Neel Mehta
Frances West, currently head of IBM‘s Human Ability and Accessibility Center, has been appointed as the company’s first-ever chief accessibility officer.
West will lead IBM’s collaborative efforts with government, business and academic organizations to support inclusive technology policies and standards in her new position, IBM said Tuesday.
“We believe that technology can bridge individual differences, enable a diverse pool of talent in the workplace and improve lives,” West said.
“We are at a crossroads where we can begin to personalize every experience and integrate technology in ways that will be very powerful,” she added.
She will also coordinate with IBM organizations that work to deliver assistive technology products for the aging population and people with disabilities.
West serves as a board member at the World Institute on Disability, an advisor to the National Business and Disability Council and as a trustee for the National Braille Press.
