19. Digital Accessibility with Shilpi Kapoor: My Journey to Breaking Barriers

Since she was a child, Shilpi Kapoor has always been an independent spirit that has defied conformity and taking paths of least resistance. This plus her equally altruistic spirit and drive for universal accessibility, has led her to break barriers of incredible impact.

In this conversation, Shilpi talks about what it was like growing up in Mumbai in the 1980's, her struggles with school, and the role her father played in helping to develop her love for coding and technology; opens up about some early entrepreneurial ventures and one of her biggest "failings," a life-changing experience during a data hacking internship that led her to starting a computer training center for the blind, and her pivot to digital accessibility testing and starting the still-thriving BarrierBreak in 2004; and dives into critical dialog on the ubiquity and universality of accessibility, how it shows up everywhere in both the digital and physical world, and the immense benefits it provides to everyone regardless of ability.

Throughout, Shilpi illustrates how vital exposure is for changing attitudes and dismantling stigma, the power constant evolution can have on realizing great impact, and why it's so important to not always take the normal path in life.

ResourcesBarrierBreak

BarrierBreak is the leader in offshore Digital Accessibility testing and consulting based in India, founded in the year 2004 with a strong belief that technology can empower people with disabilities and elderly to live independently.

Newz Hook

Disability News - media site focusing on Disability Stories and Changing Attitudes towards Disability globally. We highlight disability news, offer inclusive solutions and create accessible collaborations. Our focus is to have Inclusion Champions from across the globe who will share disability stories and news.

247 Accessible Documents

The 247 Portal is a versatile platform that offers cost-effective solutions for accessible document remediation and testing to meet Section 508 and ADA compliance.

American Association of People with Disabilities

The American Association of People with Disabilities works to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

As a national disability-led and cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for over 60 million Americans with disabilities. We do this by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation.

Their scholarship program places students with all types of disabilities in paid summer internships with Congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area.

Newz Hook247 Accessible DocumentsAmerican Association of People with Disabilities