Episode 374: Digital Equity at Work and in Life With Bill Curtis-Davidson and Chris Wood

But we’ve done a lot of work at PEAT in immersive technologies like virtual reality, that are offering new ways for employees to connect, communicate, and collaborate. They’re also providing ways for employers and governments and educators to build empathy and enhanced training, reskilling, and upskilling. And when the needs of people with disabilities and other intersectional identities are considered as part of design, we can design that tech to be useful for everyone. Episode 374: Digital Equity at Work and in Life With Bill Curtis-Davidson (@BCurtisDavidson) and Chris Wood (@chrisbwood)   Welcome to the Workology Podcast, a podcast for the disruptive workplace leader. Join host Jessica Miller-Merrell, founder of Workology.com as she sits down and gets to the bottom of trends, tools, and case studies for the business leader, HR, and recruiting professional who is tired of the status quo. Now here’s Jessica with this episode of Workology. Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:00:55.56] Welcome to the Workology Podcast, a podcast for the disruptive workplace leader. This episode of the Workology Podcast is part of our Future of Work series powered by PEAT, the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology. PEAT works to start conversations around how emerging technology trends in the workplace are impacting people with disabilities. Now, before I introduce this episode’s guests, I want to hear from you. Please text me the word “PODCAST” to 512-548-3005. You can ask me questions, leave comments, and make suggestions for future guests. That’s “PODCAST” to 512-548-3005. This is my community text number and I want to hear from you. As October is both National Disability Employment Awareness Month, also known as NDEAM and LGBTQ+ History Month in this episode we’ll highlight perspectives that touch on both with a focus on how workplace policies, practices, and technologies can enable digital equity. Today, I’m joined by Bill Curtis-Davidson, co-director of PEAT and Senior Consultant, Inclusion, Accessibility and AI Integration with the Wheelhouse Group, and Chris Wood, Executive Director and Co-Founder, LGBT Tech, and Chair of the FCC Communications Equity and Diversity Council, or CEDC, and Diversity and Equity Working Group. Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:02:03.86] Bill is a creative technologist who has spent the last 20+ years advancing inclusive product design and strategic accessibility practices for clients in multiple industries. He uses his skills as a strategic consultant, program leader and product designer to engage stakeholders and increase their impact. At Wheelhouse Group, Bill serves as the Artificial Intelligence Integration Practice Lead with a special focus on AI, ethics, fairness, and social justice with a focus on people with disabilities. Bill’s work centers around HR technologies, but also explores how AI interacts with emerging technologies such as extended reality, automated vehicles and more. Now, Chris, he has founded three non-profits focused on LGBTQ+ communities, one for the B2B profit space and a B2C company. He’s also taught as an adjunct professor around entrepreneurship and has spoke at over 100 events in the last ten years. Wow. His drive and passion truly took shape at 25 years old when he was taken hostage by the first suicide bomber in the US. And realizing from cradle to grave this life is too short and it was on him to make his dreams come true. To date, he’s grown all his non-profit or for-profit ventures from a small idea to a successful organization now employing over 15 people. Bill and Chris, welcome to the Workology Podcast.