InclusionHub

Since her deaf diagnosis at just five months old, Amy Wood, Manager, Accessible Events, has shown resilience and determination in a hearing world. Discover how she's incorporated her commitment to inclusivity and accessibility into her career, and learn more about the just-published Accessibility Guide to Dreamforce: https://sforce.co/3TjIPem

Are you heading to this year’s Dreamforce? As part of Salesforce's continued efforts to make the tech world more accessible, Dreamforce 2024 will include several important initiatives: • All buildings will be fully accessible • An accessibility shuttle will be available for moving between buildings • 3 Quiet Zones have been created to alleviate sensory overload • A large number of accessibility staff trained in social etiquette will be present to assist, including sighted escorts and help desk professionals • All keynotes and breakout sessions will feature closed captioning • Plus more! To prepare for the roughly 180,000 attendees who will be in San Francisco from Sept. 17 to 19 for the event, Salesforce has created its Accessible Guide to Dreamforce. This digital resource is designed to answer a wide range of accessibility questions and provide a preview of available accommodations. It’s written in the first person to emphasize the very unique and individual way disabilities impact a person’s conference experience. #a11y #Accessibility #Inclusion #Dreamforce2024 Salesforce Accessibility Image Description: An image of people at the Dreamforce Disability Help Desk.

Salesforce has prepared to make Dreamforce 2024, its annual global tech conference in San Francisco, the tech company’s most accessible to date. The cloud-based customer relationship management software company has experienced a truly transformative accessibility journey throughout its 25-year history leading up to this year’s Dreamforce. Dreamforce 2024 participants living with disabilities can anticipate numerous accommodations, including, among others: -Mobility Device Charging Stations -Sighted Escorts & Other Accessibility Staff -A Quiet Space Designed to Alleviate Sensory Overload & Offer Relaxation -Guided Tours to Assist With Finding Key Locations -Accessible Shuttles Between Buildings -Meals Mindful of Food Allergies and Sensitivities #Salesforce has experienced quite the accessibility journey throughout the past 25 years, with many more ups than downs, and remains committed to helping resolve inaccessibility in the professional world far into the future. Let's revisit some of the biggest accessibility developments at Salesforce across the years. #a11y #Accessibility #DigitalInclusion #Dreamforce2024 Salesforce Accessibility Image Description: A group of people holding a banner celebrating 25 years of accessibility at Salesforce.

We're thrilled to announce that Point of Pride is in the running to present at SXSW 2025, but we need YOUR help to make it happen! 🏳️⚧️ Vote now – it takes less than a minute! https://lnkd.in/ewZX-CEV 🏳️⚧️ Please like/share this post with your network! Thank you for your support!

How well do you know the history of the disability rights movement? In the United States, July 26 is recognized annually as National Disability Independence Day, commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in 1990. The landmark legislation has served as a de facto bill of rights for Americans with disabilities by assuring their access to economic and civic opportunities. Its passage represented an unprecedented bipartisan effort to acknowledge the centuries of discrimination suffered by the disability community, and a fundamental change to how they live their lives. The story of the ADA remains a significant chapter in U.S. history and the ongoing struggle for disability rights. On the 34th anniversary of this important civil rights law’s passage, let’s take a closer look at its origins and how it has changed the lives of so many for the better. #a11y #Accessibility #ADA #DigitalInclusion

We’re thrilled to be recognized as one of the ‘Best Places To Work for Disability Inclusion’ in four countries this year — but we’re just scraping the surface of the work we need to do. We’re continuing to make progress toward our North Star of making Salesforce the most accessible company in the world by cultivating the most inclusive work environment. Disability:IN Salesforce Accessibility

📢 Save The Date: July 9th from 12-1pm EST for upcoming webinar, Disability Inclusion and Accessible Marketing 101 Hosted by Disability:IN and American Marketing Association, Catherine Nichols will be discussing the importance of inclusive marketing and communications alongside guest speakers. Register for free: https://lnkd.in/ejdqxwNN

For World MS Day on May 30, Abilityforce, Salesforce's business resource group for professionals with disabilities, wanted to “do something big,” remembers Matt Nesci, a customer success manager at the cloud-based software company. In tandem with the National MS Society, they hosted an event with several Salesforce employees sharing their experiences with MS and how it affects their professional lives. They told their diagnosis stories guided by the mantra, “My MS is my MS,” highlighting the unique ways MS manifests for each person. This culminated with Salesforce Tower—the tallest building in San Francisco—being lit orange, a color deeply connected to the MS community. Nesci becomes emotional thinking about the impression this left, particularly on a family who happened to walk by when orange light bathed the 1,070-foot building. “They were so moved by it that they went out and took a picture,” he says. “I'm tearing up just talking about it. They took a picture of the tower and I'm like, ‘My God.’ You don't think it would have an impact like that.” #a11y #Accessibility #Inclusion #MS #MSWorldDay Image Description: A Salesforce mascot standing and holding an a11y flag on a field of blue.

With more than 150,000 customers worldwide, Salesforce recognizes the vital role that trained professionals play in leveraging the cloud-based CRM for their organizations. It's why, in 2020, Salesforce Accessibility took a significant step forward with the launch of Workforce Navigators. This initiative is designed to support the employment of people with disabilities, ensuring that everyone has the tools and opportunities to thrive. “We operate in what we call a hub and spoke model,” explains Workforce Navigator Program Manager Sarah Mark, MA. “Rather than owning accessibility in product, we aim to influence all aspects of the company. We're trying to impact every aspect of a career seeker’s journey on their way to being a Salesforce admin or developer.” Mark spoke about overcoming the disability employment gap and more in a recent interview with InclusionHub. #a11y #Accessibility #Inclusion #DEI Image Description: A Salesforce mascot standing and holding an a11y flag on a field of blue.

This Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), InclusionHub is celebrating inclusive design in partnership with Salesforce Accessibility! Salesforce ensures accessibility is prioritized at the beginning of the design process with its “shift left” approach to product development. This approach reduces the barriers professionals with disabilities might encounter when interfacing with a product. Derek Featherstone, Vice President of Product Accessibility & Inclusive Design at Salesforce, recently spoke with Jeffrey Howard at InclusionHub about the company's ongoing quest to develop accessibility-first products and services. Featherstone advocates for meaningful engagement of people with disabilities throughout the design process, rejecting the outdated practice of only conducting post-development usability studies. Salesforce's proactive inclusive design strategy involves extensive initial research to understand user experiences, continuously consulting people with disabilities, and integrating accessibility testing at every stage. Despite progress, Featherstone warns against complacency, emphasizing the ongoing need to include diverse disability perspectives and challenge assumptions in design—in every phase. #a11y #Accessibility #DigitalInclusion #InclusiveDesign #GAAD #GAAD2024 GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) Foundation Image Description: A pair of designers working on an inclusive design system on a giant computer screen.