibility, including platform-specific considerations across iOS and Android.
• What makes Welldone Consulting different: A focused, specialist approach to mobile accessibility, faster turnaround times, clearer commercial alignment, and hands-on expertise rather than generic audit-only services.
• Barriers faced by teams: The most common challenges product managers, designers, and engineers face when trying to build accessible mobile apps — from skills gaps to organisational mindset.
• The future of mobile accessibility: Jane’s vision for how mobile accessibility should mature, and what needs to change for inclusive mobile experiences to become the norm rather than the exception.

Jane also shares why mobile accessibility shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought or a checkbox, but as a core part of building high-quality, inclusive digital products for a global audience.

Follow Jane Abbott:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeabbott/

Follow Joe James:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeajames/
• Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/A11yJoe
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PCRDigital

Visit PCR Digital:

• https://www.pcrdigital.com/

The Digital Accessibility Podcast – Matt Roberts

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe is joined by Matt Roberts, a designer, design leader, and accessibility advocate whose lived experience has profoundly shaped his approach to inclusive design.

As a colourblind designer, Matt brings a personal and practical perspective to accessibility, challenging the idea that inclusion is a constraint on creativity. Throughout his career, spanning hands-on design roles and senior leadership positions, he has consistently embedded accessibility into design thinking, team culture, and decision-making.

We discuss:

• A personal journey into accessibility: Matt’s path into design, how discovering accessibility changed his perspective, and how lived experience has influenced his professional values.
• Designing with colourblindness: The real-world challenges of colour-reliant design systems, what often gets overlooked, and how designing beyond colour benefits everyone.
• Accessibility by design, not retrofit: Why accessibility works best when it’s embedded from the very start of the design process, and how early decisions shape inclusive outcomes.
• Leadership and influence: How moving into leadership roles creates opportunities to scale accessibility across teams, and why mindset matters as much as tooling.
• Pushback and misconceptions: Common myths around accessibility, creativity, time, and budget, and how Matt reframes these conversations with stakeholders.
• Practical advice for designers: Small, achievable steps designers can take today to make their work more inclusive, even without specialist tools or large budgets.

Matt also reflects on why accessibility should be seen as a core design skill, not a niche specialism, and how empathy, awareness, and better design choices can lead to more inclusive digital experiences for everyone.

Follow Matt Roberts:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattrobertsdesign/

Follow Joe James:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeajames/
• Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/A11yJoe
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PCRDigital

Visit PCR Digital:

• https://www.pcrdigital.com/

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe is joined by Tanya Van Workum and Jan Jaap De Groot of ABRA, a mobile accessibility consultancy based in the Netherlands.

With deep experience across iOS and Android accessibility, Tanya and Jan Jaap share how their backgrounds in design, development, and lived experience have shaped ABRA’s mission to make mobile apps genuinely usable for everyone.

Together, we explore what good mobile accessibility really looks like in practice, why it’s still so often overlooked, and how teams can move beyond compliance toward meaningful inclusion.

We discuss:

• Building ABRA: How Tanya and Jan Jaap came together to form a mobile-first accessibility consultancy, and why they chose to specialise exclusively in iOS and Android.
• Why mobile accessibility is different: The unique challenges of touch interfaces, gestures, screen readers, and platform-specific behaviours that are often misunderstood by teams.
• From audits to empowerment: Why accessibility audits alone aren’t enough, and how education, collaboration, and developer confidence are key to long-term impact.
• Designers, developers, and responsibility: Where accessibility ownership should sit, and how cross-functional teams can work better together.
• The human side of accessibility: How working closely with disabled users changes perspectives, priorities, and product decisions.
• Common myths and mistakes: Including a few surprising misconceptions about mobile accessibility that Tanya and Jan Jaap see time and time again.

We also touch on how organisations can embed accessibility earlier in the product lifecycle, what “good enough” really means in mobile accessibility, and why curiosity and humility matter just as much as technical knowledge.

Follow ABRA:

Website: https://www.abra.ai

Connect with the guests:

Tanya Van Workum (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-van-workum/

Jan Jaap De Groot (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-jaap/

Follow Joe James:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeajames/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/A11yJoe

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PCRDigital

Visit PCR Digital:

https://www.pcrdigital.com/

The Digital Accessibility Podcast – David Sloan

In this episode of The Digital Accessibility Podcast, Joe is joined by David Sloan, Chief Accessibility Officer at TPGi/Vispero, and one of the most respected voices in inclusive design and digital accessibility research.

With decades of experience across academia, consultancy, and industry, David shares his perspective on the evolution of accessibility; from its early roots in user research to its growing importance within business strategy and product design.

We discuss:

• A lifetime in accessibility: David’s journey from academia at the University of Dundee to joining TPGi in the U.S., and what continues to inspire his work in digital inclusion.
• Research and real-world impact: How evidence-based approaches and user research can drive better accessibility outcomes, and why empathy alone simply isn’t enough.
• Accessibility maturity: The practical stages organisations go through on their accessibility journey, and how leadership and accountability shape lasting progress.
• Inclusive design culture: The role of education, mentoring, and community in building accessibility capability across teams and industries.
• The future of accessibility: How emerging technologies like AI and automation could support, or hinder, accessibility, and where the human touch remains vital.

David also reflects on the ongoing need for cross-industry collaboration and openness, highlighting how knowledge-sharing within the accessibility community can create a lasting culture of inclusion.

Follow David Sloan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sloandr/

Follow Joe James:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeajames/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/A11yJoe

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PCRDigital

Visit PCR Digital:

https://www.pcrdigital.com/