Massachusetts names digital accessibility and equity board members

The Massachusetts Digital Accessibility and Equity Governance Board voted this week to confirm three members, following a public request from the state’s IT office for member applications.

The new members will over the next two years inform the state’s Executive Office of Technology Services and Security of where accessibility in policy, procurement and operations should be strengthened. The board is chaired by the Chief IT Accessibility Officer Ashley Bloom, who was was appointed in January.

One new board member is Larry Goldberg, who’s driven accessibility initiatives at Yahoo and the National Center for Accessible Media. He’s advised Apple and Google on multimedia accessibility. He founded the TeachAccess and XRAccess accessibility programs. According to the state’s announcement, he’s also contributed to international and federal accessibility policy, such as the 21st-Century Video and Communications Accessibility Act.

Another appointee, Minh Ha, chairs the accessibility task force at the Perkins School for the Blind. As a subject matter expert on disability and education, she’s served as president of ACB Blind Students Association, and advocated for individuals with disabilities and access to technology on a state and national level.

The third appointee is David Kingsbury, president of the Bay State Council of the Blind. He’s authored publications on assistive technology and web accessibility. He contributed his expertise to the creation of an accessible voting election ballot in Massachusetts.

“We were humbled to have received dozens of applications from highly qualified individuals who would make incredible additions to the Digital Equity and Accessibility Governance Board,” Massachusetts Chief Information Officer Jason Snyder said in a news release. “Ensuring the public has robust representation on the DAEGB means advancing the Healey-Driscoll priority of equity and inclusion, into the digital space, and we at EOTSS are honored to welcome our newest Board members.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey created the state’s digital accessibility board by executive order last summer on the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The order also established the office of the chief IT accessibility officer.

Since January, the board has been meeting regularly to develop a charter and advance digital accessibility priorities, according to the state’s announcement.